Abstract An argumentative paper about the negative effects of human cloning. The author discusses the moral, ethical and religious issues that he believes outweigh the medical advances of cloning. Included is an overview of what cloning is and how it could effect society in the future.
From the Paper "Human cloning is a controversial topic, the public regards it as inappropriate, while the leaders of certain scientific communities believe it is a sound practice that could be researched and used to benefit society. Human cloning is a form of genetic engineering, which most people consider morally wrong and, "Playing God". Through cloning an individual, you create an exact physical duplicate of that person, however, memories, personality and opinions are not recreated, and so differences do exist. Many pros and cons can be found when looking at cloning in depth, but it is my opinion that overall, it is not a beneficial procedure. There are just too many ethical issues that outweigh medical advances and prolonging life spans. A race has been started between scientists, everyone wants to be the first to clone an adult human, however with hopes of personal glorification and publicity, they have lost sight of the moral and religious issues at hand. Human cloning means creating a breed of people that have no flaws or imperfections, and since perfection does not exist, the clone could be nothing but a disappointment."
Abstract This paper addresses measures being taken in light of the recent financial events with several major U.S. corporations. In addition, recommendations are made to promote the increased ethical actions of those individuals, who are in positions that have a major influence on the U.S. economy.
From the Paper "The list of offenders seems to be growing daily. Enron, Merrill Lynch, WorldCom and now Johnson & Johnson have come under increased scrutiny and criminal charges. The actions of the personnel in positions of financial authority at these companies have had an extremely negative impact on the employees, investors, lenders and the economy in general. Employees of these companies lost most, if not all of their pension benefits. Investors lost a large portion of the money they invested. Lenders are faced with the companies filing for bankruptcy and the economy in general is experiencing extreme levels of suspicion, as indicated by the faltering stock market."
Tags: accounting, business, ethics, management, standards, minoruty, financial, business
Abstract This paper discusses the rise and fall of nation's seventh largest company, Enron International. It describes Enron's bankruptcy and one of the worst stories of deception, greed and fraud in the history of Corporate America. The paper also examines how the largest energy trader of the United States managed to keep its negative debt position off the books with the help of its auditing firm, Arthur Andersen.
From the Paper "Enron was formed when two energy companies, Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, decided to merge their operations in 1985. The company achieved tremendous success, as energy trading firm and it was the first firm of its kind where energy was traded as any other commodity. In the short span of 15 years, the company managed to gain rise to heights of success as it turned from a regulated natural gas company into world's largest energy trader. With 21,000 employees and operations in more than 30 countries, the company it seemed was doing extremely well and this was further supported by the evidence presented by its auditors."
Abstract One of the widest scandals of corporate corruption in American history came courtesy of Enron, a provider of natural gas and electricity to establishments around the globe. This paper attempts to analyze what went wrong, why the company suddenly declared bankruptcy and evaluates the current government investigation. It looks at the legal issues involved such as fraud and examines some of the social issues such as the resignation of the CEO and the suicide of a top executive.
From the Paper "There has been mounting concern over transactions and business practices of firms who form special purpose entities. What could have been done to prevent such a scandal? Inquiring minds want to know how management issues and corporate governance problems assisted in the collapse of the once all-mighty Enron. Proper monitoring of business activities and transactions including a protocol to report suspicious activity should have been employed. Enron executives should have routinely monitored off balance sheet transactions, related parties transactions and complex financial transactions, among other things."
Abstract This paper explores the accounting malpractices within the Andersen Firm. The paper discusses the functions and duties of the firm and the history of the company. The writer describes recent events including the Enron case and a myriad of other cases, accusing Andersen of misleading investors. The paper also examines whether or not the Author Andersen auditing firm is a trustworthy firm to do business with.
From the Paper "Anderson contracted with the Enron Corporation to perform its audits and provide the audit opinion. The firm performed this task for over ten years and charged Enron almost $48 million in fees in the year 2000 alone. It is believed that Andersen hid the fact the Enron used questionable accounting practices to hide huge losses that Enron had incurred. Andersen has admitted that employees destroyed evidence that exposed the shotty accounting practices."
Abstract This paper examines Elijah Anderson's "The Code of the Streets" which introduces the idea that violence, aggression, stealing and other socially deviant behaviors are not perceived as infractions of rules, but rather conforming to a different standard, a different set of rules. Anderson does an adequate job of setting forth his ideas, along with providing sufficient evidence to support them. It criticizes Anderson's perspective of street families and decent families when he describes inner city life and his portrayal of abusive mothers who beat their children and let them run riot.
From the Paper "The contrasts between street families, and decent families are not always easily observed. As Anderson points out, most street families appear on the surface to be decent families. (Anderson, p. 157) The appearance of having "calm, respectful children" is often what the mother wants most, more than happy children. (Anderson, p. 157) Her desire for such a family is often so strong that she is "quick to beat her children"if they defy her law.? (Anderson, p. 157) Anderson concludes that this abusive behavior is often perceived as acceptable behavior within the inner city the disapproval from the wider society as a whole. (Anderson, p. 157)"
Abstract This paper begins by providing a definition of ethical behavior. It then examines why it is the management's responsibility to ensure ethical behavior in its midst. The writer states that that the behavior of employees will define whether the organization acts ethically, as employees are the ones that make decisions whether or not to take certain actions. Secondly, it the responsibility of management to give employees a guide for their action. The writer provides suggestions for how the promoting of ethical behavior can be performed.
From the Paper "Ethical behavior is defined as "the code of moral principles and values that govern the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong" (Daft 142). Organization ethics is further defined as dealing with "internal values that are a part of corporate culture and shapes decisions concerning social responsibility with respect to the external environment. An ethical issue is present in a situation when the actions of a person or organization may harm or benefit others" (Daft 142).
"Ethics therefore involves ensuring that the actions of the organization do not harm any individual, customer, environment or social group. Essentially, ethics involves not solely focusing on what the organization wants, but considering what effect the organization's actions may have."
Abstract A discussion of personal ethics and how experiences with other individuals, in addition to our basic personal values, shape the groundwork for ethical personal decision making. Major ethical approaches are looked at in detail, and ground rules for ethical decision making are discussed.
From the Paper "An ethically defensible decision includes a number of important elements. Most crucial are the ground rules that underlie such a decision. These can include informal ground rules like religious faith, family values, personal experiences, and the personality of the individual. However, more formalized ground rules that are usually steeped in the philosophy of ethics may prove to be much more useful for making ethically defensible decisions. For example, a decision to allow a request for doctor- assisted suicide is ethically defensible using Kant's Categorical Imperative.
In recent years, the impact of ethical debacles like Enron and WorldCom in the business world have resulted in renewed discussions of ethical decision making in both the personal and business spheres. Clearly, Enron and WorldCom represented some of the most extreme examples of "ethically challenged" decisions, yet they clearly represent a need for a better understanding of ethics in decision making."
Abstract This essay examines the fraud led by Enron's accountants that led to its recent bankruptcy. It studies the huge investigation into this fraud and analyzes some of its findings. It details the uncovering of several suspects that were connected to the biggest fraud in American history. It concludes that revisions must be made in order to prevent future frauds like these.
From the Paper "When the mighty giant, Enron, fell, it fell hard and resulted in the largest bankruptcy in American history. Worldwide focus then fell upon all who might have a possible answer for this event. Intense focus fell first upon Enron executives, and then, as the event evolved into what appears to be one of the most massive cases of corporate corruption ever known, others were brought into the spotlight.
"According to a statement published on the Andersen website, the primary corporate auditors of Enron, the organization was founded in 1913, when ?Arthur Andersen recruited the brightest students into his classes. Then, he turned them into "thoroughly trained accountants" who were able to go beyond the obvious in their work by using unique methodologies to improve financial performance.? It is, perhaps, those "unique methodologies" that took an unexpected turn at some point in the company's long and previously respected history, and then emerged as something uniquely ungoverned, unprincipled, and unconscionable. After the Securities and Exchange Commission began its in-depth investigation of Enron, focus then also fell upon Andersen."
Tags: Enron, United, States, Andersen, Bush, Administration, fraud, bankruptcy, accountant
Abstract This is a research paper on insider trading from a "Utilitarian" ethical point of view. The author discusses types of insider trading, the Utilitarian theory of Ethics and the arguments for and against insider trading.
From the Paper "Insider Trading generally refers to the buying or selling of financial instruments (usually in the stock market) on the basis of privileged information that is known to a restricted group of people. Debate has raged among economists, traders, businesspersons, philosophers and even the general public for many years about the rights and wrongs of insider trading practice. No consensus seems to have emerged yet. In this paper we would be looking at the practice of insider trading from the utilitarian ethical point of view and try to determine whether the practice is morally justified."
Abstract This paper discusses the morality of Nestle's marketing tactics in promoting the use of infant formula in third world countries. Immanuel Kant's theory of Act Utilitarian and John Rawls' Original Position are used to evaluate the morality of Nestle's marketing behavior.
From the Paper "Corporate ethics and responsibilities are considered to be of utmost importance. Every level of the organization reflects the action of the community. An open door policy in an organization is considered to be good because it allows the employees, who are also members of society, to point the unjust actions of the organization. However, how and where do we draw the line of the perceived "responsibilities" within a community? How can we determine whether an organization is acting within the boundaries of moral standards? To understand this author has taken into consideration the controversial issue of Nestl?'s Infant Formula and its marketing tactics in the third world countries. The author uses Immanuel Kant's theory of Act Utilitarian and John Rawls Original Position to argue whether Nestle is morally correct in its marketing practice or not."
This paper explores the legal and moral issues of the stem cell research debate. It also explores the uses of adult stem cells as an alternative to embryonic stem cells.
Abstract The paper first briefly defines stem cell research in all its forms (embryonic, adult, umbilical). It next explores whether the young fetus should actually be considered a 'life-form'. The political portion of the paper revolves around President Bush's policies and California's Proposition 71. Finally, the argument is made that alternatives to embryonic stem cells represent the only moral choice, especially at this early stage of research.
From the Paper "There are too many unanswered questions and unknowns when it comes to stem cell research, embryonic or not. There is promising research being made on adult stem cells and umbilical cells as we speak. Shouldn"t these avenues be completely explored before we even discuss destroying another embryo in the name of science" I would think so. The greatness of humankind can be measured by its accomplishments, but accomplishments made without regard to morals can destroy us. This is the course we must avoid. We must not sacrifice life with blind hopes of scientific advancement. We must not sacrifice one life to cure another."
Abstract This paper explores the concept of social responsibility, what it means, and how it is used in today's corporate world. It explores how some businesses use social responsibility for ethical reasons whereas others use it just to look good or to increase profits.
From the Paper In today's contemporary commercial society, many businesses are striving to become more socially responsible. Although the business world has traditionally been based on profit and performance, social responsibility can equal big profits for some companies. Corporate executives are now talking about purpose, principle, and consequence, not only in conjunction with business performance but also in ethical terms.
Abstract This paper discusses the ongoing debate in society regarding animal testing. The author examines the guidelines for experimentation on animals, modern methods, and discusses the pros and cons of experimenting on animals for human benefit.
From the Paper "Are the ways that science researches with animals to find cures to today's problems ethical, or is it simply an excuse for animal cruelty? Animal testing is a crucial part of finding cures to diseases and other problems that plague today's society. Animals have been the subjects of tests since the early eighteen hundreds in order to try to find cures to common problems back then. Humans test all kinds of products on animals no matter how it harms the animals. There are valid reasons for testing some products on animals. However, I think that some of the methods used are unethical. Is maliciously harming an animal ethical if it helps the human race?"
Abstract This paper examines how organizational behavior can be affected by any number of trends and in particular, discusses how ethical decision making and the impact of technology on work related stress effect organizational behavior.
Outline
Abstract
Introduction
Ethical Decision Making
Technology and Work Related Stress
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "Ethical behavior can be considered the right or moral behavioral choice. When it comes to decision making it is imperative that managers, leaders and subordinates practice the art of ethical decision making. The problem that is generally encountered is for members of an organization to agree that the decision is actually ethical. What one person believes to be moral another person could believe to be immoral. Archie B. Carroll came up with a distinction between moral, amoral and immoral managers. His logic is as follows: "The immoral manager doesn't subscribe to any ethical principles, making decisions and acting in any situation to simply take best personal advantage. The amoral manager, by contrast, fails to consider the ethics of a decision or behavior."
