Bus105 Business Statistics

Question: Section 1: Goals and format of the assignment Paraphrase the following, there will be a similar discussions in the lectures and tutorials you can paraphrase that instead This assignment is supposed to help students understand the following concepts. * You can ask a sample of people simple questions and give a numerical summary of the results *The summary is not reliable, different samples would give different answers , This lack of reliability can be well explained by theoretical distributions such as the z distribution. *You can use Hypothesis testing to use sample to answer a questions about the population *The first sections of the assignment involve explaining and summarizing a large data set of simple data and interpreting the results the later sections discuss Hypothesis testing, the issues of collecting and working with large sets of data, and the fact it is very hard to fully understand the applications of the z distribution. Section 2: Description of the data set a)Expand upon and paraphrase the following, definitely describe each of the variables, For each variable answer the question is it categorical or numerical? The data set is the survey responses of 100,000 people every student has their own sample of 100 people , Each person is shown one of 3 possible endings for a tv show, ending 1, ending 2 or ending 3 and they are asked two questions , question 1: Do they like the movie? Question 2: How much would they pay for the DVD? b) Also do one or both of the following *Give some more questions that could be asked *Criticise the existing questions Section 3: Summary of the data set You must do this section first because the descriptive statistics will help you understand the assignment, When you write up the assignment the descriptive statistics section will go in the middle of the assignment, however you really need to do it first. You need to Open up the assignment data set (the file computer assignment with filters) You must only use your sample of 100 numbers use the filter given in the excel sheet to find your own 100 numbers (this should become clear if you actually open the excel file) Read instructions given in the excel file and answer the following questions. Answer the following questions (refer to the excel file for more instructions) you must get excel to give you your data set, your numbers will be different to the other students. Question 1 For the variable Do they like the tv show find =phat1=proportion of people that liked the tv show with ending 1 =phat2=proportion of people that liked the tv show with ending 2 =phat3=proportion of people that liked the tv show with ending 3 find phat1-phat2 phat2-phat3 Give a chart that compares the proportion of the 3 different tv show endings Question 2 find =xbar1=the average amount people would pay for the dvd of the tv show with ending 1 =xbar2= the average amount people would pay for the dvd of the tv show with ending 2 =xbar3=the average amount people would pay for the dvd of the tv show with ending 3 find xbar1-xbar2 xbar2-xbar3 Answer: SECTION 1 The write-up uses the following concepts: Population and sampling techniques Calculating Descriptive values - mean, mode, median, variance, maximum, range and coefficient of variation. Drawing of Graphs - histograms and bar chart Sampling distributions Estimation theory point estimates Hypothesis tests SECTION 2 This report is based on a sample drawn from a set of 10,000 survey responses of people. The sample size is 100, based on student id. The questionnaire administered relates to the person being shown one of 3 possible endings for a TV show, ending 1, ending 2 or ending 3 and they are asked two questions. Q1: Do they like the show? The answer is recorded as YES/ NO. The answer is therefore a categorical data type with 2 categories. Q2: How much would they pay for the DVD? This answer is a quantitative variable, with positive integers only as values. Section III In this section we present some findings as required: First we deal with the point estimates of the proportion of viewers in each group, defined by the ending shown. =phat1=.29 =phat2=.44 =phat3=.27 phat1-phat2 = -0.03 phat2-phat3 = -0.01 The table below shows the distribution of viewers across groups with their liking. Majority of viewers in group 2 and 3 like the show( 23/44 and 21/27), unlike in group 1 where the majority do not like the show. ( 16 out of 29) YES NO endg1 13 16 29 endg2 23 21 44 endg3 21 6 27 57 43 100 We present data on point estimates of average amounts that each group is willing to pay: =xbar1= 4.73 =xbar2= 5.76 =xbar3 = 8.2 sample average = 6.127 xbar1-xbar2 = -1.033 xbar2-xbar3 = - 2.439 Next we consider each group separately and visualise the distribution of willingness to pay using histograms. The following representation shows frequency distribution as well as cumulative percentage of this distribution visually. The table below shows the frequency numerically also. class Frequency ending 1 ending 2 ending 3 0 to less than 2 16 21 6 2 to less than 4 0 0 0 4 to less than 6 0 0 0 6 to less than 8 4 3 3 8 to less than 10 4 10 9 10 to less than 12 3 6 5 12 2 4 4 We now provide descriptive statistics for the 3 categories outlined above. ending 1 ending 2 ending 3 Mean 4.734483 5.768182 8.207407 Standard Error 0.926529 0.81876 0.884996 Median 0.9 8 9 Mode 8 9 9 Standard Deviation 4.989 5.431038 4.598572 Skewness 0.406286 0.290192 -0.87268 Range 13 18 14 Maximum 13 18 14 SECTION 4 Summary of data description: Average amount that a viewer wants to pay for a DVD is highest for show with ending 3- at 8.207 For shows with ending 1 with TV show ending with1 the average amount that a viewer wants to pay for a DVD is lowest at 4.73. The average amount for shows ending with 2 is 5.768, closer to group 1 average. The sample average stands at 6.127. There is less similarity in the maximum amount that a viewer is willing to pay for a DVD across all show. It is highest at 18 for group 2 and lowest for group 1 at 13. The three groups differ in skewness. Shows ending with 1 and 2 are positively skewed in contrast with negative skewness for group 3. This is seen in histograms as well. There is zero willingness to pay for amounts between $2 and $6 across groups. The range is almost same across categories, and equals the maximum amount as the minimum amount is zero in all groups. Range = maximum minimum. When minimum is zero range equals maximum. Variation is captured in an absolute sense by standard deviation. The standard deviation is highest for group 2 and lowest for group 3. SECTION 5 The use of surveys in making conclusions about populations is based on theory of estimation and hypothesis testing. The usefulness of surveys is unchallenged, especially when time and money constraints are important. They become unavoidable when the population itself is infinite or uncountable. The quality of the results ( in terms of relevance and usefulness) and conclusions drawn from a sample are subject to many considerations- size of sample as compared to population size, sampling technique used, confidence level chosen and the questions asked in any questionnaire from sample participants. After controlling for these aspects some problems still remain in the form of non sampling errors that include nature of responses being biased or participants giving wrong information. Some participants may provide frivolous answers as they are not required to prove the veracity of their answers with actions. When we ask how they are willing to pay for DVD they can sound magnanimous and state a large number, but may actually refuse to pay that amount. The questionnaire may not be exhaustive. For example for Q1, along with YES/ NO we can have CANT SAY also. SECTION 6 Let us consider shows ending with 1 and 2 first YES NO Ending 1 13 16 Ending 2 21 21 We use a chi square test of association to test for association between liking show and its ending for two pairs - 1and 2, and 2 and 3. The null hypothesis is independence between ending and liking. The alternative hypothesis says there is an association between liking a shos and its ending. First group 1 and 2, calculating expected values, we note that the chi square test value is 13.02395 and the critical value with 95% confidence is 5.02(with 1 degree of freedom). We DO NOT accept the null hypothesis. observed expected (O-E)^2/E 13 10.44 0.627739 16 10.73 2.588341 23 15.84 3.236465 21 16.28 1.368452 7.820997 . Let us consider shows ending with 2 and 3 now: YES NO Ending 2 23 21 Ending 3 21 6 Again using a chi square test we note that the test value is 13.264 and the critical value with 95% confidence is 5.02. Clearly, there is NO independence between liking the show and its ending. observed expected (O-E)^2/E 23 19.36 0.68438 21 11.88 7.001212 21 11.88 7.001212 6 7.29 0.228272 14.91508 We now conduct tests for checking differences in mean amounts that people are willing to pay for shows ending with 1 and 2. We use a normal distribution for the estimated difference value Ho: 1 = 2 H1: 1 2 Test value = (-1.033/ SE ) SE= (5^2/29 +4.9^2/44) ^.5 = 1.816 Test value = -.871 Using a 99% level of confidence the critical z value is 2.57. As test value critical value we can say that there is a NO significant difference in amounts people are willing to pay for DVDs with shows ending with 1 and 2. Now for shows ending with 2 and 3 . Ho: 2 = 3 H1: 2 3 Test value = (-2.439/ SE ) SE= (4.9^2/44 +4.6^2/27) ^.5 = 1.115 Test value = -2.1156. Using a 99% level of confidence the critical z value is 2.57. as test value critical value we can say that there is NO significant difference in amounts people are willing to pay for DVDs with shows ending with 2 and 3. SECTION VII Sampling distributions are an integral part of estimation and hypothesis theory. This theory forms the basis of any sample analysis to derive population glimpses. As a theory it is based on mathematical theory of probability distributions and mathematical proofs. Sampling theory uses a technique of deriving statistic values from samples. The samples are ideally infinite in number. These statistic values are then applied on probability distributions like normal z, t, F and chi square distributions to aid in the test of hypothesis. We have used two such distributions in our report chi square distribution to check independence of liking across categories, normal distribution to check differences in amount that people are willing to pay across shows. In real life we only draw one sample, which is why a theoretical concept that uses an infinite number of samples is difficult to grasp and understand SECTION VIII. We work with a sample that constitutes 1% of the population data, (100 out of 10000 datapoints). The conclusions are conditional on the student id that is used as the sampling method. These sample points are randomly spread over three groups based on show ending. Our sample has a disproportionate large number of data points in group 2, for shows with ending 2 (44 out of 100). The data shows variations in terms of some descriptive statistics like mean, variance, maximum values, skewness and standard deviation across all groups formed on the basis of ending of the show. There is a similarity in terms of maximum willingness to pay and range. Also there is a statistically significant association between liking show and its ending when we choose 2 pairs of shows( ending 1 and 2=, and ending 2 and 3). The differences in average amounts that a viewer pays are not statistically significant if we choose a 99% confidence level. These results are conditional on the level of confidence ( or Type 1 error chosen) a lower confidence level may change the conclusions.

THE HISTORY OF PUNK ROCK Essays - Punk Rock Genres,

THE HISTORY OF PUNK ROCK Punk rock is a style of music that originated in 1964 in New York City at an underground club called The Dom. This little known club at the time was the catalyst that started punk on the road to what it is today (History Punk). Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols was quoted saying; ?Punk was created as a cure for boredom.? (Punk History). He sure has one thing correct; one certainly can not be bored while listening to punk rock. The hard core guitar rhythm, slashing bass line, and hard fast drum beat make punk music that one must dance to. Punk rock is a style of music that has recently started its comeback. Punk rock from the past has affected many of today's top artists and this has had a dramatic affect on the today's music industry. Although there is considerable influence from past bands that does not mean there has not been a considerable change in the area of punk rock itself. The Stooges are a punk band formed in New York by punk great Iggy Pop. He formed the band in 1966 and the members could hardly play their instruments. This did not discourage them pursuing their dream of being a great punk rock band though. They continually practiced until finally three years later in 1969 their first album was released. This was the start of mainstream punk (Punk History). In 1975 the punk scene shifted from New York to Detroit, where it stayed for the next 15 years (Punk History). Also in 1975 a band by the name of The Ramones formed. They released there first, self entitled album in 1976. The lack of originality is said to have been the key factor in creation of the Ramones sound. They wanted to put the step back into music. They brought back the 2-minute song many found reminiscent of early rock and roll (Chord Wonders). On July 4, 1976 the Romones performed their first concert in London. This concert had a dramatic effect on Britain. It inspired such great bands as the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Damned, and Generation X. This was the spark that generated the British Punk frenzy (Chord Wonders). British punks had the ?do it yourself? attitude, and emphasized individuality and self-expression. They rebelled against the music of the 70's and the social, economic and political climate of England at the time. But the area that British punks rebelled against the most was fashion. They did this to the extent that they created there own fashion (The Pit). The first major band to develop in England was the Sex Pistols. They took the ametureristic style of the Ramones and added a streak of nihilism, meaning they had an anarchic sound, creating a sound and an image that is still the ideal in punk rock today (Greeil 34). The fast guitar rhythm, sometimes out of tune, was the main feature of the Sex Pistols. Combine that with Sid Vicious slaughtering the bass lines, the nihilistic lyrics of Johnny Rotton, and a hard core drum and you have what most consider the greatest punk band of all time. Rotton, lead singer, and Vicious are looked upon as two of the ?all time great punks?, contributing both musically and fashionably to the punk scene. Vicious often played at gigs drunk or high on heroin. These antics by Vicious earned the band more press about their offstage antics then their actual music performance (Chord Wonders). Another great punk legend, The Clash, was started in 1978. The Clash was more idealistic the Sex Pistols, but they were no less aggressive (Greil 76). They were very instrumental in the development of today's punk bands. Bands such as Sublime, Operation Ivy, and Rancid are just a few examples of bands that base their music on the style of the Clash. The style with which the Clash play utilizes the ska and reggae beat making the guitar sound higher pitched. This style and technique is what got the Clash voted best album by Rolling Stones in 1980 (History Punk). One thing that made all punks stand out was their fashion taste or should I say lack of fashion. Punks would wear fetishwear, bondage trousers, and

Writing a SAT Sample Essay

Writing a SAT Sample EssayWriting a SAT sample essay is not difficult, but it is very time consuming. The entire essay is composed of three parts. In this article, we will look at the first part.The first part of the essay must be composed out of five short paragraphs. The short paragraphs should read like a mini report. Each paragraph should also be no more than two hundred words long. You should use bullets or underlining to help emphasize certain points in your paragraphs.When writing a SAT sample essay, you must not forget to include your most important ideas at the beginning of the essay. This will help provide readers with your general point of view and is one of the most important parts of the essay. There is nothing worse than reading an essay where all the points are not emphasized properly.It is very important to read and re-read your essay over before you submit it. If you forget to include any important information in your essay, you will never be able to meet the criteri a for college credit. You must make sure you completely understand the subject matter before you submit your essay.Before you begin writing your SAT sample essay, it is important to create a list of all the different topics that you will cover. Keep the topics as concise as possible so that they do not become boring. By writing down the topic beforehand, you will know exactly what type of essay you will need to write.As the topic of your essay is determined, you should start brainstorming about the types of questions that you want to answer. The different types of questions include descriptive questions (ex: What was the best part of your day? ), analytical questions (ex: What causes us to feel upset?) and judgmental questions (ex: I do not know why we feel guilty if we steal. Be careful when you are writing your SAT sample essay. For example, the essay may seem to include many different topics, but it only contains one particular topic. The entire purpose of the essay is to get one particular point across to the reader, but you need to make sure you do not lose sight of the general idea by going off on a tangent.There are hundreds of websites that offer sample essays that can be used as practice for your SAT essay. You can take one or all of these essays and study them so that you know how to write a good essay. After you have been writing essays for a while, you will become comfortable and confident in your ability to write the perfect essay.

The Red Turban Rebellion in China

The Red Turban Rebellion in China Disastrous floods on the Yellow River washed away crops, drowned villagers, and changed the rivers course so that it no longer met up with the Grand Canal. The hungry survivors of these catastrophes began to think that their ethnic-Mongol rulers, the Yuan Dynasty, had lost the Mandate of Heaven. When those same rulers forced 150,000 to 200,000 of their Han Chinese subjects to turn out for a massive labor corvee to dig out the canal once more and join it to the river, the laborers rebelled. This uprising, called the Red Turban Rebellion, signaled the beginning of the end for Mongol rule over China. The first leader of the Red Turbans, Han Shantong, recruited his followers from the forced laborers who were digging out the canal bed in 1351. Hans grandfather had been a sect leader of the White Lotus sect, which provided the religious underpinnings for the Red Turban Rebellion. Yuan Dynasty authorities soon captured and executed Han Shantong, but his son took his place at the head of the rebellion. Both Hans were able to play upon their followers hunger, their displeasure at being forced to work without pay for the government, and their deep-seated dislike of being ruled by barbarians from Mongolia. In northern China, this led to an explosion of Red Turban anti-government activity. Meanwhile, in southern China, a second Red Turban uprising began under the leadership of Xu Shouhui. It had similar complaints and goals to those of the northern Red Turbans, but the two were not coordinated in any way.   Although the peasant soldiers originally identified with the color white (from the White Lotus Society) they soon switched to the much luckier color red. To identify themselves, they wore red headbands or hong jin, which gave the uprising its common name as the Red Turban Rebellion. Armed with makeshift weapons and farm implements, they should not have been a real threat to the Mongol-led armies of the central government, but the Yuan Dynasty was in turmoil. Initially, an able commander called Chief Councillor Toghto was able to put together an effective force of 100,000 imperial soldiers to put down the northern Red Turbans. He succeeded in 1352, routing Hans army. In 1354, the Red Turbans went on the offensive once more, cutting the Grand Canal.  Toghto assembled a force traditionally numbered at 1 million, although that is no doubt a gross exaggeration.  Just as he began to move against the Red Turbans, court intrigue resulted in the emperor dismissing Toghto. His outraged officers and many of the soldiers deserted in protest of his removal, and the Yuan court was never able to find another effective general to lead the anti-Red Turban efforts. During the late 1350s and early 1360s, local leaders of the Red Turbans fought among themselves for control of soldiers and territory. They expended so much energy on each other that the Yuan government was left in relative peace for a time. It seemed as if the rebellion might collapse under the weight of different warlords ambition. However, Han Shantongs son died in 1366; some historians believe that his general, Zhu Yuanzhang, had him drowned. Although it took two more years, Zhu led his peasant army to capture the Mongol capital at Dadu (Beijing) in 1368. The Yuan Dynasty fell, and Zhu established a new, ethnically-Han Chinese dynasty called the Ming.

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Business and Virtue Ethics Essay Abstract For the purposes of this assignment we will analyze the Mattel case and discuss the actions of the company regarding the behavior and actions in conjunction with the Global Manufacturing Process that was implemented. Breaches of the two business ethics elements of integrity and egoism will be assessed. Within the discussion I have identified the virtues prudence, justice, fidelity, and courage that were largely violated by the Mattel organization and how it affected the employees of Mattel. We will discuss the implications of virtue, deontological, and utilitarian ethics regarding their potential usefulness in evaluation of the Mattel case. Introduction Mattel’s concept of Global Manufacturing Principles (GMP) was not a novel concept. The many forms of GMP including International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) have been around for decades and have worked to insure that specific industries are held to a standard that is industry wide. ISO’s model is â€Å"Say what you do, and do what you say†. When a company endeavors to become ISO qualified, it is required to document every activity (as a standard operating procedure, SOP) that occurs within the company and adhere to that process without deviation. ISO qualified companies are always subject to audit by other ISO registered companies and is initially audited by four such companies in order to acquire certification. Having been directly involved with ISO implementation at a former employer that supplied fasteners for manufacturing, I am fully aware of how involved the certification is. The company SOP was over 1000 pages. Additionally, another ISO company can and will come in and audit your company prior to electing to conduct business with your company. In some instances, ISO qualification is not enough to be awarded the business. The nutrition industry also adheres to the Good Manufacturing Practices, of which I was required to be certified in every year. Each department of the nutritional company I worked for had its own GMP standards that we were to adhere implicitly. The nutrition industry, while not regulated by the FDA, is controlled indirectly by the FDA. GMP is an FDA requirement. Having worked in two industries where the concept is not only expected, but required in some instances; I was not impressed by the fact that Mattel implemented GMP of their own volition for the sole purpose to improve public perception after misconduct was exposed by the media. Business Ethics Issue The one word that I found that resonates throughout the article, whether spoken or implied, is â€Å"integrity†. The incoming CEO stated that Mattel would behave in all actions with â€Å"unwavering integrity† and that the company’s commitment to the GMP remained unequivocal and undiminished. (Sethi, Shapiro, Emelianova, pg.490) Ironically, I identify the most noticeable and important business ethics issue as just that; a lack of integrity. Merriam Webster defines integrity as â€Å"the firm adherence to a code of especially moral value, the quality or sate of being complete or undivided, and the quality of being honest or fair. Mattel exhibited none of these traits insofar as where their GMP’s were concerned. In fact, there were numerous infractions regarding the non-enforcement of their GMP’s across the board in the Asia and Mexico based manufacturing facilities. The second ethics issue I identified was narcissism. Mattel implemented this GMP program with the attitude of ‘look at what we’re doing’ but with minimal effort to ensure the success of the program. According to Duchon and Drake (2009) extreme narcissistic organizations will establish these formal ethics programs but will not have much effect on hindering unethical behaviors. This was evident in that the supervisors at the factories knew what they were supposed to be doing; but found ways to circumvent the system and there were no reprisals as a result of their nonconformance. Ultimately, it was a program of words and not deeds. Three Virtues Prudence â€Å"Careful good judgment that allows someone to avoid danger or risks. † (M-W, 2013) In my opinion, a great deal of misfortune and hardship could have been avoided if Mattel would have practiced a modicum of prudence before ever moving their manufacturing to Asia. In a perfect world, and especially in a modern world we do not expect children to work. However, when dealing with underdeveloped countries; it is normal for children to work in conditions that would be an affront to any American’s moral nature having abandoned child labor decades ago. If Mattel had done due diligence, they would have known that the facility in Indonesia was operating in an unacceptable manner (Sethi, et al. pg. 486) and could have implemented working conditions and requirements from the get-go. Then the exposure by the media would have never been an issue. I have no doubt that the draw of paying lower wages and increased productivity was the catalyst to overlook the conditions in those overseas factories. Justice â€Å"The quality of being just, impartial, or fair. Conformity to truth, fact, or reason. † (M-W, 2013) The concept of justice was completely lost on Mattel. While the implementation of the GMP program was comprehensive; the execution and enforcement was unconscionable. The last paragraph of the GMP, exhibit 1 says that if â€Å"Mattel determines that any of its manufacturing facilities or vendors violate these principles, we may either terminate our business relationship or require that facility to take corrective action. If corrective action is advised and not taken, Mattel will immediately terminate current production and suspend placement of future orders. †(Sethi, et al.pg. 487). However, when audits were performed; the facilities were rife with infractions but there was no follow through when corrective actions were required. The facilities were allowed to continue to operate unhindered. Astonishingly, the 20 plus companies that were not owned by Mattel were allowed to operate without any disciplinary actions imposed by Mattel for infractions if any auditing was conducted at all. Considering the fact that both Mattel owned and vendor factories employ some hundred thousand plus employees; Mattel’s actions were nowhere near impartial, fair, or conforming to fact or reason. Fidelity â€Å"Quality or state of being faithful, accuracy in details. †(M-W, 2013) For this virtue, I am concentrating on the act of being faithful to the employees. Whether or not the GMPs were self-imposed or not, Mattel had an obligation to the people it employs. Throughout the article, it was found during audits that the employee’s time cards would systematically be incomplete where they were not being allowed to clock-out. This resonates that these people were being required to work overtime ‘off the books’. Employees were not being given the appropriate days off or vacation time. Some living conditions and canteen conditions were substandard. Fines were being imposed. (Sethi, et al. 2011) The list goes on and on. In my opinion, Mattel should have had impartial representatives on the ground in these factories to ensure that the rules for payment, working overtime, and work conditions were being upheld. There should have been constant supervision and vigilance on a corporate level. To think that audits that were being conducted every three years was comprehensive enough to get the job done was blind and narrow minded. Courage To go one step further. A virtue is an attitude. Courage is measured when there is risk involved; but also rationality. To be truly courageous there needs to be a clear picture of what a person’s values are. Courage does not need to be proven beyond a doubt. (Hartman, 2008) In the case of Mattel, I feel it was courageous to implement such a comprehensive GMP program although it was misguided and ultimately failed. An even more courageous act would have been to rehab the program and bring it to its full potential and fruition. The article does not mention whether Mattel experienced any loss of revenue as a result, but public perception is a fickle entity and once all of the attention over sweat shops and child labor overseas died down, Mattel was no longer under the microscope. Financially, Mattel was spending money it perceivably no longer needed to spend. Since their program was self-imposed; it is no surprise that Mattel just unceremoniously abandoned the GMP program after nine years. When some organizations implement and enforce codes as part of a self-regulation process and others do not, those who self-regulate invariably incur greater costs. These costs are usually passed onto the consumer who subsequently (and sensibly) choses the organization which offers the cheaper product. (Blackburn & McGee, 2004) Virtue Ethics â€Å"Virtues† are attitudes, dispositions, or character traits that enable us to be and to act in ways that develop this potential. They enable us to pursue the ideals we have adopted. Honesty, courage, compassion, generosity, fidelity, integrity, fairness, self-control, and prudence are all examples of virtues. (Andre, Meyer, Shanks, and Velazquez. 1988) Virtue ethics indicates that business decisions should be made in a manner that attributes to the overall goals of the professional. It stresses activities and motives, what we do and why. Virtue ethics proffer that action and motive are connected to character and disposition. Actions are taken and decisions made because they are linked to a certain character. (Blackburn and McGee. 2004) â€Å"That â€Å"ought† does not imply â€Å"right† can be seen in another sort of case as well, namely, when what one ought to do in one’s circumstances results from one’s own prior wrongdoing. In such a case, doing what one ought to do may not be the same as doing a right act or a â€Å"good deed†. In fact, the same prior failure may both increase one’s level of obligation to do a given act now and decrease one’s level of praiseworthiness. † (Russell, 2008) The above quote is especially poignant in the Mattel case. Because Mattel implemented the GMP program on the heels of a media expose, the intentions were not solely based on the ‘right’ thing to do, but on what they ‘ought’ to do. Mattel probably did not get the recognition or good press they were looking for and therefore had no proclivity to ensure that the plan was a success. Utilitarian Ethics â€Å"Actions are approved when they are as such to promote happiness and disapproved when they have a tendency to cause unhappiness. † (Driver, 2009) We also know that utilitarian ethics work for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Mattel directly employs over twenty thousand people throughout Asia and Mexico. If the happiness of those employees would have been considered; the pay, working conditions, time off, and canteen programs would have never been an issue. If the executives of the company would have experienced any of those adverse conditions, they would have cried â€Å"foul† all the way to an attorney. The employees are ultimately left without a voice and no recourse. Deontology â€Å"To act according to the maxim that you would wish all other rational people to follow as though it were universal law. † â€Å"Never treat a person as a means to an end. † (Pecorino, 2000) Kant contends that where morality is concerned, it is guided by law and therefore judgment is not necessary to fill in the blanks, because there are no blanks. He believed that people can conform to duty and not be morally limited. He believed that we could use indeterminate action-guidance for imperfect duties, and I’m paraphrasing; to weigh the moral options for decisions regarding duty towards others. Because that decision requires the minimum of our morality. Kant rejected virtue ethics. (McAleer, 2001) My opinion is that deontology would not work in the Mattel case. There are too many variables to consider in order to narrow down the maxim that will be comprehensive enough to include thousands of people over a number of cultural variances. Conclusion While the design of Mattel’s Global Manufacturing Principles may have been well intended and meant to improve the working conditions of the employees, the implementation was short-sighted and poorly executed. All too often when the few aspire to set standards for the many, the end result is a miscalculation. GMP’s are not a one size fits all type of endeavor. Each facility should have had a program that was custom to their country and working conditions. The ethical treatment of employees was the intention; but the ultimate governance was not enforced. The aftermath was the abandonment of the program due to the lack of interest and participation on the public and other companies in the industry. References Andre, Claire, Meyer, Michael and S. J. , Shanks, Thomas, Velasquez, Manuel. (1988) Ethics and Virtue. Issues in Ethics, V1 N3. We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Public Policy - Resources assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Policy - Resources - Assignment Example mated population of 25 million, the state must deliberate on water usage and storage to quench a population that is estimated to reach 46 million by 2060 (Artz 8A). The magnitude of water problem in Texas was manifested by the 2011 drought. Most of the cities in Texas could not afford to keep the homes taps flowing without a huge expense, for example, in Spicewood Beach, the water ran out completely and the town had to bring in water using trucks. Consequently, the city of Wichita Falls has resorted to conservation by banning unnecessary usage of water. The shortage has also affected agricultural activities such as irrigation in order to divert water to domestic use. According to water experts, the water problem in Texas can have varied solutions. First, the state can adopt an expansive water conservation agenda in which any unnecessary usage of water is prohibited. The ordinances need to be set in order to deter people from wasting water at the expense of other citizens. Watering of private lawns, refilling of swimming pools and regular car washing should be banned in the state. Conservation of water is an expensive sacrifice that has to be made by the civilians. Although it is inconveniencing, it is the cheapest way of ensuring availability of water for basic needs (Texas Water Development Board). Second, the state can embark on water storage. Several states in the United States have the projects where water is stored in underground aquifers (ASR). The water in the aquifers can be then used in times of scarcity. The idea of constructing water aquifers is ideal since it reduces water loss through evaporation. An example of how aquifer storage and recovery is beneficial is depicted by the importance of the Twin Oaks aquifer that has the ability to supply 20% of water needs in the city of San Antonio. Broadening the sources of water is another concept that can be used in Texas. The state government can embark on alternative measures such as recycling

Reflective Article Review Log Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Article Review Log - Assignment Example The new demands of the learning environment can only be met if the instructional methods remain dynamic and provide a comprehensive understanding of the learning needs. By identifying the various changes in the learning environment, the authors lay a ground for launching a new strategy for meeting the learners’ demands. The article relies on empirical studies to identify the various learning needs of a diverse school population. The article summarizes the findings of hundreds of empirical studies to identify five common needs of a learner. Ming and Dukes (2010) identify phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension as the key elements of a comprehensive lesson that can help children to become proficient readers. Phonemic awareness is defined as the ability to auditorily identify and manipulate individual sounds in words. On the other hand, phonics is the ability of the learner to identify the letters within a word. The two helps a learner to have a flow of the language what the authors term as fluency of the language. Next, the learners can learn how to use vocabulary which refers to the language words that add taste to the language. The last and the most important step is for the learner to comprehend the meaning of the language which is essential for a complete learning proce ss. The article provides a basis which instructors can perform a close analysis of the lessons and evaluate the dimensions that they omit in their lessons. Through a scientific approach, Ming and Dukes (2010) develops a strategy through which an instructor can develop incorporate the â€Å"big five† dimension in a diverse learning environment. The article emphasizes the need for preplanning stage in developing a comprehensive lesson plan. It is a stage that the instructor lays down the objectives the lesson and the various learners’ outcomes that he must attain at the end of their teaching. Next, the article