...Ethical Relativism Vs. Utilitarianism Last time we saw Jim, he was returning from a day hike through the rainforest in South America. Unfortunately, he was captured by government troops along with rebel fighters who were being detained for execution. Fortunate enough for him, the government commander put Jim in a life changing situation, kill the rebel leader himself and he along with the remaining rebels get let go. If he failed to do so, the commander and his troops will execute all the rebels, sack their village for anything of value, and leave Jim stranded in the rainforest with no supplies, resulting in almost certain death. Through analyzing the theory of ethical relativism, we were able to decide that Jim should in fact kill the rebel leader, but what if we analyze another ethical theory? Will we come up with the same answer as we did before? Or is it possible that through the research of different theories and ideas we can come up with a completely different response to Jim’s unusual predicament? Using a new theory, utilitarianism, or, the idea that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of a majority, we can further analyze why Jim should still kill the rebel leader and why it is a better answer than if we were to use relativism. This paper will describe the ethical theory of utilitarianism in great detail, it will than be applied to Jim’s situation just like before, challenge opposing viewpoints of utilitarianism, refresh ourselves on why we originally...
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...Legal and Ethical Considerations in Employment Selection Cardinal Stritch University Cathy Carew Instructor John Koehler MGT-445 Human Resource Management II July 25, 2013 Legal and Ethical Considerations in Employment Selection Organizations use screening tools such as assessment tests, medical tests and drug testing to effectively find applicants or current employees that are best qualified for a particular job. There are legal and ethical considerations that need to be applied when using any type of assessment test, or medical and drug testing; the selection process should follow federal employment laws, show reliability and validity, exclude bias, as well as protect the test taker’s individual rights and security of information. Assessment tools that are used by employers to make hiring decisions must follow professional and legal principals. Employment laws and regulations disallow discrimination and give equal employment opportunities for all. The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration created an assessment guide for organizations to use as a guide in the employment selection process. In the assessment guide Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Tower Amendment to Title VII state that professionally developed workplace tests can be used to make employment decisions only if the test does not discriminate against any one particular group (U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, 1999). ...
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...we can never know if either of us achieves them. (3) Ends-based moral calculi inevitably fail because of the incommensurablility of different vaules. For instance, people value freedom, love or friendship independent of the pleasure they get from them, but there’s no way to determine how much pleasure outweighs a given unit of any of those things or vice versa. (4) Even reductionist forms of consequential ethics like hedonism fail since it’s impossible to quantify experiences of pleasure or pain. Thus, there’s no way to apply ends-based rules to moral dilemmas, since there’s no objective way to determine whether the outcome of an action is net-beneficial; further, ends-based standards are bad more debate since there’s no way to weigh impacts objectively. (5) Ends-based ethics ignore the importance of motivation. For instance, returning lost property out of a sense of obligation to its owner is more morally praiseworthy than...
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...criminalizes it and the medical ethics that denies it. As Martha Nussbaum states, FGM is an act of not merely surgery or tradition, but the “deprivation of normative human functioning in its risks to health, impact on sexual functioning, violations of dignity, and conditions of non-autonomy” (Nussbaum, 1999). In understanding the dilemma, we must not base our ethical inquiry solely on the relationship between doctor and parent, but equally with that of the underage patient who may have no choice over the matter but is an influential determinant in this succession of ethical proceedings. What is created is a triangular relationship wherein each shareholder is potentially affected by another and in turn influences each shareholder’s final decision. Firstly, the decision inherently lies with the doctor. The doctor has every right to reject the procedure as it would jeopardize his or her medical profession due to the illegality of FGM and the respect he or she owes to the integrity of bioethical standards. Secondly, it is with the mother of the child and her views on this procedure, or in her case, cultural practice, which dictates how the doctor must propose and carry out his or her acceptance or rejection. The mother, as a shareholder who has something to lose or gain in this triangulated ethical quandary has full parental autonomy over her child; and as a mother, she has the right to impose on her child, through this parental autonomy, the cultural institutions of her ethnic group that are...
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... Rooney ENC-1101 19 November, 2013 Ethical Relativism At what point do we need to refocus our priorities as a civilization? Ethical relativism can best be understood by focusing on the juxtaposition of the benefits of biotechnological advancements in the food industry with the synergetic natural relationship of all living organisms. The argument supporting our technologically enhanced farming is often overlooked by the idealists of our society vying for the end of world hunger. Is it realistic to believe that without these processed foods which make up over two thirds of the world’s diet; the population would be remotely similar in size to that of a population using non-biologically engineered or enhanced foods? Has our society grown to such magnitudes merely as a result of our ability to produce food as quickly and efficiently as we currently do? At what point will humanity’s demand, exceed the Earth’s carrying capacity? This then raises the question of morality. Is it ethically right to turn our backs and deny a portion of our ever-growing population the ability to eat knowing we are beginning to challenge global sustainability? Arguably, it is reasonable to assume that if you were to take away our overly processed, biologically re-engineered foods in order to reach equilibrium, there would be a proportionate loss of human life. This however, may be the only way to ensure humanity’s survival. This is where ethical relativity has to be decided as a society. Is it more...
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...environment that will enhance its chances for survival. And will avoid or evade those elements that might reduce its chances for survival for example predators, starvation, dehydration, asphyxiation, and other dangerous situations. ("Biological Basis of Human Behaviour," n.d.) In relation to the Human Sciences, it can be argued that a scientist may have a “breakthrough moment” of personal knowledge. This personal knowledge and knowledge seeking adds to the shared knowledge of the society. Moreover, another knowledge question could be “To what extent would someone go to share their personal knowledge to benefit the shared knowledge of the society, and why?” An interesting example would be the case of Albert Einstein, who shared his theory of relativity with the world in 1905 despite the criticism and mockery he had to face, he stood by it, and was later accepted by his fellow scientists. Another example could be Paul Dirac, whose personal insight led to his discovery of the equation for the electron. ("Theory of knowledge teacher support material," n.d.) This leads me to my second area of knowledge, ethics, which can be seen as rules set by the society. These are discussions of the way we ought to live our life and what the generally accepted definitions of right and wrong are. These rules are set by many institutions such as the religion, the culture of that society. Another knowledge question that rises at this point is “To what extent can people use dogmas to justify their actions...
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...What is International Business? International business consists of transactions that are devised and carried out across national borders to satisfy the objectives of individuals, companies, and organizations. Learning Objectives To understand the history and impact of international business. To learn the definition of international business. To recognize the growth of global linkages today. To understand the U.S. position in world trade and the impact international business has on the United States. To appreciate the opportunities and challenges offered by international business. Introduction: International business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions (private and governmental, sales, investments, logistics,and transportation) that take place between two or more nations. Usually, private companies undertake such transactions for profit; governments undertake them for profit and for political reasons. It refers to all those business activities which involves cross border transactions of goods, services, resources between two or more nations. Transaction of economic resources include capital, skills, people etc. for international production of physical goods and services such as finance, banking, insurance, construction etc. A multinational enterprise (MNE) is a company that has a worldwide approach to markets and production or one with operations in more than a country. An MNE is often called...
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...Ethics and Crisis Management in Sports Abstract This paper examines the Ray Rice case and the importance of ethical behavior in the sports industry. Ray Rice’s career changed in that casino elevator in Atlantic City. During an argument with his girlfriend, Ray Rice, lost his temper and proceeded to punch and drag Janay Palmer out of the elevator. His actions not only changed his career, but also shed light onto the personal conduct policy in the NFL. The reputation of the NFL and its members was under a magnifying glass. Commissioner Roger Goodell, especially would face the ultimate challenge. As a result of this incident, the NFL revised its personal conduct policy to a more robust, thorough, and formal. According to the NFL.com, Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "We now have a layered evaluation process to take into account a diversity of expert views. This will better enable us to make appropriate decisions and ensure accountability for everyone involved in the process." Ethics and Crisis Management in Sports On February 15, 2014, both Ray Rice and his fiancé Janay Palmer Rice were arrested in Atlantic City, New Jersey after an altercation had occurred in the Revel Casino. Videos of the incident were released four days later by TMZ. On March 26, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, addresses the media about the incident and said that yes Ray Rice will face disciplinary actions when the investigation was fully complete. On June 16, Ray Rice has his disciplinary hearing with...
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...Professional Ethics Introduction Importance of Ethics in Public Administration The study of the foundations of ethical administration is an important topic to explore when working in a public organization, especially when pursuing a future role as a public administrator. Ethics in public administration is not a transient concept but has proven to be an approach which has shown a great deal of sustainability which is fundamental to the area of public administration. Ethics is gaining prominence in the discourse about governance today. Public organizations and public administrators should strive for high ethical standards and an ethical workplace. “The general goal of identifying ethical precepts is relatively straight forward—to develop standards of “right conduct” that are known and knowable beforehand and apply to more or less everyone—but maddeningly difficult to specify with precision, an even more onerous to practice (Martinez, 2009, p.1).” Organizations need to abide by ethics or rule of law and engage themselves in fair practices and competition; all of which will benefit the public and organization. Ethics is important because of the following: satisfying basic human needs, creating credibility, uniting people and leadership, improving decision making, long term gains, and securing the public. Ethics tries to create a sense of right and wrong in the organizations and often when the law fails, it is the ethics that may stop organizations from harming the society...
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...Executive Summary This report provides an analysis on how ethical conflicts arise in the actuarial profession. Through extensive research we uncover many conflicts of interest and ethical dilemmas that actuaries can face during their everyday work and careers. In particular we look at how genetic factors and rating criterion create conflict. We look at ethical conflict with respect to testimony, pension and reserve actuaries, and also how external watchdogs play a role in auditing actuaries’ decisions. We found that actuaries must always be alert and prepared to deal with these ethical conflicts. They must be aware that their actions can have an impact on the financial future of a company, the insurance rates of an individual, or otherwise could result in a problem for themselves. They must also be aware that there are external watchdogs in place to make sure they are not forging numbers but are instead making informed and accurate decisions. We recommend that students who intend to pursue actuarial studies take a course called Introduction to Actuarial Practice (MTHEL 131). We also recommend that the faculty should modify this course to put more weight on professionalism and ethics to emphasise the importance of the subject. This will educate students so they can make informed and ethically sound decisions in their future careers. Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………....…....…1 2.0 Methods…………………………………………………………………......…………....……3 3...
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...BA (HONS) BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION FORM STUDENT REGISTRATION NUMBER GRADE | 13011410 | MODULE REFERENCE NUMBER | UN609770 | MODULE TITLE | Strategic Human Resource Management | LECTURER NAME | Louise Cameron-Mowat | SUBMISSION DATE | 12th December 2013 | ASSESSMENT TASK | Essay – 2750 words | In submitting this work, I confirm that I have understood UHI regulations relating to plagiarism, and that: * I have completed this assigned work by myself, in my own words and using my own notes, figures or rough workings (except where group work specifically forms part of the assignment) * I have acknowledged fully any sources used by means of in-text citations, and the creation of a List of References in the UHI approved system of Harvard referencing system * I have endeavoured to ensure that my work has not been made available for copying by other students (with or without my permission) * I am aware that student assessments can be scrutinised through the JISC plagiarism software.In submitting this work for assessment, I agree to be bound by the conditions laid out above, and by the latest version of the UHI academic regulations. UHI REGULATIONSPlagiarism: unacknowledged incorporation in a student’s work either in an examination or assessment of material derived from the work (published or unpublished) of another. Plagiarism may therefore include: * the use of another...
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...satisfying, which is held by many philosophers to be more important than moral conduct. Simply put, ethics involves learning what is right or wrong, and then doing the right thing -- but "the right thing" is not nearly as straightforward as conveyed in a great deal of business ethics literature. Most ethical dilemmas in the workplace are not simply a matter of "Should Bob steal from Jack?" or "Should Jack lie to his boss?" (Many ethicists assert there's always a right thing to do based on moral principle, and others believe the right thing to do depends on the situation -- ultimately it's up to the individual.) Many philosophers consider ethics to be the "science of conduct." Philosophers have been discussing ethics for at least 2500 years, since the time of Socrates and Plato. Many ethicists consider emerging ethical beliefs to be "state of the art" legal matters, i.e., what becomes an ethical guideline today is often translated to a law, regulation or rule tomorrow. Values which guide how we ought to behave are considered moral values, e.g., values such as respect, honesty, fairness, responsibility, etc. Statements around how these values are applied are sometimes called moral or ethical principles. THREE TYPES OF ETHICS Descriptive Ethics: Descriptive ethics involves describing how people behave and/or the moral standards they claim to follow. Descriptive ethics incorporates research from anthropology, psychology, sociology and history to understand beliefs about moral norms. Atheists...
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...Customer Buyer Behavior Regarding Luxury Goods in Peter Jones By [Author’s Name] [Faculty Name] [Department or School Name] [Month Year] ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My thanks go out to all who have helped me complete this study and with whom this project may have not been possible. In particular, my gratitude goes out to friends, facilitator and family for extensive and helpful comments on early drafts. I am also deeply indebted to the authors who have shared my interest and preceded me. Their works provided me with a host of information to learn from and build upon, also served as examples to emulate. DECLARATION I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with the university. Signature: Date: ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Outline of the Study Purchasing products and services is common around the world, and almost everyone indulges in shopping. The value of a brand is seen in its brand equity and the brand loyalty that the brand possesses. The way consumers perceive a product or service, and the importance it has in their life is what makes all the difference, watching dogs on the way...
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...The Grand Design ALSO BY STEPHEN HAWKING A Brief History of Time A Briefer History of Time Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays The Illustrated A Brief History of Time The Universe in a Nutshell FOR CHILDREN George’s Secret Key to the Universe (with Lucy Hawking) George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt (with Lucy Hawking) ALSO BY LEONARD MLODINOW A Briefer History of Time The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives Euclid’s Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace Feynman’s Rainbow: A Search for Beauty in Physics and in Life FOR CHILDREN The Last Dinosaur (with Matt Costello) Titanic Cat (with Matt Costello) The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design Copyright © 2010 by Stephen W. Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow Original art copyright © 2010 by Peter Bollinger All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Cartoons by Sidney Harris, copyright © Sciencecartoonsplus.com BANTAM BOOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. eISBN: 978-0-553-90707-0 www.bantamdell.com v3.0 The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design The Grand Design E EACH EXIST FOR BUT A SHORT TIME, and in that time explore but a small part of the whole universe. But humans are a curious species. We wonder, we seek answers. Living in this vast world that...
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...Title: Management Conflict and Ethics Netpanna Yavirach, Asst,prof., Department of management, Faculty of Business Administration, Rajamangala Institute of Technology In what sense can it be said that an organization can, as a whole, be ethical of unethical? What characteristics (e.g. structures, policies, powers, responsibilities, codes, cultures, procedures) would mark out an ethical organization? Business ethics is an applied ethics. It is the application of our understanding of what is good and right to do. A discussion of business ethics must begin by providing a framework of basic principles for understanding what is meant by the terms “good” and “right”. In popular usage the term “ethics” has a variety of different meanings. One of the meanings often given to it is: the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group. We use the term “personal ethics” to refer to the rules by which an individual lives his or her personal life, and use the term “accounting ethics” to refer to the code that guides the professional conduct of accountants (Velasquez (1988).,p.11). Ethics is concerned with the moral judgments involved in moral decisions. Ethics does not study all normative judgment, only those that are concerned with what is morally right and wrong, or morally good and bad. When something is judged to be morally right or wrong, or morally good or bad, the underlying standards on which the judgment is based are moral...
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