V Einführung in die Ethik †Deutsch Essay

V Einfà ¼hrung in die Ethik – Deutsch Essay Free Online Research Papers V Einfà ¼hrung in die Ethik Deutsch Essay Nach Aristoteles besteht das hà ¶chste Gut des menschlichen Handelns in der Glà ¼ckseligkeit. Es gibt ein bestimmtes Gut, nachdem jedes menschliche Handeln strebt und weswegen der Mensch à ¼berhaupt Handlungen vollzieht (NE, I. Buch, 13., S.127, Z.35-40 „Fà ¼r uns ergibt sich aus dem Gesagten klar, dass die Glà ¼ckseligkeit zum Ehrwà ¼rdigen und Vollkommenden gehà ¶rt. Dies scheint auch daher zu kommen, dass sie ein Ursprung ist. Denn um ihretwillen machen wir alles à ¼brige;†¦.â€Å"). Um dieses hà ¶chste Gut zu bestimmen, beginnt Aristoteles erst mal damit, die Bedeutung von Handlung zu klren. Alle Handlung erstrebt ein Gut, d.h. die Handlung erfolgt um Willen eines Gutes, was die Handlung in ihrem Wesen bestimmt (konstitutives Merkmal) (siehe NE, I. Buch, 1., S.105 Z.1-4). Damit erfolgt das Handeln des Menschen nach dem Prinzip des menschlichen Tuns verursacht durch ein Gut, und ist kein natà ¼rliches Geschehnis wie das Naturereignis. Dabei ist Handlung das Mittel zum erstrebten Gut als Zweck (instrumentell gut). Nach Erreichung des erstrebten Gutes aber kann dieses wiederum zum Mittel (menschliche Handlung) fà ¼r ein weiteres zu erstrebendes Gut als Zwec k dienen und dies kann sich immer weiter fortsetzen. Damit erklrt sich der eine Zweck (Gut) à ¼ber den Anderen. Es muss aber ein bestimmtes Gut als Endzweck geben, umdessen Willen sich alle menschlichen Handlungen als Zwecke vollziehen. Dieser hà ¶chste Begriff fà ¼r Gut, die Glà ¼ckseligkeit, erklrt sich à ¼ber sich selbst, als Ursache allen menschlichen Handelns und Endziel zugleich (NE, I. Buch, 1., S.105, Z.18-22 „Wenn es aber ein Ziel des Handelns gibt, das wir um seiner selbst willen wollen und das andere um seinetwillen; wenn wir also nicht alles um eines andern willen erstreben (denn so ginge es ins Unbegrenzte, und das Streben wre leer und sinnlos), dann ist es klar, dass jenes das Gute und das Beste istâ€Å"). Wie kann der Mensch also zum glà ¼ckseligen Leben kommen? Aristoteles sagt, indem er ein vernunftgemßes Leben fà ¼hrt, d.h. der nach den Tugenden handelt, also moralisch gut. Denn die Verwirklichung von Moral ist Element des Glà ¼cks (untrennbar m iteinander verbunden). Da der Mensch mit dem Vermà ¶gen der Vernunft ausgestattet ist (Artbegriff des Menschen, Wesensbestimmung), jedoch auch die Fhigkeit des sinnlichen Begehrens (Trieb, Lust) besitzt, die avernà ¼nftig (wie beim Tier) ist, ist es notwendig, à ¼ber die Ausà ¼bung ethischer Tugend (alle Tugend ist nicht naturgegeben) mit Avernà ¼nftigem vernà ¼nftig umzugehen (NE, II. Buch, 2., S.134, Z.9-10 „So bezieht sich also die ethische Tugend auf Lust und Schmerz. Denn wegen der Lust tun wir das Schlechte, und wegen des Schmerzes versumen wir das Gute.â€Å") Dazu gilt es, dass der Mensch tugendhafte Ttigkeit (z.B. gerechtes Handeln) ausà ¼bt. Von dem Zeitpunkt an beginnt er tugendhafte Eigenschaft (Gerechtsein) zu erwerben und kommt damit in den Besitz der Tugend. Tugend auszuà ¼ben heißt also, die Glà ¼ckseligkeit zu verwirklichen (NE, I. Buch, 10., S.121, Z.14-18 „†¦; jedenfalls aber, auch wenn sie nicht von Gott geschickt wird, sondern durch Tugend und eine Art von Lernen oder ÃÅ"bung zustande kommt, so gehà ¶rt sie doch zu den gà ¶ttlichsten Dingen. Denn der Preis und das Ziel der Tugend scheint das Beste zu sein und ein Gà ¶ttliches und Seliges.â€Å") Dazu benà ¶tigt der Mensch jedoch Menschen, die schon im Besitz der fà ¼r ihn zu erlernenden verstandesmßigen Tugenden und als sein Erzieher ttig sind, d.h. Tugend wird erworben (NE, II. Buch, 1., S.132, Z.21-25 „†¦: die Eigenschaften entstehen aus den entsprechenden Ttigkeiten. Darum muss man die Ttigkeiten in bestimmter Weise formen. Denn von deren Besonderheiten hngen dann die Eigenschaften ab. Es kommt also nicht wenig darauf an, ob man gleich von Jugend auf an dies oder jenes gewà ¶hnt wird; es kommt viel darauf an, ja sogar alles.â€Å", NE, II. Buch, 2., S.134, Z.11-14 „Also mà ¼ssen wir gleich von Jugend an dazu erzogen werden, wie Platon sagt, dass wir Freude und Schmerz empfinden, wo wir sollen. Denn darin besteht die rechte Erziehung.â€Å"). Da menschliche Handlung das Gute erstrebt und damit gewollt ist, ist eine schlechte, verwerfliche Handlung (z.B. Mord) eines Menschen nicht gewollt, sondern ist eine Wahrnehmungstuschung desjenigen, der nicht tugendhaft handelt (NE, III. Buch, 6., S158, Z.16 „Das Wollen dagegen geht auf das Ziel, wie wir sagten;†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å", Z.18-20 „Jene nun die sagen, dass das Gewollte das Gute sei, kommen dazu, anzunehmen, dass dasjenige gar nicht gewollt sei, was einer auf Grund einer unrichtigen Wahl will; denn wenn es gewollt wre, wre es auch gut; es traf sich aber, dass es schlecht war.â€Å"). Der Tugendhafte aber, der seine Handlungen vernunftgemß auf das Gute ausrichtet, erkennt, ob etwas Gut ist oder nicht/eine bloße Vorstellung v om Guten ist (NE, III. Buch, 6., S159, Z.29-37 „ Denn der Edle beurteilt jedes Einzelne richtig, und in jedem Einzelnen erscheint ihm die Wahrheit. Denn fà ¼r jede Verfassung gibt es eigenes Schà ¶nes und Angenehmes, und vielleicht zeichnet sich der Edle gerade dadurch am meisten aus, dass er in jedem Einzelnen die Wahrheit erkennt, da er gewissermaßen Richtschnur und Maß dafà ¼r ist. Die Leute dagegen scheinen sich durch die Lust tuschen zu lassen. Denn sie ist nicht gut und scheint doch so. So whlen sie also die Lust als ein Gutes und meiden den Schmerz als ein Schlechtes.â€Å"). Somit verwirklicht der tugendhafte Mensch Glà ¼ckseligkeit. Fà ¼r Kant hingegen ist alles menschliche Handeln nach dem Unbedingt Guten ausgerichtet. Das Unbedingt Gute kann nur der gute Wille und damit das Handeln durch die Vorstellung von dem Gesetz der praktischen Vernunft (moralisches Gesetz) sein. Die Vernunft leitet dabei die Handlung gesetzmßig aus sich selbst heraus ab. Weil der Mensch praktische Vernunft besitzt, verfà ¼gt er à ¼ber die Kategorie der Pflicht, d.h. er handelt aus Pflicht, bestimmt durch das Unbedingt Gute. Die Handlung aus Pflicht ist nicht zweckgebunden, weil der Grund einzig und allein in dem Gesetz des Wollens/dem Gesetz der Vernunft selbst liegt (Sittengesetz, moralisches Gesetz) und somit unbedingter praktischer Notwendigkeit unterliegt (z.B. „Es ist notwendig ihm zu helfen.â€Å"). Die Vernunft bestimmt das Wesen des Menschen (sittliche Persà ¶nlichkeit), sie ist dem Menschen als hà ¶chstes Vermà ¶gen naturgegeben und er handelt aus Achtung des Gesetzes der Vernunft (sittlich, moralisch). Dazu ste llt Kant als unbedingt allgemeingà ¼ltiges Prinzip der praktischen Vernunft den Kategorischen Imperativ auf: „Du kannst, denn du sollst!â€Å". Da der Mensch aber neben dem Vernunftvermà ¶gen auch ein sinnliches Vermà ¶gen besitzt, trifft auf den Willen, der seinen Ursprung in der Vernunft hat, die Neigung, und beeinflusst den Willen. Aus der Nà ¶tigung des Willens durch Neigung erfolgt dann eine zweckabhngige Form von Handlung (z.B. „Es ist notwendig ihm zu helfen, weil ich ihn liebe.â€Å"). Die Gà ¼te solcher Handlung ist bedingt praktisch notwendig, da sie abhngig von Neigung ist (Hypothetischer Imperativ). Diese Form von Handlung kann somit keinen moralischen Wert haben, weil sie nicht der Vernunft entspringt. Eine Handlung besitzt einen moralischen Wert, wenn diese aus der Pflicht heraus und nicht pflichtmßig (aus Pflicht und Neigung) vollzogen wird (GMS BA 12, 13 „†¦: eine Handlung aus Pflicht hat ihren moralischen Wert nicht in der Absicht, welche dadurch erreicht werden soll, sondern in der Maxime nach der sie beschlossen wird, hngt also nicht von der Wirklichkeit des Gegenstandes der Handlung ab, sondern bloß von dem Prinzip des Wollens, nach welchem die Handlung, unangesehen aller Gegenstnde des Begehrungsvermà ¶gens, geschehen ist.â€Å"). Da es nach Kant die Pflicht des Menschen ist, aus Achtung des Gesetzes der Vernunft heraus zu handeln, mà ¼sste er, wenn er ein unwahres Versprechen macht, bereit dazu sein, dass das alle anderen Menschen auch tun (GMS BA 18,19 „†¦: wà ¼rde ich wohl damit zufrieden sein, dass meine Maxime (mich durch ein unwahres Versprechen aus Verlegenheit zu ziehen) als ein allgemeines Gesetz (sowohl fà ¼r mich als auch andere) gelten solle, †¦?â€Å"). Dazu wiederum kann er nicht bereit sein, und das hat nichts mit dem Là ¼gen an sich zu tun und auch nicht mit der mà ¶glichen Auswirkung, dass dem Là ¼genden oder dem Belogenen daraus ein Nachteil entstehen kann. Sondern der Mensch kann nicht wollen, dass aus seinem unwahren Versprechen ein allgemeines Gesetz entsteht, weil, wà ¼rde es Jeder tun oder tun dà ¼rfen, wà ¼rde es kein Versprechen mehr geben. Somit schließt sich der Kreis, nmlich der, dass das Handeln aus dem Gesetz der praktischen Vernunft, und damit das H andeln aus Pflicht durch das Unbedingt Gute, im Wert à ¼ber dem der aus Neigung steht, nmlich als hà ¶chstes Vermà ¶gen (siehe GMS BA 20). Gibt ein Mensch also ein Versprechen, das er nicht beabsichtigt zu halten, ist dies aus Kants Sicht unmoralisch, weil der Mensch aus sich heraus nicht wollen kann, dass diese Handlung zum allgemeinen Gesetz wird. Nach Kant ist es also ein notwendiges Gesetz fà ¼r den Menschen, nach dem allgemeinen Prinzip der praktischen Vernunft (Kategorischen Imperativ) zu handeln, ansonsten handelt er unmoralisch. Dies ist die Antwort auf seine eigens gestellte Frage (siehe GMS BA 62). Denn der Mensch kann aus sich selbst heraus, als vernà ¼nftige Natur und absoluter Zweck nicht den Wunsch haben, das seine Handlung aus relativen Zwecken, den Neigungen heraus (Hypothetischer Imperativ) erfolgt, wie es bei einer unmoralischen Handlung der Fall ist. Denn der Wille des Menschen (der Mensch selbst) entfaltet sich aus dem Kategorischen Imperativ heraus. Es gilt deswegen nach Kant, dass der Mensch jederzeit nach den „Gesetzen des Willensâ€Å", dem Unbedingt Guten (Kategorischer Imperativ) handeln soll und niemals nur nach den „Gesetzen der Neigungâ€Å" (Hypotethischer Imperativ), was sinngemß sein daraufhin aufgestellter Praktischer Imperativ (siehe GMS BA 67) aussagt. Kants Begrà ¼ndung erschließt sich mir einleuchtend, dass ich mich, kraftdessen, das ich ein menschliches Vernunftwesen bin, aus dem Kategorischen Imperativ entfalte. Denn wre ich ohne Vernunft in mir, so htte ich keinen Willen und wà ¼rde Handlungen ausschließlich nur aus meinen Neigungen, wie z.B. aus Lust heraus vollziehen. Ich wà ¼rde demnach keine Verantwortung fà ¼r mich selbst und fà ¼r Andere à ¼bernehmen kà ¶nnen und damit unmoralisch handeln. Dass der Kategorische Imperativ zutrifft, zeigt mir mein Gewissen, als Teil dessen. Habe ich unmoralisch gehandelt und versuche mir meine bedingt notwendige Handlung zu erklren, setzt mein Gewissen ein, indem es mir vor Augen hlt: „Du httest anders handeln kà ¶nnen, weil du gesollt hastâ€Å". Das moralische Gesetz ist also apodiktisch in mir selbst vorhanden. Quellenangaben: 1.) Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH Co KG (Ed.) (6. Auflage Juli 2004): Aristoteles. Die Nikomachische Ethik, Mà ¼nchen: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag. 2.) Weischedel, Wilhelm (Ed.) (1. Auflage 1974): Kritik der praktischen Vernunft. Grundlegung zur Metaphysik der Sitten, Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag. Research Papers on V Einfà ¼hrung in die Ethik - Deutsch EssayThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andWhere Wild and West MeetBringing Democracy to AfricaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital Punishment

Variations in the university degrees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Variations in the university degrees - Essay Example The technicalities in some degree course offer an explanation as to why a student who has graduated with those courses are likely to earn more than others. A case in point is seen among graduates in the field of medicine.They have to take more time in the university while pursuing their programs as opposed to other courses such as arts and social sciences. Those who have done medicine have the right to receive more pay as the course is very technical and demands a lot of concentration and accuracy. Another example is seen in the engineering courses that require practical applications as opposed to being theoretical in nature. From an economic standpoint, it would be pointless to attend college unless a student achieved some sort of benefit by doing so. This benefit might be in the form of increased earnings, more certain employment, some sort of non-monetary return but it must be great enough to offset the cost of attendance. Boehm and Lees-Spalding describe on-the-job training as a form of human capital investment. In their arguments, they present definitions of two different types of training that can occur. General training is useful to many firms and is therefore applicable to a wide range of jobs. However, it is vital that even as universities should stop offering majors that are not proven to lead to successful careers, it is imperative that they continue on a lesser scale to do so since they still need new streams of income especially in the wake of major cut funds from the governments.

The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg - Essay Example In fact, some scholars would estimate that without the Civil War the United States might never have become the country that it became. More so, if it were not for two definitive battles of the Civil War, the Battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg, then the United States we built would be very different from the one we have today; if we survived at all as a nation. That said understanding the importance of these battles will help us to comprehend why these battles are so significant and if they were such definitive â€Å"turning points† in the war, then why did the war continue on, nearly, another 2 years? By finding the answers to these questions will grant us a greater, broader, picture of how the United States became the country we are today. History . The definitive battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg did not occur until 1863, the Civil War began 2 years earlier. The causes of the Civil War can be summarized in 5 specific contributory elements. In fact, these tensions had been growing since the founding of this country in 1776. 1. The Economic & Social Differences between North and South. By the late 1700s cotton crops were incredibly valuable and profitable. The South developed an agricultural, one crop economy. They were exclusively dependent on the success and sail of their cotton crops and on the inexpensive slave labor that tended them. The North was focused on city life and industrialization. They could already compete with the South’s ability to clean, process, and manufacturer cotton goods. 2. State vs. Federal Rights. Many in America pushed for the supremacy of state’s individual rights and that they should have the right to determine what federal involvement they would accept. While others pushed for greater federal government to unify and force the hand of states. 3. Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents. The argument over whether new states formed would be slave states, free states, or would have the right to choose for themselve s was a heated one. This created serious division between supporters and opposers of slavery in the United States. 4. Growth of the Abolition Movement. The Abolitionist movement, further inspired by the publishing of â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin† and the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act, fueled Northern disdain and hatred for Southern slave-owners. 5. The Election of Abraham Lincoln. Although tensions were already high, Lincoln’s election inspired South Carolina to submit its intention to secede from the United States because Lincoln favored northern interests, and was opposed to slavery. Even before Lincoln took the office, Florida, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia, also, intended to join South Carolina (Kelly 2013). By 1861 Fort Sumter, in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, contained the last federal holding within the Southern seceding states. Cut off from supplies and reinforcements, the men of Fort Sumter were suffering. On April 11, 1863 Conf ederate soldiers led by Jefferson C, Davis, no relation to the Confederate President, ordered the evacuation of Fort Sumter, delivered personally to Union Major Robert Anderson. Although Anderson thanked the envoy for the courteous and respectfully presented request, he declined to obey the order. As the Confederate envoy left the Fort, it would be only a few short hours before, at 4:30 in the morning; the first battle of Civil War would be fought. Confederate General Pierre Gustavo Beauregard ordered his men to open fire

Employment Essay Example for Free

Employment Essay The Organization that we selected as our topic of discussion in our Project Paper is the Wal-Mart Corporation. Sam Walton is the founder of Wal-Mart. He opened his first store called Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas in July of 1962. Their corporate office is currently located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. incorporated its stores on October 31, 1969. In 1972, they started selling stock on the New York Stock exchange. Although, though the company has had controversial operational business practices they have grown to be the largest Retail Corporations in the world. In 1997, Wal-Mart was able to become the largest private employer in the United States. In that same year, their annual sales totaled over $105 billion. In 2010, Wal-Mart has over 2. 1 million employees worldwide. There 2010 fiscal year sales exceeded $400 billion dollars (Wal-Mart About Us, 2010). I have been a loyal customer of Wal-Mart for years. Therefore, I was shocked when I found out about some of Wal-Marts questionable unofficial policies through talks with friends and family members who worked for them in the past and some who currently employed by them. My mother in law worked for them from 2006 thru 2008. She was required to work 8-hour shifts without a lunch break on a regular basis. One of my cousins was required to clock out because he was about to be in overtime and continue to work to keep labor cost down. I decided to Google Wal-Mart, to see if other people experienced the same injustice. I was stunned to see some of the practices of this company I loyally supported. According to an article released by the Associated Press on 12/24/08 called Wal-Mart to Pay Workers Up to $640 Million it will pay as much as $640 million to settle 63 lawsuits over wage-and-hour violations, ending years of dispute. Wal-Mart faced 76 similar class action lawsuits in courts across the country as of March 31, 2008. These violations range from having employees clock out and continue to work without pay, denying them with lunch breaks that they are entitled to by law, non-payment for overtime worked. They have also had issues with discrimination against women, resulting, from denying them promotions and paying them less then their male counterpart even though they held the same position, and in some cases, women had seniority over the men (Associated 2008). It is widely known that Wal-Mart pays its associates below the average retail wages. In 2008, the average full time Associate (34 hours per week) earns $10. 84 hourly for an annual income of $19,165. That is $2,000 below the Federal Poverty Line for a family of four. In 2007, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott earned $29. 7 million in total compensation, or 1,551 times the annual income of the average full time Wal-Mart Associate. Consequently, large portions of their employees qualify to receive Government Assistance to support their families. They are well aware that they pay their fulltime employees below the poverty level. In fact, Wal-Mart actually encourages their employees to take advantage of the Government Assistant Programs (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). Wal-Mart does not offer its associates affordable healthcare insurance benefits. According to Wal-Mart employees, when they complained about high the cost of the insurance and lack of coverage it offers their managers would simply suggest that they try to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. According to Wal-Mart Facts. om, If an average full-time Wal-Mart employee chooses the least expensive family coverage plan, they would have to spend over 20% of their income before the health insurance provided any reimbursement. An average full time Wal-Mart Associate faces a serious family health issue. They have to pay the entire out-of-pocket maximum for the least expensive health plan, which adds up to pay 53% of their income (Wake Up Wal-Mart, 2008). I am just a customer of Wal-Mart. I am an accountant, so I budget my money pretty well and I love a good bargain. However, when I look at this organization and their business practices all I see is greed. Therefore, as a customer I have to question my whether or not to continue to support this business if they persist on behaving in such an manner that is clearly unfair to its employees. This is not a struggling organization. It brings in sales exceeding $100 billion annually. Wal-Mart has the resources to make their employees NEEDS a priority. I would like to believe that they are sincerely willing to make the necessary changes. Wal-Mart’s management behaves immorally towards its employees. They do not value their employees’ needs, rights, or the labor laws that the US put into lace to protect them. Wal-Mart’s low price on everyday household products is what sets them apart from other discount retailers. Their employees help make it possible for them to dominate their competitors in the discount retail market and maintain their competitive advantage. It is essential for employees to feel that the company that employs them provides an ethical organizational culture in order for them to feel a sense of job security and to be motivated to be productive for the company. What is Organizational Culture? What type of OC does Wal-Mart reflect?  What effect does their OC have on employee job satisfaction, morale, and performance? What can management do to improve their employee relations? According to our text Organizational Behavior, 11th Edition, a company’s organizational culture is a shared set of beliefs and values within an organization. The culture is the behaviors that employees feel they are required to fit in order to meet the expectations of their organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn, Uhl-Bien, 2010, p. 12). On of the OCI’s that the Human Synergistic Study addresses the Aggressive/Defensive Culture. The cultural norms are built upon a value structure whereby management puts its own interests before those of its key constituents—its customers, employees, suppliers, and even stockholders. Members place priority on doing what is best for themselves over the long-term best interests of their organization. Previous organizational successes (due to prior leadership, technological patents, or good business strategies) fuel the arrogance and short-term orientation of management and allow Aggressive/Defensive organizations to continue to appear effective—at least for a while. However, as shown by John Kotter and James Heskett’s study of 207 organizations (and consistent with research based on the OCI), this type of value structure prevents organizations from effectively adapting to changes in their environments and ultimately has a negative impact on their financial performance (Human Synergistic 2006). Your business strategies shift; your organization’s values should not. Organizational values guide employee actions and influence business practices. They help provide meaning for employees searching for an emotional connection to work each day. Also known as ground rules or operating principles, at their best values are actionable guidelines, not to be confused with abstract beliefs that are merely â€Å"held† or posted on a plaque (Organizational Values, 2008). † In an Aggressive/Defensive Culture, management tends to have very little value for people. There focus is on setting goals and meeting them by any means necessary. They are very competitive and want to devour the competition. Some of the characteristics of this type of culture are oppositional, competitive, motivated by power, and perfection. Managers may oppose things indirectly, stubborn, always has to be right, avoids admitting mistakes, resists suggestions made by others, and have a strong need to win or dominate. Their members do not feel any sense of job security. Employees typically believe that they have to go with the follow in an effort to avoid the label â€Å"troublemaker† in order to keep their job. They fears managements’ retaliation and often feel as though they are in a hostile work environment (Human Synergistic 2006). Staff turnover is near 20-year highs for many companies. Two research firms, Walker Information and Hudson Institute, recently joined forces to conduct a nationwide employee loyalty study. Their results confirmed that staff loyalty is in short supply. Only 24 percent of employees consider themselves truly loyal, committed to their organization and its goals, and planning to stay at least two years. Thirty-three percent of employees were high risk, not committed and not planning to stay. Thirty-nine percent were classified as trapped. They plan to stay, but are not committed to their employer. Among those who felt they worked for an ethical organization, 55 percent were truly loyal. For those who did not feel they worked for an ethical organization, the loyalty figure was 9 percent (Lowenstein 2006). Creating a culture within the organization that nurtures loyalty, commitment, advocacy and productivity from the moment the new hire walks through the door and throughout the lifecycle of the employee will go a long way to sustaining customer loyalty behavior. The good news is that employees, particularly those in customer service, seek trust and trustworthiness; and they desire to be active contributors to that effort (Lowenstein 2006). The benefits for business of adopting ethical human resource management practices and viewing employees as human capital to be developed and to provide a unique advantage in the marketplace can be utilized as part of a corporate social responsibility strategy. Effective corporate social responsibility requires that along with minimizing harm to the environment, a company needs to be aware of the social impacts of its operations and ensure that they are not harming human stakeholders (Tracey Lloyd 2009). The importance of health insurance as an employee benefit is also illustrated by the fact that more than one quarter of Americans report that they or an immediate family member have encountered job lock, passed up a job opportunity, stayed at a job they would otherwise have quit, or had not retired solely because they needed to keep the health insurance coverage they were receiving. According to another survey, employees are moderately satisfied with their benefits, with 39% of full-time workers reporting this, which is a rise from 32% in 2003 (Reddick 2009). Employers who hope to retain solid, hard-working employees should be prepared to offer basic employee benefits. In addition to salary, good benefits provide important resources that not only help build a positive working relationship between employer and employee but also promote good work habits and financial practices (Thompson 2010). Wal-Mart problem is their leadership style. It reflects many of the characteristics of an Aggressive/Defensive Culture. Its issues stem from them putting their interest before the needs of their members. It does not value its employees as of Human Capital. Employees are just another resource used to achieve the organizational objectives. Wal-Mart leaders invest a lot into making decisions and strategies that will get the best prices for their customers and keep their competitive advantages. Nevertheless, they are not investing enough time and effort in training managers on how to treat their human capital. As a result, managers are presented with problems that they have no been trained for and they avoid the issue or make bad decisions. I find it hard to believe an organization as large and successful as Wal-Mart can make these types of mistakes and they go unrecognized or resolved for so long. Several people had to have been complaining about the errors before having to go before a judge. Considering the validation of the errors during the trial investigation, it is safe to say that if Wal-Mart had done its due diligence prior to trial they would have resolved this pay issue. There is no reason a company of Wal-Mart’s size and resources could not have identified and addressed the discrepancy prior to it escalating to a court issue. Which raises the question of, was this done intentionally or their employees concerns or grievances are not a priority to them. This type of mmoral behavior ultimately leads to employees distrusting the company, resulting in a low morale, lack of motivation, and high turnover. Every company has a distinct set of characteristics that drives the decisions, practices, policies, procedures, and organizational goals, which in turn affects the organizations’ atmosphere. The biggest influences are going to come from the visions and standards that the Senior Leaders of the company. Wal-Mart’s employees do not feel any emotional connection or sense of value from their organization, which leads to a lack of job satisfaction, loyalty, and commitment. Of course, this is going to show up in how employees treat customers. All Wal-Mart has to offer is low prices, there is very little customer service. For example, I pulled up to customerservicescoreboard. com and some one posted this comment. â€Å"Wal-Mart has the worst customer service, worse yet, they ignore any inquiry and advertise that they value it I really have to commit to not shopping there any more lines are long, cashiers are slow and dont even help put bags in carts. Their greeters wont get carts and roll their eyes, the bathrooms are a mess, the shelves are empty, I hope they get what they deserve ower customer count and lower profits today I tried once more and wasnt disappointed, no carts, very long lines and best yet customer service said there was no manager on duty and there were not customer complaint forms go figure. mad at Wal-Mart 4/1/10 2:21PM â€Å". In order to change this Wal-Mart has to consider ways to attract and retain productive employees (Customer 2009). Another issue is the lack on emphasis on teamwork. Employees concerns and suggestions have no validity. They are not included in any part of the goal setting or decision making process on the individual store retail level. The â€Å"my way or no way† management attitude does not work. There has to be some compromise. SOLUTIONS Wal-Mart has to change their leadership style. The CEO and other major Leaderships need to take a more active role in establishing acceptable managerial behavioral procedures and rules to direct the organization. Instead of reacting to all of the bad press concerning their employee relations they need to take a more active approach to dealing with all of the stigmas attached to the company. For example, they can start by sending out a corporate communication-notifying managers and employees that the company is about to undergo so major changes to and are about to invest in an organization overhaul that will put just as much value in taking care of the associates that make their sales possible and they put into their valued customers. Wal-Mart can continue to ride the cloud of success with no regards to the long-term ramifications of lack of change, but these are the cost of avoidance. Change will be forced upon them one of two ways. The lawsuits will continue to come and the courts will make to settlements high enough that Wal-Mart will feel the financial sting of their unethical behavior. Secondly, they will start to see a significant decrease in their sales because of the poor customer services rendered by their distrusting, low morale, and unmotivated associates. Considering how large Wal-Mart’s organization is this change would be a major project they could consider doing it in-house, but I suggest they hire an outside consulting firm that to oversee the project in order to get some fresh ideas and strategies. Of course, they would be collaborating with Wal-Marts project team in order to what the deliverables are to complete the project. Wal-Mart Leaders need to ensure total participation by giving the project team the financial and staff resources needed to complete the project. The first step would be to perform a training needs analysis and determine where the practice and policy breakdowns are occurring. Then address the issue, by establishing a new uniform policy, updating the employee handbook, training managers and employees on the new policies, and finally enforcing it. This project will take about a year to prepared, reviewed, and implemented. Prioritization will be according to the most critical needs, such as proper employee pay protocol, anti- discrimination policy training, and team building programs. For example, have a workplace diversity class set up to teach managers how to cultivate diversity and to prevent discrimination. Require that managers have a complete training class annually. Address and investigate all allegations of discrimination immediately. Written documentation is required for discrimination allegation, investigation, and resolution steps that taken. The only way to ensure that employees feel a since of organizational justice is to uphold the companies policies on the matter. Consequently, immediate punishment is required if an employee found guilty of the allegation. Send out corporate communication, notifying employees of the companies’ commitment to improve employee relations. Send the communication via email and display it in high traffic areas. Express managements desire to include employees in some of the decisions that directly affect them by establishing an Employee Involvement Team to be apart of the project. That will help Management and employees address employee concerns and grievances, such as a fair and competitive wages and health insurance package. Allowing employees to be apart of the decision making process will help management get feedback on the best ways to go about achieving up coming goals, while building team commitment, loyalty, and moral. There will be annual policies will be reviews and revision if necessary. Managers and employees will complete skill assessment tests annually. There will be skill-training classes set up to teach managers how to promote effective communication and leadership abilities. Issue training results to department heads and certificates of completion to participants. Finally, collect feedback from the managers and employees to evaluate, results and feelings on the process improvements. Leave a comment section to get their feelings on the companies’ efforts to improve employee relations. Identify remaining problems and work with the In-house Project Team and the Employee Involvement Team to improve them.

Evelyn Glennie :: essays research papers

Evelyn Glennie Evelyn Glennie is a true musician. There are a lot of people out there that want to do what she did, and what she’s still doing, but frankly not many people are willing to put that much effort and time into achieving what she has. Not to mention that almost everyone lacks the talent. Evelyn hopes that the audience will be stimulated by what she has to say (through the language of music) and will therefore leave the concert hall feeling entertained. That is true musicianship.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now is the time that I should start spouting off all of her amazing achievements, but if I attempted that not only would I get bored writing a list that long, but also you would get bored trying to read one. Plus I would most likely go far over the 750 required words for this essay. But I suppose it is necessary to mention a few of her many antecedents. For the first ten years of her career essentially every performance Evelyn gave was in some way a first. The first time an orchestra had performed with a percussion soloist, the first solo percussion performance at a venue or festival or the world premiere of a new percussion concerto. Evelyn has performed in approximately 42 countries. Evelyn was the first full time solo percussionist in the world. Evelyn has recorded 18 albums and is still working on more. At the age of 19 Evelyn graduated from the Royal Academy of Music. In 1991 Evelyn's autobiography 'Good Vibrations' was published and reprinted in 1995. In 1993 'Good Vibrations' was published in Japanese. Yes Evelyn has lived an extraordinary life. She was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. And she went to school at Ellon Academy, Scotland. Her Conservatoire is The Royal Academy of Music, London. But I am making her sound she has always been this percussionist goddess whose whole life has been dedicated to her career. In some ways, though, she is just like you or me. As a child, Evelyn played the mouth organ and the clarinet. When she was a teenager, Evelyn wanted to be a hairdresser. But now she is very much a percussionist goddess who personally owns over 1800 instruments and in a live performance can use up to approximately 60 instruments. One of the most amazing things about Evelyn is that she is legally deaf. It’s never been a big deal for Evelyn though; to her it’s like the fact that she has brown hair or brown eyes.

Workplace Ethical Dilema

Ethical dilemmas can occur at any workplace. For this reason, codes of ethics are developed to help guide and set the standards for moral conduct for that profession. Code of ethics also helps establish procedures on how to deal with misconduct. While serving in the United States Navy, I came across several ethical dilemmas in my workplace. One dilemma that I remember clearly is one in which an officer (higher rank) and enlisted (lower rank) were involved in fraternization. Fraternization in the Navy is not acceptable and is referred to as a relationship between an enlisted and officer who are dating, who engage in intimate behavior, share a home, borrow money or gamble. Fraternization in the military can be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. On board the Navy ship there were approximately a total of 350 service members who were both men and women. Interaction between both sexes was inevitable; however two service members on board took it too far. There was a service member (enlisted male) who began to have a relationship with his boss (female officer). Both agreed to keep their relationship a secret while onboard the ship. One after noon I was out in town at a local store when I spotted both members holding hands together. I was not friends with either one, and did not say anything to them. I realized that their behavior was non ethical, but I did not want to be involved. Looking back at the situation my thoughts about it followed the principles of nonmaleficence. Nonmaleficence refers as doing no harm or mischief. I thought to myself that they were not causing harm to anyone therefore I did not want to report them. Through an ethical relativism view I realized that the dilemma was not morally wrong however, the situation in which they were engages did not follow the ethical standards of the workplace. However my view about the whole situation changed when I talked about it with another co-worker and she informed me that the female officer was married. The fact that she was married completely changed my perspective about the situation. Now, not only was it ethically wrong but it was morally wrong too. At this point the dilemma then interfered with my personal values. My personal values are may not be the same to the ones of others; however the choices they made went against my beliefs and values. Growing up I was always taught that fidelity and commitment to your partner is very important. I put myself in the spouse’s shoes and realized I would never want to go through that. The behaviors the engaged were bothersome and I felt very uncomfortable around them. I can relate this dilemma to the thoughts of Socrates, that no one voluntarily does evil when they know good. If evil is done is because there is some type of benefit within for that person committing evil. The officer in this case is aware of the evil she is committing, however she is gaining comfort, perhaps love, or pleasure from her behavior with the enlisted male. Both personnel practiced ethical egoism, due to fact that they only care about their happiness and did not care about those who got hurt. This is when I realized that I needed to speak up about this dilemma. In order to resolve this dilemma I needed to speak up and report what I knew and saw to my higher chain of command. I would have to say that I applied the theory of Kant. Good will and motivation was the base of my decision to report the dilemma. I knew that making this decision was going to bring bad consequences for both members, however I did what I thought was best. In my decision making process with the Kantian approach, ethical decisions were based on my sense of duty. The word duty is derived from the Greek word deon (deontological). Duty refers to the acts of a person based on the principles of morality. In this decision making approach I had to make decisions based on what is right rather than the good or bad consequences that will follow. A person must make the morally right decision regardless of the good or bad outcome. Categorical imperative is what determines whether an act is morally right or wrong. The requirements of categorical imperatives are that moral principles are applied by respecting humanity. In this deontological point of view a person should act rational person and make self-imposed decisions. After reporting the situation to the chain of command, I was asked to speak up and testify along with others who had observed the same behaviors. Both services members were punished by the UCMJ and forced out of the military. The consequences to their behavior are what constitute it to be wrong. The ethical dilemma went against my personal values and belief. This is why I decided to speak up and report what I knew regardless of the consequences. Both members were aware of the good and evil and instead decided to go for the evil not that they could hurt others. This ethical dilemma not only affected them in a personal level but affected the work place as well. After all the consequences, sailors onboard are very careful about fraternization. Workplace ethical dilemmas can happen at any work place, therefore it is important to maintain an updated code of ethics. This will help and guide employees on procedures , employee conduct and misconduct consequences.

Apache Religious Ceremonies - 1116 Words

Apache Religious Ceremonies The Apache Tribe is primarily associated with Spanish Southwest and the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Apaches believe that a number of supernatural powers associated with natural phenomena’s exist. These powers are neutral with respect to good and evil, but they can be used for various individual purposes. Belief is supported by a mythology that explains the creation of the world and includes several idols. Most important are Life Giver, Changing Woman, a source of eternal youth and life; and her twins, Slayer of Monsters and Child of Water. Life Giver, Child of the Water, and White Painted Women are forms of religious†¦show more content†¦In the book, Culture and Customs of the Apache Indians, Veronica Tiller expresses and talks about the Monster Slayer and Child of the Water beliefs. In the Jicarilla version, Wind offered to roll back the waters, leaving nothing for the living creatures to drink. Prayers were offered and soon, rivers, lakes, and streams appeared. The people discovered that monsters, which were later killed by Monster Slayer, inhabited the earth. With the help of the other sacred beings, all obstacles that made the earth an unsafe place were eliminated (Tiller, 26). The Apache believed that there were once supernatural beings that lived with people. They would bathe in a lake to cleanse the spirit. The quote show how the Apache believed that they were blood relatives with Mother Nature and they also believed they were the mountains, the trees, rocks and the wind. Today they still believe that spirits live with humans in certain mountains and realms in underground places in which they own. Thomas Mails, the author of The People Called Apache, describes the story of Child of the Water. Quickly, before the monster could do anything else against the rules, Child of Water shot an arrow at the monster. The arrow pierced the monsters heart and killed him dead. By then, everyone had gathered around. It was obvious that the Devil Dancers were among them. What a noise they made that night rejoicing! As time wentShow MoreRelatedNative American Cultures, Tribes, and Religion Essay863 Words   |  4 Pagesand cultures, they all are mostly derivatives of other tribes. For instance, in the southwest there are large number of Pueblo and Apache people including, the Acoma Pueblo tribe, Apache Chiricahua, Jemez Pueblo, and Apache Western. In this section, largely populated groups in certain regions (northwest, southwest, The Great Plains, northeast, and southeast) religious ideas, practices, and impact on American culture will be discussed. First, the northwestern region, which includes the areas from:Read MoreAge Rituals For Females : The Bat Mitzvah, The Quinceanera, And The Sunrise Ceremony1422 Words   |  6 Pagesmilestone in life that a society now views them as an adult. For this paper, I will investigate three coming of age rituals for females: the Bat Mitzvah, the Quinceanera, and the Sunrise Ceremony. To begin, the Bat Mitzvah is the coming of age ceremony for the girls in the Jewish community. The first coming of age ceremony for a female Jew is dated back to 1817 at a synagogue in Berlin. It was not until 1922 when the first Bat Mitzvah celebrated for Judith Kaplin was recognized. (Hilton, 2014 p. 106-107)Read MoreNavajo Indians See the Importance of Supporting their Families and Communities622 Words   |  3 Pagesand part of northern Arizona. They first descended from the Apaches, who came from the Pueblos. Their native language is Athapaskan. â€Å"Navajo† came from the word navahu’u meaning â€Å"farm fields in the valley.† The Spanish chroniclers first referred to the Navajos as Apaches de Nabajo’ meaning Apaches who farm in the valley. Then the name was eventually shortened to the Navajo. Spanish settlers recognized the close connections between the Apache and Navajo peoples based on the word. The Navajo were generallyRead MoreApache Culture : Apache Tribe808 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish III 14 November 2014 Apache Culture The apache tribe is split into 6 sub-tribes. They live in the plains and the southwest. Life in the tribe was, for the most part, intense to say the least. By many Pueblos the Apache were named â€Å"The Enemy† due to their guerrilla warfare when they would raid the Pueblo villages for multiple things. Despite the fear amongst many different people, the Apache tribe was one of the most notorious Native American tribes because the Apache culture is still existentRead MoreEssay about Peyote and Native American Culture1763 Words   |  8 Pagesbeing yellowish-green rather than blue green in color, by lacking any type of ribs or furrows, by having poorly developed podaria (elevated humps), and by being a softer, more succulent plant (Anderson 1980). Native Americans use peyote in their religious practices because of its psychoactive properties, and is usually eaten as mescal buttons, the dried, brown pieces of the above part of the cactus (Lewis, 1977). The peyote religion is ancient in its origin and spread from Mexico, North in theRead MoreThe Apache Indians Essay1108 Words   |  5 Pages The Apaches, like most Native Americans, have no written history other than that written by white men. But the story of the Apaches did not begin in the American Southwest but in the northwestern corner of North America, the western Subarctic region of Alaska and Canada. The Apache Indians belong to the southern branch of the Athabascan group, whose languages constitute a large family, with speakers in Alaska, western Canada, and American Southwest. The fact that the Apaches originated in the westernRead MoreThe Apache Indians Long And Proud Culture Essay2231 Words   |  9 Pagesthe Apache Indians long and proud culture in conjunction with their own personal struggles as a Native American tribe in North America. Apache Indians are dated back to 850 A.D. when they traveled south from Alaska and Canada, they continued their southern descent until they eventually settled throughout regions in the southwestern parts of the United States. Their first original settlements included areas in northern Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern Colorado. Today the Apache liveRead MoreThe Apache Indians Long And Proud Culture1803 Words   |  8 Pages because of those past hardships our country has grown into what is now the most diverse, opportunistic and free country the world has ever known. In this essay, I will discuss the Apache Indians long and proud culture in conjunction with their own personal struggles as a Native American tribe in North America. Apache Indians have been dated back to 850 A.D. when they traveled south from Alaska and Canada, they continued their southern descent until they eventually settled throughout regions in theRead MoreThe Nature Of Spirituality : The Iroquois Nation Of The Eastern Woodlands1684 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Ha-ne-go-ate-geh†. The evil spirits controls its own spirits and sets out to cause Native American’s to do evil. Compared to the Christian view, upon Death, the Great Spirit will judge and punishment will be given to the evil spirits. Rituals and ceremonies are perform seasonal and it used to give thanks and praise for the â€Å"Great Spirit† protecting them. The Dakota, or Sioux as they are called, inhabited the Great Plains and prairies surrounding the modern states of North and South Dakota, as wellRead MoreNative American Traditions And Traditions Of Clothing, Shelter, And Food1118 Words   |  5 Pagestheir lands, properties, and families- and a just cause it was.† The Navajo tribe is one of the oldest and is the largest tribe in the United States and branches from the Apache tribe. Their characteristics and traditions of clothing, shelter, and food are still around today. This tribe is known for their peacefulness and religious beliefs and 0many experts consider their life style to have been a wealth of culture. They were resilient and seemed to recuperate from the many hardships they faced, even