Wednesday, October 30, 2019

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Question # 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT Question # 1 - Essay Example As such, it is important for the management to come up with strategies to change job satisfaction into positive employee behavior. To begin with, the manager must come up with means of rewarding employees who register exemplary performance. This will increase the employee satisfaction levels of such employees as they feel that their hard work is being appreciated by the organization. The manager should also involve employees in decision making especially on matters that directly affect them (Robbins & Judge, 2011). This will make employees feel like being part of the organization thus boosting their morale. Further, managers need to come up with occasional surveys to determine employee satisfaction levels. This will enable the management ascertain areas, which they need to improve in order to satisfy their employees. In particular, if I was in the position of a manager, I will begin by undertaking employee satisfaction survey in order to ascertain areas of dissatisfaction. Thereafter, I will implement the recommendations thereof in order to improve employee job satisfaction levels. Once implemented, I will undertake an employee satisfaction exit survey. The exit survey will help in evaluating the success of the strategies employed with the aim of boosting employee job satisfaction

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Business Ethics And The Fast Food Industry

Business Ethics And The Fast Food Industry Ethics is the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group. It is the study of morality. This paper is research based on ethnographic study conducted in one of the outlets of Burger King an American based fast food company with over 12000 outlets across 73 countries. This paper includes observations that were made in one of its outlets, interviewing some of its employees, and also includes inputs given by some chosen customers. Once all these recordings were made, the aim was to relate our findings to identify if this company is ethical in its practices. I visited Burger King Outlet in M. L Hampstead, which was pretty spacious, with about sixty seating capacity. Out of which forty were lower seats, 10 high chairs and the also had some 10 chairs specially meant for kids. Considering the crowd it seems to be enough seating facility, but during peak hours that is between twelve to three in the noon its bit difficult to get seats. Nether There neither is a specific smoking zone inside the burger king nor is it allowed in burger king. The shop is handicap friendly all the parts of store are wheel chair accessible, the doors can be opened pressing the button sitting on a wheel chair. Toilets specially meant for handicaps are facilitated. They have toy cars in which children can sit and play, it is a special attraction for children. parents bring children because of this reason. It costs fifty pens for ten mins ride. They also give free toy pack with kids meal which cost 2.99 pounds. They dont have any discount like student discount or any other discount targeting specific section of customers but they have offers like buy one get one free which is applicable for any sandwiches, expect sandwiches its not applicable to any other items . I found that many people asking for specific type of burger called whopper burger which coast 3.79 pounds. Other than this more customers opted fizzy drinks these two items seems to be very famous with burger king. I also noticed that only few people opted for take away like 20% but maximum about 80% of customers opted to eat in. one more thing I observed that from 12 to 3 in noon it is peak hours and for every ten minutes we can expect 30 to 40 costumers .so at that time six service staff were attending customers in the front desk but on other times in off pick hours there will be around 15 to 20 customers in a span of 10 minutes , so there will be 3 to 4 service staff in front. I interacted with staff and tried to collect some data. They were very friendly and cooperative and were generous to give following information They told that, there were 30 people working in that particular burger king .out of that 24 were male 16 female .In that 6 of 24 male staff were designated as shift mangers, 3 out of 6 female staff were also shift managers and there was only one branch manager. Expect this 10 members all other were service staff and they were paid 5.80 pounds per hour and shift managers were paid 6.20 pounds per hour and branch manager was paid a fixed monthly salary. They were allowed to take 40 days of paid sick leave others than this they didnt had any special comforts or benefits, and employees were given permission to have food worth 50 pens per hour. And they were paid 50 percent extra salary when they work during bank holidays and festival holidays . The staff was really diverse which include people from all ethnicity, out of which 10 were student working part time and remaining were working full time. They said they prepare a burger within 30 sec n they dont take more than 2 min to serve a customer, whatever may be the order. As far as customer concerned majority of them were middle aged, compared to young or old people and there were more female customer than male. When I spoke to some of the young customer I came to know that that rates in burger were bit costlier compared McDonalds, KFC and its other competitors and hence less in number of younger crowd. Majority of customer were very polite in the behavior but sometimes young customers behave very rudely, they even use abusive words and even through the burger if some minor mistake is happened while serving this young customers. Unlike McDonalds and star bucks, in burger king I didnt see them collecting money for any kind charity work, nether I saw any information regarding burger king charity connection. Ethics, which often called as moral philosophy is not easily defined and philosophers offer contradictory explanations of it. It is a subject which includes discussions about how we should live, what is right? What is wrong? And what we mean? To get an idea of ethics, its important to have a look at these questions: Are some of the things always wrong, If so what are those?, or does it defer on the point of view or even situation? How to measure goodness and badness? Are all humans selfish? Are really some people better at morality than others, or is everyone equally capable of being good? Why should you be good? Is Ethics a special type of knowledge? If it is so what sort of knowledge is it and how do we get it? Dose morality means obeying a set of rules? If people say, I know cheating is wrong, do they know it is wrong or simply believe it very strongly? Are moral laws the same as societies laws? This means, ethics covers a wide range of topics. The answers for these questions are hotly debated for hundreds of years and are still debated today. They affect every aspect of the way we live. They cover even issues such as whether we should pay our taxes or not and even how we treat our pets. There are two different kinds of ethics: Ethical theory and Practical ethics. Ethical theory examines the various philosophies, systems, ideas or principles used in making judgments about right/wrong/good/bad things. Practical ethics is more focuses on subjects that always invite ethical questioning such as is it is right to have an abortion or help someone who is terminally ill. No doubt these two things are related. The theory we use influences the decisions on every particular moral issue. For example, one who believes in a set of principles which states that life is sacred and no one can ever take it. This principle may lead him to think against capital punishment. So the ethical theory leads him to a view about the moral issue (the death penalty). Before we proceed, some definitions should not go amiss. Ethics comes from the Greek word ethikos which in its root form (ethos) means character or custom. For the Greeks it refereed to the appropriate or customary way to behave in society. Morality is derived from the Latin word Moralis and is concerned with which actions are right and which or actions are wrong, rather than the character of the person. Today the two terms are often used interchangeably. Business ethics concentrates on the moral standards applicable to business policies, institutions, and their behavior. In other words, is a form of applied or practical ethics. It includes not only the analysis of moral norms and values, but also attempts to apply the conclusions of this analysis to that assortment of institutions, technologies, transactions, activities, and pursuits that we call business. Business ethics investigates three different kinds of issues: systemic, corporate, and individual. Systemic issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about the economic, legal, political and other social systems within which the businesses operate. Corporate issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about a particular company. Individual issues in business ethics are ethical questions raised about a particular individual or an individuals within a company. The multinationals operating in more than one country creates ethical dilemmas for their managers that managers of a firm limited to a single country may not face. The ability to shift its operations from one country to another enables the multinational to escape the social controls that a single nation might attempt to impose and can allow the multinational to play one country against another country. It can even sometimes transfer goods, raw materials and capital among its plants in different countries which enables it to escape fiscal obligations and even taxes that companies operating in a single nation forced to bear. They often get the opportunity to transfer a new technology or set of products from a more developed world to nations that are less developed. It is often faced with the dilemma of deciding which of these different norms and standards to implement in its operations. Ethical relativism is the view which states that there are no ethical standards that are absolutely true and that can be applicable to the companies and people of all societies. Thus, the theory of ethical relativism implies that whatever the majority in our society believes about morality can be considered automatically correct. Utilitarianism is a term for a view which holds that actions and policies can be evaluated on the basis of benefits and costs they will impose on society. usualy business analysts think that the best way to evaluate the ethical propriety of a business decision or any other decision is by relying on utilitarian Justice and Fairness Issues involving justice and fairness are usually divided into three categories: Distributive justice is concerned about the fair distribution of societys benefits and burdens. Retributive justice refers to the imposition of punishments and penalties on those commit wrong deeds. Compensatory justice deals the best possible way of compensating people who were wronged by others. Least Harm This deals with condition where neither choice are beneficial. In such case, a person can choose least harm possible option and which harms the fewest people. One should also sensibly argue that people have superior responsibility to do no harm than to take steps benefiting others. For example, a person has a greater responsibility to simply walk past a person rather than to hit a person as they walk past with no specific reason. Rights In the rights ethical theory the rights accepted by a society are protected and given the highest priority. Rights are considered to be ethical since a large population endorses them. Individuals may also confer rights upon others if they have the capability and resources to do so (1). For example, a person may say that his friend may borrow the car for a day. The friend who was given the ability to borrow the car is now having the right of the car for the day. Based on the theories and utilitarianism which explains ethics based on benefits and cost though burger king charging more than other counterparts like Mc Donalds and K.F.C, people thought, it worth paying and liked the quality, thus it seems to be ethical as for as the pricing is concerned. But some also thought its pricing was expensive especially the youngsters and many avoided Berger king and rather preferred other options. With there prospective it may be unethical pricing. . As for as employee rights are concerned burger king is paying the minimum pay directed by the government. Though it seems to be nothing wrong legally but when charging more than all its counterparts it seems to be unethical to stick to bottom of the payment scale, when it come to paying its employees. And in case of Mc Donalds, there rival brand they had some special schemes for its employees through corporate tie ups, but any such facilities are missing in case of burger king, says the employee. But burger king employee are happy that unlike many other fast food companies it allows its employees to have food. Food they can have is like 50 pens worth per hour, but it seems to be unethical seeing the pricing of its food items, it should be sensible and ethical if they try to increase this. And it cannot be uneconomical considering the fact that only 5to 10 employees work in most of its outlets at a time, Thus it doesnt make huge impact to its revenues. Seeing the fact that all of its outlets are disabled friendly it seems to be an ethical practice, but they might be doing it for compulsion since it is mandatory under law. Further opinion regarding being disabled friendly can be given only if we can come to know whether they are having similar practice in countries where its not a compulsion under law. They do have facilities for entertaining the kids, but they are charging for it so it hard to categories it has a act of social concern or a commercial one. But they are also giving some gifts along with kiddy meal, again this can be considered a marketing activity. They doesnt even have student or any kind of discounts which again doesnt really come under ethics , it could have been considered as a mere promotional activity ,even if they were having. One thing that really needs a mention, is its diversified staff which included all kind of people from different ethnicities, male female and students and had both part timers and full timers. The staff were very friendly and polite they treated every one in a same way the did not do any differentiation based on race, color, religion and ethnicity. There was no gender bias they treated every one the same even when some young costumers behaved very rudely they were trained to be very polite. From some of its behavior it brings a notion that it is very ethical and socially responsible. but its might not be totally true because many of these acts may be carried out of legal compulsion and some time even because of business compulsions, but one good thing, which need to be mentioned is that, its not involved in any notable un ethical behaviors. The topic of ethics itself is a debatable subject in every step. So on this topic it hard to decide or conclude whether the Burger king is ethical or not. And its might be the case of many other companies References: Manual g velasquez business ethics andrewson university 2001 Serrelo.c and fraedrich john 1994.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Social Impact of Slavery on the Caribbean Society Essay -- Caribbe

The Social Impact of Slavery on the Caribbean Society In order for us to understand the Caribbean, we must acknowledge the tremendous social impact slavery placed upon the islands. We must not only consider the practice of slavery dating back to the indigenous peoples, but from what the introduction of the African slave trade did to the islands economically as well as culturally. In this paper let me reflect on slavery in the Caribbean not from an economical standpoint but, from the racial or what Knight calls ‘complextional mutations’ its social impact on society. Let us discuss historian Benitez-Rojo’s approach to the Caribbean, he tends to reject a single cultural definition of the Caribbean, believing that all the islands have a differing cultural structure referring to its original colonizer. However, he subliminally states in his book The Repeating Island that all the islands hold more in common than the plantation system. He says ..."the multiplication of the Plantation-each case a different one-brought to the Caribbean was such that the Caribbean peoples themselves, in referring to the ethnological process that derived from the extraordinary collision of the races and cultures, produced, speak of syncretism, acculturation, transculturation, assimilation, deculturation, indigenization, creolization, cultural mestizaje, cultural cimarronaje, cultural miscegenation, cultural resistance etc." This idea falls in line with Knight; Knight introduces the Spanish to the history of the Caribbean, as the Caribbean being their conquest. The Spanish, in the name of Christianity, under Queen Isabella and King Ferninad attempt to colonize the Caribbean. They force assimilation trying to re-create the social and political pattern... ...tresses the Jamaican’s separation from the outside world. Yet, he a Jamaican man is in a field of his own within his culture. He tends to separate himself from the African, African-American, all that seems to be ‘barbarian’, and ‘ignorant’. He separates himself from what he has been ‘educated’ or rather ‘mis-educated’ about. His own History. He separates himself unknowingly, for he is a black colonized person living within certain parameters that tend to cloud his judgement. This is the legacy left to us by the institution of slavery in the Caribbean. Bibilography Benitez-Rojo, Antonio: "The Repeating Island" Duke University Press Knight, Franklin W., : "The Caribbean The Genesis of a Fragmented Nationalism" Oxford University Press Cliff, Michelle: "Abeng" Plume Books Beckles and Shepherd: "Caribbean Slave Society ad Economy" The New Press, New York

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Consider the theme of loneliness in the novel. How does it affect friendships and relationships? Essay

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California in 1902. When becoming a fictional writer this area played an influential part in the settings of many of his novels. This includes the great novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. As a teenager the depressing scenes of the rural Californian ranches he worked on in the summer impressed on him deeply. Steinbeck’s best-known works go into this scene very intimately with the plight of desperately poor wanderers in search of work and money, who, despite the cruelty of their circumstances, often triumph spiritually. Of Mice and Men is set in the years just after the great depression and stock market crash of the 1930’s with the dust bowl raging in the southern states. Like a lot of Americans ‘George’ and ‘Lennie’ were searching for work on ‘the ranches’, in their quest to own their own land and ‘live of the fat of the land’. However, cruel and powerful forces beyond their control thwarted their quest for land and their tragedy was marked, ultimately, by steadfast compassion and love. The novel is set in the farmland of the Salinas valley. The ranch George and Lennie work on is just outside Soledad, and the countryside surrounding the ranch is described in the beginning of the book as ‘On one side of the river the golden foothill slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains, but on the valley side the water is lined with trees – willows fresh and green with every spring,’ the passage emphasises the beauty and peacefulness of the area. George and Lennie were people known as Migrant Farm Workers. These travelled the countryside between the 1880’s and 1930’s harvesting wheat. They earned very little each day, plus food and very basic accommodation in the outbuildings of the farms. Unemployment was very high in the 1930’s so the government set up agencies to organize and send farm workers to where they were needed. George and Lennie were members of the agency ‘Murray and Ready’s’ from which they got their work cards. They, like most of the migrant farm workers, were in search of ‘The American Dream’ which was to own their very own ‘little house and a couple of acres’. One of the biggest themes in the book is loneliness. Many of the characters admit to suffering profound loneliness. George sets the tone for these confessions early in the novel when he reminds Lennie that life on the ranches is among the loneliest of lives, â€Å"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They don’t belong no place†. Candy has one companion and that is his dog, so when the dog is killed he has no one and therefore attaches himself to George’s and Lennie’s dream. He does this so that he doesn’t become an outcast and alone. Candy still wants to carry out the dream even after Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife, even though he knows only too well that Lennie cannot return to the life he led before. Crooks feels that he would work for free, as long as he wouldn’t be alone and could communicate with someone â€Å"†¦ A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. Don’t make no difference who the guy is, long’s he with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Curley’s wife is so overwhelmed by her loneliness that she seeks friendship from other men. She intimidates all the other men except Slim because she is beautiful and because she is Curley’s wife. She eventually makes friends with Lennie and confesses her loneliness to him â€Å"Think I don’t like to talk to somebody ever’ once in a while?† Each of these characters searches for a friend, someone to help them cope with life. In the end, however, companionship of this type seems unattainable. For George, the hope of such companionship dies with Lennie, and true to his original estimation, he will go through life alone. The relationship between George and Lennie appears to be very unusual to the rest of the workers. It is clear that most of them are lonely. They all have different ways of coping with it; some remember wished-for friends with affection. Others become self sufficient and only look out for themselves making them very selfish. Crooks insists on the right to be alone even though he dislikes it. Carlson is incapable of caring for others and their feelings. This side of him is shown clearly when he bullies Candy into allowing him to shoot his ageing, smelly, rheumatic dog, â€Å"He ain’t no good to you, Candy. An’ he ain’t no good to himself. Why’n’t you shoot him, Candy?† The core of the novel is formed by the relationship between George and Lennie. â€Å"With us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us. We don’t have to sit in no bar room blowin’ in our jack jus’ because we got no place else to go. If them other guys get in jail they can rot for all anybody gives a damn. But not us.† In Lennie’s view, George is the most valuable person in his life; he is not just his only friend but also a role model and his guardian. Every time Lennie does something wrong he immediately thinks how angry and disappointed George will be. He also has a child-like faith that George will always be there for him. George, even though he cares about Lennie, sees him as a constant source of frustration and aggravation and frequently speaks of how much better life would be without his care taking responsibilities; â€Å"God a’mighty, if I was alone I could live so easy. I could go get a job an’ work, an’ no trouble†¦An’ whatta I got,† George went on furiously â€Å"I got you! You can’t keep a job and you lose me ever’ job I get†. However George is obviously devoted to Lennie. George’s behaviour is motivated by the desire to protect Lennie and, eventually, obtain the farm of their dreams so they can â€Å"live of the fatta the lan†. Lennie’s other childlike faith is that he believes they are both going to eventually settle down on the farm told to him often by George. This faith enables George to actually believe this account of their future aswell! George’s belief in it depends on Lennie, for as soon as Lennie dies, George’s hope for a brighter future disappears. Their companionship contrasts the loneliness that surrounds them: the loneliness of the homeless ranch worker; the loneliness of the outcast black man; the loneliness of the subjected woman; the loneliness of the old, helpless cripple; and this arouses the curiosity in the characters that they encounter, even Slim commented, â€Å"It seems kinda funny a cuckoo like him and a smart little guy like you travellin’ together.† Their friendship goes back to when they were children growing up in the same town and when Lennie’s Aunt Clara died George took responsibility for him. They have been together for many years and as George says, have â€Å"got kinda used to each other†. Both of them bring different advantages to the relationship; Lennie’s strength make them seem very attractive to potential employers who are seeking labourers. Slim says of Lennie, â€Å"I never seen such a worker†¦There ain’t nobody can keep up with him.† Lennie is also a very handy person to have around if there is a fight. George is very intelligent and organizes both of their lives. He knows how to protect Lennie from other people and dangers, although this rarely happens from the time they meet Curley and his wife. From then on Lennie just seems to go from one confrontation to another. Another reason why they stick together is that they enjoy travelling around the country with someone who cares for them. Lennie puts it well when he says; â€Å"I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you†. After losing his dog, Candy becomes very withdrawn. Steinbeck paints him as the sad, stereotyped symbol of old age, a man whose life is void of friends and hope. When the dog is dead, he feels that he has nothing and no reason for existence. However in chapter three he overhears George describing their dream farm to Lennie and he interrupts them and asks â€Å"You know where’s a place like that?† At this point Candy reveals that he has quite a bit of money saved up which he could invest into the farm if he was allowed to. He asks George if he can come with them. After some careful thinking George agrees. Candy explains to George why he needs a place like theirs: â€Å"You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs†. In chapter 4 Candy is searching for Lennie one night while all the others have gone into town. He finds him in Crooks’s room and he is invited in to join them. He and Lennie start a conversation about the farm. Candy is so excited that he can’t stop himself telling others. When Curley’s wife tries to strike up a conversation with them, Candy reveals to her the dream of owning a farm. This only annoys George. When he returns, he tells them to leave immediately. In Chapter 5 the dream goes sour when Candy reveals the dead body of Curley’s wife. He goes and gets George and returns to the body with him. George knows it was Lennie, as he had always feared this would happen. Candy cautiously asks George if they can still get their farm. George is silent, then says: â€Å"I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† All their dreams disappeared the moment Lennie killed Curley’s wife. George’s only hope now is that maybe the other workers won’t want to hurt Lennie. When George leaves, Candy speaks angrily to the corpse and ‘his eyes are blinded with tears’. He is left only with the reality of his lonely and isolated existence on the ranch. Crooks is another character who gets easily sucked into George’s and Lennie’s dream of owning their own farm. When Lennie appears in the doorway of his room, Crooks turns him away, hoping to prove a point that if he, as a black man, is not allowed in white men’s houses, then whites are not allowed in his, â€Å"I aint wanted in the bunk-house and you aint wanted in my room†, but his desire for company ultimately wins out and he invites Lennie to sit with him. Once inside, Lennie and Crooks have a conversation in which both men seem to be talking to themselves rather than to each other. Lennie begins to talk about the rabbits but Crooks just thinks he is crazy and as Lennie’s dream unfolds Crooks is doubtful about it because he has seen this so many times; â€Å"I seen hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches, with their bindles on their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads†¦ every damn one of ’em†™s got a little piece of land in his head. An’ never a God damn one of ’em ever gets it. Just like heaven. Ever’body wants a little piece of lan’. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never gets to heaven, and nobody gets no land†. When Candy enters the room and he and Lennie have a conversation about the rabbits and the farm, it is revealed to Crooks that they already have much of the money needed to buy it. He tells them that he will work for them without pay if they let him live there. Perhaps what Crooks wants more than anything is a sense of belonging, to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to enter the bunkhouse or to play cards with other men. This desire would explain why, even though he has a reason to doubt George and Lennie’s talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden. Companionship and plentiful food are both parts of Crooks’s dream. However his dream comes to nothing and when Curley’s wife puts him in his place as a Negro, he knows nothing will change. Another character who turns out to be very lonely is Curley’s wife. In the beginning of the book her purpose is to be the â€Å"tramp†¦tart†¦bitch† that threatens to destroy male happiness and longevity. But later in the novel her complex and interesting character is revealed. When she confronts Lennie, Crooks and Candy in the stable, she admits to feeling a kind of shameless dissatisfaction with her life. Her vulnerability at this moment and later when she admits to Lennie about her dream of becoming a movie star † I met a guy an’ he was in pitchers. Went out to the Riverside Dance Palace with him. He says he was gonna put me in the movies.† makes her much more interesting than the stereotypical tart that flirted with all the other men. However it also reinforces the novel’s grim view of the world. In her moment of greatest vulnerability, Curley’s wife seeks out even greater weaknesses in others and directs her anger towards Lennie’s mental disability, Candy’s old age and the colour of Crook’s skin; â€Å"standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs- a nigger an’ a dum dum and a lousy old sheep†. As a result of this constant onslaught of insults it causes Crooks to reconsider his dream of going with the others and instead live out the rest of his miserable life at this ranch where he will be tormented by many, right up until he dies. In the next chapter when Lennie is in the barn on his own and Curley’s wife enters he tries to ignore her. All Curley’s wife wants to do is strike up a conversation. She confesses how lonely she is because she intimidates all the other men, â€Å"Why can’t I talk to you? I never get to talk to nobody. I get awfully lonely.† Eventually a conversation begins and she really opens up to Lennie telling him things she hasn’t even told Curley: â€Å"Well I ain’t told nobody before. Maybe I oughtn’ to. I don’ like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella†¦ Coulda’ been in the movies, an’ had nice clothes – all of them nice clothes like they wear.. An’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pictures took of me. When they had them previews I coulda went to them, an’ spoke in the radio, an’ iut wouldn’t cost me a cent because I was in the picture. An’ all them nice clothes like they wear. Because this guy says I was a natural.† In the end her dream is shattered at the same point George and Lennie’s dream is shattered; when Lennie accidentally kills her. Most of the characters in ‘Of mice and Men’ admit, at one point to dreaming of a different and much better life. Candy confessing that he would like to grow old not alone and owning his own farm, Curley’s wife wanting to become a movie star and Crooks to be accepted in the social ladder that is life. What makes all of these dreams typically American is that they wish for flawless happiness. George’s and Lennie’s dream of owning a farm is the perfect example of a typical American ideal; the dream offers them protection from the cruel and ruthless world and enables them to sustain themselves. But the journey they take awakens George and introduces to him the harsh reality he actually has. The story proves that the paradise, which the characters dream of, cannot be found on this earth. George and Lennie desperately cling to the notion that they are different from other workers who drift from ranch to ranch because, unlike others, they have a future and each other. But characters like Crooks and Curley’s wife serve as cruel reminders that George and Lennie are no different from anyone who wants something of his or her own. Their perfect world is one of independence. Workers like George and Lennie have no family, no home, and very little control over their lives. This is exactly the opposite of what they want. They have to do what the boss tells them and they have little to show for it. They only own what they can carry. Therefore, this idea of having such power over their lives is a strong motivation. The connection between the characters dreams and loneliness is very strong. All Curley’s wife wanted to be was an actress, she missed her chance and married, as a result she became very lonely. Crooks being Negro was always condemned to a life of loneliness but he still had a dream of what his life used to be like compared to the reality of what it was today. And Candy loosing his only true friend and companion; his dog meant that if he didn’t link himself to a dream he would lead a life of loneliness. As it happened his dream like everyone else’s was shattered by one fatal accident. When George tells Lennie to look across the river and imagine their farm, he lets Lennie die with the hope that they will attain their dream, and attain it soon. George, who must kill Lennie, is not allowed such comfort. He must go on living knowing the failure of their dream, as well as the sadness and guiltiness of knowing that he killed his best and only true friend. George lets Lennie die with the image of their farm in his mind and in a state of complete mental happiness and calmness. But George himself must continue through life knowing that they will never reach it; â€Å"I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would.† The other men who come on the scene only see the half-wit who killed a woman and deserved to die. Only Slim understands George’s tragic loss. Carlson and Curley watch Slim lead George away from the riverbank; their complete state of puzzlement is rooted more in ignorance than in heartlessness. Carlson and Curley represent the harsh conditions of a distinctly real world, a world in which the weak will always be vanquished by the strong and in which the rare, delicate bond between friends is not appropriately mourned because it is not understood.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Criminal Justices Ethics Essay

A few months ago, a woman was brutally raped, beaten and left for dead. Since the attack she remains in a coma. This case has risen to national prominence as an example of how today’s youth no longer respects fundamental social values, television and video game violence has desensitized young men to the consequences of crimes such as assault and rape, and as a demonstration of the inability of the police to keep the streets safe for law-abiding citizens. My partner and I work in the criminal justice system as police officers and handle most of the homicide cases in our area. The publicity from this crime has placed our police department under pressure to send someone to trial for this crime immediately. A gang of young men were spotted in the areas where the victim was found assaulting and threatening people that were passing by. Two members of the gang were arrested. The two members are both male and 14 years of age that both have previous records of robbery and assault. Our obligation as police officers is to follow the policy and ethical standards of our police department and the law, which states, minors must be informed of their legal right to have their parents present during the interrogation and to use videotape during important interviews. However, my partner has pushed his ethical obligation aside and interviews both of the minors while deciding not to contact their parents or tape the interrogation. When I confront him about the policy’s that did not take place he tells me not to worry about it that both minors are guilty as sin and we can close the case. His actions are unethical and don’t not follow the policy of prosecuting the guilty, respecting the rights of the accused, and creating a safe community. Ethics is crucial in decisions involving discretion, force, and due process, because criminal justice professionals can be tempted to abuse their powers (Felkins, 1987). I report this to my supervisor only for him to tell me to trust my partner and go to trial. Both suspects are arrested and bound for trial. Bail is denied. I do not feel good about proceeding with this. The organizational culture represented by my supervisor gives the answer to my partners’ behavior. The supervisor plays a large role in defining organizational culture by his actions and leadership. Both my supervisor and my partner have decided to use â€Å"moral relativism† which is the ethical premise â€Å"that decisions about right and wrong are purely personal and subjective and according to it, whatever anyone claims to be morally acceptable is morally acceptable, at least for that person. They have not thought about the consequences of their actions and how they may be beneficial or harmful from the result. In order to do so one must analyze the issues and make judgments by studying the details of the case, identifying the relevant criteria, determining possible course of action, and deciding which action is most ethical. I will choose to detach myself from the case. I cannot afford to lose my job by not following the legal or ethical standards. Laws have penalties when cases are violated and these penalties can be very severe if you violate legal norms. I believe that both my partner and supervisor have violated legal norms as well as ethical standards. References Felkenes, G. (1987). â€Å"Ethics in the Graduate Criminal Justice Curriculum.† Teaching Philosophy 10(1): 23–26. Ruggiero, V. R. (2008). Thinking Critically About Ethical Issues (Seventh ed.). New York, NY, USA: McGraw-Hill.