Philosophy Essay Deontology

Philosophy 101 Midterm Essay Number One Friday October 19th 2012 Deontology Immanuel Kant’s deontological moral theory provides a strong base for making correct decisions and is a better ethics system than Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that is attributed to philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. Utilitarianism is a theory holding that the proper course of action is one which maximizes happiness for the majority. [2]It is considered a ‘consequentialist’ philosophical view because it holds the belief that outcomes can be predicted based on the course of actions.Utilitarianism is another way of stating ‘the end justifying the means. ’ Deontologists argue that the means of ones’ actions should be ethical regardless of the outcome contrasting to utilitarianism where the outcomes must benefit the majority. [3]Deontology demands that ethical norms be used with the belief tha t there are transcendent ethical norms and truths that are universally applicable for all. Deontology reinforces that actions can be immoral regardless of their outcome because the actions made can be wrong in themselves. Through this Kant uses ‘a categorical imperative’ meaning one must act morally at all times.Kant believes that all people base their moral conclusions on their rational thought. Thus, deontology is another way of stating ‘the means justifying the end. ’ Suppose an evil villain holds you and four others hostage and instructs you to kill one of the four hostages and if you chose not to do this, the villain will kill every one. You have no doubts about the reality of the villains’ treats therefore you fully believe that he will do what he says he will. This leaves you with two options. The first option is to kill one of the four and save the lives of the other three as well as yourself.From a utilitarian perspective one would come to t he conclusion that they must kill the one person because in the end, it has the most beneficial outcome for all. (the most people leave the scene alive) In contrast, deontologists would conclude that you should not kill the one person because killing people is wrong as a universal moral truth. How do we know what is right? Utilitarianism is justifiable in a sense where it considers the pain and pleasure of every individual affected by a particular action or situation. [4] It also considers every individual as an equal and does not permit a person to put their interests above anything else.Utilitarianism also attempts to provide an objective method of making moral decisions. However, utilitarianism cannot assign a significant measure to all pains and pleasures considering that some pains and pleasures cannot or should not be measured such as the life of an individual. Through suggesting that the ‘ends justify the means; would lying or cheating be considered ethical if the outco me is positive? Suppose a person murders another and gets away with it. Would this be considered ethical in the sense where in the end his outcome is positive because he gets away with it?Utilitarianism assumes that outcomes can always be determined before an action is put in place. Outcomes, however are unpredictable, making utilitarianism fundamentally flawed: it is impossible to predict the outcomes of one’s actions with absolute certainty. Thus one can argue that utilitarianism can evolve into a dangerous moral case where people can justify evil actions on the belief that the outcome is beneficial for all (in the case where the other hostages as well as yourself get away alive) or positive (where one gets away with lying and cheating).Furthermore, assuming the population would not feel guilt in their actions and that the unhappiness of the minority would be less than the happiness of the majority, but one must remember that it is net consequences not just who is happiest. Deontological theories do have their pitfalls. For instance, it is not always clear how to rank moral duties because they can at times be insoluble. [5] In the example of telling the truth to fulfill a moral duty, it could lead a person to tell a murderer where to find an intended victim.Showing that one set of rules cannot account for every scenario leaving people without guidance in some moral decisions. Despite these drawbacks, deontological theories hold that human beings have a moral obligation to follow certain principles. Through Kant’s ‘categorical imperative’, human beings are required to treat others ethically, morally and fairly. [6] This allows people to evaluate what they are doing and it permits them to go above and beyond the basic requirements of the rules: lending a helping hand.Deontology is a more applicable theory because forces human beings to better themselves; ‘to treat others the way you would want to be treated. ’ It is cons idered to be a ‘non-consequentialist’ moral theory because deontologists assert the righteousness of an action as not simply defined on the beneficial outcome of the majority but the morality of the action and if that action is morally acceptable. It demands that actions be ethical. Deontologists do not necessarily have universal claims, but rather absolute claims and it recognizes that actions can be wrong regardless of their results. In the example of killing people to save people, killing people is still ethically wrong. ) A deontologist would argue that one can only be responsible for ones’ own actions and not the actions of others. In this example you are only responsible for your decision to kill one person since the villain is ultimately the one making the unethical choice to kill the rest of the prisoners. Even though killing the one person would maximize the good of the majority there is something ethically wrong.Through this, deontology recognizes that utilitarianism does not respect rights and is too destructive because it disregards all morals. In order for utilitarianism to work, the minority must suffer while the majority thrives, leading to great sacrifice to maximize the â€Å"good of all†. [7]Deontological ethics capture the features of virtue because, in a sense it is simply a theory of our moral duties. While moral theories like utilitarianism speak of happiness as the ultimate goal of morality, deontology instead focuses on what we need to do be worthy of that happiness.Utilitarianism can lead a person to calculate utility in situations where one should not, making utilitarianism flawed in comparison to deontology because utilitarianism does not assert the rightness of an action on what is ethically acceptable. [8] Focusing on the majority regardless of the minority makes utilitarianism not applicable. Even if we wanted to put utilitarianism into effect, we would not be able to because there is no practical measur e of utility. Whether that measure is pleasure, happiness or the object of desire, the outcome is not the same for all, therefore it is not applicable. To the contrary, deontology there are thical norms applicable to all because people come to moral conclusions about what is right or wrong based on their innate human rationality. ———————– [1] Moral Absolutism: Deontology and Religious Morality November 3, 2010 Jacques Rousseau http://synapses. co. za/moral-absolutism-deontology-religious-morality/ [2] The History of Utilitarianism Friday, March 27 2009 Julia Driver http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/utilitarianism-history/ [3] Consilient Inductions Friday, August 22, 2010 Jeff Smith http://consilientinductions. blogspot. ca/2010/08/one-thing-begats-another. html [4] Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill (1863)Chapter 2 What Utilitarianism Is http://www. marxists. org/reference/archive/mill-john-stuart/1863/utility/ch02. htm [5] P ros & Cons of Ethical Theories Eric Dontigney http://www. ehow. com/info_8404891_pros-cons-ethical-theories. html [6] Kant’s Normative Ethics Richmound Journal of Philosophy June 2012, Brad Hooker http://www. richmond-philosophy. net/rjp/back_issues/rjp1_hooker. pdf [7] Moral Theory Royal College, John McMillan PhD http://www. royalcollege. ca/portal/page/portal/rc/resources/bioethics/primers/moral_theory [8] The Challenges of Utilitarianism and Relativism Andrew Heard, 1997 http://www. sfu. ca/~aheard/417/util. html

Microenvironment in australia

First of all we would have to define microenvironment as those properties over which organizations have control or elements which they have that enables them gain information on their marketing operations. This is to say that, information gotten can be used to provide an improved customer service because the purpose of this study is to make profits through customer satisfaction. Manipulations are made in ways to achieve the objective of the organization. In other words, we can say that micro environment provides the force with which organizations act towards customer satisfaction; any change in any of these forces would lead to the re-studying of the marketplace. Nevertheless, the issue behind this study is to check how it affects retailing in the food industry in Australia and it is one of the factors that are considered when it comes to food retailing. HOW MICROENVIRONMENT IN AUSTRALIA AFFECTS FOOD RETAILILNG Food retailing in Australia is a fast growing one and it is no doubt that industries are seeking better way to meet up with customer satisfaction. This is the driving force behind the carrying out of consumer research. Microenvironment in Australia has affected food retailing to a great state. Competition: One of the effects is that it made the industry to be very competitive. Organizations are doing everything in their power to make sure that they stay in touch with their customers. As the competition increases, there are more advantages to the customers. Consumer Voice: It has created room where customers could provide feedback on a particular product or company. This study, gives organization ideas on how to restructure their services towards customers. Quality Output: Microenvironment in Australia has made organizations to increase the quality of output being rendered to consumers. Consumers are able to have access to quality products. Provision of Threat Analysis: Microenvironment also provides organizations possible threats in the market place that would reduce their profit or rate at which consumers purchasing their products. One of those threats is threats that could come from products that consumers can comfortably use as a substitute to their products. Checking threats that could also come from rival organizations and threat. This study also enables the study of the bargaining power of both suppliers and consumers. Mode of Distribution: Microenvironment has also provided a better form of distribution. Giving a better idea of the networks to be followed in other to make sure that products reach the final customer. The modes of distributive market place change from time to time but in a very slow way. Therefore the inability of organization to recognize these changing factors would affect their mode of distribution. MACROENVIRONMENT IN AUSTRALIA Coming to macro environment, we would provide a definition so as to give us a better understanding of the topic. Another word that can be best used to define macro environment is environmental scanning and environmental scanning can be said to be the concept of a business management use by business organizations to gather in formations in other to have a better competitive advantage. There is a need for organizations to gather information from environmental canning by hanging the plans and strategies for the aim of gaining advantage. Scanning can be carried out in different modes and reason. There could be a requirement for market study due to arising emergency cases. Studies could also be done on a regular base, perhaps once a year and also on a continuous basis. The results gotten from this studies allow the organization to act quickly, be the first to take action before their competitors recognize an opportunity and also respond to any environmental threats. Macro environment also has to do with wider studies of factors of organization and how it affects their day-to-day operation. These factors are: The political and legal environment: For some food retailing, political and legal concerns are put in mind by companies. Political issues and legal issues arising in Australia affect the mode of food retailing. The policies made by the government on imports on raw materials also affect the price of some food products. The economic environment: the issues behind economic factors are of great concerns to firm because it states the price of food products. When the economic status of a community is low, it reduces the purchasing power. That is why the economic factors is likely related and dependent on political and legal factors. The socio-cultural environment: This is a very dynamic part of study in macro environment because it has to do with changing properties of a consumer. These changes can be taste, priorities and purchasing behavior. Knowing the particular type of products need by customers on a social period and needs according to beliefs and cultural practices. The technological environment: Technological factor put into the products determines the mode of retail. These areas could be technology for production and logistics. The affects food retailing. RELATION BETWEEN 4Ps AND FOOD RETAILING First of all we would have to look into organizational marketing. There to main types of marketing and there are known as: Strategic marketing: This is the attempts made by organization on how   the level of competition in the market place.this is with the aims at generating a competitive advantage relative to its competitors. Operational marketing: This is the strategy that deals with the satisfaction of customers and increasing the value gotten from them, as well as to satisfy the customer with prompt services and meeting the customer expectations. It is in the area that we hve to talk about the 4Ps. 4Ps in the world of marketing is stands for: Product: This is the area of marketing that deals with the type of products and how it relates and benefits the intending consumers, checking if it meets up with their expectation and satisfaction. This area carries properties like guaranties and warranties and after sales support. The area of products says a lot on food retailing because it states the particular kind of products that would be provided for the consumers. It states the products that are higher in demand and aids organizations produce these substitute products with better properties in other to compete with organizations are also in the same market place. Price: This is where we talk about setting a price for the product and also not forgetting about discounts. This usually comes classified in monetary forms and any other modes that can be used in exchanging good and services. Pricing a product is also another factor that goes with food retailing. This tells the price that is both comfortable for both the company and the consumer to purchase and own the products. Promotion: These are the steps taken to promote products, brand or company. Possible ways could be through advertising of the product, sales promotion, and creating publicity on the product, brand or company, personal selling or branding. Promotion increases the awareness of products to consumers. It makes them to understand the type of products and its contents and qualities. It also creates the awareness of it availability and products location. So I believe that this part of the 4Ps has a lot to do with food retailing. Placement: This area determines how a product gets to the final consumers. In other words, we are talking about distribution, place the product here it could be of a better reach to the customer and a place where it would bring about revenue to the organization. Placement does a lot to food retailing by stating various factors that leads to the success of the products sale. It dictates the level of penetration in the market, stating how many stores that have the products in them. It also gives types of outlets and channels to use. It gives an idea on the level of competition in the marketplace and also aids the geographical factors. These 4Ps have a lot to do when it comes to food retailing. This is because there alter the rate and mode in which food retailing takes. CONLUSION In conclusion of this whole issue, they is a great level of competition in the food industry marketplace and companies are applying effort to gain a competitive advantages over other competitors. Ways, which are used, are studies carried out through microenvironment and macro environment. These studies gives them better ideas on how to stay in contact with their customers and increase the rate of purchase from them. Microenvironment, deals with the issue of consumer studies and development of better ways to increase the rate of service and satisfaction rendered to them in the food industry. Macro environment deals with wider studies on higher factors that affect food retailing. Such factors are the political and legal environment, the economic environment, the socio-cultural environment and, the technological environment. The study of theses factors and environment contributes to the direction which food retailing follows. REFERENCES Brandenburger, A.M. and Nalebuff, B.J. (1995), â€Å"The Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy†, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug, pp.57-71 Coyne, K.P. and Sujit Balakrishnan (1996), â€Å"Bringing discipline to strategy†, The McKinsey Quarterly, No.4 Grant, R.M. (2005), â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis†, Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Oxford (U.K.), 2005 Porter, M.E. (1979) â€Å"How competitive forces shape strategy†, Harvard Business Review, March/April 1979. Porter, M.E. (1980) â€Å"Competitive Strategy†, The Free Press, New York, 1980. Porter, M.E. (1985) â€Å"Competitive Advantage†, The Free Press, New York, 1985. Hunger, J. David & Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003) â€Å"Essentials of Strategic Management†. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.   

Evening News Essay

News is information or a presentation about current events and is reported by a variety of means such as newspapers, periodicals, radio, television and websites on the Internet. The reporting of news falls into the field of journalism, which are typically written or broadcast in news style. Most news is investigated and presented by journalists and can be distributed to various sites via news agencies. On the other hand, according to a web encyclopedia, â€Å"Short for Web log, a blog is a Web page that serves as a publicly accessible personal journal for an individual. Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.†(par. 1). A blog is a mixture of a person’s experiences in life and what is happening on the Web. It is like a kind of a personal diary-cum-guide site. There are unique types of people, thus, there are as many unique types of blogs as well. In another case, a blog is also a web site that contains dated entries in reverse chronological order (most recent first) about a particular topic. Functioning as an online newsletter, blogs can be written by one person or a group of contributors. Entries contain commentary and links to other Web sites, and images as well as a search facility is also included. Most blogs also invite feedback and comments from visitors and Internet newsgroup discussions, which tend to be more question-and-answer oriented. People have already maintained blogs before but it only gained momentum in 1999 when automated published systems were introduced. Nowadays, thousands of people use web site blog hosting services to simplify and accelerate the publishing process. The template-based software makes it easy to create an online blog and continuously allows you to add entries. Similarly like news, a blog   is a form of media. However, news is considered a traditional media while blog is connoted as internet type of media. It is a platform to communicate what anyone may wish to let anyone know within reach of an internet connection. In traditional media, you are first defined by your medium. There is some constraint on how the contents are delivered physically or digitally which is determined by your medium. According to Maverick blog article, â€Å"There is a cost versus time versus interest versus access series of constraints that determines who your audience is, how you reach them and what they expect of you. Over time, those constraints have evolved our media into very defined roles†(par. 3). Blogs are different. There is no cost constraint. It costs nothing to create a blog. There are time constraints, but much less than traditional media. Bloggers are not pressured   to publish or create an article on a schedule. Blogging is basically personal and this is where the paths of blogging and traditional media diverge. Traditional media is business, thus it has become exclusively corporate while blogging remains almost exclusively personal. However, some bloggers have started to make money from their blogs but what they put in their blogs is all up to them which gives them satisfaction.   Members of traditional media are employees. They get hired for a specific job and they have to do that job. They get hired by a corporation that is most likely public, which means that their employers are concerned in getting their stock price up above all else. Thus, they write news and articles that is dictated by subjects perceived to make more money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In comparison to mainstream media, blog gives anyone the freedom to write about anything. They can write opinion. They can report facts. They can ask questions. They can write any topics they want. Individual Web surfers post their own eclectic and varied thoughts. Still, others such as known political parties, religious and professional groups, businesses, and media organizations have created their own blog sites too. A report by Snow states that, â€Å"audience for blogs in general is more than 3.5 million strong, and growing. One group that surveys political blogs believes between 20,000 and 25,000 people are regularly talking about political topics on Weblogs. These days people from every corner of the country are finding each other on screen. The impact of all this dialogue is hard to gauge, but it is clearly shaping politics and media coverage†(par. 16-18). Wright also presented that â€Å"Blogging grew from the ground up as a grassroots effort. What started as a few people conversing about common interests via real-time Internet postings has become a continuous conversation among millions of   bloggers and readers. With millions of bloggers expressing their thoughts, experiences, and information they’ve learned in their fields of interest, this medium has become a worldwide forum†(3). Another interesting development of blog in comparison to traditional media is that even news agencies have created their own section termed newsblogs. Auty argues that â€Å"newsblogs supplement and work alongside traditional news media by filtering and reporting news. She praises the growth of personal diaries and eyewitness accounts (such as those that sprung up after 9/ 11) but overall sees blogs as being a new way of distributing and collecting the news rather than a new source of news itself†(341). The rapid pace of technology is changing the nature of blogs as well. The popularity of digital audio players such as the iPod has spurred the growth of blogs with audio content. People can download a wide range of audio files like music and listen to them at their convenience using a PC or a portable media player. The rapid adoption in the use of cell phones with built-in digital cameras and wireless Internet connections is also changing the face and pace of blogging. Bloggers armed with these tools can snap a picture, writes a short caption and then post it on a â€Å"moblog† or mobile log, regardless of time and place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, with these conveniences brought about by blogging and the personal satisfaction they give on people, it is not surprising that future generations will no longer subscribe to traditional media. As Wright argues, â€Å"blogs have the power to create businesses, change the course of political history, and transform the way the mainstream or traditional media looks at itself.†(2). BIBLIOGRAPHY Auty, Caroline(Editor). Politics and Government in the Age of the Internet. Bradford, , UK: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2005. p 341. Blogging Vs. Traditional Media. Blog Maverick Website. May 13, 2006. 27 Oct. 2006 Snow, Kate. The Power of the Blog. ABC News website. Sept. 26, 2004. 27 Oct. 2006 Webopedia. The No. 1 Online Encyclopedia dedicated to Computer Technology. 26 Oct. 2006 Wright, Jeremy. Blog Marketing. Blacklick, OH, USA: McGraw-Hill Companies, The, 2005. p 2-3.   

Aviation Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aviation Safety - Assignment Example The twelve human factors associated with accidents have been dubbed the Dirty Dozen model. Gordon Dupont, in 1993, came up with this concept while working in Canada and initiated a human performance in airplane maintenance and training programs. This has since served as a keystone of human factors in airplane maintenance. Although the Dirty Dozen does not provide the most comprehensive list of factors that underlie airplane accidents, it offers a useful starting point to discuss the human error in crises and mishaps. Dirty Dozen has model has led to increased concern in human errors behind airline accidents (Wise et al. 2011). Indeed, by addressing human factors, airlines are becoming safer by the day. This paper presents an analysis of the Dirty Dozen model in connection to the Alaska Airline’s accident, which left passengers and crewmembers in flight 261 dead. This paper also shows the role that this model plays in preventing airline accidents. Alaska Airlines reported a serious accident on 31 January 2000 when McDonnell Douglas, flight 261, crashed and killed 83 passengers, 2 pilots and 3 crewmembers. The accident that occurred in the Pacific Ocean around 4.3 kilometers parts of Anacapa Island left the plane completely damaged because of the impact. Flying from Diaz to California, Flight 261 was to have several stops that complied with aviation regulations. Visual weather-related situations prevailed for the airline as shown by meteorological flight instruments. A thorough investigation followed the accident, and the National Transportation Safety Board presented the possible cause of the mishap (NTSB 2000). An analysis of the National Transportation Safety Board showed that the possible because of an airplane crash was a loss of the pitch control for the aircraft.

Major Competitors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Major Competitors - Essay Example Smith & White maintains several strengths as a multi-national company. First, the business has a well-diversified product line including professional and consumer products which provide for higher sales revenue from multiple, international consumers. The company’s brand strategy is also a significant strength due to the unified brand messages which gives S&W dominant market share globally. The company further has already established brand equity, which means that customers recognize the company brand names and many prefer them. This gives the company powerful marketing edge. S&W products also have a quality reputation in the retail sales environment as Big Box retailers stock its products which give them more selling exposure. Weaknesses at S&W include financial issues such as costs associated with high labor in areas where old manufacturing plants are still being utilized. There is also market confusion regarding consumer and professional products, meaning that the two categories of products are not being distinguished or differentiated properly. Distributors also create weaknesses because the ones which S&W uses have a dominant position in the supply chain and take advantage of this position. The company’s sheer size, also, creates weaknesses for the company as it is not able to respond quickly enough or efficiently enough when rapid changes are occurring in the market. The cordless market is also growing quickly, however S&W does not have a very big market presence in the cordless product area, making this another weakness at the company. There are many opportunities for S&W, the first of which is to begin focusing areas of the business on the development of cordless professional and consumer products to gain a larger presence and earn higher revenues there. Secondly, S&W maintains opportunities to develop an appropriate rapid change training and development seminar to allow staff

Criminal Behavior - A discussion of theories Term Paper

Criminal Behavior - A discussion of theories - Term Paper Example Accordingly, Mr. Gacy was dubbed the â€Å"Clown Killer† by the American media and his unsavory celebrity grew as his trial for multiple murders gripped the nation. Seeking to understand the particularly heinous crimes of Mr. John Wayne Gacy, this brief research paper will discuss the life and times of this violent murderer, the crimes he was charged with and the various impacts of his crime on our society. Following this complete overview of the crimes of John Wayne Gacy, this paper will discuss how two different criminological theorists would have viewed the crime as well as the causes of the crime. In sum, we will conclude with a discussion of where the perpetrator is now and the controversies surrounding his punishment (Bell and Bardsley 2009). John Wayne Gacy was born during the height of the Second World War during the relative tranquility of suburban Chicago and was the second of three children. It was reported that his father was both physically and mentally abusive as the young Gacy grew up in a strict Polish-Danish household. Teased about being overweight and supposedly demonstrating feminine characteristics as a young boy, John Wayne Gacy faced a series of challenges growing up. His scholastic record was shoddy and although he became a somewhat successful businessman, his previous academic record gave no indication that Mr. Gacy would achieve much financial success in life. As a young man who had dropped out of school and ventured to Las Vegas to win a livelihood, John Wayne Gacy married the first woman who paid him any attention, the unsuspecting Marlynn Myers. A daughter of wealthy parents and franchise owners of multiple KFC outlets in Chicago and the mid-west, the Myers entrusted John Wayne Gacy with the managem ent of their fast-food outlets following his marriage to their daughter in 1964. Moving to Waterloo, Iowa to manage one of the family KFC restaurants, Gacy and his wife

The Bound between Corruption and Guanxi in the Chinese Society Coursework

The Bound between Corruption and Guanxi in the Chinese Society - Coursework Example The current state of literature provides an insight into what Guanxi is and how it works. Understanding the meaning of Guanxi is of vital importance for everyone who seeks to look deeper into the significance of corruption in the Chinese business system. Surprisingly or not, different authors provide different meanings of the term Guanxi. However, these differences are natural and even anticipated, given the complexity of the Guanxi concept and the multitude of meanings which it comprises. According to Chatterjee, Pearson, and Nie, the Chinese definition of Guanxi is hard to translate in one phrase – countless meanings are included in it, and it is fairly considered as one of the most impactful phrases in Chinese business contexts. However, it is possible to say that Guanxi can be roughly divided into the three basic groups of meanings: first, Guanxi presupposes the development of a relationship between people with a similar status; second, relevant and continuous connections between people; and third, contacts with people with little or no direct interactions. For the Chinese people, Guanxi exemplifies a type of special relationships in which one person needs something and another person has something to give. Guanxi is a highly dynamic form of relations between business people in China. Furthermore, even if a person who has resources and opportunities to solve a problem enters a Guanxi relationship, he (she) is not obliged to solve such a problem or respond to another individual’s request. Third, Guanxi is not a continuous phenomenon but emerges only the moment a person needs another person to do something important or solve some problem. Finally, Guanxi is almost always a sequence of previously planned activities aimed to resolve a business or personal issue. Here, western managers and people come to view Guanxi as a form of corruption, as long as such activities and relations may range from a simple meal together to giving gifts or doing favors. Â  However, whether Guanxi can be considered as a form of corruption remains a difficult question.

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT - Research Paper Example Myrrh possesses effective antimicrobial activity, which is why it has been used in the treatment of many diseases. The other substance used in natural wound healing is the propolis, which is collected by bees Apis mellifera from trees. It has antimicrobial, antiulcer, anti-oxidative and antitumor. Traditional wound care has shown excellent results since they support the scientific that a most environment helps the healing process. II. Natural wound care methods entail the stimulating of the body to produce hormones and cells to help in the healing process. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an example of a natural wound care method. It involves the inhalation of pure oxygen at three times the normal pressure. Blood carries the pure oxygen all over the body. It helps in fighting bacteria and stimulating angiogenesis. It promotes the release of stem cells and growth factors. Matrix therapy with OTR4120 also helps stimulates growth factors to speed up the process of healing. The OTR4120 helps in restoring the natural cell microenvironment, which aids in preventing an impaired wound healing process (Tong, et al., 2012). It helps the healing process by support an intrinsic regeneration of tissues. It corrects the factors that disturb the wound healing process. III. The healing of wounds in diabetes is done using many methods. The process can use traditional wound care practices that use honey, propolis, myrrh and other products with medicinal properties. Honey and propolis helps in speeding up the healing process for diabetes patients (Loft, Badra, W., & Alenzi, 2015). However, additional clinical evidence is required to determine the effectiveness of honey in clinical settings. In the use of honey, the MPH paste was applied to aid in the treatment of deep wounds. The natural methods of the healing of diabetes wounds are hyperbaric oxygen therapy and matrix therapy with OTR4120. According to research, both methods

Career Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Career Plan - Essay Example These alterations have further attracted the focus of the career planners towards issues concerning the regular job hours, stress level on-the-job, remunerations, growth opportunities as well as versatility in the job responsibilities. Following the determination of these aspects on the basis of the academic skills, cognitive competencies and economic abilities of the candidate, the career path is selected (Fogg, Harrington and Harrington 21-30). Considering these issues, I wish to select my career option as a corporate lawyer. However, owing to the fact that the industrial contexts are rapidly changing which might alter the attributes which I had considered when selecting upon the career option of a corporate lawyer, I have decided the job role of a law professor as my second career option. This paper will therefore attempt to discuss upon my career choices and their attributes which should be taken into concern when developing myself as a prospective candidate for the intended job positions. The strong inspirations to influence me for considering about corporate lawyer as a career option have been my family and friends who knew people from a similar career. Even the friends who were associated with businesses advised me to take up the option as a worthy career choice after identifying my skills and hard-working nature. Contextually, after reviewing various articles and consulting with my professors along with the people whom my friends knew as corporate lawyers, I was able to understand that the job responsibilities in relation to this particular career is quite challenging. Undoubtedly, the sustenance as well as the legal viability of a corporate entity relies upon the shoulders and competitiveness of the lawyer which further determines the livelihood of many people. I also observed that corporate lawyers in today’s highly competitive scenario need to handle multiple deals at once, which further creates

Learning Organizations Essay Example for Free

Learning Organizations Essay 1. 1 Executive summary/ L. O! In times of uncertainty and change, organizations need new and effective managerial tools in order to cope with the rising competitiveness of markets. In this context, the concept of organizational learning is receiving growing attention among both managerial and academic surroundings in the last two decades. Among many possible definitions of a Learning Organization, David A. Garvin, a leading scholar in this field, suggests the following: â€Å"an organization made up of employees skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge. These people could help their firms cultivate tolerance, foster open discussion, and think holistically and systemically. Such learning organizations would be able to adapt to the unpredictable more quickly than their competitors could. †. A learning organization is aimed at increasing the flexibility and effectiveness of a company, making it react faster to changes in a competitive environment. This is achieved in cultures who constantly foster knowledge inside their organizations. Although this general idea of organizational learning may appear rather simplistic at first glance, its practical integration into day-to-day operations proves to require a more refined, systematic approach: â€Å"Generative learning cannot be sustained in an organization where event thinking predominates. It requires a conceptual framework of â€Å"structural† or systematical thinking, the ability to discover structural causes of behaviorâ€Å". This paper provides a deeper insight into the implementation and performance assessment of learning organizations (L. O. ’s), mainly using the Three Building Blocks Model outlined by Garvin, Edmondson Gino. To better understand this concept, the work will rely on Xerox as an example to highlight how L. O. ’s can provide competitive advantages to corporations. In the last section, the paper will also breakdown the effect that learning organizations have on major stakeholders (leaders, employees and organization itself). 1. 2. Introduction: Background to Xerox Xerox is a US-based multinational, founded in 1906, which produces and sales printers and photocopiers and provides related services. Throughout it’s history, Xerox has faced several crisis periods which ended up pushing the company to become a Learning Organization. Around 1980, the company was hit hard by the emergence of new japanese players on the market and lost its almost 100% market share. As a response Xerox introduced the â€Å"leadership through quality initiative† with the objective of training every employee in tools for generating ideas and collecting information, solving problems in a systematical way, reaching consensus etc. â€Å"Xerox became a case study — the first American group to win back market share from the Japanese†. More recently, in the year of 2000, with the announcement of Anne M. Mulcahy as CEO of the company, XEROX’s was able to overcome another serious crisis. Mulcahy’s leadership style, which mirrors many of the strategies suggested by the LO literature, managed to turn around this †sinking ship†, which had 19 billion in debt, a falling stock and double-digit negative growth. In 5 years time, Xerox would be profitable again. Ursula Burns has continued Mulcahy’s work, since becoming the new CEO in 2009, even acquiring new companies such as the 2010 $6. 4 bln. takeover of ACS. Xerox continues to stay on the list of companies frequently cited as learning organizations. The 3 Building Blocks of a Learning Organization The concept of the three building blocks of a learning organizations is introduced by David A. Garvin, Amy C. Edmondson, and Francesca Gino as an assessment tool to determine areas where organizations need to improve their learning methodologies. Below we provide a deeper explanation of each of the three building blocks and how Xerox fits each one of them. Building Block 1: XEROX, a supportive learning organization? There are four distinct characteristics of an organization that determine whether it is or not a Supportive Learning Organization. Firstly, how psychologically safe its employees feel. This is common in organizations where employees don’t feel pressured or marginalized when presenting their own ideas even if these go against what the majority of the organization thinks. Similarly, subordinates at this organization are encouraged to disagree with their coworkers and superiors and present new and bold opinions, meaning that this organization is opened to new ideas. In a supportive learning organization, employees also become aware of the different inputs and opinions each member of a team brings to the table and learns how to accommodate and value those differences. Lastly, a supportive learning organization needs to provide its employees with some time for reflexion, when they will to go over the company’s procedures and analyse past performances in order to assess what can be changed and/or improved. Tolerance and diversity at Xerox Xerox’s openness to new ideas can be partly linked to its high diversity of employee backgrounds, which ultimately reinforces the acceptance and inclusion of different solutions, making employees feel more comfortable in taking risks. This diversity has also enabled Ursula Burns, the current CEO, to climb up the ranks of Xerox and become the first female black CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Besides being â€Å"a proof† to other employees that effort at Xerox pays back, Burns herself stresses this idea of a supportive learning organization when she mentions that she â€Å"wants [XEROX’s] 130,000 employees to get over the past, take more initiative, become more fearless and be more frank and impatient with one another to ratchet up performance†. Burns refers to the all Xerox community as the â€Å"XEROX family†- â€Å"When we’re in the family, you don’t have to be as nice as when you’re outside of the family,( ) I want us to stay civil and kind, but we have to be frank — and the reason we can be frank is because we are all in the same family. † Building Block 2: Does Xerox implement concrete learning processes and practices? Because â€Å"a learning organization is not cultivated effortlessly†, organizational entities must put explicit processes in place to ensure that knowledge is constantly generated and collected inside the organization. The information must then be interpreted and infused into the organization to be always accessible in a way that will support problem-solving tasks and benefit its constant transformational processes. Moreover, this will also help to develop new products or services, as well as closely monitor competitors, clients and technological developments, using benchmarking techniques. Lastly, the company has to invest in training measures for its employees. MAIN Education and problem-solving at Xerox: The Six Sigma Method In the case of Xerox, measures to implement LO practices started as early as 1983 when executive management inaugurated Xerox’s â€Å" leadership through quality initiative†. The initiatives goal was â€Å"improving business processes to create higher levels of customer satisfaction, quality and productivity† by providing workshops to Xerox employees. These workshops were refined in the late 90’s, reorienting around the Six Sigma method, which had previously been successfully applied in other companies. Although these efforts proved successful in improving productivity, they were only limited to a local supply chain level and were not conducted regularly. In 2002 the management of Xerox then decided to implement the Six Sigma strategy across the whole organization, an effort which Xerox is continuing today. This is shown by the fact that the method has become part of the everyday communication process inside the company. The Six Sigma strategy is a tool, which empowers employees to become more efficient and proactive in daily problem-solving situations, for example by using the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach. Six Sigma also requires the employees to closely monitor market trends and to apply benchmarking appropriately. Xerox particularly emphasizes the fact that they see the efforts to implement the Six Sigma method (see attachment 1) as a long-term project. This idea is aligned with the academic literature on LO’s stating that â€Å"becoming a LO is a long process and small setbacks should be expected†. This is because employees and the management have to â€Å"unlearn† old modes of thinking. Information distribution at Xerox Xerox provides employees with access to a large intranet consisting of e. g. reference knowledge, material on best practices, and answers to frequently asked questions. This helps the stakeholders inside the company to share information. It also supports the efforts to keep employees informed on what the priorities are for the overall company. Building Block 3: Are Xerox leaders reinforcing learning? Leaders in a L. O. promote constant learning by raising difficult questions and listening to the answers and concerns of their employees. While doing so, leaders also communicate openness to these new ideas and take them into consideration in their actions. Additionally, leaders have to encourage employees to invest their time in reflecting on both how to solve current problems and what can be learned from past performance. The ultimate goal is for leaders to motivate employees to question the underlying assumptions of current modes of thinking, and therefore initiate efficiency and innovation inside company processes. Promoting Initiative at Xerox For the past two decades, Xerox has engaged their employees to participate in the Earth Awards Program. The goal of this yearly event is to come up with solutions for saving company resources by increasing its efficiency, therefore making it a â€Å"greener† company. With this challenging program, Xerox motivates their employees to generate new ideas that, for instance, in 2010, resulted in company savings of $10. 2 Million. In that year, thirteen winners were announced, corporate wide and among different teams. This is an example of how leaders take their employees’ input seriously and how the generation of new initiatives at Xerox arises from both top and bottom levels of hierarchies. Encouraging employees to invest their time in reflecting by example Senior management at Xerox demonstrates the behaviors, which they in turn expect from employees. A clear example of this â€Å"policy† was when, in 1993, the executive management put together the Presidential Review process. The objective of this process was to review the overall progress of the company collectively through Presidential Review process in 1993. Interviews were organized with more than 30 senior managers answering questions like â€Å"What has changed? Where are the largest gaps between what was intended and what is currently true? If you were to outline barriers that need to be dealt with, what comes to mind? What would you have done differently? †. After the interviews, 45 seniors got together for one day meeting to identify trouble spots and develop recommendations. Action plan was the result . 3. The Effect on Leaders, â€Å"Followers† and Organizations Becoming a successful learning organization can provide a company with significant competitive advantages in the long-run, as it also can largely benefit its major stakeholders (employees and leaders). However, it also requires some behavioral changes from them. In order to achieve the goal of a L. O. (foster knowledge creation and sharing to gain competitive advantage), it is important that leaders infuse a common goal inside the organization. This implies, that leaders should have an effective communication in delivering the company ethos to their subordinates. Once employees identify with the company and its goal, people on all levels of the company would naturally start thinking and discussing promising new ways to achieve these goals. On the other hand, learning processes require time among other resources, and eventually leaders will have to find efficient ways to maximize the time of their employees. It is crucial to determine a balance between time spent going over problem-solvings tasks and past performance analysis (required for learning processes) with regular work. Additionally, leaders will have to define the line between â€Å"acceptable mistakes†- those that arrive from risk taking attitudes, and â€Å"unacceptable mistakes† those originated by irresponsibility and lack of accountability. This is not always clear and, therefore, leaders might face some obstacles in implementing a learning culture as their workers’ â€Å"fear of punishment† can result in the limitation of creativity. Probably the most effective tool to boost innovation is to empower workers. But if the empowerment process provides employees the feeling that they are contributing and helping to define the company processes, then a new attitude is also required from them. Employees will have to remember that they are expected to show initiative, propose new ideas and act. And they should not always expect directions to do so. This can be particularly hard for workers who are risk-averse and who need clear instructions about their work role. Learning organizations can bring significant benefits to employees. Being part of the company processes transformation and being aligned with its goals are expected to make employees more motivated and dynamic. In this way, many of the aspects of the L. O. raise the levels of enjoying the work process. The job satisfaction in turn is expected to raise productivity levels. Also, because employees are more exposed to those in higher positions in the company, new career opportunities might arise together with monetary rewards. RISKS FOR COMPANY â€Å"No learning organization is built overnight. Success comes from carefully cultivated attitudes, commitments, and management processes that accrue slowly and steadily. The first step is to foster an environment conducive to learning. Analog Devices, Chaparral Steel, Xerox, GE, and other companies provide enlightened examples. † (http://w3. ualg. pt/~mzacaria/gic/HBR-Building-a-Leaning-Organization. pdf) 2. Organizations should be careful in applying new principles ensuring buy-in from most influential employees and checking progress not to fall into the trap of unfeasable change which could seriously hurt current business (see http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=268) 4. Final considerations: As illustrated by the above analysis, as well by its overall economic performance in the last 11 years, it has become clear that XEROX has largely succeeded in becoming a LO. Arguably, Xerox has become so successful in it’s LO efforts that this has resulted in providing learning services to other companies through subsidiary spin offs, such as Xerox Learning Services. Concerning the evaluation of the theory proposed by Garvin, Gino and Edmondson, it has to be noted that the building blocks have to be seen as interdependent. Without effective leadership and learning environment, the learning process implementation will likely fail. Therefore, each of the above building blocks needs to be tackled by taylormade strategies, not least because companies do not perform consistently in each department. Similarly, organizations have to pay especial attention to comparing the extent of the learning process with other organizations, since only then you will have a solid benchmarking (in contrast to looking only at individual company performance over time). Attachment 1 [ 1 ]. O’Keeffe, T. 2002. Organizational Learning: a new perspective. Journal of European Industrial Training, 26 (2), pp. 130-141. [ 2 ]. Peter Senge (1990), â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† [ 3 ]. â€Å"Is yours a learning organization? † [ 4 ]. One good source on Xerox crisis times http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=268 [ 5 ]. Building a L. O. [ 6 ]. http://www. economist. com/node/387740 [ 7 ]. http://www. economist. com/node/387740 [ 8 ]. http://mitleadership. mit. edu/r-mulcahy. php [ 9 ]. The following work will assume that the stance of the management towards encouraging the LO inside Xerox has remained constant. Since Mulcahy had been working with Burns for more than 9 years, Burns is expected to put her own stamp on the company in a way that was deferential to the work of Ms. Mulcahy, who remains chairwoman. See: http://www. nytimes. com/2010/02/21/business/21xerox. html? pagewanted=all_r=1 [ 10 ]. http://www. freepatentsonline. com/article/SAM-Advanced-Management-Journal/20982068. html [ 11 ]. http://www. businesswire. com/news/home/20041027005036/en/Diversity-Practices-Organization-Recognizes-Xerox-Diversity-Leadership [ 12 ]. Farmer, Paula (August). The First African American To Head A Fortune 500 Company, Franklin D. Raines Takes Over Fannie Mae. The Black Collegian. Retrieved November 7, 2008. [ 13 ]. Bryant, A. (February 20, 2010) Xerox’s New Chief Tries to Redefine Its Culture, The New York Times [ 14 ]. Bryant, A. (February 20, 2010) Xerox’s New Chief Tries to Redefine Its Culture, The New York Times [ 15 ]. Garvin, Edmondson Gino (2008), p. 4 [ 16 ]. Page 11: http://www. xerox. com/downloads/usa/en/n/nr_SixSigmaForumMag_2004_Aug. pdf It could be argued that these efforts were a spillover-effect from Xerox ground-breaking benchmarking efforts in its production process areas in billing, warehousing, and automated manufacturing. [ 17 ]. Page 13: http://www. xerox. com/downloads/usa/en/n/nr_SixSigmaForumMag_2004_Aug. pdf [ 18 ]. Slide 68:http://www. moyak. com/papers/learning-organization-presentation. pdf [ 19 ]. Easterby-Smith, M. , Crossan, M. , and Nicolini, D. 2000. Organizational learning: debates past, present and future. Journal of Management Studies. 37 (6) pp 783-796. See also Senges definition of mental models, which refer to how workers need to time to overcome old modes of thinking: Senge, P. M. 1990. The Fifth Discipline. London: Century Business. [ 20 ]. http://www. xerox. com/downloads/usa/en/n/nr_SixSigmaForumMag_2004_Aug. pdf [ 21 ]. Kaye, L. (November 15, 2010) Xerox’s Green Ideas Save Company $10. 2 Million, http://www. triplepundit. com/ [ 22 ]. Garvin, D. A. (2000), Learning in Action: a guide to putting the learning organization to work, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data p. 105 [ 23 ]. Garvin, D. A. (2000), Learning in Action: a guide to putting the learning organization to work, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data p. 105 [ 24 ]. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. : ImageXerox lean six sigma framework. Figure 3Xerox lean six sigma framework. emeraldinsight. com http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? articleid=1628232show=html.

Assessing Socio Cultural Aspects Of Tourism In Thailand Tourism Essay

Assessing Socio Cultural Aspects Of Tourism In Thailand Tourism Essay Thailand has a big variety of cultures, traditions and natural resources, which makes it very attractive tourist destinations. The culture of Thailand incorporates a great deal of influence from China, Cambodia and India. Thailands national religion Theravada Buddhism is central to modern Thai characteristics and faith. More than a few different ethnic groups from Malaysia, Burma etc populate Thailand and have mediated change between their traditional local culture, national Thai and global cultural influences. In addition, tourism development creates socio-cultural impacts in Thailand both positive and negative. The term socio-cultural impacts refer to associated changes to residents daily life, their values, way of life, artistic and intellectual products, architecture of people and customs. The social and cultural ramifications of tourism necessitate careful consideration because impacts can either become assets or detriments to the Thailand community. The use of culture as a tourist attraction increases support for the traditional Thailand cultures and displays of ethnic identity. It increases also the revitalization of traditional language, arts and festivals. The use of culture to attract tourists increases also conservation of the cultural heritage of Thailand which could otherwise be lost. In addition, it helps the development and maintenance of the theatres, museums and any other cultural facilities. When residents observe tourists appreciating their culture, then a sense of renews and reinforces coming up to them. The direct contact between residents and tourists can lead on a breakdown of negative stereotypes and increase social opportunities. Moreover, gives an opportunity for cross- cultural exchange between the residents and the tourists who learn about one anothers culture. This direct contact with foreign people offers to residents the opportunity to meet people, learn about the world and expose themselves to new perspectives. This experience of different cultures broadens horizons and increases the appreciation of different ways of living. Tourism creates changes in economic structure and jobs resulting in changes in social rules. It generates new social and economic opportunities to locals resulting in decrease of social inequity. Furthermore, improves the living standards of residents. It gives to the community money for improvement facilities and services. The development of tourist facilities like hotels, restaurants etc increased recreational opportunities. Generally, tourism improves the quality of life in an area by increasing the number of attractions, services and recreation opportunities. Despite its positive effects Tourism has and negative consequences for the socio-cultural life of Thailand. Tourism generally can cause change or totally loss of local identity and values of the host country. This can be made by: a) Commodification. The increased number of tourists who visit Thailand can turn their cultures into commodities when traditional ethnic rites, religious rituals and festivals are reduced and sanitized in order to meet tourists expectations. Once Thailand is sold as a tourist destination, a tourism product, the supply of arts, souvenirs, entertainment to tourists is a necessity, and vital changes in residents values may occur. Finally, people will not more respect the sacred sites and objects as they are perceive them as goods to trade. b)Standardization. Thailand may risk standardization while trying to satisfy tourists demand for familiarity, concerning the facilities of the destination. Landscape, hotels and all the accommodation facilities, food and drinks, must meet the tourists need for the new. At the same time they must not be too new because most tourists are looking for more familiar things. They actually are looking for recognizable facilities in the new environment. Even in Thailand people looking hotel chains to be accommodated and famous restaurants for their food. c) Loss of authenticity and staged authenticity. By adapting cultural expressions to the tastes of tourists or even performing shows as if they were real life constitutes staged authenticity. The fact that tourists desire a glimpse of Thailands atmosphere, taste and a glance of their life, without knowledge, staging must be expected. d) Adaptation to tourist demands. Tourists that visit Thailand they want to buy souvenirs, arts and any cultural manifestations but in the most cases craftsmen are changing the design of them in order to bring them more in line with the customers tastes. Moreover, the interest shown by tourists, contributes to the self-worth of the artists and helps conserve a cultural tradition. Cultural erosion may occur because of the commodification of cultural goods. Culture clashes can take place in Thailand because of the diversity of tourists with different cultures, religion, languages, values and levels of propensity. That can leads on an overexploitation of the social carrying capacity and cultural carrying capacity that are the limits of acceptable change in the culture and social life of the host community. The attitude of Thailand residents towards tourism development may unfold through apathy, irritation and potentially antagonism, instead of welcome, when anti-tourist attitudes begin growing among local people. Cultural clashes may further arise through: Economic inequality. Many tourists that visit Thailand come from societies with different lifestyle than the local people. Being on holidays they seeking pleasure, they spend a lot of money and they treat in a ways that even they would not accept at home. The local people as they also need pleasure in their life they may develop a sort of copying of this behaviour. Irritation due to tourist behaviour. Sometimes people visiting Thailand failed to respect their customs and their moral values, out of ignorance or careless and local people feel irritated with this attitude. Job level friction. A huge number of hotel chains and restaurants in Thailand employee foreign people, with more professional skills and training than locals have, in the higher level jobs. This cause friction and locals usually feel irritated and the gap between the cultures increases. Ethical issues Crime generation- The growth of tourism in Thailand increases the crime rates, like in any other county with a mass tourism. Tourists usually carry on them cameras, jewellery and a big amount of money that make them attractive to the thieves. Thailand has the highest death rate of any nation for Britons on holiday, some 224 Britons died in Thailand between April 2005 and March 2006. Child labour- Young children are employed in jobs in the tourism sector with low pay. The most jobs in this sector have working conditions like long hours, unstable employment, little training and poor chances for qualification. Prostitution and sex tourism. Generally, the sexual exploitation of children is a worldwide phenomenon but in Asia is more prevalent than elsewhere. The exact number of child-prostitutes in Thailand is not known, but Thailands Research Institute reports that children in prostitution make up 40% of prostitutes in Thailand. It is a major destination for tourists from the Western World who travel to this country to have sex with prostitutes. The huge economic disparities between Thai locals and the Western tourists contribute to the proliferation of sex tourism to Thailand. Children are exploited in sex establishments and are also approached directly in the street by tourists seeking sexual contact. Thailand is also a top destination for victims of human trafficking and a major source of trafficked persons.

The Online Shopping In Malaysia Marketing Essay

The Online Shopping In Malaysia Marketing Essay Whether we like it or not, the Internet and World Wide Web are increasingly becoming important in Malaysian life. Online shopping may be a novel trend in Malaysia but it is fast catching up among Internet users due to rising Internet penetration. Besides, online shopping avoids with the crowd and its easier to compare prices of comparable products online, which translates into better savings (Leong and Lee 2009). As for the Internet penetration in Malaysia, 356.8 % growth is seen for the period of 2000-2009. Thereby, for instance, in 2000 it was accounted 3,700,000 subscribes, or just 15% of the population. In 2005 the amount of subscribers doubled and reached 26,500,699, 37.9 %. Currently, over 60% of Malaysians can use Internet connection actively, with almost 17 million subscribers accounted. (eCommerce Journal 2009). According to the Nielsen Company 2007 research, online travel is a favourite e-commerce activity for Malaysians, with 55% of Internet users buying airline tickets or made flight reservations online, while 41% said they had made hotel or tour reservations online and 22% computer hardware. 21% purchased book and 18% tickets to concerts and events. (eCommerce Journal 2009). A significant part of purchasing has moved to the Internet. But Malaysia is still in the infancy stage when it comes to online retail, which makes e-commerce still relatively weak in Malaysia. According to comScore (2009), the online retail (or dubbed as total online spending in the retail industry) in Malaysia is lowest compared to many other countries. The list (in Asia) goes: 1) Japan, 2) South Korea, 3) Australia, 4) Taiwan, 5) Singapore, 6) New Zealand, 7) Hong Kong, 8) China, 9) Vietnam, 10) Philippines, 11) India, 12) Indonesia, and 13) MALAYSIA. Next, the growth of Internet usage in Malaysia has been steadily growing but a far smaller percentage has actually made purchases online. According to comScore (2009), Entertainment is most popular category in Asia Pacific (includes Music, Movie, TV, Multimedia, Entertainment News, and Humor) and Email is still very important to Internet user. Therefore, visiting to retail sites is weak in Malaysia. Besides, Malaysian online retailers face the challenges with Internet users who still like to see and hold products before buying, and who have the same concerns about security issues as well as after-sales service. Is it the impact of factors attributed to large Internet users but not many shop online. Therefore this research study will contribute meaningfully to this area of research. (b) Rational of Study The Internet is no longer a niche technology. It is mass media and an utterly integral part of modern life. A major appeal for setting up online businesses is that its convenient, easy to do and cheaper (no rental fee, to state the obvious). (Leong and Lee 2009). The economic downturn has turned up the pressure on Malaysian companies, it is imperative to find new customers for their products and services for declining sales and financial constraints. Extending their marketing and advertising reach by venturing into e-commerce is a logical move. (Laalitha 2009). E-commerce in retailing has enormous potential. An organization can reach such a large number of consumers via e-commerce; it is possible to develop the business that could be profitable. The continued success for online retailers will depend for the willingness of consumer to make purchase online in the view of online shopping is still relatively weak among Malaysian. Therefore this study is clear identifying consumer attitudes toward online shopping in order to help sales and marketing department to identify the potentiality of online shopping and evaluate the future growth of e-commerce that useful for the local companies in Malaysia to have a good understanding of the dynamic online markets before to venture into online retailing. Although research predict growing internet users in Malaysia and online shopping has many distinct opportunities and advantages, but the question lingers: Why do internet users avoid online shopping? Therefore this research study will contribute meaningfully to this area of research. (c) Objective of the Study Objectives The objective of this study is to examine the online shopping in Malaysia. For this purpose, three specific scopes will be examined, that is: To identify the characteristics of online shopping in Malaysia To identify Malaysian Internet users attitudes towards online shopping To identify why Internet users do not shop online. Hypotheses: Hypotheses developed for this study are: H1: There is no relationship between internet usage and buying via internet. H2: There is no relationship between online shopping and demographic variables. H3: There is no relationship between online shopping and the traditional shopping. H4: There is no significant correlation between future online purchase variables and current issues and areas of concern variables. Research Questions: This research has aimed to explore the following questions: Why do internet users avoid online shopping? (d) Research Methodology A self-administered questionnaire will be used to collect the necessary research questions and objectives pertaining to online shopping in Malaysia. The questions are mostly present in close-ended style with well-structured questions. The survey questionnaire consists of seven distinct sections, each of which contains questions pertaining to different parts of the study. Due to time and cost constraints and also large population of Internet users in Malaysia, therefore it is more appropriate to conduct the research by using a convenience sampling method will be used to collect data mainly from the current Internet users at Klang Valley which is indicated highest penetration of Internet users. Indeed, sampling method has limitations in terms of generalisation if compared to other method of sampling, but it is assumed that the sample represent the whole population of Internet users in Malaysia. The survey will be conducted through the combination method: face to face interviews, email and postage questionnaires. Each of the method has its uses and none is superior in all situations due to email and postage questionnaires save both time and cost and can cover a wide geographical area which supplemented by personal interviews will yield more reliable results than either method alone. Once the primary data collected, several of statistical techniques will be used in the data analysis. Frequency Distribution Analysis will be used to determine a demographic profile of the survey respondents and the current internet users of online shopping. Besides, the frequency distribution analysis will also be used to determine method of payment, level of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, issue and area of concerns, reasons for shop and do not shop online. (Adeline et al. 2006). Chi-square Test in Cross-tab will be used to determine the relationship between online shopping and other conventional methods of shopping such as shopping via physical stores. The Independent Samples t-test will be adopted to compare mean differences between online shoppers and non-online shoppers. Finally Pearson Correlation Coefficient Matrix will be employed to determine the degree of correlation between future online purchases and issue of concern for current Internet users. (Adeline et al. 2006). (e) Expected Contribution from the study This study is clear realizing consumer attitudes toward online shopping in order to help management, the industry and government to predict the online shopping trend and evaluate the future growth of online commerce. Besides, online retail has enormous potential. Thus, this study is important for the small and medium enterprise (SEMs) in Malaysia to have a good understanding of the Internet as a new business strategy for driving business growth as well as to understanding what Malaysian Internet users really desire and why they are not shopping online. (Laalitha 2009). (f) Sample Questionnaire The questionnaire is adapted from Adeline (2006) with some modification to suit the context of this study. The questionnaire consists of eight sections as shown in Appendix. Section 1 is to request the respondents to complete information related to demographic profile. Section 2 is to request the respondents to provide the information related to internet usage whereas Section 3 is about the information of Internet users experience on online shopping. Section 4 is to request the respondent to provide information about the factor influencing their shopping decision. Factors include: product price and quality, more options and wider selections, ease of research, customer review availability, after-sales service, entertaining/fun, convenient, good customer service, promotion, fast delivery time, website providing sufficient product information and explanation, an item no available elsewhere. Section 5 is to request the respondent to provide information about the current purchase pattern in terms of types of goods and services, spending amount, purchasing frequency, payment method and spending time. Section 6 is to request the respondent to rate the satisfaction level and areas of dissatisfaction for their shopping experience with 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. Section 7 also request the respondent to rate to the future online purchase pattern (purchasing in the same retailers, types of good and services, spending amount, purchasing frequency and is important for the retailers nowadays have an online shopping facility) with 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. Last section is to request the respondent to provide information about the issues and areas of concerns toward online shopping, which include disclosure of personal information, security of credit card transaction, do not physically seen and touch a product, trust on online retailers and adequacy of consumer protection laws and regulations. References Adeline Chua Phaik Harn, Ali.Khatibi and Hishamuddin bin Ismail. 2006. E-Commerce: A Study on Online Shopping in Malaysia. J. Soc. Sci., 13(3): 231-242 (2006). http://www.krepublishers.com. (accessed January 31, 2011) comScore. 2009. State of the Internet with a focus on Asia Pacific. http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Presentations_Whitepapers/2009/State_of_the_Internet_with_a_focus_on_Asia_Pacific. (accessed January 17, 2011) eCommerce Journal. 2009. Internet and e-commerce industry in Malaysia. http://www.ecommerce-journal.com/articles/18271_Internet_and_e_commerce_industry_in_malaysia. (accessed January 18, 2011) IDC. 2007. IDC Reports 70% Growth in Malaysia eCommerce Spending in 2006. http://www.idc.com.my/PressFiles/IDC%20Malaysia%20-%20eCommerce.asp. (accessed January 10, 2011) Internet World Stats. 2009. Malaysia Internet Usage Stats and Marketing Report. http://www.Internetworldstats.com/asia/my.htm. (accessed January 10, 2011) Laalitha Hunt. 2009. SMEs Eager to Tap E-commerce. The Star online. December 12. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/12/12/business/5281516sec=business. (accessed January 10, 2011) Leong H. Y. and Lee L. S. 2009. Buying via Internet. The Star online. April 11. http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/11/business/3620542. (accessed January 10, 2011) Malaysia Crunch. 2009. Malaysias E-Commerce Statistics. http://malaysiacrunch.blogspot.com/2009/09/malaysias-e-commerce-statistics.html. (accessed January 15, 2011) Nielsen. 2008. Over 875 Million Consumers Have Shopped Online The Number of Internet Shoppers Up 40% in Two Years. http://my.nielsen.com/site/20080414.shtml. (accessed January 25, 2011)

Gift Giving in the Medical Industry Essay -- Healthcare

In a recent article from St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57348681/drug-company-money-on-rise-for-2-minn-clinics/), the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic came under public scrutiny after it was revealed that they received $650,000 between them in 2010. Gift giving has always been a touchy subject in the medical industry. Various articles have been written regarding the subject exploring the benefits and its disadvantages. But the tug of war between ethics and the effects of commercialism has yet to be seen in the stand of medical institutions and health care providers. In 2008, Fortune 500 magazine reported the Pharmaceutical Industry as one of the top three most profitable industries in America. This should not come as a surprise since there will always be sickness and disease and as a necessary consequent there will be patients who will need medicine for these illnesses. â€Å"It is a lucrative industry that utilizes different strategies to gain revenue.† said James Rhee, a professor in the Department of Physician Assistants Studies of Eastern Virginia Medical School, when he described the industry in his article in the Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants(http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-academic-physician-assistants/volume-7-number-1/the-influence-of-the-pharmaceutical-industry-on healthcare-practitioners-prescribing-habits.html). Business is business for these large pharmaceutical industries and they employ marketing techniques that will ensure their profitability. In realizing these gains, Pharmaceutic al companies employ variations on the tried and tested theme of gift giving. GIFT GIVING, IS IT APPROPRIATE? As early as 2003, Arnold Relman a Harvard ... ...dress conflict of interest issues, key people in strategic position like the director of the office of institutional compliance at the University of Minnesota, Lynn Zentner had this to say: â€Å"An unmanaged conflict is a problem,† â€Å"Having a conflict of interest is not.† # # # Works Cited (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57348681/drug-company-money-on-rise-for-2-minn-clinics/),(http://www.ispub.com/journal/the-internet-journal-of-academic-physician-assistants/volume-7-number-1/the-influence-of-the-pharmaceutical-industry-on healthcare-practitioners-prescribing-habits.html),(http://www.bmj.com/content/326/7400/1189.extract),(http://www.twincities.com/ci_19619583?source=pkg),http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45796673/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/drug-company-money-rise-minn-clinics/#.TwFJtDX9Mlc)

Society and Government Essay -- Philosophy, Hobbes, Locke

Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan and John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government have produced two definitive and vastly different theories of government. Though both philosophers seem to be embedded in the concept of a natural law, why do Hobbes and Locke seem to come to two opposing conclusions about society and government? The answer lies in critical distinctions between their interpretations on the state of nature, including their conjectures on human nature, their perceptions of freedom and equality, and their ultimate reasoning for civil society. Human nature is an integral part of the state of nature theory. Hobbes’ theorizes that human nature is flawed, with men being naturally selfish and hedonistic: â€Å"of the voluntary acts of every man, the object is some Good to himselfe† (Hobbes, 1996, p. 93). This suggests that in a natural state, humans are only guided by their own needs and wants. As a result, Hobbes believes that the only law that governs the state of nature is maintenance of self-preservation. This gives rise to a clashing of desires, which compels man to undermine any concern for others and put oneself above all else. The extent to which man is able to undermine others for the sake of self-benefit is also limitless according to Hobbes: â€Å"in this law of Nature for where no covenant hath preceded, there hath nor Right been transferred and every man had right to everything; and consequently, no action can be Unjust† (Hobbes, 1996, p. 100). There is a clear Hobbesian view of morality that begins to take form. Good and evil seem to be relative to Hobbes. Because of this, each individual in the state of nature has varying perceptions of morality, which often conflict, creating disagreement that only incites violence. This pr... ...have consent in order to act. This essentially gives sovereign power to the people. This philosophy is also consistent with Locke’s favor for a republican structure of government. The apparent difference seen between the political theories of Hobbes and Locke can be attributed to their differing views on the state of nature. The development of mankind as a selfish being living in a state of war and violently attempting to obtain equality naturally lead Hobbes to conclude that an authoritative power is needed to instill order to chaos. On the other side of the spectrum, Lock molds the state of nature to be a state of peace, and attributing men to Reasonable creatures and consequently creates a representative government where the people hold sovereign power. Essentially, these theories seem are a result of a pessimistic and optimistic framing of nature and humanity.

Difference Between Necessity and Private Defence Essay

The two grounds of justification known as necessity and private defence are closely related. In both cases the perpetrator protects interests which are of value to her, such as life, physical integrity and property, against threatening danger. The distinctions between these two grounds of justification are the following (Snyman C.R: 2008): (1) the origin of the situation of emergency: Private defence always stems from an unlawful (and therefore human) attack; necessity, on the other hand, may stem either from an unlawful human act, or from chance circumstances, such as natural occurrences. (2) the object at which the act of defence is directed: Private defence is always directed at an unlawful human attack; necessity is directed at either the interests of another innocent third party or merely amounts to a violation of a legal provisio: E.G: X, who has a gun, tells Y that he kidnapped Y’s daughter and orders Y, the bank manager, to use his code to open the safe of the bank and to hand him all the money inside the safe. If Y does not do what he says he, X will kill his daughter. If Y hands him the money he will be harming the bank and therefore act in necessity. If he takes his own gun and shoot X because he knows that X lied and that his daughter is safe, he will be acting in private defence to protect this own and the interest of the bank. The distinction between necessity and private defence is also illustrated by the requirements for the successful plea of the grounds of justification (necessity and private defence). These requirements are described below: NECESSITY A person acts out of necessity – and her conduct is therefore lawful – if she acts in the protection of her own or somebody else’s life, physical integrity, property or other legally recognised interest which is endangered by a threat of harm which has already begun or is immediately threatening and which cannot be averted in any other way; provided that the person who relies on the necessity is not legally compelled to endure the danger, and the interest protected by the act of defence is not out of proportion to the interest threatened by such an act (Burchell, J:2004). This defence arises when a person is confronted with a choice between suffering an injustice and breaking the law. It is regularly used to justify actions in emergencies. One would, for instance, be able to rely on necessity against a charge of speeding when driving a person requiring urgent medical care to hospital. Requirements of Necessity (1) Some legal interest of X, such as her life, physical integrity or property must be threatened. In principle, one should also be able to protect other interests such as dignity, freedom and chastity in a situation of necessity. (2) One can also act in a situation of necessity to protect another’s interest, for example where X protects Z from being attacked by an animal. (3) The emergency must already have begun or be imminent, but must not have terminated, nor be expected in the future only. (4) Whether a person can rely on the defence of necessity if she herself is responsible for the emergency, is a debatable question. In our opinion X should not be precluded from successfully raising this defence merely because she caused the emergency herself. If she were precluded, this would mean that if, because of X’s carelessness, her baby swallowed an overdose of pills, X would not be allowed to exceed the speed limit while rushing the baby to hospital, but would have to resign herself to the child’s dying (compare the facts in Pretorius supra). The two acts, namely the creation of danger and rescue from it, should be separated. If the first act amounts to a crime X can be punished for it, for example where she sets fire to a house and then has to break out of the house to save her own life (Milton, J.R.L:1997). (5) If somebody is legally compelled to endure the danger, she cannot rely on necessity. Persons such as policemen, soldiers and firemen cannot avert the dangers inherent in the exercise of their profession by infringing the rights of innocent parties. Another aspect of this rule is that a person cannot rely on necessity as a defence if what appears to her to be a threat is in fact lawful (human) conduct. Thus it was held in Kibi 1978 (4) SA 173 (EC) that if X is arrested lawfully, he may not damage the police van in which he has been locked up, in order to escape from it. (6) The act committed in necessity is lawful only if it is the only way in which X can avert the threat or danger. Where, for example, Z orders X to kill Y and threatens to kill X if she does not obey, and it appears that X can overcome her dilemma by fleeing, she must flee, and if possible, seek police protection (Bradbury 1967 (1) SA 387 (A) 390). (7) X must be conscious of the fact that an emergency exists, and that she is therefore acting out of necessity. There is no such thing as a chance or accidental act of necessity. If X throws a brick through the window of Y’s house in order to break in, and it later appears that by so doing she has saved Z, who was sleeping in a room filled with poisonous gas, from certain death, X cannot rely on necessity as a defence. (8) The harm occasioned by the defensive act must not be out of proportion to the interest threatened, and therefore X must not cause more harm than is necessary to escape the danger. It is this requirement which is the most important one in practice, and it can also be the most difficult to apply. The protected and the impaired interests are often of a different nature, for example where somebody damages another’s property in protecting her own physical integrity.

Concert Attendance Paper

MUS 121 Jeffrey Phelps, cello and Lee Jordan-Anders, piano 14 October, 2012 Dr. Ford Tidewater Community College CA#1 The Program Sonata in A Major, Opus 69 (1808)Ludwig van Beethoven Allegro, ma non tanto Scherzo, Allegro molto Adagio cantabile/Allegro vivace Sonata (1915) I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto II. Serenade: Moderement anime III. Final: Anime, leger et nerveuxClaude Debussy The Concert On Sunday, 14 October, Jeffrey Phelps, cello and Lee Jordan-Anders, piano, performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Sonata in A Major, Opus 69 (1808) and Claude Debussy’s Sonata (1915) at Trinity Methodist Church in Smithfield Virginia.After the introduction of the performers we were asked to hold all applause until the end of each piece. The first Sonata by Beethoven bears the heading of Inter Lacrimas et Luctum, meaning â€Å"Amid Tears and Sorrow. † The first movement, Allegro, ma non tanto, from Beethoven’s Sonata, opened with the cello resting on one no te. The timbre of the cello as it began in a lower register was warm and rich, the tempo starting rather slow. The mood was mournful to me at the beginning and I had no idea what to expect. The texture at the beginning of the first movement was monophonic.As the piano entered the melody for both cello and piano was conjunct with symmetrical phrasing. Here the texture became polyphonic. The tone color of the piano seemed varied to me, alternating throughout the piece between vibrant and subdued. When the mood was not lively it became somber. The dynamics of both instruments changed throughout this movement, from piano to forte and then piano again. The movement of the melody was conjunct at the beginning of the piece and the contour of the melody was wavelike, especially by the piano.This movement began in a major key then abruptly moved into a minor key, where the dynamics were fortissimo. The texture was polyphonic, the counterpoint producing a call and response, as if the cello an d piano were holding a conversation. The melody had a narrow to medium range in the beginning of this movement. Repetition allowed all the themes to reappear throughout the movement, which is a trademark of the sonata. The cello and piano take turns performing small solo passages before veering off to something else. At one point early in the piece I heard a homorhythmic texture when cello and piano played the same notes together.After a descending melody from the piano the movement then becomes disjunct with a wavelike contour. It seemed to me that when the melody in the cello ascended, the melody in the piano descended. It had a lyrical mood to it and it was beautiful. The harmony, at this point, was still in a major key as the cello took over, characterized by a timbre that was dark. The mood was one of melancholy and I could feel sorrow. It was interesting to watch Phelps and Jordan-Anders subtly cue one another as the dynamics became pianissimo and the tempo adagio. In the lowe r registers both cello and piano had a timbre that was warm.In the upper registers it sounded fiery. The texture of the cello here was monophonic with no piano. I was not expecting the explosive part that followed. At about four minutes into the movement the dynamics became fortissimo and I could hear the harmony in a minor key. The contour of the melody descended and was conjunct. There was a return to a major key and the dynamics became piano for both instruments. The mood of this movement reminded me of yearning. The tone color for the piano became brighter here as the cello returned to the warm, rich sound like in the beginning.The contour of the melody was ascending and conjunct. This movement remained in duple meter throughout the piece. There was a return to counterpoint as both cello and piano played, using a polyphonic texture, the dynamics piano before returning to forte. As the tempo became allegro the cello strings were plucked creating a timbre that was bright and a moo d that was lively. There was a return to a monophonic texture for the cello and the dynamics became pianissimo. Since this movement’s form was ostinato, I heard short melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns repeated.This piece was long, at twelve minutes, and at one point I stopped taking notes, in awe of what I was hearing. The entire piece felt symmetrical to me and was sing able throughout. Beethoven’s Sonata 3, Opus 69 nears a close with a texture that was heterophonic, dynamics that go from forte to piano and a bright tone color for cello and piano. The melody remained conjunct with a contour that was wavelike, by ascending and descending, especially for the piano. The tempo returned to allegro throughout this piece and ended with the dynamics returning to forte and the final cadence as the harmony resolved in consonance.The second movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in A Major, Opus 69 was Scherzo: Allegro molto and began with Jordan-Anders playing the opening notes of the melody in a narrow range with a melodic movement that was conjunct. The texture here was monophonic for only a few measures. The timbre of the piano was bright and the harmony was minor. I heard the second movement in triple meter, and by the time the cello began to play there seemed to be a return to the polyphonic texture which was common in the first movement. The movement of the melody was disjunct with a medium range, the dynamics of the piano soft (piano) and the tempo allegro.Phelps began playing in a dynamic that was piano which mirrored the opening measures of the piano part, with a very interesting rhythm I’m not sure how to describe. The rhythm was syncopated with a constant emphasis on beat three of every measure with the second beat marked by silence. The timbre of the cello felt bright, even in its lower register. There was an ostinato form in this piece and again, the cello and piano seemed to talk to each other, with a call and response pattern f amiliar in the first movement of this sonata.Movement two seemed to reach a dynamic climax halfway through which was forte, only to return to piano. The melody in the piano alternated between conjunct and disjunct and as the dynamics became louder the contour of the melody was ascending. The exchanges between the cello and piano created a lively mood throughout the movement and the texture once again became homorhythmic with a return to a polyphonic texture. I heard these textures throughout the Scherzo. The timbre of the piano and cello became quite broad with very loud dynamics. The theme was repeated and again, ostinato was at play.The movement ended with dynamics of the piano forte, the cello and piano using a texture that was heterophonic, because both instruments were playing in unison. The cello was plucked near the very end which created a dull timbre. The piano again employed a dynamic that was piano. This piece was full of manic energy that left me wanting to hear more. Th e word scherzo means â€Å"joke† but this lively little piece was anything but a joke! The third movement of Beethoven’s Sonata in A Major, Opus 69, began with a short Adagio cantabile which started with the piano.The dynamics were soft. The texture of the piano at the very beginning was monophonic until the cello joined in, and I heard a mixture of textures, but couldn’t quite tell for sure what they were. At one point, early on, I heard both piano and cello playing in unison which made the mixed texture heterophonic as well as heterorhythmic. The melody for both cello and piano was conjunct with a movement that I heard as having a narrow range for the piano and a medium range for the cello. The meter was duple. The dynamic used is piano and the tempo was adagio.Even though the harmony was major, the mood of the first part felt quite melancholy to me. Remaining in duple meter, the movement shifted from the Adagio cantabile to the final Allegro vivace, the title a clue of what was to come! The harmony remained in a major key however the tempo became lively (vivace) and the mood felt playful to me. The tone color of the cello was once again warm, as I am finding the cello to be. The timbre of the piano was bright and crisp as both instruments seemed to veer apart, trying to find a way to come back together. I felt excited when hearing this movement.The contour of the melody felt wavelike for both instruments, especially when scales were used, sometimes ascending, sometimes descending. The dynamics changed throughout this movement from soft to loud then back to soft again. I heard the movement of the piano as conjunct but wasn’t sure about the cello. Again, ostinato is at play halfway through the movement and I thought I heard dissonance, as the piano and cello seemed to battle it out. The harmony sounded like it was in a minor key at this point, like the cello and piano were trying to find resolution. The timbre of the piano was pier cing here.The tempo for both instruments became fast and the dynamics loud. Finally, the harmony reached consonance, after the cello repeats the first bar of the theme over and over again while the piano pounds out the accompaniment. The dynamics alternated between soft and loud, cello and piano ending on the final note in unison, the dynamics a startling forte. The first movement of Claude Debussy’s Sonata, Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto, began with Lee Jordan-Anders’ lone piano part that was homophonic in texture with a harmony that was minor. The tone color here was very dark, the mood quite somber.The program notes for this performance note this Sonata as the first of six projected sonatas for various instrumental combinations that Debussy was unable to complete due to the cancer that made his final years a misery. This sonata was the first composition. I could feel his pain and misery as I listened to this work. The phrasing of the melody was symmetric al with a movement that was conjunct. This movement began with a dynamic that was forte. The texture of the piano was homophonic. The cello entered, with an ostinato form which repeated the part just heard by the piano, giving it a tone color that I heard as a bit subdued and dull.The melody ascended, then descended, only to ascend again creating a wavelike contour with a conjunct movement. The dynamics continued to be forte. The cello then played alone, giving a monophonic texture. I felt the mood to be sad here, the movement of the melody more conjunct with a medium range. The harmony was minor. The tone color was muted. The melody of the cello began to ascend, the dynamics piano. Here, the piano joined the cello and the mood started to feel agitated. I heard the harmony to be dissonant here as the dynamics became forte.The texture was homophonic here and the timbre of the cello broad. The melody in the cello descended and was conjunct. The dynamics were piano at this point in the sonata and the tempo andante. The movement came to an end with a shift in harmony from major to minor with an obvious slowing of tempo. The dynamics remained piano. The second movement of Claude Debussy’s Sonata, Serenade: Moderement anime, began with the cello that had a tone color that was dull, almost muffled as Phelps plucked the strings with his fingers, which is pizzicato. The melody was not sing able and I heard the harmony as dissonant.I’m not sure about the meter, but I heard it as nonmetric because it felt weak to me. The dynamics at the beginning of this movement were pianissimo and the mood was one of distraction or agitation. The phrasing was not symmetrical and as the cello continued in the lower register the piano can be heard, also playing in dissonance above the cello. I had a difficult time with this piece because technically it seemed all over the place. The timbre remained dark and gloomy. The melody became conjunct with a narrow range of three not es with the dynamics moving from soft to loud.The tempo was vivace at one point, even though this movement’s tempo was rather slow. The tone color of the cello became brighter, as a lone part played in a higher register, making the texture homophonic. This movement closed with a cello part that seemed to be looking for resolution, still with a minor harmony and it seemed to repeat the first part of the piece. The third movement, Final: Anime, leger et nerveux, began in duple meter with the melody of the cello sounding sustained, then alternating between an ascending then descending movement, with a wavelike contour.The piano became very noticeable as Jordan-Anders began playing in a higher range that had a bright tone color. The melody was conjunct and wavelike, the phrasing symmetrical, for a short while. As the piano descended, the timbre of the cello once again became dull, as Phelps plucked the instrument. The mood turned dark and stormy once again as dissonance became pr evalent. I’m sure there were all kinds of technical things going on in this movement that my ear is not trained to detect.I could clearly hear the return to the earlier theme as both instruments reached a loud dynamic, the final note of the movement struck by both cello and piano. Even though this movement was played with mostly piano dynamics, I could hear a contrast between the changing moods, brought about mostly by frequently changing keys. It was a wonderful performance by Jeffrey Phelps and Lee Jordan-Anders and I am very glad I attended. I left the church remembering why I have a soft spot for classical music, something I’ve not listened to very much in recent years, until I signed up for this music appreciation class.