Lyme Disease Essay Example for Free

Lyme Disease Essay Chronic Lyme disease has been a controversial topic for many years. Researchers are in between opinions to determine if this disease really does exist. Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease that passes to the tick’s host once it has latched on and started feeding. The disease goes into the host’s blood and implants a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. This type of bacterium is from the spirochete family. Stricker (2008) â€Å"Chronic infections with the Lyme spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, is rare and non-existent, and the concept of chronic Lyme disease rest on ‘faith-based’ opinion rather than ‘evidence-based’ science† (Chronic Lyme Disease and the â€Å"Axis of Evil†). This is an article from a very popular website for medical information. The source may have a sense of bias toward particular topics. The statement, â€Å"†¦rest on ‘faith-based’ opinion rather than ‘evidence-based’ science† is a fallacy. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2013), â€Å"Approximately 10 to 20% of patients treated for Lyme disease with a recommended 2–4 week course of antibiotics will have lingering symptoms of fatigue, pain, or joint and muscle aches. In some cases, these can last for more than 6 months. Although often called chronic Lyme disease, this condition is properly known as Post-treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)† (Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome). This backs up the other half of researches stating that Lyme disease does not always go away after the initial treatment. There are known cases in which the symptoms are still active in the patient and must continue with treatment. This article comes from a credible government organization that has a goal to maintain the disease in the United States and inform the people of necessary information pertaining to different diseases and illnesses. The CDC is controlled by our countries government and is not to take a bias view on various topics. The data used is based upon studies that have been performed on human and non-human research. In conclusion it is clear that the first article did not have supporting studies however the second one did. Both articles are credible but the CDC is a government funded agency that is committed to the well-being of the people. Having back-up studies and scientific evidence to support any arguments that are made is important to keeping credibility, making sure the information is reliable, and the data gathered is valid.

Impact Of Technological Change In HMV group

Impact Of Technological Change In HMV group Sufficient changes have been taken place over the last ten years in the UKs music sector. One of the UK and Irelands leading CD, DVD and Computer Game seller is HMV. The central nature and context of the change for HMV is online music. Companys poor trading performance reflects because the lack of progress adapting to structural change. According to John (2007) planned change is triggered by the failure of the people to create a continuously adaptive organisation. William and Thomas (2009) state that 70 present of planned organizational change initiative fail because of the lack of reliable and valid diagnostic instruments to assess and track an organizations capacity for change. Change management entails thoughtful planning, sensitive implementation, consultation with and involvement of the people affected by the changes. Organization Name: HMV Group Nature of the change: There are three main categories of organisations that may experience period of change 1. The kind of self-organising and changing learning organisations. 2. Companies operating in niche market where they have not encountered the kind of environmental change. 3. Organisations that able to continue functioning without transforming themselves. There are two types of changes- 1. Transitional or Incremental Change 2. Transformational or Revolutionary Change Incremental Change: The focus for this part is doing better things through a continuous tinkering, adaptation and modification. This type of change is that it builds on what has already been done and may need continuous improvement. Transformational Change: It involves a break with the past, a step function change rather than an extrapolation of past patterns of change and development. It is based on new relationships and dynamics within the industry that undermine core competencies. In this part things need to be done differently rather than doing things better. SOURCE John Hayes (p-12-13, 2007) The delivery of music over internet expected a great future over the next 5 years. Sales of digital downloads are expected to increase from $22 million in 2001 to $1.6 billion in 2006. For this transformation of the music industry there is a major impact of social and technological factors. These chase influenced by Digitization, Compression and streaming technologies. The technological improvements in music industry increase the availability of music easily and reduce cost as well. (Web Source 1) Reason for Change: According to Joan (1958) technology can make a big change, not only with the development, manufacture, marketing and distribution of these new products, but also within their own corporate structure and culture. Burnes (1988) suggested an approach to assessing the need for the type of change which attempts to make the process of establishing objectives and outcomes more rigorous and open. Leaders focus on aligning people, communicating the new direction and creating coalitions committed to get the job done. Empower others to make the vision happen. A central feature of modern organisation is interdependence where most members of the organisation are tied to many others by their work as kotter argues (1995). Transformational leaders have the ability to identify those who might be able to support or sabotage an initiative, network with them and communicate in a credible way what needs to be done. The main change drivers of HMV are online music. Due to get the online music the business of HMV affected and it lose its market share. We discuss below how change impacts on technological and social drivers of change. The price is the drivers of the change. Because there are competitors Tesco and Asda have sell the CDs and DVDs in the less price than HMV. So, it has intense competition in the market .However, technological drivers are the main reason for the change in customer mind. So, we will discuss about the drivers how it gets the market. Company Background: HMV Group, formerly HMV Media: books, music and video for everyone formed in 1998 after HMV and Waterstones joined forces, acquired from EMI and WH Smith respectively, the HMV group began operations using its two chains.Both share the same goal in terms of customer satisfaction, offering the largest range of leisure and cultural products, despite the two chains keeping very much within the scope of their own work. HMV targeted the position of leading international distributor (Europe, Asia and North America) on the music and video (all formats) markets. Waterstones is dedicated to book sales and exclusively on a national scale. The power of the two entities is unquestionable as the HMV Group is made up of more of 500 shops. Aim and Objectives: The main change drivers of HMV are online music. Due to get the online music the business of HMV affected and it lose its market share. We discuss below how change impacts on technological and social drivers of change. The price is the drivers of the change. Because there are competitors Tesco and Asda have sell the CDs and DVDs in the less price than HMV. So, it has intense competition in the market .However, technological drivers are the main reason for the change in customer mind. So, we will discuss about the drivers how it gets the market.Same Day. External Factor: Change has been a future of organisational life for as long as organisations have existed, environment have brought about the need for organisations to adapt their internal attitudes, strategies, structures and operations to meet the demands of the new external conditions. Hence, the study of internal change has increased both in academic circles and in organisations themselves. In change need to understand reactive and proactive change this area is what of the two principal sources of impetus to change. Reactive change is change forced upon an organisation arising from a need to react to a change in the organisations environment. This can apply to an individual as well as an organisation, for example, you must change your lifestyle if your main source of income is suddenly reduced or discontinued. There are a number of environmental changes that can precipitate reactive change, but they usually have in common an element of necessity, of being unexpected or an element of surprise. Proactive change, in diametric opposition to reactive change, is planned in advance, usually with a particular objective in mind. Whilst proactive change may be as an indirect consequence of changes in the environment, it is essentially change because the organisation wants, or internally feel the need to change. To relate this to the individual, you might proactively improve your educational qualifications in order to increase your job prospects. [Source: David Campbal Tom Craig, p-(449-450)] A number of factors have stimulated interest in the learning organisational change concept: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The production of goods and services increasingly involves sophisticated knowledge à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge is therefore as valuable a resources as raw material à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Many organizations lost knowledgeable staff through de-layering in the 1990s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Information technologies are knowledge intensive à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge can have a short life span, made obsolete by innovation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Flexibility, creativity and responsiveness are now prized capabilities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge can thus be a source of competitive advantage for an organization Complete PEST analyses of HMV Group: The PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding risks associated with market growth or decline. This helps to understand the environment that HMV is operating in and what the risks that could affect its products and what to consider when developing a new product range. Such as political, economical, social environment and other legal factors. Most of them are out of the control of HMV. Political/legal factors- This affects HMV in many ways. For example the trading / government polices HMV have to follow when selling their product on the market and advertising them to the public. All business needs to follow the legal factors when producing and selling products such as prices/descriptions etc. HMV need to keep up to date with the changes in the law to make sure they stay within them. The social environment- This helps HMV to identify the specifics of its targeted market. To identify what type of person buys their products, so the company can produce products that suit their preferences. This also helps them to reveal the gender, income and other areas of the social environment that HMV is in. This provides the company with useful Information that they can use when promoting their products to help attract the type of consumers that is in the environment. Technological Factors- Technological Factors are most important factors for the business. because now a days businesses is working in changing environment. There is a great change in technology Advancement in technology and means of communication will help same day to keep track of its parcels and couriers. Economic Factors- All businesses are affected by economical factors nationally and globally. Economic factors affect your customers ability to purchase your goods and services as well as a firms cost of capital. Examples of these issues would be: Government intervention in the free market, Rate of inflation, Capital borrowing costs, Currency exchange rates, Inflation/deflation impacts, Labour costs. Lueckes Seven Steps to Change: In 2003, a new model of emergent change was given by Luecke which is known as seven steps of change. These steps are: If any change is to take place, the management should create and mobilize the energy and commitment needed to identify the problems of the organization and their solutions (Todnem, 2005) Management should include employees to create a shared vision of how the organization can be organized and managed in order to face the competition (Todnem, 2005). According to Todnem (2005), Luecke proposed that in third step that leadership to bring about change should be identified. The focus of the management should be the end result of the change and not the activities that lead to change (Todnem, 2005). According to Luecke (Todnem, 2005) change should start on small scale and then it should spread to the other parts of the organization. Policies, procedures and systems should be institutionalized to achieve success. If any problems occurs in the change process, strategies should be adjusted to deal with it (Todnem, 2005) Simon Fox new chief executive of HMV have chosen Lueckes Seven Steps model to gain its profit: Few HMV music store could be sold according to saving cost. Changing trends in the music market by internet in order to download track or buy albums from website such amazons. Company hoped to avoid redundancies by redeployment. HMV will focus heavily on its online presence, aiming HMV sales via internet from 6% to 10% by 2010. The company has announced a three year transformation plan which will save 50 million costs per annum by 2010 through simplifying HMV. In the UK and Ireland HMVs sales grew by 1%. The firm said it is initiating a turnover plan which it hoped would revitalize its core business. If the cost cut will go down well in the city(short term goal), Mr. foxs growth plan to derive 20% of HMV sales through its online channel compared to 6% by utilize high street store space. The most radical plan is for the transformation of its music retail business into an interactive store ai med at restoring HMV, will launch a loyalty-card scheme the target the rapidly growing mobile phone music market. HMV will team up with 3 to install concessions within its store that sale music centric handsets. It will also plan sell some mp3 players from the likes apples and Sony and reducing its dependences on sales of CDs and DVDs. HMV will also provide content to mobile music retailer 3s 3.7 million subscribers. It will launch its own social networking site for film and music. A refreshment hub shoppers will able to log on to a social networking site for music, films and games also provided. It will able to burn its own CD. Fox will increase HMVs sales of games 12 percent to 15 percent over 3 years, and digital music, audio and video products to 16percent from 5 percent. (Web Source-3) Benefits of Proposal: HMV should take a plan to have some meeting with its employees regarding the change and need to tell them how they have to participate with the change. It should tell their involvement with the change .it should take some training session, develop new ideas and approaches without being influenced by the old ways. The guiding coalition must remove obstacles that may be entrenched in organizational process. They should be given the opportunities to get on board any embrace the vision. Force Field Analysis: Force field analysis can suggest a number of changes to the initial plan: By training staff It would be useful to show staff that change is necessary for business survival in current music ins Staff could be shown that new technology would introduce variety and interest to their jobs. You could raise wages to reflect new productivity. HMV UK and Irelands expansion is a testament to its success. Board members of HMV attribute this to quality of HMV store manager who is developed from within the business. Their performance is judged on the achievement of weekly targets set by the business. In 1998 HMV conducted a company-wide opinion survey called your shout. To support management development HMV established a development programme. Day to day learning in store was less structured and less inconsistent application across the business. HMV saw the investors in people standard as a framework to accelerate the effectiveness of the companys response to the your shout survey. Quality could be assured by aligning a new development initiative with an external standard. A development package was created to provide a structural framework and comprehensive development materials for in-store learning which called the continuous development plan (CDP). Its aim to increase knowledge and skills of management and staff in the critical elements of HMV store operations. The knowledge of staffs is defined on their job role which is articulate in four areas. By the assessment existing levels of knowledge was identified so that people can get the individual development plan and workbooks to support CDP coach nominated by every store to support the CDP activities. All levels of staff support the training structure. Progress reported to the board in every month. HMV has supported this massive initiative with considerable additional resources, including 15 development centers across the UK Ireland, an expanded course offering for all staff levels and a larger learning and development team. Working with the investor in people standard has helped its employees recognise the day to day development. People can see what the knowledge and skills they developed and what they need to be a manager. The success of CDP rises by 12 months to twenty percent in critical areas. This helped to raise the standard of customer service and make the stock management efficient. Investors in people have helped us communicate the dynamic career opportunities in HMV. It has provided a structured framework to continuously support and stimulate the development of existing staff. The change Process: Simon fox appointed chief executive of HMV group plc. The management undertook a comprehensive review of operations to identify strategies for revitalising the groups business over next three years. The result of this work, together with the financial impact for the group and its capital structure which discussed below: The board expect the markets in which the group operates to be subject to significant structural change, with the total music and DVD markets continuing to decline, and growth in the books market coming from the online channel. In addressing this issue the board has identify three key areas of focus: Saving Driving cost efficiency Protecting revitalising the core business Growing- Establish new channels. Saving Direct cost efficiency Cost savings of  £40m per annum will be achieved by 2009/10 by simplifying the HMV UK and Waterstones supply chains, maximising group purchasing and head office synergies and from the review of the UK store portfolio. Protecting Revitalising the core business * HMV UK will launch an enhanced range of portable digital products from suppliers including Apple, Bose, Samsung and Sony. * A new HMV store format of the future is being developed and will be trialled from autumn 2007. * A loyalty card to drive spends across both brands and all channels will be rolled out during 2007/08. Growing Establishing the new channel * HMV will launch a social network site for music, films and games, proving revenue streams from advertising, sponsorship and paid-for content. * HMV UK is partnering with 3, the UKs leading mobile music retailer to provide content to 3s 3.7m subscribers. * Growth in hmv.co.uk and Waterstones.com will be accelerated by increased marketing. * HMV.co.uk will become 20% of HMV UK sales by 2010. As over 80% of the groups profit is made in the UK, today are strategic and operational review will be focused on UK markets. SOURCE HMV group website Media News Recommendations and Conclusion: STRENGTH: HMV is the market leader for CD, DVD and computer games. HMV brands are synonymous with range authority, expertise, customer service and a stimulating store environment. The company listed on the London stock exchange on 15 may, 2002 successfully establishing a more appropriate capital structure for the future growth of the company. SOURCE HMV group website About Us History WEAKNESS: HMV had not adapted quickly enough to the way customers are buying and consuming media. Before Christmas last year, HMV and other high street retailer issued profit warning because of poor sales affected by the growth of online retail. The group has admitted being too slow to recognise the changing shape of the music and entertainment industry and has been hard hit by competition from online specialist as Amazon and play.com as well as supermarket such as Tesco, asda with their offers of bargain CDs and DVDs. A new pricing architecture is being rolled out to the entire HMV UK chain by September 2006. HMV was named best retail chain in the 2006 music week awards for an eighth consecutive year, multiple retail success of the year at the 2006 British video association awards and most improved retailer in games in 2006 MCV Industry Excellent Awards. Sales in HMV UK and Ireland for the full year ended April 2006 were  £937.2m and operating profit was  £60.6m. For the year ended April 2006 turnover of HMV Asia pacific was  £275.5m and operating profit 8.6m. SOURCE HMV group website About Us Fast Facts

Jürgen Habermas’ The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Ess

In this essay I will discuss Jà ¼rgen Habermas’ â€Å"The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: Inquiry into a category of bourgeois society† (1962), and the ideas presented surrounding the public sphere. What I will investigate is whether or not the post-modern phenomenon of new media (e.g. the internet) could in fact present a new-wave of public sphere, or is just another platform for mass-media. I will also explore the public sphere model, and discuss its decline (due to either political or economic reasons). I will look in particular at the 21st Century, and the evidence of a possible public sphere in the modern day, as well as the factors which could have extinguished the public sphere in the early part of the 20th Century, not just looking to Habermas’ philosophy but also other social commentators like Noam Chomsky & Del Sola Poole. The â€Å"Public Sphere† (Habermas 1962) is a term coined by German sociologist and philosopher Jà ¼rgen Habermas, as he believes, the public sphere social structure directly proceeded feudalism in European society. It comes from the two separate factors of the â€Å"public† ( referring to public authority – the state) and the â€Å"private†(referring to the idea of economy, society and the family) coming together for rational critical debate about the world around them. Habermas believes that this was initially started with the â€Å"literary public sphere† which allowed people of all social standing to discuss art and literature, usually in public places like coffee houses and salons. From this branched the political public sphere, where private people (not working for the government, or influenced by it) came together to use reason critically and analysed (and often opposed) ideas present in government. W... ...tion.† Outhwaite, W. ed (1996)† The Habermas Reader† Cambridge UP Crossley, N. & Roberts, J.M (eds.) (2004) â€Å"After Habermas: new perspectives on the public sphere†. Oxford University Press Curran, J (1978)† The press as an agency of social control: an historical perspective.† G, Curran, J. & Wingate P. (eds) Newspaper History: from the 17th Century to the present day. London: constable print Atton, C (2002) â€Å"News cultures and new social movements: Radical journalism and the mainstream media, journalism studies† Brendon, P. (1982) â€Å" The Life and death of press barons†. London: Secker & Warbug Koss S (1984) â€Å" The Rise and Fall of Political Press in Britain: Vol 2- The Twentieth Century† Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, Herman S & Chomsky N (1988) â€Å"Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media† London: Vintage press

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as Corporate Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship :: Corporate Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), also known as Corporate Responsibility, and Corporate Citizenship Because society is fundamentally based upon performance and profit, it is necessary to impart a sense of corporate social responsibility with regard to modern commerce. The ethical approaches of purpose, principle and consequence are integral components of business social performance; itemizing these contributions involves incorporating the interests of ethics and morality within the corporate structure. These are essential concepts that are often absent from a managerial standpoint. Corporate social responsibility should exist within every company's infrastructure; however, social integrity is not something that is often at the forefront of modern day business dealings. Ethics, business and society must work in tandem or there is no purpose for any of its existence. Unethical practices are what create a climate of contempt and distrust, leading to consumers harboring ill will. This is no way to run a business Ethics are a necessary and critical ingredient in any successful enterprise1. Establishing such ethical fortitude is not difficult if a moral and conscientious outlook is maintaned . Ethical concerns run rampant among various entities, posing questions along the way as to whether a particular practice is deemed morally acceptable. Ethics sometimes get in the way of resolving questions like: What is the ethical concern? Am I being true to myself? Why is this bothering me? Is it my problem? What do others think? Who else matters? 2 Establishing reasonable ethical guidelines, and therefore appropriate corporate social responsibility, must come from a management perspective. This the primary location where policy is derived. Utilizing the insightful perspectives of Beauchamp et al (1996), which include purpose, principle and consequence, there exist myriad ethical considerations in the daily world of business, with each one presenting yet another moral dilemma: Should the decision be made for company or personal gain? How many will reap the benefit of individualized attention at the expense of all others? Is there a time when an individual's interests supercede those of the masses? These are ethical questions posed each and everyday throughout the global business and social worlds; whether or not the right answers are acted upon is another matter entirely. "Ethical problems of personal and public decision making are not new. The need to undertake ethical reflection is part--indeed a central part--of what it means to be human" (Mitcham, 1996, p. 314). Ethical decision-making goes hand in hand with sound business judgment, yet this is not a concept always followed. The very purpose behind ethical behavior has some people stumped as to its true intention; while some believe it instills the foundation of good business, others contend that it brings out nothing

Heroes (my Parents) :: essays research papers

When one thinks of heroes, names such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Theresa often come to mind. These people had done a lot of favors, courage, helps, and more of things for the people who needed them. They have change the world. But, heroes can be in anyway, even in each of individuals in the world. I have the persons who I think is the best hero in my mind. They are my parents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My parents are brave; they will do anything for my happiness. Not only mine, but also their friends, and families. My father has many friends, and he always helps them whenever they need them most. Without my parents, I probably will not survive. Heroes usually best described as selfless, brave, and often inspiring. A friend of my mother just heard a bad news from her family back in Indonesia, telling that her father has a cancer that already spread in his body. She has to go back and visit her father, but can't afford the plane ticket. My mom not hesitantly let her borrow her money for the ticket. During The May riot in Indonesia, everybody in my complex tried to run away since the natives were going to kill the Chinese. But, My father and couple of his friends ordered them to stay and fight back, and it worked. The natives ran when they saw a crowd of Chinese trying to kill them back. My parents are the most inspiring people for me. They taught me things that I need to know like drugs, and other important things. My father always inspired me to do the right things, to be strong, and be independent. I am sure that all parents that did a lot of things for their children are heroes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Heroes always change in our mind as we grow. As a child, we think Hercules, Xena, superheroes, imaginary friends, comics', and cartoons' heroes as the real heroes. As we grow older, our opinions keep changing from time to time.

Ethics in Our Everyday Lives Essay

This paper will discuss how ethics relate in our everyday lives and more specifically how ethics are used in our workplace also how ethics are used by companies. This paper will also cover how businesses have implemented ethical procedures, standards and how these businesses flourished because of the effective use of ethical standards. â€Å"I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man.† Thomas Jefferson Ethics in our Everyday Lives. As a society we are faced with ethical problems every day, and how we handle these situations shape our culture and lives. However, what are ethics? The meaning of â€Å"ethics† is hard to pin down, and the views many people have about them are shaky. People tend to associate ethics with their feelings. But being ethical is clearly not a matter of following one’s feelings, nor should one identify ethics with religion, the law or â€Å"whatever society accepts.† Ethics refers to the constant effort of studying our moral conduct, and our own moral beliefs, and striving to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and concrete. It is not enough to be able to do the right thing when we ourselves have nothing to lose. We must be willing to fulfill our ethical obligations at the expense of our self-centered desires and vested interests. (Dr. Richard Paul & Dr. Linda Elder, 2003) In short, ethics is doing what is right even when no one is looking. Well-founded standards of right and wrong that advocate what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, benefits to society, obligations, fairness, or specific virtues stem directly from having ethics. Ethical standards also impose the judicious obligations to refrain from rape, stealing, murder, assault, and fraud, therefore a society with a strong code of ethics tends to run smoothly. A society with no code of ethics could very well develop into anarchy. Although arguments have been made, to the contrary, ethics are just as vital in the workplace. Ethics are essential in the workplace because a tough ethical code provides a non-threatening environment with high employee morale, a company that exhibits clear-cut ethics tends to show higher profits, and simply because it is the right thing to do. Perhaps most important, attention to ethics in the workplaces helps ensure that when leaders and managers are strugg ling in times of crises and confusion, they retain a strong moral compass, and this goes for the workers as well. The Ethics Resource Center, a non-profit, non-partisan organization devoted to business ethics, released the results of its 2005 National Business Ethics Survey, polling more than 3000 workers across America. The results were disheartening; 21% observed abusive or intimidating behavior toward employees. 19% observed lying to customers, employees, vendors or the public. 18% observed situations that placed employee interests over company interests. 16% observed violations of safety regulations and misreporting of time worked (Verschoor, 2000, pp. 19-20) Environments that accommodate these low ethical standards tend to feel hostile to the average employee. When this behavior is witnessed repeatedly over time, it lowers morale. And low moral easily leads the employee feels no loyalty towards the company and in turn the company feels no loyalty towards its employees. A workplace that encourages the effective ethical administration, however, is a workplace that breeds strong morale. Patricia Harned, ERC president, states â€Å"Creating a strong ethical environment should be a top priority of all companies.† (Verschoor, 2000, pp. 19-20) According to â€Å"Workplace Ethics†, a company with strong ethical guidelines has a few commonalities. Companies watch encouraged communication; the staff feels open and unthreatened about reporting and discussing ethical concerns. They also clarify rewards and punishments, which provides a meaningful context to what otherwise seems arbitrary. Businesses that encourage trust between management and employs well tend to have a much easier time enforcing their ethical standards. Also businesses found out that by promoting this strategy that it was much less expensive and more effective than legally defining and enforcing their ethical standards. These organizations also build corporate values, which improves the corporate image. (Compilation, 1999) This creates an environment that employees find a joy to work in. Furthermore, from a corporate perspective it is just as significant to note that an ethical company tends to be a profitable company. Can a company have ethical practices, and still show a profit? Yes, according to Business Ethics magazine. By concentrating on the effects of business decisions made and how they enhance or diminish the well being of others, benefits can be seen for the company, the employee, the stockholder, and the consumer. Many of the corporations that show up on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Business magazine also show up on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and Working Mother magazine’s Best Companies to Work For. (Do Good, Do Well, 2001, p. 28) Starbucks is one of these companies and has been a regular on these lists. Starbucks is working to empower farmers in East Timor, where coffee provides the livelihood of 25% of the population. The company also participates in various external programs to help benefit the envir onment and provide relief efforts after disasters. Internally, Starbucks offers many benefits to its employees-including tuition reimbursement, partner benefits, a wellness program and a 25 to 150% match in its 401(k) plan. (Examining the benefits of corporate social responsibility, May1 2006) These factors are just some that contribute to the success of Starbucks and provide the company with the foundation to build a coffeehouse on every street corner. Another company that is perennially honored for its ethical conduct is Southwest Airlines. Although the airline industry has been through what some may characterize as catastrophic circumstances over the last several years Southwest has never cut employee pay. In fact, the organization’s employees took a voluntary pay cut after Sept. 11, 2001, rather than allow surging costs to force Southwest to reduce its flight schedule. â€Å"I’ve been here 28 years,† states Donna Conover, Southwest’s executive vice president of customer service, â€Å"and from the beg inning, we’ve felt that employees are our greatest assets.† (Examining the benefits of corporate social responsibility, May1 2006) An unethical company, however, can expect none of these benefits, and it may actually be part of the reason for failing. A perfect example of an unethical fallout would be that of the oil giant Enron. Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay, discussing his company’s collapse due to fraud, and insider trading and tax evasion, recently insisted that his once great and honest company adhered to prevailing business practices. â€Å"The Enron task force investigation is largely a case about normal business activities typically engaged in on a daily basis by corporate officers of publicly held companies throughout the country,† Lay insisted in a December 2005 speech. Lay went on to say that the Enron task force was â€Å"attempting to criminalize† what he characterized as common business practices. Under Lay’s perverted ethics code, transactions meant to deceive are not wrong if these transactions, legal or not, are commonly practiced by corporate America. Stockholder s often paid the price of such as moral relativism. (Zamansky, 02/01/2006, p. 11a) This points out what should be the overriding reason for expecting high ethical standards in the workplace-it’s the right thing to do. A recent survey by The Society for Human Resource Management found that 54% of human-resource professionals surveyed had witnessed conduct in the workplace which violated either the law or common practices of their organizations. Some of the violations witnessed ware, Fair Labor Standards Act, violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, employees engaging in fraud, falsifying records, altering the results of product tests, and misusing insider information. (Schumann, Spring/Summer 2001, p. 93) The survey found that 47% of those surveyed felt pressured to compromise ethical standards to achieve business objectives. They stated that they did not report observed conduct due to factors such as fear of retribution, lack of trust in the organization’s procedures, the desire to be part of the team, or a feeling that ethics were unimportant to the organizations. (Schumann, Spring/Summer 2001, p. 93) The main culprit for this pervading ethical dilemma is moral relativism. Moral relativism is the belief that because different people have different moral principles, there is no way to pass judgment on these principles as to their validity or lack thereof. Taken to its extreme, this belief would allow any action, from lying to murder, if the perpetrator simply believes his moral framework does not preclude that action. An excellent example of this new moral relativism is recounted by Rhonda Gibbs. â€Å"About three years ago,† she recalls, â€Å"My daughter’s high school basketball coach, (also a teacher), was having a relationship with a minor.† The relationship, she details, was very obvious to those who had daily contact with the pair. Staff, faculty, and students watched the relationship develop over a period of nine months to a year; however, not a single person spoke up about the impropriety of this relationship or the seriousness of this crime. Whether for reasons of not wanting to upset the coach, not wanting to look like a whistle blower, or simply to maintain the status quo, this teacher’s colleagues, the very people charged with protection of the young girl, allowed him to violate her for at least nine months. The school was only forced to deal with the issue when outside parties informed the police. Although the landscape sometimes looks bleak for the proponents of a strong ethical society, ethics do get used in a moral fashion, as this next example illustrates. Some surplus land adjacent to a shopping center was donated to a city by the developers who owned the mall. The land was earmarked by the builders to be used for community soccer fields. They then spent large sums of their own money to develop the fields. The donated land was adjacent to a river, and after many years of spring floods swamping the fields, the city abandoned them. The developers, realizing that the land was no longer being used for their intended purpose, contacted the city. Developers are notorious for taking otherwise useless land and turning it into acres of parking lots. These individuals, however, decided to transform the property, at their own expense, into a community wetland park. This transformation took over two years and several hundred thousand dollars. These businessmen, who were well within their rights to demand the land back since it wasn’t being utilized for its donated purpose, instead did the ethical thing at great cost to themselves. As I can be seen, ethics are important in the workplace and our every day life as well because they provide higher profits, higher morale, and ethical behavior is the proper course of action. Whether decisions made affect the operation of a home, small business, large corporation, or a nation, a clear ethical foundation will always serve to improve our society. References Compilation. (1999). Bulletpoint. Retrieved May 6, 2006, from Workplace Ethics Web site: http://web107.epnet.com Examining the benefits of corporate social responsibility. (May1 2006). Employee Benefit News, pITEM0612100B. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from http://find.galegroup.com. Do Good, Do Well. (2001, January). Workforce, 80, 28. Retrieved May 5, 2006, from http://find.galegroup.com. Dr. Richard Paul & Dr. Linda Elder. (2003). The Miniature Guide to Understanding the Foundations of Ethical Reasoning. The Foundation for Critical Thinking. Guest, E. (n.d.). SoFinesJoyfulMoments. Retrieved May 8, 2006, from Mary (Garren) Morand Web site: http://sofinesjoyfulmoments.com/quotes/sermon.htm Schumann, P.L. (Spring/Summer 2001). A moral principles framework for human resource management ethics. Human Resource Management Review, 11 (1/2), 93. Retrieved May 6, 2006, from http://web102.epnet.com. Verschoor, C. (2000, December). Ethical Culture: Most Important Barrier to Ethical Misconduct. Strategic Finance, 87, 19-20. Retrieved May 6, 2006, from http://web107.epnet.com. Zamansky, J. (02/01/2006). At the least, former Enron chiefs are guilty of moral bankruptcy. USAToday, 0734-7456, p. 11a. Retrieved from http://web102.epnet.com.

Buisness operations

Dealing with banking problems is a hassle for any individual, especially for those who are involved with the business sector. Transactions come and go and money is fast, banks cannot afford to fail. Banks are offering the services of Personal Banking Consultants, specially designed for individuals who do not wish to deal with meager problems such as invalid pin codes or name changes. Though these problems are not serious, they require time to sort out. The use of a PBC come with perks for business people and proves to be a worthy investment. The following case discusses a client’s experience with a PBC.There were inherent problems with the bank company that the PBC was able to assist the clients through. The clients went through numerous problems and delays in changing accounts. Wrong names, invalid pins, existing accounts, and long delays were said to be a common occurrence. The real issue did not come from the PBC, rather from the company itself. The banking company utilizes agency staff, or contracted workers for some of their operations. Though this is beneficial to the financial status of a company because of the easy access to labor and the affordable cost of hiring agency staff, it also has inherent risks and downsides.What were the gaps between customers’ expectations and perceptions in the process described? In the case, the clients were burdened by the changes with their previous bank in the south. Two accounts were being used, one for business and one for personal use, each with different offices and different numbers. The location of the bank was also a problem because of a change of residency of the clients. Due to these factors, the client chose to switch the northern bank. The presence of the Personal Banking Consultant at the northern bank helped persuade the client to switch banks.It is important to note that the process of switching banks involved numerous intricacies, such as the change of cheque books, credit cards, standing or ders, and debit instructions. The gap between customer specification and operation specification seems to be a match. The bank offers their services to the clients, along with the bonuses of the package which the client chose. These included preferential interest rates, free annual travel insurance, a reward scheme, a â€Å"golden† credit card, and the services of the PBC. We can assume that the clients have fulfilled the requirements to apply for membership and enjoy the rewards.The gap between quality specification and the actual quality of the service or product is one of the most important gaps in the case. This type of gap, as stated by Reuber and Fisher (2005), shows the marketed specifications of the good or service, what it should provide and the benefits of its use, and compares it to the actual specifications of the good. Cleary, there is a gap between these two in this case. Sue was clearly aware of the problems that plagued the company, yet presented these to the clients as simple â€Å"computer problems†. This is the case of marketing the specifications of the service to be better than the original.She did, however, admit that the problems were caused by the agency staff. The decision to cover the reality of the situation was a risky move by Sue. The clients did not withdraw from the offer and became members, a successful deal for the bank. However, the reputation of the bank has been severely tarnished. The clients were very dissatisfied with the process of transferring, and this has left an initial impression on their mind. Though there have been no problems beyond the transfer process, another mistake on the bank’s part will remind them of the initial problems that they faced.The gap between the actual quality and the communicated image of the service matched. This gap explains the difference between the qualities of service that the customers are expecting against the actual quality (Beckford, J. , 2002, pp. 145-150). The clients already had a bad experience with their previous bank and know that the transfer of accounts is a very tedious process. They acknowledged this difficulty in choosing to transfer, and the bank did not hide this fact from them. However, they were assured that the process would go smoothly, which we know was not the case.How were the customers’ expectations influenced from the outset? The idea of transferring accounts was not initially welcomed by the clients. They had a negative experience with their previous bank, with impersonal call handling because of outsourcing, the lack of access to their assistant bank manager, and the complication of having two accounts under different telephone numbers and offices. Under the circumstances that they face, any better alternative would have been welcome. The clients’ previous experience has affected their perception of consumer expectation.Consumers generally want to have faster service, convenience in both application and usage, flexibility in payment options and other packages, and helpful customer policies. This type of consumer expectation is formed thru the wants of the client. In reality, what consumers want does not necessarily equate to what they expect to receive. This is called the customer expectation paradox. Real consumer expectations are formed thru experience in the marketplace (Lucas, J. , 2006, pp. 137-144). A real life example of the paradox is a visit to a dentist.Customers want to be served quickly and immediately, no waiting lines, timely appointments, and available dentists at hand. However, the expectation of the reality in the office is different. Customers know that they will have to wait in line, that they will not be served immediately, and that the availability of the dentist may be in question. The same can be said for the case, as the clients know from experience that the process of transfer is a very hassling endeavor. The clients want to have no problems regarding the transfer – that no errors are made, that everything is done quickly and in a timely fashion.The experience of the clients tells them that this is not the reality, leading them to expect that their wants will not be fully satisfied. The clients did not have high expectations for the replacement bank; they were simply in search for a way to ease the burden of their previous bank. The package that was offered to them was a factor that influenced their decision. The assurance that the process will go smoothly also led to their expectations to be affected. When Sue informed the clients that everything will be handled by the company and that the clients will not experience any hassle, this significantly affected their expectations.What aspects of the bank’s service quality specification have been revealed to the customer? Are these reasonable for such an account? The prime concern of bank customers is to be served conveniently without any errors or problems. Such complicatio ns cause consumers to lose loyalty with the bank and eventually lead to them leaving and searching for other service providers. In order to gain consumer trust, which is vital to service oriented businesses such as banks, firms show their focus on quality specification. In the case, the source of one of the problems of the bank is the outsourcing of several operations to agency staff.This was revealed to the clients by their bank consultant at the end of their transfer process. The company alone cannot meet the demands of the customers, thus the use of agency staff to fill the gap. This is a good decision for the bank, as agency staffing provides the company with flexibility because of the ease of hiring new staff and the availability of a wide variant of employees. Agency staffing is also more cost-effective in terms of employment since these employees do not require extensive training and are not a liability to the hiring company (Huffman, L., 2008. ). The use of agency staffing d oes have some drawbacks, such as the employees’ lack of loyalty for the company. Since they are often not considered to be part of the main team, temporary employees have little incentive to be loyal. Lastly, cheap agency staffing may be less efficient compared to trained employees. Although errors cannot be avoided in operations, especially with agency staffing, it is not an appropriate reason for the clients to be burdened. Sue has pointed that this has been the reason for the errors in the clients’ transfer process.While the agency staffing may pose as a problem to the clients, it is significantly worsened by the practices of the bank consultants. Sue, as an example, continued to press clients to accept packages and offers even if she is aware of the problems that the staff is experiencing. This action allows the company to meet their quotas; however it has severe repercussions on the clients. It was been visible to the clients that such transactions happen even if the bank cannot sufficiently deliver some of the services involved. This suggests serious problems with the bank’s coordination between departments, and among the clients.It is also clear that the bank suffers from capacity management, that the agency staff are either underperforming or the bank is understaffed. Evaluate Sue’s reaction to the problems at every stage. Was the bank’s service recovery successful? Before the transfer process began, Sue faced the problem of the clients coming from a previous bank where they had a negative experience with. The clients were initially against transferring banks, mainly because of the hassle of having to change card info, cheque books, credit, and others included in their personal and business accounts.Upon sharing this problem with their personal banking consultant, Sue assured the clients that all the details will be processed by the computer in a week. She also stated that with the level of technology that the bank is using, the clients would simply have to fill out a few forms and wait for seven days. She was successful in dealing with the clients’ concerns with the decision of the clients to utilize the bank’s services. The first problem that the clients encountered was the late chequebook. They were told that all the required materials would be delivered in a week; however the last chequebook came in six days late.Though Sue was not informed of this problem, the clients did receive a welcome package from Sue consisting of information regarding the services the bank offers, notification that the accounts are active. The messages were written in a personal manner to improve customer relationship. The welcoming package may possibly be the standard operating procedure of the company; however this act serves as a way to make the clients feel that they are part of the company. Upon receiving the chequebooks, there was an error with the names for both the business and current account c heques of the clients.Sue apologized for the mishap, and informed the clients that new cards will be issued for them, and that PBC cards are given special priority. Sue had also given the clients an alternative, that the former cards could be used since they were linked to the existing accounts. The credit cards arrived a day after, with the names correctly spelled. Sue’s reaction to the clients’ problem was done well and provided in a speedy manner. The errors were fixed quickly and Sue suggested a temporary workaround to the problem.Though the name mishap was solved swiftly, the clients experienced another problem with the personal identification numbers (PIN) of their cards. The said PINs did not arrive with the credit cards, making them inaccessible. When the clients informed Sue of this, Sue relayed that PINs arrive several days after the cards because of security reasons. She also assured the clients that the PINS will arrive along with the cheque guarantee cards . The PLC’s reaction to the clients’ concerns was a standard customer reply. The PLC simply informed the clients that there was no error, and that the process was going as planned.After a week, the clients had received the guarantee cards. However, these had the names misspelled similar to the first batch of cards. The PINs for the other cards have also not yet arrived. Sue was informed of this and was surprised with the delay. According to her, the PINs were sent 5 days ago and suggested that it may have been lost in the post. She confirmed this after a while, informing the clients that the cards have to be reissued for security purposes, and that the new cards will have a new PIN code. Again, Sue suggested the temporary use of the old cards.With the increasing occurrence of errors, Sue had been very apologetic regarding the problems that the clients were facing. The new PINs and cards had arrived 3 days after, the time limit that Sue had set for the revised cards. Ho wever, the clients faced another problem with the PINs because they were being rejected. The new PIN codes were for the old cards, and the new cards did not have their codes yet. The whole mess was sorted out after 4 days, and the card company sent a personal letter of apology regarding the problems that the clients faced. A bouquet of flowers had also arrived for the clients.Their PLC, Sue, also called to ensure that there were no more problems. The clients were also given leather holders for their cards and chequebooks. These actions show that the company was trying to please the clients by offering gifts in order to ensure that client satisfaction. It is clear that Sue had done everything in her power to solve the problems of the clients. Sue herself did not suffer from any errors; rather the mistakes took place within the system itself. Sue was successful in appeasing the clients, and no problems occurred after the events, thus restoring customer satisfaction.What costs have bee n created by these problems, and how do they compare with the underlying costs and root cause of the problem? The main costs that the problem has created have been those to the customer, to the bank, and to Sue. The costs that the clients had incurred came in the form of inconvenience and time. The original agreement was that the clients would have everything ready within a week, however after the delays and errors the clients had fully finished the transfer process after 25 days, 18 days after the original deadline. The psychic costs that the delays caused also affected the client.In addition to that, the clients were embarrassed due to a mishap with their former credit cards and cheques, which would have not occurred if the process of transferring went smoothly. The bank had also suffered losses due to the errors. The cost of the reproduction and reissuing the cards and chequebooks and the cost of delivery of these products are taken by the company. The numerous errors have also c aused customer satisfaction to decrease. This is a cost to the company because the clients’ experiences with their bank show the quality of service that is provided.If there are complaints that stem from errors and delays, the bank’s reputation is negatively affected. The root cause of the problems comes from the system management of the bank’s operations. The hiring of agency staff shows that the bank cannot support the services demanded by the operations alone. The performance errors of the agency staff suggest that the bank is understaffed, or the hired staff is underperforming. There is also a lack of communication between the departments within the company. Customer revisions are not communicated efficiently to the card issuing company, thus causing errors in PIN codes and credit cards.Lastly, the company suffers from poor target setting. The bank aims to meet the demands of clients within a specified timeframe, yet their operating staff cannot meet these d eadlines. CONCLUSION The bank suffers from multiple mistakes in their system organization and management. If left unsolved, they will be operating at a sub-optimal level and experience multiple losses. Clients will choose to use the services of other banks. The costs that the errors and delays bring upon the company hamper growth and decrease revenue.The changes required to solve the management problems of the company are costly and hard to achieve. The short-term recovery procedures used are also costly and prove to be an inconvenience for both the clients and the bank. These can only alleviate the problems, but not completely solve them. The main issue that has to be settled is the long-term plans of the bank to solve their problems. In the end, we cannot always just call Sue. REFERENCES Beckford, J. (2002) Quality. 2nd ed. London, Routledge. pp. 145-150. Huffman, L. (2008) The Pros and Cons of Using an Employment Agency for Temporary Staff.[Internet], OfficeArrow LLC. August 26. Available from: [Accessed May 2009]. Lucas, J. (2006) Broaden the Vision and Narrow the Focus: Managing in a World of Paradox. Westport CT, Praeger. pp. 137-144 Reuber, A. R. & Fischer E. (2005) The Company You Keep: How Young Firms in Different Competitive Contexts Signal Reputation through Their Customers. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, Vol. 29, p. 1.