Six-Step Process of Ethical Decision Making in Arriving at a Caring Research Paper

Six-Step Process of Ethical Decision Making in Arriving at a Caring process - Research Paper Example Healthcare managers have to deal with rising number of complex ethical predicaments in organizations. Independently they are unable to take ethical decisions in the absence of well-documented and communicated organizational decision-making outline. It is, therefore, important for the healthcare organizations to design, develop, and implement necessary policies, procedures and guidelines to help their staff in arriving at ethical decision-making in their routines. With these mechanisms and frameworks, the organizations are able to effective take sound ethical decisions regarding their companies. This report as such delves briefly into ethical decision making as carried out by various companies with special emphasis on 6-step ethical decision making process as outlined by Purtillo and Doherty (2009) in health care environment. Step 1: Gather Relevant Information The first step in ethical decision-making process is the explicit, relevant data of the ethical issues that generally occurs as a result of insufficient information or evidence, and disagreements concerning the facts. Hence, this step facilitates many disagreements and assists in initiating a successful procedure. It should start by inquiring about the ethical issue that has been in hand (Purtillo & Doherty, 2009). Medical Indications Issues: The patient’s health care problem, its diagnosis and prognosis. Its criticalness, continuance, emergency and reversibility. The objectives of treatment and intervention for patients’. The chances of success for the patients’ population. The plans in view of therapeutic collapse for the patients’ population. The advantages of the treatments and its optimization. The dangers of the treatments and interventions and ways of minimizing these risks (Purtillo & Doherty, 2009). Patient Preferences Issues: The patients’ preferences re-treatment and interventions. The patients’ evaluation of quality of life with and without treatments and interventions. The patient's approval whether voluntary or involuntary. Whether patients are children, have their abilities to accept been identified. Whether patients expressed their wishes in writing, verbally etc. Whether patients are reluctant or incapable to deal with treatments and interventions, if so, the reasons. Whether patients’ decision to choose being appreciated considering ethics and law (Purtillo & Doherty, 2009). Evidence issues: The standards of practice. The availability of type of data to inform decisions. The research outcomes and studies are available to notify decisions (Purtillo & Doherty, 2009). Contextual Features Issues: Families affecting decisions regarding the treatments and interventions. Religious and cultural factors. The existence of health providers and administrator prejudices that might impact decisions concerning quality of life. The involvement of clinical researches and teaching. The existence of relevant legislations. The existence of confidentiality matters and its limitations. The financial implications concerning the decision making. Whether organizational rules concerns the decision making. Whether there exists conflict of interest on the part of the health care providers or within institutions. The targets, goals, principles, and strategic directions of the healthcare companies (Purtillo & Doher

CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 3 - Essay Example It also depends upon the liability of the company. Here the company seems to have committed gross negligence resulting in grievous injuries on the customer and also damaged the car to the tune of 1500. Company is liable despite disclaimer notice, because disclaimer notices are mainly for the protection of the person who has placed it and will not stand in the Court of Law. The fact that company has installed car washing machines in its premises providing washing facility to customers is sufficient for the contract between users and company. If disclaimer has legal effect, they the customer will not be able to sue the company. In spite of disclaimer there is an implied contract between the Petrol Company and people who go for car wash, as it is installed in their premises with proper guidance and advertisement and this fact will go in favour of the injured person. Maintaining a definitely faulty washing machine that could break the skull of a customer will not work in favour of the petrol company. In contract, implied terms carry almost as severe legality as written contracts. This is not a very significant area of law any more. Still, conceptually speaking about specific contracts, sometimes we come across contracts where a certain term is used for a specific number of years, for example, rent contracts or employment contracts which run for a certain time, longer than some other contracts. Every term in such contract is rarely specified; but it is implied, understood and it exists. Most of the employment terms are implied because they are based on common sense, natural law and accepted in society. The other category comes under 'giving effect to intention of parties'. This type is more common and regularly used. These terms might not have been mentioned due to careless draftsmanship or inadvertently and usually Court takes it as existing. It adds the terms of implement presuming the intention of the contract parties1. These are the prima facie terms which are too obvious to be stated. Courts acknowledge that if all terms under all circumstances have to be stated, there is no end to terms of contracts and rest of the terms could be implicated if main terms are stipulated. But these terms have to be intended by both the parties2 and not by just one party3. Also there are terms which could be implied by statute and here initial intention of the parties does not matter4. New and old legislation terms could be implied to contracts to protect either one or both the parties. This need not have acceptance of any party and Court could do it independently5. Legislation could be primary or delegated and parties cannot contract out of the implied terms as they become mandatory. These are mainly consumer protection legislations; but need not be always so. New legislations, amendment to the old legislations, revoking of earlier legislations in favour of new legislations all fall into this category. For example: The sales of Good Act and its Amendments. There are certain terms which are inspired by other acts and closely touch the present act also could be added as implied terms according to the circumstances. QUESTION THREE: Contractual attempts to exclude all liability for economic loss are not always

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers Essay Example for Free

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers Essay Mordicai Gerstein was born November 24, 1935 in Los Angeles. He attended the Chouinard Institute of Art before moving to New York City where he lived and worked for twenty-five years making animated films for television. He tells on his official website, that he never thought to be something else but a painter, when he grows up (http://www. mordicaigerstein. com). To support his family, he designed and directed animated television commercials. In the mid 1960s he made some films of his own until 1970, when he met Elizabeth Levy, who asked him to illustrate for a children’s book she has written. Encouraged by her and other editors, he started to write his own books in 1980s. In 2004, he received the Caldecott medal for his book â€Å"The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. † Besides the Caldecott medal, he received numerous awards such as AJLA SidneyTaylor Award in 2005, Hornbook Award in 2004 and was chosen as the gold award winner of parents’ choice in 2002. His works include among others Sholom’s Treasure, What Charlie Heard, The Wild Boy, The Mountains of Tibet and many more. Mordicai Gerstein is also a painter, sculptor, and prize-winning designer and director of animated films. Mordicai Gerstein lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, Susan Yard Harris, who is also an illustrator, and their daughter, Risa (http://www. mordicaigerstein. com). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers Narrative Consideration In 2003, Roaring Brook Press published Gerstein’s children’s book â€Å"The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. this story opens, French aerialist Philippe Petit is dancing across a tightrope tied between two trees to the delight of the passersby in Lower Manhattan. Gerstein places him in the middle of a balancing act, framed by the two unfinished World Trade Center towers when the idea hits: He looked not at the towers, but at the space between them and thought, what a wonderful place to stretch a rope† (Gerstein, 2004, p. 4). The rising action takes place when Petit knew that the police and the owners of the towers would never allow him walk across the two towers. So he and his friends disguised as construction workers, carried a 440 pound reel of cable and other equipment on an August evening, causing the conflict in this story. After carrying everything up to the roof, Petit and his friends tied the line to an arrow and shot it from one tower to the other and tightened it. After the dawn he started to walk on the wire and the story has reached its climax. He was arrested and was sentenced to â€Å"perform in the park for the children of the city† (Gerstein, 2004, p. 25). This story ends with the picture of the World Trade Center which is long gone now. Based on the narratives, this book contains characteristics of a good plot since it includes â€Å"a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning should quickly engage the reader’s interest (†¦) established by using characters and a conflict that the reader can relate to and care about. The conflict should grab the attention of the reader and create a desire to find out what happens† (Sawyer, 2012, p. 84). Gerstein’s story definitely encompasses this concept. The main character, Philip Petit is captivating and fascinating. His courage and stubbornness can be detected throughout the story. Sawyer (2012) mentions in his textbook that â€Å"a good author will let the reader know the personality and motivation of the character through the character’s thoughts, words, actions, language, and expressions (†¦) the character may change and grow, but the basic portrayal must remain intact† (p. 78-79). Petit’s character certainly remains consistent throughout the story and provides the reader with the feeling of intensity and even personal closeness to Petit himself, while following his actions closely. Interestingly, this mesmerizing story has a real hidden theme which is the 9/11. Using Petit’s character as the medium, Gerstein addresses the effect of the tragedy happened ten years ago. This enables the story to evoke different emotions in readers and offers the opportunities to tackle different topics depending on the level of understanding and maturity of a child. Art Consideration â€Å"In picture books, the illustrations play a key role in conveying the message of the story† (Sawyer, 2012, p. 93). This can be seen in this book. The story is masterfully illustrated using pen and oil colors. Gerstein’s drawing is dramatic and even reckless. This is especially suitable for this story as the plot itself is full of suspense. As the conflict arises and is reaching its climax, the pacing of sentences decreases and eventually becomes a single sentence in order to draw the attention from the readers to the illustration and to increase the expectancy. In its climax, the text completely disappears and a small, framed close-up of Petits foot on the wire yields to two three-page foldouts of the walk. One captures his progress from above, the other from the perspective of a pedestrian. Even though the text is not placed consistently on the same line, they are simple and short enough to follow and are always synchronized with the pictures. The illustration is mesmerizing in its color which matches to the different mood as the events take place chronologically. â€Å"The final scene depicts transparent, cloud-filled skyscrapers, a man in their midst. With its graceful majesty and mythic overtones, this unique and uplifting book is at once a portrait of a larger-than-life individual and a memorial to the towers and the lives associated with them† (www. amazon. com). Overall analysis After reading this book, I had mixed feelings. First of all, I strongly feel that this targets readers at the age seven and above. The reason is first of all the theme which addresses the 9/11. It is a tricky and difficult topic for children to understand as any tragedy can be. Second reason is the moral of the story. Even though the Caldecott award does not necessarily focuses on the moral or any educational intentions, I did not agree with Petit’s actions. After reading the book, I automatically assumed that the story encouraged the reader to follow any goal they have whether it is ethical or not. The main character even gets away with his rule-breaking action without any punitive consequences. It is clear that his action is an admiration for his profound commitment to his own â€Å"mission† and his willingness not to limit his life according to the constraints set up by society. However, this book not only depicts but even seemingly glorifies deceits and it can be alarming for authoritative figures such as us future teachers. One can argue that it is inspiring to observe someone having such tremendous control of their body and mind with determination. Nonetheless, the way this book comes across can be defiant of authority especially of the police, given that there were many policemen who came to serve alongside the firemen during/after 9/11. Perhaps this book will be a good tool to discuss these issues. In conclusion, despite my disagreement with the moral of the story, I have to give props to the author/illustrator for his skilled and entrancing story and drawings. It is, without doubt, a very interesting story and something that can be conferred in depth. In this regard, I think this book does deserve the Caldecott medal. Although I did not think this book was suitable to read to my children, if used wisely by knowing their level of maturity and understanding, this book can be utilized effectively to help them think for themselves. In his acceptance speech in 2004, Gerstein emphasized this by saying â€Å"children do need adults; I think it’s children that make us become the adults they need. We must give them love and nourishment and books, which, as we know, are part of a healthy diet. My intention in all my books is to give children just what I want to give everyone: something beautiful, magical, funny, and soulful: something that provokes good questions: questions about what an incomprehensible, beautiful and seemingly impossible thing it is to be a human being in this incomprehensible, beautiful and seemingly impossible world. What could be more difficult and more wonderful? † (http://www. mordicaigerstein. com) I hope that he follows through with this philosophy and continues to create children’s book based on this regard.

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis

Concept of Organisational Misbehaviour: Analysis Organisational Misbehavior Critically evaluate the argument that organisational misbehavior is a ‘normal’ feature of organisational life Introduction The notion of organisational misbehavior can be interpreted in a lot of ways based on different perspectives, different people, shifting situations, and by the changing level of awareness and understanding on the life of an organisation. There is a primary purpose of organisations in the context of fulfilling certain individual goals. Northcraft and Neale (1990, p.5) say that people come together and form organisations because organisations can accomplish things that are beyond the reach of individuals. They come together to accomplish what each individual cannot accomplish alone. The meaning of behavior in organisations according to Northcraft and Neale revolve around managing behavior to take advantage of the performance benefits of groups over individuals. This is where the concept of a good behavior and misbehavior takes shape. Organisational Behavior Organisational behavior is a multidisciplinary definition that illustrates a number of points (Gibson et al, 2000). Some of these points relate directly to the conduct of the organisation in society. First, it indicates that the behavior of people operate at individual, group, or organisational level. This suggests that when trying to study the organisational misbehavior in the perspective of being a normal part of organisational life, it must identify clearly the levels of analysis – individual, group, and the organisation being used. Second, there’s a distinctively humanistic orientation within the organisation behavior. People’s attitudes, perceptions, learning capabilities, and objectives are important to the organisation. They provide the rich mixture for their organisation’s culture and strategies to evolve and prosper. Thirdly, the external environment is seen as having significant impact on the organisational behavior. Finally, there’s also the application orientation which concerns providing useful answers to questions that arise in the context of managing the organisation. Misbehavior is often interpreted to mean ‘bad behavior’ or a deviation from the normal norms and ethics expected of individuals and organisations. To say that organisational behavior also involves other certain kinds of misbehavior still descends to the fact that any type of behavior can be either good or bad depending on the context that it is applied to in real life situations. When this type of behavior exists and eventually prevails in any organisational setup, it would likely grow into a certain stature of normalcy and seep into conventional wisdom. In order to understand why this argument seems to make sense in the framework of an organisation’s life, it is important to first identify the different compositions of an organisation, its objectives, culture, structure, and strategies. The complexities associated with these compositions have made it virtually impossible to model and envision a ‘perfect’ organisation. Organisations have had some bouts with internal and external conflicts in one way or another. Some have mastered the arts of deception and impropriety. It is unrealistic to say that organisational misbehavior is not part of organisational life either. People in the organisation may misbehave and some people may blame the entire organisation. Others may blame specific people (especially managers) when the real shortcoming came from the organisation’s policies. Other groups within the organisation or network may deviate from agreements and norms. The organisational culture may not also be up to the times and the current business strategies may not sit well with government regulation policies and industry norms. If these things do happen (and they happen a lot), it is not viable and healthy to draw the line between laying out unspoken rules in classifying organisational behavior to be good and a bad. People and Human Behavior People make up the internal social system of the organisation (Newstrom and Davis, 1997). This system consists of individuals and groups, and large groups as well as small ones. People are the living, thinking, and feeling beings who work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. An organisational structure is filled up with people who decide and deliver the goods for the organisation. Diversity presents a lot of challenges for management to handle. When people become members of an organisation whether in official, unofficial or informal capacity, they bring with them different educational background, talents, interests, and behavior that they eventually contribute for the success or failure of the organisation. The relationship among individuals and groups in an organisation create expectations for an individual’s behavior (Gibson et al, 2000, p. 7). An individual can be presented here as the organisation itself. These expectations result in certain leadership and foll ower roles that must be performed so that there will be some kind of order and system. Collective expectations can either conform or not to standard behavior. Collective misuse of resources interests, talents, expertise, and management strategies can constitute organisation misbehavior. Punch (1996, p.1) views these misconduct as harmful to the viability of the organisation and constitutes deviance by the organisation. To put it more bluntly, organisational misbehavior eventually boils down to the issue of profits and how it should be maximized. Money has always been a central issue in any organisation and it has often been used to measure the survivability of a business. Organisational goals always take into their mainstream policy the issue of financial and economic stability and prosperity. Punch (1996, p.214) strongly suggested that formal goals of the organisation thus constitute a ‘front’ for the real goals of management which is to provide a money machine for its owners and other insiders. If it is already common and normal for criminals to use any tool or weapon to perpetuate a crime, it would also seem normal for organisations to use the organisation itself to obtain money from ‘victims’ of its misbehavior. The ‘victims’ may actually be the customers or the members themselves. It is a prime example of what is called the â€Å"organisational weapon† – the organisation is for white-collar criminals as the gun or knife is for the common criminals (Wheeler and Rothman, 1982, cited in Punch, 1996). In short, an organisation is set up for the primary purpose of making a substantial amount of money in the form of a profit and improving the quality of life for the individual members of the organisation. Organisations have systems of authority, status, and power, and people in organisations have varying needs for each system. People need money and a sense of fulfillment. People also need power to impose their will to others. People want to attain a certain level of success as measured by their status and standing in the organisation. Taken as a whole, organisations follow certain types of ethical behavior and standards defined along its objectives and future goals. It is also believed that adherence to moral standards on the job can have positive outcomes on the organisation and society by promoting strong ethical behavior in any aspects of life (Mares, 2005). This strong behavior of one organisation can be used as a strong issue against another organisation which is considered to be ‘misbehaving’ just because it was not able to adhere to certain moral standards previously attained. Organisational Structure An organisational structure defines the formal relationship and use of people in organisations. According to Newstrom and Devis (1997), different jobs are required to accomplish all of an organisation’s activities. There are managers, employees, accountants, assemblers, and others who have to be related in some structural way so that their work can be effectively coordinated. How is the structure of the organisation related to the conduct of an organisation? According to Thompson (1997, p.588), structure is the means by which the organisation seeks to achieve its strategic objectives and implement strategies and strategic changes. Assuming that these strategies and changes are concerned with relating the organisation’s resources to its goals, will these resources be used in the proper way acceptable to all in the society? If change is necessary, it is correct to point out that resistance to change can constitute another concept of misbehavior. People confronting changes in their working environments often exhibit dysfunctional behaviors like aggression, projection, and avoidance (Hirschheim, 1995 p. 160). These types of behavioral patterns affect the overall behavior of the organisation. Another thing to consider in the organisational structure is the way decision making is delegated and observed. Thompson described the extent by which a decentralized and centralized setup of management decision making is vital in adapting to strategic change. In a centralized setup, organisational misbehavior is usually highlighted at the top management level because only a handful of people are empowered to do the decision making. A decentralized setup allows decisions to be made by most people who must implement change and usually allows the organisation a more collective approach to making decisions based on what is morally and ethically correct. This statement however, does not imply that a decentralized structure eliminates instances of misbehavior. It only lessens the probability. On the other hand, a decentralized setup could empower smaller groups within the organisation to abuse their power and open the possibility of misbehavior on a smaller scale. According to Tsahuridu, specialization and division of work that occurs in organizations may make people in organizations unable to see the illegality and immorality of certain actions. Each action is a part of a chain of actions, and even though each individual act may be legitimate and moral, all the actions linked together may constitute an illegal or immoral activity, which each individual participant may be ignorant of. Organisational Objectives and Culture Organisations must have objectives in order to exist. Objectives are always centered on what is basically ‘good’ for the organisation, whether the resulting action or consequences is ‘bad’. How is organisational objectives tied to organisational behavior? Profit and growth are means to other ends rather than objectives in themselves (Acoff, 1986, cited in Thompson, 1997). There is then a question of whether profit is the ultimate objective of profit seeking business organisations or whether it is merely a means to other ends, which themselves constitute the real objectives (Thompson, 1997, p.153). Organisational behavior can be better understood by assuming whether the real goal of the organisation is to maximize profit or to provide them with a good quality of life and better standard of living. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 75) said that an organisation’s culture consists of the values, norms, and attitudes of the people who make up the organisation. Values show what is important; norms reveal expected behavior; attitudes show the mind-set of individuals. Organisational culture therefore tells people what is important in the organisation, how to behave, and how to see things. Culture is a part of organisational life that influences the behavior, attitudes, and overall effectiveness of members (Gibson et al, 2000). Managers are usually in the forefront of formulating organisational strategies and policies. Johnson and Scholes (1997, p.79-80) argued that in formulating policies, managers should regard experience (good or bad) as constraints on developments. They say that in order to develop the organisation to cope with today’s changing environments, they need to challenge the people around them and experiment with their different ideas and conflicting views in a pluralistic approach. The job of top management therefore is to create this sort of organisation by building teams that can work in such ways through the development of the everyday behavior and culture of the organisation. All of the issues related to the organisation in general have a tendency to influence and affect the behavior of the organisation. While it is safe to assume that the notion of misbehavior in the organisation tends to focus on the ‘wrong’ or ‘negative’ side of the organisation, it is preferred that misbehavior should be ‘corrected’ and dealt with by focusing on how to manage and institute reforms in the different aspects of the organisation. This is a tall and complex order. Organisational behavior is not only influenced by the different factors previously mentioned. Management policies have a tendency to adapt to changing situations in their environments. Some organisations’ strategies may take advantage of ‘weak’ government policies and regulations and find loopholes with which they can misbehave without being noticed. Other organisations’ strategies tend to focus on covering up unethical practices with good and conv incing arguments that their actions go against standard practices but at the same time, benefit a large segment of society. Punch (1996, p.1) described the behavior of today’s organisations as problematic and worrying. He reasons out that different kinds of organisational misbehavior are often caused by managers ‘lending’ themselves to deviant activities and the inability of government, business, and regulatory agencies to control effectively such misbehavior. He explains that this was largely because the subjects of business crime and corporate deviance have been sadly neglected by criminologists and crime-fighting bodies in favor of other areas such as street crimes, low-level law enforcement, and the prison system. Almost everyday, new types of organisation misbehavior are being uncovered and brought out into the open. As these corporate scandals and other forms of financial misconduct often perpetuated by top level management are exposed, more and more sophisticated strategies and techniques are slowly being uncovered. It is quite interesting to know that one kind of misbehavior can be linked to another form of misbehavior in another corporate partner within the network of organisations. Other sets of misbehavior can involve almost all levels of the organisational hierarchy. The realities faced by an organisation are different from others. Each organisation has an identity, an objective, a strategic plan, and differing sets of policies and regulations. Harris and Hartman (2002, p. 97) said this is because the underlying premise in the ideal culture is that the formal organisation’s norms and values are to be consistent with those of the various individuals and groups within the organisation. They say that the norms and values of individuals and groups of the organisation are hostile to formal organisational goals. This is especially true to members of top-level management and the rank and file members. Their hidden values may contradict the official policies of the organisation. Sometimes, the organisation may not value the potential contribution of its members. The need to create competitive advantage for profit and growth without the proper ethical system in place can lead to drastic steps and ethically questionable decisions and actions. Some m embers of the organisation may feel the need to make reforms while others may think taking radical steps will eventually spell success. Discontentment and trouble may brew over different ‘signals’ and messages that the inner structure of the organisation send out to the outside world. It is therefore evident that culture can become very counterproductive and the basis of confidence, cooperation, and adherence to standard norms and behavior can be damaging to the overall behavior of the organisation. This is the start of the decay of organisational values and norms and provides a fertile ground for breeding misconduct and misbehavior in any front of the organisation. Conclusions Misbehavior is a normal part of an organisation’s life. It is not a question of whether it exists or not. It tends to become an issue when organisations tolerate and do nothing to correct these deviances from normal behavior and when organisations formulate policies that sheer away from ethical standards that govern them. Why is it that organisational misbehaviors tend to exist even in model companies and organisations recognized for their professional excellence? There are different ways of understanding organisational misbehavior in the context of whether it is normal or not in an organisational life. If we try to look closely at the term ‘normal’ and ‘misbehavior,’ there are two things which would come into mind. First, nothing is perfect and it is perfectly normal for people to commit mistakes, either willingly or unwillingly. People can always create rules and policies to counter certain misconduct. Organisations can always innovate and deviate from these rules in order to attain their goals. In these instances, there is no such thing as a perfect law governing businesses and there is also no such thing as a perfect business strategy. In normal instances, mistakes are part of the learning process. As this cycle continues today, organisational misbehavior has already come to the point where people have already considered it part and parcel of their everyday life. It is part of the reality of life that has something to do with existence and how mankind adapts to ongoing changes. The only thing that people consider to be an issue in organisation misbehavior is the level or degree of how it affects society. Second, in order to survive, some organisations have to take the risk, whether this will put them in the burner for good or elevate their status in the business community. These risks are normally present in their business strategies, structure, objectives, and culture. They can follow the business rules by the book and end up earning nothing or they may deviate from certain rules and norms and reap profits. Again, it is normal for organisations to take risks and reap the benefits. All of the characteristics of an organisation are linked to one another to form their own identity and behavior. People are in a social structure within the organisation and are empowered to make good or bad decisions. The structure of the organisation limits or expands the power to make decisions. Bibliography Books Gibson, James et al. (2000).Organizations: Behavior, Structure, Processes. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill, Manila. Harris, J and Hartman, S. (2002). Organizational Behavior. Haworth Press. New York. Hirschheim, R.A. (1995). Office Automation: A Social and Organizational Perspective. John Wiley. Oxford Johnson, Gerry and Scholes, Kevan. (1997). Exploring Corporate Strategy.Prentice Hall. UK Newstrom, John and Davis, Keith. (1997) Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. McGraw-Hill. Northcraft, Gregory and Neale, Margaret.(1990).Organizational Behavior:A Management Challenge. Dryden Press, Florida. Punch, Maurice. (1996). Dirty Business: Exploring Corporate Misconduct. SAGE Publications, London. Thompson, John (1997).Strategic Management: Awareness and Change. 3rd Edition.International Thompson Business Press.Boston Journal Article Mares, Micheal (2005), â€Å"The Importance of Business Ethics†,Retrieved last February 26, 2005 from http://www.webcpa.com Tsuahurido, Eva, â€Å"Ethics and Integrity: What Australian Organizations Seek and Offer in Recruitment Advertisements†,Retrieved: March 3, 2005 from http://www.pamij.com/7_4/v7n4_tsahuridu.html

Essay on Fate in Oedipus Rex and The Seagull :: comparison compare contrast essays

Role of Fate in Oedipus Rex and The Seagull       The inevitability of fate is a key theme in Sophocles' 'Oedipus Rex' and in Chekhov's 'The Seagull'. I was fascinated by the ways this inevitability was conveyed by Chekhov and Sophocles respectively and the ways in which the actions of the characters contributed to and heightened their fate. I shall attempt to compare and contrast the way in which Oedipus and, to a lesser extent, Nina make their fates more unbearable by their own actions and choices. In each case the author uses characterisation to enhance and increase the sense of inevitability and hence the sense of tragedy in the respective plays.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles has created his Oedipus not as innately evil but as a likeable character.   It is this that makes the conclusion of his play even more tragic.[1]   Had Oedipus been presented as an evil character we would have felt much less sympathetic towards him, as it is Oedipus appears to be the very essence of goodness at the commencement of the play and in this way makes his downfall owing to a realisation of the truth even more dramatic.   He is an 'ideal king' - one who feels for his people.   This addition to a well-known story by Sophocles makes the resultant dramatic irony extremely effective.   His evident flaws of character make it plausible that he could have unknowingly killed his father and married his mother.   He is human but at the start of the play his excessive pride, impetuousness and efficiency, all human failings, seem to obscure and divert his search for the truth. Furthermore, he is arrogant and conceited, particularly concerning his personal successes:    "Oedipus: Why, when the monster with her song was here, spak'st thou no word our countrymen to help? And yet the riddle lay above the ken...and called for prophets skill...but then I came...and slew her."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These features of Oedipus' personality lead him inevitably to assume that he, the great Oedipus, liberator of his people, could not possibly be the murderer that they seek. Hence, it is Oedipus' inflated ego that causes his fate to be so severe and his downfall so great at the end of the play.   Furthermore, despite Teiresias' words early in the play, Oedipus refuses to believe the truth that he is responsible for Laios' death.   His arrogance leads him to unknowingly curse himself, thus making his fate worse:

Hate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision Essay -- Hate Crime

Hate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision The American Heritage Dictionary defines hate as intense dislike or animosity. However, defining hate as the basis for a crime is not as easy without possibly jeopardizing constitutional rights in the process. Hate crime laws generally add enhanced punishments to existing statues. A hate crime law seeks to treat a crime, if it can be demonstrated that the offense was a hate crime differently from the way it would be treated under ordinary criminal law. Since the 1980s, the problem of hate crimes has attracted increasing research attention, especially from criminologists and law enforcement personnel who have focused primarily on documenting the prevalence of the problem and formulation criminal justice responses to it. Lawmakers have passed legislation to encourage data collection and attach enhanced penalties to hate crimes at both state and federal levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Americans are assaulted merely because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, or disability, the law should be as tough on their assailants as it currently is tough on criminals who attack based on racial, religious, or ethnic bias. Yet only in rare circumstances can the federal government investigate and prosecute hate violence against gays, lesbians, or bisexuals. Attempts have been made to reach a definition of hate crime, including that it is a crime, most commonly violence, motivated by prejudice, bias or hatred towards a particular group of which the victim is rarely significant to the offender and is most commonly a stranger to him or her. The current law (18 U.S.C. 245) permits federal prosecution of a hate crime only if the crime was motivated by bias based on race, religion, national origin, or color, and the assailant intended to prevent the victim from exercising a "federally protected right" (e.g. voting, attending school, etc.) T his dual requirement substantially limits the potential for federal assistance in investigating or prosecuting hate crimes, even when the crime is particularly heinous.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hate crimes demand a priority response because of their special emotional and psychological impact on the victim and the victims’ community. The damage done by hate crimes cannot be measured solely in terms of physical injury or dollars and cents. Hate crimes may effectively intimidate other members of the vi... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Law." Human Rights 22 (1995): 32-33 Dennis, Valerie. MTV remembers Matthew Shepard with 17-hour program on hate   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  crimes, University Wire, 01-10-2001 Feingold, Stanley. "Hate Crime Legislation Muzzles Free Speech." The National Law  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Journal 15 (July 1, 1993): 6, 16 Franke-Folstad, Kim. Denver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer, HATE-CRIME   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  LAWS NOT A BLACK-WHITE ISSUE. Denver Rocky Mountain News, 01-18-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1999, pp 6A Gellman, Susan. "Sticks And Stones." UCLA Law Review 39 (December, 1991):  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  333-396 Patrick, Robert F. Cops find hate often has broad definition, The Washington Times, 04-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  02-01, pp C1 R.A.V. v. St. Paul (505 U.S. 377) Texas v. Johnson (491 U.S. 397) The Associated Press, Reno Fights Hate Crimes, Newsday, 01-09-1998, pp A21 The Christian Science Publishing Society 30 Brad Knickerbockers, Staff writing of The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Christian Science Monitor, Hate Crimes: Should they receive special attention?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Christian Science Monitor, 06-23-200, pp 22 U.S. v. O'Brien (391 U.S. 367) Wisconsin v. Mitchell (508 U.S. 476) Wooley v. Maynard (430 U.S. 705) W.V. State Board of Education v. Barnette (319 U.S. 624)

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 6

I hadn't realized how late it was until I showed up at Seth's around two. He actually wasn't writing for a change, and I found him sprawled on the couch, flipping through late night television programming. â€Å"Hey,† I said, dropping my coat and purse near the door. He glanced up from the TV. Its light cast ghostly shadows on his face in the darkness. â€Å"Sorry it's so late. Something came up.† â€Å"Yeah,† he said, voice still flat. â€Å"I can tell.† Immediately, I caught his meaning. It was a sign of how well he'd come to know me and recognize subtle succubus signals. I was wreathed in Jude's life energy. Immortals would actually perceive it as a literal glow. Mortals couldn't see it, but they could sense something insanely alluring and attractive about me. Usually, they just wrote it off as a sign of my beauty. Seth knew better. When he sensed it around me, he knew what I'd been doing. I hated for him to see me like this, but it was inevitable. â€Å"Sorry. It's what I do. You know that.† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed, sounding tired – mentally tired, not physically tired. He straightened up. â€Å"But did you have to do it tonight? You trying to punish me for standing you up?† I sat down in the armchair across from him. The energy from Jude burned through me and made me feel alive. I didn't want a fight with Seth to ruin my good mood, particularly after I'd been so annoyed for most of the evening. â€Å"I did it to survive. I wasn't trying to get back at you.† He sighed and stared off into a dark corner. â€Å"It's so hard sometimes.† I moved over to the couch, scooting up beside him. â€Å"I know.† He slid his arm around my shoulders and regarded me with a look both tender and exasperated. Leaning down, he brushed his lips against my neck. The small touch made my blood burn. â€Å"God, you're beautiful. I just wish it wasn't the result of some other guy.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"Me too.† â€Å"Sorry I blew up.† â€Å"You call that blowing up?† I asked. â€Å"That was nothing.† â€Å"And I'm sorry I stood you up. That wasn't right.† Seth had moved up my neck and now nibbled my ear. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. â€Å"It's okay,† I assured him. â€Å"Really.† â€Å"You're awfully forgiving.† â€Å"Hey, what can I say? Christmas love and kindness, right?† He laughed and ran his fingers through my hair. â€Å"For someone allegedly so evil, you sure are good.† â€Å"Well,† I said, pressing into him. â€Å"I'm not that good. I'm thinking some very bad thoughts right now.† â€Å"Yeah. Me too. If our thoughts condemn us, I think I'm headed straight for Hell.† â€Å"No, you aren't. Hugh says your soul's like a supernova. You're going straight to the pearly gates.† Warm love and desire enfolded us, supplanting the cold tension. Yet as we curled up and chatted about light topics, I couldn't help but morosely think this was a common scene between us. Fight. Brood. Apologize. Snuggle. In all the fantasies of a stable relationship that I'd harbored over the last millennium, this pattern had never been a part of them. After a while, we sort of surpassed snuggling and moved onto something of a more adult nature. At least I did. Sometimes Seth could be coaxed into sating his lust, though it always made him incredibly self-conscious. Me, I loved watching him come. He was always so damnably blas? ¦ that seeing him lose control in an orgasm almost did more for me than my own climax. He apparently had the same feelings toward me and was content to simply watch me touch myself tonight. After not getting off with Jude, I was more than happy to take things into my own hands. When I finished, languid and content afterward, he lay down on the couch beside me, lacing his fingers with mine. â€Å"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that,† he sighed. â€Å"You should finish yourself off.† â€Å"I'm okay.† â€Å"You sure?† He smiled. â€Å"Self-control, Thetis. Self-control. Besides, I have a good imagination. Sometimes it's enough to pretend I'm the one doing that to you.† I shivered as an image of Seth played in my mind, his body inside of me while I came, muscles clenching around him as I cried out his name and dug my nails into his back. â€Å"Jesus,† I said softly, closing my eyes. â€Å"Yeah.† We realized then that it was really late and started getting ready for bed. When I emerged from the bathroom after brushing my teeth, I found him waiting for me in the bedroom with a small box. He handed it over. â€Å"I told you I had an early present.† I turned the package over in my hands, running my fingertips over the edges. It had been wrapped in gold paper and had a red bow. Judging from the sloppy wrapping and misaligned ribbon, I was willing to bet he'd wrapped it himself. I offered up a small grin. â€Å"It's way too early. Presents before Christmas? That's not right. I mean, I'm not that evil.† He sat back on the bed, leaning against the headboard, looking supremely pleased with himself. â€Å"Well, I am. I guess my soul just dimmed a little. Open it.† Sitting down as well, I hesitantly tore the paper. There was no question in my mind that this was a jewelry box. The question was: What kind? Seth occasionally showed a romantic spirit, but he wasn't the type to do anything crazy like propose. At least I didn't think so. Hoping for a tennis bracelet, I instead found a ring. But it wasn't an engagement ring, not in the current way of thinking. It was one of the modern recreations of the Byzantine rings. Only this wasn't one of the ones we'd seen at Erik's, not exactly. It was platinum for one thing, glowing soft and silvery in the dim lighting. The smooth disc on top had a dolphin engraved in it, decorated with a few tiny, embedded sapphires. I stared at it, unsure what to say. â€Å"Do you like it?† Seth asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. â€Å"I†¦yeah. Yes, I do. Very much.† My words came out haltingly. â€Å"You seemed so sad about losing the other one that I thought maybe this would be a nice substitute.† He looked so rapt and excited that I couldn't bear to tell him that not only had I not lost the original ring, I'd actually hidden it away in the closet so as never to see it again. This one was very different, true, but the similarities were strong enough to dredge up all the dark feelings I tried to keep buried, memories of a sunny day long ago when my husband – the husband I'd eventually betrayed – had slipped the other one onto my finger at our wedding. â€Å"It's beautiful,† I said after a long stretch of silence, needing to reassure him. It had been very kind, after all. Seth didn't know my history or the pain intertwined with it. â€Å"Why a dolphin?† â€Å"Yeah†¦it's kind of cutesy and trendy, but†¦well, none of those Greek letters meant much to me. But I read something about dolphins being important in old religions on Cyprus, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That brought a true smile to my face. â€Å"Yeah. They were. Messengers from the sea gods. Good fortune and all that.† Something occurred to me. â€Å"We saw these at Erik's, like, a couple days ago – but not this one. How'd you get it? Did he have more in stock? Or did you go somewhere else?† His eyes crinkled with amusement. â€Å"Hey, I'm learning your powers of persuasion. I got in contact with the artist and commissioned it.† Good lord. Seth had had a custom ring – a platinum custom ring – made right before Christmas. And he'd had it done in a matter of days. The cost must have been through the roof. The queasy feeling in my stomach intensified. Observing my silence, his smile faltered. â€Å"You sure you like it?† â€Å"Yeah, yeah†¦of course. I just†¦I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. It's great.† I slipped it onto my right ring finger. It fit perfectly. Hesitantly, I met his eyes. â€Å"This is a, uh, friendship ring right?† â€Å"Yeah, don't worry. If I propose, you'll know it. For one thing, I'll be hyperventilating.† A sly smile – surprisingly sexy – turned up his lips. â€Å"And it'll be a ruby.† â€Å"Rubies? No diamonds? Too expensive for the old writer's salary, huh?† He made a disparaging grunt at that. â€Å"No, I just think diamonds are common, that's all. If I get married, it'll be because something uncommon is occurring. Besides, you wear a lot of red, right? I know how important it is for your accessories to match.† I snorted at that and let him draw me into the bed. He fell asleep quickly, as always, but I lay there, touching the ring. Its metal had warmed to my skin, and I could trace the dolphin and sapphires with my fingertip. The unpleasant memories the ring stirred up hadn't abated, but somehow, lying in his embrace, they seemed a little less painful. Sleep finally came to me, and I immediately started dreaming – the dream. I was back in the kitchen, surrounded by all the same vivid sights, smells, and sounds as before. My hands in the water. The scent of orange soap. â€Å"Sweet Home Alabama.† It was a repeat of what I'd seen before, my dream-self washing dishes and humming along to the music. She glanced behind her into the other room. This was where the dream had ended last time. Now it kept going. A little girl sat in the living room, about two years old. She was on a blanket on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals and other toys. She clutched a plush giraffe in her hands. It rattled when she shook it. As though sensing my dream-self's gaze, the little girl looked up. She had plump cheeks that hadn't quite lost their baby fat. Wispy, light brown curls covered her head, and her hazel eyes were large and framed with dark lashes. She was adorable. Behind her on the couch, Aubrey lay curled up in a tight little ball. Another cat – covered in orange-and-brown patches – sprawled nearby. I'd never seen it before. A delighted smile spread over the little girl's face, creating a dimple in one check. A powerful wave of love and joy spread through my dream-self, emotions that my watching self felt. I knew then – knew in a way I couldn't explain but knew with absolute certainty – that this girl was my daughter. I woke up. Just like last time, morning had arrived with almost no passage of time for me. Sunlight again poured through the windows, and beside me, Seth still slept. Also like last time, my energy was gone. I was drained. But the ache of that missing energy was nothing compared to the ache I felt from being ripped out of the dream, of being stripped of the powerful emotions my dream-self had felt for that little girl. Her daughter. My daughter. No, that was impossible, I scolded myself. Succubi could have no children. I'd left that path behind when I sold my soul. It had felt so real, though. So intense. It was impossible for me to have a child, but in that dream, she had been mine. No doubts. Even now, I felt that maternal tug, and not having her here right now tore at my heart. And again, I told myself that was stupid. Dreams weren't real. That's why they were†¦well, dreams. And I had bigger problems to deal with. Like the missing energy. Beside me, Seth stirred and unconsciously pulled the covers around him, leaving me uncovered. I yanked them back, and he turned toward me, opening sleepy eyes. â€Å"Hey,† he said. â€Å"What gives?† â€Å"Not you, apparently.† â€Å"Not you either, apparently.† â€Å"Hey, I'm the evil one, remember?† We bantered a bit more and continued playing tug-of-war with the covers. I put on a smiling face so I wouldn't have to explain my problems to him. Finally, I slipped away, though part of me wished I could stay in bed for the rest of the day. Dreaming. But Seth had writing to do, and I had an afternoon shift to work. Back home, I found Vincent up and around, making breakfast in the kitchen with Yasmine. They greeted me boisterously, giggling over some conversation that had occurred before my entrance. â€Å"You want some eggs?† he asked me, catching a stick of butter tossed over by Yasmine. Presumably they'd gone grocery shopping since I hadn't had any butter in my kitchen before this. Or any food, really. â€Å"No thanks,† I said, settling myself on a stool. â€Å"I already ate.† â€Å"You're missing out,† she said. â€Å"Vincent makes eggs that are so decadent, they're totally sending him straight to Hell.† Setting a skillet on the stove, he turned on the burner, listening to the clicking sound made while the gas took a moment to ignite. â€Å"Oh, it's the eggs that are going to do it, huh? Last time you told me it was going to be my parking.† The angel's eyes sparkled with mischief. She'd pulled her sleek black hair up into a ponytail, making her look very young. Ironic, considering her age was beyond human or succubus comprehension. â€Å"Oh, geez. Yeah. I forgot about that. Huh. Now there's a toss-up. I'm not sure which is going to send you down below faster. Needing a stick of butter to cook two eggs or parallel parking three feet from the curb.† He jabbed her arm with a wooden spoon. â€Å"Three feet? You know, I've never even seen you drive a car. The only thing you drive is me – crazy.† â€Å"Oh yeah, whatever. You were crazy before I ever came along.† Glancing back and forth between them as they bickered further, I realized they'd forgotten my presence. Feeling intrusive, I discretely backed away, down the hall and to my bedroom. Closing the door, I glanced in astonishment at Aubrey. She sprawled on my bed, warmed by a patch of sunshine. â€Å"Has that been going on all morning, Aub?† Yawning, she blinked at me with green eyes and then curled into a perfect white ball – similar to the position I'd seen her in in the dream. She covered her face with one paw. Um, okay. This was unexpected. I mean, was I crazy? Or had they†¦had Yasmine and Vincent been flirting? I mean, sure she was a friendly angel and everything, but that†¦yes, the more I thought about it, the more I believed they had been flirting. More than flirting. Weirder still, it hadn't been the kind of banter two people toss back and forth during the courtship phase either. It was the familiar teasing of two people who had been together for a long time, two people so utterly comfortable in each other's presence that they could almost finish each other's sentences. It was like the phenomenon Erik had described with Seth and me. â€Å"They're in love,† I told Aubrey disbelievingly. She continued to ignore me. How did that even work? They couldn't be sleeping together. I'd learned a while back that doing that would make an angel fall, and Yasmine was still clearly on the side of truth and justice. So what did that mean? Was it okay if an angel loved a human so long as they stayed physically apart? Something inside of me didn't think so. After seeing how prudish Joel had been, I felt pretty confident even a chaste love affair wouldn't fly with him or the others. So none of them probably knew, not even Carter. And honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to know. I was a sucker for star-crossed lovers, but those relationships never actually ended well. Grabbing some clothes and heading for the shower, I realized I might be witnessing a romance even more fucked up than my own. Who'd have thought that could happen? I guessed with angels, miracles really were possible. I finished showering and drying my hair, still pondering the puzzle of this love affair. I headed back out to the living room, wondering if I'd find more flirtatious behavior. Instead, what I found was a familiar and unwelcome immortal signature. Slimy and musky. Niphon was sitting on my couch.