Category: Uncategorized

Firm’s Competitive Environment

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421505” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc380421505 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421506” Antitrust laws PAGEREF _Toc380421506 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421507” Intended Purpose of economic regulation in monopolies and oligopolies PAGEREF _Toc380421507 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421508” Key functions of federal commissions governing economic regulations PAGEREF _Toc380421508 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421509” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PAGEREF _Toc380421509 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421510” Food and Drug Administration PAGEREF _Toc380421510 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421511” U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission PAGEREF _Toc380421511 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421512” Occupational Safety and Health Administration PAGEREF _Toc380421512 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380421513” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration PAGEREF _Toc380421513 h 5

Introduction

A comprehensive understanding of the government regulations and the dynamics pertaining to the competitive environment of businesses comes is imperative not only for businesses but also for potential employees. Needless to say, the markets are made up of different structures, each of which is affected in a different way by the varied regulations. On the same note, a number of bodies and commissions are established in an effort to regulate the markets and ensure fairness not only among the business entities but also with regard to the customers.

Antitrust lawsAlso called competition laws, antitrust laws underline statutes aimed at protecting consumers from predatory or unfair business practices through safeguarding the existence of fair competition in open-market economy. The United States has four fundamental antitrust laws including the following.

Sherman Act – enacted in 1890, the Sherman Act prohibits any conspiracy, contract or combination between two or more business entities that imposes unreasonable restrictions on commerce and trade (Vogel, 1998). It prohibits monopolies, conspiracy or agreements that monopolize the market of a particular service or product.

Clayton Act- this Act, passed in 1914, aimed at addressing specific practices whose effect is the creation of a monopoly or substantially lessen competition. It covers mergers and acquisition, exclusive dealing agreements, tying arrangements, as well as interrelated boards of directors.

Robinson-Patman Act – coming into force in 1936, the Act addressed discrimination in prices that are charged to competing purchasers for goods that have similar quality and grade (Vogel, 1998). It aimed at protecting small businesses through restricting the capacity of larger companies to dictate discriminatory discounts via their purchasing power.

Federal trade Commission Act – the Act gave the Federal Trade Commission the authority to enforce the three other antitrust laws. It prohibited deceptive practices and unfair competition methods (Balleisen, 2011). It was designed to nip anticompetitive practices in the bud.

Intended Purpose of economic regulation in monopolies and oligopoliesOligopolies

These refer to market structures that are characterized by few firms dominating the market, selling differentiated or identical products with considerable barriers to entry in the industry. Economic regulations in this industry are aimed at ensuring economic efficiency. Oligopolies may try to fix prices, leading to high prices and reduced production unlike the case of perfect competition. In addition, economic regulations of oligopolies are aimed at enhancing the growth of the industry, especially considering that oligopolies can apply unethical practices so as to limit entry into the industry.

Monopolies

Economic regulation of monopolies aims at preventing excess price. Deficiency of government regulation may cause monopolies to put the prices up, resulting in allocative inefficiency and a reduction in consumer welfare. In addition, economic regulations safeguard the quality of services in monopolies (Baldwin et al, 2010). Monopolies often have no incentive to provide quality services as there is no competition. Economic regulations ensure that monopolies meet specific standards of service. Moreover, economic regulations promote competition and limit monopsony power (Baldwin et al, 2010). Firms that have monopolistic powers may choose to exploit monopsonic buying power.

Key functions of federal commissions governing economic regulations

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

FERC controls oil pipeline rates, hydroelectric licensing, wholesale electric rates, natural gas pricing and interstate electricity sales.

Securities And Exchange Commission – SEC’

SEC was created with the aim of controlling securities markets, as well as protecting investors. It has statutes that encourage full public disclosure and protect investors from manipulative and fraudulent practices in security markets (Balleisen, 2011).

Federal Communications Commission

The FCC aims at making available worldwide, nationwide and radio communication services with sufficient facilities at reasonable cost to all United States people without discrimination (Balleisen, 2011). It also aims are promoting safety of property and life via radio and wire communications.

Intended purpose of social regulation in all market structures.Social regulation underlines a wide range of rules that govern the manner in which individuals or businesses undertake their activities with the aim of correcting varied market failures (Baldwin et al, 2010). It aims at serving two purposes. First, it prohibits business entities from producing goods with certain characteristics of in ways that would harm public interests like environment, health and safety (Baldwin et al, 2010).

Secondly, it aims are ensuring that business entities produce goods with certain characteristics and in ways that would benefit public interests.

Key functions of the five primary federal regulatory commissions that govern social regulation.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)EPA was established with the sole aim of protecting the environment and human health through the creation and enforcement of laws made by Congress. It is responsible for the maintenance and enforcement of national standards under varied environmental laws in consultation with local and state governments (Baldwin et al, 2010).

Food and Drug AdministrationFDA promotes and protects public health via supervision and regulation of dietary supplements, tobacco products, food safety, prescription, vaccines, blood transfusions, veterinary products, pharmaceutical drugs, biopharmaceuticals and ERED (Balleisen, 2011).

U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionCPSC controls the manufacture and sale of varied consumer products through banning dangerous consumer products, researching on their potential hazards, and issuing recalls if such products are already in the market (Balleisen, 2011).

Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationOSHA has the mission of safeguarding healthful and safe working conditions for workers through establishing and enforcing standards, as well as offering assistance, education, outreach and training (Baldwin et al, 2010).

National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationThe NHTSA aims at saving lives, preventing injuries, as well as lowering vehicle-related crashes through the development of anthropomorphic dummies that are used in safety testing and the test protocols themselves (Balleisen, 2011).

References

Baldwin, R., Cave, M., & Lodge, M. (2010). The Oxford handbook of regulation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Vogel, S. K. (1998). Freer markets, more rules: Regulatory reform in advanced industrial countries. Ithaca, NY [u.a.: Cornell Univ. Press.

Balleisen, E. J. (2011). Government and markets: Toward a new theory of regulation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

First amendment and fairness doctrine

Author

Institution

Introduction

Freedom of speech arguably is one of the most valued aspects of in any country irrespective of the setting. However, it also doubles up or comes as one of the most misused freedoms in any country. Unfortunately, many are times when misuse of this freedom leads to disastrous results. This, therefore, underlines the importance of putting restrictions on freedom of speech. This is especially in academic institutions. It goes without saying that recent times have seen an increase in the rate of violence in academic institutions. This violence may be aimed at one individual or a certain race or tribe. On the same note, there are instances where speech amounts to bullying, which is one of the key problems plaguing present-day academic institutions. This underlines the importance of the incorporation of a speech code. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly impossible to control the personal conduct of students especially as pertaining to speech, thanks to the entry of computers, internet and social networks. Nevertheless, it is imperative that rules are implemented pertaining to the speech of students in academic institutions in order to maintain law and order. The following rules would be applicable for students’ conduct online.

Students are not allowed to make hate speech against an individual, a group of people or even a race. Hate speech, in this case, is defined as any statement that creates a hostile, offensive or intimidating educational environment for a certain group of people. The predominant characteristic of this speech is that it causes emotional distress to a certain individual or group of people.

Students are also prohibited from making discriminatory or racist epithets or any other expressive behavior that is directed to an individual or group of individuals, or on separate instances at varied individuals, or even for physical conduct. This is in instances where such epithets, expressive behavior, physical conduct or comments intentionally demean the sex, race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, ancestry or national origin of an individual or group of people. Such statements may also create an intimidating, demeaning or hostile environment, which is not conductive for education, university-authorized activities or university-related work.

Students are also prohibited from making statements that aim at inciting other students to commit violent activities. The term incitement is used to describe a speech that may lead individuals who are in agreement with it to carry out immediate violence. There is always danger that a certain speech or statement will convince some or all listeners to carry out an immediate, unlawful action.

Students are also prohibited from making any obscene expression revolving around hardcore depiction of sexual acts. They are prohibited from producing and transmitting obscene material online in the academic environment. Any statement would be categorized as obscene in situations where an average person would find such a statement as appealing to the prurient interest, even in application of contemporary community standards. The work may also be describing or depicting sexual conduct in a way or manner that is patently offensive. This is also the case where the statement, taken as a whole, is devoid of serious artistic, literary, scientific or political value.

As much as the university is the one place where freedom of expression should be guarded jealously, it is worth noting that it is composed of people with different likes, preferences, feelings, values and principles. The enjoyment of all freedoms rests on the ability to allow other people to live their lives without any interruption. The term university revolves around the universality of ideas. It is always imperative that students learn to argue their points in a manner that would not limit the freedom of other people to outline their ideas, as well. In addition, it is worth noting that universities have opened up their doors to people from different races, communities, religions, as well as sexual orientation. It is noteworthy that some of these people are likely to be intimidated, especially in cases where they come from minority groups. This underlines the importance of protecting the minorities and ensuring that they do not suffer simply because they come from minorities. In some cases, students may make inciting statements that may lead to the disruption of academic-work, destruction of property, as well as loss of life. This is even in cases where they have been provided with appropriate channels of airing their views and grievances. Prohibiting the making of inciting statements would go a long way in ensuring that students learn to solve disputes amicably and ensure the protection of property, human lives and ensure peaceful coexistence.

Part Two

Do you think the Fairness Doctrine should be revived, revised, or left dead? Why?

Fairness Doctrine

The media has been one of the most fundamental aspects of any society. This is right from newspapers or print media to the radios and televisions. However, there exists a wide difference between print media and electronic media. Electronic media, unlike the publishing or print media, had an endless supply of tools of the trade. This is because the finite number of available frequencies limited the broadcasting licenses. This led to the enactment of the Fairness Doctrine as the broadcast licenses were relatively fewer than the people who wanted to have them. Licensees, as the trustees of this limited public resource, accepted a certain obligation pertaining to the public interest in exchange for the restricted the scarce public airwaves. The Fairness Doctrine was mainly meant to ensure that the broadcasters would air different views beyond the ones the licensees favored. The Fairness Doctrine incorporated two fundamental elements. It required the broadcasters to allocate some of their airtime to the discussion of controversial matters that were of public interest, as well as air contrasting views pertaining to those matters. It is worth noting that the stations were offered wide latitude on how they could provide contrasting views. They could choose to do it via the editorials, news segments or even the public affairs shows. However, this doctrine was repealed in 1987 during President Reagan’s reign as it was seen as being in conflict with the first amendment. However, there have been questions as to whether the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated, revised or eliminated entirely. In my opinion, the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated.

First, I believe that the reinstatement of this doctrine would allow the public to have an enhanced access to information pertaining to controversial issues. The main point behind the enactment of the First Doctrine was to ensure that broadcasters gave airtime to both sides pertaining to controversial issues. It is worth noting that, the doctrine did not require them to offer the two sides equal time but to offer a balanced view pertaining to crucial issues. This prevented one-sided reporting especially considering that the airways and programs were limited. Unfortunately, this is something that is lacking in today’s media industry. This has led to a poorly informed people, something that affects their decisions especially pertaining to political matters. There are still some people who cannot access cable networks, in which case they can only get information from the same channels that have certain individuals presenting warped ideas and point of views. Unfortunately, the absence of this doctrine makes such people give incorrect information as they would not need to defend their views.

In addition, this comes as one of the ways of preventing personal attacks and disingenuous information from being broadcast, which has been the norm in the media. Research shows that there has been an increase in personal attacks and misinformation in mainstream radio since the repealing of this doctrine. It is worth noting that these have resulted in mass misinformation, as well as deaths of individuals against who the broadcasts had suggested action. The reinstatement of this doctrine would guard against broadcasts that may polarize the people.

Lastly, it is worth noting that the foundation of this doctrine was the notion of “spectrum scarcity”. The notion underlines the physical restriction of airwaves, which then leads to the restriction the number of stations that are available. It is worth noting that the maintenance of limited airwaves is done in the public interest. In essence, the doctrine underlined the fact that the airwaves are not private property but a public resource. It reaffirmed the congressional mandate that television and radio has to be maintained as the general public’s medium for free speech, rather than an outlet for serving the private or personal interests of its licensee. It is worth noting that licensees are trustees of limited public resources, in which case they accept a certain obligation pertaining to the public interest, in exchange for the restricted utilization of the limited public airwaves.

Author

Tutor

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First day in College

Introduction

Students getting out of high school and colleges always talk about their love for their school especially in their last days in the institutions. Being blessed with a natural ruminating tendency does wonders in lubricating the brain gears, which explains why finalists have so much to say about their just-to-be former school. College always presents numerous opportunities for growth and unforgettable lessons beyond the academics. It is an opportunity to learn new phenomena, make new (and valuable) friends, and get lost in the confusion and chaos that do little to create a conducive environment for making friendship. This explains why my first day in Nicholls State University sticks so much in my mind.

The exact date escapes my brain, but it was in mid August, when my adventurous journey in Nicholls State University started. I must admit that I was walking with my head as not many people have the opportunity to pursue their academic journey in this college. However, I was haunted by the question that many people asked me. “Why Nicholls State University of all other colleges?” Of course, I would come up with smart (and grown up) stuff such as, “excellent infrastructure, placement record, ambience etc”. Unfortunately, the question reappeared the day I was joining the institution, something that poured cold water on my hopes pertaining to the institution. I knew there and then that the institution was to be feared.

Having my dad escort I to the college did not make matters better, but I understood how kids feel when starting school anew. The fact that I had left high school quite a number of years ago did not make matters better, as it meant that I would find few friends from my former high school. Fortunately, there were a number of them, albeit in different departments. I got to college in time for the orientation ceremony at the Gandhi Hall, where I joined my soon-to-be friends. It goes without saying that I felt out of place and lonely in one of the most magnificent and complex places on which I have ever set my eyes. The presence of an old friend from high school livened my spirits in a remarkable manner. Unfortunately, the new students were required to sit with their respective departments in which case I had to bid him goodbye, as I settled in with my prospective friends. I could not help noticing that some of them already knew each other and were chattering away making me feel miserable.

The orientation whizzed away with numerous speeches that incorporated messages and anecdotes being made. These lifted my spirits and made everyone feel welcome, cheerful and warm. After the three hours, we were required to go for an orientation tour around the institution so that we could know our way around it. I must admit that keeping my lips tightly zipped was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, as I am a natural born socialite. In essence, I made a friend with one of the new students. It seemed the God was not so cruel as I had earlier thought. Unfortunately, my happiness was cut short as we were grouped in alphabetical order according to the first letter of our names. The first letter of my name differed from hers in which case we had to separate amidst a grudging goodbye. I, therefore, chose to concentrate on admiring the place.

This campus was simply astounding. I naturally blended into the group, as all of us were left speechless by almost every architectural contortion by which we came, including the enormous library, the workshop, administration block and the stadium. On a number of instances, we bumped onto other groups making the tour and, luckily, found other friends from my former high school. It goes without saying that the day was improving with time. This was confirmed when lunch time came. The cooks must have prepared the food with kings in mind, which made me repent for having thought of how cruel God is for sending me to the college.

The orientation resumed after the heavy lunch, but I found it hard to drag my feet up the stairs to the class. However, I found solace in chatting away with my new found friends who were not only my future classmates but also bus-mates. The tour to the lecture halls and seating arrangements took several minutes, thanks to the mumbling and grumbling that we excitedly made. This ultimately gave way to the afternoon snack, which was simply lip-smacking. The highlight of the day was the ride back home when I boarded the school bus. As a newbie, I was not privy to the art of sleeping in the bus. I was animatedly chatting with my new-found friend when she burst out laughing. This attracted the attention of one of the teachers who called us to the front seats. This was extremely embarrassing to us, but I bet it is going to make one of the things about which we will always laugh. The first day in college was characterized by embarrassment, ebullience, and a dose of stupidity, but I settled in, thanks to fate, God, and my ever cooperative schoolmates.

First Impression

Name of the Student:

Name of the Institution:

The truth behind guessing other’s thoughts and feelings is enhanced by the need to anticipate others’ needs and desires through interactions. The ability and skills of correctly determining what somebody is thinking at a particular time disregards the background, but depends on the accuracy of interpersonal perception. Difference in accurate perceptions among people is therefore an important factor when discussing impression formation. Research reports indicate that women are more empathically accurate than men. However, this paper seeks to discuss and uncover the social and interpersonal elements that help in predicting accurate empathic accuracy.

According to Laurent and Hodges (2008), the difference in interpersonal judgment in terms of predicting what others think can be well explained by the roles associated to each gender. More than a number of reasons, the study of others begins with self-study since self- monitoring is positively related to accuracy of empathic judgment. Laurent and Hodges are convinced that women are more empathically accurate than men since women have higher levels of femininity and are often stereotyped as very expressive, communal and interdependently oriented than men. In this case, the roles played by women in the society are consistent with the wellbeing of others. The feeling of compassion for another person, characteristic of women, is a direct component of impression formation. To accurately have an impression of one’s thoughts, familiarity with issues of contention is very vital. The communal orientation is one of the strong identities of women occasioned by their roles in the society, thereby giving them great links for accurate empathic prediction.

Chan, et al. proposes that gender is a factor in interpersonal perception, normally associated with performance of tasks across different domains which to great extent systematically determine other’s impressive personality. They argue that interpersonal perception of the first impression is consistent with accuracy of empathetic prediction. Their research found out that female perceiver’s first impressions are more accurate than that of male perceivers. Despite the fact that the difference in the ability to discern and understand the unique personality characteristics of others is very minimal between men and women, averagely, females have greater normative accuracy and formed first impressions of others to perceive their personality traits and characteristics. This corresponds more strongly compared to the ability of men to perceive other’s personal traits and characteristics. Therefore, gender is strongly associated with interpersonal sensitivity, whereby females demonstrate higher degree of interpersonal sensitivity than men. The determining factor in this case is the accuracy of the first impression of personality. However, there is little or no difference in distinctive accuracy of perceiving the difference in a person from a normal person.

to Huma (2010), the ability of forming first impression of a particular person between men and women to make judgment of their personality characteristics is the main highlight. The society has created common differences in gender and this has led to specific roles of men and women. However, despite the roles, people still have unique abilities, particularly of mental judgment of others normalcy. These unique traits make some people, of particular gender, to have some abilities to perform tasks better than others. Impression accuracy is an ability associated with women that explain their cognitive strength of empathy. Huma (2010) acknowledges that a photograph experiment to judge perception accuracy between men and women found out that men and women were accurate in recognizing the depicted emotions. However though, female could distinguish all the facial expression in the photograph, men on the other hand having problems of distinguishing anger and fear. In this particular case, it comes out clearly that first point accurate judgment using facial impressions is very difficult for most men compared to women counterparts.

The above three articles have common points about gender differences particularly in mental judgments or state of others in the society. They all support the fact that women have strong ability of accurate empathy of others compared to the male counterparts. They also agree that roles associated with women in the society give them an upper hand for accurate empathy since these roles makes them communal, social, and interdependently oriented.

Some of the assertions of the three articles are however not true, particularly considering the modern society. The logical truth about the modern world, with the modern civilizations, women plays far more different roles than they played in the ancient times. Women can stand dependently and have all the privileges that were accorded to men in the ancient times, for instance authority among others, which distract them from the supposedly communal roles. More than that, with the equity stance of women in the current society, the ability of empathetic judgment of others may be shared among men and women. It is therefore true that comparing the ancient times and the modern times, the re-definition of the roles played by the men and women in the society cannot be the soul measurement of the reason why women are more empathically accurate than men. Moreover, cognitive power is unique characteristic, which can either be naturally acquired or artificially acquired. It may therefore depend on the level of education and interests particularly in the field of psychology of the mind that can substantiate the differences in the level of one’s empathic accuracy.

References

Laurent, M.S. and Hodges,D.S. (2008). Gender Roles and Empathic Accuracy: The Roles of Communion in Reading Minds. Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, USA.

Huma, B. (2010).Gender Differences in Impression Formation. Journal of comparative research in anthropology and sociology. University of Bucharest, Romania. Vol 1(1): 57-72

First Man on the Moon and its Effects on Society

Baumann Bruno

Institution

First Man on the Moon and its Effects on Society

For centuries, man looked up to the sky and fanaticized that he would walk on the moon. In 1969, Neil Armstrong set the first human footprint on the moon after a successful Apollo 11 voyage (Crawford, Baldwin, Taylor, Bailey, & Tsembelis, 2008). This event marked a feat to an enduring dream that inspired man to expand further space explorations. Innovative technologies and medical discoveries enhanced and changed from fantasy to reality after the mission to the moon. Today, many nations engage in space explorations for economic benefits, scientific discovery, and national security concerns. The successful mission to the moon inspired a belief in human capital in the face of challenges, opened further opportunities for explorations, and fueled competition among nations in the modern world.

Man’s successful landing on the moon had an emotional effect on the society. The mission gives people pride and positive perspective on their inherent abilities to achieve success in any undertaking. The emotional consequence of space exploration emerges in the quest by people to disregard their limitations and explore the horizons for the infinite opportunities available in other planets. Modern science seeks to explore the unknown to find solution to medical, social, and economic problems despite the costs of conducting research on these issues, both on earth and through space expeditions (Steyaerta & Katzb, 2004). Space explorations to the moon and popular planets like mars serve as a unifying force and raise the belief in people’s individual and collective ability to succeed in their endeavors despite the emerging challenges.

Space explorations open up numerous opportunities for financial and knowledge gain. Explorers and space entrepreneurs make a living by providing new information for space research and facilitating space travel, respectively. NASA and private jet companies, like Virgin Atlantic, continue to develop new space crafts that are convenient and reliable for space travel. These companies make huge profits and continue to grow in popularity because of the increase in the number of space enthusiasts. Space explorations not only offer financial opportunities but also help man to solve the problem of limited resources on Earth (Steyaerta & Katzb, 2004). The solar system has abundant space and mineral resources that can help humanity, for example, the iron and radon found on Mars, coupled with the discovery of the capacity of this planet to support life, can help solve the problem of mineral scarcity and population boom on Earth.

World superpowers, developed, and developing nations engage in technological, medical, and political competition akin to the Space Race. This popular race pitted America versus the Soviet Union in the quest to achieve superiority over Solar System explorations (Crawford, Baldwin, Taylor, Bailey, & Tsembelis, 2008). President Kennedy inspired American explorers to counter the Soviet’s dominance of space activities by a passionate speech that inspired enthusiasm and hope to all Americans. The speech did not go in vain because Armstrong, an American explorer, set the first human foot on the moon a decade later. Soviet explorers and those from other nations took this development as a challenge and inspiration to propel their space activities until their citizens landed on the moon. The rivalry among nations on issues such as foreign policy, military influence, medical research, and space exploration continue today.

The successful voyage to the moon motivated man to believe in the inherent capacity to endure challenges, provided new opportunities for exploration, and fueled rivalries among nations in modern civilization. People passionately recount the voyage to the moon and get inspiration to prevail over all obstacles in their quest to achieve success in all their activities. Space exploration opens up numerous opportunities for financial gain and research that help solve problems on Earth. The enduring modern political, economic, and military rivalries among nations resemble and derive from the Space Race.

References

Crawford, A., Baldwin, E., Taylor, E., Bailey, A., and Tsembelis, K. (2008). On the Survivability and Detectability of Terrestrial Meteorites on the Moon. Astrobiology, Volume: 8 Issue 2: 242-252.

Steyaerta, C. & Katzb, J. (2004). Reclaiming the space of entrepreneurship in society: geographical, discursive and social dimensions. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development: An International Journal, Volume 16, Issue 3, 2004, pages 179-196.

Topic: find a theme that connects two books Othello and Pedro Paramo

Student name

Course

Institution

Date

Introduction

Many people in the world are striving hard in order to live lives of full potential and reach the actualization point where one lives a legacy. However, there are so many obstacles to reaching the highest point in life. As a result, majority of people seek to use illegitimate means in order to achieve their dreams. The following discussion will focus on two hypothetical stories which demonstrate the theme of hope and dreams.

Discussion

In both books, there are a number of themes but the one that is common in both is the theme of hope and dreams. This is demonstrated by the main characters one being Iago in Othello and Don Pedro in Pedro Paramo. Both of these young men have high aspirations. This motivates them to use all the means to achieve their objectives regardless of whether they are acceptable in the society or not.

Normally, the society is structured in a way that people have the impression that people, who are successful in terms of the material wealth and power, are highly respected and this boosts their self-esteem. As a result, people employ carious ways in order to achieve these goals that are highly regarded in the society.

The theme of hope and dreams is demonstrated in the story of Pedro Paramo where Pedro has fallen in love with a lady by the name of Susan. It happens that she does not reciprocate the same kind of feelings that he has for her but this does not stop him from pursuing her. Apparently, Susan was ailing but he did not despair. However, he seemed to have ill feelings concerning her father when he says, ‘I wish he dies in the mines’ (74-75). This demonstrates the fact that Susan’s father was also one of the obstacle’s to Pedro’s dream. Later on, he does not get to marry her as she dies after ailing for a long time. This is when his dream comes to an end.

On the other hand, Iago also demonstrates this theme in his endeavor to become great leader. He is said to have been a soldier under Othello. He had a colleague by the name of Cassio who apparently gets promoted to the post of a lieutenant a decision that Iago despises. He is a man who is hungry for power and recognition and seeks to use all means to reclaim that.

One of the ways that he seeks to use are the ones that destroys Cassio’s reputation so that he is demoted. This is compared with the same feelings that Pedro had for Susan’s father. This is shown when he says, ‘I will make him drink more from this cup’ (2.67). In achieving his dreams and aspirations, he is not limited by the legitimate means that are there. He succeeded in making Cassio lose Othello’s favor when he was involved in a fight after he became drunk. However, after this scenario, he still did not get the to replace Cassio as a lieutenant, but this did not kill his dream as he continued to device other new means until he destroyed him completely.

The similarity found in both stories is that just as Pedro did not get to marry Susan, Iago also did not get to achieve his dream. However, in both stories, the characters demonstrate the theme of hope and dreams though they seek to use corrupt means.

Conclusion

People who seek to use unjust means to reach their dreams and aspirations tumble along their way. Nature has a way of ensuring that they do not go away unpunished. Both stories demonstrate optimism but also the ill motives that were dominant in the character’s heart causing them not to achieve their hopes and dreams.

FIRST PERSON VIEW LIVING AS A MONK

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First Person View Living As a Monk

Living as a monk is not easy; it requires sacrifice and dedication. I live in a Chinese temple, in Thailand and I wake up at half past three in the morning. I take time to prepare before the official waking hour at four o’clock in the morning. I then join the rest of the monks in the temple of the meditation process that takes one hour. In addition, chanting session starts immediately after meditation. The process is helpful since it rejuvenates the self-esteem of the person and encourages the person to face the community for help. The life of a monk is indoors and does not help to explore full potentials present in a person. I suggest that the monk life should be multidisciplinary so that it can engage both indoor and outdoor activities. The processes that take place in the temple assist in building personal traits that are beneficial to the community (Mills, 2013).

As a monk, I learn the fundamental teachings of Chinese temple and ways of guiding the community towards improved living. The preservation of the teachings is essential since they form the cultural practice that is admirable globally. The process of walking barefoot around the town at six o’clock in the morning is should change. I think is necessary for the monks to form income generating units that will support in terms of food and catering for other expenses. The idea of depending on well-wishers discouraged many Chinese in joining monastery and dedicating their life in the temple (Birnbaum, 2003). In some situations, we may walk around the neighbourhood and need well-wishers to offer food. Walking is tiresome and consumes energy; lack of foods creates a negative feeling about the community that may lead to hatred. The spiritual rituals of walking barefoot signify poverty and humility.

Monk life encourages male and female followers. Successful orientation and passing of exams result to ordination. The exams involve oral and practical sessions that ensure fitness in mental life. Some Chinese communities exempt the monks from community activities. The community voluntarily takes food and drinks to the temple for the monks. In the perspective view, it is necessary for the monks to accept change and be modernized in terms of finding revenue. The monk life is similar to a beggar in terms of food and drinks. The major role of monks is to fulfil the community roles, preserve community doctrines and discipline. The studies monks receive in the temple are essential in maintaining good morals and characters in the community. I attend the monk classes from one o’clock in the afternoon up to six o’clock in the evening. The monks should also consider a reduction of the class session and participate in activities that will generate income towards the temple (Mills, 2013).

I return to the temple at eight o’clock in the morning for a drink and snacks; and a blessing for peace around the world. As a monk, I consider peace as an essential part for the development and economic growth within the country. The breakfast session is a chance of socializing and making new friends in the temple. The breakfast session is short and very entertaining to all the monks. The other roles I play as a monk is maintenance of the temple in terms of cleanliness and aesthetic. I learn different artistic designs of decorating the temple so that it remains attractive and beautiful through the religious year. The classes on the artistic designs run between eight o’clock in the morning up to some minutes before twelve noon. The master of the monk should expand the skills in the artistic designs of the temple to commercial based in order to generate revenue of running the temple activities (Mills, 2013).

I like the monk life and I advocate for some changes for the benefit of the monks and the future of temple activities. The temple activities should be increasing yearly due to the presence of revenues. The skills from the temple artistic and doctrine classes should be helpful to the community and the temple. The temple is a learning centre and the skills from the temple should assist in adding revenue. The beggar life of the temple and its monks is shameful in the modern culture. The increasing cost of living in Chinese society is resulting to decrease in the quality of offering they give to the temple. Predictions on the trend of the economy reveals that it will come a time the Chinese community will completely not contribute towards the temple and its activities. The monks should develop ways of self-sustenance and instead of receiving help; the temple should help the community (Birnbaum, 2003).

Lunch time is twelve noon, and it is the time for reunion and socializing. The meal is solid and heavy since it is the last solid meal before sunrise. The daily ritual activities are helpful since they avoid idleness and reduce crime in Chinese community. The morning sessions of meditating and chanting should be short to allow the monks engage in extra activities that are beneficial in the running of the temple activities. The monks should also abandon the six o’clock session of walking around the town seeking food instead they should stay in the temple and let well-wishers bring them food (Birnbaum, 2003).

References:

Birnbaum, R. (2003). Buddhist China at The Century’s Turn. The China Quarterly, 174, 428-

450.

Mills, M. A. (2013). Identity, Ritual and State in Tibetan Buddhism: The Foundations Of

Authority in Gelukpa Monasticism. New York: Routledge.

Finding Out That Morale Among Police Officers Is Poor

It is not easy to determine that the morale of police officers covering a certain jurisdiction may be affected. This is due to the observation that the general results such as low crime levels, prompt delivery of service, reports and arrests made may indicate performance above average rating but morale remains low (Guilfoyle, 2011). According to the author, the determination of the success of public official service delivery is very difficult. In order to obtain the relevant data to determine if the police officers in charge of a certain jurisdiction are competent enough, service quality analytical studies must take charge. Understanding the dynamics of human resources, management of employees is a factor of work and non-work functions. Conceptualization of public service being similar to the private sector enabled the consideration of issues tackled in the survey touching on working conditions. To this end, the following quickly assembled setup assisted in the study of the complications in the delivery of police work in a particular jurisdiction.

The snap survey involving ten randomly picked officers included collection of information regarding perceptions on improvement of the working environment. Respondents gave information on a few areas where most challenges affected the delivery of their work. Alternatively, respondents gave information on the interventions related to the work difficulties that would improve their work ratings. A different section of the survey collected optional information on difficulties in non-work life related issues that directly affect work. On the third element of the survey, public views obtained in the same period were compared with what the officers gave. Three observations emerged as contained in the hypothesis and recommendations below.

Hypothesis: police officers’ morale dips due to lack of resources, few officers and inefficient equipment. Evaluation process will be implemented by isolating a few affected officers and changing their working conditions to capture the proposed changes.

A unanimous opinion from the ten officers gave the indication that available resources for use in police work were inadequate. This affects the commitment invested in different assignments and a feeling that more resources would facilitate morale existed (Bramble, 2012). Only one of the officers had the opinion that resources are not enough an excuse for poor job attitude. The public held the opinion that the police need better resources and remuneration than they currently get.

Officers’ numbers during work greatly determine how teamwork establishes. Policing is a team related assignment and the respondents felt that their safety at work depended on the cover given by colleagues. Fears of mistakes as well as poor personal safety during discharge of services contribute to reduced morale to work in few numbers. The work handled is also difficult and additional personnel into the force would eliminate the challenge (Moore, 2010). Public opinion on this issue was divided with half agreeing with the police and half holding the opinion that there are enough police officers.

Obsolete equipment affects the morale of the police officers. A unanimous opinion observed that lack of appropriate equipment to deal with police duties reduces the desire to take up assignments. Better equipment would solve the need for motivation and commitment.

References

Bramble, L. (2012). “Unethical Behavior & Employee Morale,” Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://www.ehow.com/about_6466822_unethical-behavior-employee-morale.html” http://www.ehow.com/about_6466822_unethical-behavior-employee-morale.html

Guilfoyle, S. (2001). “Crime in Progress: The Impact of Targets on Police Service Delivery,” Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://inspguilfoyle.wordpress.com/crime-in-progress-the-impact-of-targets-on-police-service-delivery/” http://inspguilfoyle.wordpress.com/crime-in-progress-the-impact-of-targets-on-police-service-delivery/

Moore, J. (2010). “Low Morale among State Employees Boosts Fraud,” Retrieved from: HYPERLINK “http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/low-morale-among-state-employees-boosts-fraud-2018515.html” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/low-morale-among-state-employees-boosts-fraud-2018515.html

Organizational Theory

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First Principles of Social Organization

In his principles of social organization, Socrates argues that studying the society on a large scale would be better unlike partitioning it into small bits. He continues to argue that societies are driven by two concepts that of mutual need- people need to rely on one another to attain satisfactory life- and specialization by various people who are able to do certain things with a lot of expertise. In this regard, the society is bound to have natural progress.

In the society, the theory of classism applies in that different people in the society play specific roles ranging from the producers to proletarians. These classes of people contribute a great mile to the advancement of the society, as another group in the society could not have done the roles they perform better. Managers for instance cannot produce corn in the fields, while the corn producers may not in a position to do the paper work in an organization. Alternatively, if the corn producers were not present, it would be futile for the managers being in office. This relates to the need for mutual relationship stated above.

Civilized Society

Socrates argues that every society has the right to earn the privilege of enjoying civilization. This leads to our understanding of the causes of injustice and justice in the society. In our context, we not only look at luxuries of life but a strong army that is able to protect the society and what it has toiled endlessly to achieve. From Socrates argument, it is evident that he advocates for each class playing its role in the society effectively and more specifically soldiers in the pursuit for a civilized society. He contends that it is the ultimate responsibility of the society to ensure that the best men are selected to defend it by all incomes.

Qualities Required in the Guardians

Guardians are responsible for protection of the community from both internal and external assaults. Being the watchdogs of the society their attributes ought to be physical strength, bravery and a high level of philosophical personality. Just like a dog, these guardians should wary at any sight of a stranger, whether of good will or not. Guardians should always be willing to learn new skills that may assist in their conduction of duties easily. Speed is also key for any guardian for the society’s security may put under jeopardy any time; speed is obligatory to counter it.

The Three Classes and Their Mutual Relations

The guardians, rulers and auxiliaries work in conjunction to provide security to the society. While the rulers are concerned with dispensing orders to its subordinates, among them being auxiliaries, the guardians play the role of protecting the society from internal feuds and external attacks. The auxiliaries discharge militarily functions under the guidance of the rulers. All these parties play the role of a defense team to the vulnerable society.

The Rulers’ and Auxiliaries’ Way of Life

The rulers and auxiliaries live a life devoid of luxuries like having a family or owning private property. According to Plato, this is good for the society at large and is the best decision that a society may undertake to protect its people. Plato’s ideologies argue that if the guardians of the society are deprived of these luxuries and privileges, they will have no dedication towards life but to the well being of the society. If guardians are given an opportunity to enjoy life, the security of the state may be at stake, for they may dedicate their lives to personal developments and forget the entire public and their role towards it.

Final Provisions of Unity

Guardians should ensure that the society is maintained in terms of security and ability of its citizens to invest in secure manner. They should also maintain the rate at which the society is advancing to avoid a instance whereby it is too large to manage in terms of provision of services and provision of security. Having undergone military training, it is expected that the guardians perform this role with utmost ease.

The Status of Women

Socrates argues there is no difference between men and women in terms of their intellectual ability. The only difference is that their physical attributes are different. He continues to argue that if women acquire education, they may be in a better position to offer tangible counsel just like men. Women have to undergo training in all aspects- physical, mental in order to acquire the necessary expertise for administration of a ruling. In the case of war, physical training is important for women to take part in it.

If we say that women do not have the capacity to learn just like the men, this would be a mere understatement.

Marriage and the Family

Marriage is the ingredient of development of the society. According to Plato, the ageing populace has to be replaced by a younger generate who shall take over the roles provided by the aforementioned. From marriage, these new beings learn how to relate with others and respect authority. This is the first step towards governing a society it being the smallest political unit in the society. If the best species are allowed to mate then the pedigrees in the society will be good enough to enhance the norms of the society without alterations. They are later incorporated into various sectors in the society under proper guidance, which interprets that rules and regulations are inculcated in the child in the process of upbringing.

The Ideal and the Actual

Most states that exist are simply ideal but not actual. In attempt to different the two, Socrates explains that in order for a state to attain actuality, it has to surpass all the components that add up to a modern state. He likens a man painting a beautiful man to ideal since in actuality; a beautiful man is unrealistic and impractical. A state may have the best intellectuals but if does not lay down clearly rules of action, then the state is bound to fail or simply operate ideally.

The Simile of the Cave

This simile describes that reality is not achievable only through illusions but active participation of making the dream happen. All systems have to be laid in place for the whole society to function. Just as one closes their eyes and the whole, body turns into darkness, the same way if rulers do not incorporate all concepts of an organization.

Conclusion

From Plato’s perception of the State, the most striking aspect that he holds is that all institutions in the society rely on each other for almost everything. If one part is alienated then the other parts are not in a position to function effectively. It is remarkable how he puts across his message to outline this salient feature. He claims that it is from the family that citizens grow and learn the norms of the society. He also brings to picture the correlated functions of the guardians and auxiliaries in the provision of security in the society. Lastly the simile of the cave covers it all by expounding on the impossibility of one part functioning without the other or in short attain actuality.

Fingerhut’s Price Strategy

Introduction

The importance of ethics cannot be gainsaid as far as the sustainability of any business entity is concerned. Indeed, business ethics has a bearing on the appeal that a particular business has in the eyes of customers, both current and potential, and involves the application of ethical behavior to or values to business behavior. This application would encompass every other aspect of business conduct including the strategies that are used in the boardroom to the treatment that companies give their employees, suppliers and customers, as well as the accounting practices and sales techniques. Of particular note is the fact that ethics would go beyond the realm of the legal requirements placed on the company, in which case it would revolve around the discretionally decisions that the company makes, as well as the behavior that dictates the values that it holds or spouses. However, there are instances where the application of business ethics would seem to contradict the legal requirements for the companies (Ferrell et al., 2011). The fact that companies may not necessarily required by law to act in a certain way often breeds controversial issues or cases that may threaten the sustainability of a company, as is the case for Fingerhut’s price strategy. The determination of the ethical or unethical nature of Fingerhut’s price strategy would necessitate the examination of the “autonomy and creation of desire” by Roger Crisp.

In line with Roger Crisp’s assertions, Fingerhut would have been culpable or guilty of exploiting its low-income consumers through the application of unfair and deceptive marketing techniques (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). Of particular note is the fact that the company has created a database containing detailed information about its customers including their age, number of children, marital status, hobbies, dates of birth and others, thereby allowing it to make predictions pertaining to the types of products that every individual would be likely to require or purchase (Ferrell et al., 2011). This would then allow them to come up with a catalogue of an appropriate mix of targeted specialties on the basis of “statistically determined predictions pertaining to the behavior of customers”. Underlining the comprehensiveness of information that the company would collect is the fact that it would capture as much as 1400 pieces of information pertaining to a household. Crisp would underline the fact that the company purposely targets low income customers upon recognizing the motives that would present the least challenge to their marketing and manipulate the potential customers using their persuasive marketing and advertisement techniques (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). They, essentially, used the information on their clients to determine the behaviors that the customers would be most likely to exhibit, as well as what they would be most likely to need or want subconsciously, before creating the desires in them through the specialized catalogs. Of particular note is the fact that the catalogs were laced with information on easy weekly and monthly payments, which would complement the desires created to influence the potential customers to make the purchase, while making refusal of the offer extremely difficult (Ferrell et al., 2011). It goes without saying that the customers would not even have thought of buying the items if only the need for the same had not been created through the specialized catalogues that had been mailed to them alongside the incredible payment offers. Indeed, the specialization of the business catalogues with goods that matched the likely needs of the potential customers and their capabilities would make the entire business plan and pricing strategy unethical (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). According to Roger Crisp, the marketing technique used by Fingerhut denied its customers of an opportunity to act autonomously, especially considering the fact that the specialized catalogues had specific goods that were aimed at creating a desire thereby forcing the customers to buy the goods rather than making them want the same. Complementing this notion is the fact that the catalogs incorporated information on easy and low payment structures. These eventually masked the real prices that the clients would end up paying, a strategy that Crisp would see as amounting to deception of the clients. Indeed, Roger Crisp would see this as amounting to the brainwashing of the customers so as to create the impression that the items were cheaper than they were while, in fact, the goods thus sold could even have been about 100% more expensive compared to those of their competitors (Ferrell et al., 2011). Of particular note is the fact that the target customers were essentially low income individuals, in which case they can be assumed to have been less educated, and even less informed about the prices in the market, in which case they had no idea as to the variations in the prices of the goods that they paid and the prices that they should have paid in a perfect or fair market (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). This underlines the fact that the marketing techniques and motives used by Crisp were aimed at exploiting the ignorance of the customers, in which case it had acted unethically.

However, other scholars or philosophers would hold a contrary opinion. Milton Friedman, in particular would insinuate that the company had acted ethically as it was operating in a capitalist market, in which case it had a duty to generate as much profit as possible. In addition, it adhered to the fundamental rules laid down by the society. They have carved niche for themselves amongst the low-income or middle income customers, who essentially had bad credit, a group that had been neglected by other companies (Ferrell et al., 2013). The investment of Fingerhut in this group would, essentially, have been a sufficient service to the society especially considering that not only was it making an immense risk by trading with this group, but was also offering it an opportunity to shore up its credit worthiness. Of particular note is the fact that the low income of these customers allowed them to live from paycheck to paycheck, in which case they could not save up for the items that they may actually have needed (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). The extension of the credit line by Fingerhut not only gave them an opportunity to obtain the items that they needed without saving, while also assisting them in building up their credit, an aspect that would eventually assist them in purchasing other necessities in the future (Ferrell et al., 2013). The variations in the price offerings by the company would essentially be justified on the basis of the risk that it was taking with this group. Indeed, other companies may have stayed away from this group thanks to the high probability that the individuals may be unable to make their payments. Indeed, Friedman would insinuate that high risks attract or necessitate high profits in a capitalist system, in which case the exorbitant pricing of Fingerhut’s goods would essentially not amount to the flouting of the ethics by which businesses should abide.

It is evident that the two groups have considerable differences in their point of view, in which case an examination of the facts would be essential. While I may not agree with any of them, combining their points of view would essentially be imperative. Fingerhut is a profit making business that aims at maximizing its earnings through marketing (Ferrell et al., 2013). The use of specialized catalogs, not only drives the agenda of the company but also enhances the relationship between the company and its customers (Treviño & Nelson, 2011). On the same note, the company is not deceiving its customers on the price of the goods, rather it is simply providing information on the options that are available to them. On the same note, it is essentially offering them a way of building their creditworthiness, in which case they can have the capacity to make further purchases in the future.

Using the principled reasoning approach, Jane would come up with the way forward. The problem in this dilemma is the pricing strategy, with the company having to make profits while meeting the requirements of business ethics. The company, as a stakeholder would need profits and a reduction of risks, while the customers would need the goods provided in fair market prices. Abolishing the pricing strategy, as an option, would essentially eliminate the only appeal that the company has as providing low income earners with an option, while keeping it intact may invite more legal problems. Nevertheless, irrespective of the strategy used, it is likely that there will always be disgruntled members of the public, in which case keeping the system intact would be the best option, while ensuring that the customers are aware of the other options in case they choose to pay in full.

References

Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2011). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.

Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2013). Business ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning.

Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2011). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. New York: John Wiley.