Literature Review on Business Ethics Essay

Abstract A review of the current literature regarding business ethics was conducted analyzing scholarly peer-reviewed articles about business ethics and their relation to leadership, managerial decision making, corporate social responsibility and overall corporate structure. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Organizations are expected by their stakeholders to implement strong ethics within their corporate structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Using these guidelines will help organizations overcome the various challenges allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in in creased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. The review of the literature reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review: Outline 1) Title Page 2) Abstract 3) Introduction a) Introduction to business ethics and why it is important in current literature. b) Themes present in literature (Thesis) Definition of ethics Ethical leadership Formal structures and regulations Benefits of business ethics 4) Overview of Business Ethics a) Definition of Ethics b) Types of Ethics i) Individualistic ii) Corporate/Business Ethics c) Managerial Ethics i) Relationship Between Laws and Ethical Standards ii) Ethical Decision Making d) Corporate Social Responsibility 5) Implementing Business Ethics Through Leadership a) Values-Based and Ethical Leadership i) Need for Value-Based/Ethical Leaders ii) Characteristics of Values-Based/Ethical Leaders iii) Role of Ethical Leadership in Business Ethics 6) Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems a) Codes of ethics b) Programs and other policies to enforce ethical behaviors 7) Benefits of Ethical Organizations Employee Satisfaction/Productivity Increased Profits Social Status Sustainability 8) Conclusion and Recommendations Needs to be more exploration in the topic of ethical leadership Focus on understanding how ethical leadership influences corporate culture and how it flows down the corporate structure Research should attempt to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. Organizational Design & Business Ethics: A Literature Review Ethics, and particularly the role it should play in business, continues to be a topic of hot discussion in today’s society. Increased corporate scandals and the discovery of a rise in unethical business practices have thrown the topic of business ethics into the spotlight. Over the past few decades many successful, prominent companies have collapsed due to corporate scandals, which resulted not only in the loss of jobs of many employees, but also led to large financial losses of thousands of shareholders. This cascading effect of unethical behavior by company executives led to increased expectations from all stakeholders of an organization. Stakeholders, who include employees, investors, shareholders, and customers, expect organizations to do more than just maximize the bottom line profit; organizational management is expected to accomplish this goal both legally and ethically, while also implementing some sort of program or policy that seeks to benefit society or the environm ent at large. Companies are expected to implement ethics within their organizational structure and culture. This expectation could be accomplished through strong ethical leadership, formal structures, and regulations that place emphasis on ethics, and by making a commitment to corporate social responsibility. Following the implemented ethical procedures and guidelines will help organizations overcome the various ethical dilemmas and challenges, allowing the business to build a strong ethical foundation that will ultimately benefit the company through increased customer and employee satisfaction, which could result in increased profits, organizational sustainability and social status. A review of the current literature regarding business ethics reveals that am emphasis is placed on defining and understanding business ethics, understanding how ethical leadership is used to implement ethics into an organization, identifying how ethics are integrated into the organizational structural, and finally reviewing the benefits of operating an ethical business. Overview of Business Ethics Ethics is a complex construct. One must first understand what ethics is before understanding the important role it plays in business and leadership. The current literature offers many different definitions for ethics, which will be explored, as well as the various types of ethics and their  integrations with organizational management and policies. Definition of Ethics Merriam-Webster (2014) defines ethics as â€Å"rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.† People have varying concepts of what is considered right or wrong or good and bad. For this reason, ethics becomes difficult to define and comply with (De Cremer & de Bettignies, 2013). Oates and Dalmau (2013) define ethics as â€Å"the body of knowledge that deals with the study of universal principles that determine right from wrong† (p. 38). Racelis (2010) further explains that ethics is different from morality in that while morality deals with the principles of right and wrong in general, ethics focuses on the standards of conduct that are generally acceptable to a large group. Therefore, it is important to note, that ethical behavior focuses on what is good for others rather than on what is good for oneself. Mihelic, Lipicnik, and Tekavcic (2010) add to this definition noting that â€Å"ethical behavior is both legally and morally acceptable to the larger community† (p. 32). Business ethics, therefore; is a branch of applied ethics as it relates to the various business activities of human beings (Keller-Krawczyk, 2010). Being able to understand and implement good ethical principles into the business setting is key to developing a strong organizational culture nurtured by ethical principles. Types of Ethics Many times when people speak or write about ethics they refer to one of two types, individual ethics and/or organizational (group) ethics. Scholars have studied both types of ethics in an attempt to understand how individual and organizational ethics intertwine and connect with one another. Accurately interpreting the relationship between the two is crucial to understanding how strong ethical values could be successfully instilled into an organization’s environment. Individualistic ethics. The concept of right and wrong is something that is instilled in individuals from the time of their birth. Individuals may learn what it right and wrong from their parents, teachers, religious  education, or life experiences. They then take what they learn and create their own personal values which help to shape and develop their individual sense of ethics. Elango, Paul, Kundu, and Paudel (2010) explain the various research works that supports the argument that an individual’s personal values and ethical standards are the main driver of a person’s intention to practice ethical behavior. The authors explain that there is strong evidence to support the theory linking an individual’s attitude toward a behavior to the actual behavior of that individual (Elango et al., 2010). Corporate/organizational ethics. Just as individuals create and develop their own ethical standards, groups of individuals may also develop a shared sense of what is considered ethical. Many literary works support the idea that the culture of an organization, including the belief systems, have a profound influence on an employee’s thinking and ultimately on his/her professional behavior (Elango et al., 2010). The ethical behavior of an organization is defined by the corporate culture. Racelis (2009) defines corporate culture as the â€Å"assumptions, beliefs, goals, knowledge and values that are shared by organizational members† (p. 252). The culture of an organization defines the behavior patterns of the employees, profoundly influencing their actions and choices in a given situation. Much research is focused on studying the relationship between corporate ethical values and an individual’s personal ethical values. Elango et al. (2010) hypothesized that employees will have greater ethical intentions if they perceive a high level of organizational ethics. The findings of the study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicated that there was a significant relationship between organizational ethics and an individual’s ethical intentions, supporting the notion that organizations could build an ethical business by focusing on creating a positive ethical culture. Likewise, a study conducted by Racelis (2010) also concluded that there is an interaction between individual ethical perceptions and values and the organization’s value systems, providing â€Å"evidence to the theory that an organization’s ideology and culture is indeed likely to shape decision-making and action in that organization† (p. 257). Managerial Ethics An important aspect of business ethics is managerial ethics, which refers to  the decisions, actions, and behaviors of mangers and whether they are considered right or wrong (Daft, 2013). Individuals in positions of management must make the decision every day whether or not to act in an ethical manner. As discussed earlier, deciding what is considered right or wrong ethically, is not always black and white. Many times managers find themselves pushing the limits and entering the grey area of ethics. De Cremer and de Bettignies (2013) explain that in the business environment there are many implicit expectations and norms that motivate managers and ultimately may push them to cross the boundaries and behave unethically. Many times competiveness and greed could push managers into the ethical grey area. According to De Cremer and de Bettingnies (2013), â€Å"This attitude of pushing the limits effectively clouds our own moral limits and, as a result, increases the chances that we eventually will cross the boundaries† (p. 65). Many managers believe if they are not doing anything illegal, than they are acting ethically. This is not always the case; therefore, it is important for managers to understand the difference between laws and ethical standards. Once managers have a fair understanding of what is considered appropriate ethical behavior, they can focus on making good ethical decisions for the organization. Relationship between laws and ethical standards. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) explain that laws are rules of conduct set by a governing body that either requires or prohibits individuals or businesses from performing certain actions. Failure to comply with the set laws may result in punishments such as financial penalties and/or imprisonment. As mentioned previously, it is not uncommon for individuals to believe that if they are operating within the boundaries of the law, then they are behaving ethically. Unfortunately, there are many actions that may be considered legal, but are not considered ethical. Keller-Krawczyk (2010) supports this notion stating that usury (charging high interest rates in countries that do not set a legal limit on rates) is a good example of a behavior that is legal but also considered unethical. Business managers must attempt to understand the relationship and differences between laws and ethics if they wish to help implement ethics within their organization. Managers are often times aware of the laws and regulations because they are formally written and failure to comply  with them will result in some sort of sanctioned punishment, whereas ethical standards are socially construed and failure to comply with these standards is not always punishable under state or federal sanctions. Cameron (2011) explains that ethical standards do not always serve as adequate fixed points for managers because they â€Å"often change over time and circumstance† thus they â€Å"frequently to do not remain stable because they are socially construed† (p. 30). Although laws and regulations are different than ethical standards, managers need to understand how the two can be integrated and used within their organization to help build a solid ethical foundation. Blodgett (2012) acknowledges that many philosophers and legal scholars have attempted to explain the complicated relationship that exists between laws and ethics and although it is still not easily understood, it is evident that there is indeed a connection between the two. A study conducted by Blodgett (2012) explored the idea of â€Å"substantive ethics† (an integration of law and ethics) and how it could be applied to corporate governance as well as the managerial decision-making process. This idea of substantive ethics and how it could be integrated into the formal corporate structure is discussed in greater depth later in this paper. Ethical decision making. One of the major tasks of a manger is to make decisions. The decisions they make not only reflect back on them as an individual, but on the organization as well. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the decisions of managers have a far greater impact on the world today as compared to years ago since technology has allowed for the inter-connection of economies. They go on to explain that a poor decision by a manger in one part of the world can have dramatic consequences for people in another part of the world (Oates & Dalmau, 2013). It is obvious that good decision making is an important part of organizational success. What factors control or influence managerial decision making? Findings of a study conducted by Elango et al. (2010) indicate that both individual ethics and organizational ethics played a role in guiding managers into making ethical choices. This means that managers are influenced by their own ethical values and experiences as well as the ethical standards, practices and procedures discerned in their workplace. These findings were also supported by the study conducted by Racelis (2010) which indicated that an  organization’s culture plays an instrumental role in the decision making process. Oates and Dalmau (2013) explain that ethical decision making is not solely about ensuring that a manger’s decision will not have an adverse affect on others, it also requires that those in positions of management actively look to make decisions that will benefit others. Choosing to make ethical decisions on a daily basis has proven a difficult task for many managers. Managers are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas in the workplace. Mihelic et al. (2010) review various literary works regarding the topic of ethical leadership and identify an important concept stating that ethical managers â€Å"incorporate ethical dimension in the decision-making process, consider the ethical consequences of their decisions and above all try to make fair choices† (p. 33). Corporate Social Responsibility A topic that is closely related and intertwined with the concept of business ethics is corporate social responsibility (CSR). Low and Ang (2013) explain that each organization may have their own definition of CSR; however, each of the definitions seems to share common ground and themes. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (2000) offers the following definition of CSR: Corporate social responsibility is the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. (as cited in Low & Ang, 2013, p. 33). As evident from this detailed definition, CSR plays an instrumental part in the ethical arena of a business. Benn, Todd and Pendleton (2010) theorize that although the concept of CSR is to benefit the society at large, the underlying reason for an organization to implement CSR strategies is to satisfy stakeholder expectations. The authors explain that corporate scandals, fraud and an increase awareness of environmental, social and health concerns has led many stakeholders to lose credibility in corporations (Benn et al., 2010). Low and Ang (2013) emphasize that many external stakeholders are beginning to take a more thorough interest in the activities of an organization by concentrating on not only what the company has done with its products and/or services, but also on how the company has  impacted the environment or local community. As a way to rebuild credibility and satisfy the interests of stakeholders, many organizations are using CSR strategies that seek to create a positive impact on society. Regardless of the motivation behind implementing the CSR strategies, many scholars agree that in order to implement successful CSR policies, organizations need to have a strong ethical foundation (Low & Ang, 2013; Benn et al., 2010). An empirical study conducted by Benn et al. (2010) provided strong evidence that corporate leadership and structure play an instrumental role in embedding CSR strategies and policies across the organization. Thus, since business ethics and CSR are intrinsically intertwined it is imperative that one understands how ethics and CSR could be incorporated within an organization through leadership, formal structures, and systems. Implementing Business Ethics through Leadership Now that the construct of business ethics has been defined and explained, focus needs to be placed on how leadership could be instrumental in strengthening or implementing business ethics within an organization’s culture. Just as there are several different definitions for ethics, there are also many definitions and interpretations of leadership. Noriega and Drew (2013) cite several different definitions of leadership before ultimately arriving at a generalized definition that states â€Å"leadership deals with persuading, inspiring, motivating others, and spearheading useful changes† (p. 34). Likewise, Mihelic et al. (2010) emphasize that the role of a leader is to help direct the behavior of his/her followers toward a desired goal. There are many different types and methods of leadership that allow leaders to accomplish their goals and objectives. The main focus of this paper is on value-based and ethical leadership and how these types of leadership are instrumental i n promoting ethical behavior among employees within their organization. Value-Based and Ethical Leadership Ethics had previously been described as a body of knowledge concerning itself with moral principles that govern the behavior of individuals. Leadership was defined as the act of persuading or influencing individuals toward a desired goal. Therefore, by combining these two definitions, Oates  and Dalmau (2013) derived the following simple definition for ethical leadership: â€Å"the art of helping, guiding, and influencing people to achieve a common goal in a morally acceptable way† (p. 38). Similarly, Busch and Wennes (2012) explain that value-based leadership focuses on two primary leadership dimensions: 1) ensuring the visibility and meaningfulness of values and 2) generating moral engagement within an organization. Although many scholars argue that value-based leadership and ethical leadership are synonymous, Morrison and Mujtaba (2010) review various studies that acknowledge that while the two types of leadership do tend to overlap, there are also major differences that cannot be ignored. Brown and Trevino stress that one significant difference between the two is that â€Å"ethical leadership focuses on the content of the values† while value-based leadership tends to ignore the content, focusing instead on the sharing of values between the leader and followers (as cited in Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Taking this into consideration it could be construed that effective ethical leaders are also influential value-based leaders that inspire and enable their followers to make the right choices and adopt the same ethical values embraced by the leader. Viinamaki (2012) supports this idea, explaining that value-based leaders carry the responsibilities of setting ethical goals and standards, rewarding those that achieve the desired outcome of ethical conduct, and penalizing anyone that strays from the set ethical values and standards. In order to comprehend the role ethical and value based leadership plays in business ethics, it is essential that one first understands why there is a need for ethical leadership and is able to identify the characteristics of an effective and influential ethical leader. Need for value-based and ethical leaders. Oates and Dalmau (2013) point out that the need for ethical leadership is most evident is situations where it is absent. Recent corporate scandals such as the collapse of Enron and Arthur Andersen has shed light on the issues of corruption, power and greed revealing that these conditions could wreak havoc on organizations that do not have strong ethical leaders. According to Noriega and Drew (2013), in today’s high-pressured business environment, organizations would find it difficult to meet daily challenges and overcome obstacles if they lacked ethical leadership. The authors explain that more attention has been  focused on ethical leadership because individuals, particularly company stakeholders, are more aware of unethical practices and seek for a way to achieve managerial accountability (Noriega & Drew, 2013). When detailing why value-based leadership was important in organizations, Viinamaki (2012) explains â€Å"values are a m eans of influencing behaviors without the need to resort to formal structures, systems, strategies, or control mechanisms† (p. 29). Characteristics of ethical leaders. There are many traits and qualities that characterize strong ethical leaders. Mihelic et al. (2010) write â€Å"a strong character plays an important role in effective self-leadership and in the process of leading others† (p. 35). The most common traits that scholars have attributed to ethical leaders are integrity, honesty, and trustworthiness (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). These three traits are necessary in order to build trusting relationships with followers offering credibility and consistency. Other characteristics of ethical leaders include: responsible, fair, humble, encouraging and respectful of others, shows concern for greater good, innovative and courageous (Mihelic et al., 2010; Noriega & Drew, 2013). Mihelic et al. (2010) explain that in addition to the above characteristic traits it is crucial that ethical leaders embody the following five values: pride, patience, prudence, persistence and perspective. An ethical leader should also use values-based leadership to emphasize and strengthen these ethical values within the organizational structure. Finally, Noriega and Drew (2013) emphasize that high regard of human worth and dignity are at the core of an ethical leader’s belief system. All the decisions and actions are made in accordance with the beliefs and actions of the ethical leader. Role of ethical leadership in business ethics. By definition, leaders persuade or influence their followers toward a desired goal. One of the main goals of ethical and values-based leadership is to motivate their followers to share and embody the same ethical values that they themselves are portraying. A majority of scholars are in agreement that the ethical conduct of an organization is primarily influenced by the leaders who are also responsible for creating and enforcing the codes of conduct to be  followed by the employees (Mihelic et al., 2010). In order for ethical leadership to be successful within an organization, all leaders, especially those that hold senior leadership positions must be committed to the ethical principles they profess and more importantly they must also exemplify these principles through their own actions (Wickham & Donohue). The relationship of a leader and follower could be compared to that of a parent and a child. A child is likely to follow and imitate the actions of the parent, performing in a manner that will likely receive the parent’s approval. Parents wishing to teach their child how to behave properly will want to be a good role model for that child by modeling the desired behavior. Likewise, leaders need to be role models for their employees. Employees who see their leaders modeling the desired ethical behavior will be more likely to act in the same manner, which helps the behavior and ethical principles become a strong part of the corporate culture. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) support this theory stating â€Å"Leadership, both formal and informal, in the firm needs to be perceived as ‘walking the walk’ as much as ‘talking the talk’ of ethical decision-making and behavior† (p. 23) with internal employees as much as external customers and stakehold ers. Integrating Ethics Using Formal Structure and Systems Creating an ethical business requires that ethics be incorporated into all aspects of the organization. Not only must leaders and employees practice ethical principles, but ethics must be built into the organizational structure. Part of implementing ethics within the organizational structure starts with making sure that ethical leadership begins at the top of the organization and then flows down through all levels of the hierarchy (Oates & Dalmau, 2013O. It was briefly mentioned earlier that a major role of an ethical leader was to enforce the code of conduct that would guide employee behavior within the organization. Creating a code of conduct that emphasizes the important ethical principles the organization wishes to portray is one of several ways ethics could be integrated into an organization. It would also prove beneficial to incorporate ethics into corporate governance laws and policies, particularly by implementing and enforcing a code of ethics. According to Oates and Dalmua (2013), it is necessary for the ethical values and standards to be â€Å"articulated in the  wider context of the organization, society, culture and regulations† (p. 40). Once a solid foundation for business ethics is laid within the structure, organizations need to make sure they implement polices and programs that will continue to help teach and enforce good ethical behavior. Corporate Structure and Ethics Oates and Dalmua (2013) also claim â€Å"Ethical leadership starts at the top, with the company’s board of directors†¦above all, it must be present in the CEO† (p. 40). This is an important notion for implementing business ethics because if ethical leadership does not start at the highest level of management and work its way down, it is highly unlikely that it would be possible to fully integrate ethics within the organizational corporate culture. In addition to instituting ethical leadership at all levels of management, an experimental study conducted by Ellman and Pezanis-Christou (2010) revealed that the decision-making structures of organizations also have a significant effect on the ethical behavior of employees. The study provided evidence to support the theory that subordinates within an organization who were given a voice in the decision making process felt more responsible for the actions of the organization and were thus more inclined to exhibit better ethical behavior than when they were not given a say in the decision-making process (Ellman & Pezanis-Christou, 2010). Therefore, as this study indicates, open communication between leaders and subordinates is a key concept in the ethical implementation process. As discussed earlier, CSR continues to be a popular topic that aligns itself with discussions on business ethics. A major focus of CSR is on creating a sense of shared value between the business, its shareholders, and society. Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) explain that â€Å"from a shared value viewpoint, companies must integrate a social perspective into the core frameworks that they use to understand competition and develop business strategy† (p. 562). In other words, companies need to be sure that they are using an effective business model that will help support their CSR strategies and achieve shared value. Business models refer to the design of a business in regards to how it will create, deliver and capture value (Michelini & Fiorentino, 2011). The research conducted by Michelini and Fiorentino (2011) compared  and contrasted the social and inclusive business models in reference to how they each allow an organization to achieve their goal of shared value. Codes of Ethics It has been stressed that the actions of those in positions of leadership helps to institute ethical behavior in employees. Although this is true, actions are not the only resource that should be used to communicate management’s expectations of proper ethical behavior. Racelis (2010) places emphasis on the fact that individuals are more likely to feel like a vital part of an organization and will more strongly associate themselves with the mission of the company if the organization’s shared perceptions and values are clearly defined. Often times to accomplish this objective, organizations will develop a corporate code of ethics or code of conduct. Blodgett (2012) explains that corporate ethics codes are self-selected statements of laws and ethics that communicate the values and expressions of a corporation. Many corporate ethics codes incorporate the universal business ethical values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, fairness and trust; but they also may contain legal compliance statements to address general business concerns (Blodgett, 2012). It has been proposed by Blodgett (2012) that integrating general laws and procedures into a corporate code of ethics will help businesses see the ethical value in obeying laws and also help them understand that they have a broader responsibility than just strictly following legal laws. Overall, Noriega and Drew (2013) reiterate that ethical codes of conduct are structured by members of senior management and should seek to clarify company expectations, assist employees in the decision-making process and foster appropriate ethical behavior. Programs and Other Policies to Enforce Ethical Behavior In addition to creating a corporate code of ethics and communicating them to all employees within the organization, managers must also find ways to promote, teach, and enforce these ethical principles. Wickham and O’Donahue (2012) suggest that in order to build an ethically intelligent organization, an organization must develop HRM strategies, polices and procedures that center on recruiting, developing, and retaining employees that embody  cognitive, moral, social and emotional intelligence. A focus need to be put on learning how to develop and retain ethically motivated employees. Trapp (2011) shares that organizations could help endure ethical behavior through various business ethics programs such as workshops and e-training. A study by Trapp (2011) revealed that employees were more prone to embrace ethical standards when they were given the opportunity to openly voice their concerns and address the ethical grey areas they may encounter. Organizations can offer open forums or have ethical help hotlines where employees can openly communicate with others when they are faced with ethical dilemmas or areas of grey. Benefits of Ethical Organizations Although many businesses are feeling the push from their stakeholders to run their business on ethically sound principles, ethical business have seen many advantages and benefits as a result of instituting ethical behavior. Some of these benefits may include: increased employee satisfaction and productivity, increased and sustainable profitability, improved social status, and customer/shareholder loyalty and appreciation (Wickham & O’Donohue, 2012). According to Morrison and Mujtaba (2010), companies that follow unethical practices and are managed by unethical leaders diminish and destroy shareholder value due to the high cost associated with unethical actions such as fines and penalties, audit costs and costs associated with loss of customers and reputation; whereas, leaders that operate highly ethical corporations are able to increase shareholder. A positive correlation has been found between a firm’s investment in CSR and an increase in shareholder wealth (Morrison & Mujtaba, 2010). Finally, not only did the collapse of many prominent business due to unethical behavior result in a loss of credibility between stakeholders and businesses, it also resulted in governmental interference and the passage of laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). He and Ho (2010) explained that this law â€Å"introduced significant reform in the corporate governance, accounting, auditing, and reporting environment of publicly traded firms† (p. 624). Compliance with SOX has proven costly for many organizations. He and Ho (2010) believe that organizations led by ethical leaders who institute proper ethical standards and practices do not need to  invest in expensive monitoring programs because they could meet governmental regulations in a more efficient manner with minimal monitoring. Conclusion and Recommendations Organizations continue to be confronted with increased ethical challenges as leaders are continually tempted to exchange ethical behavior for increased money and power. Individuals in society continue to be appalled by the number of large and powerful corporations that have collapsed and fallen due to corporate fraud and scandal. This has led many stakeholders to become skeptical of business operations, leading them to demand an incorporation of ethics into every day business practices. Corporations wishing to satisfy this new expectation and regain the confidence and trust of not only external stakeholders but if their own employees must seek to find ways to implement business ethics within their organizational culture. Ethics is a complex construct to interpret and understand. Each individual has his/her own opinion regarding what constitutes good ethical behavior. There is no single definition for ethics, although most of the definitions provided by scholars revolve around common themes. Regardless of the debate about what truly constitutes ethics, there is a strong consensus that an indisputable need for ethics exists inside organizations. For this reason, there is much focus placed on ethics and how it pertains to business throughout literary works. Scholars continue to research and conduct various studies regarding the best way to institute ethics within an organization. Much of this literature was reviewed and evaluated to identify common themes that existed among the works. The literature includes explanations of various studies that provide support showing it is possible for organizations to meet the ethical expectations of the stakeholders by instituting strong ethical leadership within the organizations from the top down. These ethical leaders need to possess the important ethical qualities of honesty, integrity and trustworthiness and should practice the ethical behavior they profess, serving as exemplary role models for their followers. In addition, these ethical leaders are responsible for creating and enforcing formal policies and programs within their organization that place emphasis on the ethical values and standards  the business desires to convey. These formal structures include implementing and communicating a corporate code of ethics for the organizations and instituting programs that will help educate and develop the employees in r egards to the ethical standards and values. Organizations that are successfully able institute ethical leadership and use it to build a strong ethical foundation find that ethics inevitably become a part of the organizational culture. Ethical companies create shared value between the business, shareholders and society through CSR initiatives. Highly ethical organizations also see that their ethical practices benefit them through increased employee satisfaction and productivity, customer and shareholder appreciation, increased sustainable profitability, and social status. A detailed review of the literature on ethics reveals that there is still plenty of room for exploration on the topic of business ethics and particularly with the topic of ethical leadership. Since it appears that ethical leadership is the key to integrating ethical behavior within an organization, more studies should be conducted to determine the best approaches for leaders to do this. Leadership is all about persuasion and influence. It is recommended that more focus be placed on understanding the influence of strong ethical leadership within an organization and how this influence flows down the organizational structure. Once this flow of influence is understood, exploration is necessary to identify the best procedures for developing and sustaining strong influential leadership ethics within the organizational structure. References Benn, S., Todd, L. R., & Pendleton, J. (2010). Public relations leadership in corporate social responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 96(3), 403-423. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0474-5 Blodgett, M. (2011). Substantive ethics: Integrating law and ethics in corporate ethics programs. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(1), 39-48. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1165-6 Busch, T., & Wennes, G. (2012). Changing values in the modern public sector: The need for value-based leadership. The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 8(4), 201-215. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17479881211323599 Cameron, K. (2011). Responsible leadership as virtuous leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 98(1), 25-35. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-011-1023-6 Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization theory & design. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. De Cremer, D. and de Bettignies, H.-C. (2013), Pragmatic business ethics. Business Strategy Review, 24(2), 64–67. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8616.2013.00950.x/pdf Elango, B., Paul, K., Kundu, S. K., & Paudel, S. K. (2010). Organizational ethics, individual ethics, and ethical intentions in international decision-making. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(4), 543-561. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0524-z Ellman, M., & Pezanis-Christou, P. (2010). Organizational structure, communication, and group ethics. The American Ec onomic Review, 100(5), 2478-2491. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.5.2478 Ethic – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2014). Retrieved May 4, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethic Keller-Krawczyk, L. (2010). Is business ethics possible and necessary? Economics & Sociology, 3(1), 133-142,149. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1038947534?accountid=12085 He, L., & Ho, S. K. (2011). Monitoring costs, managerial ethics and corporate governance: A modeling approach. Journal of Business Ethics, 99(4), 623-635. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0672-1 Low, P. K. C., & Ang, S. L. (2013). Confucian ethics, governance and corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(4), 30-43. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1327711156?accountid=12085 Michelini, L., & Fiorentino, D., (2012). New business models for creating shared value, Social Responsibility Journal, 8(4 ), 561-577. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/journals.htm?articleid=17058148 Mihelic, K. K., Lipicnik, B., & Tekavcic, M. (2010). Ethical leadership. International Journal of Management and Information Systems, 14(5), 31-41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/819649567?accountid=12085 Morrison, H., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2010).

Midterm study guide

The field of Organizational Behavior (B) Is performance-oriented. 2. Mary Foulest was opposed to Tailor's lack of specific attention to human needs and relationships In the workplace. 3. Individual performance Is the foundation of organization performance. 4. African-Americans are one of the fastest-growing groups in the U. S. Employee workforce, as are Asians and Hispanics. 5. A new industrial era began in the United States around the time of the Civil War. 6. A major goal of Capos is to treat its employees and customers with integrity, honesty, and commitment. 7.The formal and modern study of management started around 1900. 8. In 1886, an engineer named Frederick W. Taylor presented a paper on scientific management at a national meeting of engineers that was titled â€Å"The Engineer as an Economist. † 9. Tailor's major thesis was that maximum good for society can come only through the cooperation of management and labor In the application of scientific methods. 10. Managers must deal simultaneously with the Internal and external aspects of organizational behavior. 11. J. M. Curran and W. Edwards Deeming, In the sass's, introduced the Importance of quality to the public. . Managers derive power from both organizational and individual sources. 13. A psychological contract is unwritten agreement between an employee and the organization that specifies what each expects to give to and receive from the other. 14. One of the most powerful influences on individual performance is an organization's reward system. 15. Power is the ability to get someone to do something you want done, or to make things happen the way you want them to happen. 16. Measures of satisfaction include employee attitudes, turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, and grievances. 17.Common hysterical symptoms that are related to stress Include: Insomnia, excessive perspiration, nervousness, or irritability. Other answers may also be correct, such as overeating, weight gain, weight loss, nail ball ing, or headaches. 18. Describe the findings of the Hawthorne studies. Chapter 2 1. Organizations can achieve effectiveness only when employees share values. 2. The acceptance of unequal power differs across countries. 3. In countries in which people display high power distance, employees acknowledge the boss's authority and typically follow the chain of command.Although culture can't be seen, it can be ensued or felt through employees' attitudes, emotions, and perceptions. 5. The Southwest airlines approach is to hire for attitude and train the skill. 6. Research indicates that a majority of managers have had at least one mentoring relationship during their careers. 7. The values, norms, customs, and rituals of cultures are Influenced by politics, religion and language. 8. Hypotheses five value dimensions are power distance, Individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and long-term orientation. 9. The concept of uncertainty avoidance refers to the extent to which

Browning Peal Essay

This is because they represent natural beauty that has been created by God, which compliments the woman Browning is talking about because it shows his feelings on how he believes they don’t have to try to be beautiful. Roses also represent love and passion, the colour red is an intimate colour that represents seduction and sometimes danger as seen in ‘Of Mice and Men’ where Curley’s wife is referred to as having â€Å"full rouged lips† and â€Å"red fingernails†. The thorns on roses continues this theme of potential risk, because the simple idea of men picking roses for women could injure the man due to the thorns on the stem, this could represent how men have to fight past the hard things in love to get to the beauty or the woman. In ‘Women and Roses’, Browning also uses roses as a representation of the stages through a woman’s life going into womanhood and how she grows from a young shoot full of promise to something incredibly beautiful and natural and eventually to an old and wilted flower, â€Å"bees pass it unimpeached†. The poem is about finding perfect love with a woman, which is represented as finding a rose with no thorns, thorns being the trouble in a relationship or a woman. Browning wrote ‘Prospice’ after his beloved wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, died in 1861. The poem shows Browning’s beliefs on death and how he feels that he will once again be reunited with his love in the afterlife. The title ‘Prospice’ can be translated as ‘look forward’, and in this poem, published in 1864, Browning is most likely looking forward to death, when he expects ‘I will clasp thee again’, meaning he will be with Elizabeth once more. Such optimism seems to contrast noticeably with the religious doubt or searching of many Victorian writers. But Browning does not claim that there is anything easy about facing death, instead he shows one way of coping. He gives the ‘Arch Fear’, death, a ‘visible form’ so that he can imagine taking him on in one last fight to show that he will not be taken easily, ‘Barriers’ and ‘guerdon’ suggest a tournament took place. In ‘A Woman’s Last Word’ Browning uses Roman numerals to show the breaking down of a omplex subject such as a woman’s feelings after an argument. By doing this it makes it easier for the reader to follow and distinguish the different stages of feelings the character goes through and also shows the changes in direction of her attitude until she reaches submission towards her love. This is a good technique used as he wrote the poem from a woman’s point of view and has gone into a lot of detail on how she feels and reacts to the argument. Browning Peal Essay This is because they represent natural beauty that has been created by God, which compliments the woman Browning is talking about because it shows his feelings on how he believes they don’t have to try to be beautiful. Roses also represent love and passion, the colour red is an intimate colour that represents seduction and sometimes danger as seen in ‘Of Mice and Men’ where Curley’s wife is referred to as having â€Å"full rouged lips† and â€Å"red fingernails†. The thorns on roses continues this theme of potential risk, because the simple idea of men picking roses for women could injure the man due to the thorns on the stem, this could represent how men have to fight past the hard things in love to get to the beauty or the woman. In ‘Women and Roses’, Browning also uses roses as a representation of the stages through a woman’s life going into womanhood and how she grows from a young shoot full of promise to something incredibly beautiful and natural and eventually to an old and wilted flower, â€Å"bees pass it unimpeached†. The poem is about finding perfect love with a woman, which is represented as finding a rose with no thorns, thorns being the trouble in a relationship or a woman. Browning wrote ‘Prospice’ after his beloved wife, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, died in 1861. The poem shows Browning’s beliefs on death and how he feels that he will once again be reunited with his love in the afterlife. The title ‘Prospice’ can be translated as ‘look forward’, and in this poem, published in 1864, Browning is most likely looking forward to death, when he expects ‘I will clasp thee again’, meaning he will be with Elizabeth once more. Such optimism seems to contrast noticeably with the religious doubt or searching of many Victorian writers. But Browning does not claim that there is anything easy about facing death, instead he shows one way of coping. He gives the ‘Arch Fear’, death, a ‘visible form’ so that he can imagine taking him on in one last fight to show that he will not be taken easily, ‘Barriers’ and ‘guerdon’ suggest a tournament took place. In ‘A Woman’s Last Word’ Browning uses Roman numerals to show the breaking down of a omplex subject such as a woman’s feelings after an argument. By doing this it makes it easier for the reader to follow and distinguish the different stages of feelings the character goes through and also shows the changes in direction of her attitude until she reaches submission towards her love. This is a good technique used as he wrote the poem from a woman’s point of view and has gone into a lot of detail on how she feels and reacts to the argument.

Women in business Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Women in business - Coursework Example Furthermore, ‘Positive influences’ would also help in enhancing the sustainability in business along with betterment of the leadership mentality. This progressions in the individual characteristics development is going to enhance the ability of ‘communication’ that would indicate the base point of any business. According to my individual need for development, these four goals would help in improving my ability for meeting the appropriated requisites of relevant business module. Professional aspiration is one of the important situations in life irrespective of the gender the individual belong. Furthermore, being a woman, I am even likely to face certain problems in the course of achieving these goals and fulfilling my professional desires (Elkin, 1960). In this regard, the paper intends to develop an effective understanding of the different needs for meeting with the progression of developing identities of women in business within the global domain. By analys ing the different aspects of the problems attached with development of women, I will be enhancing my ability to understand myself and develop a better attribute of meeting with my personal needs of development. Biologically, we can differentiate male and female based on their predefined physical appearances. However, in sociological aspect, the gendered views of the society segregates women and men based on the terms of ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ parallel to their physical and biological segregations. The different influences exerted by the notion of socialisation could affect the behavioural patterns of culture and motivate to participation of new members in social relationship. My perception is that socialisation starts from families where these factors acts as agencies of socialisation and inflicts the views of discriminations based on gender. At the very beginning of my life, I have been allocated with different dress materials, colours for

U.S. Constitution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

U.S. Constitution - Assignment Example The United States government happens to be one of those with a weak central government as per Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution. This can be proved by the fact that the various powers and duties of governance have been delegated to different offices. In Article I, some powers have been delegated to the Congress, and in Article II, the Executive has its powers while in Article III the judiciary also has powers (The Constitution, 2010). If it were a strong central government, the executive would have most of the powers. There are distinct languages in the constitution, arguments by framers of the constitution and also philosophical underpinnings that support this argument at each level of the government. According to Article I, the legislative powers shall be vested in a Congress which has the sole power of impeachment (U.S. Constitution). Therefore, such cases do not need to be forwarded to either the executive or the judiciary. The fact that the Congress has delegated its powers means that governance is decentralized and at times the Congress can make its decisions and not be answerable to the executive or judiciary. He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur: appoint ambassadors, ministers, Supreme Court judges, and other state officers (U.S. Constitution). Article III gives the powers of the judiciary and similar to the executive it also requires a lot of assistance from the Congress. This shows decentralization of authority and a weak central government. The framers of the constitution include both the federalists and the anti-federalists (Marshall & Stone, 2011). According to article I of the constitution, anti-federalists argue that the means of representation was inadequate as it did not cater for the diversity of the American people (Wood, 1969). They also argue that delegating powers to the

Treaty of Versailles and change of diplomatic history Research Paper

Treaty of Versailles and change of diplomatic history - Research Paper Example This left Great Britain and Russia. The latter was not mostly contented with the territorial settlements coming from the peace agreement2; however, in any case Russia’s national issues and exclusion policy prevented her from fulfilling a European function of any importance.3 Great Britain, the only nation which could have been capable of playing a dynamic role, was more interested with her colonial or imperial relations, which implied that she favored to perceive the activities of Europe with subtle apathy4 when it was in her interest to do so. Therefore, the question is why did the United States refuse to shoulder the European responsibility and redirect the future of Europe? The involvement of the United States in the war and the ambitious plans of Woodrow Wilson for Europe originally bode favorably for the future. However, the United States was afterward to fulfill a vague function in the European affairs. She declined to approve the Treaty of Versailles, refused to promote the League of Nations, deserted the support for Europe with virtually rude haste, and turned down recommendations to connect inter-allied war liabilities and compensations.5 Furthermore, even though the United States recognized a belief in the vitality of the resurgence of Europe, her economic strategy frequently contradicts the interests of societies in Europe, for instance on subjects of financial, immigration, and tariffs regulation.6 It is a fact that the attitude of the United States towards Germany was more indulgent or relaxed than that of France or Britain, yet this merely functioned to provoke France since it tendered modestly in the issue of defense against a disobedient and wayward Germany.7 The isolationist policy of the United States towards Europe should be understood within the framework of her political system. In April 1917, the United States had joined the war hesitantly.8 After the end of aggressions there was a series of protests against hostilities and military actions, alongside a reluctance to intervene in the affairs of other nations which could result in more hostilities.9 This mainly explains the reason United States discovered herself in an inferior form of martial vigilance at the occurrence of World War II. Nevertheless, the Versailles Treaty, even though regarded as a failure, remains one of the most important events in history that radically changed the development of diplomacy. This essay will discuss in detail the above premise. Woodrow Wilson and the Versailles Treaty Of all the problems connected with the peace of Versailles, the figure of Woodrow Wilson looms as the object of the most enduring controversy. From the Fourteen Points to the minutest traits of his personality, Wilson has been intensively subjected to both critical and sympathetic scrutiny10 A vast number of people still believe that the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations are two distinct mechanisms. This, apparently, is inaccurate. The League of Nat ions Covenant was integrated as Section I in the Versailles Tr

HRM and absence Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

HRM and absence Management - Essay Example In fact in some organizations a culture of absence exists, contends Hayton (2010). It has been found that regular illness occurs on a Monday or a Friday although Monday is a better option for an extended weekend with absenteeism being recorded at 35% against 3 percent on Fridays (Gray, 2010). However, the Office for National Statistics finds that that days lost to sickness were fairly evenly spread across the weekdays (Barham & Begum, 2005). Employers are becoming aware of the direct and indirect cost to organization due to high levels of absenteeism. If absenteeism is left unchecked it impacts organizational morale and productivity (HRM Guide, 2001). Organizations now do have absence management policies but these policies must examine the causes of absence and take remedial action. While devising the policies it must be recognized that employees can be genuinely ill also. Hayday (2006) contends that a certain amount of absence is a part of working life and any absent management poli cy must provide support to those who are legitimately absent. At the same time non-legitimate absence has to be discouraged because absenteeism is proving to be costly for both private and public organizations. The cost of sick-notes in the UK has reached GBP 750 million in lost working days (Macnab, 2011). The number of workers facing disciplinary action has doubled since 2010 and thousands of workers have been dismissed because of poor attendance. More than 17 million days have been lost as a result of workers reporting sick over the last five years. The situation is the same in both the private and the public sector, says Macnab but Thomas (2010) contends that the absence costs are higher in the public sector at ?685 per head for 2009 against ?455 in the private sector services and ?545 in manufacturing and production. NHS Lothian faced a loss of GBP 17 million due to absenteeism in the past five years. Unscheduled worker absenteeism results in about 2 to 4 percent loss of workin g time (Bridges & Mumford, 2001). A study of absenteesim across genders reveals that women with dependents are less likely to be absent but those with children below the age of 2 years would frequently absent from work. One of the most respected surveys of UK absence conducted by CBI/Pfizer Absence and workplace health survey revealed that the economy lost 190 million working days to absence in 2010 with each employee taking about 6.4 days of sick on an average (Paton, 2011). This results in direct cost of ?17 billion to the economy while it does not include the indirect cost such as lower customer service and reduced productivity. Another survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers argues that the average UK salary stands at ?25,000 which means the absenteeism was costing the economy approximately ?32 billion per year based on the finding that an average worker took about ten days of unscheduled absence. This figure too does not take into account the potential replacement costs and the lost p roductivity. The survey results may differ on the figures but what is evident is that unscheduled absenteeism is taking a toll on businesses and demands immediate attention. One in three workers in the UK abuse sick days at work costing the UK economy some ?32 billion (Clarke, 2011). However, handovers and good weather are cited as reasons for absenteeism. Some even plan their vacations in advance and fake symptoms by appearing for work with props to justify their sickness. This report by PwC suggests that a large part of this loss is preventable. One of the ways is to introduce flexible working hours. Hayday (2006) divides the causes of absence under four clusters – health and lifestyle, attitude and stress, workplace, and domestic and kinship.

Business Writing Class Members Respond to Postings Assignment

Business Writing Class Members Respond to Postings - Assignment Example Backing up any claims made using facts and statistics or visuals also help in assertive writing, therefore giving a reader confidence as to the accuracy of the information. Writing involves assertiveness rather than aggressiveness which is rude or passiveness which comes out as inaccurate/doubtful. I think that this is a good idea. An on-site daycare would also give assurance to the employee that their child is in safe hands since they will be close to them throughout the day. Offering learning opportunities and free health checkups is also an extra benefit to the employees. The daycare will eventually improve on the company’s productivity since employees will focus on their daily work knowing that their children are well taken care of. However, I feel as though a proper organizational review must be conducted before the commencement of this research. This is in order to know the demographics of the employees working there. For example, their age, marital status, number of kids and age of kids. By so doing the researcher is able to ascertain whether most employees are married, have kids and whether the kids are below 5 years old. Such a research may not be feasible in an organization where most employees are single, do not have kids or if they have children they are above 5 years old. A daycare may not be of help in such an organization and it may end up being a waste of resources. I absolutely concur with you, showing credibility is significant in a research. It is important that your work is supported by credible examples, illustration, visuals or even expert opinions and all these be properly cited as a reference.

The Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

The Federal Reserve - Essay Example Therefore, in pursuing these functions Fed aim to stabilize prices and attain maximum employment. The Federal Reserve tightened it policy after the country suffered from a 2008-2010 financial crisis. Moreover, the bank increased regulations in the financial sector to check on bank lending behavior that caused the housing bubble to burst. These measures have achieved tremendously as indicated in the recent Beige Book. The economy at a national level is growing, and this shows that the country is on the path out of the financial crisis. The Board says that consumer confidence has increased, and business buoyancy is rising too. The Beige Book (2013) reported that the national economic conditions have expanded during the month of September to October. All the twelve Federal Districts had similar rates of growth, though some like Richmond, Philadelphia, Kansas and Chicago showed slowed growth rate as compared to earlier reports. Moreover, the Districts were optimistic of growth in future economics behaviors, but they also feared uncertainty as a result of increased debate on the debt ceiling and government shutdown. The country has increased consumer spending and people are travelling more in all most all the districts. Furthermore, tourism has also increased, and businesses are now growing. This can be attributed to increased payrolls in many Districts. The Fed reports that there is increased demand for manufacturing activities and nonfinancial services. Residential construction has resumed, and it is increasing pace by pace. The lending rate has remained modest, and there was little change in the financial balances. The agricultural sector has been affected, and most districts reported that drought impacted the sector. The energy sector has expanded, but there has been reduced production of coal. Therefore, the overall price condition and wage was stable and without pressure (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 2013). Economic Indicators That Guide I n Stabilizing the Economy Economic indicators are voluminous statistics of the economic conditions that are used by the government in measuring and evaluating the growth of the economy. There are many economic indicators and each function differently from the other. Some indicators have short term effects on the economy while others have short term and long term effects. These indicators include real gross domestic product, money supply, consumer price index, consumer confidence, employment rate and housing starts. Real GDP help the Federal Reserve to know how it will utilize monetary policies to the changes in the economic conditions. Its shows the market cost of a countries goods market produced at the current period. Real GDP shows the country’s wealth by demonstrating the returns on capital and the growth of profit in businesses and service industries. Real GDP, therefore, measures the well being of a country economic activity. Consequently, Fed must use tight monetary po licies to ensure that the interest rate is not below the set target of 2%. Low interest rates render the Federal Reserve policies ineffective in controlling the money supply (Labonte, 2013). Employment is the other economic indicator the Federal Reserve ought to address to maintain the path of economic growth. The employments statistics are derived from the payrolls, retail trade, construction and manufacturing and are used in determining the level of unemployment and the well being of the country. Increase in wages enhances

Human Rights Law- Article 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Rights Law- Article 2 - Essay Example 1. Everyones right to life shall be protected by law. No one shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in the execution of a sentence of a court following his conviction of a crime for which this penalty is provided by law. The laws clauses already give us important distinctions. First of all: The right under Article 2 is clearly largely negative. While the first clause, â€Å"Everyones right to life shall be protected under law†, could be used to support a positive rights argument against impositions that cause starvation or other threats to life, the rest of the clause indicates that it is a negative protection against state and private impositions. Further, the end of the first clause and the second establish that authorities do have the right to take away lives under a death penalty, and have the ability to use lethal force to quell riots or for other legitimate law enforcement requirements. But they can only use limited force. These elements were tested by McCann v. U.K.2. In the case, UK intelligence alleged an IRA or IRA-connected attack upon Gibraltar. The suspected IRA team included known explosives experts. During the surveillance of the suspects, the IRA team crossed into Spain, receiving no impedence from Spanish authorities. UK intelligence had reason to believe that a detonator could be used remotely, even across the Spanish border. The IRA team had also parked a car in a crowded location, and had used carbombings before as a method of terror. SAS soldiers were dispatched to intercept the team and arrest them for conspiracy. But during the arrest attempt, the SAS soldiers fired because they believed that the IRA team was reaching for detonators. The ensuing investigation found that, while the IRA team had no explosives or detonators on their person or in the vicinity, a car registered by the IRA team had timed explosives in it. The investigation concluded that the

Nature vs. Nurture Essay Example for Free

Nature vs. Nurture Essay A lot of people wonder where they get their freckles from, or their edgy and thrill seeking personality. This type of curiosity about where people get their traits from brings about the worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture. There are scientists who argue that people develop characteristics mainly based on their genetic makeup, and then their are people who say that environment and social interactions has more to do with a person’s traits than do genes. People often question why people are the way they are. Nature and Nurture often have a big impact on a person, and can help in explaining why they are a certain way. The nature vs. nurture debate encompasses a variety of major topics, leading to the idea that both nature and nurture influences people in their behaviors and decisions. Criminals go through different reasoning processes for why they commit a crime. They may have been brought up in a rough environment and are acting out, or because they simply just can not control themselves or their minds. There is evidence which suggests that there could be such a thing as gene mutations that determine our traits. These mutations control how the mind and body react to anger , whether it’s aggressively or controlled. According to Adriel Bettelheim, â€Å"researchers studying a dysfunctional Dutch family announced in 1993 that aggressive behavior may be linked to a single faulty gene that causes a shortage of enzymes needed to break down serotonin molecules that transmit signals in the brain.† This idea that criminal behavior may be associated with genetics, opens the doors to many controversial topics such as the insanity defense or the possibility of gene therapy. â€Å"For many centuries, people have tried to craft legal distinctions for the mentall y ill based on the belief that they should not be held fully responsible for their actions† (). The insanity defense is believed to often be abused and is the easy way out for guilty criminals to be held accountable. There are also people who support the insanity defense and say that the law needs to protect people who are too mentally ill to understand their actions. For some criminals, it’s not just a matter of their genes but more their environment that contributes to why they commit crimes. â€Å"Many social scientists say researchers, in a rush to ‘biologize’ behavior, are ignoring environmental influences, such as poverty, broken families and  racism† (). A lot of times the reason why criminals get in trouble with the law, is because they are acting out. Being aggressive or going against authority is like their coping strategy for dealing with their problems. †The frequency and nature of todays violence can only point toward an inherent anger or frustration† (). Ultimately, both nature and nurture can affect criminals and people ma y never be able to fully understand what exactly leads them to make bad choices. In addition to criminal behavior, there are also many other controversial topics regarding nature vs. nurture, such as intelligence and what contributes to peoples intellectual ability. â€Å"Mental ability seems closely related to the volume of those little gray cells in the brain; and differences in that volume seem to be largely a result of heredity†().Scientists are finding that intelligence goes along with the amount of brain cells (gray cells) towards the front of the brain which can be inherited through the family. There is evidence which suggests that if a person does really well with one mental task, they are more than likely to do really well on other mental tests as well. This concept is considered the general mental ability which is associated with those gray cells. Although intelligence is found as being directly associated with the brain cells, many people believe that intelligence is also based on a person’s environment and how they learn. For a lot of people intellectual ability is not purely genetic. Their intelligence can have a lot to do with how they were brought up or their environment in which they learned. Someone who goes to school regularly will probably have a higher intelligence level, versus someone who doesn’t. How people start off learning is also important because often times, if a child is intellectually stimulated at earlier ages, their brain will mature as the child gets older and that child will have a higher intellectual ability because they started learning sooner. IQ testing is a very controversial topic because many people disagree over whether or not it is a good judge of a persons actual intelligence. â€Å"The rift between psychologists over the value of IQ tests stems from a stark difference in the w ay they define intelligence: One camp sees a central, dominant intelligence, the other envisions multiple types of intelligence† (). Although scientists have not found hard evidence to prove that IQ tests are  not liable, social scientists continue to go against certain theories, such as the idea of general mental ability. They choose to believe and promote that there are different kinds of intelligence and everyone excels in different areas regardless of genetics. While genetics does play a role in intelligence, if a person works hard in achieving their goals they can become just as intelligent through challenging themselves and excelling in certain areas. The worldwide debate on nature vs. nurture also encompasses addiction. In a study about drug addictions researchers found, â€Å"the correlations with psychoactive substance use largely resulted from social environmental factors in adolescence† (). Family environments are important to young children and can have a huge affect on them as they get older. An unstable family life can cause people to resort to drugs or alcohol to help them deal with their emotions. If a child has social issues with their friends when they are young, that can affect them as well and cause them to resort to substance abuse to deal with their problems. â€Å"As people aged, however, more of the correlation in psychoactive substance use resulted from genetic factors†(). As substances such as alcohol are more readily available to adults, genetics can influence them more and also their decisions. If there is a history of substance abuse in the family, that person is more likely to become addicted in their lifetime. In the 1920’s, â€Å"Alcohol prohibition lead to a rise in violent organized crime, a trend critics have compared to the ongoing war on drugs(). Because so many citizens used alcohol and a lot of them apparently became dependent on it, they felt they had rights to it; so they organized a violent crime movement to prove that. People who were involved in this war with drugs were not just the poor or downtrodden, but also the middle class and the wealthy. Addiction has no boundaries, and can affect anyone whether it is through nature or nurture. Nature vs nurture will always be a major dispute over genes and environment, but ultimately they both have an impact on people. The reasoning behind criminal behavior is often questioned. Evidence that suggests there are gene mutations, which contribute to aggressive behavior, argues that nature can have a major role in criminal behavior, just like nature affects criminals  actions. In addition to criminal behavior, another worldwide topic discussed in the nature vs nurture debate is intelligence. Like mentioned earlier, intelligence is thought to be determined by genes and general mental ability; but there are social scientists who believe that there are many different types of intelligence, determined by environment and not just genetic make up. Addiction is another controversial subject because addiction can run in families but it also can happen to someone who had no history of it. Addiction also is very much related to a persons environment and how they deal with their problems. For those who wonder where they get their intelligence and edgy personality, or more seriously why they feel aggressive, or become addicted to drugs, think about nature and nurture , which contribute to peoples personality and traits.

Pilot Fatigue in Aviation Essay Example for Free

Pilot Fatigue in Aviation Essay Aviation transport is said to be the safest transportation method by man but is challenged by incidents and accidents that resulted to tragic loss of lives and damage to properties. One very important reason that is being looked upon by aviation and concerned authorities like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is of man’s physiological limitation which is fatigue. Pilot fatigue is highly blamed in most aviation accidents over the years. The risk of accident is said to be high if the pilot is deprived of sleep. Sleep is a vital physiological function, and obtaining even one hour less than required can increase waking sleepiness (Air Line Pilot, November 1994, page 22). Sleep loss can be acute and if continued over time may result in a cumulative sleep debt. Cumulative sleep loss and disruption of 24-hour biological, or circadian rhythms can lead to decreased waking alertness, impaired performance, and altered mood. Fatigue is the symptom often reported to characterize the sum of these negative experiences. Sleep-deprived personnel lose approximately 25% to 30% of their ability to perform useful mental work with each 24-hour period of sleep loss (Johnston III, S. L. , 2005). In fact, a 2003 study on the impact of fatigue on F-117 pilots revealed that 27-33 hours of sleep deprivation (1 night of sleep loss) degrade basic piloting skills by more than 40% below normal (Johnston III, S. L, 2005). For this reason, NASA and FAA has collaborated to do research programs on this safety concern. The NASA Ames Fatigue/Jet Lag Program (now the Fatigue Countermeasures Program) was jointly funded by the FAAs Human Factors Research Program for many years (Mann, M. B. , www. hq. nasa. gov). The results of its research have determined that fatigue is really needed to be addressed to maintain the safety of aviation personnel to prevent loss of lives and properties. How to address then fatigue as a safety concern? It is unfortunate that there is no one simple solution because fatigue has multitudes of causes. For NASA’s Fatigue Countermeasures Program, the approach is said to be multi-faceted and comprehensive yet must be an integrated approach. Accordingly, it should have at least the following components: education and training, hours of service, sound scheduling practices, effective countermeasures, incorporation of appropriate design and technologies, and research (Mann, M. B. , www. hq. nasa. gov). Education and Training. Education establishes the knowledge base for the successful acceptance of all other activities. In 1994, NASA has developed an education and training module on alertness management in flight operation. This module was in use by already at least 149 organizations reaching more than 116,000 crewmembers in 1998 (Mann, M. B. , www. hq. nasa. gov). Hours of Service. Principles and guidelines for duty and rest scheduling must be developed. The latest scientific research on fatigue must be incorporated and reflected to these guidelines and principles as needed. Sound Scheduling Practices. Sound scheduling practices should include scientific information about sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythms, in addition to other factors, in creating and evaluating flight crew schedules. Countermeasures. An integrated approach calls for making full use of personal, corporate, and even regulatory countermeasure strategies. These strategies can be implemented preventively, using them before duty and on layovers to reduce the effects of fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption during flight operations. As per study by the Fatigue Countermeasures Program, Flight crews receiving brief hourly activity breaks (involving mild physical activity and social interaction) showed improved physiological alertness for at least 15 minutes relative to a control group, while reporting significantly greater alertness for up to 25 minutes post-break. Design and Technology. The aviation industry must tap advances in design and technology to address this safety concern of fatigue. It is said that technology has changed or evolved dramatically over the past decades but man’s need for sleep did not. Good system design incorporates information about human physiology, its limitations and strengths, early in the process. Technological approaches that use this information can take many forms, including flight crew scheduling algorithms (i. e. , the methodology of choosing flight crews) and alertness monitoring/management systems (Mann, M. B. , www. hq. nasa. gov). . Research. Continues research on this area of concern must be done. More research is needed to fully understand the capabilities and limitations of the human sleep and circadian systems. With the advent of technological devices claiming to detect fatigue, a focused research is needed to ascertain the sensitivity, the reliability and the validity of these devices. Continued research is also essential to address regulatory, scheduling, and countermeasure questions. It has been said that decision making and policy is guided by a valid and empirical data obtained through research (Mann, M. B. , www. hq. nasa. gov). Pilot fatigue then in aviation, if not completely eliminated, is greatly reduced to obtain peak performance of pilots by integrating the above suggested components. With peak performance of pilots, safety in aviation is greatly improved. . References Air Line Pilot, November 1994, Fatigue in Aviation, page 22, by the Flight Management and Human Factors Division, NASA Ames Research Center. Retrieved June 9, 2009, http://cf. alpa. org/internet/projects/ftdt/alpmag/FATIGUE. html Johnston III, S. L. Societal and Workplace Consequences of Insomnia, Sleepiness, and Fatigue. (Sept. 29, 2005). Retrieved June 9, 2009. http://cme. medscape. com/viewarticle/513572_print Mann, M. B. , â€Å"Hearing on Pilot Fatigue†. Retrieved June 9, 2009 http://www. hq. nasa. gov/office/legaff/mann8-3. html

Nutritarian Diet Plan

Nutritarian Diet Plan The Nutritarian Plan The goal of the Nutritarian diet plan is to make sure that all the raw nutritions your body needs to maintain excellent health are supplied in the most favorable amounts. The Nutritarian Food Pyramid (A) Vegetables Eat lots of raw green vegetables and a big portion of cooked green vegetables every day. Shoot for one pound of raw vegetables daily. Cruciferous vegetables are those in the broccoli and cabbage family. They include kale, collards, broccoli, broccoli rabe, broccollina, Brussels sprouts, watercress, bok choy, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, mustard greens, arugula, kohlrabi, red cabbage, mache, turnip greens, horse radish, rutabaga, turnips, and radishes. Cruciferous vegetables contain phytochemicals that can prevent toxic compounds from causing DNA damage that could lead to cancer. Recommended Salad Vegetables Lettuces all varieties Onions and scallions Tomatoes Radishes Zucchini Cauliflower Carrots Sprouts Broccoli Fennel Baby bok choy Snow peas Cucumber English peas String beans Endive Snap peas peppers Celery Hearts of Palm Stewed Mushrooms (chilled) Water Chestnuts (B) Fruits, Beans, Nuts, Seeds, and Grain Products Fruits eat a few fresh fruits with breakfast and one with lunch and dinner. Limit dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, to a minimal amount as a flavor enhancer. No fruit juices. Beans up to a cup with each lunch and dinner, two cups total a day. Nuts and seeds one ounce a day for overweight females; 1.5 ounces for overweight males. Do not eat over 2 ounces per day if you are overweight. Make sure the seeds and nuts do not exceed one ounce when youre also eating the permitted amount of half an avocado. Grain products Grain products are lower on the nutrient density scale, so limit yourself to one serving per day of whole grain or intact grain. Avoid all grains products in phase one of the program. Intact grains are whole grains that have not been ground up into a fine powder so they are digested slowly and have a more favorable GL. (C) Animal Products, Refined Grains, Sweeteners, and Processed Foods Animal products Eliminate or limit animal products to 1-2 ounces per day of wild, low-mercury seafood or naturally raised fowl. Do not exceed 8-10 ounces per week for a woman and 10-12 ounces per week for a man. Avoid all animal products in phase one of the program, or if you are dealing with moderate or severe heart disease. Avoid whole milk, cheese, butter, and red meat. You can use nonfat dairy products could as a flavoring in small amounts once or twice a week. Refined Grains, High Starch Carbs, and Sweeteners Avoid all refined flour products, breads, white rice, white potatoes, precessed/cold breakfast cereals, sugar, and other sweetening agents. Processed Foods Read the label of packaged, processed products. Generally, avoid foods in packages. Note the sodium content of the packaged food items you purchase and look for foods that are labeled no salt added or low sodium. Be careful of products labeled reduced sodium; all that means is that they contain 25 percent less sodium per serving than the regular version of that food, which could still be very high. (D) Beverages Avoid soft drink, sports drink, or soda (regular or diet). No fruit juices. The Eating Plan Breakfast A few fresh fruits; or hot cereals made with intact grains; or squash-based breakfast soup; or baked eggplant Or a serving of coarsely ground whole grain bread with raw nut butter Try to eat one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds or chia seeds daily with breakfast Do not drink fruit juices Lunch A big salad with a nut/seed based dressing Vegetable bean soup One serving of fresh fruit Dinner A salad with a healthful dip A large plateful of steamed green vegetables A vegetable dish that has some starchy component or intact grain with it A small amount of fruit for dessert Desserts You can make fruit sorbets and ice creams in minutes by blending frozen fruit with some nuts or seeds, some dried fruits, and a splash of nondairy milk. Tips and Tricks for Nutritarian-Style Cooking Blending Make smoothies and blended salads by blending together raw leafy green vegetables, fruits, and seeds and nuts Make salad dressing by blending nuts, seeds, and avocados Make creamy soups by blending raw nuts into the soup Make fruit sorbets and ice cream by blending frozen fruit, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. Steaming Vegetables Boil water in a pot with a tight lid, then add the vegetables, cover, and start your timer. Stop steaming when the veggies have just started to become tender and still retain some firmness. Water-sautà ©ing and Cooking with a Wok Since you should limit oils in your diet, we recommend sautà ©ing vegetables with water or cooking them in a wok. These methods are preferable to boiling, baking, or roasting. To water-sautà ©, use a small amount of water to sautà ©; the vegetable, including onions and garlic. Heat a skillet, wok to high heat. Then add a tablespoon or two of water and add the vegetables and cook, covering occasionally. Add additional liquid as needed until the vegetables are tender, but dont add too much water. To wok or stir-fry, you cut ingredients into uniform-size pieces and give hard vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cauliflower a head start before adding other softer vegetables. Do not overcook vegetables, which causes them to lose valuable nutrients. Cooking with Herbs and Spices for Flavor and Health Learn to use flavorful herbs and spices instead of salt to season your foods. Turmeric is a popular Indian spice that has a warm, mild flavor resembling a cross between ginger and orange. It gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color. Studies have shown that Turmeric contains curcumin, which may reduce inflammation, help fight infections and some cancers, and treat digestive problems. Gingerroot has the ability to soothe nausea and gastrointestinal distress. Ginger helps to reduce the bodys inflammatory response. The sweet-spicy flavor of cinnamon enhances the taste of entrees, breakfast, and desserts. For people with diabetes, cinnamon may play a role in regulating blood sugar because it contains phytochemicals that enhance insulin signaling and facilitate glucose uptake and storage by the bodys cells. Radical Weight Reduction Menu Sometimes, a radical nutritional intervention is needed: To save the life of a person who is at high, short-term risk For psychological reasons, to get some radical results up front Because of intolerable medication side effects For an upcoming surgery or medical procedure that is too dangerous to pursue at the present body weight. For these and other reasons, a dietary design that is nutritionally superior yet more aggressively low in calories and glycemic load is needed. This takes the place of a fast or modified fast, and physicians can use it to achieve short- and long-term goals, as it is sage to maintain for extended periods or until the patient has lost the desired amount of weight. Weight loss of 40 pounds within the first two months can easily be achieved for obese individuals. The only documented risk of rapid weight loss is gallstone formation, which I have seen only rarely with this approach. The high fiber and nutrient levels and the use of nuts and seeds all limit bile production and stone formation. The easiest way to achieve this aggressive goal is to limit eating to two meals day. That means a late brunch around 10 am and an early dinner around 4 pm. When you do this, fat burn accelerates because you spend more time in the fat-burning phase of the digestive cycle. Once postprandial (after the meal) glucose levels have returned to baseline, the body increases its use of fat. The design of the menus that follow allow for mazimum fat burn by limiting tiem spent eating and digesting food. After the first three days, when withdrawal symptoms from unhealthy eating habits lessen considerably, you will not be uncomfortably hungry,.drinking a cup of lemon waterm green tea, or other herbal tea can help you avoid the desire to eat when you wake up in the monring. Note that this phase has only two fruit servings a day and a limited amount of nuts and seeds for further caloric reduction usually 1 ounce for women and 1 1/2 ounces for men. Stay with this phase until you and your doctor decide you are out of danger. It is important not to consume more than a very limited amount of caffeine, as it will enhance withdrawal symptoms making it much harder to not eat. Brunch 1 cup fresh or frozen berries or pomegranate kernels, covered with flax, hemp, or chia milk (made by blending 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds, chia seeds, or hemp seeds with 1 cup water and , if desired, some cocoa powder) Raw greens such as romaine lettuce hearts, baby greens, sliced peppers, fennel, or celery Choose one additional option: Oven-roasted, balsamic-glazed peppers, tomatoes, and onions with defrosted frozen asparagus or artichokes Eggplant baked until soft and served with water-sautà ©ed or diced raw onions and cinnamon Zucchini steamed with dill and onion Edamame and frozen peas with roasted garlic Early dinner A big green salad with lettuce, thin-sliced red onion, tomatoes, and other assorted vegetables and a healthy dressing. Or raw vegetables with a Nutritarian dip such as Italian Dressing with Roasted Garlic Choose one or more of the following options: A bowl of vegetable bean soup Defrosted frozen green vegetable such as broccoli, kale, collard greens, bok choy, string beans, or artichokes, steamed or cooked in a wok. These should be made with steamed or water-sautà ©ed mushrooms and can be flavored with mashed, roasted garlic, dry-pan-sautà ©ed, or diced raw onions. One serving of a low-sugar fruit, such as a green apple, orange, two kiwis, or strawberries Note that even foods that are moderately glycemic are reduced in this menu and are not included with breakfast because insulin resistance is highest in the morning.

The Benefits of Eating Raw Foods Essay -- essays research papers

Amanda is a twenty-something year old going to college in a big city. She lives in one of the identical shoebox-sized dorm rooms with a room mate. She wakes up in the early afternoon each day and shuffles to her first class. By the time her classes are over for the day she is famished and feels utterly empty of any sustenance. She looks around for the nearest place that she could get as much food as she wants for the least amount of money possible. She sees the dining hall of her university, but they only serve realistic portions of reasonably healthy food for a not completely reasonable price. Not what she?s looking for. She then decides to hop into her old, but reliable car and drive to the nearest McDonalds to satisfy the raging hunger within her. She orders a Big Mac, then another, with extra large fries, a large soda and two apple pies. She devours the food with animal like savageness. Soon she is bloated and miserable. Her stomach is so full that she must unbutton her already bursting at the seams jeans. She drives back to the residence hall and plops on her bed to take a nice long nap after that exhausting meal. When she wakes, she immediately clutches her stomach writhing in pain. When it?s all over she lay there covered in sweat, her head pounding and splitting at the same time and yet again completely empty of sustenance. ?Something has to change,? she thinks to herself. Amanda then starts to eat foods completely opposite her usual diet. She has more energy throughout the entire day. She needs less sleep and feels more rested when she wakes up. Her mind is clear and answers come to her quickly without having to search her memory. She no longer has headaches or any other body aches. She loses all of the excess and s... ...d and knife. That?s it! You save time and money and are all the better for it! Eating only raw food also benefits the environment. It takes far less land to raise raw foods than animals, which conserves natural habitats. Eating only raw food produces far less trash to pollute the environment than cooked and processed foods. Think of all of the packaging that goes to food. All of the trees cut down for paper packaging and all of the oil used to create plastic packaging. Most of it just gets thrown away and pollutes the environment. The process of making plastic alone pollutes the environment. The gases and smoke from the factories billow up into the air and then into our lungs, or off to destroy the O-zone. So in conclusion, eating only raw and vegan foods not only has outstanding benefits to your health and appearance, but it benefits the world around you as well.

We Must Demand the Moral and Ethical Application of Technology :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

We Must Demand the Moral and Ethical Application of Technology Since the beginning of human history, earth has appeared as a nutshell that encloses many secrets. These secrets have hindered man from accomplishing his dream of mastering the world. However, as need is known to be the mother of invention, man has started to be critical about every phenomenon that takes place. Accordingly, learning has been regarded as an important tool for the improvement of humanity. Throughout the years, education has given birth to a huge database of scientific principles. Technology is known to be the application of scientific principles to the problems of everyday life. Technology is the ability of no other species but humans. Moreover, technological activity has been a measure of civilization. One cannot imagine a society without technology, as it will hardly be advanced or long-lived. Technology in itself is morally and ethically neutral. However, it is a double-edged weapon. The twentieth century has witnessed an extreme upheaval in the negative usage of te chnology. Therefore, many voices have been raised asking for a moral technology that respects human rights and ethical codes. It is very important to discuss this issue together with the role of various institutions that trigger the widespread of this idea for the benefit of humanity and for a better future on earth. Aristotle has outlined that man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all. Technology has been used primarily for the welfare of humanity. Through technological advancements, many secrets of the universe have been revealed contributing to the overall man civilization. No one can deny that good and evil are as old as the existence of man on earth. However, one can trace that as man reaches more and more progress, he looses more and more of his good instinctive human nature. This interesting but depressing relation poses many questions concerning the effect of technology on our lives. Sadly, we have witnessed many examples that show us that many immoral actions and unethical practices have been a sign of the last decades. It is crucial to define some terminologies that add a lot to our understanding of our life in general such as human rights, ethics, and morality.   These important concepts will help us to see technolog y in a wider vision rather than the narrow one that most people perceive.

IVF - In Vitro Fertilization :: essays research papers

10, 000 Australian couples are treated with IVF each year. The expensive and rather risky program (costing around $4000 excluding overheads) allows infertile couples to achieve pregnancy when conventional therapy has failed or is unacceptable. The procedure involves placing eggs that have been fertilised in a cultured dish directly into the uterus. A successful procedure will go as follows: - Couples are counselled about their situation and informed on the procedure, their obligations and rights. - Medical history, physical examination and other related tests are taken to determine candidacy. - The woman receives hormone injections (Human Menopausal Gonadotropin and recombinant Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) to stimulate development of the ovarian follicles which contain eggs. Frequent blood tests are taken to monitor hormone secretion from the ovary and pituitary gland. - When eggs are ripe, they are retrieved by transvaginal needle aspiration, guided by ultrasound. At the same time, semen samples from the husband (or donor) are obtained. The most active and healthy sperm are selected by forcing them to swim through a culture medium. - The egg and sperm are placed together in a suitable medium for fertilisation to occur in a culture dish. If fertilisation does not occur after 72 hours, the oocytes (incompletely developed eggs) and sperm are disposed of. The resulting embryos are observed for the next few days. - A small plastic tube is inserted through cervix to place embryos into the uterus. The patient is able to go home a few hours later with minimal discomfort. During the first two weeks after embryonic transfer, hormones (such as Progesterone or HCG) may be administered. The procedure above can bring either joy or disappointment. A successful patient from the Atlanta Reproductive Healthcare Center states: “For all of us, hearing that we are pregnant will be the most wonderful news. But remember, as easily as they told you that you are pregnant, it can be just as easy for them to tell you that you have lost your child.'; Of the 10,000 people treated each year in Australia, there is a 92% failure rate. More often than not, something goes wrong and couples are left with a hefty medical bill, no pregnancy and compounded emotional stress. Every stage of IVF contains and element of risk, from the administration of drugs to the actual birth of the child. Woman who undergo IVF are at risk of experiencing serious side effects. Many of these are caused by the