A634.7.4.RB_Ethics and Behaviors_Reyes,Cassandra

Watch the two videos from business ethics speakers and discuss how your organization portrays its values. Share any examples where behaviors were portrayed positively by your leaders or an instance where someone was unethical in your work environment.

            My organization portrays a number of values that include honesty, integrity, hard working, trustworthy, dedicated and distinctive. While my organization does portray these values as whole in a positive environment and does its best to assist its employees and our students we are also prone to negativity as not all individuals in the organization are working for the best interest of the organization. Some workers make poor decisions and therefore the organization can suffer from the poor choices these workers make, whether it is in an instant or over the course of a period of time.

            When it comes to unethical choices, there are some individuals who do not feel as though that what they are doing is unethical. Simple things that people do on a daily basis can be looked at as the norm instead of stealing. If workers are taking pens, paper or other office supplies home, is this unethical? If there is only one individual doing this then is it as unethical or as bad if 200 workers are doing? Something as simple as taking a few pens home may not seem so unethical to some but if you consider how much money is walking out of the door of the organization then you might begin to feel differently. Companies lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars in workers using their products and supplies for personal use instead of just for work. I have seen things like this happen in our organization, while I can’t say that it happens on purpose or in major excess, I do see that it does happen from time to time.

            Another unethical occurrence that takes place is when individuals do homework at work. It is said that we can do homework at work during our lunch break; however what happens when individuals are completing homework assignments during the work day? If completing a discussion question on your 15 minute break unethical if it is not your lunch break? What if your work does not suffer even when completing your assignments? What if workers who are doing their homework as well as completing all of their necessary work throughout the day? Should this be considered unethical? The answer would be yes, however if workers feel as though they are getting their job done as well as their work they are not doing anything wrong, however if one worker was doing this then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, but if 200 employees were doing this then the company would view this as stealing company time.

            Surfing the internet and logging into social media sites and other non work related sites is also another issue that our organization experiences. There are many individuals who have a face book or MySpace account and spend time having conversations and making posts on their friends or family’s pages. Many would not consider this unethical as most individuals get their work done throughout the day, however this is also considered as stealing time. While each of these tasks do not seem as though they could hurt the company too badly at first glance, when you look at the behind the scenes costs and money that is put into the organization and the time that can be spent on our students, we should each really look closer at the contribution we are making on a personal level to our employer.

            While we do have a few unethical practices that occur in our organization, I do believe that Embry-Riddle is an excellent employer and that for the most part the workers in this organization have its best interest at heart. We work hard for our students and do our best to work cohesively in getting out students and prospects what they need and when they need it. I believe that every organization will have unethical practices; however they just must do their best in keeping the major and minor ones under control so the integrity of the company is maintained.

Cassandra R.

A634.8.3.RB_Gun Control. What is the Answer?_Reyes,Cassandra

In Chapter 12, LaFollette (2007) discusses gun control. Do citizens have a right to bear arms? Answer the question in your reflection blog. State your opinion and follow up your position with supporting documentation. Next, present the opposing side to your stance. Use external sources to enhance your claims.

Gun control has been a major topic for the government and society for quite some time now. As the years go on and gun laws are put into place, there is a constant battle on what is and isn’t too much control. Many individuals have different views on the safety of guns and why they should or shouldn’t have a place in our society. Disasters such as Columbine and even more recent incidents and more common occurrences in school shootings is putting pressure to make gun laws as tight as they can be to ensure the safety of our school systems and society as a whole.

While gun laws and ownership have both pros and cons, we need to be sure to take as many things into consideration as we can so a clear picture is put forth on what we face with certain existing gun laws or some that have not yet been created. Those who are for gun control state that guns should not be eligible for sale as criminals can either steal or purchase guns in order to steal or commit crimes resulting in dangerous situations and circumstances. The other side of this argument is that even when guns are bought legally to civilians, sometimes care is not taken when background checks and security is done to ensure that the gun being sold is to someone who does not have a criminal background. Some sellers are more concerned with obtaining their money and don’t think about the consequences that selling this gun can have.

Some gun laws also have loopholes that allow for rules to be broken when buying or selling guns allowing for criminals to obtain them illegally. Another topic of gun ownership is when an honest buyer does buy a gun however is careless with the information he/she provides on where their gun is located or does not leave the gun in a safe place, leaving access to criminals, children or other individuals looking to obtain the gun or accidentally obtaining it. This is extremely dangerous as many of the school shootings or accidental shootings that take place are because the guns were purchased, stolen or obtained from careless individuals or even friends or family members.

While we could probably go on for days on the reasons guns have no place in society, we also need to reflect on the positives of guns in society as there are always those who will see the pros of a topic. Individuals, who are against full gun control, state that even if guns were completely illegal, criminals would still find a way of obtaining them and using them for destruction. As criminals obtain their fire arms illegally most of the time then the real issue would be guns being for sale for any type of safety or sport all together. In this case, only governmental agencies, law enforcement and the military should have access to them. The argument for making guns completely illegal is that the more illegal the guns are made the more it may entice criminals to want to obtain them. Criminals tend to have motives to break the law regardless of the laws that are set into place. If we really make guns illegal, will it help any or will it make matters worse?

The issue this also brings up is the argument that gun laws punish honest citizens who are using them only for sport or for safety and are extremely careful with the care they have for handling their guns. Guns are meant to protect those who have ownership of them. If we are unable to protect ourselves, how fair is it that that privilege is taken away from us all because of the carelessness of other individuals? In my opinion, guns are dangerous and should not be in the hands of those who are careless, however I do feel that certain individuals have a place to protect themselves and their families as best as they can. I also understand that there are tragedies all over the world that are occurring because of the carelessness of guns, but to me I think that there will always be a place for evil and negativity in the world. It doesn’t matter the consequences we place on the individuals creating the crimes, disasters are still going to occur. I think that society should absolutely have laws on a number of things especially guns in our homes and communities, but I also believe that it can be difficult to gage what is too much and what is enough.

  References

Concealed Guns ProCon.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://concealedguns.procon.org/

Gun Control: Pros and Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://lesliebyars.hubpages.com/hub/Gun-Control-Pros-and-Cons

Pros & Cons of Gun Ownership Laws for Individuals, Gun Control Laws. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://usliberals.about.com/od/patriotactcivilrights/i/ProConGunLaws.htm

Pros and Cons of Gun Control. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://prosandconsofguncontrol.net/

Cassandra R.

A634.6.3. What are Virtues?_Reyes,Cassandra

Benjamin Franklin's self-improvement program included 13 virtues that he felt were important guides for living along with principles for each that would, in his opinion, define a person of good character. He developed a scorecard for evaluating how well he measured up to his own ideals. Throughout his life, Franklin tried to live by these virtues though not always successfully.

Review Ben's 13 Virtues and take the Virtue Quiz to find out how you measure up against Franklin's virtues.

Select three of Franklin's virtues and reflect upon them in your blog. Ask yourself, how can I include them in my daily life?

Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues remind me of the Ten Commandments. At first glance the list is even a little overwhelming and my first thoughts were; “how is it possible to ensure that I am meeting every expectation of this list?” I could immediately tell that I had broken some of the virtues. Some of which I do on a daily basis actually. And while I can see myself trying to get through the day and meeting all of the expectations set before me, I also saw myself failing miserably. It wasn’t because, I wanted to, but because some of my habits have been so engrained in me for so many years that it would take some time before I would be able to successfully go through my day having achieved all the virtues Franklin had listed.

One of the virtues that Franklin listed was Silence. I have to admit. Depending on where I am and what I am doing, silence for me can be difficult. I can remember growing up and on every single report card my mother and father ever got, my teacher would mention how smart and motivated I was, however, I was a distraction in class because I spoke too much. Endless conversations occurred of my mother telling me I needed to control my conversations and when they were happening. I couldn’t help it. Back then I was much more of a social butterfly and everyone was my friend, I loved chatting up and telling stories and making people laugh, despite the fact that it would have me end up in the corner of my classroom most of the time.

My issue with silence has also definitely trickled into adulthood as I tend to drive my husband crazy because I always have to have the last word. I don’t feel like I have beaten him in the battle if I do not. Most times I lose, as he tends to be the same way, but I really try hard to get the gold medal of winning in a disagreement. Satisfaction of feeling the need to win sometimes gets the best of me and at the end of it all; I usually realize that the feeling of satisfaction wasn’t worth it. As time has gone on I have done my best to become quieter and listen more to what other people are saying rather than jumping the gun and coming to my own conclusions. It has actually helped me to become a better listener and better tap into the needs and wants of those around me.

Frugality was another virtue on Franklin’s list which has clearly been broken by my husband! This time he is in the hot seat. When I first met my husband he was so frugal it was impossible to do anything with him. We were both working but every time he would get a paycheck it would be completely gone in a day and half with no recollection on what he had spent the money on. I nearly had a conniption many times in our relationship because he could never tell me why he didn’t have any money left over. While I don’t completely blame him for his ways as he was brought up in a household of frugal behavior, I did inform him many of times that he needed to become more responsible with his money. “If you are going to spend it, at least know what you are spending it on!” I would tell him.

While I do admit I was a bit uptight with money, as I grew up with two parents who did their best to save every dime and were very good with finances. A few years into our relationship I noticed my husband start to change his ways. He was keeping track of his money and wasn’t spending it foolishly on things that he would argue that he needed right then and there. It was great to see a change and how conscious he had become in helping me and slowly we were able to take vacations and do great things with the money we were saving. While I am still what I like to call the “Financial Accountant” in our family, I always do my best to ensure that I am following Franklin’s virtue of frugality.

The last virtue that I have picked is something I know I must work on in all aspects of my life. Franklin’s virtue of tranquility is something I have and continue to struggle with from time to time. Ever since I can remember I have been one to have very little patience with things. Things could easily set me off leaving me frustrated and agitated and sometimes at the very brink of losing control. For the simplest of things I would get upset if they were happening to quickly or not quickly enough or too much was happening at once or not enough was happening at all. Whoever I was with or around would wonder where my impatience came from and while I’m sure it came from my mother and father, as neither of them are really laid back, I knew that I had a responsibility to relax a little and try and take things one step at a time.

The one thing that I can say about motherhood is that this 26 pound one year old has put me in my place quicker than any other adult has my whole life. If I ever thought I could be impatient with her. I was dead wrong. She called the shots. She told me when to get up and feed her and change her and she told me when she wanted to nap and when and where I was going despite some of the responsibilities I had. There was nothing I could do, but be patient. Something I was very unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. As the days and months moved on, I slowly started to realize, that I have let life pass me by so many times in the past. I never stopped to smell the roses and enjoy the sound of the ocean. There was always something to do or see or accomplish! I couldn’t waste a moment. I had to get it all done, when really I was missing everything. I was missing all the beautiful and fun and funny things that were happening, with nothing really to show for it. My daughter has been my best invention and has been the only one to show me that life needs a little patience and tranquility. It’s so much more fun that way!

Cassandra R.

A634.5.4.RB_Is Marketing Evil?_Reyes, Cassandra

After reading the article by El Sayed and El Ghazaly (n.d.), discuss your views on the following:

1.         Do you feel ethical guidelines make a difference to marketers?

2.         How can companies balance the need to win with being ethical?

3.         Is it ethical to track your buying habits or web visits to target you for marketing purposes?

4.         As a leader, how will you manage the ethical aspects of your marketing efforts?

Marketing is defined as the “process which discerns a consumers wants, focusing on a product or service to fulfill those wants, and attempting to move the consumers toward the products or services offered” (El Sayed and El Ghazaly). While marketing may seem idealistic to some, to others it is viewed as unethical and borderline inappropriate, however to judge the negative effectiveness of marketing on consumers we first have to ask ourselves a few questions that touch upon the balance between ethical and unethical marketing purposes.

I feel that ethical guidelines matter to some marketers but not all. I think that for some companies being ethical or unethical isn’t really considered as they are more concerned with their product being successful in sales rather than their consumers being happy with the success of the actual products use. I also think that marketers choose to be unethical when it comes to their products due to the competition they may have in their industry. If another company is great competition for a specific company and the company starts to see a drop in sales because of it, they may be more likely to rely on unethical marketing schemes to bring their sales back up to meet the numbers of their competition. In some cases marketers don’t feel they are doing anything wrong when they stretch the truth, especially in cases when the product is not bringing harm to their consumers.

In order for companies to balance the need to win consumers they should do their best to be ethical in their marketing techniques. The idea behind marketing in most cases is to gain the attention of the consumer by promoting products that will suit the needs and wants of the buyer. As a consumer of products myself, I don’t see how a business can be successful with unethical marketing, especially when the product is not effective in what it is telling consumers it can do. When the advertising of a product is unethical, yet its sales are increasing due to its marketing technique, the sales of the product may peak for a certain timeframe but then once consumers begin to experience difficulty with the product or see that the product isn’t effective, word about the product will get around anyway.

As a consumer, false advertisement is worse for the company to me as consumers will begin to stop buying the product once they realize it isn’t working the way they would like. In my experience consumers are less upset and more likely to buy from the company again, especially if they have other products, if the advertising was honest and ethical from the beginning. Once the trust for advertisement is lost, the consumer then begins to question the rest of the products a company may be selling.

In the case of company tracking their buying habits and web visits, I don’t think this is necessarily unethical as I can see why businesses would have a need to do such a thing. For one, businesses know the age range and sex of the individuals buying their products; therefore they are able to know who their target market is. They also are able to dissect the specific questions or inquiries that may arise about their products and can tap into their buyers so they are able to answer those questions. Another reason marketers may need to do this is because they may need to know how much of a specific item they should always keep stocked as compared to those they may not always need in their inventory. Businesses are also able to dissect which products aren’t doing so well so they can get rid of the products that they are selling that are not bringing in any sales so maybe they can exchange those items for ones that they know will bring in a profit. While this may seem unethical as it can be looked at as cheating, I can see why companies may need to do this so they can continue to be one step ahead of the game in being prepared for the4ir consumers as well as profitable.

As a leader, I always think it’s important to be honest with your customers. When discussing programs and career paths with my student, I never try to steer them in a direction, I know that they do not want to go. To me numbers are not important; the quality of the customer service and the honesty I provide to me students is what’s important. I think that because I am so honest with my students is why I am so successful in what it is that I do. Students tend to come back to you once you respond with honesty and integrity and even if they are looking for something totally different than what Embry-Riddle offers, they are likely to send people my way who are interested in some of the programs that we have. In order to maintain ethical standards, I continue to stay grounded and always put myself in the shoes of the student so I always remember how I felt when I was going through what they are now. As I move forward in obtaining management level positions, I will continue to manage the ethics of any marketing efforts we may need with grace and morality.

Cassandra R.

         References

Is Marketing Evil? Marketing Viewed as a tool by German University in Cairo students Hala El Sayed and Ingy El Ghazaly (n.d.)

A634.4.4.RB_Is Affirmative Action Ethical_Reyes, Cassandra

Use Chapters 5 and 6 (LaFollette, 2007) as the foundation for your reflections regarding if affirmative action is ethical. Be sure to include external sourced content. Present your opinion, support your opinion, and opposing viewpoints.

            Affirmative action is defined as “the practice of giving special consideration to minorities and women in hiring and school placement” (LaFollette 2007).  While Affirmative action was once welcomed in our society, the politics of its stance have been put to the test from opponents who believe that affirmative action should not be permissible in the United States. While the argument of Affirmative action pros and cons have been put to the test, and I can admit that there are various factors that play a role in my personal opinions in regards to the topic. While I agree with affirmative action, I also believe that my personal experiences have helped me to shape my views on it.

            The arguments against Affirmative action say that “affirmative action is merely reverse discrimination” (LaFollette 2007). While I can see how other races would view this as such, I would have to argue that affirmative action is not discrimination of Caucasians as the law was not put into place with the image that Caucasians were inferior to African Americans. In fact, research shows that Caucasians “maintain disproportionate political, economic and social power” (LaFollette 2007), leading us to believe that affirmative action is more required than some may believe it to be in order to help balance society’s cultural and economic businesses, school systems, and other social outlets.

            Two other objections to affirmative action argue that the practice of affirmative action hurts Caucasian applicants who may be more qualified than African American applicants that are opting for the same positions and who are also not responsible for the racism and harm placed upon African Americans many years ago. In this circumstance I can agree that compensatory justice is not fair for Caucasians that are not responsible for damage caused to the African American community. While I do agree that Caucasians should not be responsible for the actions or sins of their parents or grandparents, I would argue that the effects of their treatment have rippled into our present and have significantly limited their opportunities and have enhanced the opportunities for the Caucasian community. As stated in the text “one cannot plausibly think that the history of discrimination against blacks does not affect the wealth, status and opportunities of contemporary blacks. The claim that this systematic mistreatment did not benefit whites is equally dubious” (LaFolette 2007).

            The fourth argument against affirmative action is that the law stigmatizes African Americans. I do not have an argument for this objection rather I have an argument against it. While this objection may hold some truth, I do not feel that the hiring or acceptance of African Americans should be viewed as stigmatizing as the assumption that an African American may not be fully qualified for a position based solely on their race is racism in itself. Another argument I have is that the idea behind affirmative action isn’t to allow unqualified candidates for employment or schooling opportunities but to ensure that all applicants are fully qualified and capable of meeting the required duties and responsibilities placed before them either in education or employment.

            The final argument against Affirmative action is that the law deprives and restricts employers from hiring whoever they want. While some believe that this may not harm businesses and social communities, I happen to disagree. If businesses were able to hire whoever they wanted then there would be more of a possibility for businesses to hire friends and family without the employee being qualified for the position. Affirmative action helps to create a balanced employment community by requiring qualified employees to join the organization despite who they may or may not know. It is overlooked that in this day and age “we now distribute many jobs and school positions on grounds other than merit. Businesses regularly hire close family members, distant relatives, friends and friends of friends” (LaFollette 2007).

In my opinion, Affirmative action is ethical as it allows for a balance in our community at all levels, not just racial, but social, and cultural as well. The idea behind a balance of culture is important to me as I am also a minority. I think that all people of all races, creeds, ethnicities, religion, etc, should be considered for opportunities in school systems as well as businesses as it allows for diversity and the chance for individuals to do what they can to provide for their families and create opportunities for their children and families, in hopes that they are building a foundation of future successes.

Cassandra R.

References

LaFollette, H. (2007). The practice of ethics. Malden, MA: WileyBlackwell.