Enron ethical practices

Enron ethical practices Ethical practices are a code of conduct that govern how things are done or should be done in a particular place, for example in a business. They can also be described as a system of moral principle that state how people or organizations should act or behave (Brooks Dunn 2009, p. 23).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Enron ethical practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A business organization is expected to follow certain ethical principles in its operations in order to ensure that they are working efficiently and that all stakeholders are benefiting from its operations. Many businesses have been driven by a need to make extra money, and hence they have become greedy and, therefore, engage in unethical practices just to get the extra money. According to W. Stead, Worrell J. Stead, the question of ethics in business conduct has become one of the most challenging issues confronting corporate America in this era (19 90, p. 233). Thesis statement This paper will examine ethical practices that the management of Enron neglected and that led to its collapse. The paper will explore the requirements of these ethical principles and how the management of Enron acted against them which led to its bankruptcy and, finally, collapse. Enron is an example of a business which has been engaged in unethical practices just for the sake of satisfying the interests of a few people in the organization at the expense of others. Enron was one of the largest energy companies in the world, and it has been the most innovative company in America until its bankruptcy (Rapoport Dharan 2004, p. 124). It has, however, been affected by several unethical and illegal practices such as defrauding its financial statements. The Enron scandal led to a massive loss of jobs and shareholders who lost their capital when the company went bankrupt (Goldman, 2010, p. 75). The management practices at Enron, which led to its fall, did not adhere to the ethical principles of the global business standards codex. There were also concerns about pervasiveness of unethical practices and about the systemic nature of practices which distorted the market (McBarnet 2006, p. 1093). These ethical principles usually govern the way businesses and organizations should operate or carry how managers and employees should carry out their duties.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the principles of the global business standard codex is the transparency principle. This principle states that everyone in an organization should be transparent and truthful in whatever they do (Morland 2011, p. 121). This means that managers should provide clear and true financial statements regarding the company, and also provide true records and reports on all the activities of the business. The managers at Enron did not adhere to this ethical principle. Enron, with the help of its accounting firm Arthur Anderson, constantly defrauded its financial statements and issued the ones that were not true and were not clear (Goldman 2010, p. 98). This shows that they were not transparent and truthful. Its accounting practices were also not clear, for example, they included costs of ghost projects that had been cancelled and were not in their financial statements in reality, and this is why, they could retain the money to the cancelled project. They, however, argued that they included the costs because there was no official letter stating that projects were cancelled (Sims, 2003, p. 156). Individuals and investors who had invested either their money or time in the company lost a lot of money because they were misled by the fraudulent financial statements and financial performance of the company that had been altered by the executives, for example, the executives paid people to pretend that they were working hard when comp any analysts were around so that they would give an impression that the company was performing well, and that it was lucrative, while in reality the company was performing poorly. The employees were also deceived by the financial condition of the firm, and therefore, they did not diversify their retirement portfolios in time hence losing out on their salaries and pensions when the company went bankrupt. The company also engaged in fraudulent activities like avoiding taxes by creating offshore entities which would not be liable to taxation so that the profits of the company could be increased (Sims and Johannes, 2003, p.23). Another ethical principle of the global business standards codex is the fiduciary principle. This principle requires people in the business to act diligently with loyalty and integrity to the owners of the business and for the betterment of the business (Seeger and Ulmer, 2010, p. 76). The management of Enron was not acting with integrity and diligence. This was the major cause of Enron’s legal and financial problems. Some practices are usually legally acceptable but morally questionable. A business that adheres to the principles of ethics should not engage in such practices because ethics does not allow them. This principle expects managers to be aware of the dimensions of the moral antecedents of engaging in illegal activity and acting without any integrity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Enron ethical practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Enron, Andrew Fastow who was then the chief financial officer of the company was acting without integrity and diligence, and hence he engaged in certain illegal and unethical activities (Petrick and Schrerer 2009, p. 213). He was behind the creation of the off books companies which were not liable to taxation. These companies were beneficial for him and his friends because they were able to make millions from the off boo k companies, but at the expense of the stakeholders who would lose their investments if these unethical activities were discovered. The managers also took advantage of the stock of the company when it was selling at its highest and sold their shares because they were sure that the company would fall in the future because of the fraudulent activities that they were engaged in (Petrick Schrerer 2009, p. 213). These activities also did not adhere to the property principle which expects the managers of a company to protect and not steal the property of the shareholders of the business. The managers, instead of protecting the property of the shareholders, engaged in activities of theft of such property which later led to bankruptcy and hence collapse of the company. Conclusion Ethical conduct and behavior should be stressed and practiced in every organization. If Enron had stressed an ethical culture in its business, all the unethical behavior would have been limited and the company wou ld not have collapsed. All businesses should therefore have an ethical culture and practice it. All businesses should therefore avoid the Enron case by stressing more on what is ethically acceptable rather than what is legally acceptable. Businesses should train their employees, managers and all the other stakeholders regarding the importance of acting ethically in a business while carrying out the activities of the business. This will reduce any likely occurrences of the Enron scandal. References Brooks, L Dunn, P 2009, Business and professional ethics for directors, executives and accountants, Cengage Learning, California.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Goldman, A 2010, Business Law: Principles and practices, Cengage Learning, California. Johannes, B Sims, R 2003, Journal of Business Ethics, Pg. 243. McBarnet, D 2006, After Enron will ‘Whiter than White Collar Crime’ Still Wash? Br J Criminol, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 1091-1109. Morland, M 2011, Business Ethics and Continental Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Petrick, K Scherer, D 2009, Ethics in Business, John Wiley and Sons, Chicago. Rapoport, N Dharan, B 2004, Enron: corporate fiascos and their implications, Foundation Press, New York. Seeger, M Ulmer, R 2010, Management communication quarterly. Sage Publications, Boston. Sims, R 2003, Ethics and corporate social responsibility: why giants fall, Greenwood publishing, Boston. Stead, W E, Worrell, D L Stead J G, 1090, An integrative model for understanding and managing ethical behavior in business organizations, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 233-242.

Identify Letter Blends - Teaching Dyslexic Students

Identify Letter Blends - Teaching Dyslexic Students Follow this lesson plan for children with dyslexia in early grades to teach and reinforce letter blends at the beginning of a word. Title: Letter Blend BingoGrade level: Kindergarten, first grade, and second gradeSubject: Reading/phonicsCore State Curriculum Standards: RF.1.2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).Approximate time required: 30 minutes Objective Students will hear words that begin with consonant blends and correctly match them to the letters on a bingo card. Children with dyslexia have a hard time processing sounds and matching letters to their corresponding sounds. Multi-sensory activities and lessons have been found to be an effective way of teaching phonics and reading. As a practice, bingo is a fun way to help students listen for and identify common consonant blends. This lesson helps children learn blended letters through more than one sense. It includes sight by looking at the letters on the bingo board and, if pictures are used, looking at the pictures. It includes auditory because they hear the word as the teacher calls it out. It also includes touch by having the students mark off the letters as they are called out. Required Materials and Equipment Bingo worksheets (grids with five blocks across and five blocks down) with letter blends randomly placed in the blocks. Each worksheet should be different.Markers or crayonsList of words beginning with letter blends or flashcards with pictures of words beginning with blended letters. Activity The teacher reads a word and/or shows a picture of a word that begins with a letter blend. Saying the word out loud and showing a picture increases the multi-sensory experience of the game. Students mark the square on their bingo board of the letter blend that represents the beginning sound. For example, if the word was grape any student with the letter blend gr on their bingo card would mark that square. As each word is called out, students mark the square with the letter blend at the beginning of the word. When a student gets a straight or diagonal line, they have BINGO. The game can be continued by having the students try to get every block on their sheet filled or starting again with a different color marker. Alternative Methods Use worksheets with blank bingo boards on them and have the students write one letter blend in each block, making sure to use each letter blend only one time (let students know they will not use all of the letter blends). You may want to write the letter blends at the bottom of the worksheet for students to use for reference.Use smaller grids, with four squares up and four squares across and have four grids per page, allowing for four games of bingo.Use the entire alphabet and have students mark the beginning or ending sound of a word. Bingo cards can be customized to match your current lesson, for example, simple vocabulary words, ending consonants, or colors and shapes. Tip: Laminate bingo cards so they can be used more than once. Use dry-erase markers to make it easy to wipe off marks. Reference Letter blends commonly found in the beginning of words: ï » ¿bl, br, ch, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, fr, pl, pr, sc, scr, sh, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, spl, squ, st, str, sw, th,thr, tr, tw, wh List of possible words: Block, BrownChair, Clown, CrayonDragonFlower, FrameGlow, GrapePlane, PrizeScare, ScrapSkate, Sled, Smile, Snake, Spoon, Splash, Square, Stone, Street, SwingTruck, Twin

School Gun Debate Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

School Gun Debate - Research Proposal Example   However, these enacted laws have laid down some very specific conditions that must be met by educators before they are given a permit to carry these weapons to school. In Georgia and the state of Missouri students and teachers can carry concealed guns to their campuses (Severson, 15). However, the condition is that these guns must be under lock, inside a car. In Massachusetts, Nevada and Louisiana, teachers can carry guns to their schools, as long as they have a gun permit from the state, and a written permission from leading administrators of the school. In Hawaii, and New Hampshire, teachers can carry guns to their school environments, on condition that they have a permit that allows them to carry these weapons (Severson, 16). ... However, the laws of these states do not allow students to carry such kind of weapons to school. Texas also allows teachers to carry guns to school, however, under very strict terms. According to their Children’s Protection Act, teachers can ac t as school marshals (Severson, 21). To obtain this position, they have to take and pass a series of mental tests. They also have to receive training on the efficient methods of handling a weapon, and the response in case of an attack. The argument advanced by these states in allowing teachers to carry these weapons is that there will be an increase in security within the school environment. Arming teachers with guns will enhance security within the school environment because they will protect students against armed attackers in case it happens. When they have guns, an armed attacker will be discouraged from attacking the school (Cook, 2021). This is because he or she will expect some resistance. In case of an attack, every minute and second counts. Calling the police and waiting for their arrival is not effective in protecting students and armed attackers from being killed or injured. This is because before the police arrive, an armed attacker would have killed many people. This wi ll only happen if the attacker does not face any resistance. For example, if the nearest police unit is 13 minutes away. This will mean that before the police arrive, an attacker will have 13 minutes to kill and injure unarmed students and teachers. This is because he or she won’t meet any resistance. However, if teachers had weapons, the attacker will face resistance, and this might lead to the protection of the students and teachers lives.

Medical & social needs of homecare clients Essay

Medical & social needs of homecare clients - Essay Example Conclusion Medical and social needs of Homecare Clients. 1. Introduction. Home health aide has a role of assisting the client and family in managing the condition of health at clients home. This essay will describe the needs of the clients, explain the role of home health aide and relate rights of client and family to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It will also discuss culture, life style and experiences of clients while identifying common reaction to illness or disability. The essay will identify body functions, diseases and disorders and emotional or spiritual needs of patients. 2. Basic physical and emotional needs of clients. Home health aides help clients who have diverse needs so that they feel comfortable and get assistance. They include the elderly, infants, mentally ill, people with physical and developmental disabilities together with people with nutritional needs. Majority of the clients require physical assistance in form of service. They require to be bathed, dress and given a hand to conduct self grooming. The client needs to be assisted to wash their hands and perform hygienic tasks to control infections. They need someone to support them as they manage pain. The urinal system may be causing incontinence and they will need someone to help them (Harris, 2004, p. 5). Clients may have nutritional requirements. The home health aide will assist by making the right combination of food and serve them. Those with skin ailments or wounds require help to take care of the skin and the wounds. The home health aide may be required to change the dressing at the right time. The disabled and the elderly may have musculoskeletal system problem. They will need someone to assist them in mobility. The bedridden will require someone who understands the best position when turning them in bed or moving them to another location. The home health aide will give a hand in ambulation and motion. The client will be in need of a safe environment, the home health aide mak es the environment safe for the client. They can clean and arrange their house (Eldelman and Madle 2010, p. 22). The home health aide is involved in organizing and arranging appointments for the client. Organizing entails arranging the means of transport and accompanying the client to their appointments. At times, the home health aide assists in doing shopping and cooking appropriate food for the client. They give the patient company. Additionally, they keep track of medication taken and appointments with the doctors. They facilitate them to participate in certain activities as well as exercise. Because they work closely with the doctors, the home health aides are required to report on the progress of their client. They can be shown to check respiration rate and temperature for the purpose of giving a report. They follow the directions of the physician to give the correct medication. According to Ahroni (1989, p. 77), the client needs to be assisted in lifting and coordinating activ ities. They need someone to give them company. They call in for help in case of emergencies. Clients in home health care need emotional support from the home health aide. This can be achieved if they talk to them, share stories, read books, and listen to them. Emotional support is needed by the client as they cope with their condition and situation. The family too needs emotional support. Families living with the mentally ill patients, disabled and terminally ill need encouragement. The new born can be delicate to handle and people may

Associate Professor Essay Example for Free

Associate Professor Essay Teaching Note: Case 1 – Robin Hood Case Objectives 1. To provide an introduction to the conceptual framework of strategic management using a non-business situation. 2. To introduce students to the process of problem identification and potential solution analysis that will be used in case discussions throughout the semester. See the table below to determine where to use this case: |Chapter Use |Key Concepts | |1: Strategy Concept |Leadership for strategic management; sustainable competitive advantage; vision, mission, strategic objectives;| | |external environment; internal environment; efficiency vs. effectiveness; stakeholder management | Case Synopsis Robin Hood and his merry men are now in trouble because wealthy travelers (their source of revenue) are avoiding the forest. As is often common in an entrepreneurial organization, the Merry Men were highly motivated by Robin Hood’s leadership. Therefore, Robin had previously relied on informal communication to organize and implement operations. Robin is pleased with the growing size and influence of his organization. However, growth has meant that specialized duties have begun taking up most of the men’s time, leaving a command vacuum between Robin and the first line recruits. In addition, they are now all located in a large encampment that can be seen for miles. This creates the probability of a surprise attack on their position. Growth has also put great pressures on resources, so now they must harvest the forest more thoroughly. Where will additional revenue come from? Rich travelers are avoiding the forest, so in desperation Robin is considering robbing the poorer travelers, which means his lieutenants must now tell their men to rob their brothers and fathers. What started as a  rebellion is in danger of being routinized into banditry. Robin must therefore begin to evaluate the Merry Men’s mission in view of the changing environment. Should it still be an extension of his private grudges and aspirations? Has the organization acquired a new mission, if so what is it? Who are the key stakeholders here? On whose behalf should the organization formulate its mission! Teaching Plan Most students are familiar with the Robin Hood story, so it’s possible to ask them to read this short case in class during the 1st or 2nd class meeting. Either use the PowerPoint slides or ask the discussion questions directly. As students respond, either write answers on the board or refer to the PowerPoint slide answers. It’s up to the instructor whether or not to assign Chapter 1 prior to discussing the case. If the case is read before the chapter is read, then the instructor has the option to ask students, when they do read the chapter, to identify the concepts in the chapter that they recognize from the case discussion, and come to the next class prepared to share what they recognized. If the case is discussed after students have read Chapter 1, the instructor can ask students to identify what concepts apply from the chapter. Summary of Discussion Questions Here is a list of the suggested discussion questions. You can decide which questions to assign, and also which additional readings or exercises to include to augment each discussion. Refer back to the Case Objectives Table to identify any additional readings and/or exercises so they can be assigned in advance. 1. What is strategy? 2. What strategic problems does Robin Hood have? 3. What is the role of the organizational leader as strategist and articulator of global goals? 4. What are some issues in this organization’s external environment? 5. What is the relationship of the organization’s internal structure to its environment? 6. How do group values or culture influence strategy making? 7. What strategy can Robin Hood implement? Discussion Questions and Responses Chapter 1: Introduction and Analyzing Goals and Objectives 1. What is the purpose of strategy? See Chapter 1, Exhibit 01: Strategic management consists of the analyses, decisions, and actions an organization undertakes in order to create and sustain competitive advantages: †¢ strategy directs the organization toward overall goals and objectives; †¢ includes multiple stakeholders in decision making; †¢ incorporates both short-term and long-term perspectives; †¢ recognizes trade-offs between efficiency and effectiveness. An interesting question that the instructor can ask at this point is: what business is Robin Hood’s organization in? Some students might say philanthropy, some might say robbery. The answers to this question will help students understand the importance of vision and mission: the leader must have a clear idea of the purpose of the business, and who it competes with, in order to craft strategy. If the business is robbery, there are different competitors, like highwaymen. 2. What strategic problems does Robin Hood have? Robin Hood’s organization is in a profit squeeze: revenue is down and costs are rising. In addition, there are cracks in the culture of the organization. Issues that need to be addressed include: †¢ How to avoid detection of the growing organization? †¢ Has Sherwood Forest become too small to sustain operations? †¢ What to do about the growing strength of the Sheriff’s forces? †¢ How to address organizational communications and leadership confusion? Decisions that need to be made include: †¢ Should Robin Hood kill the Sheriff? †¢ Should Robin Hood accept the Baron’s offer to join in freeing King Richard? †¢ Should Robin Hood impose a fixed transit tax in order to increase revenue? Consequences to be considered include: †¢ Does the change in the external environment mean that the original mission is no longer valid? †¢ If Robin Hood decides to kill the Sheriff, accept the Baron’s offer or impose a tax on travelers, how do each of those actions link to the mission? †¢ If the mission changes, to what degree does Robin Hood have to worry about the loyalty of stakeholders? One other issue concerns the rapid growth of the organization. In the space of two years the organization grew from fragmentation and obscurity to a strong regional presence. Competitive strategy is about sustaining a position in the industry. Growth implies that strategy has to be flexible enough to adapt. Does Robin have a sustainable strategy? 3. What is the role of the organizational leader as strategist and articulator of global goals? See Chapter 1, Exhibit 06: The primary role of the organizational leader is to articulate vision, mission and strategic objectives. Leaders must also be  proactive, anticipate change and continually refine changes to their strategies. This requires a certain level of â€Å"ambidextrous behavior†, where leaders are alert to opportunities beyond the confines of their own jobs, and are also cooperative and seek out opportunities to combine their efforts with others. Robin Hood needs to evaluate his initial vision of the organization’s purpose: what was the original goal that was â€Å"massively inspiring, overarching, and long-term†, that represented a destination that is driven by and evokes passion? Is the original vision irreconcilable with the present circumstances? Robin Hood’s organizational mission may have to change: a mission encompasses both the purpose of the company as well as the basis for competition and competitive advantages. Organizations must respond to multiple constituencies if they are to survive and prosper, and the mission provides a means of communicating to diverse organizational stakeholders. If the vision and mission have to change, Robin Hood must establish strategic objectives to operationalize the mission statement. That is, objectives help to provide guidance on how the organization can fulfill or move toward the â€Å"higher goals† in the goal hierarchy—the mission and vision. Therefore, Robin Hood needs to redefine the organizational vision and mission since it may have changed rebellion may have become routinized into banditry. He must also identify the key stakeholders, broadening his focus beyond his own private grudge to include the needs of the district, the region, or the nation. And he must establish new goals. Depending on the stakeholders, these new goals may include replacing the Sheriff or changing the political order. 4. What are some issues in this organization’s external environment? There are obvious resource constraints. Sherwood Forest has finite resources: the inputs into the organization (travelers to rob) have dwindled, especially since the rich travelers have started avoiding it. Robin Hood’s band are spending past gains on present problems in the assumption that  future revenues will continue to grow at the same pace as in the past. This assumption, one that is often pervasive in successful organizations, may be unwarranted. The Merry Men are reduced to robbing poorer travelers. The poor travelers are their main stay of political support. Here is a common pitfall of success, the tendency of organizations to take their best and most important customers for granted, to extract from them the highest return for least effort in the belief that they have no practical alternative. In addition, trained manpower is scarce. Regarding the physical environment, the current growth of the organization has created a large encampment that can be seen for miles, and is therefore now a target for attack. The nature of the Merry Mens environment and operations requires stealth and flexibility. The current physical facility does not provide for this. 5. What is the relationship of the organization’s internal structure to its environment? See the Chapter discussion of the trade-offs between effectiveness and efficiency. Given the growth of the operation, Robin Hood’s previous structure may no longer be effective. He may no longer be able to achieve the goals of the organization. He might need to make trade-offs. His current structure is functional, with each lieutenant a specialist. Communication has been informal, and Robin currently has no direct link to his first line recruits. This structure performed well in the early days of the band. However, with the growth of the organization, this has become problematic, resulting in lack of coordination. His lieutenants could do double time as staff and line personnel: fulfilling their staff duties in off-peak periods, but available for line duty during field operations. Robin might want to consider creating a decentralized regional operation, with sub-bands who can operate out of smaller regional headquarters and better coordinate movements. This will increase flexibility of the total organization by moving the organizing of operations closer to those who undertake them. This will also reduce the chance of attack because then only  part of the band might be detected and surprised. Decentralization also pushes food-gathering down the line, thereby eliminating food distribution problems. Small scale operations can be carried out with greater economy. 6. How do group values or culture influence strategy making? During strategic analysis, the leader does â€Å"advance work† to anticipate unforeseen environmental developments, identify unanticipated resource constraints, assess changes in his or her preferences for how to manage. During strategy formation, depending on the type of organization structure, the leader might include key individuals in a discussion around selecting which strategies might be best to implement at which level within the organization. In strategy implementation, the leader must ensure proper strategic controls and organizational design, and establish effective means to coordinate and integrate activities within the firm as well as with suppliers, customers and alliance partners. Therefore, leaders must pay attention to all stakeholder needs, including the group’s values and the organizational culture. See Chapter 1, Exhibit 05 for the diverse stakeholder groups and the claims they make on the organization. Regarding the organizational culture, it was based on founding values that embraced a missionary outreach to the community. The original purpose created unity and a spirit of daring among the Merry Men. Robin is considering abandoning the higher (more affluent) segment of his market for a deeper exploitation of a very large segment with limited resources. Here he runs up against organizational traditions and values. If Robin pursues profit maximization now (robbing all travelers, including the poor), the group will become thieves. Group members will resist stealing from their brothers and fathers. Robin needs to restore the group members’ need for order and purpose. The Merry Men need to feel that their participation is quasi-voluntary. 7. What strategy can Robin Hood implement? The basic question strategic management tries to answer is: How can we create competitive advantages in the marketplace that are not only unique and valuable but also difficult for competitors to copy or substitute? Robin Hood must assess how functional areas and activities â€Å"fit together† to achieve goals and objectives. If the organization is still Robins extension of a personal grudge, then displacing the Sheriff should be the primary mission of the Merry Men. If the organization is acting on behalf of the district then replacing the Sheriff with a more benign administration should be the priority. If however the Merry Mens existence is an expression of widespread dissatisfaction with the present political order, then Robin should consider his potential contributions on a national scale. An analysis of the options confronting Robin ought to lead the students to question the criteria by which strategy is judged. Who is the actor in strategy? The chief executive officer? Top management? A coalition of stakeholders? There is clearly no theoretical answer to these questions. A discussion ought to set the ground for an appreciation of the political and structural forces under which strategy emerges. Robin should have a meeting with the Merry Men to explain the strategic dilemma and long-term issues. He needs to increase organizational discipline, which could be done by creating a clearer organizational structure with strategic controls that enforce the mission. To do this, he needs to recruit qualified leaders for the new decentralized structure, and involve lieutenants in the solution. It is always an issue – which functions should be decentralized and which retained at the corporate level. In this case intelligence gathering and finance should probably be kept centralized. It is crucial for the students to appreciate the contradictory pressures that implementation generates. The new decentralized structure will call for more intricate communication and command systems. It increases flexibility, but also increases the probability of breakdown and mismanagement. In this case runners must keep the various sub-bands in communication. This is a primitive technology that may be insufficient to ensure coordination. An  opportunity exists here for the students to appreciate to what extent sophisticated organizational forms are made possible by modern technologies which are ordinarily taken for granted. While restructuring is going on Robin must begin to consider other aspects of his strategy. He should examine the possibility of diversifying beyond the confines of his traditional forest territory. This is viable if he is decentralized. Operations can be carried on in the countryside by the autonomous sub-bands. He must also resolve the issue of the proposed transit tax. What should be his relationship to the local population? Should he increase their burden of taxation, or not? Robin must also prepare for the possibility of ceasing operations by providing outplacement training. He should pursue alliances beyond the current band of Merry Men, negotiating a possible change in the political order, negotiating amnesty, returning the band to legality. He should probably avoid contact with the Sheriff! Finally, Robin should recognize that mistakes will occur. Therefore he should anticipate the costs of implementation, especially the problems of extended communication. Robin must familiarize his lieutenants with his intentions and the projected problems. They must actively become involved in the evolving implementation. Ultimately, however, Robin Hood must consider the long-term course of action. If the Merry Men were a profit-maximizing organization in the classic sense they would be satisfied with keeping the Sheriff off balance; or perhaps work towards his replacement with a more inexperienced man. They are however a missionary organization. To pursue profit maximizing would sooner or later lead them to thievery, pure and simple. It would also undermine their unity and spirit of daring. Robin Hood has little choice but to increase his involvement in issues that lie beyond his immediate task environment.

Hindu Religious Traditions Essay -- essays research papers

Hindu Religious Traditions Most people in the world derive their religious beliefs and traditions from their parents and peer influences. From a religious point of view, â€Å"There are many definitions for the term ‘religion’ in common usage. [Broadly defined], in order to include the greatest number of belief systems: ‘Religion is any specific system of belief about deity, often involving rituals, a code of ethics, and a philosophy of life’† (Robinson, 1996). However, in examining Hinduism, it is difficult to label the practices as a religion. This paper will expound upon the Hindu traditions, taking into account the characteristics of sacred elements, their meaning, and significance. Hindu Traditions â€Å"For thousands of years people have associated objects in the sky, the Earth, and aspects of their physical world with the gods and goddesses of their culture† (Windows Team, 2000, Mythology). The Hindu culture is no different with the association of several gods and goddesses acknowledged through their traditional worship. Worshipping the many gods and goddesses makes Hinduism difficult to comprehend the many elements of the tradition. The worship of many gods and goddesses is rooted in henotheism. â€Å"Belief in one god without denying the existence of others† (Yahooligans! Reference, 2000). This way of worship is what makes Hinduism complex and hard to understand. In addition, what makes Hinduism even more complex, is that fact that it is also â€Å"viewed as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God: the panentheistic principle of Brahman that all reality is a unity. The entire universe is seen as one divine entity who is simultaneously at one with the universe and who transcends it as well. [Still others] view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad - - one God with three persons† (Robinson, 1995): †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever Dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law, and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations; †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic, and destructive. Sacred Elements Thus, it is understandable, based on the various gods worshipped in Hinduism that one must look at th... ... largest religion. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism.htm Robinson, B.A. (1995). Hinduism: A general introduction. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hinduism2.htm Robinson, B.A. (1996). About specific religions, faith groups, ethical systems, etc. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Religious Tolerance Website on the World Wide Web: http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm Windows Team (2000). Mythology. Retrieved May 31, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link%3D/mythology/mythology.html%26edu%3Dmid Windows Team (2000). Surya. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Windows to the Universe Database on the World Wide Web: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/surya_sun.html Yahooligans! Reference (2000). The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed. Retrieved June 13, 2005 from Houghton Mifflin Company on the World Wide Web:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entries/13/h0151300.html

How and why is surveillance used in cities?

To be able to discuss the issue of surveillance, it is necessary to understand what is meant by surveillance. Surveillance literally means ‘keeping watch over, guarding or supervising'. In the field of sociology, the word surveillance has a much more technical meaning, writers such as Foucault (1977), have often discussed how surveillance is a way to impose social control and order upon society. In society today, surveillance is widely used, particularly to monitor behaviour. In the city, the use and different forms of surveillance has increased immensely over the last thirty years. The use surveillance within the city dates back to the 19th century in the form of police surveillance. The police began walking ‘the beat' in order to reduce crime and in the hope of being more accessible to the public. The practise of ‘pounding the beat,' has continued to modern times, in cities such as Manchester, policing the streets is used for a variety of reasons. Primarily, the police is used for detecting crimes, deterring criminals from offending, and also to reduce the publics' fear of crime. Another reason of ‘pounding the beat,' is to observe suspicious characters. It has been contended that as well as giving a community a sense of security, some have argued that the police can cause tension within a community, especially in communities where there is a distinct lack of social stability. The term ‘suspicious characters' is also too ambiguous, the definition is unclear, do the public know what constitutes a suspicious character; there is no official guideline of what actually represents a suspicious character for the police to follow. The police may consider one certain group more suspicious than another. Due to this lack of formal guidelines, it is possible for one group, e.g. young black males, to be classed as more suspicious, and be targeted more than middle aged females. Policing the streets is a form of surveillance that dates back to the early 1800's, another form of a similar type of surveillance that has increased over the last 20 years, would be the introduction of private security firms. Private security firms are common use today within shops, pubs and clubs, car parks and even in residential buildings. A good example of private security firms being used would be the Manchester Arndale Centre, where there are a large number of overt security guards who are there to monitor the public. Critics of employing the private security firms for surveillance have suggested that, firstly, the companies are a public limited company, therefore, there interests lie in earning profit as opposed to the interest of the public. A second criticism would be about the employees, there are no procedures on the qualification that a security guard needs. How does the security firm decide on who is competent to perform surveillance. These private firms are also used to keep under observation of the closed circuit television (CCTV), but is this infringement on the publics civil liberties this will be discussed shortly. Firstly, consideration of what is the utility of CCTV will need to be analysed. CCTV is probably the most widely used form of surveillance within cities today; an increasing number of streets, building, car parks and more recently, people are putting CCTV in there homes. Manchester is a prime example of using CCTV; Manchester has invested in a multi million pound, state of the art surveillance system. CCTV is used throughout the city and is used to monitor behaviour and detecting criminality. This most up-to-date technology that is in place, can match known criminals to the images that the CCTV captures. Again this is quite controversial, it goes back to the monitoring of certain groups, is it really fair that this group should be monitored more than others, just because they are known criminals, what about the individuals that do not get caught? Research has shown that the use of CCTV within the UK, that because there are no clear objectives of who should be observed, people who look ‘peculiar' or deviant are targeted more than others. In 1992, the city of Newcastle installed CCTV into the city centre after ram raiders and street crime turned the city centre into a ‘no-go area.' The police monitored the CCTV system, the public approved of this, so long as the police and no outside agencies that were the observers. The system worked in Newcastle; the city was opened up by a newfound security that was felt through the CCTV. More arrests and conviction were made as a direct result of the CCTV.1 More recently, forms of ‘hyper-surveillant control' have been developed; Boggard (1996) originally coined the term hyper-surveillant control. As a definition, hyper-surveillant control means, â€Å"Not just an intensification of surveillance, but the effort to push surveillance to the absolute limit.† Boggard was referring to modern day society and included all types of surveillance, including the previously discussed and methods of surveillance, which are more recent, including monitoring consumption patterns when using credit or debit cards. When people use credit or debit cards, banks can monitor where, when, time, what they bought, and all this information is logged and stored. Moreover, every time a form is completed, information is given on all aspects of a person's life, once the form has been completed, the individual can never be clear what happens to the information. Furthermore, in this day of increasing consumerism, where more and more people are using the Internet, websites that have been viewed are stored and then tailor made advertising will appear on screen. The previously mentioned â€Å"absolute limit† that Boggard discussed, is an imaginary line beyond which control operates. This leads to the second part of the question on social control and to what extent is surveillance a just means of social control. Parsons (1951) defines social control as, â€Å"the process by which, through the imposition of sanctions, deviant behaviour is counteracted and social stability maintained.† Is surveillance a means to ensure that these sanctions or rules, which Parsons discussed, are adhered to? Some writers have argued that by attempting to achieve social control, by the increased use of surveillance, of particular crimes or social groups, could lead to the deviancy to be amplified rather that deterring. Does this mean that surveillance is not a just means of social control? Initially consider the moral issue of closed circuit television, some groups have suggested that CCTV impinges on peoples' civil liberties. It is questionable that it is right to watch people, especially if they do not know they are being watched. There is little regulation over CCTV and people are not sure who is accountable when it extends to civil liberties. Some writers have argued that surveillance is not generally a necessity in achieving social control, but social stability of groups within society, community groups and shared values are all more important than surveillance. For example, if there is tension between police and particular minority within a city, when the police are considering increasing the number of police on ‘the beat,' concern over this instability within the community should be taken into account. Surveillance is widely used within all aspects of society and whether people it is right or wrong that someone else has the right to watch over another person, this is not always the issue. There are both advantages and disadvantages of surveillance and these have been discussed, however, to use surveillance as a form of social control will need careful deliberation. If surveillance is made excessively intense, it may be possible that a society where the public are constantly under surveillance could be created, it may be possible that this ‘hyper-surveillant control' that Boggard mentioned, and the absolute limit will be achieved. Surveillance could be classed as a just means of social control, and on the whole, society is willing to except that surveillance is a necessary to ensure that the norms and values are accomplished. The only time that surveillance is not just means of social control, is usually when the form of surveillance intrudes upon people's civil liberties, or intrudes in people's private affairs. Take for example celebrities in the public eye; these people are constantly being watched by the media and paparazzi, is this use of surveillance justifiable? It could be contested that this is intrusive into the lives of the celebrity. When surveillance is concentrated on particular groups within society, this could be considered prejudiced and unfair. Crime may reduce in a specific area of the city, but it is possible that the crime is not simply stopping, it is just being moved to another part of the city. In the late 18th century, Jeremy Bentham came up with the idea of a Panopticon, this idea was a prison, where surveillance enforced complete social control. This prison had no bars, but observation was the key to control, the wardens would be able to see every part of the prison, but the prisoners would not be able to see the wardens. Foucault suggested that the Panopticon worked because â€Å"it induced a state of conscious and permanent visibility that ensures the automatic functioning of power.† As the prisoners are aware that they are being watched, it is said that their behaviour alters because of this. The Panoptic prison was never developed, however, Foucault does argue that the idea did have an influence on other institutions such as hospital, schools and factories. The Panoptic idea was an idea that social control could be enforced through complete surveillance. To conclude, surveillance is crucial within cities in order for social control to be maintained, but contrary to what some have argued, surveillance is not always the most essential ingredient in sustaining social control. Surveillance is a useful tool in the prevention and prosecution of crime, moreover, surveillance gives people the security that they require for them to feel safe from crime. People are willing to except that surveillance is inevitable, but are not will not except surveillance to encourage the extremes of social control where the ‘all seeing eye' is developed and all aspects of social behaviour is controlled through the use of surveillance.