Deontological ethics Essay

In life one must deal with moral and ethical dilemmas. â€Å"Ethics is defined as the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral obligation† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013). It studies human moral behavior and how one should act. Ethics helps to explain how a person should feel about a particular situation. There are several groups of studies of ethics that defend and recommend concepts of right and wrong. The focus of this paper will be to describe three of the groups of within ethics, which are virtue theory, utilitarianism, and, deontological ethics. Afterward, it will show how virtue theory played a major part in a personal ethical dilemma. â€Å"Virtue ethics is a classification within Normative Ethics that attempts to discover and classify what might be deemed of moral character, and to apply the moral character as a base for one’s choices and actions† (Gowdy, 2009, Virtue Ethics, para. 1). The general perspective of virtue ethics is that one should choose their own personal excellence and contentment. If the person’s character is good, one should not be judged mainly by rules and customs. Virtue theory looks at someone’s habits of excellence for long term and forgives for minor mistakes. The Utilitarianism theory means â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number† (Boylan, 2009, p. 153). â€Å"Utilitarianism is an ethical principle according to which an action is right if it tends to maximize happiness, not only the agent also of everyone affected† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2013). They focus on the acts of a person rather than ones motives. The moral action in this theory must be the greatest aggregate utility or the average utility. Bentham and Mills supported the theory of utilitarianism and created the pleasure principle. They believed that pleasure principle is a clearly identifiable end to what humans strive. â€Å"Deontological is a moral theory that emphasizes one’s duty to do a particular action just because the action, itself, is inherently right and not through any other sorts of calculations such as consequences to the action† (Boylan, 2009, p. 171). Deontology advocates the nature of principle. Moral principles are warranted through an understanding of the structure, reason and will. The foundation of commands in deontology involves laws and natural moral duties. Kant was a strong proponent of deontology and believed that people must act from duty. He argued that it is not the effects of actions that make them right or wrong but the motives of the person. My moral dilemma relates to the virtue theory because of my family’s strong religious values and beliefs. My family nurtured me in a strict Catholic household and with high family religious morals. I performed all the Catholic rituals starting from when I was very young, such as first communion and all the way to confirmation. We went to church every Sunday and my family and I still continue the same rituals. I encountered my moral dilemma when I became pregnant before I was married. My family was very disappointed when they discovered I was pregnant and wanted us to get married right away. In the Catholic religion it is considered a major sin to have a baby out of wedlock. My boyfriend and I believed we were not prepared to get married at the time. Marriage is a strong sacrament in our religion as well. We did not want to rush into getting married just because of my family’s religious values. We married in Catholic Church two years after our son was born. Even though I lived my life as a respectable Catholic, I could not conform strictly to their rules. I had to decide what was best for my absolute moral value and character. In conclusion it is good to question ethics because one must decide from right and wrong. We have learned through virtue, utilitarianism, and deontological theories that there are different ways to rationalize a dilemma. The responsibility of an individual is to decide how to deal with each ethical situation to the best of our own abilities. It is from actual life experiences and ethical values that make us who we are. References Boylan, M. (2009). Basic Ethics (2nd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Ethics. (2013). In Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/ethic Gowdy, L. N. (2009). Ethic Morals. Retrieved from http://www. ethicsmorals. com/ethicsvirtue. html Utilitarianism. (2013). In Merriam-Websters Online Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/utilitarianism.

Employment Law Brief

Employment Law Brief The Clapton Commercial Construction Company located in Detroit, Michigan, is planning to expand its business into the state of Arizona. It is a medium-sized company with 650 employees and possibly increasing an additional 20% in the new state. Prior to the move, the human resources (HR) department must be aware of applicable employment laws that may affect the business.Outlined below are brief summaries and consequences for noncompliance of the following employment laws: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), he American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (FLSA). Relevant Employment Laws Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the first employment law to consider. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in aspects of employment such as hiring, wages, assignment, promotions, benefits, and discipline. Titl e VII is the most important federal Equal Employment Opportunity law because it contains the broadest coverage, prohibitions, and remedies† (Cascio, 2013, p. 83). Under the law, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) exists o implement laws dealing with employment discrimination. According to Cascio (2013), the law was expanded in 1972 to cover almost all public and private employers with 1 5 or more employees; except private clubs, religious organizations, and Indian reservations. The EEOC has the authority to conduct investigations, create resolution programs, and file lawsuits.Failure to comply with Title VII exposes the employer to both civil and criminal lawsuits with possible outcomes of fines, compensatory and punitive damages, or even imprisonment. The company may also have to reinstate or promote the affected employee. In 1991, the Act amended several statues enforced by the EEOC. Parties were able to obtain Jury trials and recover compensatory and punitiv e damages with cases involving intentional discrimination. The Act also placed monetary caps for future cases based on size of the company.Another provision was enforcement of those American controlled companies abroad. The next employment law to consider is the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. This law applies to employers regardless of size and every employee regardless of status: full-time, part time, or seasonal. The IRCA prohibits employers rom hiring or continuing to employ personnel which are not legally authorized to work in the United States. The Clapton Commercial Construction Company is expanding business to Arizona with the intent of increasing the number of employees by 20%.The company must consider the demographics of that area with regard to potential employees and take measures to ensure an employee has documents to work legally in the United States, such as a passport or resident alien card. Other examples are located on the Employment Eligibility Verific ation 1-9 form that potential employees are required to complete. Penalties for noncompliance may esult in fines for each violation and denial of federal contracts. According to the Department of Homeland Security (2013), in fiscal year 2010, Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed more than 392,000 illegal workers nationwide.The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is another law to consider. â€Å"Almost 13% of people ages 21 to 64 in the United States have at least one disability, a percentage that more than doubles to 30. 2% for people ages 65 to 74† (Cascio, 2013, p. 89). The ADA prohibits an employer from discriminating against a qualified person with a disability. A qualified person is someone who can perform the essential unctions of a Job with or without accommodation. The physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities is called a disability, such as seeing, walking, hearing, or talking.The ADA expanded protection of drug and alcohol rehabilitation and those individuals who have tested positive for HIWAIDS. The ADA applies to private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, and labor unions. The Clapton Commercial Construction Company is not required to lower work standards or tolerate misconduct on the Job; however, reasonable accommodations must be made to assist ualified Job applicants. For example, the company can purchase a computer screen magnifying glass for the vision impaired. The EEOC enforces the provisions outlined in the ADA.

The impacts of The UK’s withdrawal from The European Union on the Hotel Industry

Introduction The hotel and accommodation industry in the UK is a major business for both multinational and SMEs in the country due to the attractiveness of UK as a tourist destination on a global scale. The free movement of persons across the euro zone has increased the frequency of travels between the EU member states, which has bolstered the tourism sectors of the EU economies.This situation is more apparent in the UK where most of its foreign tourists emerge from the EU member states due to ease of movement of persons within the EU (Rolfe & Hudson-Sharp, 2016). Consequently, the hotel industry in the UK is largely depended on leisure and business travellers from the UK. The decision by Britain to withdraw from the European Union is a disaster for the tourism industry and specifically businesses involved in providing tourists with accommodation services. There is a general serious concern for the UK’s hotel industry as a result of the anticipated negative effects of Brexit on the travel industry in the UK. Constraints of Free Movement There is a strong tourism and travel flows between the EU and the UK. The destination for the majority of UK tourists is the EU, which is, in turn, the main source of international tourists entering the UK (Rolfe & Hudson-Sharp, 2016). Travel and tourism trade between the EU and the UK has been expedited by the free movement of products and services, people and investment across the Euro Zone. This free movement and the flow of travel and trade could be significantly affected by the implementation of the Brexit. The EU has various regulations that are designed for the benefit of business travellers and holidaymakers. As much as most of these policies may not be altered immediately, UK’s withdrawal from the EU has significant future implications. Free movement of people between the UK and other EU member states is supported by various regulations such as the financial protection regulations for bundle holidays, flight delays compensations, access health cover while traveling wi thin the EU, and controls on mobile phone charges. In this respect, Brexit will expose customers within the EU to higher prices and fares while considering UK as a travel destination, which might limit the competitiveness of the UK as a tourist destination for travellers from the EU (Milas et al., 2016). An immediate concern for the travellers’ hotels in the UK is the effect of uncertainty period that follows the current Brexit negotiations. Further, the period immediately after exit from the EU will be damaging to the Hotel industry in the UK. Specifically, an exit will culminate in elevated travel costs and decreased travels between the UK and the EU. This would also imply the collapse of the European Health Insurance Card, which is an attractive package for travellers within the EU. Consequently, for the hotel industry in the UK, the negative effects of Brexit far outweigh the perceived benefits. The Cost-effectiveness of Human Capital The hotel industry in the UK is a net employer of a significant number of immigrants from the EU. A consideration of changes that will affect the ability of the sector to recruit foreign nationals could affect many businesses in the hospitality sector with respect to filling various roles in that there is a general skill shortage in the UK’s labour market (D’Angelo & Kofman, 2016). In this respect, the hospitality sector in the UK could struggle to fully recover from the withdrawal of UK from the EU in that the hotel industry in the country is dependent on the EU as a source of labour. Specifically, the freedom of movement within the EU is key to the sustainability of the hotel industry in the UK and therefore Brexit may affect the financial viability of various elements of the Hotel industry in the UK. For instance, hotels in the UK are able to provide quality services at a lower cost when compared to its major competitors, Australia and the United States as a result o f its membership to the EU. Furthermore, the large customer base in the EU enables UK Hotels to operate at capacity which means that they can offer better prices and guarantee more visits and hence competitiveness of the UK tourism sector (Milas et al., 2016). The implementation of the Brexit implies that EU residents will not be able to freely work as employees within the UK’s hotel industry. This will force the hotels to outsource some of its services to local firms, losing quality control and increasing the cost of hotel services by over 20 percent. Therefore, the membership of Britain within the EU is central to the existence of Hotels in the UK as cost effective quality service providers on a global scale. Conclusion As Brexit becomes a reality in the hotel industry in the UK, it is apparent that exiting from the EU may affect the sustainability of hotels from two points of view. Firstly, the collapse of free movement deal between the UK and other EU member states imply a significant decline of foreign travellers in the UK due to cost and travel bureaucracy issues. Secondly, the possibility of a significant number of employees in the hotels industry facing deportation due to withdrawal from the EU imply increased operational costs for hotels in the UK and ultimately a decline in their competitiveness on a global scale. Therefore, as plans for Brexit are being laid down, it is important to consider the possibility of adopting policies that will ensure the hotel industry in the UK survives the Brexit process. Reflective Summary This reflection is founded on Gibbs (1988) Reflection Cycle. The decision to utilise this approach was rooted in the fact that it inspires a vibrant account of the situation, examination of feelings, experience evaluation that enhances the ability of an individual to make sense of all the experiences and ultimately be able to apply the acquired knowledge in related situations (Gibbs, 1988). While the principle objective of this course was to examine learning through developing academic skills, the approach taken in this course to achieve this objective merits a reflection. The course in both lectures and tutorial sessions involved the establishment and development of working study groups. From the study groups, I was exposed to numerous perspectives on what a study group is and numerous variations of study groups in different contexts and different purposes. In fact, as much as the same charge with respect to study assessment was provided, each state resulted in a unique study group. Despite these disparities, I gained fascinating insights in the study group practice, and I currently consider it to be among the most valuable approach to exploring novel ideas and contributing practically to my professional development. In addition, I noted that since the study group agenda is driven by the group members, the experience was highly personal and purposeful. This model has been influential in my ability to develop excellent communication skills. Specifically, this module made me aware of the imperativeness of communication skills with respect to communicating with instructors and peers, expressing thoughts and reflection, depicting critical thinking during group discussions, and being culturally sensitive while talking to peers. These are competencies that will build on my communication skills to assist me in my academic undertakings. Further, this module explores ways of improving written forms of communication in that it is essential for a student to be able to express him/herself through writing. This will be important to me when writing research papers, analytical case studies, speeches, and essays. References D’Angelo, A., & Kofman, E. (2016). UK: Large-Scale European Migration and the Challenge to EU Free Movement. In South-North Migration of EU Citizens in Times of Crisis (pp. 175-192). Springer International Publishing. Gibbs, G. (1988). The reflective cycle. Kitchen S (1999) An appraisal of methods of reflection and clinical supervision. Br J Theatre Nurs, 9(7), 313-7. Milas, C., Worrall, T., & Zymek, R. (2016). Watch Out for Winners and Losers: Odd-?Implied Brexit Sentiment and FTSE Returns. Financial Times. Rolfe, H., & Hudson-Sharp, N. (2016). The impact of free movement on the labour market: case studies of hospitality, food processing and construction. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/download/45123775/Free_movement_final_report.pdf

Assignment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Assignment 2 - Essay Example It is important for nurses to learn of the ethical principle of autonomy and how to implement it in the nursing situation (Midgley 2006). The right to autonomy is one of any patient’s ethical rights in a situation where they are under the care of medical personnel (Somerville and Keeling 2004). In this case, the registered nurses had the responsibility of overseeing or supervising the work of their mentees while also ensuring that their professional responsibilities were fulfilled. Another ethically based nursing principle, beneficence, holds that nurses should act with kindness, charity, and mercy towards their patients (Myrick and Yonge 2005). This basically means that nurses should not bring additional harm to their patients. A third ethical principle, nonmaleficence, has to do with avoiding a situation where a patient is caused unintentional harm (Curtin 2005). Another ethical principle in nursing practice is veracity (Dalton 2005). Veracity basically refers to truth telli ng in all situations. As far as the ethical principle of advocacy is concerned, it would appear that not all student nurses were satisfied with the skills and relations given to them by their mentors. The principle of confidentiality basically has to do with respecting a patient's right to privacy. This is particularly important for patients who have illnesses that carry social stigma such as A.I.D.S (Cuevas 2008). WERE THERE ANY ETHICAL CONFLICTS? Autonomy According to Brammer, there are different ways in which the student nurses and mentors may interpret what it means to function in a supervisory role (Brammer, 2008). This may bring different problems in cases where nursing students are expected to ease the burden of the mentor by indicating that the mentor was present during the examination of a patient or in writing notes on the physical conditions of patients that they might not have personally examined as a favor to their overworked mentors. This also breaches the ethical prin cipal of autonomy. Another situation that brings into focus issues concerning with autonomy has to do with the ministrations of student nurses towards their patients (Jansson, Pilhammar, and Forsberg 2009). Beneficence From the reactions of some of the student nurses in this case study, not all the mentors were diligent in practicing the ethical principle of beneficence in their dealings with their mentees. It is not uncommon for training nurses to claim that they do not feel respected by their supervisors or seniors. This does not merely have to do with being ignored, but also the allocation of extra work with little supervision. Given that the registered nurses function as ‘gate keepers’ who wield enormous power over the future careers of their mentees, it can become quite disheartening for their mentees when they are not treated with the charity and kindness that are part of the ethical principal of beneficience (Yildirim, Ozkahraman, and Karabudak 2011). Nonmalefice nce For student nurses, it is very important for them to have enough time with their mentors when looking after patients. Moreover, it would appear from this case that the student nurses recognized that their mentors could perform important tasks faster than they

Macroeconomics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Macroeconomics - Coursework Example Upon shifting the curve W, the new equilibrium point will likely be at R. This is an indication of injection of income into the market cycle by either the households or the government through various spending activities. An excess in the withdrawals more than the injections will imply that there shall be less investments. Consequently, an excess in the withdrawals implies that households are saving some of their income and not spending it; thus, leading to a reduction in the circular flow of income (Carlin & Soskice, 2006). An increase in the government spending would imply increase in injections that would result in an upward shift by UT. Equilibrium will now be attained at point U being the point where the new injections curve will intersect with the withdrawals curve (Carlin & Soskice, 2006). As a result, there will be a rise in the national income by an amount of BC denoted by J’. a. Find data for nominal GDP at US dollar current prices with a base year of your choice and calculate real GDP for Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Japan, UK, and USA from 2005 to 2014. Present the data on a

Michael Jackson Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Michael Jackson - Term Paper Example The other four members of this group were his brothers, Sigmund ‘Jackie’, Toriano ‘Tito’, Jarmaine, and Marlon. They began playing at local bars and clubs in Indiana. They later moved to compete in bigger competitions. The Jackson five were discovered by the Vancouver and the Bobby Taylor in 1968 and got an audition for Berry Gordy. They later signed for Motown, hence moving to California. It was here that their first four singles made US number one hits. During this time, Jackson with Motown recoded four solo albums. The group stayed in Motown until 1976, when they needed more artistic freedom and decided to move on (Pratt 81). They dropped the name Jackson Five, since it was owned by Motown and adopted the name The Jacksons. At this time, they had a number of records and made six albums altogether between 1976 and 1984. Michael later teamed up with his producer for his first solo album. The album was titled Off The Wall, and was a tremendous success all ov er the world. It was the first album ever released that produced the four number-one singles in the United States. The world’s largest selling album was released by Michael in 1982. It was titled Thriller. It produced seven hit singles, once again breaking more previously established records (Pratt 81). It has been documented to have sold over fifty million copies across the world. Jackson was careful, as well as skillful, in using the music videos to promote his singles from the album. His success has, nevertheless, been attached to his directors and producers. They were the best, and made use of the latest technology coupled with choreography and fantastic dancing. The short film, Thriller, incorporated latest artists in the make-up technology to produce a video which lasted 14 minutes, with the beginning, the middle part and the end. This video was so successful that it became the world’s largest selling video. At the Motown 25-years anniversary show, Jackson perfor med his legendary moonwalk for the first time. It was this performance that set him into the realms of a superstar (George 98). Michael broke a record by winning 8 Grammy awards in a single night in the year of 1984. These awards were for his narrative for the ET Storybook and the Thriller album. On 9th December 1984, during his final performance of The Jackson’s Victory Tour, he declared that he was quitting the group and going solo. His third, and much awaited solo album titled Bad, was released in 1987. It was during this time that he launched his first solo world tour that was significantly record-breaking (Josh 1). He wrote his first autobiography, Moonwalk, where he talked for the first time about his career and childhood. Michael was soon to turn thirty when significant changes were observed in his outlook. He seemed to have undergone a facial surgery, which not only changed his facial features, but also his skin color and jaw line. This did not, however, affect his mu sic career. By the end of 1980s, Michael was commonly known as the Artist of The Decade. This was as a result of his success in the Thriller and Bad albums. Michael signed the biggest ever recording agreement with Sony Music in 1991. It was during that time that he released his fourth album Dangerous. Touring the world in 1992, he brought his performances to the countries that had never received a pop artist. Other than his success in the

One Of The Hong Kong Listed Property Companies Invites Your Research Essay

One Of The Hong Kong Listed Property Companies Invites Your Research Institute To Formulate A Research Proposal To Them - Essay Example Hong Kong well illustrates patterns of a distinct Asian business model that has resulted in the growth and influence of large gargantuan business enterprises. The Hong Kong housing market is dominated by a hand full of these large companies that include Cheung Kong, Henderson Land, and SHK PPT among others. The growth of Cheung Kong, for example, underscores specific ways of pursuing business and industrial growth based on certain Asian principles and management styles. These styles project paternalistic family control and trust and the respectful acceptance of authority. Pyramid structures of benefit permeate the leadership hierarchy of these Asian firms along with family cross-shareholdings of subsidiary companies. Hong Kong’s rapid economic growth is described by Xiabin et al (2004) as a period of economic restructuring that has seen the country evolve from a manufacturing center to a business, commerce and finance center, with most of its working force moving into the serv ice industries. Influenced by processes of economic liberalisation, globalization, and government downsizing, the restructuring has resulted in a net rise of the middle-income population of Hong Kong, but since 1971 there has been a profound drop in the sharing of income by the bottom households while the income of the top 30% has shown a continual increase in income share (pp. 447-451). The authors note "there has been a steady exacerbation of income inequality in Hong Kong over the past 35 years" (p. 452) and, "There is no evidence of wealth trickling down from the top to the bottom" (p. 457). Nor have adequate services been expanded for the bottom poor. Xiabin et al (2004) emphasize the unsympathetic government policy of minimum intervention as a major factor in the ongoing policy of inequality. Resources provided for social welfare are sparse in comparison to resources for the more favored private sector. The authors propose the government avoids policies ameliorating income ine quality in order to maintain "business-friendly" policies toward private interests and avoid a "dependency culture" that would discourage unemployed people from working and affect economic growth in negative ways. Despite a sterling economic growth that has made it one of world's largest centers of concentrated among the world's wealthiest economies, Hong Kong demonstrates the highest degree of economic disparity among its seven million citizens. The United Nations report Hong Kong as having the highest Gini coefficient of 43.4, a measure of economic disparity between the rich in the poor, among all Asian cities (Oxfram). As of September, 2010, 10.2% of working families were living in poverty in Hong Kong (Oxfram). The Hong Kong Council of Social Service reported recently, October, 2010, that 1.26 million of the 7 million citizens were living in poverty, nearly one/fifth of the population (Wong, 2010). The contrast stands stark and grim where three million of seven million citizens live in public housing. Under current public policy, the gap between rich and poor in Hong Kong is steadily increasing. In 1997, The Canadian Magazine Maclean's highlighted the nearly 100,000 Hong Kong displaced workers living in the small spaces or "cages" where larger spaces are divided into small cubicles with wire (Wood, 1997). Web blogs and YouTube videos today provide stark

Discussion 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion 9 - Essay Example Scholars argue that although it is possible to learn about other cases through a similar case, it does not mean that cases studies are only used in making generalizations. On the contrary drawing inferences about a population from a case study is not justifiable (Creswell, 2003). Case studies are similar to other types of research and involve the identification of the problem, the collection of data and the analysis and reporting of results. As in other types of techniques, the approach and the analysis depends on the nature of the research problem. Case studies can be descriptive, interpretive or evaluative. The defining characteristics of a case study therefore are a deeper, intensive study of a single unit through detailed collection and analysis of many sources of information (Kumar, 2008:Babbie, 2010). In the first article titled â€Å"The impact of internet usage: A case study of delta state tertiary institutions† the objective of the study was to investigate and evaluate the impact of internet usage in institutions of higher learning in Delta State in Nigeria. The methodology used in this case is a case study that used questionnaires to solicit information from students and staff of four higher institutions of learning in Delta state in Nigeria. The questionnaires were randomly distributed to staff and students in four institutions of higher learning and later collected and analyzed (Ureigho, Oroke, & Ekruyota, 2006). It is possible to see a link between the research objective and the methodology taken as this study involved an in depth analysis of the impact of internet usage in institutions of higher learning. The most suitable approach to conduct this study was thus the case study methodology as it would lead to a lot of information about the problem in question. A focus group is an informal discussion among a group of selected individuals about a particular topic.

Sample Adolescence Movie Paper, school age , early childhood Essay

Sample Adolescence Movie Paper, school age , early childhood - Essay Example The school he attends has programs that allow the children who are of the same age to play together and avails toys for them to play with. They have several play sessions both indoors and outdoors so that they can be able to explore and develop in a wholesome manner. The different sessions in their daily routine are also punctuated by breaks that allow them to feed on snacks as well as have a chance to visit the bathroom. This breaks are scheduled in a regular manner so that the children are not engaged in a particularly activity for too long to make them lose their interest in it. Garvin is four years old and has dark soft hair with round eyes and a pale complexion. He seems like a social and outgoing boy who is not shy compared to the other children who are in his class. At the beginning of the observation, Garvin is standing next to a desk in class together with three other children while some tubs of blocks are on the table before them. Garvin carefully looks at the girl next to him as he stretches forward and picks a block from the table. He moves to the side of the table where the block is nearest to the edge and picks it before the girl could pick it and goes round the table to the spot where he was initially standing. This shows the development of a gender schema which can be said to be a cognitive framework that allows the organization of information that is relevant to gender therefore making children come up with rules concerning what is appropriate for girls and boys (Feldman 252). He starts rolling the block from one side of the table to the other and stretches to clear the items that were on the table so that he can show the rest of the children what he was doing. He continues doing this while making sure that they children who are with him at the table see what he is doing. Soon he moves around the room to find a different toy to play with and leaves the blocks for the children who were with him at the

Innovation Report on the Microwave Oven Essay Example for Free

Innovation Report on the Microwave Oven Essay The famous American inventor, Thomas Alva Edison, once said: â€Å"Anything that wont sell, I dont want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success. † His perception was precisely accurate even to date, as the success of any product depends on the demand for it in the market’s economy. Inventions have continuously been reconstructed in different ways stretching technology to new lengths, which has changed the way we live today. When comparing the lifestyle of people in today’s world with those in the past, it is easy to recognize the way in which technology has changed us as; we now rely on it to assist in everyday activities. One such technological device, which is currently relied upon by many is the microwave oven. It is common to have microwave ovens in many different kitchen atmospheres; such as restaurants, offices and homes. At present, it is safe to say most families, over 95% of American households, own a microwave oven. Many of which commented that this device is difficult or impossible to do without it (Remich, 2007). According to a report by Lukovitz (2009), the economic crisis had an impact upon many Americans, which led them to change the way, they ate. This change led to many people eating at home but not necessarily cooking their own food. As the microwave oven gained popularity among households, the objective of this essay is to examine the origins of the microwave ovens in addition to the impact it has on the consumers. During World War II there were numerous radar related research projects being undertaken. These investigations were carried about using magnetrons, a vacuum tube which can produce microwave radiation (Gallawa, 2009). The invention of the microwave oven was therefore classified as a by-product of another technology since this was the method in which it was created. Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer, a famous engineer with the Raytheon Corporation, was the first creator of the microwave oven in 1946 (Gallawa, 2009). While testing the vacuum tubing, Spencer realized the chocolate bar in his pocket melted and as such, he went on to experiment with popcorn, which popped, and finally with an egg, that exploded. A design was then fashioned to contain all the heat so as to cook food. This invention was to revolutionize the world of cooking from that day forward. Upon the early years of the product, microwave ovens were usually over five feet tall, weighed over 750 pounds and was priced at approximately $5000 each (Gallawa, 2009). A picture of such microwave ovens can be seen in figure one of the appendix. These microwave ovens needed plumbing upon assemble as the magnetron tube had to be water-cooled. During those years, the oven was not very popular; however, Raytheon Corporations thought differently and carried on to invest into the product. As the years went by, the improvements made the microwave oven more reliable and lightweight. Developments of new air-cooled magnetron were also undertaken eliminating the need for a plumber (Gallawa, 2009). As the microwave oven became recognized throughout the food industry, for less wastage and cutting costs, there were also new applications for their usage. Some industries used the microwave oven for drying potato chips, roasting coffee beans and other drying applications (Gallawa, 2009). The microwave oven was therefore becoming popular among many as the usage of it became endless. As with all great technologies, there is always room for improvement within the market and this is what was happening to the microwave oven. Thus enter the era of compact microwave ovens. Two years after Raytheon Manufacturing Company acquired Amana Refrigeration, they introduced the line of compact microwave ovens. Introduced in 1967 these compact microwave ovens, called the Radarange, were a countertop model priced at $495 (SMECC, 2007). An image of these compact microwave ovens can be seen in figure two of the appendix. This microwave oven also had similar effects upon the market as it was not popular and the company was not getting the sales it deserves as yet. According to Gallawa (2009), the first time the microwave oven sales exceeded those of gas ranges is in 1975. From this point onwards it was expected that sales of the microwave ovens would continue to increase especially in the next year. At present, microwave ovens come in many different styles and sizes adapting to the needs of the consumer. For instance some persons may prefer a convection microwave oven with a feature, which saves energy while others may choose a built in microwave oven to compliment their kitchen decor. Upon the invention of any product, there have been changes and modifications for improve its reliability in addition to adapting to the needs of the consumers. When emphasizing the change and innovation upon inventions created, Joseph Schumpeter (1934) made the following thesis; ‘They have employed existing means of production differently, more appropriately, more adventurously. They have â€Å"carried out new combinations†. They are entrepreneurs’ (Lumsdaine and Binks 2007). This interpretation attempts to explain the definition of an entrepreneur and analyzes them to be anyone who can make change upon an invention. Dr. Percy LeBaron Spencer can therefore be classed as an entrepreneur along the definitions of Joseph Schumpeter. He continued by explaining these changes can be categorized into two groups; discrete and gradual changes. The innovation of the microwave oven is a discrete change as there was no previous invention like this before its introduction to be compared to in the market. All associated risks involved with this type of change were experienced in the introduction of the microwave oven. As mentioned earlier, when the first microwave ovens were introduced, they were not popular and as such sales were not appealing (Gallawa 2009). The shareholders took a risk and continued the investments into the product. These risks were high and if there the innovation of the microwave oven was to be a failure this could have incurred large losses within the company. There was also a risk involved whether consumers would change their perspective about the use of microwave ovens within their homes. According to Gallawa (2009), there were many fears and myths about the use of microwave ovens as consumers thought they could make one blind or a person may die from the radiation poisoning. These fears and myths were the sole cause of the unfavorable reaction to the microwave oven in the earlier years. As these myths were tested to be false and fears were being overcome, consumes started to see the benefits of using the microwave oven. Reusch (2008) lists some of these advantages such as saving time in preparing meals, conservation of nutrition values in foods compared to using the stovetop, and it is easy to be cleaned. Thus, consumers began to purchase the microwave oven as a necessary kitchen appliance in the home. Even thought the stovetop is still the most popular cooking device among Americans, its usage has dropped from 53% in 1985 to 33% in 2009 (Lukovitz, 2009). Having gained a large consumer base over the years, the usage of the microwave oven has had a continuous increasing rate. Many companies have recognized the growing use of the microwave oven and as such they have prepared foods that are fully prepared by them. These foods range from pre-cooked entrees to organic and natural foods. Some foods may be packaged in a single serving meal pack that is easy to transport and prepare. Most of them also have a high nutritional value that can appeal to many persons whom are concerned about their health whilst eating good tasting and smelling foods. The use of microwave ovens has come a long way throughout its history. Starting off with an unfavorable initial reaction, the microwave oven has gained its reputation and is now a common way of preparing food. This was mainly due to its time saving feature in which it can cook foods as many people are working longer hours. The reputation gained from the microwave oven has also made it difficult for persons to go back to the original way of cooking and preparing foods. Many people of today’s age would prefer to use the microwave oven over any other cooking appliance. This is one kitchen appliance, which is considered a necessity to many people around the world. In conclusion, the innovation of the microwave oven was a successful invention that changed the way in which we prepared food.

Siddhartha Essay on Enlightenment

Siddhartha Essay on Enlightenment Siddhartha, a man looking for enlightenment, was able to find it among a river. It took Siddhartha many years and several failed attempts to obtain his own personal enlightenment. His first attempt was to explore the traditional religious path to enlightenment. Siddhartha realized that the religious scripts were not how he was going to find enlightenment. Next, he decided that he would become a Samana to attempt to obtain enlightenment. This also proved a futile attempt and he eventually fled the Samana lifestyle. After that did not work, he went to the Buddha in hope that he could help with his journey to enlightenment. Once again, Siddhartha was unable to find or even further his quest to enlightenment. Siddhartha would now become a worker to see if this could put him on the right path to enlightenment. This effort would also prove to be a vain attempt as it pushed him further away from his goal than ever. After this attempt, Siddhartha believed that there was no way to achieve enl ightenment and began to believe that his life was meaningless. When all was looking down and he was beginning to give up, Siddhartha wandered into a man named Vasuveda, a ferryman. It was this river, with its calming sound and natural beauty, in which Siddhartha obtained enlightenment. Siddhartha attempted to accept the way to enlightenment as described by religious text, but the restrictions were too many and he rejected their ideas. Siddharthas father attempted to pressure his son into accepting the religious texts ideas, but Siddhartha knew better. One must find the source within ones own self, one must possess it. This quote comes from Siddharthas youth and he states that one must find their own path to enlightenment. After realizing that his fathers religious text was not going to lead him to enlightenment, he decided to try and find enlightenment elsewhere. Siddhartha chose to leave his family and he decided that he would attempt to obtain enlightenment as a Samana. Siddhartha left to become a Samana during his quest for enlightenment. He lost his Self a thousand times and for days on end he dwelt in nonbeing. This quote speaks of how Siddhartha became a Samana and he felt that in fasting and prayer that he was becoming numb and, with each consecutive day, that he was furthering himself from his goal of reaching enlightenment. Siddhartha practiced self-denial and meditation according to the Samana rules. While a Samana, he chose to fast for days and weeks upon end without food or water. Siddhartha began to feel that he was living a pointless life and that he was wasting precious time. What is meditation? What is abandonment of the body? What is fasting? What is the holding of breath? Siddhartha asked these questions to Govinda when he began to realize that the Samana ways of life were not going to bring him to enlightenment. Siddhartha realized that the Samana ways of life were actually pulling him further away from his journey to enlightenment. This is when Siddhartha realized that a change was in order. After this failure, he fled the Samana way of life and became a follower of the Buddha. Siddhartha realized that he needed to find another way to attempt enlightenment. He found this new way in the Buddhas teachings. Siddhartha went to the Buddha expecting to learn something that would promote his quest towards enlightenment. However, it did not take Siddhartha long to understand that the Buddhas teachings were just useless words. After listening to Gotama Buddha, Siddhartha realizes that enlightenment cannot be taught or learned but can only be achieved through personal experience. This quote exemplifies the thought that Siddhartha cannot truly learn anything from the Buddha as all he can give him are words. Siddhartha, after speaking with the Buddha, believes that he must obtain enlightenment through actions, not words. Nirvana is not a thing, there is only the word Nirvana. Siddhartha said this to Govinda when he realized that the Buddhas teachings could not further his knowledge or help him on his way to enlightenment. Siddhartha has discovered that comforting secre t that a teacher is unnecessary. This quote occurs when Siddhartha realizes that the Buddha, or any teacher, cannot further him on his quest to enlightenment. Siddhartha leaves the Buddhas words behind and travels to find another way. Siddhartha travels along his way and comes upon a woman named Kamala. Siddhartha feels that he may be able to help him along his path to enlightenment. Kamala is where Siddhartha learns sensual pleasure. Kamala derails Siddhartha from his Siddhartha, on the brink of death, finds the fountain of youth in a mere river. Siddharthas only goal was to become empty of everything. Siddhartha wished to become empty and then he would be reborn, enlightened. He is dissatisfied with the ritual and the worship of the Gods. Siddhartha, at this point, was disgruntled with everyone elses teaching and the river was different. The river was the one place he could go and listen, but there was no teaching to be heard. The river held no biases and told not of how to obtain enlightenment, but instead it taught Siddhartha that all he had to do to obtain enlightenment is to listen. The new Siddhartha felt a deep love for this flowing water and decided that he would not leave it again so quickly. This quote comes after Siddhartha had attempted to commit suicide in the river. Siddhartha realized that the river had given him new life and he needed to use it carefully. After he awoke from his sleep, he realized how beautiful the river was and ho w simplistic it was. Siddhartha was enlightened because he now desired to live a simple life and his desire for enlightenment was gone. That is it, said Siddhartha, and when I learned that, I reviewed my life and it was also a river, and Siddhartha the boy, Siddhartha the mature man, and Siddhartha the old man, were separated by shadows, not through reality This quote states that Siddhartha realizes that his life is just like a river, every moment is not separated by reality. Instead every moment is merely separated by shadows, or minute moments. This realization is one of the keys to obtaining enlightenment.