'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'- Discuss Essay

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'- Discuss - Essay Example Countries like America have ensured that its people make the best out of capitalism, unlike countries that govern their people by using the socialistic system (Murphy, 2007, p.2). There are certain freedoms that capitalism has provided to the people with the help of democratic rights of freedom. They include that as a US citizen one is not bound to one job. If he feels the need to leave it, then he has full rights to do so and no law bounds him from leaving that job (Murphy, 2007, p.3). Along with that, capitalism also provides the opportunity to be self employed by the help of a self-owned business or sell your own goods and services at the price he/she desires. Sometimes, capitalist form of economy and democracy are thought to be considered much adjacent to each other, however in reality it is quite the opposite. The economic growth that the world saw for a quarter of a century may say otherwise after the World War, but after that, the international economy simply deteriorated sinc e then. That quarter of a century of progress made people assume that democracy and capitalism together result in economic growth. But the events later to that growth prove otherwise. The economic meltdown of 2008 itself is a proof for that matter. (Cammack, 1997, p.252) The political rights and school of thoughts determined that in order to make capitalism the primary form of economy, democracy had to be abolished because it gave power to the authority, or in other words power of the weak and poor over the rich. They even warned that capitalist forces may even start a campaign to destroy democratic form of governments to avoid redistribution of the capital. In order to align Democracy and capitalism, it was proposed after the World War that it could only happen if key industries and sectors of the economy were nationalized and a more co-determination by the workers as it happens in Germany. (Cammack, 1997, p.252) Unlike a socialist country, where the state bounds you to a certain s et of jobs and where personal rights are not given at ease. However, capitalism has often been accused of their hypocritical by several critics in a number of ways. One such example of that includes the fact that even though people do have the right to choose their own jobs, nevertheless, it is undeniable that they are always at the mercy of the people who employ them (Murphy, 2007, p.3). When it comes to capitalism and the choice of occupation, the major factor that determines what job a person chooses is the salary (Anderson, 2000, p.24). With capitalism and the inequality that it brings into the economic order, it also creates a remarkable ridge between professions and the earnings that people make from them. For instance, in the United States, a teacher or a doctor earns around $40,000 to $50,000 in a year with most of the expenses going in their mortgages and rents ((Anderson, 2000, p.27). However, on the other hand professional sportsmen earn round $2 million to around $20 mil lion in a whole year, as the interest of several bookies and economic tycoons rely on them, even though they haven’t even graduated from college. The most expenses they have are their agents. Capitalism therefore has induced such in equals in our society where sportsmen are paid much heavily as compared to teachers and doctors. Capitalism is quite difficult to understand at times. This is because on one hand, it gives the people a free market to work in. People

Majority Opinion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Majority Opinion - Case Study Example Since there was no evidence to the effect that students were required to profess the religious views presented in the books, then the plaintiffs, in this case, had no good basis of claiming that the requirement to read from the books amounted to the violation of the constitutional rights of the students and their parents. The basis that would well serve to make the requirement unconstitutional is if the students were compelled to do something that is against their religious belief, such as profess the religious views presented by the books (Shelly, 1994). The students were not required by any means to affirm the religious views presented or even practice such views. There was an assumption on the sides of the plaintiff that having the religious vies which was in contrast to their own belief presented in the form of poetry or fiction, entitled the children to believe in them. To indicate lack of consistency in the arguments presented by the plaintiff, one of them, Mrs. Frost held that it was all right to have their children taught other religions and philosophies, as long as such teachings did not undermine her religious beliefs, or the children had to be instructed on the error of the other religion (Fish, 1999). This serves to show that the plaintiffs believed their religion was the only one acceptable and thus, could be taught without the indication of its errors, while the other religions and philosophies had to underline this fact. This is an erroneous view of the intentions of the education system, in that it seeks to create wider knowledge, and thus cannot be limited to one religion. Another major aspect that offers support for the majority opinion by chief judge Lively is the fact that there appears an observed tendency of the plaintiff to interpret virtually everything theologically (Suber, 1987). Mrs. Frost holds that everything has to be interpreted in the Biblical perspective, arguing that there is no possible way, in which issues such as evolution a nd telepathy could be taught, without violating her religious beliefs.  

Utilitarian And Deontological Ethical Theories

Utilitarian And Deontological Ethical Theories Thesis: Despite both utilitarian ethical theory and deontological ethical theory can be applied usefully to the issue of stem cell research. I shall argue that utilitarian ethical theory is preferable, because it is most consistent with the considered moral judgments and can give most reasonable answers to the issue. Abstract The paper deals with the area of philosophical inquiry and discussion referred to as ethics or moral philosophy. As suggested by these terms, the primary focus of this inquiry area is about issues that emerge in moral or ethical situations, situations that pose questions regarding what we should or ought to do when the issue is not strictly a self-interest matter, but of right or wrong .For this case the issue is on controversy surrounding stem cell research. There are attempts to try to put some clarity of thought to the issue: This is to clearly define the language used to discuss it, to reveal the inference forms that underlie our thinking about it, and to justify and determine principles that can give guidance in solving these issue through bringing into consistency the best intuitions and thoughts on these matters. Background on Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has emerged to be one of the major issues dividing the religious and scientific communities around the globe. There is one central question with regards to the core of the issue: When does life begin? (Kristen et al, 313).To obtain reliable stem cells, either scientists need to use already conceived embryo or else clone an embryo using a cell from the patient body and a donated egg. Either way, scientists must destroy the embryo when harvesting an embryos stem cells. Despite that embryo may only have 4-5 cells, some religious leaders argue that destroying it is same as terminating human life. Inevitably, the issue is in the political arena. (Kristen et al, 313). Congress passed a rider to the federal appropriations bill in 1996, referred to as Dickey-Wicker amendment. Representatives Roger Wicker and Jay Dickey proposed abolishing the federal monies use for any research where a human embryo is destroyed or created. Federal monies are a primary funding source for stem cell research. Since then the amendment has been renewed every year. President George W. Bush, in 2001 restricted further the federal stem cell research. Bush stated in an executive order that federal funds may only be employed for research involving already established (only 22 cell lines) human embryonic stem cell lines. This restricted researchers from generating more embryonic stem cell lines for research. In 2009, an executive order issued, was issued by President Barack Obama to expand embryonic stem cell research. Obamas administration permitted embryonic stem cell research federal funding following conditions applied: The cell line was among the 22 cell lines that existed during the Bush administration or was generated from discarded embryos after the procedures of in vitro fertilization. The embryos donors were not paid in any way. The donors were fully aware that the embryos could be used for research purposes before giving consent. The political debate However, in political terms, at the heart of debate on stem cell is a battle over abortion but its with a twist. Yes, the cells are from embryos. And with regards to religious orthodoxy, an embryo is considered to be life. Infact, some pro-life advocates have not objected employing stem cells for research to what was done by Nazi doctors during World War II ( Maureen et al,29). But also the embryo cells hold great promise for many sick patients with their families. Furthermore, several embryos might otherwise be discarded unceremoniously. There are high political stakes, and those involved in the debate are obliged to review their position. Embryonic stem cells that come from the inner blastocyst (fertilized egg after four days of conception) are controversial ( Maureen et al,26). But while several pro-life advocates remain firm in their opposition to embryonic cells use for research, others including scientific community are in favor of research funding. High-profile activists, such as actor Michael J. Fox, with Parkinsons disease, appeared before subcommittees of congressional claiming that stem cell research should continue. The scientific debate We exactly dont know what stem cells can do for us; however, we do know that due to the fact that stem cells are undifferentiated, scientists may prompt them to whatever cell type. The cells can as well replace sick or damaged cells in an injured patient or in a patient with degenerative disease. The question is; where are scientists obtaining these cells? Until of recent, it was known that majority of various stem cells employed in research were obtained from embryos discarded (or excess) stored at in-vitro fertilization clinics. If potential parents make a decision of not having more children, they may be requested by scientists working with stem cells to donate embryos not needed for research. For the method that is most controversial, stem cells can be pulled from aborted fetuses by scientists. This can be after providing signed consent by the patient who previously decided to terminate her pregnancy. This is the most often highlighted procedure considered by pro-life activists who object stem cell research.( Maureen et al,28). For pro-life advocates, the moral cost of undertaking stem cell research supersedes any potential benefits. However, for scientists, the likelihood is both bewildering and awe-inspiring. Nobody denies the stem cell debate moral dilemma. Background on Utilitarian Ethical Theory. The utilitarian ethical theory is established on the capacity to predict actions consequences. According to a utilitarian, the choice which gives the greatest benefit to the majority is a correct choice ethically. One benefit of this ethical theory is that the utilitarian can compare similar predicted solutions and a point system is employed in the determination of more beneficial choice for the majority. This point system gives a rationale and logical argument for every decision and enables an individual to employ it on a case-by-case context (Postema et al, 56). There are two utilitarianism types, rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism. In act utilitarianism, an individual performs the acts which benefit the majority, regardless of societal constraints like laws and personal feelings. However, rule utilitarianism, is concerned with fairness. Hence takes into account the law. A rule utilitarian aims to benefit the majority but through the most just and fairest means available. Therefore, additional rule utilitarianism benefits are that it values justice as well as at the same time it includes beneficence (Ryan, 125). However, similarly to other ethical theories, both rule and act utilitarianism consists of numerous flaws. Inherent in both are the flaws related with future prediction. Despite persons can employ their life experiences to try to predict the outcomes, there is no one who can be sure that his predictions will be true. This can result to unexpected outcomes, hence it will make utilitarian appear unethical as time passes due to his choice never benefited the majority as he predicted (Ryan, 126).For instance, if an individual lights a fire to warm his friends, then later the fire burns down the house resulting from the soot in the chimney caught on fire, then now it seems the utilitarian chose an unethical decision. The outcome of unexpected house fire is taken to be unethical due to it never benefited his friends. Another assumption to be made by utilitarian is that he has the capacity to compare several forms of consequences against each other basing on similar scale. However, material gains comparison like money against intangible gains like happiness is not possible because their quality varies to such a bigger extent (Ryan, 129). Another failing that is found in utilitarianism is that it never allows supererogation existence. In other terms, persons needs to constantly behave so that the majority benefit despite the danger related to an act (Ryan, 127). As noted above, act utilitarianism is strictly concerned with maximum good achievement. With regards to this theory, the rights of an individual might be infringed upon for the sake of benefiting a greater population. In other terms, act utilitarianism always is never concerned with beneficence, justice or autonomy for a person if the individual oppression results to the solution that benefits a majority. Another instability source within act utilitarianism is experienced when a utilitarian encounters one variable conditions set and then experiences suddenly a change in those variables that makes her original decision to be changed. This indicates that an act utilitarian may be good to you at one moment then dislike you at the later moment due to the change of variables, hence no longer beneficial to the majority (Ryan, 124). Background on Deontological Ethical Theory The deontological theory states that persons need to stick to their duties and obligations when evaluating an ethical dilemma. This implies that an individual will follow her or his obligations to benefit another person or society because what is taken to be ethically correct is upholding ones duty (Freeman, 10). For example, often a deontologist will follow the law as well as keep his promises to a friend. Very consistent decisions can be made by a person who follows this theory because will be based on the set duties of an individual. Deontology gives a basis for special obligations and duties to particular people, like those within ones family. For instance, an older brother obligation may be to protect his little sister in crossing a busy road. This theory as well acknowledges those deontologists who exceed their obligations and duties, referred to as supererogation (Ellis, 859). For instance, if a train is hijacked and is with full of students and the demand of the hijackers is that one person should have to die in order for the rest to live, an individual who volunteers to die is exceeding her or his duty to the other students, hence supererogation act. Despite deontology has several positive attributes, it also has a number of flaws. One weakness with this theory is that there is no logical or rationale basis for deciding the duties of an individual. For example, a decision can be made by a businessman that it is his duty to be going for meetings on time. Despite this seems to be a noble duty, it is not known why the person decided to make this his duty. A similar scenario explains two other deontology drawbacks including the fact that duties of a person conflict sometimes, and that deontology is never concerned with other peoples welfare. For example, how is deontologist supposed to drive if he must be in the meetings on time and time is running late? Is he needed to speed, to uphold the law by breaking his duty to society, or is he required to arrive late to the meeting, to be on time by breaking his duty? This conflicting obligations scenario neither leads us to a clear resolution that is ethically correct nor does it protect ot her peoples welfare from the decision of deontologist. Because deontology is not based on each situation context, it never gives any guidance in a complex situation where there is conflicting obligations (Ellis, 860) Application of Act Utilitarianism In the avoidance of confusion, it is critical to clarify different issues which can be addressed from a utilitarian perspective. One of the issues, which is the primary focus in this paper, is the sensible moral value determination of an action in a moral situation which is controversy on stem cell research. This is a moral obligation question that is appropriate in deliberation: What is the right action among all alternative actions to perform in stem cell research controversy (moral situation)? From the act utilitarianism perspective, the answer is;The right action is the only one which will give the best probable consequences, as discussed earlier. Another different question that probably can be addressed from the perspective of act utilitarian is, moral responsibility: Is a moral agent morally accountable for the action already performed by him; is it logical to praise or blame the agent for their action. For instance, President George W. Bush, in 2001 restricted further, the federal stem cell research or Obamas administration permitted embryonic stem cell research federal funding. Basing on this, will they be responsible for their decision? The basis for such judgments will be considered in some greater detail. However, it should be noted here that from an act utilitarian perspective it is fallacious to determine the agents moral responsibility based on unavailable information present at the time they made their decision. However, it would not be fare to put blame on a moral agent for the consequences he/she could not probably foresee. Consequently, to determine moral responsibility from the perspective of act utilitarian it is crucial to make a judgment basing on available information at the time, and such a judgment made may be so different from the one that might be made from the privileged hindsight standpoint of what action was the right one to take. For instance, considering Stem cell research dilemma, it might be probably consistent upon act utilitarianism to come up with a judgment on hindsight that it is wrong to destroy embryo cells for the sake of stem cell research, but that the scientist need not to be blamed for taking the wrong action since they cant foresee the ultimate acti ons consequences. Now, with regards to moral deliberation issue, what must a moral agent do when he/she encounters a moral dilemma? The act utilitarianism answer is that the moral agents is required to do what is (basing on all available information and evidence) in their best judgment, the moral agent determines an action that is morally right, the action that will result to the best consequences for all. Therefore, moral judgment is a risky action. It is not possible to be sure in a given perfect foresight, of what the actions consequences will be. Still, we predict constantly the actions consequences, and it is believed that the reasonable predictions can be made basing on past experience. Invariably, due to the relative prediction uncertainty, moral judgment from the perspective of an act utilitarian includes considering the relative consequences probabilities of our actions. In certain cases, in the presence of accurate statistics, the probability mathematics can give a precise way of handling these issues. Hence, if a state legislature is considering whether to pass a bill that supports stem cell research, statistics indicating embryo destruction rate from the embryo donation as a function of the legal embryo donation can be used in the determination of the probability that the life cut short in embryo donation will increase by a certain amount if the donation limit is raised. In several moral situations, accurate statistics is not available; in this case, a moral agent will be required to rely on intuitive, less precise sense of probabilities (Frankena, 10). Despite intuitive probabilities assessments are imprecise; still they can be made reasonably basing on evidence available of past experience. It is sensible to judge, for instance, that the probability is greater to have lettuce available for purchase in the grocery than to say, imported Camembert cheese. Whether or not precise probability calculations are possible, derivative obligation is posed by act utilitarianism upon any moral agent to seek any and all evidence or information available that is relevant in the determination of the possible ones actions consequences, and consider in a conscientious and serious manner. Application of Rule Utilitarianism Rule utilitarianism widens the focus of ethical discussion and moral deliberation considerably when it is compared to act utilitarianism. The major concern here is not the limited consequences of specific acts of a persons moral agents, but the long-range and more encompassing consequences of social practices viewed by all moral agents in the society. Hence the idea is not what will take place if I do this and this, but what will result if everybody as a rule did this and this, as compared to other accepted practice forms. This moral issue (Stem cell research) raises a complication that may need attention when applying rule utilitarianism. In todays society, several persons believe, on the basis of traditional ethical perspective or religious convictions that human life is sacred. In such a case, to take or terminate any human life, even in brain death cases or embryo destruction is morally wrong. Individual with such views may be greatly aggrieved or distressed if passive euthanasia or embryo destruction for stem cell research were permitted in such cases. Must the rule utilitarian consider such moral sentiments as one probable negative consequence of allowing passive euthanasia or embryo destruction in such cases? What is strange with this issue, definitely, at this issue, it is that, sentiments are ones that result from moral perspective on ethical issue under consideration. It is not possible for a rule utilitarian to consistently rule out the consideration of any negative impact of certain rule implementation or practice in the society. Due to this, a rule utilitarian is restricted by their position to even take into the account the moral opinions of persons who might be opposed to such implementation. However, the crucial point to take into account from a rule utilitarian viewpoint is that it is not only the immediate implementations consequences of a particular social practice that should be considered, but also the long-range consequences. Moral opinions normally change with time, and usually, they change following major changes in social practice and policy. In the past, prior to the establishment of womens economic and political rights, several men, and infact, some women, had a belief that women need not be given equal rights in society as a matter of moral principle and traditional practice. No doubt such individuals were greatly disturbed by th e gradual womens rights advancement in society. But over time, such attitudes have considerably diminished. Today, few believe that it is objectionable morally for women to have same role in society; this is contrary to most individuals who are against women equal rights as it is a social injustice. And few may deny that the social and economic opportunities now open to women have benefited the womens lives, and society as well. Thus history provides us better reason in believing that when reasonable changes in social practices and policies are instituted, any negative feelings that may arise as a result of conservative moral perspective are relatively short-lived than those which are long-term benefits. Basing on this, concerns on negative moral opinions significantly diminish in rule utilitarian ethical evaluation. In summary, with regards to this rule utilitarianism, it should be noted that several points considered above regarding act utilitarianism application apply in a equall y to rule utilitarianism application as well. Also, as with act, in rule utilitarianism, predictions uncertainties must be dealt with inevitably, but in this case predictions regarding the impact of the social institution of rules. Also, in utilitarianism, such Uncertainties need to be dealt with through weighing the relative probabilities of uncertain outcomes. The rule utilitarian will as well presume that such assessments can be made sensible, because lawmakers evaluate routinely the probable institutions outcomes of socially adopted rules. In rule utilitarianism application, as with the theorys act formulation, the moral deliberation aim is to make the most intelligent and informed assessment of outcomes possible and moral decisions will be based on this assessment. Application of Universal Law Formulation First it is required to note a clear distinction between utilitarian theory and Kants theory: Kant argues that moral judgments made can be with greater certainty as compared with any utilitarian may consistently claim. This can be due to; as discussed earlier, utilitarian moral judgment is based on factual judgments regarding future consequences of current actions, and such judgments cant be made with certainty. On the other hand, Kant denies the idea that actions consequences are morally appropriate, hence moral judgment doesnt rely, with regards to his theory, on the predictions uncertainties. In fact, Kant claimed that moral judgment was a priori judgment instance, meaning, judgment that can be justified prior to or independently of empirical evidence, just as we normally believe that no empirical evidence is required to know that 2+2=4 is true. Hence, is not required to know anything empirically about where or when a a certain act will be performed, or what will be the consequences of the act, to offer a moral actions evaluation. But despite moral judgment is not based on Kants empirically known facts, in Kantian theory there is one major factual issue which should be resolved for the sake of determining the actions moral value. This is all relevant and sometimes, complex issue of maxim formulation of the moral agents action, because it is the maxim which determines action type that a moral agent does or should do. Kant gave no particular guidelines on the way one need to describe an action in the maxim form as moral judgment basis, but reasonable and clear guidelines can be made. First, because maxim is an actions rule adopted by the moral agent, it is supposed to be formulated normatively, but not descriptively, as an action guide. Hence, formulation of any maxim can be in a general form I (or one) should (or ought t o) do such and such. (Simpler and acceptable alternative to this form is critical, Do such and such.) This may seem to be strange, because as seen earlier, the maxim descriptively determines what the moral agent does or should do. Deontologists lack a lot of rules. In some situations, this offers a fair amount of freedom. Because their rules require or forbid only particular actions, other actions are there for them. A deontologist will never say, It is good to preserve the rain forest. After all, rain forest preservation all concerns consequences and this is not what a deontologist base on. So the deontologist will chop away the forest and not feel guilty for the act. Deontologists may say, respect the world God gave us and to respect the world may need rain forest protection but that may not be the reason why deontologists did so. The conflicting obligations scenario neither leads us to a clear resolution that is ethically correct nor does it protect other peoples welfare from the decision of deontologist. Because deontology is not based on each situation context, it never gives any guidance in a complex situation where there is conflicting obligations (Ellis, 857). In conclusion, deontologists are persons who freely decide to accept particular constraints and who choose what is right basing on the nature of the act itself. Some establish particular rules such as do not kill, keep your promises etc. and some follow Gods commandments or Kants categorical imperatives. They never evaluate consequences as a rule and in other cases they find themselves in very complicated situations. This is in contrary to utilitarian ethical theory that is established on the capacity to predict actions consequences. According to a utilitarian, the choice which gives the greatest benefit to the majority is a correct choice ethically. One benefit of this ethical theory is that the utilitarian can compare similar predicted solutions and a point system is employed in the determination of more beneficial choice for more people. This point system gives a rationale and logical argument for every decision and enables an individual to employ it on a case-by-case context. It is not possible for a rule utilitarian to consistently rule out the consideration of any negative impact of certain rule implementation or practice in the society. Due to this, a rule utilitarian is restricted by their position to even take into the account the moral opinions of persons who might be opposed to such implementation. Therefore, despite both utilitarian ethical theory and deontological ethical theory can be applied usefully to the issue of stem cell research. It is clearly evident that utilitarian ethical theory is preferable, because it is most consistent with the considered moral judgments and can give most reasonable answers to this issue. Philosophy can be of help in identifying the range of ethical conversations, methods and value systems which can be applied to a certain problem. But after clarifying these things, every individual is supposed to make his/her own personal decision on what to do, and then respond appropriately to the consequences. Uncertainties need to be dealt with through weighing the relative probabilities of uncertain outcomes. The rule utilitarian will as well presume that such assessments can be made sensible, because lawmakers evaluate routinely the probable institutions outcomes of socially adopted rules.

Nora Essay -- essays research papers fc

Nora Nora Helmer, Ibsen’s strong-willed heroine is far from being a typical victim of male domination. She is master of the domestic world, dedicated enough to nurse her husband through illness, courageous enough to forge a signature and confident enough to pay back all her debts even in the face of enormous difficulties. But that is not what exactly sets her apart from convention—neither the energy or the initiative she exudes throughout, nor her decision to shatter her notions of marriage and seek independence. Rather, it is the intention or the motivation with which she carries herself throughout the text and more importantly the sub-text of the play that makes her different. Nora, despite her disenchantment and climactic decision, comes across as a less than innocent woman ambivalently portrayed, incredibly adept at manipulation and who does not, in the end, deserve the full sympathy that the thrust of the dominant narrative demands. She walks into a comfortably and tastefully furnished room, as soon as the play begins, with a bunch of parcels and immediately asks for the Christmas Tree to be hidden â€Å"carefully†, pops a few macaroons into her mouth and then cautiously goes to her husband’s door and listens, eventually remarking â€Å"Yes he is in.† The reason for such cautious behaviour seems quite uncertain as her husband’s presence inside the room is immaterial to her secretive actions (that of eating macaroons) as he is clearly out of sight, which makes us conjecture that perhaps such stealth is part of her normal behaviour. When Torvald does appear however, something that becomes very noticeable is the way Nora uses her movement, repetitively, like an application, to alleviate Torvald’s argumentative tone. For example, when her husband vehemently opposes the idea of borrowing, Helmer: †¦ and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there need be any struggle. Nora: (moving towards the stove) As you please, Torvald. Helemer: (following her) Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little skylark out of temper? (Taking out his purse.) Nora, what do you think I have got here? Nora: Money! Nora deliberately moves away from him, making Torvald uneasy of the emptiness, which results in his softening down and taking out the purse. Nora’s mood suddenly changes on seeing the bag. Remarkably, she repeats t... ...g† could never happen which is also why she was so terrified of it. She left blaming Torvald for something he wasn’t aware of, though he readily agreed to change himself for Nora, she left her children who loved playing hide and seek with her and took lodging at Mrs. Linde’s for the night. Ironically, Nora is the one who asked Mrs. Linde, â€Å"Tell me, is it really true that you did not love your husband? Why did you marry him?† Nora therefore proves herself to be ambiguous and very unreliable and even though forfeiting her family and a decision to face the world seems quite a large step for a dependent woman like her, Nora’s motivations remain deceptive as she is forever caught between the world of pretense and reality. Perhaps Nora realizes that, and when she does talk about â€Å"change† at the end of the play, she refers to herself being removed from the mask she is used to wearing. Bibliography Claridge, Laura. â€Å"Tess: A Less than Pure Woman.† Havel, Vaclav. â€Å"Writing for the Stage†, 1986. Ibsen, Henrik. A Doll’s House. trans. Farquharson Sharp. Bantam, 1958 Ingham, Patricia: â€Å"Fallen Woman as Sign† Miller, Arthur: â€Å"On Social Plays†, 1955.

Lego Group, Marketing and Operation Management Report

FOUNDATIONS OF MANAGEMENT (PART A) LEGO Group Marketing and Operations Management Report Prepared: For: LEGO Group By: Eva Gaal On: 17 November 2008 Introduction At the request of the LEGO Company, this report advises the company on the expansion of its operation based on market segmentation, appropriate marketing mix, new product design and development, including total quality management for outsourcing new partners. LEGO Group is the fifth-largest toy manufacturer of the world and has operated successfully for 75 years; however, it has had some problems in the last couple of years. To solve these problems, LEGO introduced a seven-year strategy plan, which consists of some fundamental changes regarding to the processes, procedures and structure of the company. This strategy so far has been executed successfully as shown in the financial results; however, LEGO is going to face some more challenges in the future. (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007). 1. / Market segmentation ‘Market segmentation is defined as the subdividing of a market into distinct and increasingly homogeneous subgroups of customers’ (FM-A, 2004, p. 3) and ‘it centres on the assumption that customers demonstrate heterogeneity in their product preferences and buying behaviour’. (Green, 1977, Wind, 1978, cited in Dibb, 1998, p. 394). ‘The business did actively segment its market’ (Dibb, 1998, p. 399), as LEGO identified itself from the very beginnings as a toy manufacturer it therefore automatically determined its marketing segmentation approach. In the children's toy market the primary segmentation base is the age (the older the more complex product); however, the real buyers are the parents (e. g. LEGO Duplo). Such an approach is popular because it is convenient, clear-out, easy to implement and stable over time. ’ (Curran and Goodfellow, 1989, p. 23, cited in Dibb, 1998, p. 399). During the company operation LEGO identified more and more secondary segmentation variables (FM-A, 2004) such as †¢ gender (dollhouse for girls: LEGO Belville and robots, football stars for boys: LEGO Sports, LEGO Racers), †¢ geographical area: level of income and purchasing power (matured countries – more complex products like Technic, Bionicle, developing countries – simple products like Duplo, Creative Building) education (different product rages for classroom education and for child development at home) †¢ psychographic, lifestyle: reflects the parents believe in the importance of education and creativity of the LEGO produc ts LEGO related its products directly to this segmentation group and positioned them in the certain markets. Why is market segmentation important? Identification of market segments, physical product configurations and brand positioning (LEGO positioned itself as a premium brand) are the most important decisions that companies face in the global marketplace. (Hassan et al. , 2003). LEGO identified country-wide segments and targeted them with its products range, based around the importance of education and creativity. Universal segments across country boundaries are considered as micro factors for values, attitudes, lifestyle and perception. (Hassan et al. , 2003). Even if market segments can be identified as LEGO did, it does not necessarily mean they are attractive or that a suitable marketing mix can be designed for each segment. This can be one reason why LEGO had difficulties in early 2000, however, ‘there is a lack of quantifiable evidence about the impact of segmentation on business performance’. Dibb, 1998, p. 396). The other reason could be that despite the well documented benefits which segmentation offers, businesses continue to encounter implementation difficulties. (Dibb, 1998) Marketers are using intuition rather than systematic analysis to identify segments (Wind and Cardoza, 1974, cited in Dibb, 1998) – follow their competitor s (LEGO started to create high-tech toys) with the lack of critical analyses about their attractiveness to the business. By recommendation it is that LEGO should review its segmentation approach including identification of segment profitability and life cycles (see Appendix 1. ; collection of segments data; global buyer based vs country based features etc. to identify new market opportunities and niches. Although there is a lack of quantitative research on the question of segmentation success factor, there are guidelines that divide 3 part (before – during – after) segmentation process, Kotler’s check-list and attractiveness criteria (Abratt,1993, cited in Dibb, 1998), (see Appendix 2. ). The result of this analysis should then be applied in the development of the existing segments (e. g. argeting older age-groups 20+, enter into new markets e. g. in Asia or identify new segments) to make decisions about targeting and to determine positioning. (Dibb, 1998). 2. / Marketing Mix After the market has been successfully segmented, target segment selected, and positioning strategies created, the marketer needs to proceed with development of the marketing mix. (Goldsmith, 1999, p. 181). The marketing plan consists of the eight main elements below which are the major areas to achieve and expand the sales and profit goals (see Appendix 3. ). Some of them are unique for Technic products (like product & price) but some of them cannot be separated as they are associated to the brand (cost-effectiveness). Product LEGO’s vision is that the Group will increasingly refine and improve its product range to enable its new product range to compete (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007), for example with the many electronic toys on the market, other companies are determined to reach buyers. Therefore in the 1970’s LEGO started to launch the Expert Builder sets, which included parts like gears, axles and cogs, which could be used to build working models of vehicles and machines (e. . cars, trucks, tractor etc. ). These products were more advanced, therefore more suitable for teenagers (12+). They were designed to help children learn creatively through play and to improve abilities to solve complex problems. In the 1980s the Expert Builder series was renamed to the Technic series. (Regani and George, 2007). By the early 1990s h igh-tech toys appeared in the market from other companies. Therefore the LEGO Technic series had to be improved to build robots and other automated or interactive systems to keep up with its competitors. Price LEGO’s unique position is based on the high quality, durability and safety of its products, utilizing a premium branding strategy where a higher price is associated, which therefore differentiates LEGO in relation to its competitors within the current market. The Technic products consist of more complex and special elements, therefore the production cost is higher than the standard bricks. Customers are prepared to pay this higher price to get the added benefits of the special design product of LEGO. However, this higher price (? 60-? 120) completely fits into the LEGO products price range (? 20-? 200). Place LEGO uses the following channels to provide their products (including LEGO Technic products) to customers (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007): – distribution: two centres in North America, two centres in Europe – direct sale: brand stores, mail order business, online sales (e. g. Amazon) Promotion The LEGO brand is the sixth most well known brand in the world (HVG, 2004) and this gives competitive advantage against the competitors in the promotion activity. LEGO is using to promote the Technic products through advertising during TV children programs (e. g. Off Roader) and through sales promotion (e. g. pecial online offers, Technic Gallery). Increasingly, online reviews written by satisfied customers are used to promote their products. Other possibility to promote Technic products would be to build one of them in the brand store to demonstrate how it works. People Not only in the production have LEGO maintained a high quality, but also in the performance of the servic e for customers. By TECHNIC products is very important that appropriate training for employees is given due to the complexity of the products. Processes ‘Lego products have to satisfy all market standards regardless where they were manufactured. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). It also has to provide high quality technical support especially such a complex product as Technic and customer service. ‘LEGO customer service was thus awarded the prize for â€Å"Best Centre for Customer Service† in Europe. ’ (LEGO Annual Report 2007, 2007, p. 19). Physical evidence The high quality production of the LEGO product (ISO 14001) guarantees that the Technic toys can be easily assembled following the technical instructions and there are no missing parts and all elements fit perfectly well together. The assembled toy looks and works exactly as shown on the packaging. Personalisation As the newest element of the marketing mix, personalisation offers a personalised version of the brand. This has a direct impact on all other elements relevant to LEGO products. Customers who are unhappy with mass produced products can design their own individual TECHNIC product on the internet and order this more personalised version online. However, ‘personalised products may imply personalised prices’. (Goldsmith, 1999, p181. ). 3. / New product design development It may be easier to develop a personal version of an existing product than to develop a wholly new product. New products come in five versions: product improvements, line extensions, brand extensions, new brands, and new-to-the-world innovations. (Peter and Donnelly, 1997, p. 125, cited in Goldsmith, 1999). From the very beginning LEGO shows a high commitment to new products innovation. When LEGO created the first non-toxic (ABS) interlocking plastic bricks in six different colours and launched their little yellow minifigure these were new innovations and built a base of their success as LEGO was named ‘Products of the Century’ by Fortune magazine. The LEGO elements which have been manufactured since 1958 are fully compatible, therefore LEGO sets can be passed on from one generation to the next. (Regani and George, 2007). As children’s interests changed over the years LEGO had to design new high tech product ranges to keep up with the present technology. The product development takes place primarily at the company’s Billund headquarter (internal brainstorming), but the LEGO Group has bases all over the world to monitor the latest trends, review of competitors’ products and also monitor the customers’ requirements and feedback. LEGO Company Profile, 2007). Innovation and creativity can be expensive and LEGO has lots of primary limitations of its product design; therefore each design option must be evaluated and assessed against a set of design criteria. (FM-A, 2004). The new products have to comply with the existing ones. The new product has to fit to the production line, because to adjust or create a new production process has a high additional cost. LEGO Group’s motto â€Å"Only the best is good enough† and to fulfil this ambition all products have to comply with the appropriate safety and quality standards. Several activities such as quality management, environmental (green) issues, preventive action and testing on mechanical, chemical, electrical properties to ensure the product is free from hazards. Along with the high tech and licensed products LEGO should – and indeed must – concentrate on the development of its classic product lines (e. g. variety of product line extensions which are fit with the existing ones and wide range of possibilities of packaging (smaller supplementary parts are relatively cheaper for customers than bigger packs, etc. ). 4. / Total quality management for new outsourcing partners It has a lot of elements therefore hard to find the right definition of TQM. There are some interpretations which concentrate on different aspects (FM-A, 2004) like participation and quality circles (IshiKawa), quality cost, employee participation and motivation (Crosby), internal and external focus of customers, fitness for use (Juran) and Six Sigma (see Appendix 4. ) . One of the overall definitions of TQM is n effective system for integrating the quality development, quality maintenance and quality improvement efforts of the various groups in an organisation so as to enable production and service at the most economical levels which allow full customer satisfaction. (Feigenbaum,1986, cited in FM-A, 2004, p. 380). As definitions are wide and different in the practice the TQM is different company by company, however we could find some basic statements. LEGO is a good example of TQM as quality is the core of LEGO’s activity. Quality is firmly rooted in our fundamental beliefs, or mission statement, or strategy goals, and our values. As a world leader in the field of quality experience, service, and products, we focus on the customer’s perception of quality. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). In reflects of competitiveness and being cost-effective, it was a strategic decision to outsource its large production to Flextronics. However, outsourcing includes risks; can the quality and the time-management (JIT) be assured? What are the crucial factors of the LEGO’s successful TQM which they should absolutely recommend to their outsourcing partners? †¢ Participation: commitment at all levels Both parties have to participate to successful quality management. Senior and middle managers: |Should avoid |Should consider | |autocracy |support | |individualism |team building (team spirit) | |restrict behaviour |training | – Employees: Employees’ involvement improves morale. (FM-A, 2004). ‘We view the implementation of this policy as the shared responsibility of all LEGO employees. (Regani and George, 2007, p. 6). †¢ Culture – Adopt a quality-conscious philosophy as LEGO’s motto: â€Å"The best is good enough† – Organizational culture, LEGO established e. g. a department for Corporate Quality Control †¢ Training – Institute training on the job; self-improvement to be proud of their jobs. (FM-A, 2004). LEGO implemented a new competence model which defines the eight most important competences for LEGO employees and regularly asking their workers about their opinion of the process. †¢ Continuous improvement – ‘Quality management is the continual examination and improvement of xisting processes. ’ (FM-A, 2004, p. 382). Not enough to introduce but also need to open the continuous improvement. As LEGO meets the highest quality standards they independently show how changeable the market is. LEGO takes care to stay up-to-date in the safety requirements (EU CE, ISO). †¢ Monitoring (including preventive activities) – LEGO quality management aim to prevent defective production (18 out of every million elements are defected) therefore have to assure quality in the production process internally and externally (quality assurance), rather than inspecting goods after they have been produced. FM-A, 2004). Although the high quality production which avoids defaults LEGO carries out regular inspections of production. What can LEGO provide the company they outsourced to with? †¢ Documentation – A company quality manual may summarise the quality management policy and system. – A procedures manual sets out the functions, structures and responsible for quality in each department. – Detailed work instructions and specifications for how work should be carried out show how to achieve the desired quality standards. Training – Integrated relationship (training in LEGO’s place) – Knowledge sharing: train the trainer program (LEGO provide trainers) †¢ Monitoring – LEGO can delegate people from its monitoring team. Summary and conclusions Following the seven-year-strategy plan in the last couple of years, LEGO’s situation has already stabilized. The further expansion of the operation is possible. LEGO needs to rethink their attractiveness of the market segments and approach them to identify new market opportunities and niches. By actively using the appropriate elements of marketing mix (not only the classical 4Ps) and thinking about the product design possibilities they should also consider the existing competitive advantages of their product and the cost of fitting to the process involved. In case of outsourcing as a cost-saving LEGO needs to support its partners to keep up the quality as LEGO’s core value. REFERENCES Abratt, R. (1993) ‘Market segmentation practices of industrial marketers’. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 22, pp. 79-84. Cited in Dibb S. (1998) Market segmentation: strategies for success. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 16/7, 1998, pp. 394 – 406. Curran, J. G. M. and Goodfellow, J. H. (1989), ‘Theoretical and practical issues in the determination of market boundaries’. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 16-28. Cited in Dibb S. 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(8th ed. ) Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Cited in Oxford Institute of International Finance (2004) Foundations of Management Part A. London: BPP Professional Education. LEGO (2007) Annual Report 2007 LEGO Group [Online]. Retrieved from: http://cache. lego. com/downloads/about us/annualreport2007UK. pdf [Accessed 19 October 2008]. LEGO (2007) Company Profile An Introduction to the LEGO Group 2007 [Online]. Retrieved from: http://cache. lego. om/downloads/aboutus/LEGO_company_profile_UK. pdf [Accessed 19 October 2008]. Oxford Institute of International Finance (2004) Foundation of Management Part A. London: BBP Professional Education. Peter, J. P. and Donnelly, J. H. Jr (1997), A Preference to Marketing Management, 7th ed. , Irwin, Burr Ridge, IL. Cited in Goldsmith, R. E. (1999) The Personalised Marketplace: Beyond the 4Ps. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 17/4, 1999, pp. 178 – 185. Porter, M. (1985) Competitive Advantage. New York: Free Press. Cited in Oxford Institute of International Finance (2004) Foundation of Management Part A. London: BBP Professional Education. Regani, S. and George, S. S. (2007) ‘Quality and Safety Practices at LEGO’, ICFAI Centre for Management Research (ECCH), Case Study Reference no 607-015-2007. Wind, Y. and Cardoza, R. (1974) ‘Industrial market segmentation’. Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 153-66. Cited in Dibb S. (1998) Market segmentation: strategies for success. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 16/7, 1998, pp. 394 – 406. Wind, Y. (1978) Issue and Advantages in Segmentation Research. Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 153-66. Cited in Dibb S. 1998) Market segmentation: strategies for success. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 16/7, 1998, pp. 394 – 406. BIBLIOGRAPHY Economist (2008) Toy story What European toys say about Europian views [Online]. 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Retrieved from: http://www. lego. com/eng/info/default. asp? page=safety [Accessed 20 October 2008]. Vas Nepe (2008) Ez mar korantsem jatek [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www. vasnepe. hu/gazdasag/20080703_ez_mar_korantsem__jatek [Accessed 23 September 2008]. Wood, L. (2000) Brands and brand equity: definition and management. Management Decision, 38/9, 2000, pp. 662-669. Yong, J. and Wilkinson, A. (2001) Rethinking Total Quality Management. Total Quality Management, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2001, pp. 247-258. Appendix 1. [pic] Appendix 2. Kotler’s check-list: segments should be Abratt (1993) attractiveness criteria: ability to reach buyers Appendix 3. The marketing mix Appendix 4. Six Sigma [pic] ———————– Segment profitability and life cycle Turnover Year 1970 1990 1958 2008 LEGO Brick LEGO Technic LEGO Star Wars Substantial Accessible Measurable Stable Actionable Expected market growth Competitive position Market size Market fit with organisational objectives and resources Personalisation Product Price People Processes Place Physical evidence Promotion The Marketing Plan Defect reduction Yield improvement Customer delight Profitability improvement

Race and Racial Group Essay

Search the Internet for groups and organizations promoting racial equality to help you complete this assignment. You may also refer to the Internet Resource Directory in Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups. Using the information from the text and your web search: Identify one racial group from the list below:  · Hispanic American/Latino Write a 500- to 750-word paper from one of the perspectives below:  · A historian writing about the racial group in a book chapter  · A news reporter writing a newspaper article or blog entry about the racial group  · An individual member of the racial group, writing a personal letter to a friend who is not a member of that racial group Answer the following questions:  · What have been the experiences of this racial group throughout U.S. history?  · What have been the political, social, and cultural issues and concerns throughout American history?  · What legislation meant to constrain race within prejudicial boundaries was enacted? How did the various groups you researched fight this legislation? What legislation meant to alleviate prejudicial boundaries has been enacted? How did the various groups you researched promote this legislation? Assignment: Historical Report on Race Purpose of Assignment Students explore a variety of resources on racial equality and write a paper from a historical perspective relating to the experiences of a particular racial group in the United States. By understanding the history of experiences of various groups, students will be better prepared to connect historical experience to racial diversity today. Resource Required Internet Resource Directory in Ch. 13 of Racial and Ethnic Groups.