...Abstract Utilitarianism vs. Deontology, Should Tiger Woods have his contracts reinstated by the companies that dropped him? I will be discussing both of these theories and the positive and negative side of each. I will also tell you my thoughts and how I would answer this question. The Tiger Woods scandal brings up many questions concerning today’s society and the ethical and moral obligations that celebrities have when companies invest in you in exchange for your endorsement of their products. Although, Tiger Woods may be a great golfer his moral choices have proved to be less than desirable by the masses. According, to the Judeo-Christian values that our country was founded on (Cherry, 2007) adultery is believed to be morally unacceptable and thus makes the basis of the utilitarian approach to this discussion. The utilitarian theory is based on the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. This theory may hold true when speaking of adultery. I agree that adultery is wrong but do Tiger’s personal indiscretions warrant the abandonment of his endorsers. Was Tiger hired on the basis that he lived a moral life or because he is a great golfer? Now that Tiger Woods has made a public apology, does the belief that everyone deserves forgiveness prove to have priority over the condemnation of adultery? The utilitarian approach determines the greatest priority by the happiness level or consequences it produces. Since your happiness level is greater when influenced...
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...Assignment 1 Ethical Dilemmas James Joesph Professor Roger Ward Military Studies Capstone 10 December 2011 Webster College Throughout my military career I began to realize that the military as a whole was not the perfect organization I had envisioned, because it depended on human beings in order for it to operate then of course it would be flawed just as human beings are flawed. When you enter Initial Entry Training (IED) formally Basic Combat Training (BCT) this could not be fathomed, because we are taught that the regulations do not leave room for interpretations and the standards never change, which give the impression that there cannot be many, if any, grey area’s which would allow for human judgment to take place. Actually nothing can be further from the truth and as I grew within the army I began to see a natural competition and even a division among the different services in the areas of moral and ethical standards, although all of us fight the same fight there is still a recruiting battle that exist to find, sign and train the best people possible from the civilian ranks and anytime you have that element ,it will cause potential members to “choose sides”. Each of our services has suffered through many different scandals over ethical dilemmas. The Navy in 1991 suffered the infamous “Tailhook Scandal” where Lt. Rebecca Hansen, a trainee helicopter pilot charged that her failing grades were in direct retaliation for her bringing charges against a flight...
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...that there were actually more cons than pros. * * As mentioned in the report LIBOR has been the catalyst for fraud and unfair play in the past years. This being said I cannot see this reform in LIBOR go the right way for either party. The FED might have already lost the trust of many people around the world with the scandals of late that have taken place. Many people were hurt when they took out loans and LIBOR was artificially high. However, when LIBOR was artificially low people paid less than they should have. This is a small example on the controversy of whether or not LIBOR should be reformed or completely thrown out the window. * * LIBOR is a very important index, which serves as a benchmark for derivatives. Being the most widely used interested rate in the world, it is not easy to just throw it out the window, as many people who were on the brunt of the scandal would wish. * * I believe that LIBOR is not as risk-free as we think it is. I believe that the scandals that were taken place proved that. Many people lost their savings and not only were the savings lost, but the banks that were the cause of the scandal were stealing it. This, I believe speaks for itself to answer the question if LIBOR is as risk-free as we think it is. I believe we were led to believe that is was a fixed fair rate, however we have seen that it can be manipulated and artificially fixed in ways in which we can lose our money. This is a big reason why I believe...
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...scandalous and creates wide seethe and uproar from the public who are the ultimate victims of these scandals. For many reformers and speakers it may take ages to bring a matter of public concern in front of people, which when scandalized became notoriously famous without any help. For example wiki leaks had generated mass curiosity around the world about the facts and events which were otherwise completely obscure and esoteric to general public. With increased freedom of the forth estate everything is out in the open ,all political scandals ,social scandals and even financial scandals are watched ,scrutinized and are brought to justice. In the 21st centaury where social networking has dissolved all the known physical boundaries, a scandal of one country is a popular talk of another continent, people discuss ,debate and provide solution to the problem which arose because of the so called scandal, which we can never imagine happening half a century ago. The Bernie Madoffs in famous embezzlement scandal has created waves of dissatisfaction among the masses, and demanded higher level of probe and investigation in the matter. The Italian prime minister’s sex scandal has stumped the world and raised questions about the moral conduct about the leader. No reformer or speakers could have generated such wide spread awareness about a issue or a problem within the society .Thus scandals play a major roles in generating general awareness and finding root cause for a problem ,which...
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...Mr. May APLAC December 16 2012 Jack Abramoff Corruption in governments inspires frantic media coverage and people to lose faith in politics. The United States has a long history of these scandals that has initiated some concern about the way the government is run. Jack Abramoff, a once powerful lobbyist, was recently involved in one of the largest scandals in Washington. Abramoff rose from, generally, nothing to becoming America’s most notorious lobbyist. When scandal ultimately cast him down, Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison for fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy. While serving his term in jail, he had received vile and harsh insults that depicted him as “scum” and “evil.” Now released from the penitentiary, Abramoff is the author of the novel Capitol Punishment. By writing this book, he tries to expose the truth about the broken the U.S. Government system really is but also justify his actions and hope to redeem little pieces of his honor. Using clever diction, syntax, and numerous appeals to pathos, Jack Abramoff attempts to repent for his actions and gain redemption. Abramoff’s diction allows for the audience to view his actions in an alternative more positive direction, rather than maliciously and with anger. The first few chapters of the book describe his childhood and formative years. His conservative principles and his calculating self brought him early spotlight and success in the political realm. Abramoff, for about the first half of his...
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...Introduction In recent years, there are many corporate ethics scandals, which raised significant enquires about the roles of leadership in shaping ethical conduct (Brown, Trevino & Harrison 2005). Leaders by nature are responsible for motivating their subordinates to carry out a task or to behave in a certain manner. According to Starratt (2005), ethical leadership requires ethical leaders, as it is believed that how the leaders conduct themselves have direct impact to the organization in terms of organizational culture and employee values. Also mentioned by Resick et al. (2006), ethical leadership focuses on how leaders use their social power in decision-making, influencing others as well as the actions they engage in. Therefore, if leaders are ethical, they can maintain high level of ethical awareness and ensure that ethical practices are carried out throughout the organization. Often, ethical leaders display a high level of integrity that is important to stimulate a sense of leadership trustworthiness. These factors provide the foundation for personal characteristics, which directly impact a leader’s ethical beliefs, values, and decisions. However, studies also show that leadership integrity only accounts for one minor portion of a person’s trait. In this essay, we attempt to provide insights and discuss ethical leadership and also attempt to prove that ethical leader is mostly about leadership integrity. Moral Person and Moral Manager While production and profitability...
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...data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. We also certify that this assignment was prepared by us specifically for this course. Student’s Signatures ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Table of Contents Definition of Problems 3 The Lack of Ethical Culture and Stakeholder Orientation 4 Low Board’s Professionalism 5 Poor Trust and Excessive Emphasis on Marketing 5 Identification of Possible Action Alternatives 6 Analysis of Each Alternative 7 Doing Nothing 7 Hiring a New Board of Directors 7 Developing a New Code of Conduct 8 Developing a New Organizational Strategy to Reconstruct the Ethical Climate 10 Decision 10 Implementation 11 Evaluation 13 Conclusion 14 References 15 Case Decision Making Paper- Red Cross In a world of intensive competition and numerous marketing challenges, maintaining trust in the organization-stakeholder relationships is an extremely difficult task. Numerous organizations have failed to achieve the desired strategic...
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... We develop the mind frame of “by any means necessary” and that’s where the trouble begins. Once in that mind frame employees, management and even executives are tempted to break the rules, play dirty etc, all in order to not only reach the goals, but the fastest or the best. Companies have focused so much on the result, that the path there has been over looked. We called this “efficiency” if it was done fastest or cheapest. Meeting goals, and being profitable is a clear goal for mostly all businesses, but the question is how we go about doing this. We have all heard the saying “ time is money” and in trying to beat the clock, beat the competitor, beat each other, we occasionally cross the path of the ethical way to go or the fast way to go. To some these less than ethical avenues are often tempting because they either meet a goal fastest or meet the personal goals of the individual rather than those of the company. While the result may have been acquired, this is not considered “efficient’ simply because it was faster,...
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...Ethics are the principles that dictate an individual or group of individual’s actions. ("Ethics," 2013) This simple concept of differentiating between right and wrong explains the motivation of every individual who has ever lived. Their ethics guide them through the decisions they make in a lifetime. In this assignment I will attempt to recommend an ethical decision that is presented to a recent top graduate from Liberty University named Benji. From our reading we learn that Benji is invited to attend an event at the New Gen Health Services headquarters. We are told that Benji accepts this all inclusive invitation and decides the opportunity is worth the trip. While awaiting his flight to Seattle Benji takes the opportunity to learn a little about the company that is attempting to recruit him. Once he begins his search Benji learns of some of the good things that the company does. He finds that New Gen sends researchers around the world in an attempt to find new beneficial health services. This action seems to be reinforced with another article that interviews the CEO who professes his mission of creating a healthier America and touting the companies leading ethics code. Having found these articles as well as many supporting the financial wellness of company Benji seems to have found a great company to work for. As it is with many situations things that appear too good to be true usually are. With continued researched Benji begins to find articles that paint a different picture...
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...Ethics in Management Accounting What are ethics? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ethics are defined as, “Rules or behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.” Ethics are rooted in an individual or an entire group’s moral values that govern daily behavior and crucial decisions. From a professional perspective, ethics provide a given quality and ensures a fair practice. In terms of business, it is the moral duties and obligations that apply to various professions and their code of conduct. Ethics encompass a set of understood rules to guide the direction of a business, company, corporation, or organization. Ethics are essential and tremendously depended on in the profession of accounting. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, accounting is defined as, “The skill, system, or job of keeping the financial records of a business or person.” The system of accounting records financial transactions and analyzes, reports, and verifies the results. Accountants perform these tasks by establishing these reports through a system known as bookkeeping. The three common reports that are generated by accountants are balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements. Each of these reports serve a crucial purpose to the success of a corporation. The balance sheet summarizes a company’s assets and liabilities. The income statement reports a company’s gross proceeds, profit or loss, and expenses. The cash flow statement analyzes the flow of incoming and...
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...There have been four serious financial crises and countless more corporate scandals with global implications in just the last decade. All of them driven by greed and corruption, all of them led by dynamic, charismatic business leaders who initially showed fantastic promise, innovation and financial leadership. And it seems with the most recent of these crises, many of the key players in the 2008 global recession have not only not been punished, but are still in the same positions of power and able to continue their transgressions. Here are some interesting highlights of the last decade: Enron scandal (2001): Andrew Fastow the CFO of Enron along with Kenneth Lay the Chairman and Jeffrey Skilling the CEO develop an offbalancesheet mark to market fraud that loses $11 billion and bankrupts Enron. It is the largest bankruptcy reorganization in US history at the time. They are charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud, false statements, insider trading and money laundering. Fastow serves 6 years in prison, Lay passes away before sentencing and Skilling is sentenced to 24 years in prison. WorldCom scandal (2005): Bernard Ebbers the CEO of WorldCom loses $100 billion of shareholder value in the largest accounting scandal in US history (until Madoff). Ebbers is charged with securities fraud and conspiracy and is serving 25 years in prison. Bernard Madoff (2008): Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC heads a $50 billion ponzi scheme, the largest in history, and is charged with securities fraud...
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...Running head: PROFESSIONAL VALUES AND ETHICS Professional Values and Ethics University of Phoenix Professional Values and Ethics What is the difference between values and ethics? Values are rules by which people make decisions about what is right versus wrong; good versus bad and what one should or should not do. The definition of values according to Dictionary.com is “the ideals, customs, institutions, etc., of a society toward which the people of the group have an affective regard. These values may be positive, as cleanliness, freedom, or education, or negative, as cruelty, crime, or blasphemy” (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 2009). Examples of values include: respect, empowerment, commitment and teamwork. Ethics on the other hand, are generally a formal set of rules which are openly adopted by a group of people; such as a company’s code of conduct or a code of ethics handbook. The definition of ethics according to Dictionary.com states “a theory or system or moral values; the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the member of a profession” (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 2009). Examples of ethics might include: bribery is not acceptable or treatment of customers. Many people question the values and ethics of professional establishments, especially those in the financial industries. American’s today are going through...
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...Waste Management, Inc. is the nation's largest waste collector (Feder). In other words, they collect and recycle garbage. They are a known brand and dominate the regions of the country and Canada where they provide services. Grownups and kids alike see their trucks and think, "Garbage". Which could sound awful, but garbage is lucrative. In the early 1990's, Waste Management, instead of just picking up the garbage, provided garbage to their investors in the form of an accounting scandal which cost investors approximately $6 billion (Bloomberg News) and was described by Thomas C. Newkirk, associate director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement as "one of the most egregious accounting frauds we have seen" (SEC). What Mr. Newkirk is describing is a long-standing policy by those at the top of the executive rung at Waste Management to provide their auditors, auditing committee, and the public false and misleading numbers in a variety of ways. First, these highest level executives would set earnings targets without regard to current or recent past results. They would then manipulate the numbers to match the previously set targets. Why? They wished to show tremendous growth in their business which would enrich them personally as they kept their jobs regardless of actual results. They also reaped the benefit of higher bonuses and increased income as they sold off their personal shares of the company at market prices which did not reflect the actual company results. It would be akin...
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...Ethics The Main Reason For Accounting Scandals? Is Ethics The Most Important Reason Behind Years of Accounting Scandals? Joshua A. Williams DeVry University Is Ethics The Main Reason For Accounting Scandals? Ethics: Is It The Most Important Reason Behind Years of Accounting Scandals? Ethics is a term that refers to a code or moral system that provides criteria for evaluating right and wrong (Spiceland, Spe, Tomassini, 2007). An ethical dilemma is a situation in which an individual or group is faced with a decision that tests this code. Many of these dilemmas are simple to recognize and resolve. For example, have you ever been tempted to call your professor and ask for an extension on the due date of an assignment by claiming a fictitious illness? Temptation like this will test your personal ethics. The direct issues when dealing with ethics is that it cannot be measured or quantified it is intangible almost to a fault. A person’s ethical background can be affected by all types of outside forces such as familial background, financial status, and educational backgrounds as well to name a few. Ethical codes are informative and helpful. However, the motivation to behave ethically must come from within oneself and not just from the fear of penalties for violating professional codes (Spiceland, Sepe, Tomassini, 2007). There is specific analytical model which gives a sequence of seven steps that provide a framework for analyzing ethical issues. These steps can help you apply...
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...Abbey Bartosiak Final Paper Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 Businesses and Ethics: They’re Surely Not Your Top Running Candidate for “The Golden Rule” The Golden Rule is a rule that is universally known. Although it has been translated differently and all the words may not be the same, it has the same universal meaning: “Do to others what you would want done to yourself.” This rule is one of the few rules that every person is the world is taught and abides (or tries to abide) by in their everyday life. When young children learn this rule, they are told to never forget it and to use it for the rest of their life: through school, for families, for work. There becomes a gray area, though, when The Golden Rule is brought into the workplace. For some reason, offices and workers feel that this rule doesn’t apply to them. They don’t need to be honest because, in some way, they are benefitting themselves. Business is where The Golden Rule gets tossed and people and firms start to act out of egoism, a form of moral belief. To uncover the “how, where and why” of business ethics, one must explore deeper beyond the surface. First, to understand how big businesses violate ethics, one must know what business ethics are and what they consist of. Second, to understand how businesses and workers act of out egoism, one must know what egoism is and what the beliefs pertain to. Then, connections and examples of businesses violating their ethics and how this unites it with egoism...
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