Presonal development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Presonal improvement - Essay Example Open doors for study and development in proficient professions are accessible to all living in the UK. I would like to have an assessment of myself in setting of individual and expert turn of events. I have to have comprehension of what positives I have in me that will help me in accomplishing my objectives and what negatives I have that should be fixed so as to be effective in my own and expert life. Albeit individual and expert improvement plans are significant at each period of life however this is the most significant time for me to assess myself and create individual and expert advancement plan. I served in Abu-Dhabi police for over 4 years and my experience of working there was extraordinary to the point that I have selected this calling as my vocation way. My point is to join the police power after I graduate with the level of cop in 2011. Qualities: I feel that one of my key qualities is dynamic, it is utilized all through life since one needs to settle on littler or greater choice over the span of life. It’s exceptionally basic that before settling on a significant choice, there are billows of disarray all around. I encountered it settling on choice of higher examinations in the UK. It was an intense choice, as larger part of my companions and my family members were seeking after their higher examinations in Abu-Dhabi. I analyzed all the upsides and downsides of this circumstance did a reasonable piece of hazard evaluation lastly I was very certain in my psyche that I have settled on the correct decision in the given conditions. In the event that I take a gander at my profession way and my inspiration of turning into a Police Office, I feel that this quality of dynamic will help me a ton in my vocation advancement and development. Another key quality I found about myself during self-evaluation is of brisk learning and flexibility. This quality helped me when I left my local nation and came to UK. Learning assortment of courses

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39 Free Essays

string(54) me extremely miserable in light of the fact that Danny was an old buddy to me. An Episode Seems Inevitable I ascend before sunrise on Christmas morning and start my weight-lifting schedule. I am anxious about being brought together with Nikki today, so I twofold time my activities with an end goal to work off my tension. I understand the note Tiffany gave me the previous evening recommends that Nikki probably won't be keen on meeting me at that extraordinary spot once sunset moves around, yet I likewise realize that in the films, exactly when the principle character is going to quit any trace of, something astonishing occurs, which prompts the upbeat closure. We will compose a custom exposition test on The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39 or then again any comparable subject just for you Request Now I’m almost certain this is the piece of my film when something astonishing will occur, so I am confiding in God, who I know won't let me down. On the off chance that I have confidence, in the event that I go to that uncommon spot, something lovely will happen when the sun sets †I can feel it. At the point when I hear Christmas music, I quit lifting and go upstairs. My mom is cooking eggs and bacon. Espresso is preparing. â€Å"Merry Christmas,† Mom says, and gives me a little kiss on the cheek. â€Å"Don’t overlook your pills.† I take the orange jugs from the bureau and curve off the covers. As I swallow my last pill, my dad comes into the kitchen and tosses the newspaper’s plastic spread into the waste container. At the point when he stops people in their tracks for the family room, my mom says, â€Å"Merry Christmas, Patrick.† â€Å"Merry Christmas,† Dad mutters. We eat eggs and bacon and toast all together, however nobody says a lot. In the lounge we lounge around the tree. Mother opens her present from Dad. It’s a precious stone jewelry from some retail establishment †little precious stones looking like a heart on a flimsy gold chain. I know beyond all doubt that Mom has a comparable jewelry, since she wears it consistently. My dad presumably gave her something very similar a year ago, yet Mom acts truly astounded and says, â€Å"Patrick, you shouldn’t have,† before she kisses my dad on the lips and afterward embraces him. Despite the fact that Dad doesn’t embrace Mom back, I can tell he is cheerful, on the grounds that he kind of grins. Next, we give Dad his present, which is from both Mom and me. He detaches the wrapping paper and holds up a valid Eagles pullover, not one with iron-on decals. â€Å"Why doesn’t it have any numbers or a name on it?† he inquires. â€Å"Since McNabb went down, we thought you’d need to pick another most loved player,† Mom says. â€Å"So when you do, we’ll have the right number and name sewn onto the jersey.† â€Å"Don’t squander your money,† Dad says, returning the pullover to the container. â€Å"They won’t win today without McNabb. They’re not going to make the end of the season games. I’m done watching that lousy reason for a football team.† Mother grins at me since I disclosed to her that Dad would state so a lot, despite the fact that the Eagles have been playing really well. Be that as it may, Mom and I both realize Dad will watch the Eagles play the Cowboys later today and will pick another most loved player late the following summer †subsequent to watching a couple of preseason games †at which time he will say something like, â€Å"Jeanie, where’s my true Eagles shirt? I need to get those numbers sewn on before the season starts.† A couple dozen presents are for me, all of which Mom purchased and wrapped. I get another Eagles sweatshirt, new running shoes, exercise garments, dress garments, a couple of ties, a pristine calfskin coat, and an extraordinary running watch that will assist me with timing my runs and will even figure the calories I consume while running. Also, †â€Å"Jesus Christ, Jeanie. What number of presents did you purchase the kid?† Dad says, however such that tells us he isn't generally such distraught. After we have lunch, I shower and put on underarm antiperspirant, a portion of my father’s cologne, and one of my new running outfits. â€Å"I’m going to give a shot my new watch,† I tell Mom. â€Å"Caitlin and your sibling will be here in an hour,† Mom says. â€Å"So don’t be too long.† â€Å"I won’t,† I state not long before I leave the house. In the carport, I change into the dress garments I stowed away there before in the week †tweed pants, a dark traditional shirt, calfskin loafers, and the costly jacket my dad does not wear anymore. Next, I stroll to the Collingswood PATCO stop and catch the 1:45 train to Philadelphia. It starts to rain softly. I get off at Eighth and Market, stroll through the sprinkle to City Hall, and catch an Orange Line train traveled north. Very few individuals are on the train, and underground it doesn't feel like Christmas by any means. Be that as it may, the junk smelling steam that drifts in at each stop when the entryways open, the marker spray painting on the orange seat opposite me, the half-eaten cheeseburger lying bunless in the walkway †none of it cuts me down, on the grounds that I am going to be brought together with Nikki. Separated time is at long last going to end. I get off at Broad and Olney and climb the means up into North Philly, where it is coming down somewhat harder. Despite the fact that I was robbed twice close to this tram stop when I was an understudy, I don't stress, for the most part on the grounds that it’s Christmas and I am much more grounded than I used to be the point at which I was an undergrad. On Broad Street I see a couple of dark individuals, which makes me consider Danny and how he constantly used to discuss going to live with his auntie in North Philly right when he escaped the awful spot †particularly at whatever point I referenced my moving on from La Salle University, which is evidently near where Danny’s auntie lives. I wonder if Danny ever constructed it out of the terrible spot, and the idea of him having Christmas in a psychological organization makes me extremely tragic on the grounds that Danny was an old buddy to me. You read The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 39 in classification Paper mo dels I stick my hands into my dad’s jacket pockets as I stroll down Olney. With the downpour, it is kind of cold. Before long I am seeing the blue-and-yellow banners that line the grounds avenues, and it causes me to feel upbeat and miserable simultaneously to be back at La Salle †practically like seeing old pictures of individuals who have either kicked the bucket or with whom you have lost contact. At the point when I get to the library, I turn left and stroll past the tennis courts, where I make a privilege and walk around the security building. Past the tennis courts is an isolate slope, with such a significant number of trees you’d never trust it was in North Philly on the off chance that somebody had driven you here blindfolded and, at that point expelled the blindfold and asked, â€Å"Where do you think you are?† At the base of the slope is a Japanese teahouse, which is as pleasant all things considered strange in North Philly, despite the fact that I have never been inside to have tea †in light of the fact that it is a private teahouse †so perhaps within has a city feel to it; I don’t know. Nikki and I used to meet on this slope, behind an old oak tree, and sit on the grass for quite a long time. Shockingly, relatively few understudies hung out in this spot. Perhaps they didn't have any acquaintance with it was there. Perhaps nobody else thought it was a pleasant spot. Yet, Nikki adored sitting on the lush slope and looking down at the Japanese teahouse, feeling just as she were elsewhere on the planet †some place other than North Philadelphia. What's more, on the off chance that it weren’t for the periodic vehicle horn or discharge out yonder, I would have trusted I was in Japan when I was perched on that slope, despite the fact that I have never been to Japan a nd don’t truly comprehend what being in that specific nation resembles. I plunk down under a colossal tree †on a dry spot of grass †and pause. Downpour mists gulped the sun quite a while back, yet when I check the time, the numbers formally make it nightfall. My chest begins to feel tight; I notice that I am shaking and breathing vigorously. I hold my hand out to perceive how terrible the shakes are, and my hand is fluttering like the wing of a feathered creature, or possibly maybe I am hot and attempting to fan myself with my fingers. I attempt to make it stop, and when I can’t, I push two hands into my father’s jacket pockets, trusting Nikki won't notice my apprehension when she appears. It becomes darker, and afterward significantly darker. At long last, I close my eyes, and after a period, I start to supplicate: Dear God: If I accomplished something incorrectly, if you don't mind let me comprehend what it was so I can offer some kind of reparation. As I search my memory, I can’t consider whatever would make You frantic, aside from my punching the Giants fan a couple of months prior, however I previously requested pardoning with respect to that slip, and I thought we had proceeded onward. If you don't mind make Nikki appear. At the point when I open my eyes, if it's not too much trouble let her be there. Possibly there was traffic, or she overlooked how to get to La Salle? She constantly used to lose all sense of direction in the city. I’m OK with her not showing up precisely at sunset, however please let her realize that I am still here pausing and will stand by the entire night in the event that I need to. It would be ideal if you God. I’ll do anything. On the off chance that You make her show up when I open †I smell a woman’s scent. I perceive the fragrance. I take in profoundly to prepared myself. I open my eyes. â€Å"I’m screwing sorry, okay?† she says, however it’s not Nikki. â€Å"I never figured it would prompt this. So I’m simply going to be straightforward at this point. My advisor thought you were stuck in a steady condition of disavowal since you were never managed conclusion, and I figured I may bear the cost of you conclusion by claiming to be Nikki. So I made up the entire contact thing with an end goal to give you conclusion, trusting you would wake up from your funk and would have the option to proceed onward with your life once you comprehended that being brought together with your ex was an inconceivability. I composed all the letters myself. Alright? I never at any point reached Nikki

How to Control Your Facebook Addiction

How to Control Your Facebook Addiction Addiction Addictive Behaviors Internet Print How to Control Your Facebook Addiction By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Hartney, BSc., MSc., MA, PhD Updated on February 07, 2020 picturegarden / Getty Images More in Addiction Addictive Behaviors Internet Caffeine Shopping Sex Alcohol Use Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery While Facebook addiction is not a recognized condition, there has been increasing concern from Facebook users and those who care about them that Facebook can be addictive and that Facebook use carries several potentially harmful effects. Its important to know that addiction has a number of characteristics, including the amount of time spent on the behavior, the exclusion of other behaviors, and the negative impact on important areas of life. Remember, many people log on to Facebook every day with no harmful consequences. But if you or someone you care about seems to be becoming addicted to Facebook, or is developing problems related to Facebook use, here are some suggestions for dealing with them. Please note, these suggestions do not constitute medical advice, and you should consult your doctor if you think you may have a genuine physical or psychological problem. 4 Surefire Signs of an Internet Addiction Spending Too Much Time on Facebook The first step is to establish how much time is spent on Facebook. Even if you are looking at Facebook every day, you may not be using Facebook excessively. Your total screen timeâ€"excluding work and school-related computer useâ€"should not exceed two hours per day. This includes television and texting. If you are spending more than two hours per day on screen time, and you think Facebook is the culprit, decide how much time you can realistically spend on Facebook while allowing for the rest of your screen time to stay within 2 hours. Then choose the time of day you will log onto Facebook. For example, you could allow yourself half an hour in the evening each day, or you could divide it into 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Then use a timer and stop when the alarm tells you time is up. Are You Hooked on Social Media? Is Facebook Becoming Too Important? Think about whether Facebook time has become the most important thing in your life, compared to other activities, including work, school, recreation, real-time with friends and family, and other interests. If Facebook is top of the list, there might be a problem developing. And if other activities are being given up to provide more time for Facebook use, there is definitely a problem with prioritizing. Pay special attention to the following: Are you neglecting your hygiene, need for exercise, or healthy eating?Are you isolating yourself by spending time on Facebook rather than having real-life relationships?Are you failing at school or work, because of spending too much time on Facebook? These can turn into serious harms that can cause real problems in a person’s life. Tip Make a list of all the things you would like to be doing, instead of spending time on Facebook. Then start to plan your time with at least one activity you would like to be doing instead of spending time on Facebook each day. For example, if you would like to read a book, but haven’t had time, take the book with you when you go out, and take it out and read it during your break instead of logging onto Facebook. The activities you use to replace Facebook time can be quite small, but make sure you follow through and do at least one every day. And three meals a day, a shower every day, and regular bathroom visits should take place every day. Facebook Can Cause Emotional Problems Facebook can start out nice, but quickly turn nasty. Sometimes, people can become very upset and preoccupied with things that are posted up on Facebook. Have any of the following happened to you? Have you lost sleep over something someone has posted up on Facebook?Have you been cyber-stalked or cyber-bullied on Facebook?Have you received a sext through Facebook?Have you been upset by someone else tagging a picture of you on Facebook? Tip Never accept a friend request from someone you do not know. Unfriend anyone who has cyber-stalked, cyber-bullied, or sexted you on Facebook immediately, and add them to your blocked list. If you have a large number of Facebook friends, combining work relationships and acquaintances, open a LinkedIn account and move all your professional contacts to that account. You can email them to explain you are using LinkedIn for your professional network, and Facebook for close friends and family. Then delete anyone you don’t trust or know well. If one of your friends repeatedly posts comments you find disturbing or offensive, you can hide their comments without unfriending them. Check out the privacy settings to prevent others from being able to see tagged photos of you. Bringing out Your Bad Side Some people are bothered by the way Facebook can bring out their bad side. Whether it is posting comments that hurt others’ feelings, posting up pictures that show you in a bad light, or generally getting a little too nosy with other people’s business, sometimes your fingers can type a little faster than your brain can think through the possible short- and long-term effects. Tip If you feel Facebook is bringing out your bad side, it might be time for a hiatus. Quit Facebook for a month, then try again, with some boundaries for yourself about what you will and won’t do online.

New Classics of the Horror Film Genre Essay - 3002 Words

Dracula. Frankenstein. Godzilla. These monsters no longer strike fear into the hearts of viewers as they once did. Formerly the villains of the classic monster movie, these relics, who now represent all that is archaic in horror film history. The monster movie of the past makes way for the thriller or slasher movie of the present, while the monster villain gives its role to the deranged, psychotic serial killer. Friday the 13th series, Nightmare on Elm Street, Copycat and Seven have become the new classics in the genre of the horror film. With films like The People Under the Stairs, Nightmare on Elm Street, and New Nightmare, Wes Craven has proven himself to be a master of the creation of modern horror films. With recent masterpiece†¦show more content†¦Liver alone?! When none of the others laugh, Stus smile fades and he remarks in an incredulous tone, Liver alone. It was a joke. While Stus friends may not be able to see past the jokes tactless nature to its humor, I laugh each time Isee the film again. Not only do the characters not take themselves seriously, they also dont take horror movies seriously. A day after the first murders take place, Sidney Prescott receives a cryptic phone call. However, she is not frightened because she believes the caller to be one of her own friends Randy, a movie lover, calling to harass her. The mysterious caller asks her why she doesnt like horror films and she replies, Whats the point? Theyre all the same: some stupid killer stalking some big-breasted girl who cant act and is always running up the stairs when she should be going out the front door. Its insulting. As an audience member, I realize that this skepticaland often accurateview of horror movies is a message directly from the films writer and director (Riptov 86). Later in the film, when Sidney suggests that the killer might still be on the loose, her best friend Tatem replies, Dont go there, Sid. Youre starting to sound like one of those Wes Carpenter flicks. As the audience, we get a laugh out of this statement because not only do we know that Tatem has misnamed Wes Craven, we also know this is aWes Craven flick. These scenes are like inside jokes for the viewers;Show MoreRelatedEvolution of Horror Essays1497 Words   |  6 Pages2013 The Evolution of Horror For centuries, stories of monsters, demons and other unholy abominations have brought fear to the hearts of audiences in commercially convenient doses. Noel Carroll, Ph.D., in his article â€Å"The Nature of Horror†, argues that the existence of monsters and supernatural entities alone do not define a horror novel or film â€Å"for monsters inhabit all sorts of stories, such as fairy tales, myths, and odysseys, that we are not wont to identify as horror† (Carroll). One can thereforeRead MoreHorror Movies : The 80s And 80s1190 Words   |  5 PagesThe decades that stick out in horror movie history are the 70s and the 80s. Most critics would agree with me when I say that the horror movies in the 70s and 80s changed the horror genre forever. The horror movies during those decades are viewed as being the foundation for the horror movies today. But why did those two decades have a significant impact on the horror genre? What made the horror movies better than the horror mo vies today? The horror movies in the 70s reflected the grim mood of theRead MoreThe Bride of Frankenstein Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagesof Frankenstein A horror film is a film dominated by elements of horror. This film genre underestimates a number of sub-genres and repeated themes, such as slashed themes, vampire. Horror films are designed to frighten and panic that cause dread and alarm within our hearts, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying and shocking endings at the same time entertaining us with excitement and therapeutic experience. Most horror films are designed to show theRead MoreEssay on Discuss the Appeal of Horror Movies813 Words   |  4 PagesThe horror industry has been virtually dominating Asian cinema over the past few years, overshadowing any other genre in consistency of production and consequent box-office reaping. Countries like Japan, South Korea and Thailand have tapped on this market, fuelling their local film industries and clearly profiting from the appeal that horror movies have over audiences globally. Yet, even as we look beyond the economic profitability of this genre, we will discover far more reasons why this genre ofRead MoreThe Red s Backbone And The Other s `` Tell Chilling Ghost Stories1365 Words   |  6 Pagesrose as one of the leading countries to dominate the horror film genre. Struggling under a brutal and confining dictatorship for much of the 20th century, Spanish cinema took a while to come together. During the hard days of General Franco’s regime a series of hor ror films, such as The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, a zombie classic, were produced, mainly for the English market. In the remaining years under Franco, hundreds of horror films were released, all of which were identified by their violenceRead MoreHitchcocks Film Psycho Essay1575 Words   |  7 PagesHitchcocks Film Psycho Ever since the first horror movies were produced they have attracted huge audiences seeking to be scared, chilled and thrilled. Horror movies are so popular because the audience can get the adrenaline rush of being scared without actually putting themselves in danger, and also the audience ultimately get a rush of relief at the end of the film when the killer is killed. This is the same reason why people go onRead MoreWhen Karl Freund’S The Mummy (1932) Was Released, The Horror1313 Words   |  6 Pages When Karl Freund’s The Mummy (1932) was released, the horror genre was already ingrained by Universal Studios and other American studios. The 1930s are considered the beginning of the horror genre’s classic phase. Horror films â€Å"primarily engages us affectively and viscerally-its aim seems to be to scare and disgust us, to raise the hair on the back of our necks or make us cover our eyes†. The horror film of the studios years gives physical shape and specific presence to metaphysical, notionsRead MorePirates Of The Caribbe On Stranger Tides1246 Words   |  5 Pagesand Hollywood could not continue making extravagant movies therefore they turned to low budget commercial films. These movies not only have an economical significance in Hollywood, they have made more than one contribution to the industry. These low risk movies provided directors, writer s and producers with a wide scope for experimentation and led to the creation of many a genres and sub-genres. The origins of B-Movies are humble but over the years that they grew in Hollywood, they became more significantRead MoreThe Development Of The Horror Genre Throughout The Years1758 Words   |  8 PagesMakhi Hughes Section 5 15 November, 2016 Final Semester Paper The Development of the Horror Genre Throughout the Years Both horror and science fiction explore the boundaries of what is means to be human (Belton, 272). This is done by emphasizing the dilemmas of the figures who straddle the border of human and non-human (Belton, 273). Horror and Sci-fi contain narratives that take on a form of a search for knowledge that will enable the human race to overcome any obstacle that involves a supernaturalRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides 1668 Words   |  7 Pagesand Hollywood could not continue making extravagant movies therefore they turned to low budget commercial films. These movies not only have an economical significance in Hollywood, they have made more than one contribution to the industry. These low risk movies provided directors, writers and producers with a wide scope for experimentation and led to the creation of many genres and sub-genres. The origins of B-Movies are humble but over the years that they grew in Hollywood, they became more significant

How Important Are Ethics and Social Responsibility Free Essays

string(51) " and individual characteristics of gender and age\." The research register for this journal is available at http://www. mcbup. com/research_registers The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www. We will write a custom essay sample on How Important Are Ethics and Social Responsibility? or any similar topic only for you Order Now emerald-library. com/ft How important are ethics and social responsibility? A multinational study of marketing professionals Anusorn Singhapakdi and Kiran Karande College of Business and Public Administration, Old Dominion University, Virginia, USA How important are ethics? 133 Received September 1998 Revised March 1999 June 1999 September 1999 College of Administrative Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat, Kuwait, and School of Business Administration, University of Mississippi, USA Keywords International marketing, Ethics, Social responsibility, National cultures, Consumer behaviour Abstract States that in the present era of global marketing, as more companies enter international markets, ethical problems are likely to increase. As companies and their managers deal with their counterparts in different countries, there is a need to understand the latter’s ethical decision-making processes. Divergence in ethical behavior and attitudes of marketing professionals across cultures can be explained by, among other variables, differences in perceptions regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. This study investigates the variation in those perceptions among marketing professionals from Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, and the USA. The variation is explained by country differences (cultural differences, differences in the economic environment, and differences in legal/political environment), organizational ethical climate, and selected demographic characteristics of the marketer (gender and age). C. P. Rao Scott J. Vitell Introduction The study of ethics has become increasingly important with global business expansion, because of an increase in ethical and social responsibility  ± concerns that businesses face in different country environments. There exists, however, a wide divergence in the level of importance attached to these two issues in different countries (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 1998). Moreover, vast differences exist from country to country in the economic development, cultural standards, legal/political systems, and expectations regarding business conduct (Wotruba, 1997). In addition, there is great divergence in the enforcement of policies (Mittelstaedt and Mittelstaedt, 1997). The authors would like to thank Mohd. Rashid Ahmed, Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Malaysia; Nicola Higgs-Kleyn, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; and Muris Cicic, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia for their assistance in the data collection for this study. The authors would also like to thank Janet Marta for her comments on the earlier versions of the manuscript. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35 No. 1/2, 2001, pp. 133-152. # MCB University Press, 0309-0566 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 134 In the business ethics literature, ethical variations among marketers/ managers from different nations are documented in many empirical studies on various types of ethical issues (e. g. Armstrong et al. , 1990; Graham, 1985; Becker and Fritzsche, 1987). Variation in ethics across cultures was evidenced in a cross-national study of industrial salespeople by Dubinsky et al. (1991) where some significant differences in ethical perceptions were found among marketing managers from Japan, Korea, and the USA. A study by Singhapakdi et al. 1994) also revealed that American and Thai marketers differ on various components of their ethical decision-making process. However, international researchers have not investigated differences in the extent to which marketers from different countries believe that ethics and social responsibility are important for organizational effectiveness. An individual’s perception about whether ethics and social responsibility contribute to organizational effec tiveness is likely to be a critical antecedent of whether he/she even perceives an ethical problem in a given situation (Singhapakdi et al. 1995). This is a pragmatic view based on an argument that managers must first perceive ethics and social responsibility to be vital to organizational effectiveness before their behaviors will become more ethical and reflect greater social responsibility. This view is consistent with Hunt and Vitell’s (1986) depiction of ethical judgment as including a teleological evaluation, when an individual evaluates alternative actions by weighing the perceived probability and desirability of consequences. Essentially, a manager’s choice of behavior in a situation that has problematic ethical content will be based on his/her perception of the likelihood that the actions will bring about a desired outcome. This view is also consistent with Jones’ (1991) issue-contingent model where it is postulated that the â€Å"probability of effect† which is defined as â€Å"the probability that the act in question will actually take place and the act in question will actually cause the harm (benefit)† (Jones, 1991, p. 75) will affect an individual’s ethical decision making. Intuitively, ethics and social responsibility should have a positive impact on the success of an organization, because consumers make ethical judgments that are likely to influence their purchases. As Laczniak and Murphy (1993, p. 5) put it: Consumers over time will normally recognize the organizations that attempt to be responsive to various ethical and social factors in the marketplace. Accordingly, it is vital for marketers to incorporate ethical and social considerations in their work. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate whether marketers from Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, and the USA differ in the extent to which they believe that ethical and socially responsible practices are important in relation to various aspects of organizational effectiveness such as quality, communication, profits, competitiveness, survival, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction. Based on past literature that emphasizes cultural factors, corporate culture, and individual characteristics (e. g. Hunt and Vitell, 1986; Ferrell and Gresham, 1985), the cross-cultural variation in marketers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness is explained by country differences (including cultural differences and differences in the economic environment), organizational ethical climate, and selected demographic characteristics of individual marketers. The four countries included were judged appropriate because they are geographically separated and exhibit differences in terms of Hofstede’s (1980) five cultural dimensions and the level of economic development, which are used to support the hypothesis about country differences. Theoretical foundation and hypotheses In this section it is proposed that the variations in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness is explained by country differences (including cultural differences and differences in the economic environment), organizational ethical climate, and individual characteristics of gender and age. You read "How Important Are Ethics and Social Responsibility?" in category "Papers" Figure 1 summarizes the proposed framework. Country differences Cultural differences. Hofstede (1980) and Hofstede and Bond (1988) proposed a typology for classifying cultures based on five dimensions: (1) individualism; (2) uncertainty avoidance; How important are ethics? 135 Figure 1. Theoretical framework European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 136 (3) power distance; (4) masculinity; and (5) Confucian dynamism. It is hypothesized that these cultural dimensions contribute to differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility. For example, marketers in collectivistic countries (such as Malaysia) would be expected to be more loyal to their organizations because of greater dependence (Hofstede, 1983), and therefore, concerned for their organization’s well-being when making decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness. Consequently, collectivistic cultures would attach more importance to achieving superior organizational performance than to ethics and socially responsibility. Masculine societies encourage individuals to be ambitious and competitive, and to strive for material success (Hofstede, 1980), which may tempt marketers from countries ranking high on masculinity to achieve greater efficiency, at all costs. Therefore, they would attach less importance to ethics and social responsibility than to efficiency, competitiveness, and long-term survival. Individuals from cultures with high power distance (such as Malaysia) usually accept the inequality of power, perceive differences between superiors and subordinates, are reluctant to disagree with superiors and believe that superiors are entitled to privileges (Hofstede, 1983). Consequently, marketers from high power distance countries are likely to perceive a need to minimize disagreement with superiors and satisfy superiors through improved performance. In other words, organizational performance is likely to be relatively more important to them relative to the extent to which a decision is ethical and socially responsible. The risk-taking orientation of marketers from low uncertainty avoiding countries would lead them to believe that it might be worth taking the risk of unethical actions in order to improve efficiency and competitiveness. Therefore, marketers from low uncertainty avoidance countries are likely to attach less importance to ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Individuals in countries ranking high on Confucian dynamism tend to adhere to the more future-oriented teachings of Confucius; those from countries ranking low on Confucian dynamism tend to be more present- and past-oriented (Hofstede and Bond, 1988). From the perspective of this study, marketers from cultures ranking high on Confucian dynamism have a strong sense of shame and are likely to be wary of actions that are improper or disgraceful. Marketers from high Confucian dynamism countries (such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea) would, therefore, believe that any actions bringing disrepute and shame to the company would be detrimental to organizational performance. This is also consistent with the greater future-orientation of individuals from these countries. Alternatively, it is also possible that marketers from high Confucian dynamism countries might be sensitive to the shame arising out of inferior performance and might therefore believe that greater efficiency and profits are important at the cost of ethics and social responsibility. In other words, the effects of Confucian dynamism might be expected in both directions. Table I summarizes Hofstede’s ranking of the four countries on five dimensions of culture (Hofstede, 1980; Hofstede and Bond, 1988). It is apparent that, in general, Australians, Americans, and South Africans are higher on individualism and masculinity and lower on uncertainty avoidance and power distance than Malaysians. On Confucian dynamism, the USA and Australia rank very close. Although there is no ranking available for South Africa and Malaysia, Malaysians can be expected to rank higher because of a strong Chinese influence, especially in the business sector (Hong Kong and Taiwan rank first and second on Confucian dynamism). Based on individualism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance, Malaysian marketers would be expected to have lower perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility than marketers from Australia, South Africa, and the USA. Based on masculinity, it would be expected that Malaysian managers will have greater perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness than those from the other three countries, whereas based on Confucian dynamism it is only possible to hypothesize differences. Therefore, based on the cultural differences outlined above, we would expect Australian, Malaysian, US, and South African marketers to attach different levels of importance to ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Economic environment differences. Countries also have different economic and business environments, including the legal environment and societal expectations about business ethics in a given country. In developed countries (such as the USA and Australia), the business environment is typically characterized by powerful business enterprises, a legal environment aimed at eliciting ethical behaviors on the part of businesses, and societal expectations that businesses should be more ethical and socially responsible. These environmental forces may make the marketers in developed countries attach greater importance to the ethical and social responsibilities of their respective businesses. In developing countries, on the other hand (e. . Malaysia and South Africa), the business and economic environmental forces are still evolving and hence the marketers’ perceived importance of business ethics and social responsibility may be lower relative to their counterparts in developed Country Australia Malaysia South Africa USA Power distance Individualism 36 104 49 40 (41) (1) (36-37) (38) 90 26 65 91 (2) (36) (16) (1) Masculinity 61 50 63 62 (16) (25-26) (13-14) (15) Uncertainty avoidance 51 36 49 46 (37) (46) (39-40) (43) Confucian dynamism 31 (11-12) n/a n/a 29 (14) How important are ethics? 137 Note: a Ranks range from 1-53 for all dimensions except Confucian dynamism 1-20 Source: Hofstede (1980) and Hofstede and Bond (1988) Table I. Scores (and ranks) for the four countries on Hofstede’s dimensionsa European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 138 countries. From another perspective, in developed countries the markets are likely to be more competitive, and therefore, issues of customer service and satisfaction might be relatively more important. Therefore, in making decisions, marketers from developed countries are less likely to take actions that are detrimental to the reputation of the company, fearing regulation as well as consumer dissatisfaction. In the context of this study, marketers from the USA and Australia should place greater importance on ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness than marketers from South Africa and Malaysia. Differences in legal/political environment. In the Hunt and Vitell (1993) model, legal/political environment is depicted as a variable influencing ethical decision making. The relationship between the legal environment and ethics has been recognized by many business ethics scholars. For example, Beauchamp and Bowie (1993, p. 4) noted that: Law is the public’s agency for translating morality into explicit social guidelines and practices and stipulating offenses. DeGeorge (1990, p. 14) noted that: Business is a social enterprise. Its mandate and limits are set by society. The limits are often moral, but they are also frequently written into law. Dunfee (1996, p. 18) stated that the legal system is sometimes required to nurture or implement the moral preferences of society, particularly with reference to universal moral prohibitions against physical harm. He also argued that where moral views have not converged toward a sufficiently broad consensus, the law may help to bring about a change in attitude. In the context of our study, these discussions imply that the legal/political framework within a country can be expected to impact a manager’ s perceptions about ethics and social responsibility. Business ethics scholars have also noted that the legal/political systems vary across countries (e. g. Vogel, 1992). In his analysis of the USA, Western Europe, and Japan, Vogel (1992) noted that in spite of globalization, the norms of business (as well as business and academic interest) in ethics were substantially higher in the USA than in other advanced capitalist countries. He attributed this to the distinctive institutional, legal, social, and cultural environment in the USA. In the context of this study, differences can be expected in the legal/political environments in the USA, Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa. While in the USA the legal/political systems are relatively well developed (and in Australia to a certain degree), the regulatory environments in Malaysia and South Africa are evolving, and therefore, the existence as well as the specificity of laws may vary across the four countries. The importance of ethics is also influenced by the degree of law enforcement, where we also can expect differences across the four countries. While elaborate legal/political systems prevail for enforcement in the USA, they are relatively less prevalent (and to varying degrees) in Australia, Malaysia, and South Africa. Vogel (1992, p. 32) pointed out that even compared to other advanced countries, the enforcement of law in the USA is more stringent, and gave the following example, In America each new disclosure of business misconduct prompts a new wave of public indignation, accompanied by numerous articles n the business and popular press which bemoan the general decline in the ethical conduct of managers and seek to explain â€Å"what went wrong† in the most recent case. This is frequently followed by Congressional hearings featuring politicians demanding more vigilant prosecution of white-collar criminals; shortly thereafter, regulatory standards are tightened, penalties are increased, and enforcement efforts are strengthened. How important are ethics? 139 It should be recognized that the potential influences of the legal/political environment are more complex than discussed here, because of the range of issues involved as well as the aspects of environment that cannot be measured directly, such as the enforcement of regulatory systems. However, differences exist between the four countries in the legal/political environment, which can be expected to influence managers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility relative to organizational effectiveness. In the preceding paragraphs, country differences were analyzed based on three aspects: (1) culture; (2) economic development; and (3) legal/political environment. Overall, based on cultural differences, we expect Australian, Malaysian, US, and South African marketers to attach different levels of importance to ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Based on economic environment differences, we expect that marketers from the USA and Australia will place greater importance on ethics and social responsibility than marketers from South Africa and Malaysia. Given that legal and political environments tend to vary between the four countries, we also expect the managers from these four diverse countries to attach different levels of importance to ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Thus, the following hypothesis was formulated: H1: Due to differences in culture, economic development, and legal/political environment, there are differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility among marketers in Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, and the USA. In analyzing country differences, it is evident that multiple aspects of country differences influence marketers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility, at times in conflicting ways (as in the effects of masculinity and individualism). Also, since this is the first attempt at investigating crosscultural variation in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the relative importance of differences in cultural European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 140 dimensions. Consequently, it is not possible to hypothesize the direction of differences, only their existence. Organizational ethical climate In the Hunt and Vitell (1986; 1993) models, organizational ethical climate is included as a background variable that affects a marketer’s ethical decision making. Organizational ethical climate refers to the shared understanding regarding what is correct behavior and how ethical issues will be handled (DeConinck, 1992). It helps establish and maintain the standards that delineate the â€Å"right† things to do and the things â€Å"worth doing† (Jansen and Von Glinow, 1985). The ethical climate in an organization affects ethical attitudes and standards of individuals. An organization that seeks to foster an ethical environment will not only have a code of ethics, but also the willingness and commitment to enforce it. Managers consider modifying the morality of their actions not just because of stated organizational concern, but only when specific sanctions are attached for misconduct (e. g. Laczniak and Inderrieden, 1987). The contention that organizational pressures, and not individual moral deficiencies, account for unethical standards is held by several authors (e. . Ford and Richardson, 1994). Weeks and Nantel (1992) found that wellcommunicated codes of ethics led to higher ethical standards and superior job performance of salespeople in the USA. Consequently, marketers in companies with an ethical climate that encourages ethical and socially responsible behavior and that punishes unethical behavior would perceive ethics to be more important for orga nizational effectiveness. Research has shown that when ethical standards of an organization are widely shared, organizational success will be enhanced (Hunt et al. 1989). Relevant to this study, in a recent study of US marketers, Singhapakdi et al. (1995) revealed that marketers in organizations with high levels of corporate ethical values tended to assign a higher level of importance to certain elements of corporate ethics and social responsibility. Therefore, we hypothesize that H2: Irrespective of country, organizational ethical climate is positively related to managers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility relative to different aspects of organizational effectiveness. Gender Gender is generally recognized as an important personal characteristic influencing an individual’s ethical decisions. For example, Gilligan (1982) argued that men and women differ in their moral reasoning. In particular, men are more likely to adhere to the â€Å"ethic of justice† by emphasizing rules and individual rights. Women, however, are more likely to adhere to the â€Å"ethic of care† by emphasizing relationships and compassion. In a recent meta-analysis, Franke et al. (1997) used data from more than 20,000 respondents in 66 samples nd revealed that women are more likely than men to perceive business practices as unethical. Although there has been no research directly investigating the effects of gender on perceived important of ethics and social responsibility, it has been incorporated in numerous marketing ethics studies. Based on the work of Gilligan (1982) and Franke et al. (1997), it can be argued that â€Å"the ethic of caring† exhibit ed by women would lead them to believe that taking actions in the interest of the customer would enhance company performance and would contribute to a perception of greater importance of ethics in organizational effectiveness. Thus, we would expect women to attach greater importance to ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness. H3: Irrespective of country, women perceive ethics and social responsibility to be more important relative to different aspects of organizational effectiveness than men. Age Marketing ethics theories generally recognize personal characteristics as determinants of various aspects of a marketer’s ethical decision-making process (e. g. Ferrell and Gresham, 1985; Hunt and Vitell, 1986). Age could also directly influence an individual’s ethical decision. According to Kohlberg’s (1981) cognitive moral development theory, an individual’s cognition, emotion, and judgment may change as he/she moves through stages of moral development. Given that an individual moves through stages of moral development and the changes are essentially due to life experiences, intuitively one would expect a positive relationship between age and ethical behavior. In fact, Terpstra et al. (1993) have argued that people tend to become more ethical as they grow older. A good explanation is that as people age they tend to become less concerned with wealth and advancement and more interested in personal growth (Hall, 1976). In other words, older marketers are likely to appreciate the long-term benefits (to organizational performance) of acting in an ethical and socially responsible manner. Accordingly, we would generally expect a positive relationship between a marketer’s age and his or her perception about the importance of ethics and social responsibility. H4: Irrespective of country, a marketer’s age is positively related to his/her perception of the importance of ethics and social responsibility relative to different aspects of organizational effectiveness. Methodology Sample A self-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection technique for all four groups of marketing practitioners. For the US and South African groups, national mailing lists of professional members of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and the South African Institute of Marketing How important are ethics? 141 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 142 Management were used as sampling frames. For the Australian sample, a mailing list of recipients of the Australian Marketing Institute magazine was used. For the Malaysian group, the sampling frame consisted of managers responsible for making marketing decisions for companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The questionnaire was administered in English for all four samples. Because Malaysia and South Africa are members of the British Commonwealth, English is a well-understood language, particularly in the business setting. The numbers of respondents were: 500 from Australia, 446 from the USA, 256 from South Africa, and 159 from Malaysia[1]. The response rates were 22. 7 percent (USA), 13 percent (South Africa), and 45 percent (Malaysia). Since questionnaires were not directly mailed to the sample in Australia, the response rate could not be assessed. The non-response bias for the USA and South African samples was assessed with an analysis of variance between the early and late respondent groups (Armstrong and Overton, 1977). There were no statistical differences among the two groups for either country[2]. The profiles of the respondents are summarized in Table II. They represent a range of age groups, gender, job titles, industry, and years of experience, with minor differences between the four sets of respondents. Age and gender were included in the analyses. Other variables (such as job title, education, and industry) were not included as control variables because educational systems, industry classifications, and job titles and functions vary from country to country. Measures Singhapakdi et al. (1995) developed a scale for measuring managers’ perceptions about the importance of ethics and social responsibility (PRESOR) in organizational effectiveness. Seven of the 14 items from that scale were used, relating to specific aspects of organizational effectiveness such as output quality, efficiency, profitability, communication, long-term survival, competitiveness, and stakeholder satisfaction. Excluded items were statements such as â€Å"Good ethics is good business† and â€Å"Corporate strategy should include ethics and social responsibility†, which do not address specific aspects of organizational effectiveness. The scale items used in the analyses are shown in Table III. The factor structures were found to be similar across the four countries and the reliabilities were generally high[3]. It may be noted that the PRESOR scale has previously performed satisfactorily in terms of reliability, as well as content and predictive validity (Singhapakdi et al. , 1995, 1996). Organizational ethical climate, gender and age. The corporate ethical values (CEV) scale developed by Hunt et al. (1989) was used in this study to measure organizational ethical climate. The scale was designed to reflect â€Å"a composite of the individual ethical values of managers and both the formal and informal policies on ethics of the organization† (Hunt et al. , 1989). The five-item CEV scale[4] was developed to three broad-based perceptions: Characteristics of respondents Gender Male Female Age group Under 30 30 to 39 40 to 49 50 and over 50 Education High school or less Some college Bachelor’s degree Master’s degree Doctorate Othera Job title CEO/president/MD/director Marketing managers Others Industry USA Wholesale or retail Manufacturer or construction Services Communications Advertising or public relations Marketing consulting Other Malaysiab Consumer products Diversified Construction Trading services Finance Properties Plantation Mining and primary resources Notes: sample; a b Australia (%) Malaysia (%) South Africa (%) USA (%) How important are ethics? 73. 0 27. 0 20. 0 35. 0 29. 0 17. 0 11. 0 15. 0 58. 0 15. 0 1. 0  ± 37. 0 52. 0 11. 0 84. 0 16. 0 11. 0 39. 0 40. 0 10. 0 6. 0 10. 0 43. 0 24. 0 1. 0 16. 0 39. 0 30. 0 31. 0 80. 0 20. 0 4. 0 29. 0 40. 0 27. 0 6. 0 15. 0 30. 0 30. 0 19. 0 2. 0 44. 0 37. 0 19. 0 51. 0 49. 0 17. 0 37. 0 29. 0 17. 0 1. 0 6. 0 43. 0 43. 0 6. 0  ± 47. 0 43. 0 10. 0 143 3. 0 10. 0 20. 0 33. 0 7. 0 17. 0 6. 0  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ± 37. 0 4. 0 3. 0 28. 0 11. 0 13. 0 3. 0 1. 0 7. 0 20. 0 25. 0 7. 0 1. 0 5. 0 35. 0  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ± 12. 0 17. 0 35. 0 9. 0 7. 0 18. 0 2. 0  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ±  ± Other educational qualifications include professional education in the Malaysian This categorization of industries was appropriate in the Malaysian context Table II. Profiles of respondents in Australia, Malaysia, South Africa and USA 144 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 Organizational effectiveness dimension Univariate tests Quality: while output quality is essential for corporate success, ethics and social responsibility are not NS Communication: communication is more important to the overall effectiveness of an organization than whether or not it is concerned with ethics and social responsibility 5. 1 0. 0001 Profits: The most important concern for a firm is making profits, even if it means bending or breaking rules 5. 45 0. 0001 Competitiveness: To remain competitive in a global environment, business firms will have to disregard ethics and social responsibility NS Survival: If survival of a business enterprise is at stake, then you must forget about ethics and social responsi bility 21. 25 0. 0001 Efficiency: Efficiency is much more important to the firm than whether or not the firm is seen as ethical or socially responsible 14. 1 0. 0001 Stakeholder satisfaction: If stakeholders are unhappy, nothing else matters 11. 19 0. 0001 Multivariate tests  ± F based on Wilk’s lambda (21, 3,673 df) 5. 38 0. 0001 66. 43 28. 62 74. 24 49. 95 39. 79 29. 46 27. 17 0. 0001 0. 0001 0. 0001 0. 0001 0. 0001 0. 0001 0. 0001 Table III. Multivariate and univariate results Country Organizational culture Gender Age 17. 88 0. 0001 3. 68 0. 0552 8. 97 0. 0028 6. 46 0. 0112 17. 63 0. 00001 NS NS 2. 56 NS 0. 0535 NS NS NS NS NS 1) the extent to which employees perceive their managers are acting ethically in their organization (item 1); (2) the extent to which employees perceive that managers are concerned about the issues of ethics in their organization (item 3); and (3) the extent to which employees perceive that ethical (unethical) behavior is rewarded (punished) in the ir organization (items 2, 4, and 5) (Hunt et al. , 1989). The CEV was measured using a nine-point Likert scale with 1= â€Å"completely disagree†and 9= â€Å"completely agree†. For each respondent, the CEV score was obtained by summing all CEV items (with items 1 and 2 reverse-coded). A high CEV score means that the manager works in an organization with higher corporate ethical values. The similarity of factor structures of the CEV scale between the four countries was assessed to be moderate and the reliabilities of the scale were high[5]. The CEV measure has been used in the past (e. g. Hunt et al. , 1989; Singhapakdi et al. , 1995). Gender was measured as a dichotomous variable and age was measured in four categories. Results Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed using the seven PRESOR items as dependent variables, and the country of residence, organizational ethical climate, gender, and age as independent variables[6]. MANOVA results show that overall country of residence, organizational ethical climate, gender, and age significantly explain differences between marketers from the four countries in their perception of the importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness (F = 5. 38 based on Wilks’ Lambda, p 0. 001). H1 states that there are country differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified significant cross-country differences between marketers on all PRESOR items except output quality and competitiveness. For example, there are differences in the extent to which marketers from the four countries believe th at â€Å"the most important concern for a firm is making profits, even if it means bending or breaking rules† (F = 5. 45, p . 001). Also, there are differences in the extent to which they agree with statements such as â€Å"if survival of a business enterprise is at stake, then you must forget about ethics and social responsibility† (F = 21. 25, p 0. 0001), â€Å"efficiency is much more important to the firm than whether or not the firm is seen as ethical or socially responsible† (F = 14. 91, p . 0001), and â€Å"communication is much more important to the overall effectiveness of an organization than whether or not it is concerned with ethics and social responsibility† (F = 5. 1, p 0. 0001). Therefore, there is support for H1 (average scores for marketers from the four countries on each of the seven items are given in Table IV). How important are ethics? 145 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 146 H2 states that the organizational ethical climate po sitively influences managers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility. In fact, results indicate it has a strong influence on all seven dimensions of PRESOR with F statistics ranging from 27. 17 to 74. 24 (with all p ; 0. 0001). Therefore, H2 is supported. Results also indicate gender differences in managers’ perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness on the quality, communication, profits, competitiveness, and survival dimensions, but not on the efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction dimensions (F statistics ranging from 3. 68 to 17. 88). Therefore, H3 is generally supported. Also, results related to H4 indicate that, in general, there are no age differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in achieving organizational effectiveness. Therefore, H4 is not supported. The lack of significance of age in influencing PRESOR is probably a reflection of the greater impact of environmental factors such as greater societal expectations and awareness about ethical issues. Discussion and implications The current investigation into cross-country variation in perceptions of marketing professionals regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of business success has potential implications for international companies. In the international marketing context, cultural, economic, and other gaps between international buyers and sellers create the potential for conflicts of values, which in turn hinder smooth business interactions between the parties. Whether a marketing organization engages in exporting, importing, joint ventures, licensing agreements or fully owns an overseas operation, the scope exists for conflict of values, especially in the areas of marketing ethics and social responsibility. For example, in recent years, companies in the USA have faced public disapproval of the unethical practices of their overseas suppliers. As businesses all over the world progressively globalize their operations, it becomes necessary that they understand whether there are significant gaps between their ethical and social responsibility perceptions and their overseas partners. Such perceptual gaps need to be systematically investigated and measures taken to reduce or, preferably, eliminate them in the interest of establishing enduring international business Organizational effectiveness dimension Australia 7. 67 6. 16 6. 93 7. 56 7. 22 6. 44 6. 82 Malaysia 7. 61 5. 27 6. 61 7. 27 5. 76 5. 12 5. 79 South Africa 7. 96 6. 40 7. 01 7. 71 7. 05 6. 26 6. 6 USA 7. 82 6. 23 7. 46 7. 69 7. 64 6. 72 7. 08 Table IV. Output quality Mean perceived Communication importance of ethics Profits and social responsibility scores on Competitiveness different dimensions of Survival Efficiency organizational Stakeholder satisfaction effectiveness relationships. This study identified three sources of gaps that can exist between marketers from d ifferent countries in terms of the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness. They are: (1) Country differences in culture, economic development, and legal/ political environment. 2) Differences in organizational ethical climate. (3) Gender differences. Similarities and differences were found between countries in terms of the extent to which they find ethics and social responsibility to be important relative to some dimensions of organizational effectiveness. On two dimensions, output quality and competitiveness, there were no significant inter-country differences. It seems that output quality and competitiveness are universal business orientations exhibited by marketing executives, which is consistent with globalization of markets and the accompanying intensification of competition. International companies, therefore, may assume that their counterparts in different parts of the world will be as concerned with output quality and competitiveness (relative to ethical and social responsibility concerns). Hence, these two core business values can provide common bases for successful international negotiations and establishing long-term relationships, which are critical for success in the international business arena. While there are inter-country similarities on these two dimensions, significant inter-country differences were found with regard to other organizational effectiveness dimensions: communications, efficiency, profits, survival, and stakeholder satisfaction. Based on the findings of our study, multi-national companies who transfer employees between these four countries can help them anticipate differences in perceptions about the importance of ethics and social responsibility relative to different aspects of organizational effectiveness. For example, Malaysian companies posting managers in Australia (or South Africa or the USA) might want to educate them about the environmental differences that lead to Australian managers placing greater importance on ethics and social responsibility relative to profitability, efficiency, communication, survival, and stakeholder satisfaction. These perceptual differences can impact ethical attitudes and actions, and therefore, managerial expectations about overseas employees should be altered accordingly. Corporate managers should also give a thought to what can be done to overcome these differences in perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility. The content of ethics training programs can incorporate the findings of this study by developing scenarios and cases highlighting the tradeoffs between ethics and social responsibility, and specific aspects of organizational effectiveness, such as efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction. These scenarios can be extended by including cross-national differences in How important are ethics? 47 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 148 culture, economic development, and legal/political environment, as well as differences in perceptions about ethics and social responsibility across countries. Organizational ethical climate positively influenced the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility across all four countries. Irrespective of the country, organizational ethical climate had a strong influence on all seven dimensions of organizational effectiveness vis-a-vis ethics A and social responsibility. Therefore, we can conclude that organizations from different countries with similar organizational ethical climates can find common ground on issues of ethics and social responsibility. Hence, international companies, when scouting for suitable partners in foreign markets, may look for overseas partners with similar organizational ethical values. This would ensure smoother business relations and interactions especially in the areas of ethics and social responsibility. Also, it is useful for international marketers to know that, in general, women perceive ethics and social responsibility to be more important in achieving organizational effectiveness than men, though there are no differences across age groups. This is particularly relevant given the increase in employment of women in the workplace. Limitations This study has some potential limitations. One concerns the limited number of factors investigated in our study. Ethical decision making is a very complex phenomenon, and exploring cross-cultural differences is even more difficult. For example, in addition to the variables we studied, marketing ethics theories have also specified moral philosophies, personal values, religion, professional environment, and organizational and industrial characteristics as important background factors underlying the ethical decision making of managers (e. g. Ferrell and Gresham, 1985; Hunt and Vitell, 1986). However, the scope of this study is limited to cultural dimensions, economic environment, organizational ethical climate, and selected demographic variables as explanatory factors. It should be pointed out that in this study, some important demographic variables, such as education, were not included because of a lack of conceptual equivalence, as explained in the next section. Another limitation concerns the samples analyzed in this study. Although four relatively diverse countries were studied, the findings can not be generalized to other countries with different cultural characteristics and levels of economic development. Future research avenues This research can be extended in many ways. As a first step, a non-directional hypothesis for country differences was presented. This was necessitated by the fact that this was the first study dealing with the investigation of cross-cultural variation in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness. Future research should investigate the direction of expected differences. A comprehensive framework modeling antecedents and consequences of the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility can be developed and tested. This will add another dimension to our understanding of ethical decision making. As pointed out earlier, one limitation of this study concerns its limited samples and, consequently, its limited generalizability. Therefore, there is a need to replicate this study using managerial samples from other countries with different cultural characteristics and/or levels of economic development. Given the complexity of the phenomenon under study, future research should investigate other determinants specified in marketing ethics models, such as moral philosophies, personal values, religion, professional environment, and organizational and industrial characteristics. Among demographic variables, education could be an important determinant but was not included because of a lack of conceptual equivalence. In cross-cultural research, conceptual equivalence in terms of the meaning of research concepts, stimuli, and materials must first be established before any meaningful comparisons are made (Malhotra et al. , 1996). In our study, the US sample is predominantly business-educated, which might not be the case with the other three samples. In addition to differences in the educational background of the managers, the lack of conceptual equivalence can also be attributed to: . The educational systems and curricula in the four countries being different. . Differences in the extent to which ethics is required to be emphasized in the curriculum content across different countries (for example, accredited business schools in the USA are required to incorporate business ethics into their curricula, and such requirements might exist to a greater or lesser degree in other countries). . Variation in the extent to which ethics is actually incorporated and emphasized in the curricula. Thus, it is not education per se, but the incorporation of ethics into educational curricula, the actual implementation, and its impact on the managers that is likely to influence their perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility. In the future, the cross-country differences in educational background of the respondents as well as the extent to which ethics is emphasized in education should be measured, and analyzed as a potential factor influencing a manager’s perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility. Conclusion To summarize, this research investigated whether marketers from Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, and the USA differ in their beliefs regarding the importance of ethics and social responsibility as determinants of organizational effectiveness. The study was based on an alternative approach to studying perceptions about ethical issues and problems in business. Traditionally cross- How important are ethics? 149 European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 150 cultural researchers have evaluated ethical perceptions, attitudes, and intentions with regard to specific business/marketing practices involving ethical problems. Here, we investigate differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility in relation to various aspects of organizational effectiveness such as quality, communication, profits, competitiveness, survival, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction. The results of this study are important because perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility has been shown to influence ethical intention, when managers are faced with an ethical situation (Singhapakdi, 1999). Results indicate that differences in the perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility among marketers from the four countries exist because of: . ountry differences in culture, economic development, and legal/political environment; . differences in organizational ethical climate; and . gender differences. There are not any differences due to age. Overall similarities and differences among the four countries emerged on specific dimensions of business effectiveness. On the dimensions of out put quality and competitiveness, there were no differences among the four countries. Inter-country differences were found on the dimensions of communication, efficiency, profits, survival, and stakeholder satisfaction. These findings regarding cross-cultural similarities and differences are useful in furthering our understanding and management of ethics and social responsibility in the international context. Notes 1. For subsequent analysis using LISREL, a sample size of 159 was judged adequate because it is close to the recommended level of ten observations for every parameter estimated (Haire et al. , 1998). 2. For the Australian and Malaysian sample, the non-response bias based on early and late respondents could not be assessed as this information (i. e. dates when the questionnaires were received) was not recorded at the time of data collection. . The similarity of factor structures of the seven-item scale for individual countries was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Fit measures for individual countries, including chi-square per degree of freedom (range 1. 87-3. 32), GFI (0. 94-0. 97), AGFI (0. 890. 95), and CFI (range 0. 91-0. 96), for the four countries were high. The reliability of the seven-item scale ranged from 0. 73-0. 76 for the four countries. 4. The five items in the corporate ethical values scale were: . Managers in my company often engage in behavior that I consider to be unethical. . In order to succeed in my company, if is often necessary to compromise one’s ethics. Top management in my company has let it be known in no uncertain terms that unethical behaviors will not be tolerated. If a manager in my company is discovered to have engaged in unethical behavior that results in personal gain (rather than corporate gain), he/she will be promptly reprimanded. . If a manager in my company is discovered to have engaged in unethical behavior that results in corporate gain (rather than personal gain), he/she will be promptly reprimanded. 5. The similarity of factor structures of the five-item CEV scale for individual countries was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis. Fit measures for individual countries, including chi-square per degree of freedom (range 2. 00-35. 23), GFI (0. 88-0. 99), AGFI (0. 63-0. 99), and CFI (range 0. 74-0. 99), for the four countries were moderate. The reliability of the five-item scale ranged from 0. 69-0. 87 for the four countries. 6. Since a requirement of MANOVA is that the dependent variables be correlated, the appropriateness of the multivariate technique was tested by Bartlett’s test of sphericity (Hair et al. 1998). The test (Bartlett’s chi-square = 123. 7 with six degrees of freedom, p = 0. 001) indicated that MANOVA is appropriate for analyzing the data. . How important are ethics? 151 References Armstrong, J. S. and Overton, T. S. (1977), â€Å"Estimating non-response bias in mail surveys†, Journal of Marketing Research, No. 14 No. 3, pp. 396-402. Armstrong , R. W. , Stening, B. W. , Ryans, J. K. , Marks, L. and Mayo, M. (1990), â€Å"International marketing ethics: problems encountered by Australian firms†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 25 No. 10, pp. 5-19. Beauchamp, T. L. and Bowie, N. E. (1993), Ethical Theory and Business, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ . Becker, H. and Fritzsche, D. J. (1987), â€Å"A comparison of the ethical behavior of American, French and German managers†, Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 87-96. Czinkota, M. R. and Ronkainen, I. A. (1998), International Marketing, Dryden Press, Orlando, FL. DeConinck, J. B. (1992), â€Å"How sales managers control unethical sales force behavior†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 11 No. 10, pp. 789-98. DeGeorge, R. T. (1990), Business Ethics, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Dubinsky, A. J. , Jolson, M. A. , Kotabe, M. and Lim, C. U. (1991), â€Å"A cross-national investigation of industrial salespeople’s ethical perceptions†, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 22 No. 4, pp. 651-71. Dunfee, T. (1996), â€Å"On the synergistic, interdependent relationship of business ethics and law†, American Business Law Journal, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 317-28. Ferrell, O. C. and Gresham, L. G. (1985), â€Å"A contingency framework for understanding ethical decision making in marketing†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49 No. 3, pp. 87-96. Ford, R. C. and Richardson, W. D. 1994), â€Å"Ethical decision making: a review of the empirical literature†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 205-21. Franke, G. R. , Crown, D. F. and Spake, D. F. (1997), â€Å"Gender differences in ethical perceptions of business practices†, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82 No. 6, pp. 92- 4. Gilligan, C. (1982), In a Different Voice: Ps ychological Theory and Womens Development, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. Graham, J. L. (1985), â€Å"The influence of culture on business negotiations: an exploratory study†, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 81-96. Hair, J. F. , Anderson, R. E. , Tatham, R. L. and Black, W. C. (1998), Multivariate Data Analysis, Macmillan, New York, NY. Hall, E. T. (1976), Beyond Culture, Anchor Books, Doubleday Garden City, NY. Hofstede, G. (1980), â€Å"National cultures in four dimensions: a research based theory of cultural differences among nations†, International Studies of Management and Organization, Vol. 13 No. 1-2, pp. 46-74. European Journal of Marketing 35,1/2 152 Hofstede, G. (1983), â€Å"Motivation, leadership, and organization: do American theories apply abroad? ‘, Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 42-63. Hofstede, G. and Bond, M. H. (1988), â€Å"The Confucious connection: from cultural roots to economic growthâ⠂¬ , Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 5-21. Hunt, S. D. and Vitell, S. (1986), â€Å"A general theory of marketing ethics†, Journal of Macromarketing, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 5-16. Hunt, S. D. and Vitell, S. J. (1993), â€Å"The general theory of marketing ethics: a retrospective and revision†, in Smith, N. C. and Quelch, J. A. (Eds), Ethics in Marketing, Irwin Inc. , Homewood, IL, pp. 775-84. Hunt, S. D. , Wood, V. R. nd Chonko, L. B. (1989), â€Å"Corporate ethical values and organizational commitment in marketing†, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 53 No. 3, pp. 79-90. Jansen, E. and Von Glinow, M. A. (1985), â€Å"Ethical ambience and organizational reward systems†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 814-22. Jones, T. M. (1991), â€Å"Ethical decision-making by individuals in organizations: an issue-contingent model†, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 366-95. Kohlberg, L. (1981), The Meaning and Measurement of Moral Development, Clark University Press, Worcester, MA. Laczniak, G. R. and Inderrieden, E. J. (1987), â€Å"The influence of stated organizational concern upon ethical decision making†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 6 No. 4, pp. 297-307. Laczniak, G. R. and Murphy, P. E. (1993), Ethical Marketing Decisions: The Higher Road, Allyn Bacon, Needham Heights, MA. Malhotra, N. K. , Agarwal, J. and Peterson, M. (1996), â€Å"Methodological issues in cross-cultural marketing research: a state-of-the-art review†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 13 No. 5, pp. 7-43. Mittelstaedt, J. D. and Mittelstaedt, R. A. (1997), â€Å"The protection of intellectual property: issues of origination and ownership†, Journal of Public Policy Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 14-25. Singhapakdi, A. (1999), â€Å"Perceived importance of ethics and ethical decisions in marketing†, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 45 No. 1, pp. 89-99. Singhapakdi, A. , Vitell, S. J. and Leelakulthanit, O. (1994), â€Å"A cross-cultural study of moral philosophies, ethical perceptions and judgments: a comparison of American and Thai marketers†, International Marketing Review, Vol. 11 No. , pp. 65-78. Singhapakdi, A. , Kraft, K. L. , Vitell, S. J. and Rallapalli, K. C. (1995), â€Å"The perceived importance of ethics and social responsibility on organizational effectiveness: a survey of marketers†, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 49-56. Singhapakdi, A. , Vitell, S. J. , Rallapalli, K. C. and Kraft, K. L. (1996), â€Å"The perceived role of ethics and social responsi bility: a scale development†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 15 No. 11, pp. 1131-40. Terpstra, D. E. , Rozell, E. J. and Robinson, R. K. 1993), â€Å"The influence of personality and demographic variables on ethical decisions related to insider trading†, The Journal of Psychology, Vol. 127 No. 4, pp. 375-89. Vogel, D. (1992), â€Å"The globalization of business ethics: why America remains distinctive†, California Management Review, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 30-49. Weeks, W. A. and Nantel, J. (1992), â€Å"Corporate codes of ethics and sales force behavior: a case study†, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 11 No. 10, pp. 753-60. Wotruba, T. R. (1997), â€Å"Industry self-regulation: a review and extension to a global setting†, Journal of Public Policy Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 38-5. How to cite How Important Are Ethics and Social Responsibility?, Papers

Logistics Damu Center in Kazakhstan free essay sample

And if we mention here all the problems that are usually faced by the companies while cargo storage and shipping, as a matter of fact, it shall be a real chaos. Development of our transport system goes full blast. Plans to build regional highways are already being developed. But what actually is needed to structure or digest all this infinite cargo flows, which will only grow in the years to come? We cannot do only with roads and railway tracks here, and the aircraft is not capable to carry such huge quantity of freight continuously, besides it is very expensive. Here also there is a need for qualitative and modern logistical services meeting the standards absolutely new to Kazakhstan. It is necessary to take steps for the development of the transport logistics sector. And the first step has already been made – this is an industrial and logistics Center â€Å"DAMU†. This is a unique Center for Kazakhstan, which thanks to its innovative technologies shall carry out quality, operative, reliable transportation and storage in addition to other things. We will write a custom essay sample on Logistics Damu Center in Kazakhstan or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Center â€Å"DAMU† shall render the following services: freight bailment, handling, customs clearance, and search for optimal routes for delivery of cargo. And there is more to come. â€Å"DAMU† is a large complex with a total area of 130 hectares. Except for warehouse terminals, the administrative and public services complex shall be built in the territory. It will include business center and athletic field, hotel and conference hall. Among other things, the customs-broker division, as well as branch of tax inspection and customs ouse of Almaty region, working according to one stop principle, shall be housed in it. The industrial and logistics center DAMU shall be completely furnished with all necessary infrastructure. It shall include both gas supply, and own main distribution station (electrical power supply), fiber-optic telecommunication networks (digital communication, allocated Internet channel), and locomotive depot, automobile and railway access roads. As well as: tanks with water for fire extinction, parking lot for cars and lorries, etc. And all this shall be under strict control of modern security system and video observation system. As we see it is a large-scale project, and that takes some doing, actually â€Å"DAMU† is the project of truly global value. One of its functions shall be to ensure relieving pressure on Almaty roads. Besides location of the Center allows it to become a link in a huge network of traffic flow both to the neighboring countries, and the far abroad. So, what is required for the development of the market of logistic services in our country? Creation of strategically important projects such as industrial and logistics Center â€Å"DAMU† shall promote the development of not only transport logistics, but also the development of regional and republican economy. If we compare our country with a human body the roads of our independent republic shall be the veins, and everything that is moving along them shall be the blood, which is so vital for the life of the country. For our young republic growth i. e. conomic development and accordingly healthy blood supply is of great importance too. Together with â€Å"DAMU† we shall move into the future Kazakhstan, strengthening those positions, which we have already been reached for so many years of our independence. â€Å"High Tech Logistic† is combination of the opportunities of the temporary storage warehouse, bonded warehouse, and the customs broker from the point of view of customs clearance is an ideal and the most perspective. â€Å"High Tech Logistic† possesses all this to the full extent. The complex systematic approach to the organization of business, work in strict conformity with requirements of the customs legislation of Republic Kazakhstan and a high level of a technological component enable to provide our clients as much effectively as possible with wide spectrum of quality services in the sector of customs procedures A unique for Kazakhstan project of industrial and logistics Center â€Å"DAMU† developed by the experts of the Amanat Invest Group† together with European design and consulting companies is the example of such mutually beneficial integration. It is unparalleled not only in our country, but all over the Central Asia. The first in Kazakhstan large zone for rendering logistical services is aimed at the development of small and medium business, attracting foreign investments. In the opinion of experts commissioning of â€Å"DAMU† shall ignite the development of transport and logistical cluster in Kazakhstan and among other issues reduce the traffic in Almaty, since â€Å"DAMU† is being constructed in Almaty region and it shall redirect a part of traffic flow. Already today the consumers demand high quality package of services from the logistic market as the companies wish to minimize their problems with shipment of goods and prefer to have the logistic operator undertake responsibility for this. Worth recalling in this regard is that â€Å"DAMU† shall provide not only storage and freight services, but a full package of services: storage of cargo, handling, shipment, customs clearance, as well as search for optimal routes for shipment. The following figures demonstrate the capacity of the Center: planned turnover of goods only per day shall make approximately 600 freight cars and up to 500 wagons of European standard. Up to three thousand people shall be employed to do the job in the Center. Mr. Saken Toylybayev, chief executive officer of the â€Å"Amanat Invest Group† told that their primary target as designers of DAMU† shall completely satisfy the task assigned by the President of Kazakhstan Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev â€Å"to establish innovation and industrial parks near large cities†. This in its turn shall require the development of the transit and transport potential of the country. By the way, total turnover of goods in the direction Europe – Asia going through Kazakhstan exceeds 700 billion USA dollars. Already by 2010 this showing shall reach trillion dollars. These figures made public by the minister of transport and communications of Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov in his speech at recently held railway business-forum in Almaty. In this connection the concern of the Government is clear about urgent solution of the existing problems in transport industry.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic essayEssay Writing Service

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic essayEssay Writing Service Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic essay Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic essayThis quotation is one of the famous Clarke’s three laws and appeared in his essay Hazards of Prophecy: The Failure of Imagination, in  Profiles of the Future. I’ve chosen this quote because I think it is very interesting. It lets us think about a lot of things. As the technology changes so rapidly today, more and more inventions come to our life. For example, we can chat with people from any place in the world through the Internet. We can go shopping online. We can watch 3D movies in the cinema. When this technological invention had just appeared people were absolutely amazed by it. Due to the rapid progress of technology, there will be more and more unexpected inventions in the future. These inventions may be amazing and seem something magic.When I began designing this poster the first thing I considered was the typeface. Clarke’s essay was written in 1962, so I tried to find some typefa ces which did not look too modern. When we combine two typefaces the contrast is very important   and that is why I didn’t choose two similar typefaces. I tried some different matches and I hope they look harmonic. Then I thought about the image at the background. I asked one friend to stand with her hands open and made a nice picture. Next, I put an image of crystal ball in the hands using technologies of Photoshop. It is well-known that a crystal ball is one of the symbols of magic. Thus, this image symbolizes the magic. Then I used the picture with programming language as the background. This is a bright example of the modern technology. In addition, I also used an image with colorful dots. I put this image with the dots above the crystal ball – the idea was to imitate magic sparkles which are coming from the crystal ball. The meaning of this part is symbolic. These dots symbolize all good things, such as convenience, prosperity, and happiness, which modern means of technology bring us. I changed the mode and the opacity of all images so that they would harmonize with each other. In the end, I selected my favorite combination of typefaces and added them to the poster. I used the white color in the typefaces because white seems conspicuous on the dark background and it would be easier to read it and perceive the information.