Thursday, October 31, 2019

Personal Negotiations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Personal Negotiations - Essay Example The passenger airbag light malfunctioned in my Suzuki Grand Vitara. I initially took the vehicle to my local dealer for diagnostic testing. They informed me it would cost $2,000 to repair the malfunctioning airbag light because the sensor was located within the seat, requiring the entire seat to be replaced. I went home and began to research what could have caused the light to malfunction, and discovered there were literally hundreds of complaints from other owners of the same model Suzuki Grand Vitara. I decided to contact Suzuki Headquarters to inquire if there was possibly a recall on the item. They informed me that there was no open recall for the faulty airbag light; however, there was a special warranty for certain Grand Vitaras that fall within a certain range of VIN numbers. Unfortunately, my vehicle’s VIN number did not fall within their specified range. I requested that they consider including my vehicle since it was the same year, make and model as the hundreds that were covered by their special warranty. Opposing Arguments Authorized personnel from Suzuki Headquarters initially indicated that it would not be possible for a recall on the item. I accessed a Suzuki forum on the internet, and located others who were facing the same situation that I was facing. After gathering information, I once again contacted Suzuki headquarters and asked to speak with someone who was authorized to make decisions regarding special warranty coverage. I informed her of what I had previously been told by the other employee at Suzuki, and I explained that I had located several others who were in the same situation. I asked them to consider expanding their special warranty to cover additional VIN numbers since it was evident from my research that numerous other VINs also had the faulty airbag light. I initially asked them to cover the entire amount I had been quoted from the dealership. They declined and stated that if they were able to cover it at all, it would not cover $2,000 in charges. I reminded them that their website states, â€Å"Suzuki engineers outstanding quality, durability and reliability into every car, truck and SUV we build† (American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 2012, p. 1) and that â€Å"Building long-lasting, quality cars that people enjoy is something Suzuki has prided itself on since Day 1† (American Suzuki Motor Corporation, 2012, p. 1). I directed them to the forum that I had discovered and recommended they review all the complaints on that website, and suggested they Google â€Å"Suzuki Grand Vitara faulty passenger airbag light† and review some of the 66,000+ results. They asked for a couple of days in order to review all the information I had given them. The next day, I received a call stating they had decided to extend the special warranty for my vehicle, but they would cover a maximum of $1,000. I was not satisfied with this coverage because it would leave me paying $1,000 for a part that they kne w was faulty from the beginning. I explained to them that I felt as though they were not taking the safety of my family seriously in this situation because the faulty light would cause the airbag not to deploy if the vehicle is in an accident. I again requested they cover the entire amount of the repair. They called me back approximately an hour later and informed me that they could cover $1,500 of the repair. I still felt this was an unfair offer since it had to be replaced through no fault of my own. I

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Gentrification and Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gentrification and Class - Essay Example In these circumstances, two sides to the debate exist that include the non-gentrification residents and the gentrified residents. However, the upgrade tends to come with a price attached in which the resident that were pre-gentrified may not afford the new pay rates or property taxes. Driving out those cannot afford to pay the new rent rates and property taxes may be the most acceptable practice as the argument is that they could decrease revenues. In many cases, the transformation may include the conversion of old buildings to developed shops and areas of living, which translates to increased rents. However, John Arena negated this process in his book Driven from New Orleans in which African-Americans had to pave the way for the advancement of New Orleans after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. After Katrina, the African Americans that were of local income levels did not receive financing to build and repair their homes, but instead demolitions took place (Arena 87). In his book, John Arena argues that the plan to demolish the old buildings in New Orleans began in the 1980s, long before the Hurricane hit the area meaning that the White Republicans conceived the gentrification plan before. Reasons why Arena says that the battle for public housing in New Orleans was a long struggle As the local community had named it, â€Å"the Negro removal† began in the 1960s in which the elite in New Orleans sought to upgrade the public houses at the cost of the low-income earners residing there (Arena 37). In essence, this neo-liberal economic activity is of the view that the low-income earners lived in impoverished states and it was their duty to help them. However, the residents of New Orleans viewed this to be a federal disaster as the hatching of this plan was national, but the implementation had to be at the federal level. Ideally, New Orleans became a city with the African American population being the highest in the late 1970s because of agricultura l mechanization through those that were on their way route to Crescent City. From that time, New Orleans became significant in the fight against racial inequalities and protecting the rights of the poor hence making the demotions on the public houses to be a vital setback to the advancements that this population had managed to achieve. The white and the black elites saw the move to demolish the old buildings in New Orleans as the only way to eradicating poverty, but the African American population did not share the same views. The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans city leaders’ desires to progress private development According to Arena, the African American elite and the leadership failed the residents of the New Orleans as they were not vocal enough to reverse the decision to demolish the old buildings that belonged to the people. The arena’s argument is that the non-governmental organizations, the elected officials from the African-American community, an d other foundations had a hand in displacing the African American population of New Orleans. Many lost their homes because of the devastating Hurricane, but this did not deter the white Republicans from bringing down these structures in an attempt to establish modern day complexes. The arena’s view is that the demolition of the old buildings in New Orleans did not intend to benefit lower income earning African Americans from its onset, but it was rather immoral (Card & Raphael 112). The low income earners

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Ethical issues in advertising

Ethical issues in advertising ETHICAL ISSUES IN ADVERTISING INTRODUCTION Human beings create a number of different worlds. One of the worlds that human beings have created is the world of money, trade, commodities and exchange. To an outsider, this often feels like a world full of beauty and ugliness in equal proportions messy, flashy, exotic and sometimes even scary. Advertisers are often so engrossed with the nitty-gritty of the profession and dealing with as well as outsmarting competition, that they are unable to observe and comprehend this phenomenon. The business arena can be viewed as the world of buyers and sellers, producers and consumers, bosses and workers, a world of money. It is in effect nothing less than an ontological category – A Way of Being. It is not accidental to who we are, but rather, it defines the way we relate to each other as well as to the world around us. However, we must realise that it is not the be-all and end-all, and that there are other ways of Being; the most fundamental of these being Ethics. As per Geoffrey Klempner, Ethics is defined by an â€Å"I-thou† relationship as follows: â€Å"When I engage another person in moral dialogue, there are not two parallel processes of practical deliberation going on, his and mine, but only one. â€Å" This is in clear contrast with the case of a dialogue between traders or politicians, where each is privately deliberating as to how to gain the upper hand. In the former case, one is already committed to the practical consequences of agreement, and of doing the action which by the combined light of both the parties valuational perspective, is seen as the thing to be done. Human beings can belong to more than one world, or even move between worlds. We live in the marketplace and also outside of it. We can either play the various roles assigned to us in the game, or we can step outside of our economic personae and observe ourselves from an ethical point of view. Geoffrey Klempner has put forward three propositions as a prolegomenon to a philosophy for business: Business and commerce take place in a frame, in an arena defined by unwritten rules Normalethics is suspended within the business arena The aim of a philosophy for a business is to understand the rules that define the business arena, i.e. to grasp from an ethical perspective, as tohow business is possible When we claim that in the business world normal ethics is suspended, we do not deny the validity of rules of conduct, such as honesty and fairness. Without these universal rules and these values, the game could not be played. However, these obligations do fall far short of the demands of ethics. Advertising plays a major role in consumer marketing. It enables companies to meet their communication as well as other marketing objectives. Advertising is typically used to inform, persuade, and remind consumers. More importantly, it reinforces their attitudes and perceptions. For decades, advertising has been a target of criticism. It has been hailed as an engine of free market economy, a capitalistic virtue, as, and as a promoter of consumer welfare. On the other hand, its detractors accuse it of an array of sins ranging from sexism to deceit and manipulation, as an economic waste to purveying of harmful products, from triviality to moral and intellectual pollution (Mittal, 1994). Many see advertising as a threat to the self realization and to the cultural identity of the developing countries, since: It brings to many people alien ethical values It may deviate consumer demands in the developing countries to areas which might inhibit development priorities It affects and can also often deform ways of life and lifestyles(Mac Bride, 1980) Advertising is considered unethical in the following scenarios: It degrades the rivals product or a substitute product It gives misguiding information/false information It conceals information that vitally affects human life (e.g. Side effects of drugs) It makes exaggerated claims It is obscene or immoral or is against the broad national interest Even though comparative advertising may be considered legal and given the fact that its widespread use may have granted it acceptance, the debate on whether it is ethical or not, still continues to rage. There is however no unanimity or common ground among advertising professionals and marketing clients with regards to such questionable practices. However, all of them agree to this one aspect, that while considering the question of unethical practices, the focus needs to be to safeguard the interest of buyers at the micro level and of the society at the macro level, since their satisfaction remains the key to marketing success. The criticism has not been limited only to its intended effects on society, but also extends to its unintended effects. Most of the criticism has come from the elite observers of society. In contrast to this however, the general public has historically viewed advertising in a much more positive way. Criticisms of advertising have generally originated from the highest socio-economic classes. Since the earliest days of what now entails the modern marketing era and before, lower and middle class people have historically been more positive towards advertising. (Bauer Greyser, 1968; Fullerton Nevett, 1986; Steiner, 1976; Zanot, 1984). In India, we are still unaware of the extent to which these intellectual criticisms reflect the more widely held consumer beliefs and attitudes. To understand the viewpoints and opinions of the Indian public, we must examine as to how advertising is perceived in terms of its economic, social and ethical impacts. BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING Advertising is omnipresent in todays world, with a large proportion of human and also material resources are devoted to the field of advertising. Advertising has a number of benefits, which we can classify under the following heads: Economic Benefits of Advertising Advertising plays a very important role in the process by which an economic system is guided by moral norms and is responsive to the common good that contributes to human development. It is an essential part of the functioning of the modern market economies, which exist, or are emerging in many different parts of the world as well as those which seem to be the most efficient instrument for effective utilization of resources and also for effectively responding to the needs of different socio-economic kinds. Benefits of Political Advertising As a free and a responsible media, in a democratic system, it helps to counteract the tendencies towards monopolization of power on the part of oligarchies and also the special interests. Thus, political advertising can make a significant contribution by informing people about the policy proposals and the ideas of parties and their candidates, also including new candidates who were hitherto unknown to the public. Cultural Benefits of Advertising Advertisers have the opportunity to exert a strong influence on decisions pertaining to media content. They do so by supporting the material of excellent aesthetic, intellectual as well as moral quality that is presented with the greater interest of the public, and is particularly done by encouraging and making it possible for media presentations to be oriented towards those minorities whose needs go unnoticed and thus un-served. Moral and Religious Benefits of Advertising It has often been seen, that benevolent social institutions, including institutions of a religious nature, make in-depth use of advertising in order to communicate their messages. These may be messages of faith, messages of patriotism, messages of tolerance, or even messages of compassion and neighbourly service. The advertised messages may be those of charity towards the needy, messages concerning health and education, as well as constructive and helpful messages that not only educate, but also motivate people in a variety of ways. High involvement in all aspects of media-related activities, including advertising, has today become an essential part of a highly comprehensive pastoral strategy. ETHICS IN ADVERTISING Advertisings visible social role makes it a target for criticism. Some of todays customers believe that a great deal of advertising is unethical because: It adds to the price of the products It is untruthful It tricks people It targets vulnerable people Numerous advertising-related issues are often left to the discretion of the advertisers and are based on ethical concerns: Advocacy à   Advertising tries to persuade the audience to do something that is not correct. It is not objective or neutral. Accuracy à   Subtle messages trouble critics, especially when aimed at groups such as children, the elderly or the disabled. Acquisitiveness à   Consumers are continually persuaded that they continually need more and more new products. However, consumers make the final decision. ETHICAL ISSUES PREVELANT IN ADVERTISING Even though a section of the media and the public lambasted the advertisers and the advertising agencies for the falling scores of decency and taste in advertising, such advertisements raged on and they have now become the order of the day. Brands that were far-fetched from carnality have started showing all-consuming lust in their advertisements. This trend is prevalent in India as well. It began when on 23rd July 1995, a Mumbai tabloid published a photograph of an advertisement for Tuff shoes that showed models Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre, posing in the nude with a python wrapped around them, just about covering the vitals. The protests and controversy dragged on for a long time. The nation pooh-poohed the audacity of the couple, while the advertisement agencies defended their creative rights. The slogan of advertisers now-a-days is â€Å"Love it. Or Hate it. Or think it is offensive. But you have to notice it.† Advertising is largely criticized since selling carries a stigma. Centuries ago, Anacharis had said, the market is a place set aside where men may deceive each other†. Even to this date despite the significant rise in consumerism and despite the efforts to counter market deception, buyers are still gullible and are not particularly on the guard against deception. Under intense competition and declining profits, the perspective of organizations shifts from what is best for the society in the long run, to what is best for the company in the short-run. The advertisers claim that ethics are fine for the secure however all the slipping that a company needs is the desire for a greater market share. Since advertising pertains to a large audience, it belongs refers to the 4th quadrant of the grid shown below. Thus, the question to be asked by advertisers is, â€Å"What makes a good society?† Advertising thus must address the most controversial, collective level welfare issues. ADVERTISING AREAS THAT COME UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF ETHICS Advertising ethics affects both the practice of our lives and of business, in subtle as well as prominent ways. Ethics in advertisements concern us all in one way or the other. The areas under the scrutiny of the critics are: TYPES OF ADVERTISEMENTS For sex related products Instead of generating awareness among people about the necessity of safe sex and the benefits of birth control, condom advertisements continue to intrigue the audience and especially the youth with the unique feel that it has to offer. E.g. Moods Condoms For health care and professional services The slimming centres which promise miraculous weight reduction and the cosmetic surgery clinics which assure a permanent solution to all beauty problems. E.g. VLCC Slimming Centre For vices with fatal effects Tobacco chewing ads Commercials of alcoholic beverages that tempt the non-alcoholics to have a sip Gambling In early 2001, the Government of India announced that it would table a bill banning the tobacco companies from advertising their products and from sponsoring sports and cultural events. This example brings to the fore both the commercial and ethical dimensions of such a ban. It helps us to understand the role of ethics in a business decision and to understand where to draw the line in making decisions, which involve both ethical and commercial considerations. The element of social responsiveness as well as social responsibility attached to a business ethics dimension results in corporate strategy or even in formulating a business policy. Thus, we see that the connotation of ethics goes beyond the illegal acts of professional managers or even entrepreneurs. It covers the entire gamut of business operation, including ethics in advertising. PUFFERY Puffery refers to the exaggerated claim of a products superiority or it could also be the use of subjective/vague statements that may not be true in the literary sense. The Uniform Commercial Code is responsible for standardizing sales and business practices throughout the U.S. It makes a distinction between puffery as well as any specific or quantifiable statement about the product quality or the performance that constitutes an â€Å"express warranty.† For example, a diner advertisement promoting what it claims to be the worlds best cup of coffee would classify as puffery. Such a claim would be almost impossible to substantiate, and no reasonable consumer would fall for it and take such an exaggeration at its face value. Puffery often makes use of the superlative form of a word, like best or greatest. Puffery might also at times exaggerate the advertised effects of a particular product. SUBLIMINAL ADVERTISING One that is transferred in such a way that the receiver is not consciously aware of receiving it. Subliminal means something that registers below the level of the conscious human mind. The brain perceives all the information in theory however the mind does not interpret the information for a meaning. Numerous studies indicate that quite often, we actually do perceive information at the subliminal level. A good example would be as to how often one would notice when the speedometer in the car is about to roll over to a bunch of zeroes. One doesnt consciously notice the mileage on the car ever so often, but the zeroing does make us pay attention. While driving to work, how many cars do we pass? What makes and models were they a part of? The only ones that we paid particular attention to were most probably the really neat cars or those cars which were driven by the people we recognize. If we notice something consciously, then it ceases to be subliminal anymore. Inserting subliminal messages in advertisements is an inherently misleading action. It involves an attempt to manipulate the thinking of a person, without the person even realizing it. The West has seen a considerable number of subliminal advertisements and related hullabaloos. This is primarily because the advertisement, marketing and the regulating media themselves have been quite active while raising such issues. During the US Presidential elections of the year 2000, it was found that a political advertisement for the candidature of George W. Bush subliminally flashed the word RATS while criticizing candidate Al Gores plan for prescription medicine. While the ad maker was prompt in denying that the quickly flashed word was in fact a subliminal message designed to sling mud at Gore, a large number of people, however, had concluded that RATS was indeed inserted with the surreptitious intention of subliminally causing the viewers to associate Al Gore with vermin. The questionable wo rd appeared on the screen only for a microsecond, thus passing by so fast that it was almost not recognizable to the conscious mind, especially when the mind was already passively lulled by television. As per the theory of subliminal advertising, the image would, actually register in the viewers subconscious mind, thus causing the viewer to negatively associate candidate Al Gore with a rat/rodent. TYPES OF APPEALS IN ADVERTISEMENTS Use of questionable appeals The advertisements that bank on negative appeal and fear like neighbours envy, feud, jealousy etc. are part of this category. Nimbus Neo Sports (Neo) had bagged the telecast rights for the India-West Indies and also the India-Sri Lanka series to be held in India. In January 2007, an ad campaign was launched by Nimbus with the pay-off line being Its tough being a West Indian in India. One of the advertisements in this series showed a West Indian desperately searching for some water to quench his thirst, as his palette is unable to handle the spicy Indian food. However, the Indians put their dirty fingers and their dentures into the water in order to deny him from having a drink. Another advertisement showed a West Indian couple along with an Indian boatman, on a boat-ride. On reaching the centre of the deep lake, the boatman throws the oars into the lake and then disrobes; giving the impression that he would assault the girl. Then, he jumps into the lake leaving the distraught couple stuck in the middle of the lake. Media experts have opined that what according to Nimbus was a creative way of showcasing the competitive spirit in India, as well as creating hype around its new sports channel, had actually trod the fine line between creative and unconventional advertising and respecting the ethical sensibilities of the people. It was felt by some critics that the two advertisements that were shown in the campaign, were in bad taste and also was offensive, since it showed people being mistreated, on the basis of colour/nationality. The advertisements were also criticized for showing Indians in bad light as India has always been known for its hospitality. Stereotypical appeals This includes sexual or racial stereotyping. Advertisements that imply that a woman, whether in the kitchen or in the boardroom, must look sensuous and inviting under any given circumstances, is an apt example of advertisements creating stereotypes. The fairness creams are also responsible for stereotyping the dusky women as being socially less desired for marriage. Other stereotypes that are often portrayed and concretized through advertisements are: Racial Ethnic Stereotypes Senior Citizens Gay Lesbian Consumers LARGER EFFECTS ON THE SOCIETY Given their wide reach and influence on the audience, we must realise that advertisements have significant impact on society in the long run: Value formation Advertisements are responsible for moulding society and the material wants of the people. The advertisements which display scantily clad female models in effect commoditize women. Moreover, the deluge of advertisements that increase ones propensity of consumption makes one feel that it is essential to possess a certain commodity in order to show that one belongs to a particular section (generally, higher echelon) of the society. Media content This refers to the information content of advertisements. Those advertisements which suggest the usage of preserved food items without even the slightest mention of the fact that many of the preservatives used have been proved to have carcinogenic effects are part of this category. Use of deception The advertisements of brands which conceal their negative aspects are included in this category. An example of this is the advertisements of cosmetics which say nothing at all about the long-term effects of using their products on a regular basis. Also, the advertisements of various educational institutes that wrongly claim to provide 100 percent placement to their students fall into this category. Advertisements targeting children and adolescents The advertisements that target the vulnerability of the adolescents and the children result in the creation of role models whom these kids are expected to emulate. This in turn shapes their dreams and aspirations in a truly unbecoming way. ADVERTISERS CONCERN Voice/Tone of the advertisement Comparative advertisements that thrive on inflicting vitriolic attacks on rivals are an example of this category. Copying of ideas and plagiarising of advertisements in the ad world is another such menace. Impediments to research on Ethics in Advertising There exist certain impediments to research on advertising ethics: Lack of practitioner interest Research is often impeded by the inapplicability of published findings to the business operations. Another reason for the same might be the disinterest of corporations in sponsoring research on advertising ethics as also is the funding constraint that cause researchers to rely only on a convenience sample. Lack of sound measures and framework Research is also impeded by a lack of psychometrically sound measurement scales and also a lack of theoretical frameworks in the field of advertising/marketing. Lack of relevant theories in related disciplines Research is also sometimes hampered by theoretical shortcomings in the fields of psychology, sociology, anthropology, management, philosophy and advertising/ marketing. Lack of academic interest Research is often impeded by the lack of a journal editor and the difficulty that researchers face when trying to relate ethical issues to the traditional advertising issues. Why be ethical? During the 83rd Annual Management Conference of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Keith Reinhardt, the Chairman and the Chief Executive of the US $15-billion company DDB Worldwide Communications Group, quoted the legendary co-founder of DDB, Bill Bernbach: All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of the society. We can vulgarize that society. We can brutalize it. Or we can help lift it onto a higher level. It might be misconstrued that Reinhad is against the edgy and the unconventional advertising means, however, that is not the case. He is against prurient sex, filthy humour and violence in advertisements. By making a success story out of the advertisements that are offensive to public decency, the message being put forth is disturbingly clear: the more rude and shocking you can be, the more successful you will be in advertising your product. Moreover, such advertisements send out faulty signals to the youngsters who represent and shape the future of our society. The people to blame for this are young creative directors who take pride in their eccentric thought process. Not only this, but the advertising industry also encourages this through machineries from Cannes to Clios that help place such creations on the pedestal. Passion is, without doubt, the most important ingredient in creative achievement. However, its flame need not necessarily leap for bullets, obscenity and falsehoods alone. It is essential to reinforce the virtue of positive passion in todays advertising world. It is imperative that ethics is a part of advertising, since we have a duty to live a good and fulfilling moral life. This duty is equally applicable to our business lives as well as our private lives. Marketing professionals also know that strong ethics do bring in good business. REGULATORY FACTORS AFFECTING ADVERTISING LEGISLATION The Federal Trade Commissions main focus regarding advertising is to identify and eliminate advertisements that are deceptive or those that mislead the consumer. The key areas of concern in this regard are: Deception The current policy on deception contains three basic elements: Where there is omission, practice or representation, there must be a high probability that it will mislead the consumer A â€Å"reasonable customers† perspective is used to judge deception The deception must lead to material injury As is evident from these basic elements, deception, in most cases becomes difficult to prove. Thus, even though an advertisement might be indulging in deceptive practices that do not strictly fall under the purview of the above mentioned elements, it cannot be prohibited. Reasonable basis for making a claim The reasonability of a claim is decided on a case-by-case basis. The following factors are taken into consideration in this regard: Type specificity of the claim made Type of product Possible consequence of the false claim The degree of reliance by consumers on the claim made The type and accessibility of the evidence available for making the claim Comparative Advertising Comparative advertising refers to an advertisement in which a particular product/service mentions the name of the competitor for the purpose of showing why the competitor is inferior to the product which is naming it. Comparative advertising by companies are on some occasions used to put down products of rival firms, without any basis or facts. This leads to unhealthy competition in the marketplace. Comparative advertising is considered deceptive unless: Comparisons made are based on facts The differences that are being advertised are statistically significant The comparisons made involve meaningful issues The comparisons are made to meaningful competitors In the 1980s during the period that has been now referred to as thecola wars,the soft drinkmanufacturerPepsiran a series of advertisements in which t showed people caught on hidden camera, and administered a blind taste test, chose Pepsi over arch rivalCoca-Cola. Endorsements An endorser or a testimonial refers to any advertising message that consumers believe reflects the opinions, beliefs or experiences of an individual, a group, or an institution. Endorsers must: Be qualified by experience or training to make judgements They must actually use the product SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY As per Phillip Kotler, â€Å"An organizations Task is to determine the needs, wants and interests of the target markets and to deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than its competitors in a way that preserves or enhances the consumers and the societys Well-Being.† Thus we see that organizations do have a responsibility towards society, apart from achieving their individual profit targets. An organization can exhibit two levels of social responsibility: Level One à   Being socially responsible is a business philosophy Level Two à   The advertiser is engaged in Pro-social Messaging An organization also exhibits different approaches to social responsibility: Obstructionist Stance à   Organization does as little as possible i.e. exhibits a low degree of social responsibility Defensive Stance à   Organization does only what is legally required Accommodative Stance à   Organization meets legal ethical requirements and sometimes also goes beyond what is required Proactive Stance à   Organization seeks opportunities to be socially responsible i.e. exhibits a high degree of social responsibility There are also different levels of Self Regulation that are often seen in organizations: Self-Discipline à   An organization develops, uses and enforces the norms by itself Pure Self Regulation à   The industry is the one which develops, uses and enforces norms Co-Opted Self Regulation à   Industry voluntarily involves non-industry people in the development, application and enforcement of norms UNETHICAL ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET http://www.rubak.com/article.cfm?ID=13 CONCLUSION Thus, we have seen the various types of advertisements that fall under the purview of unethical advertising, and have also seen the far reaching effects of the circumvention of ethics and morals on the society at large. Wherever freedom of speech and communication exists, it is then largely up to the advertisers themselves in order to ensure that ethically responsible practices are being conducted in their profession. Besides avoiding abuses and falling out of line with the ethical dimension of advertising, the responsible advertiser should also make it a point to undertake the repair and the harm sometimes caused by advertising. Since unethical practices have become commonplace, conscientious advertisers must take it upon themselves to make significant personal sacrifices in order to correct them. However, people who want to do things that are morally right must be prepared to suffer loss and also at times personal injury, rather than doing what is wrong. This does not mean that adv ertising, as we know of it today, be eliminated from the contemporary world. Advertising is an integral element in modern day society, especially with regards to the functioning of a market economy, which is becoming more and more widespread. Moreover, as described in the report earlier, advertising can, and often does play a fairly constructive role in the exchange of information, economic growth, and the ideas, and also in the fostering of solidarity among groups as well as individuals. Despite this, we must keep in mind, that it can als

Friday, October 25, 2019

An Introduction To Expert Systems Essay examples -- Technology Compute

An Insight into Expert Systems Abstract To improve speed of operations, programming practices for practical purposes are moving away from the data centric, procedural problem solving paradigm to a heuristic, declarative problem solving paradigm. Though theoretically there is no guarantee that a solution shall be found and even if it is found, that it be correct, practically it has been proven that expert systems employing , heuristics are indeed a faster and more effective manner of problem solving , with an added advantage of having an explanation for the answer arrived at. Having started out as a diagnostic tool, it has now found acceptance all over, be it Manufacturing Firms or IT Solution Providers and is definitely here to stay. Its dependence on Artificial Intelligence furthermore proves its capabilities to branch out to more areas of deployment. With the advent of commercial-off-the-shelf expert system development tools making the process of designing an expert system a simple task, now the real challenge lies with the experts to be able to put these their knowledge and expertise in their domain to effective use to create systems which can be put to use effectively. Expert Systems are a branch of Artificial Intelligence that makes an extensive use of specialized knowledge to solve problems at the level of a human expert. AI's scientific goal is to understand intelligence by building computer programs that exhibit intelligent behavior. The term intelligence covers many cognitive skills, including the ability to solve problems, learn, and understand language; AI addresses all of those. But most progress to date in AI has been made in the area of problem solving -- concepts and methods for building programs that reas... ...tive. The IFE may also use a variety of techniques, particularly when carrying out the dialogue with the user to produce the specification of the user's problem. Research has flattened out when compared to the days of its inception as a practice, as more efforts have been employed in tapping its commercial value. To maximize this, other systems such as database and fuzzy logic systems are being embedded into expert systems. Drawbacks Expert systems are said to have a narrow domain and limited focus. Also they do not have a learning ability which is something AI systems are expected to. They require rigorous maintenance procedures and incur huge developmental costs. Bibliography 1. Knowledge Based Systems in Japan (http://www.wtec.org/loyola/kb/) 2. Databases and Artificial Intelligence 3 by Alison Cawsey (http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~alison/ai3notes/)

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Educational Entry Level for Professional Nurses

Educational Entry Level for Professional Nursing Practice The first position paper calling for baccalaureate degree as the minimum requirement for entry into professional nursing was released in 1965 by the American Nurses Association. This stimulates an ongoing frustrating debate among nurses. The Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is the largest healthcare profession with 2. 5 million jobs and is projected to generate 587,000 more jobs between 2006-2016. Despite strength in numbers nurses are the least educated of all the interdisciplinary healthcare team members with whom they collaborate. Teams consist of physicians’ pharmacists, speech pathologists, and physical and occupational therapists. Patients are living longer than expected and health care providers need the ability to think critically and provide health care services at levels never before imagined. Each of these disciplines recognized the importance of higher education to deliver appropriate patient care. The health care industry is changing rapidly. Because of advances in medicine, technology and lifesaving techniques. Patients have a better chance of surviving traumatic injury, life threatening disease processes, and delicate surgical procedures that ever before. Results of various studies suggest baccalaureate prepared nurses are more likely to demonstrate professional behaviors important to patient safety. RN’s educated at baccalaureate level or above have lower risk adjusted mortality rates and lower rates of failure to rescue. The failure to rescue relates to deaths in patients with serious complications. Nursing is a knowledge based profession. Researchers have found perceived differences that are particularly related to education. These differences are perceived to be related to nurses with bachelor’s degrees: †¢Greater critical thinking skills †¢Less task oriented †¢More professionalism †¢Stronger leadership skills †¢More focused on continuity of care and outcome †¢More focus on psychosocial components, communication and patient teaching. It is important to me for nursing to represent a credible profession that roduces the best independent critical thinking healthcare professionals that provide safe, quality patient care. It is important for nursing leaders and managers when evaluating patient outcomes as they relate to educational levels of nurses. Current research by Linda Aiken found that patient outcomes are related to educational levels of RN’s. The results of Aiken’s research also found that a 10% increase in nurses with BSN degrees caring for the patients decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue by 5%. Everyone in the healthcare system would benefit from improved patient outcomes. Educational mobility to the BSN level is important to positive outcomes, creation of a reliable professional identity and unity among nurses. I believe the salaries of nurses are directly tied to our educational status. More agencies should utilize the human resources departments to develop tuition reimbursement programs and promote higher education of their employees. Educational institutions should develop committees to perform research and look deeper in the nursing educational curriculum and provide surveys to obtain public opinion of nurse educational levels. A common finding from the articles addressed the fact that resources need to be redirected to support baccalaureate entry and end licensure at the associated degree and diploma levels. The on or begins in community colleges and end in four year degree granting institutions. The research included the need for funding to support community college and university collaborations. The development of an action plan for Professional Development is very important. Managers and leaders should include this process in performance improvement sessions and during coaching and counseling. Personal improvement of staff provides the promotion to a better position to assist others. Members of staff should consider returning to school, certification or credentialing, and participation on committees for educational advancement. A plan should be created to develop goals, review goals and action plans frequently, set timelines and commit to completion. Nurses must move further along the educational continuum and prepare a strong well educated workforce. RN’s are important to patient safety at any level of education and play a vital role in lowering mortality rates, preventing medical errors, and ensuring quality outcomes. Nurses with various levels of educational preparation will continue to practice for many years to come, but a decision about the future education of nurses needs to be made now. References Mark, B. , Salyer, J. , Wan, T. (2003) Professional nursing practice: impact on organizational and patient outcomes. JONA 33(4 ), 224-234. Goodin, H. ( 2004) The shortage in the united states of America: an integrative review of the literature Journal of Advanced Nursing 43 (4), 335-350. Nelson, M. (2002) Nursing practice: looking backward into the future. Online Journal of Nursing. 7 (2) 43-66.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

From A Mother With Love Essay

I am writing this slow because I know that you can’t read fast. We don’t live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the paper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home so we moved. I won’t be able to send you the address, as the last family that lived here took the house numbers when they left so that they wouldn’t have to change their address. This place is real nice. It even has a washing machine. I’m not sure if it works too well though. Last week I put a load in, pulled the chain, and haven’t seen them since. The weather isn’t too bad here., it only rained twice last week, The first time it rained for three days and the second time for four days. The coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Steve said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets. We got another bill from the funeral home. They said if we don’t make the last payment on Grandma’s grave, up she comes. John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were worried because it took him two hours to get me and Shelby out. Your sister had a baby this morning but I haven’t found out what it is yet, so I don’t know if you’re an aunt or an uncle. If the baby is a girl, your sister is going to name it after me, she’s going to call it Mom. Uncle Pete fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some man tried to pull him out but he fought them off and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days. Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your two friends were in the back. They drowned because they couldn’t get the tailgate down. There isn’t much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened. PS, I was going to send you some money but the envelope was already sealed.