Economics and ethics Essay

Describe the tension that exists in businesses today between economics and ethics. Do you think that there really does have to be a tradeoff between economics and ethics? What strategies can be implemented to avoid this tension? Provide examples and research to support your thinking. The reading by Tima Bansal describes the back and forth tension of economics versus ethics. The article states, â€Å"On the one hand, social programs come at an economic cost and firms should not engage in activities that do not have a clear return. On the other hand, economic returns create social costs (Bansal, 2005).† The author then proceeds to explain that this tradeoff between ethics and economics isn’t necessary and that companies should find the overlapping space where activities are both financially profitable, and socially and environmentally responsible (Bansal, 2005) I agree with the author that companies need to be smart and make good decisions and it may take more effort, but if the effort is given the reward will be worth it. I don’t think a tradeoff is necessary if the effort is put forth like in the examples the author gives. By having cross-functional team meetings or involving the shareholders through community involvement in the two examples provided, the companies were able to meet the middle ground and maintain their responsibility (Bansal, 2005). I work for a small company and every month a charitable organization is supported through donations and the company matches what the employees contribute. I think it’s nice to have this involvement. With so many options, the company may have a tough time deciding on where it should contribute to society, but by letting the employees have a voice, they can openly affect those organizations that the employees feel would impact the most. Bansal, T. (2005). Building sustainable value through fiscal and social responsibility. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/building-sustainable-value-through-fiscal-and-social-responsibility/ Final Project Milestone #2: The Three Spheres In a journal post titled 2-2: The Three Spheres, explain how your chosen company has demonstrated corporate citizenship in the economic, political, and civil spheres. Provide specific examples. Be sure to examine what the company says about itself, what you have experienced, and what other stakeholders have said or experienced. Cite at least two sources. This milestone will be graded using the Journal Rubric. Be sure to clearly address the questions in the prompt in your journal entry. The post should be at least 350-500 words, applying relevant research, citing at least two sources in each entry. Be as clear and scholarly as you can in your writing style; and of course, be sure your entry is free of errors in organization and grammar. Courtney Croce 2.2: The Three Spheres Target Corporation The three spheres of corporate social responsibility include economical, political, and civic. To achieve and maintain profitability, it’s said that corporations must learn to operate successfully within all three. Economics includes initiatives that help increase profits to the shareholders. Politics includes abiding by rules and laws and business power in society. Civil surrounds enhancing lives of the shareholders. Economically, Target has reduced it’s packaging on many levels of the items it sells. They also began using flexible envelopes in shipping online orders, which reduced packaging by 89 percent. As a result they expect to ship 50000 fewer pounds of cardboard every year. Other than offering lower prices Target wants its products to be made with integrity by qualified vendors who treat workers well, who obey the law, and whose processes minimize their effect on the environment. They’ve begun to do this by working closely with their vendors and setting clear expectations through Standards of Vendor Engagement. They require all vendors to behave to the principles they’ve established and they monitor their progress. Target starts with the basics from the political standpoint, which is ensuring they are abiding by every law and regulation that pertains to the business. They also expect all team members to behave with personal and professional integrity. To support their team members they clearly list the requirements in the Business Conduct Guide, they have a dedicated Corporate Compliance and Ethics Team, have teams focused on building and sustaining business compliance programs and offer integrity training. All of these initiatives help ensure that everyone at Target is abiding by the laws and regulations. Target’s civil responsibility is currently focusing on education. They have set a goal to $1 billion to education by the end of 2015. They have started doing several things like donating books, and providing food pantries for families to help set students, parents, and teachers up for success. They’ve decided to focus on education after gathering information from their customers indicating that that is a popular concern amongst. The EVP also expressed concerns about the reading level and that those who are unable to read by the age of three are less likely to graduate. https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/education https://corporate.target.com/_media/TargetCorp/csr/pdf/2013-corporate-responsibility-report.pdf

Effective Speakers Essay

President William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States is a prime example of what it means to be an effective speaker. Although George H. W. Bush and Bob Dole were highly qualified opponents in the 1992 and 1996 elections, it was Clinton’s presentation skills and ability to work an audience that earned him his back-to-back terms in office. President Clinton â€Å"owned the room† from the beginning of his first presidential debate. Upon being asked his first question, Clinton walked up to the lady seeking answers, squared his shoulders toward her, looked her straight in the eye, and asked her to repeat her name. As soon as she responded with her name, Clinton repeated her name back to her and answered her question passionately and confidently. (Koegel, 2007, p. 06-07). Effective speakers can walk into a room, take the audience by surprise, and deliver a presentation that is both passionate and natural. A presenter does not have to be perfect, nor does the audience expect him or her to be so. According to Henninger (2010), making a mistake, forgetting a segment of your speech, or falling speechless for a moment is okay as long as your presentation has value. An effective speaker knows how to avoid gestures and facial expressions that point out his or her mistakes. Public speaking skills are not inherited. It is a talent and a technique that has become second hand to a speaker through a great deal of practice. Can anyone be an effective speaker? The answer to this question is yes; with sufficient knowledge, tools, and practice, anyone can stand up and â€Å"own the room. † Be Organized An exceptional presenter is one who is organized and an organized presentation is one that has a developed structure. The average human being has a very small attention span; therefore a speaker’s best speech is one that is short and to the point. At most, a good presentation only needs two or three main points. That’s really all the audience wants to hear anyway (Henninger, 2010). The audience is also more obligated to listen to a presenter who looks organized. First impressions are crucial when a presenter is trying to sell his or her ideas, services, or products. Thirty seconds of floundering before the audience can send a negative signal that suggests that the presenter is unprepared and can also create question as to whether or not the presenter is even confident in what it is he or she is trying to promote (Koegel, 2007, p. 45-46). A speaker only gets one impression, so he or she should strive to make it a positive one by looking and being organized. Speak Passionately A presenter must be passionate about his or her topic in order for the presentation to be persuasive. If a presenter is not passionate about the topic, then why should the audience even care about it? Many presenters are guilty of delivering lengthy presentations that painstakingly reinforce their topic. According to communication experts, the time on a presentation should be slimmed down and the energy should be boosted up (Layman, 2011). A presenter should be aware of his or her voice when delivering a speech. If one’s tone is droning and monotone, then the presenter can likely expect to look out into an audience that is either asleep or captivated with something other than the presentation on point. Speak up, speak from the heart, and speak with conviction. In keeping with Koegel (2007), a presenter’s voice is an outward expression of his or her passion. Engage the Audience A powerful speaker is one who can engage his or her audience. People do not particularly care to sit silently through an exhaustive presentation. Most audiences want to participate and be a part of it. One way to engage with the audience is to encourage audience participation. Meet with the audience before the presentation, learn a few of their names, and listen to comments that are being made. When delivering the presentation, the presenter can address these comments and call on audience members by name. Addressing the audience’s issues and demonstrating that time was taken to know them by name builds a relationship with the audience. It is significantly important to make eye contact with the audience as well. By looking people in the eye, a presenter enhances two-way communication as well as encourages and establishes trust and a congenial give and take relationship (Downey, 2011). Many speakers have been given the advice at one time or another to find an inanimate object, such as the wall in the back of the room, and focus in on it when delivering a presentation. By looking over the audience, the presenter can alleviate the anxiety that he or she may be experiencing, correct? Unfortunately, the wall in the back of the room is not going to be the one making the business decisions that day. The audience makes the decisions and if a speaker cannot talk to the audience, then the audience will more than likely seek business with someone who can. Act Natural An exceptional speaker always appears natural. If the speaker looks confidant and relaxed, then the audience will be relaxed. A presenter should stray from giving formal presentations overflowing with facts and statistics; try leaning towards a style that is more conversational, engaging, and full of illustrative stories and current events that relate to one’s topic. Telling a story or beginning a presentation with an anecdote is a good way to break the ice, ease a presenter’s anxiety, and engage the audience at the same time because telling stories is something that comes naturally to humans. However, be sure that the story or anecdote flows with the topic on point. An effective presentation should not sound scripted. Writing out the presentation is okay, but the speaker must then fight the temptation to read it word for word. The written word does not flow nor does it have the same approach as the spoken word. If a presenter feels obligated to write out his or her presentation and follow scripts, then he or she should be sure to lose the official tone and write in the manner that he or she speaks (Koegel, 2007, p. 122). Understand the Audience An effective speaker is one who can connect with his or her audience. According to Koegel (2007), understanding the business, issues, and concerns of the audience is an excellent way to achieve this goal. Before pitching a sales presentation, a presenter should research and thoroughly understand his audience. There are a number of ways one can achieve this, such as researching the company’s website to understand a firm’s morals, beliefs and objectives or another option would be to speak with employees within the organization prior to a meeting. As you present, you should look for opportunities to add value. Researching and understanding your audience is imperative and can present opportunities in which value can be added. An organization is more likely to listen and do business with a speaker who has demonstrated his or her knowledge of the company more so than a salesperson whose only preference is to acquire another sale. Once a speaker becomes familiar with the wants and needs of the audience, the presentation becomes much easier to craft (Mackay, 2011). Practice to Improve Humans are creatures of habit. The human body seeks comfort when placed in an uncomfortable situation. An example of this can be putting one’s hands in his or her pockets or looking down towards the floor. These minute gestures speak on behalf of the presenter and inform the audience that the speaker is uneasy about something. Without practice, a speaker cannot improve on these habits. There are many opportunities during the day to put into practice various speaking techniques. These skills should be practiced during one’s daily routine and not in â€Å"live† win-or-lose situations (Koegel, 2007, p. 6). If a speaker is in need of further assistance, he or she can hire a presentation coach. Effective speaking is not something one inherits at birth; it is a talent that is achieved through hard work and consistent practice. There is no reason to feel ashamed for asking for external help. Baseball great Hank Aaron batted cross handed until a batting coach corrected his style that led him to break Babe Ruth’s home run record. To Aaron and his colleagues, his hitting style before was satisfactory, yet it is often easier and beneficial to receive constructive criticism from outsiders instead of one’s own employees or colleagues (Porro, 2011). The point of this story is that even when someone is good at something already, that person is still not perfect. Practice, whether it is on one’s own time or through the assistance of a presentation coach, may not make a presenter a perfect speaker, but it opens the door for improvement and will make delivering a speech second nature to the presenter. By allowing one’s self to practice these techniques, it is then that the speaker becomes effective.

Aalsmeer Flower Auction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Aalsmeer Flower Auction - Essay Example The researcher states that FloraHolland flower auction plays a key role in the Netherlands, land of Floriculture where its position as marketplace fulfils the role of matchmaker, intermediary and knowledge center. FloraHolland itself operate a nationally operating intermediary organization and import department. In a market that is characterized by upscaling and internationalization, FloraHolland wants to maintain and increase its strong market position. By offering the best and broadest assortment, FloraHolland wishes to tie (international) commerce flows to the marketplaces. FloraHolland offers its members the best sales opportunities at the lowest possible costs. FloraHolland is a service providing company that is not focused on generating profit – Mission Vision. FloraHolland or Aalsmeer Flower Auction need to refocus its resources to continue to be relevant in this day and age with the emergence of alternative, electronically driven flower markets. To widen its market bas e and influence Aalsmeer Flower action should meet the needs of retailers. Retailers are also dependent on its consumers that demand for fresh products, more varieties, smaller quantities and multiple deliveries each week. Rightly or wrongly, the retailers felt that they should have more influence on supply. Business Requirements Aalsmeer Flower Auction needs to meet the requirement of its retailers among other things with the use of information technology using the correct strategy. The information technology strategy should be able to enable the delivery of Fresh products to the retailers at the shortest possible time and with minimum expense. Generalized model of exchange processes – Kambil and Van Heck 1996. The Grower should make the following information available: Grower ID: Batch number; Batch Type; Batch Availability Schedule; Batch Volume; Initial Price; Last Price The Auction transaction file should have the following information: Order reference number; Batch numb er; Batch Type; Batch Availability Schedule; Volume purchased; Price; Auction reference number; Transport code Logistic Providers should make the following available for the retailers. Logistic Provider ID; Transport Schedule (Departure Time and place – Arrival Time and Place); Transport Type; Maximum Volume The Logistic transaction file should have the following information: Logistic Provider ID; Transport Schedule; Order reference number; The above data profile assumes that the retailer, grower and logistic-provider identification database are normalized. The process flow is described as follows: When a grower put a batch of his harvest to the auction, all details shall be flashed on the board. For each transaction using the auction clock where a retailer purchase a portion of the batch, the board display will display the new volume up for auction. When a retailer completes his transaction, he will then pick the logistical support provider and purchase a room for his newly purchased flowers. The Logistic provider shall make his availability or the available room he can still accommodate to the message board.

The Assault on Reason by Al Gore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Assault on Reason by Al Gore - Essay Example Nursing homes are run as a community and the community may have certain laws that have to be followed by all those who live in it. These laws may define the nature and the extent of the relationships that individuals within the community can have with each other. While consenting sexual relationships may be seen as acceptable by society at large, the board which controls the nursing home may not consider all such relationships to be kosher. Particularly, in cases where they develop between the individuals working as caregivers and those who are residents of the community. Even in situations where the sexual relationship is between two residents of the same community, there could be legal issues involved which may come about as a result of the health conditions of one partner. For example, if one of the partners has lost or has a diminished capacity to make reasonable judgments, the relationship may not be considered to be founded on consent. These issues give a solid foundation towards denying sexual relationships between the elderly who are placed in nursing homes. However, it must be noted that our society is founded on the principles of freedom and allowing people to do what they want as long as they stay within the bounds of the law. Having a consenting relationship is largely considered to be legal therefore there should be no reason why the elderly should be dined the same freedoms which their counterparts outside the nursing homes enjoy. It is often the agenda of nursing homes to provided a full, fun and participating life experience for the golden years of the elderly therefore they should be permitted to have sexual relationships if they so desire. Further, sex is healthy since it improves the mental abilities of the elderly and prevents them from falling into a cycle of depression. It gives them the understanding that even if they are old, they have not lost their life or their life goals. In

DPB Portfolio Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

DPB Portfolio - Coursework Example es in International Context, Project, English Language Grade 6, Business Communication 3, International Marketing and Export Trade, International Trade: Payments and Law While studying BA (Hons) International trade and business communication at the University of Portsmouth, I describe the skills I learnt through the course as having given me a thorough grounding in various subjects I wished that I was interested in and wished to specializes or practice later in life. From, the first year I was introduced to the numerous problems or challenges faced by individuals in the business world. Moreover, the skills which were imparted through the course enabled me to develop an idea of how to solve the different challenges that came along the way. At the end of the course I was able to achieve a consolidation of my study through numerous aspects like personal studies and research. Moreover, the business skills which I learned also have opened other opportunities to study a wide range of subjects like those falling in the faculty of humanity and social sciences. I achieved the task of acquiring the skills I have today through am intense process of dedication and hard work in my studies. Being that the University of Portsmouth has entry levels, I studied heartily to pass my GSCE levels at Bay House School, Gosport with ten passes as between the grades A-B. After that I joined St. Vincent College for my A levels and passed with flying colors to be admitted at the university of Portsmouth which imparted me with the skills of accounting, marketing, business law, human resources, management dissertations, consumer led demand and other primary skills which has greatly played a significant role in my studies and career to date. At ST. Vincent College and in taking my BA (Hons) at Portsmouth University I reflect on various learning points which changed my views of what I would do when provided with another chance to pursue the same courses at the institutions. With flying

Business and marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business and marketing - Case Study Example She carried out her research, came up with figures and statistics; on the strength of these, wrote a memo proposing that the vendors change their selling patterns. However, they mostly responded in a negative way and telling her, she does not understand their market while others did not even bother and her plan failed. Three months later she is told to redo the plan again taking to account the errors in the previous implementation, if is deemed feasible, she will be asked to implement it. This paper will examine why her first attempt flopped and how she must craft her second attempt if she hopes to sell her ideas successfully to the venders and implement her plan in the long run. Reasons of her failure can be attributed to several factors the most obvious one being the fact that she carried out most of her research and ignored or assumed the opinion and views of the ideas direct consumers who would benefit from its implementation. She gave little effort to boost awareness for her ideas, she worked alone and did not try to popularize or educate the field agents of the plans she had for them. By working exclusively, she locked out her beneficiaries from the planning session of the plans. She should have told them how they not only needed to change from small to big accounts but also how they should implement the change. While the logic behind her ideas is clear, she did not tell them which methods should be used to mediate the process and how they should vary their sales techniques to achieve her goal. Taking to account that every single of the agents has a unique marketing technique adapted to their individual tendencies and market situations, her memo was mostly too uniform to be practical. She assumed that everyone had small clients for the same reasons and they would get uniform benefits from making the shift. This explains why most of

How do you define violent crime illistrate with examples Essay

How do you define violent crime illistrate with examples - Essay Example It also looks into the social reaction and impacts of crime (Newburn 2007). The study looks at the criminals themselves. The term criminology is borrowed from R. Garofalo, an Italian law scholar. Criminologists are involved in the study of criminals’ mindset. The aim is to understand what motivates the criminals (Nexis UK 2003). Certain things may be crimes in one society but legal in another. A criminologist explains these social and cultural variances. Criminology explores the various types of punishments and why some societies opt to have them (Newburn 2007).This study includes a study of that suggest why crimes are committed. This is necessary in understanding violent crimes. Some of the violent crimes theories include classical, individual trait and positive theories (Singer & Gardner 2003). Classical theory suggests the reason why people commit a crime is because they are satisfied that the benefits of the crime outweigh the cost. When the punishment is harsh, then crimi nals fear committing the crime according to this theory (Nexis UK 2003). According to the positive theory, crime happens out of both internal and external factors. The social and biological factors contribute to the positive theory (Singer & Gardner 2003). Some of the social factors that contribute to crime include poverty and illiteracy. Individual trait theory suggests that the psychological and biological factors contribute directly to criminal behavior. According to this theory, biological factors help to distinguish between non criminal and criminal traits (Newburn 2007). Crime, therefore, is a result of natural instincts arising from innate behaviors according to individual trait theory. Therefore, this theory suggests that some people have a natural desire to do violent crimes. According to individual trait theory, such people love to be violent genetically. As a result, no amount of punishment can control their violent tendencies (Nexis UK 2003). Limiting interaction with th ese violent criminals becomes the only way to prevent these crimes. According to individual traits theory, violent criminals should be alienated from the society. Violent crimes can result from extreme emotions like rage or hate. These extreme emotional states can be directed to both people and animals. Sometimes it is demonstrated through kicking a dog. According to Weiner and Sagi (1990), a violent crime can be defined as any threat or attempt to use physical force by a single or many people resulting in non physical or physical harm (Nexis UK 2003). The definitions of violent crimes tend to include the cause of the crime. Violent crimes are thought to be actions directed to other people in a face to face confrontation. Many believe that there has to be physical contact for violent crimes to occur. Violent crimes may result from frustrations (Singer & Gardner 2003). However, violent crimes may be purposeful and intentional. Violent crimes can stem from socially acceptable and appr oved activities. Sports violent crimes are legal given the environmental circumstances in which they happen. According to Atyeo, the pain inflicted in sports is not perceived to be a real pain. Yet it fully falls under the definition of violent crimes (Newburn 2007). Boxing is seen as fun while the players injure each other leading to death in extreme cases. There is an observation that legitimizing violent sport crimes can cause athletes to be violent