Market Behavior

The stock market is characterized by periods of highs and lows and thereby making it a highly fluctuating market. To analyze and study the stock market behavior, we shall follow the Microsoft Corporation stock trading for a period of eleven weeks. The Microsoft Corporation will be an interesting focus of economic analysis since the company is a renowned establishment that was instituted in 1975 and that has climbed on the corporate ladder to be the leading company in the microcomputer and technology industry. Presently, it is globally rated as third in the given industry. The company has diverse products that range from computer programs to networks. The first IPO was moved in 1986 at a price of $ 21 and the closing price at that day was at $ 28. Over the years, the company’s share prices have been relatively stable ascertaining the worthiness of the institution by imparting a level of credibility on the firm’s business dealings, product differentiation and market stability.

The current official market price is $ 25.66 meaning that with the $ 1,000, 39.97 shares can be purchased. The 1y target est. that gives the anticipated price of a single share at the end of the year is $ 36, a difference of $ 10.34 (Bloomberg.com, 2010). Ceteris paribus, this means that it would be profitable to purchase the shares at the current given price. The share change value was at $ 0.66 meaning that a gain of the same figure was made on each individual share as compared to the previous day. This translates to 2.64% change (Bloomberg.com, 2010). The bid and ask prices are $ 25.72 and $ 25.99 respectively (Bloomberg.com, 2010). The bid price indicates the highest price level that the stock traders are willing to pay for any stock level. The ask price on the other hand is the least price that the trader can sell to an interested member. Upon the compromise of the ask and bid prices, trade can then take place and this sets the stock value in our case being $ 25.66. With the market having opened at $ 25.04 during this particular day, it shows that both the sellers and the buyers gained (Bloomberg.com, 2010).

With the investment period being eleven months, the quarter est. earning per share (EPS) fixed at 06/10 stands at $ 0.46. At 09/10 period, the quarter est. EPS will escalate to $ 0.55 (Bloomberg.com, 2010). The price/earnings ratio is $ 13.092, which we can consider as being very low. The desirable P/E ratio would be at least $ 25 and therefore the analysis and following up to be done on the organization would be able to indicate the reasons for the gap. The est. P/E is even lower at $ 12.50 (Bloomberg.com, 2010). The dividend yield is promising to the investor at $ 2.026 meaning that for every share purchased, a sum of the same amount will be gained on each (Bloomberg.com, 2010). In a period of fifty days, the average volume traded daily is 74,146,555 (Bloomberg.com, 2010).

A market refers to a place where trade exchange takes place. In relation to the market is the market share that gives the number of consumers as a fraction or percentage of the whole users of a given industry. The higher the market share, the higher the level of profits and revenue that the company will own. With the advent of trade globalization and liberalization, domestic markets have now expanded to include the international market. This infuses a level of competition that pushes the company to ensure that its business processes like production are carried out efficiently to reduce running costs. For the computer industry, there has been a global market shift towards the use of open source program (OSP). OSPs are downloaded as freeware and the given user can access the source code and alter it to the desired program. This makes OSPs have more compatibility with different hardware. Linux has created a lot of competition to Microsoft in the area of OSP and unless the Microsoft offers the same products to the public, it stands to lose its customers to Linux and other companies offering the same product (Beyazitoglu, 2010). The inference here is that it stands to lose its market share and subsequently it profit and revenue levels will decrease.

Technology used in the production of Microsoft products has been wanting to the environmentalists. On a recent study, the company was rated as seventeen in a list that was generated concerning companies whose production techniques were degrading to the environment. The social and economic implication of such is high presently with the ongoing campaigns in favor of environmental preservation. To promote the social aspect, the company has initiated environmental friendly materials in the production process. Polyethylene terephthalate is being used in the production of the packaging material since it is biodegradable. To reduce on emissions, the company has mounted at least two thousand solar panels that are to provide 15% of the energy used in the production process and thereby reducing the emissions by the same percentage (Beyazitoglu, 2010). Microsoft Corporation has fixed dumping compost bins that aids in the decomposition process. This has reduced the wastes by half. Lastly, the water program instituted in its campus saves up to eleven million gallons annually.

Microsoft’s major resource is the labor component. The company has employed ninety one thousand two hundred and fifty nine employees. Twenty-seven percent of these are females while the rest are males. The company promotes an equal opportunity policy of employing people despite their gender, race, sexuality and religious orientations. Five years ago, the corporation had a 0.86 index in its policies concerning the employees’ rights. After instituting the gay and lesbian rights in its policies, the index was raised to 1.00 by the fact that it was able to provide equality to different sexual groups (Beyazitoglu, 2010). Apart from this, the company offers a good salary package and looks at the employees’ welfare adequately. The Connector is a bus service that operates in the Seattle area that provides subsidized transport facilities reducing the cost of travelling for the workers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Beyazitoglu, F. (2010). Business Marketing – the Case of Microsoft. Munchen, Deutschland‎: GRIN Verlag

Bloomberg.com. (2010). MSFT: US Microsoft Corp. Retrieved June 14, 2010 from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=MSFT:US

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drug Trafficking and its effects in United States

Drug trafficking is trade in illegal drugs and involves a global black market that is involved in a chain of activities before the drugs get to the consumer. These activities include cultivation of the illegal drugs followed by their manufacture and eventually their distribution to the consumers. Most constitutions prohibit drug trafficking but there has not been much success in stopping this illegal act. The business has been known to be very lucrative and has enriched many people. A report by the UN said that approximately US$321.6 billions were earned through drug trafficking in 2003. This illegal drug trading gives almost 1% of global commerce (Tree & Sherman, 2010).

Illegal drug trafficking began when drug prohibition laws were introduced. In China during the First Opium War, they banned opium but Britain lobbied for their merchants to continue selling opium in China. This was around 1800s and the result of this lobbying is that most people begun taking opium therefore enlarging the market and giving huge returns to the British merchants. The adverse effect was that many Chinese became addicted to opium. On the ban of opium, due to the adverse effects it had on the citizens, there was emergence of drug trafficking to the already opium dependent population. This is a similar story of the emergence of drug trafficking in others countries. An example is the emergence of bootlegging by the mafia groups. Bootlegging involves selling of alcoholic beverages to areas that have laws prohibiting sale of these drinks. One such mafia was Al Capone’s syndicate, which emerged in the 1920s and operated in Chicago. In 1954, there was an abnormal rise in drug trafficking and from that time, the crime levels have increased with the peak being in 1979 (Miller, 2002).

The most traded illegal drugs include heroin, cocaine, hashish, ecstasy, cannabis, methylphenidate, crack, tobacco, alcohol, temazepam and methamphetamine. Cannabis is illegal in most countries with the exceptions of Canada and Holland. It is sold in various forms, one of them being hashish. In some states in the US, it can be allowed if prescribed by a doctor. In the Arabian Peninsula, alcohol is illegal and in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, for instance, there is a ban because most of the citizens are Muslims. Muslims are not allowed to take alcoholic beverages by their religion; therefore, these substances are prohibited in the Muslim states whose constitution is based on the Sharia. Some non-Muslim countries have gone further to prohibit trade in alcoholic drinks whose alcohol content exceeds a certain level. High tax levied on tobacco has resulted in illegal trade in it especially in the United Kingdom. In other countries, it should only be sold to adults, which has resulted in vendors sneaking it to students in schools and minors elsewhere. Afghanistan is the largest exporter of heroin in the world. In 2003 alone, 93% of opiates sold around the world had their origin in Afghanistan and there was a lucrative return of $64 billion, which ended in the pockets of farmers, drug traffickers, insurgents, district officials and warlords (Tree & Sherman, 2010).

In the US, heroin is 8 to 10 times more expensive than cocaine thereby attracting many traffickers. Heroin can be easily smuggled because a small package can contain many doses. In the Vietnam War Ike Atkinson supplied heroin in dead America solders’ coffins but since that time, there has been more scrutiny, making it difficult to smuggle drugs into the US. Methamphetamine’s trade is a serious concern in the US because it can be easily produced therefore making it easily available in large quantities. It is also very addictive. Its common street names are “crystal”, “crystal meth” and “ice.” This drug is chemically produced in laboratories and there has been an increase in the number of these laboratories in this decade. Michigan, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio have the largest numbers of these laboratories.

Temazepam is a strong hypnotic drug that is mostly produced in Eastern Europe. It is produced through altering the chemical components of oxazepam, lorazepam or diazepam. Temazepam has been identified as the most abused drug in the United Kingdom, China, Finland, Russia, Australia, South-East Asia and Hungary among others. It has been known to be the cause of many deaths in Sweden and has therefore been banned. Ecstasy is a lab produced drug whose chemical name is MDMA (3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and is illegal in most countries. It is associated with electronic dance music and raves. Although it has been proposed as a possible medication for treating post-traumatic stress disorder, it is easily abused to cause euphoria (Thomas et al., 2008).

In the USA, illegal drug trafficking has been one of the most profitable businesses hence attracting most of the social crimes into the business. It can therefore be characterized as the business that has the most criminals and the most ruthless people. Drug law enforcement agencies are facing a big challenge of securing the US bounders because of the many people who enter the country through the various means of transport in a year. For example, at least 675,000 planes land in the country each year. The US Customs Service has gone further by saying that an estimated figure of 60 million people visit the US every year, at least 90,000 ships dock with more than 9 million containers and 400 million cargo tons (Public Agenda Foundation & Hinds Some, 1997). These voluminous cargos have brought in many illegal drugs to the country. Criminal groups from South America have been known to smuggle cocaine and heroin into America through various routes for example Mexico inland routes and maritime routes along its East and West coasts. Other routes have been used too to bring illegal drugs to the USA. Methamphetamine has been distributed by criminal groups from Mexico in the West and mid-West and currently in the eastern parts. The use of ecstasy has increased rapidly with the greatest traffickers being Russian, Europe-based an Israel syndicates. Commercial airlines and package carriers are the most used to bring in this drugs.

Domestic organizations based in America also produce these drugs and distribute them. This has made it even more difficult for the government to detect these drugs because motorists and just anyone around the country carry them. Methamphetamine is produced in many laboratories across the US and when one is shut down in one place, another is opened in another area making it difficult for the government to overcome the chain. Many people especially those in the mid-West or western side of the country are hooked to methamphetamine. Due to its availability, it has found its way into schools posing a health hazard to teenagers (Harris, 2009).

Cocaine has continually threatened the lives of many Americans and now its use has moved from the big cities to smaller ones and even to suburbs increasing crime levels and violence. Though the level of cocaine nowadays has not exceeded those of crack cocaine in the 1980s, there is still a considerable crime level caused by cocaine users. The US/Mexico border is the main entry point for cocaine into the US. Colombia is the main cocaine transporter in the world and in collaboration with other criminal groups from Mexico; it has transported many tons of cocaine to the US. Cocaine is still transported through Puerto Rico and Haiti. The lawlessness in Haiti has increased drug smuggling into the US. Crack is the most dominant type of cocaine in the US because it is cheap. Crips, Bloods and other criminal groups from Jamaica, Puerto Rico, are the main traffickers of crack cocaine (Thomas et al., 2008). There has been a tremendous growth of street gangs who fight to maintain monopoly in drug trafficking and this has resulted in an increase in armed robberies, homicide and assaults. With low prices of cocaine in the past years, there has an increase in users and the supply has also gone up. A gram of cocaine goes for at least $12,000 with a purity level of at least 73% while crack rock can go for as low as $3 per 1/10 gram.

The availability of heroin is also shocking, especially on the streets. Middle East particularly Afghanistan, Mexico, Colombia and Burma are the main transporters of cocaine. Almost all cocaine produced in Mexico is meant for the American market and is sold in the form of “black tar” and “brown powder.” Since 1993, there has been an increase in the availability of South American heroin especially along the East coast (Thomas et al., 2008).

Marijuana is the most abused illegal drug with at least 115 million users in the US due to its availability. This drug is known as a gateway to abusing other drugs with at least a third of the American population having abused it once in their lifetime. Its wide spread use has been fueled by the media, groups that fight for its legalization, people’s perception of its harmlessness and production of “blunts.” The internet has gone further to give wrong information especially of its harmlessness to encourage its use. MDMA is one other drug whose abused rate has rapidly increased in the US. It is mainly shipped from Netherlands and Belgium, who are the key produces in the world and the main targets are nightclubs and bars. The consumers are middle-class adolescents and young adults, who view it as non-addictive. Some laboratories have been opened up in the US to manufacture this drug.

Due to drug trafficking, there have been various effects caused by the readily available drugs to the consumers. The various effects are specific to the drug abused for example; marijuana affects the brain hence slowing learning and the interpretation of senses. It also causes lung related illnesses for instance bronchitis and lung cancer and problems of retaining knowledge (Baucum, 1996). These effects affect the user’s productivity making him redundant in a growing economy. Most of the addicts have a problem sustaining their jobs. MDMA effects are anxiety, depression and paranoia, loss of focus, fatigue, irritability, gastro-intestinal disturbances, aches and pains and loss of appetite among others. The chronic use of this drug increase depression and liver damage. Cocaine dependence can result in brain and cardiovascular damage in the end but it has other effects that occur in the short run like psychosis, tachycardia pain attacks and insomnia among others. It is also known to cause changes in personality, which could result in aggressive behavior. The effects of excessive intake of alcohol are nausea, slurred speech hangovers and dizziness among others. These effects can impair a person’s working ability, hence causing their retrenchment or causing the company financial losses. Alcohol is also known to cause violent behavior (Hartstein. 2003). Methamphetamines cause psychosis heart and blood vessel toxicity and convulsions. Heroin’s side effects are skin infections, slurred speech, impaired night vision, respiratory depression or failure, slow gait among others.

The effects of drugs are seen in the rise of crime rates most of the reported rape cases were performed by a person who was under the influence of drugs. People under the influence also commit most armed robberies and homicides. These crimes have been on the increase. Although the American government is putting all the measures it can think of to stop smuggling of drugs into the country, it has not succeeded. Part of the reason is that most of the addicts go an extra mile to help the suppliers to transport the drugs. There are high secrecy levels that are not easy to break because of the risk involved, some of the people helping in shipping are also under oath, which if broken could lead to their death or worse, that of an innocent family member. Drug trafficking especially that of marijuana has increased because the plant is planted locally. For others like methamphetamines, the laboratories are situated in most parts of the country with others being in the traffickers homes (Cozic, 1998). Due to these facts, the crime rates have increased and the adverse effects of these drugs have continued to have bad implications on the user’s health. The government has resorted to using a lot of money to protect the US bounders and on free treatment to the addicts. There has been an increase in HIV infections due to sharing of needles especially by heroin users and this has increased government spending on ARVS.

Many organizations are involved in bringing in drug trafficking in the US most of which are Mexican and Colombian. These organizations use human mules. Human mules are people who are hired to smuggle goods to other countries especially internationally by criminals. Human mules who specifically smuggle illegal drugs are referred to as drug mules and they smuggle the drugs by hiding them in their clothing, bags and shoes or even in their bodies (Information Plus et al., 2006). Some these drug mules undergo surgery to hide these drugs in their bodies while others swallow them on empty stomachs and on arrival in the country of their destination excrete them. These people do not mind their health or even the lawsuits they are exposing themselves to. Just as a mule has a thing tied on its sides, it is the same case that these people have baggage on them. They carry loads of drugs in suitcases; others carry them in suitcases that have seals for the UN to ensure they are exempted through scrutiny.

Submarines have been used to traffic drugs because they cannot be easily seen whether by sonar, radar or infrared systems when on water. Drug traffickers specifically made Narco submarine to traffic drugs. Columbian drug cartels use these submarines mostly for trafficking cocaine to the US. This cocaine has its origin from Colombia and Mexico. Some of the cartels involved in drug trafficking include Cali cartel, Medellin cartel and Norte Del Valle Cartel and they are all from Colombia (Tree & Sherman, 2010). It is therefore evident that drug trafficking is a global crisis that needs to be solved. Most countries including the US have set death penalty as the appropriate sentence for drug traffickers (Manski, 2001).

Drug trafficking as seen above is trading in illegal drugs, some which are heroin, cocaine, hashish, ecstasy, cannabis, methylphenidate, crack, tobacco, alcohol, temazepam and methamphetamine. The effects of this drugs are not only experienced by the individuals when the get addicted but also by the government. It is also clear that there are many individuals and organizations involved in drug trafficking.

Bibliography

Tree, S., & Sherman, J. (2010). Drug Trafficking. Edina, Minn: ABDO Pub.	This book defines drug trafficking and goes ahead to give the most commonly trafficked drugs
Harris, N. (2009). Drug Trafficking. Pleasantville, NY: Gareth Stevens Pub.	This book speaks about the effects of drug trafficking to a nation
Miller, R. L. (2002). Drugs of Abuse: A Reference Guide to their History and Use. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.	The book is on the most abused drugs in United States of America. It names them and gives the effects of both addiction and withdrawal
Baucum, D. (1996). Psychology. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron’s.	It gives the commonly abused drugs, their effects on the user particularly their health, withdrawal symptoms and treatment of these symptoms.
Thomas, K. W., Schaller, G., & Gilbert, R. (2008). Side Effects: The Hidden Agenda of the Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel. Clearwater, Fla: Present Time Books.	This book names some of the famous drug trafficking cartels and their networking.
Hartstein, M. (2003). The War on Drugs: The Worst Addiction of All. New York, N.Y: Writer’s Showcase.	The book gives the history of drug trafficking and its rise over the years. It also shows the various laws that have been set in US and other countries to fight drug trafficking
Cozic, C. P. (1998). Illegal Drugs. Current controversies. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press.	The book gives details on the drugs that are trafficked and their mode of trafficking including use of human mules and submarines.
Manski, C. F., Pepper, J., Petrie, C., National Academy Press (U.S.), & National Research Council. (2001). Informing America’s Policy on Illegal Drugs: What we don’t know keeps hurting us. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.	The book illuminates people’s ignorance on the effects of illegal drugs. It goes further to name illegal drugs, their effects to individuals and to the government.
Information Plus (Firm: Wylie, Tex.), Thomson Gale (Firm), & Jacobson, R. (2006). Illegal Drugs: America’s Anguish. Information Plus reference series. Detroit: Thomson Gale.	The book gives details on the widespread use of illegal drugs in America. It also details the fight on drug trafficking in various states of America
Public Agenda Foundation, & Hinds, M. C. (1997). Illegal Drugs: What should we do Now? Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt.	The book gives details on the list of illegal drugs and when they were banned in America, their side effects and available treatment for addiction.

 

Video Review / Badminton

Wang Shixian Vs Wang Yihan 2011

The singles match between the two Chinese individuals could be described as an old rivalry, and a means of settling the differences between them, emanating from past humiliation for Yihuan for her loss to Shixian. The match was held in Malaysia in the year 2011 during the Malaysia WSF open. The match is held yearly for all the badminton enthusiasts to witness the bets badminton players settle out their scores in the arena. The match begins with Shixian opening the lead between her and Yihan. Shixian is a young and talented player at the age of 22 that makes her immensely energetic and enthusiastic in her encounter with other badminton players. Her skills are an illustration of mastery of the game as she keeps her opponents panting.

On the other hand, Yihan is put under pressure by Shixian constantly trying to catch up with Shixian.

Highlights

The first round of the game ended with Wang Shixian in the lead with 21 points in comparison to Wang Yihan with 18 points. The 3-point difference is an indication of the pressure that Wang Shixian was experiencing. This was due to the persistence and determination by Wang Yihan to snatch the title away from the hands of Wang Yihan.

Wang Shixian is put under pressure by Wang Yihan by Yihan’s constant efforts to catch up with her, leading to the 5-2 point difference. Despite her efforts, she does not seem to mange to catch up with Shixian. The second part of the game is marked by determination by both players to win the game. However, Wang Shixian’s efforts to maintain the lead in both sessions of the game are an indication of their love for the game. Both players endure identical mishaps with the shuttle, as they seem to misplace it making it hit the net. This is an indication of the presence of tension and fatigue for both players, due to Yihuan’s efforts to snatch the lead, and Shixian’s effort to maintain the lead.

Yihan, on the other hand, puts extreme pressure on Shixian during the first round, by holding up her racket in the appropriate position, and preventing the shuttle from reaching the ground. Yihan loses most of her net shots due to simple touches of the shuttle with the racket. This might be due to fatigue or lack of determination due to the constant lead held by Shixian. In the last session of the game, Shixian leaves with a comfortable win holding 21 pints against her opponent Yihan’s 14 points at the end of the entire match.

Individual reflection from high quality footage

The video is exceptionally high in quality because of the various features within the video itself. In addition, the quality of the pictures enhanced the sight of the entire game because it became fascinating to view the players and the fans as they cheered on their favorite players. In addition, the ability of the cameras to rotate and capture the game from the different angles enhanced the viewing of the entire footage. The angles from which the images were projected also contributed to fair judgment and evaluation by the crowd in relation to the various rulings, which were made during the game. In addition, the high quality video was relevant for an international event, which was captured in numerous regions around the world for all the badminton enthusiasts to view.

It becomes evident from the game that those in higher levels of sports cannot always win due to the presence of younger talent and fresh challenges from other contending players. Shixian’s win against the world number one could be described as a show of utter determination and the fruits of hard work, both in the field of play as well as in terms of preparation for the game between her and her opponents.

From the footage I learnt of the need to keep my racket in  forward position such that I am able to serve with ease in the case of surprise attacks form an opponent. In addition, balance is also important in that instance when Yihuan was caught flat-footed by Shixian’s powerful shot. Speed is also vital because of the need to move form the different angles to give serves and shots to the opponents.

England Open 2009 Yun CAI Haifeng FU vs Sang Hoon HAN Ji Man HWANG

Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng celebrated their win against Han Sang Hoon and Hwang Ji Man of Korea, during the Yonex All England open Badminton championship in Birmingham, England, on March 8, 2009. They won by 21 – 17 in the first half and 21 – 15 in the final half. The game started well with both pairs showing their prowess in the game, but at the end of it all, there could only be one winner. It was hard to determine who would be the winner at the start of the game considering the two pairs came in close up to the 11- 10 scores with the Korea ahead, when the Chinese pair overtook the Korean and continued widening the gap between them to take the fist half win.

Highlights

In the first half of the game, the Korean team of Han Sang Hoon and Hwang Ji Man was leading by 11 – 10, when the Chinese started getting on top through their tremendous play focused on attack as well as defense. Soon, the Chinese team was leading by 19 – 15, which only saw them advance in front and win the first half by 21-17. They gave all their best and won the first round of play. In addition, they were quick in serving their opponents with timely and quick shots. Most of the shots hit at their opponents managed to get the opponents at a bad footing resulting in favorable scores. It was obvious that the shots were smartly executed and timed at points of weakness where the opponents were likely to miss the shuttlecock.

In the second half into the game, the Chinese pair, Yun Cai and Haifeng Fu, did not back down their game. They tightened their defense, and increased their attack to take an early lead. Although the Korean pair provided a formidable challenge to the Chinese pair, they were not able to close in the gap after the lead by Cai and Fu. In a final smash at the mid-court, the Chinese pair was already celebrating their victory of 21 – 15 in the second half that sealed their win.

Individual reflection from high quality footage 

The footage was the most exciting as it illustrated the team efforts and determination of both opposing sides in their efforts to outdo each other. The advantage of high definition footage was its ability to show the pairs from different angles, with the bird’s eye view showing the movements of the pairs as they played. Each pattern of movement used by the pairs could be seen using this view. In addition, the different angles make it possible to view the action from all sides, as opposed to viewing the match from one side in the field. This made the game interesting, especially while watching from high definition footage. In addition, from its ability to show in slow motions makes sure that one does not miss any move used by the highly skilled and talented pairs in action. This makes the action entertaining, especially in the transition from normal motion to slow motion and back, where it gives the viewer a chance to see the action up close in a slower motion to catch every movement of the players.

I learnt that double games require coordination and communication to serve the shuttle and give shots to prevent simple mistakes, which are costly. In addition, speed and accuracy when serving the shots is vital to prevent loses from received shots, which are returned with powerful serves by the opponent. Thus it is important to keep the destined positions when playing and making serves to the opponents.

 

Ethics in the Practice of Medicine

Mr. Pete seeks to amputate his leg even though there is nothing wrong with it. In order to look at the ethical issues from this case, the ethical principles must be considered. The first principle is the principle of beneficence. This principle requires that one is to act according to what is good. It also relates to the utility principle that requires ethical theories to try to achieve good at its highest level (Rainbow). This is because a person would gain from the greatest good. Amputating Mr. Pete’s leg and giving him a peg leg presents just the opposite of this. It is not beneficial to him; rather it would make it hard for him to walk.

The second principle is the Respect for Autonomy. This principle requires an ethical theory to let people make their own decisions and to rule what they want for their lives. A person is allowed to choose the lifestyle that he wants. In this case, the physician either chooses to convince a person into making a decision that would be more beneficial or just comply with the person’s wishes. Mr. Pete is determined to amputate his leg even though it presents more harm than benefit. My dilemma is whether to give him what he wants or not. The third principle is the principle of Least Harm. This deals with cases where no choice is beneficial.

Therefore, the choice that is least harmful to the people involved should be made. Mr. Pete states that no one can stop him from amputating the leg. Moreover, he states that he has considered other means but was scared and chose the safest. In this case, if I refuse to amputate Mr. Pete’s leg he could choose to amputate himself or choose some other means that are not safe. This could lead to injury or even death. Incase of death, it could lead to more damage to his family than having his leg amputated. In this case, the theories of ethics would determine whether the surgery is ethically right or wrong. There are two main ethical theories to be considered, the Utilitarianism ethics and Deontological ethics (Moreland).

The Utilitarianism theory suggests that an act is ruled morally right or wrong, by viewing the consequences of the action, for example, an action would be morally right if results to happiness. In the case of Mr. Pete, it would be morally correct to perform the amputation, because that is what makes him happy and satisfies his desires. On the other hand, the Deontological theory requires a person to follow their duty or obligation and from this decide what is morally correct. For example, it is the duty of a doctor to remove from harm rather than cause harm to a patient. In this case, by amputating the leg I would be causing more harm to Mr. Pete, which contradicts with my duty.

Another ethical perspective to consider is the principle of Autonomy, which requires that a person be allowed to make his or her own decisions. Refusing to carry out Mr. Pete desire would be breaking this principle. I would seek alternate opinions from other people such as Mr. Pete’s family. This would be in order to assess his decision and know whether it might be affected by other things or problems. I would ask the family his behavior and mental health for the past years. In this, I would know his mental stability on making a great decision. I would be able to know how the surgery would affect the family and his relationship to the family. I would ask a third opinion from a lawyer or law administrator.

The lawyer would advise me on the legal consequences of amputating a healthy leg. I would also ask the lawyer if there are any laws regarding this, if any, what they stipulate. This would help me make a decision that would not jeopardize my career or the practice. The next opinion would be from a physiatrist. A physiatrist is a doctor who deals with pain medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation. They treat the patient entirely and not just the symptoms. I would ask them problems associated with the amputation of a leg, both physically and mentally, since they deal with such patients. In overall, the doctor would help me know, how the amputation would affect Mr. Pete’s mental and physical health. Lastly, I would consult Mr. Pete’s family doctor if he has one.

The doctor has been treating Mr. Pete’s for a few years and would be able to advise me on Mr. Pete’s decision and mental health. This would be according to how lately he behaves, and the years he has been treated by the doctor. Cosmetic surgery is surgery on the body to improve the appearance of an individual or their beauty. The main difference between this kind of imputation and cosmetic surgery is that amputation makes the person disabled, while cosmetic surgery only seeks to enhance the beauty. Cases of amputation of limbs would lead to the person not being able to perform well. Cosmetic surgery does not make a person disabled unless the surgery went wrong.

Apotemnophilia is desire or love for an amputation. It is also associated with BDD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder. People who have BDD are often obsessed about their physical defects, which others cannot see (Mental Health Canada). Amputation has been associated with BDD in cases where a person wanted to amputate their limbs, because they felt, it was not accordance to their bodies or it was ugly. Others who suffer from these disorders say they would feel complete without the particular limb, as this state is their identity. However, both cosmetic surgery and apotemnophilia seek to achieve what in their eyes is beauty or a sense of identity.

 

I would perform this surgery, if there are no other solutions for the treatment of this disorder and if the patient is of sound mind. One of the solutions that critics give for these desires to cut limbs is psychotherapy. However, according to study, most patients who undergo therapy to deal with this disorder report that they are left more frustrated as they cannot reach their desire through their desire and amputation has been denied. There also many cases where individuals who have been to convince a doctor to amputate their legs often amputate it themselves. Others go to the black market where the people performing the amputation have no regard for the law or ethics.

There have also been cases of people injuring their limb, mostly by immersing it in ice, hence damaging it. Consequently, the doctor is forced to carry out the procedure and finally amputates the particular area. In cases where the right procedure has not been carried out in amputating the leg, it ends up in injury or even death. Mr. Pete expresses that he has considered going to Mexico, but considered it might not be. He also says that he had thought about cutting the leg himself, but was too scared. In amputating his leg, I would be following the principles of ethics of Autonomy, Least Harm and the principle of Justice. The principle of autonomy gives an individual the right to make decisions regarding his body.

Mr. Pete expresses that he has had the desire to amputate his leg since he was a little boy, in order to get a peg leg. He finally makes the decision to have it amputated. He seems intelligent, and if he is also of a sound mind, there is no reason to deny him what he wants. At his age, he is also mature and has already cleared his parental duties of raising his children. People who desire amputations have been proved to be of good mind. “The obvious prejudice in this claim being the assumption that anyone wishing for an amputation automatically must be irrational. Psychological and psychiatric evaluations of these patients have proved that they are not only competent, but completely rational beings (J Med Ethics, 2).”

By amputating the leg, I would be meeting the principle of Least Harm. This principle requires that one perform an act that would be least harmful. If I refuse to amputate his leg, Mr. Pete might choose to amputate it himself or go to a specialty where he would not be given proper medical treatment. This could lead to further injury of his body, besides the amputated leg. Therefore, by amputating his leg under the proper medical conditions, I would be providing the least harmful option. Lastly, but not least I would be meeting the ethics principle of Justice. This principle requires that justice be provided. In following the principle of Autonomy, I would have met the principle of justice.

In respect to the Utilitarian theory of ethics, this would be a good approach. The theory requires action or treatment that would lead to another good, such as the satisfaction of a person’s desires. Mr. Pete desires to amputate his leg for a peg leg. A survey shows that most people report feeling satisfaction, happiness and completion after an amputation. “The six of First’s subjects who had received major limb amputations reported that following their respective procedures, they no longer had any desire for any amputation , and they felt better than they ever felt” (Partridge, 8).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work Cited

“Body Dysmorphic Disorder” Mental Health Canada, Inc., 21 Nov 2007. Web. 5 June 2012.

J Med Ethics “Apotemnophilia: ethical considerations of amputating a healthy limb.” Journal of Medical Ethics. (2012). Web. 5 June 2012.

Moreland, J.P. “Ethics Theories: Utilitarianism Vs. Deontological Ethics”. CRI, 17 April 2009. Web. 5 June 2012.

Partridge, Chris. On the Moral Permissibility of Voluntary Amputation. Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH). Web. 5 June 2012.

Rainbow, Catherine. Descriptions of Ethical Theories and Principles. Davidson College, 2002. Web. 5 June 2012

 

 

Compensation discussion

The onetonline.org has a custom report menu that enables users to construct a report including only matters meeting their specific criterion. A check box exists at the left of the content area, to choose any content areas needed to be incorporated in the report. Included in the customs report are the profession code, name and description. In addition, samples of job names given by current employees are shown. It is rare for the employee to make more money than their bosses are. In this situation, however, it is usually because the employee’s practical expertise is more appealing than that of his boss. Therefore, there is never anything wrong with the pay scale or the organization. An employee with more expertise is usually paid more than an unskilled person. However, in case of lack of market facts to validate the inequality in pay, then the company’s human resource should be asked if the company intends to resolve the pay difference. If it does not intend to, then a reason for leaving the direct boss’s salary below that of an employee should be given (Carey, 1994).

Ex-pat workers salary should be increased and include hardship pay in cases where they have been located in places of hardship. Issues such as a limitation of freedom, traffic, high crime rate and drought constitute hardship. The ex-pat worker should also be provided for medical insurance by the company. The cost of living of the ex-pat’s destination should be considered. A good example is the housing situation that may be expensive even when other basic needs are cheaper. Therefore, the salary should be increased to cater for the high cost of housing. If the housing is already paid for by the company, but other basic needs are expensive, the salary will be increased to cater for this. In this case, when Maggie is being paid, all these factors should be put in to consideration (Carey, 1994).

Ex-pats worry about the fluctuating exchange rates since they might end up withdrawing little money that can barely get them through the month. Due to this, some international corporations offer their ex-pats the split pay option. This compensation option divides the ex-pats salary in to the part of the currency to be spent and home currency. This is so that the amount of money that should be exchanged is minimized. Split pay has existed for some time, and more companies are embracing it. If all the salary is paid in the host country currency, the amount of revenue fraction of the salary to be spent is controlled by the cost of living changes. The remaining part will be affected by exchange rate fluctuations. However, when the whole remuneration is paid in home currency that fraction of money not spent such as the savings will be free from inflation and exchange rate fluctuations. The remaining part will be affected by the exchange rate fluctuations (Carey, 1994).

The employers use the compensation strategy to attract competent employees and maintain them. For them to do this, they have to offer remuneration that is higher than the market rates. Employees that produce quality work are acknowledged and rewarded. The amount of salary to be paid should not be reduced by the employer when he expects great performance. In order to improve the organization’s effectiveness, desired behaviors should be achieved. This opens the doors to success. The compensation strategy may strengthen the organizational ethnicity that is preferred. This culture enables the employee performance determine the pay. The objective of the organization should be evident so that they are achieved using the compensation strategy. These objectives should be communicated to everyone soon as they are established. This is to avoid failure of great decisions due to poor communication. Communication failure makes the current strategy ineffective. To be an employer of choice, you should provide job security, respect to employees, growth opportunity, commitment and recognition of employees. This makes the strategy effective (Carey, 1994).

 

 

Reference

Carey, J. F. (1994). About pay: Discussing compensation. Menlo Park, Calif: Crisp Publications.

Human Resource Management

 

1) Total Reward Systems

1) According to the case, benefit plans are designed to compensate the employee and cater for his or her well-being. The plan is dependent on factors like gender, age, length of employee’s service to the company and average salary. It is important that the HR Manager knows which types of benefits are suitable for human resource retention and attraction to the company.  He or she should ensure that the business plan design meets both the employee and employer’s needs (Conison, 1998). The design should be compatible with the employer’s point of view. In the case study, Debbie is obliged to reduce the premium costs to 15% from 54% as her VP, Ted, tells her to. Benefits plans are rewards added on top of an employee’s basic salary and they are based on premiums and deductibles of the employee’s salary. The higher the deductibles the lower the premiums and the reverse are true. Therefore, it is upon the HR manager to negotiate with the provider so that he or she can cut down on the premiums and avoid lay offs of employees.

2) Our company offers are benefit plans to employees. Such plans are retirement benefits, medical, life and disability insurance. Under retirement benefits, our employees secure pension funds after their term of service to the company has ended. This is depends on the age, salary and length of service that we agree on with the employee as we bare the risk of the investment. We also have a slot for the defined contribution plan under the retirement benefits where we specify our contribution with the employee’s contribution with his or her benefit dependent on investments.

The medical insurance maintains the healthcare of the employees and they become entitled to drugs and other medical operations. This medical cover is extended to the family of the employees. We pay part of the employee’s medical insurance. Our company sponsors the employee’s life insurance that will serve as family security in the event that he or she dies. Disability insurance is branched into short-term and long-term disability. Our company is among the few that offers this and it has earned us the loyalty of our employees. They are compensated incase they are off work due to an injury or fatal illness. Short-term disability is immediately given to an injured employee just after the accidents as he continues recovering and he is entitled to 100% of his basic pay in the first 14 weeks. Long-term disability is given to an employee who has a permanent condition and it goes to as far as retirement

3) Benefit plans cost such as the medical insurance can be reduced by advising the employees on preventive mechanisms for their health status and taking initiatives to start up exercises in the company. Debbie did her survey and realized that the most recurrent health condition among the employees was back complications. She therefore designed an exercising activity for the employees so that they could keep fit and avoid complications, thereby reducing the cost of the benefit plan. In addition, employees will enjoy the cost reduction if they are rewarded for good health. Health savings accounts initiated by employees can also be a plus in reducing benefits costs for both the employer and employee. HR Managers should also push forward a mandatory percentage on employees’ medical costs so that they become cautious and responsible for the coverage to enable them to save. However, some companies believe in employee layoffs as a better strategy to reduce benefit costs though the strategy can be detrimental on the company’s financial performance. Like Debbie, some HR Managers opt for reducing pay across the board.

4) Benefits costs have an impact on the employees in that, the hefty premium contributions make them strain financially and they pay out of pocket for public or private care.  Debbie found out that most of the employees avoided the benefit plans because of the large premiums that they could not afford. The operational costs are also interfered with because in the case of high premium bonds that the employer is part of in contribution, the operational costs will increase leading to a drop in the company’s profits.

5) Workers compensation consumes many of the employer’s resources diverting operational costs of the core objective to that of the workforce. According to Mondy et al (2005), this can be controlled by developing solutions that seek to better the overall business performance of the company.

6) To offset benefit costs for the employees and prevent layoffs, Debbie should present cut-offs in employees wages and reduce the rate of the benefit plans so that the premium can reduce to the expected 15%.

7) Debbie has a reason to be upset about her bonus because she worked extra hard to ensure she reduced the premium cost as Ted earlier implied. She has worked to serve both the interests of the employees and employer.

8). I would suggest that she perseveres with the plan she has committed herself to and wait for a vivid realization and consistent reduction in benefit costs. That way her VP, Ted will recognize the effort she has put and will reward her.

2) HR Project

Recruitment

            Pendsoft Systems majors on hiring marketing specialists to coordinate advertising programs by creating and implementing suitable designs for the company. It needs characters who can promote the image of the company by raising awareness and marketing its products across a wide geographic area. The company is in need of fifteen marketing specialists promptly because it needs to secure a top place in the competitive market. Therefore, information about varying prices for computer software and hardware is vital so that it can improve on its services. The positions need to be filled by the end of June so that the workforce can embark on the project plan. The cost of recruitment is $2 million and this will cover the training process that is indispensable to every recruited individual.

Recruitment strategies applied are call for submission of resume through adverts or one on one interview. Attracting potential workers means exposing the benefits given to employees by the company. The company employs a good method of separating wheat from chaff by organizing open house or conferences where applicants evaluate themselves and the employers gauge them according to their personality and skills. Pendsoft Systems also handpicks passive candidates who have the potential to execute the type of job needed. Use of non-traditional media, social media and compelling websites attracts most candidates. Advertisements to attract the jobseekers are placed on strategic places such as billboards where the candidate is most likely to spot it. Online communities provide a good avenue for Pendsoft to reach out to jobseekers and grasp their interests

The strategies employed by Pendsoft Systems have their pros and cons. The first strategy is open house interviews and conferences where all applicants congregate and have a session with the employers. The advantages of this method are that employers and managers will be able to pinpoint active members in the group based on the competitive atmosphere and the method is not time consuming. It also gives all candidates a chance to build their knowledge and skills since there is diversity. However, the employers and managers can misinterpreted the personality of different people and choose the wrong people who were just enthusiastic.

Another disadvantage is it might be difficult to choose from the group if all select candidates have equal potential. The second strategy is handpicking passive candidates in a different environment. This can be effective if the candidate is well experienced despite his or her subtle nature. However, since marketing requires an outgoing individual, the passive candidate may not be of much value to the company. Another strategy is through social media such as online communities. This is effective when the layout of the site is attractive and the advantage with this is that candidates can apply for the job online, speeding time of the recruitment process. However, it does not allow for critical evaluation for personality traits. In addition, the instability of the network can delay the application process.

The online application process is effective however; a few things need to be improved. First, the benefits that the company gives to the employees should be clearly outlined for the jobseekers so that they can evaluate their interests and fill in the details. Pendsoft systems should be specific when noting down the length of time that the employee will wait to enjoy the benefits. There are also vague questions that might be ambiguous to the respondent; hence, their questions should be precise. In the screening and selection process, companies narrow down the employee base to only those individuals who meet the exact qualifications (Gatewood, 1987). They search for individual differences among respondents and the aptitude of the respondent based on answering questions. They are tested on how they can maneuver around difficult questions so that the company chooses the best individuals.

Training and Development

            The company’s on-boarding process of Pendsoft Systems capitalizes in the orientation and training of the new recruits so that they can familiarize with their roles and responsibilities in the company. There are different communication methods between the managers and the newly recruited employees so that they become accustomed with the company’s cultures and regulations. The company embarks on an in-depth on-boarding process that mentors the employees and has steady feedback systems to ensure the important message is passed and understood. This is also necessary to evaluate the promising performance of the employees as Gatewood (1987) proposes.

In terms of mentorship, the manager organizes a more experienced staff to be the mentor incase the employees really need one. The process takes 30 days in Pendsoft Systems. Therefore, the on-boarding process is meant to make a great first impression to the employees. The company offers in-house system training which allows the new employees to be acquainted with the business environment with supervisors demonstrating the essential of the computer software and hardware. This enables them to understand which products are in dire need of advertising and to establish a good customer base. Training sessions are done in the first two weeks and it is from the training that the new employees get the hint of a market niche. They are therefore given manuals and brochures so that they can brainstorm. However, Pendsoft Systems can improve this training and development program by giving the employees only enough information at a time to avoid wrong applications. Secondly, there should be interactive ways to cater for the new employee’s family. Employees are well vast with knowledge on their remunerations and promotions.

Total Rewards

The company values the performance each employee and therefore the biggest percentage of employees’ returns comes from performance conduct. Employees know that they are valued by the company because they are entitled to benefits such as life insurance, medical insurance, retirement benefits, fringe benefits and disability insurance (Klubnik, 1995). Through such recognition, the company cultivates admirable profits since the workforce is reinforced to have a magnified output in business. The best marketing specialist is graded according to the feedback from different clients and the customer service is evaluated. This is also reflected in the sales report of the marketing specialist. Thus, employees are rewarded according to their output and consistency (Klubnik, 1995). Rewards are given to employees unexpectedly and it is the duty of the HR Manager to design rewarding programs.

The compensation policy shows that employers want a quality-performing employee since it is also an advantage to the company’s performance overall. Pendsoft Systems also promote the wellness of employees by through various healthcare programs. Here, employees are cautioned to prevent themselves from medical complications and as a part of team building, they are encouraged to exercise their bodies. The company is flexible and can accommodate new healthcare legislation because it wants the best for the workforce. However, they should reduce layoffs and rely on alternative ways to beat benefits costs. Layoffs are a loss of human resource, which is vital for business to thrive.

Performance Management

            Pendsoft Systems uses the SMART performance criteria to assess the performance of employees. SMART is an acronym for Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. By using this criterion, the manager assesses the specific expectation of an employee. The requirements are therefore analyzed and a decision is made. The performance requirements should be feasible and realistic.  The evaluation is done within a specific period. The company employers evaluate the total sales of the marketing specialist, the successful market strategies implemented, new ideas that raised the company’s profit margin and the customer relations. Pendsoft Systems also gives performance reviews where the HR Manager speaks of the performance appraisal and what is expected from other employees. In most cases, the avenue is to motivate and reinforce the enthusiasm of the market specialists. Performance reviews are given after every six months. The wages are not increased based on the performance scores and evaluation is done through customer feedback and supervisor evaluation. The company needs to work on a system that constantly motivates employees through an increased pay so that their morale can be boosted.

Diversity and Inclusion

            The company really cares about diversity and conclusion because it has incorporated both genders in the business and the board of directors has a balanced representation. There are also people from different culture but the company has unified them by stipulating policies that equally cater for the interests of all individuals. The company has also fostered support on women’s initiatives by allowing them to organize and form a group with strategies to develop their lives. Women executives are legitimately entitled to their status. Diversity is equally at corporate level and within the frontline. Diversity and inclusion is also exhibited by the different supplies in term of company products. There are different designs of computer software and hardware that will serve to solve clients’ problems. It therefore deals with different product line.

Employee Relations and Legal Compliance

            Pendsoft Systems is a company that is legally compliant and upholds the rights of the employees to ensure that they are in a good working environment. The company therefore observes ethical aspects and follows them to the letter. The employee handbook has policies that highlight professionalism from both the employer and employee perspectives. In case the legality is breached, there is internal conflict resolution and penalties are imposed on the guilty individuals. The company’s mission remains to retain its workforce based on principles that promote its image. However, the company should have avenues where employees report the complaints so that they are attended. There should counseling sessions with employees so that their fears are dispelled giving them confidence to speak for their rights.

References

Conison, J. (1998). Employee benefit plans in a nutshell. St. Paul, Minn: West Group.

Gatewood, R. D., & Feild, H. S. (1987). Human resource selection. Chicago: Dryden Press.

Klubnik, J. P. (1995). Rewarding and recognizing employees: Ideas for individuals, teams, and managers. Chicago: Irwin Professional Pub.

Mondy, R. W., Noe, R. M., & Gowan, M. (2005). Human resource management. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.

 

Tolstoy’s the Death of Ivan Ilyich

            “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” is a novel by Leo Tolstoy that explores the occurrences before and after Ivan’s death. It entails brainstorming perceptions of religious and theological issues. The principal character is depicted as a man who gets insight of his death as he attempts to derive its meaning at his last breath. The novel is rather fictional, but it has been successful in capturing the thoughts of many who try to comprehend the mystical nature of the story.

“The Absurd”

            Albert Calmus is a philosopher who delved into studying individual freedom and ways in which it can bend ethics. Absurdity of life is one of his three principles applied to analyze the human situation. His thought of absurdity is based on the whys of life as well as its presumed complex nature. He proclaims that the rationality of man is a composite of reason and the man. His principle in “the absurd” presents the search of human beings to derive the life’s meaning without success. According to Calmus (1975), it is impossible for human beings to find the meaning of life. However, he does not mean that human beings should end their search. However, they should accept the absurdity of life to enjoy their individual freedom without wondering how they came to being or who was behind it. The other two ways of ending the human dilemma of “the absurd”, according to absurdist philosophy, is by religious or spiritual realm and suicide. However, Camus supports neither of the two with his argument being that suicide will still complicate absurdity, and that the spiritual realm ‘kills’ philosophy.

Existentialists think that the question about absurdity arises when we “take atheism” seriously. This is because the issue of human nature is still considered by atheists as a constraint in performing certain acts in life and in having a definite personality. This is despite the fact that they do not recognize the premise of God. Existentialists believe that everything related to God should be dispensed just as he is dispensed. This is because dwelling on one aspect will still intensify the search for reason. They argue that the essence of human beings only comes after their own essence. Therefore, an individual defines his or her own nature, thereby giving them radical responsibility of their own selves.

Comparison to Camus’ “Sisyphus”

The similarities between the characters in “Death of Ivan Ilyich” and Camus’ “Sisyphus” are evident. Tolstoy explored the world of existentialism through outlaying the absurdity of Ivan’s life when he narrates the cause of Ivan’s death. Ivan’s fate begins to show from a little accident that occurred when he falls from the ladder while hanging curtains. Here, the question that probably lingers in the reader’s mind is what life is, and if it has any meaning, if such an accident can lead to the loss of life. In Tolstoy’s “Death of Ivan Ilyich” (1981), Ivan’s life was quite admirable right from his childhood, with a lot of praises and motivation from his family’s side. He later achieves a lot more. He might have thought he had it all by his achievements, but it all boils down to life being meaningless when he dies.

According to Camus (1975), and other existentialists, human existence is absurd due to lack of a defined goal or meaning in their lives. They thus search for meaning by choice. In “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” Ivan tries to understand the meaning of life at his deathbed. Ivan’s friend, Peter Ivanovich, seems to be unmoved by Ivan’s death, and he tries to help his wife attain the post that Ivan left after his death. He also extends his inconsideration at the funeral when he does not amicably attend to the worries of Ivan’s wife. The wife, Praskóvya Fëdorovna, also appears materialistic. This is demonstrated in that she is more despaired by the vagueness of Ivan’s estate and property than by her husband’s death. Ivan achieved much in his lifetime, but due to death, all that he achieved was lost. According to Tolstoy (1981), there is nothing much to live for if your family and friends do not find meaning in your life. This futile life experience supports the idea of absurdist as Camus supposes in his “Sisyphus.” Both scenarios presented by Tolstoy and Camus agree that human beings are immortal, and death is inevitable.

Response to life’s absurdity

Tolstoy suggests acceptance of death as a response to life’s absurdity. Ivan represents an absurd hero because he finally manages to accept death. Finally, he recounts the absurdity of life with his last breath. He comes out of the cocoon of denial that he earlier exhibits with so much zeal in finding a cure for his condition to escape death. However, it is paradoxical that Tolstoy’s narration captures both the death and living aspects of Ivan. The life of Ivan is used to symbolize the lifestyles people fight for tooth and nail. However, they fail to ask whether it is worth it, or   whether it brings forth happiness. Ivan’s family is inconsiderate by blaming him of his predicament. This demonstrated that his life had no value to them. Consequently, he realizes that life is not worth it, and this realization makes him an absurd hero.

The meaning of life

What Tolstoy is attempting to say all through his novella is that life is meaningless, and there is no escape from death. An authentic life is better, keeping in mind that our existence is not permanent. The sooner we understand that every human being is mortal, the better for our emotional self. Tolstoy also tries to prove that life is void in the sense human beings can work harder in their lives to reach an optimum level. This is with a belief that there is a reason for one’s successes. However, such a belief is futile when one comes face to face with death. Ivan’s life was full of suffering, and nothing added up as much as he tried to find a reason for living. His injury from the fall got worse day after day, with doctors giving him false impression about his condition. In an illusion that was devoid of authenticity, he still believed he could survive. However, at the end of the road, he succumbed to death.

On the other hand, there are opponents of existentialism. They argue that life has a meaning if human beings posses faith. They believe that the faith of human beings provides a religious or spiritual premise for the individual. In addition, they believe that initially, there was essence, and then existence of the individual ensued. Therefore, critics refute the existential idea that prior to essence is existence. This is because the creator had a purpose for human beings before their existence.

 

 

Work Cited

Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Harmondsworth, Eng: Penguin Books, 1975. Print.

Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Toronto: Bantam books, 1981. Print.

Process analysis

Introduction

Process analysis is the identification, study and record of the development of a new product that fills in a market gap.

Problem identification

Online learning

Online learning, also known as e-learning is defined as the use of advanced technological learning models to transform how information and knowledge is passed to the masses ( Moeng 2004). In Australia alone, there is labor shortage hence leading to tight daily schedules and there being more than 400 spoken languages the need to learn a common international language arises. Few private language-tutoring businesses are available with languages mostly offered in universities hence there is a deficit of supply in relation with demand.

Color wheels, tables and chairs

During the research it was found out that the supply of children furniture, that is tables and chairs was limited if even existent. Children mostly learn using sight hence in a business targeting younger market color is vital as it speaks volumes.

Online shop website

Online shopping has many advantages including shipping and delivery availability, ability to view the entire collection on offer by just a click of the mouse, hence is less tiresome. The level of insecurity in shopping malls, i.e. terrorism target due to the number of people in them, puts of people from physical shopping hence making online shopping a better option (Lehrer, 2012). Therefore, online shopping is safer.

Work evaluation

Evaluation of the different ideas occurred through brainstorming and recognition of a societal need and saw a reason to convert this interest into an income generating activity.

Online learning

Online classes therefore seem viable enough backed up by all the evidence of its shortage in supply and the high market demand.

Color wheels, tables and chairs

This idea was found to have defects as furniture tend to be bulky hence not being the most suitable for learning to children. The only up side to this idea is that one can customize the products to fit the customer specifications. This would mean that the price of the good is higher due to the costs met in reaching the customer’s requirements.

Online shop website

Shopping is a major economic driver hence needs to be sustained for economic balance. Physical shops tend to focus more on profit maximization rather than customer service therefore, addressing the issue in online shopping and customer satisfaction prioritization helps online shopping gain more marketability.

Final idea chosen

Online learning is the most viable business idea of the three stated ideas. This is because of the high demand and deficit in supply hence has the highest capacity to expand. Once the idea is developed, innovation comes into play where there is conversion of the idea into a marketable solution (Frederick and Kuratko 2010, p. 168).

Idea development

The schedule in the learning system is customized to accommodate all the different schedules. Video conferencing is possible and reference materials updated consistently.

This being a new system of learning in the marketing it would be termed as an invention.

Potential problems

Potential problems include hacking and free riding in learning. This is avoidable through implementation of technological measures and controls by obtaining the skills off a computer consultant.

 

References

Moeng, B. (2004). An Informal History of eLearning. On the Horizon, vol: 12, no 3, pp 103- 110

Frederick, H.H, & Kuratko, D.F 2010, Entrepreneurship: Theory, process, practice, (2nd Edition Asia-Pacific Ed.), Thomson, Sydney

Lenher, J. (2012). Imagine: how creativity works. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 

Difference between Sunni and Shi’a Islam

Islam has two main divisions, the Sunni and the Shi’a. Other divisions exist in other countries, such as the Sufi and the nation of Islam, but the Sunni and Shi’a Muslims are the largest groups. Both the Sunni and Shi’a are staunch followers of Islam. They share many of the religious principles, and they follow the teachings in the Quran. They observe similar religious practices, such as religious days. However, the two groups differ in considerable ways. The differences between the two groups emerged in the seventh century as a political conflict. The two groups differed on the issue of leadership because they did not agree on who should be the leader after the death of Prophet Muhammad (Roald 127). The Sunnis recognize the role of caliphs who were not related to Prophet Muhammad, while the Shi’a do not. Since then, the two groups have differed on the role of leaders, and they differ on some of their religious practices and ideologies.

The Sunni and the Shi’a differed on who would succeed Prophet Muhammad. The Shi’a argued that only Ali, who was Muhammad’s son in law, would succeed him. They claimed that Ali was the right heir and successor to Muhammad. Other Muslims differed, and they appointed caliphs as leaders. The Sunni believe that the caliphs are “elected guardians of the prophetic legacy” (Pratt 52). They accept the first four caliphs, and believe that the early Islamic community appointed them. The Shi’a Muslims follower the doctrine of imamate, which they believe is divinely inspired (67). They regard Ali as the first imam. They believe that the imam is divinely inspired, and must be a direct descendant of Ali. The Shi’a do not accept the first three caliphs. The Sunnis follow the Sunnah of the prophet, while the Shi’a have their own variation of the Sunnah. Although the two groups follow the sharia law, they have different principles. The Shi’a have their own variations and schools of the sharia.

Sunnis and Shi’a have different religious customs. The Sunnis use the four law systems, while the Shi’a use their hadith. The Shi’a believe in the teaching and direction of the imam, who also interprets the hadith (67). They observe their religion at shrines and pilgrimages. The Shi’a practice different rituals around the tombs of the saints and the martyrs. They believe that doing so is part of the Islamic customs and beliefs. This is not common among the Sunnis. Shi’a and Sunnis have different perspectives concerning saints. The Sunnis believe that humans have a direct relationship with God, and that they do not need any intermediaries. The Shi’a do not rule out the role of imams as intermediaries between people and God. Both groups fast during the month of Ramadan, but the Shi’a are more lenient on the rules (Pratt 52-53).

The Shi’a and Sunnis differ in some of their religious practices. For instance, one of the fundamental practices of the Islamic faith is prayer. Muslims believe that one ought to pray five times a day. However, the Shi’a combine some of the prayers, and they pray three times daily. Because of their belief in Muhammad, the Shi’a have hierarchical form of leadership. The Sunni Muslims do not have a hierarchical leadership. The Shiite Muslims fund religious institutions by contributing khums, in addition to zakat. The khum is 20% of a person’s annual excess income. Sunni Muslims only contribute the zakat. They get donations from communities. In religious states, the Sunni are funded by the state. Some fundamental differences concerning the nature of the Quran and the interpretations of the holy book exist between the two groups. Muslims who have a Shi’a background or those who are sympathetic with the Shi’a support the idea that the Quran is created (Roald 131). Moreover, the two groups differ co

 

Works Cited

BBC. Sunni and Shi’a. “British Broadcasting Cooperation.” 2009. Web. 30 May 2012.

Pratt, Douglas. The Challenge of Islam: Encounters in Interfaith Dialogue. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2005. Print

Roald, S. Anne. New Muslims in the European Context: The Experience of Scandinavian Converts. The Netherlands: BRILL, 2004. Print

 

 

Animal Experimentation

Proposition

Animal experimentation should not be stopped; it should only be limited from causing severe pain or cruel deaths.

Introduction

The health welfare of millions of people can be attributed to the new discoveries and inventions by human beings overtime. Human beings have become modernized and knowledgeable in the field of medicine and up to recent times, human healthcare is positively being tackled with in advancement forms through scientific research. Therefore, the scientific research entails animal experimentation. Scientists justify their prescription of human medication by the findings of the experiment done.

Animal experimentation refers to the process of manipulating animals with a bid to conduct scientific research. Scientific research involves determination of certain diseases that affect human beings or animals and the remedies necessary. Scientists use animals in their research because they have some similar characteristics as human beings hence, the results will be compatible. Animal experiments also clarify major biological aspects in a living organism. The scientist imposes different types of diseases on laboratory animals to find out how they effect and how the animals will react to specified treatment. The most used vertebrae by scientific researchers in their studies are mice, rats and birds.

The issue of animal experimentation however, is controversial issue among many minds with some opposing the process. They term it as an abuse to animal life in its own environment. There are veterinary laws that ensure the laboratory animals are kept in good condition and are taken care of well. The pain subjected to them is only minimal and in case it exceeds the limit, scientists should end its life painlessly. The opponents of animal experimentation argue that animals have feelings like human beings, and, therefore, they should not be harmed. However, proponents defend the idea by saying that animals would still kill themselves when they hunt so animal experimentation is not entirely the cause of animal death. The benefits of animal experimentation are numerous as compared to its demerits.

Benefits and Refutation of Animal Experimentation

Benefits

            Dr. Andrew Knight, a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and an acclaimed veterinarian and a bioethicist, takes a note on animal experimentation in one of his books, “The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments”. According to Knight (2011), “animal experimentation has a variety of benefits, and it is essential in the discovery of treatments to different sorts of diseases” (2). This scientific process of research has enabled the recognition of multiple vaccines that have so far proved to be effective. As a result, human beings are adequately prevented from diseases such as smallpox, measles, polio, diphtheria and so on. The list is endless and with further advancement, more prevention will be realized as human healthcare is gradually improved.

James G. Fox is a certified university lecturer and director of comparative medicine at the Whitaker College of Health and Sciences situated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his book, “Laboratory Animal Medicine”, Fox (2002), asserts that new drugs are developed by observation of their effects on the animals under experimentation. Introduction of antibiotics, insulin, and HIV and cancer treatments was possible because of animal experimentation. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is still in the process of being tackled as researchers are determined to discover the ultimate cure. Anti-retrovirals for AIDS patients were also developed through the same process.Furthermore, the alternative methods of deriving scientific treatment are not highly regarded by most scientists because they do not result to high quality drugs as animal experimentation does. Researchers would want to know the degree of that the drug would have on an individual so that if it is too toxic, he or she can reduce the chemical composition in the drug. Animal experimentation is not only done to improve the healthcare of human beings but also to the benefit of the animals themselves. It has paved way for breakthroughs in veterinary medicine that cures the animal diseases. Therefore, animal experimentation cannot be blindly dismissed as animal torture since it offers solutions in animal problems.

To stop research through animal experimentation means that human life will be at stake because it will halt the discovery of appropriate and powerful medicine. Hence, human beings will suffer of deadly ailments. Similar assertions are made by Ellen Paul and Jeffrey Paul in their book, “Why Animal Experimentation Matters: the Use of Animals in Medical Research.” On her part, Ellen Frankei Paul is the deputy director of the Social Philosophy and Policy Center, and an acclaimed professor of political science. Similarly, Jeffery Paul is a certified professor of philosophy at the Bowling Green State University. According to Paul and Paul (2001, p. 36), “the major reason why scientists have not yielded to halting animal experimentation is that it serves a major purpose in medical breakthroughs that are needed to save human lives”. Scientific research through animal testing is not as costly as alternative methods since there are many animals that can be bred in the lab to reproduce. Those in support of animal experimentation believe that human and animal lives stand a chance for survival and safety.

Refutation

People who negate the idea of animal experimentation base the argument on animal feelings, which, they presume, are similar to those of human beings. Hence, according to them, animals should enjoy the same freedom human beings have and should not be subjected to pain in laboratories. Animal cruelty can be traced in a number of cases but generally, scientists follow to the letter rules concerning animal treatment. B. Carlsson is an expert on veterinary and social ethics, in addition to being well versed on issues of animal welfare. In his article, “Ethical Issues in Animal Experimentation: View of the Animal Rightist”, Carlsson (1986, p. 65), demands that ethical issues in animal experimentation must be addressed.

Proponents believe that the withdrawal of certain drugs in the market is because of the side effects they have on human beings. On that note, they point out that the side effects are caused because of the animal experimentation. According to them, the species are different from human beings hence a discovery from them will not adequately treat a human being. Despite the fact, that certain animals have the same DNA as human beings, their reaction to the administered drugs will be quite different and therefore the research on animals will not have a major impact. Animal suffering depicted in the cosmetic industry when chemicals are administered to their eyes has also been a controversial issue that has provoked the voices of animal rights groups.

Opponents believe that animals’ rights are equal to those of human beings and so they should be protected. However, the animal value is indisputably less than human lives so their consideration should not be kept at purr that of human life. It becomes apparent that the research experiment cannot be conducted on a healthy human being because he or she is aware of suffering and can communicate unlike animals. According to Paul and Paul (2001), “we do not need to conduct a study of the pathology of an ailment in a healthy human being since it is fatal. Common morality strongly disputes the thought of an experiment on a human being” (25). Human culture and morality does not allow scientist, who are also human beings, to use their fellow humans to substitute animals in experimentation. However, opponents believe that animal research imposes harm to animals and that scientists should opt for alternative methods while conducting biological research. They advocate for legislation that protect the rights of animals.

Opponents also think that the amount of biological information gotten by scientists is enough and that there is no need for further research. However, what these animal campaigners fail to realize is that new ailments keep coming up and mitigation is seriously needed to avert them. Their lives are also at risk because they might also be vulnerable to such ailments. Animal experimentation will also save their lives in the case where they might fall victims. The animals that they are so passionate about will multiply while the human race diminishes. This would be a rather ironic picture because human beings are the sanest animals in the planet.

Animal Welfare Act

            The 1966 Animal Welfare Act is one of the legislations put across to protect the rights of animals from cruelty in labs by researchers. This law stipulates the limitation in the use of animals in scientific research and the manner in which they are treated. It proposes the standards that should be considered in caring for and treating commercial bred animals and those that are used for experiments in research. Since 1966, there have been amendments in the law such as improved standards for laboratory animals. Researchers are therefore meant to uphold this rule taking great care of animals in the lab and avoiding animal maltreatment when administering their procedures.

Earlier on, animal experimentation used to be done behind closed doors but as the number of animal campaigners rose, validity of animal research became the main area of concern. Opponents of animal experimentation are also pushing forward the establishment of laws that will dictate the number of animals taken in the laboratory for research. According to them, it is mandatory for biomedical firms to define the standard number of animals set aside for research to avoid too many animal deaths. Many articles have reported the type of animals that scientists are obligated to report of their usage in laboratory experiments. Such mammals are guinea pigs, dogs, cats, hamsters and primates. USDA is in charge of such reports to regulate the number of animals used.

Other Substitutes

            Opponents of animal experimentation also argue that rats and mice are entirely different from human beings. Hence, they should not be used in experiments, which determine the human healthcare. Their claims that these animals are different species from human beings do not hold water in as much there is some truth in them. It scientifically proven that some tissues and genetic structure in these small living organisms are similar to those of human beings.

The advocates for animal welfare propose other physiological processes that can also be used to evaluate the human biological processes and develop new drugs to cure ailments. Alternatives to the Bioassay for Botulinum Toxin Testing (2006) show methods that are complex than animal experimentation and entail computational models and algorithms. Development of different models, which will involve cheaper living organisms than mammals, is also underway. However, human beings cannot die because of waiting for a solution that is still being proven or tested. Animal experimentation will still fill the vacuum because since time immemorial, it has been the basic means for identifying treatments and causes of various diseases. As long as researchers and stakeholders observe the rules in the animal welfare act, there is no much offense committed in testing an animal. In addition, the discovery of alternative methods is not 100% guarantee that they will be compatible with the human anatomy.

Opponents also assert that animal experimentation is irrelevant to human beings because some of the animal’s biological metabolism is altered by the poor laboratory environment in which they are kept. Scientific researchers have tried to instill in opponents the mentality that what they believe is animal suffering is a critical means in attaining developments in the field of medicine solely to improve their health standards. It is difficult for scientific researchers to develop alternative techniques in the laboratories because of very little incentives and the fact that such alternatives might not produce the desired results, as they would speculate.

Through systematic studies of genetics and animal tissues, scientists concluded from their findings that similarities are more narrowed between mice, rats or chimpanzees and human beings. It is because scientists experimented on the animals that they found several treatments and vaccines to deadly diseases. Therefore, the claims of the opponents are solid in this case. Consistent research in them will provide an entry to future medicine discovery. J. S. Romm is an associate professor of Humanities at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the accredited author of the paper “Aristotle’s Elephant and the Myth of Alexander’s Scientific Patronage”. According to Romm (1989), experimentation on animals began decades ago from the likes of Aristotle who used animals in scientific research and it is what was found out that answer certain present questions in human beings. It was until the sixteenth century that opposition emerged concerning the scientific process. Currently, mice, rats and chimpanzee are still needed in research because none other compatible animal has been discovered by scientists.

Conclusion

Protection and safety of human life is common morality. It would be crueler to perform the experiment on a human being or even worse let them die because no treatment is discovered. Scientists have and are still going out of their ways to discover treatment for ailments that have caused suffering among human beings for a long time. Animal experimentation is the ultimate determinant for such efforts, thus, the practice should not be stopped. It ensures both human and animal healthcare and future advancements by scientists will better the situation. Soon more vaccines and effective medicine will be discovered. The only way to find the cure of a disease affecting human beings is to conduct a test on another living organism with similar genes. However, there should be regulations that moderate the handling of such animals to ensure they are treated fairly. Scientific researchers should follow to the letter rules concerning animal well-being so that they avoid hindrance on their on-going researches.

Work Cited

Paul, Ellen F, and Jeffrey Paul. Why Animal Experimentation Matters: The Use of Animals in Medical Research. New Brunswick [N.J.: Social Philosophy and Policy Foundation, 2001. Print.

Carlsson, B. “Ethical Issues in Animal Experimentation: View of the Animal Rightist.” Acta Physiologica Scandinavica. 128 (1986): 50-68. Print.

“Animal Welfare Act.” The American Biology Teacher. 33.4 (1971): 242. Print.

“Alternatives to the Bioassay for Botulinum Toxin Testing.” 2006. Print.

Knight, Andrew. The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011. Internet resource.

Fox, James G. Laboratory Animal Medicine. Amsterdam: Academic Press, 2002. Internet resource.

Romm, JS. “Aristotle’s Elephant and the Myth of Alexander’s Scientific Patronage.” American Journal of Philology. 110.4 (1989): 566-75. Print.