Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay In business there will always be the line to act with integrity or to lie, cheat, and steal. Famous author Douglas Adams once said, â€Å"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity† (Heathfield, n. d). The priority of any business is to serve the needs and wants of the customer and more important his or her stakeholders. Any business decision made in major corporations must line up with stakeholder’s interests, but more important stakeholders have the social responsibility to represent in the best interest of the entire corporation. The prevalence of so many major scandals with corporations caught in the public is drawing much needed attention on concepts of ethic, and social responsibility. Ethics and corporate responsibility is a direct application of the ideas of in business practice. This papers purpose is to explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in building a strategic plan while incorporating the stakeholder interests. Business execs have the responsibility to adhering to the unspoken ethics they have only not taught but also have enforced by society and the law. Ethics are inherently common sense decisions made by those in authority with the power to affect an entire organization. When, business executives make decisions they must consider business ethics and the organizations (stakeholders) values. Once the essential questions ask is, â€Å"Do the organization’s values reflect accepted society values? (Young, 2004) Business executives must execute strategic business plans where they take into account not only each value associated with each choice, but the consequences of each choice. The interests of the stakeholder are one of the prime obligations of an organization. The demands of the stakeholders are generally to increase profits; this is echoed by economist Milton Friedman, the â€Å"one and only one social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, assuming an honest and open marketplace†. (Bigelow, 2013), According to Friedman also that corporations owe no responsibilities to society. However, critics will disagree that corporate social responsibility is always to put the customer first, which ensures a customer’s happiness and loyalty. Stakeholders are not only investors into companies but they also have voting power, which carries social, and financial influence within the company. Their social responsibility is to the customers and to the employees (Jones, 2012). They have decision power, and ultimate control over allocation of resources. Corporations and organizations ultimately exist to satisfy the needs and agendas of the stakeholders. The problem lies in, however; when the needs and the agendas of the stakeholders can blur the line between what is ethically right and what is considered against the law. The organization’s obligation to the stakeholder is as much as a priority as the relationship to the public. â€Å"The relationship between a customer and a firm exists because of mutual expectations built on trust, good faith, and fair dealing in their interaction† (Ferrell). When creating a strategic business plan the organization must incorporate its social responsibilities for the customer, and prevent any ethical dilemmas. Clear examples that recently have captivated the news over the decade has been the highly publicized cases of Waste Management, Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, which exaggerated earnings to meet the expectations of stakeholders, Freddie Mac, AIG, Bernie Madoff, and host of others. These examples of accounting fraud, manipulation of books, and stealing from clients made by top executives in the position to meet the expectations of stakeholders and not making ethically sound decisions. To prevent these scandals from occurring, ruining not only the organization, the employees but also the public’s faith within the corporate world, according to research ethical risk management is an option dependent on the infrastructure in which it promotes ethical conduct and standards. The directives and the support from management in the way it manages potential problems with the lack of ethical standards. Because of the number of scandals not only have businesses implemented stronger measures for ethical practices but also have the legal systems. The establishment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002, which came after the scandal of WorldCom, was because the number of major corporations collapsing under the weight of their own unethical practices. According to the SEC, â€Å"the Act mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud, and created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, also known as the PCAOB, to oversee the activities of the auditing profession† (SEC, 2012). Ethics is a fundamental part of compliance and governance systems. Ethics explicitly should integrate into the elements of strategic planning in businesses. In determining the roles that factor into managing stakeholder’s interests ethically organizations must first take into consideration that the business is the first line of defense in taking responsibility for managing and supervising corporate responsibility effective in accordance with the level of influence the business set by the organization. Executives in a position to communicate to stakeholders must always implement ethical decisions when balancing their needs and the organizations’. The executives must be responsible in providing clarification and verification of ethical standards in place. The executives must drive the culture and work environment of compliance toward ethical standards and practices to ensure the effectiveness. Business ethics is important in every organization and the main responsibility is to act with integrity and honesty. References Ferrall, O. C. (2004). Business ethics and customer stakeholders. Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), retrieved from http://danielsethics. mgt. unm. edu/pdf/Customer Stakeholders. pdf. Bigelow, L. (2013). What are the social responsibilities of a company to its stakeholders? Hearst Newspapers, Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com Heathfield, S. (n. d. ). Inspirational quotes for business and work: Integrity. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com Young, P. (2004). Ethics and risk management: Building a framework. Risk Management, 6(3), 23-34. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org â€Å"The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry. † (2012). SEC. Retrieved from http://www. irmi. com/expert/articles/2005/head02. aspx.

Article Review LAW 421 Essay Example for Free

Article Review LAW 421 Essay The article was a proposal that tried to justify the reason that congress should repeal the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX Act) of 2002. The act is seen as a problem because individual felt that the act was only put in place so government official could feel better about addressing some issues of popular concern rather than resolving the issue. According to Niskanen the SOX act of 2002 is unnecessary, harmful, and inadequate (2006). Punishments under this act included jail time and loss of personal property. The act was viewed as unnecessary because the stock exchange has already addressed and implemented procedures to deal with most of the issues presented in the SOX act of 2002. Those implementations include accounting standards, prosecution for fraud, audits, and financial reporting procedures. Officials felt that both acts addressed the same issues therefore, congress should deem the SOX act of 2002 unnecessary. The SOX act of 2002 was viewed as harmful because it would â€Å"reduce the incentive of corporate executives and directors to seek legal advice† (Niskanen, 2006). It was also seen as harmful because it cause a ban on loans to corporate officer which would pose a problem for compensation. The act was viewed as inadequate because it â€Å"failed to identify and correct the major problems of accounting, auditing, taxation, and corporate  governance that have invited corporate malfeasance and increased the probability of bankruptcy† (Niskanen, 2006). Recommendation to make the act better included congress needed to state more clearly that criminal penalties under the SOX act of 2002 needed proof of personal involvement and criminal intent. Another recommendation was to reduce the cost it took to implement the act. LEGAL ISSUE The legal business issues raised in the article monopoly and unconstitutional. Monopoly because SOX act would have sole control over punishments. Unconstitutional because private businesses were not targeted therefore, public businesses felt that all businesses did not have the same right. MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE The legal issues of the SOX act of 2002 affect the way business operate. Businesses have to have certain measures of internal control with the act. The would also have to report financial accounts accurately and follow certain accounting procedure in their day to day business activities. The issued implemented in the SOX act of 2002 could have been avoided if business owners and executives would have exercised fairness and accuracy in the first place. Government would not have had to step in and make these implantations. Reference Niskanen, W. A. (2006). Congress Should Repeal the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Retrieved from http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6624

Impact of Branding on Social Class

Impact of Branding on Social Class BRANDING AND ITS IMPACT ON MIDDLE CLASS Introduction 1.1 BRAND What is a brand? The Oxford American Dictionary (1980) contains the following definition: Brand (noun): a trade mark, goods of a particular make: a mark of identification made with a hot iron, the iron used for this: a piece of burning or charred wood, (verb): to mark with a hot iron, or to label with a trade mark. A short history of brand The word ‘brand’ comes from the Old Norse ‘brandr’, meaning to burn. In pre-historic times when the initial phases of trade was coming to existence, it was by burning that early man stamped ownership on his commodity, and with the development of advanced trade of goods; buyers would use such marks (brands) as a means of distinguishing between the goods being transacted. For example a farmer with a particularly good reputation for the quality of his animals would find his brand much sought after, while the brands of farmers with a lesser reputation were to be avoided or treated with caution. Thus the utility of brands as a guide to choice was established, a role that has remained unchanged to the present day. With rapid and gradual advancement in the acknowledgement of brand for particular goods and commodity, people started vying for goods with a good reputation i.e. brand. With the elapse of time goods and brands have changed but the basic concept remains unchanged and it is ultimately brand that persuades a buyer to go for that product. And with the advanced and developed market situation, brand has become an identity not only for the company it represents but also of its customers. Brand itself has developed into a niche and people vie for that segregated population associated to that brand. Brand today holds a very specific position and top brands have today become a sense of class amongst the top notch people. People associated to a brand don’t go for the product but rather to the brand itself. And brand has set a platform to the people specially the elite class people as a way of differentiating themselves from others. But today with the financial strength of the overall population brand has become a favorite among the middle class population as well. Middle class population that focused on reliable and durable products in the past have started becoming brand conscious and the major factor for this can be the realization in part of the companies in better understanding of the market scenario of the middle class population and diversifying itself in catering to that segment of people. And in parts of the customers they have started realizing in the concept of quality over quantity. Brand established companies nowadays have started manufacturing goods and services as per the demand of these middle class people with quality goods on reasonable prices. And this has played a major role in attracting more and more people into its circle. But a major hindrance for these products and services has become cheap imitation and delicacy. From the time of establishment of brand, imitation has been found along time, so it can be justified that the practice of unlawful imitation lurked close behind, a practice that remains common till this day, even in the presence of highly developed legal systems. 1.2 SOCIAL CLASS Social class refers to a group of people with similar levels of wealth, influence, and status. Sociologists typically use three methods to determine social class. Humans have evolved living in a closed community and have thus been categorized according to their surrounding and their social identity and circle. Social class is that segmentation which varies the people according to this social status and financial stronghold. Accordingly they can be differentiated as follows: Upper class people Upper-middle class people Middle-class people Lower-middle Class People Lower Class People This segmentation according to their financial situation has been the center of attraction for marketers around the globe. Marketers focus on individual segment of people according to the product and services they serve. Some serve the niche market while many serve other general segments. But with financial increment of other class especially of the middle class, more companies serving the top class have started putting their focus on middle class people. 1.3 Objectives: General Objectives To find the importance of brand amongst general public. To identify the market scenario of branded products. Specific Objectives To analyze the trend of brand influence among the middle class population. To study the stronghold of middle class people in the space of branded goods. 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY Brand has come a long way with the advancement of market and the people associated to the market. Brand nowadays cannot sustain itself only by serving the elite class so the focus has been made relying on the trend and demand of the market, and accordingly their focus has been more directed towards middle class people and their demands. Another aspect of analyzing the situation can be the possibility of threat to the companies itself in trying to penetrate such a volatile segment that are still price conscious in some regards. And identifying the challenges for the brands itself and the consumers is also an important part of this study. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS Has brand become so strong that it can easily influence the price sensitive population or is it the cheap imitation that has taken over their market? 1.6 RESEARCH STATEMENT The present middle class population feels more connected to the brand they are attached to than the traditional people/ family. With more and more brands being made available at reasonable price, this segment of population has become the magnetic pull for companies that carry its significant brand. So have the companies really succeeded in luring this class of people towards itself or is it just an unsung tale of what they are yet to achieve. 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY Although this study has tried uncovering the areas related to brand and its impact on middle class population, total evaluation may be lagging, and the limitation for this has been mentioned below: As the cause of lack of adequate time and required information, some aspect of this study may do injustice to the overall scenario of the market. Limited number of people of this segment will be interviewed and the questionnaires filled accordingly. Some of the filled questionnaires may have doubtful results so proper information may be absent. 2. Literature Review Brand itself is not a product nor an identity put forward by an individual or a company, rather it is an instinctive feeling that individual carries about for a product or services. Trust and Gut feeling on any product is a brand. And this trust comes from meeting and beating customer’s expectation, which comes from brand values as: Price premium Customer preferences Replacement cost Stock Price and Future Earnings And the main purpose of branding is to get more people to buy more stuff for more years at a higher price. (Brand Gap: A VISUAL PRESENTATION BY MARTY NEUMEIER) And brands that catered to the top class people has successfully lured in more and more middle class population into its circle through this trust it has created amongst the total population. The penny pinching population that thrives on price subsidized products has started minimizing their quantitative expenses to focus more on brands they get attracted to. Different types of companies have different concepts of exactly what it means to be middle class. Using income level as the defining criterion for differentiation of class is reasonable. But simply judging a group by income is far from sufficient for marketers of consumer goods. Such marketers trying to reach the middle class have to know more than their salaries. They must know what makes middle class consumers tick. Income plays a powerful role in most purchasing decisions for any consumer segment, but other elements play a role that is sometimes greater than income. When products are relatively inexpensive, income has little influence on a consumer’s decision making process. Deciding to buy chocolate, for example, depends significantly more on consumers’ emotion and shopping experience—a store’s ambience, for example—than it does on how much money they make. /’Using income as the only indicator of spending habits allows much information to slip through the cracks. In addition, income is a difficult variable to act upon, in part because the data on income can be either unavailable or unreliable in most cases. Thus, companies must find meaningful alternatives to predict what consumers can afford and what they are willing to pay for certain goods and services. Zeithaml (1982, 1988) suggests in most purchasing decision customers objective is to Get the best for the money. This represents the combination of price and value orientation which is the most important consideration for most of the consumers. Crier and Ross (1997) maintains that the greater the perceived value, the greater that the customers will be interested in purchasing. They (Crier Ross) explained the term value orientation saying Consumer trends to select the lowest price alternatives when the options in the choice set are perceived to have the same level of benefit. Consumers are becoming more price conscious does not mean that they always go for the lowest price, rather they will seek for affordable price range among their acceptable quality range. Maccilil, (1987), in his study told about the total business and household consumer market that both classes consider price, quality, convenient location as the most powerful influential factors in selecting or buying consumer goods. In the same time Winklin and Duery (1987) conducted a similar study focusing on the two groups of consumers having high income and low income in USA proved the influential forces earlier described by Maccilil. In the theory of marketing and buyer behavior, the concept of social class is considered the basic determinant of consumption behavior. In fact, among behavioral scientists, there was a consensus that market behavior of individuals is closely related to their social class. In this context, social class was often considered more important than income in affecting buying behavior (Slocum and Mathews, 1970). Though these mentioned research pave a road map as to how brand influence the market of middle class people and how brand has come a long way from being a niche to being available for all in the developed nation; the basic format or the fundamentals remains the same even for developing nation like ours. And it can be concluded that of the all class of people, middle class population has become the center target for the companies to penetrate and establish itself. 2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK The dependent and independent variables are as follows: Dependent variables Sales Volume Customer Loyalty Independent Variables Availability of products at affordable prices Financial Stronghold Environment Social Up gradation 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Research Design: This research can be categorized as descriptive and observational study. This can be explained on the fact that it is based on what the trend persists on the market place and also includes facts and findings based on survey being carried out. 3.2 Population/ Sampling: Provided the fact of more brand conscious population is on the rise, this report is based only on limited sampling given the limited time period and resources. Not much study has been conducted on this topic; hence it is limited to certain aspect and does not represent the total scenario of the market. 3.3 Nature of data The source of data is categorized on two fronts: Primary Source: Interview Questionnaire Secondary Source: E-Books and magazines 3.4 Data collection technique Interview: Interview is the best and the most effective method of collecting data, because you get a firsthand knowledge about the present market scenario and the impact of what you’re searching for your study. This helps the interviewers gets to observe the intended market and its population and extract the immediate knowledge of the market. Questionnaire: Questionnaire helps the researcher to find exactly what is to be found and analyzed. A perfectly shaped set of questions gives the intended findings. It also helps to get quick results on a limited time frame. 3.5 Expected Findings Through this research I expect to understand the real market scenario of the branded products and its impact on the middle class population; their reaction towards branded goods and services and their responsiveness towards the strategies played by the companies. References: http://www.chinabusinessreview.com/understanding-chinas-middle-class/ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2921577/Middle-class-travellers-demanding-300MILLION-upgrades-holiday-homes-luxury-self-catering-trend-takes-hold.html The Oxford American Dictionary (1980) Zeithaml (1982, 1988) Crier and Ross (1997) Maccilil (1987) Winklin and Duery (1987) Slocum and Mathew (1970) Gantt chart / Work plan Budget S.N Particulars Budget Head Amount 1. Travelling expenses Travelling and expenses 700 2. Stationery Miscellaneous 500 3. Printing of questionnaires, proposal and final report Print and publishing 200 Total 1400 Questionnaire Describe what ‘brand’ means to you? †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. In which social class do you put yourself in? Upper Class Upper Middle Class Middle Class Lower Class Define your annual income in the scale (in thousand) If others specify†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ What do you see in a product? Price Quality Brand All of the above Scale your reliance on brand? 1086420 Do you always purchase branded products? Yes No Why do you prefer branded products? To maintain social status Brand consciousness Peer pressure Quality What do you think influences people to buy a branded product? Quality Product Availability Competitive Price Good value and services Do you think branded products marketed for upper class people is as same as the products for the middle class people? Yes No Do you think brand has really attracted the middle class people of our market scenario? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree When it comes to consumable goods do you think brand for a product has a significance? Yes No Do you consider yourself a price sensitive costumer? Yes No Do you bargain when buying a branded product or do you settle at the set premium price? Yes No Do you actually prefer brand or does cheap imitation satisfy you? Brand Cheap imitation is preferable Brand helps middle class people to upgrade their social status? Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree If you consider yourself a brand conscious person, has brand upgraded your status? Yes No Do you agree the price tag placed is justifiable for the branded products? Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

The Comparison Of Forest Of Ar :: essays research papers

The Comparison of Forest of Arden versus Forest of Eden   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is the innate desire of man to seek a place of freedom, .an utopia, which allows him to escape into fantasies and away from the hardships of reality. In the play 'As you like it'; by William Shakespeare, the playwright indirectly compares the Forest of Arden to the Forest of Eden by exploring the theme of illusions, the idea of the forest as a place of refuge and Arden's mystical powers. The two forests are not only related by the fact that they sound similar but the many imageries and ideas that were mentioned in the play are somewhat related to the story of Genesis. In Duke Senior's first speech, he refers to 'the penalty of Adam'; , reminding the reader of the Fall of Man and the Garden of Eden. Therefore from the start, Arden is associated with a world of innocence and simplicity, in which man did not need to work. In the forest of Eden, the life of man is not controlled by time and ultimately, death. Whereas there are also suggestions of timelessness in the forest of Arden, as when Orlando points out that there is 'no clock in the forest'; . According to geographic sources, the Forest of Arden is in the Ardennes, France. In the play, Duke Senior and his followers live in the forest itself, while the shepherds live in the more open country on the edge of the forest. However, some elements in the play can be found in neither France nor England. For example: the deer, the oak trees, palm-trees; and also exotic animals such as a green-and-golden and a lioness roam the forest. Clearly then, the landscape belongs to the realm of fantasy. Although Arden seems as to be an idealistic world and resembles no known place, it is not merely an escape from real life. It is true that people flee to Arden from the cruelty of the world. The play opens outside Arden, in a world where cruelty, tyranny, and injustice reign; Arden provides a refuge from these evils. However, it is not an easy salvation. It is not even easy to get there: Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone, and then Orlando and Adam, and finally Oliver, all arrive in Arden in a state of physical exhaustion. This relates to the fact that it is just as hard for us to enter the kingdom of God.

Marxism and Labour Theory - The Conflicts between Employee and Employer

Marxism and Labour Theory - The Conflicts between Employee and Employer 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview on the essay topic To organisations, employees (labours) are wonderful resources, because they are compact and multi-purpose, capable of simple manual tasks or dealing with complicated machines, most importantly, they are the profit maker for their employers. However, there is always a problem between employees and employer. Any attempt to manager in a humane way, by consensus, is doomed to failure because of the irresolvable conflict between employees and their employers. Within nearly every organisation or company conflicts occur from time to time, between the employers and the employees. This paper argues what kind of conflicts between employee and employer from the perspective of Marxism and Labour Theory. 1.2 Structure of this essay The main purpose of this essay is to define the conflict between employees and employers is irresolvable. Firstly, I will briefly introduce Marxism and the Marxism Economy. Secondly, I will explain some of the Marx ´s issue on Labour Power and Capitalism Power, this will lead to the next section- the conflict relationship between them in an organisation. Thirdly, in this section I will describe the sources of conflict in an organisation, and discuss why the conflict between them is irresolvable. Finally, in this last section of the paper, it reviews the essay topic again, and I shall illustrate my opinion on the conflict between employee and employer, finally, I shall explain why organisation employer or owner can not manage their employees in a humane way. 2. About Marxism 2.1 Overview on Marxism Marxism, or Scientific Socialism, is the name given to the body of ideas first worked out by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895). In their totality, these ideas provide a fully worked-out theoretical basis for the struggle of the working class to attain a higher form of human society--socialism. [1] Marx was a revolutionary who was against capitalism and actively promoted its overthrow. Marx is the representative of the working class; also Marxism represents the second great leap in the development of proletarian ideology. [2] In the Marxism Economy, at first sight, it looks as if goods and things are produced mainly for people's needs. Obviously every society has to do this. But under capitalism, goo... ...heory_of_value_2.html (Access Date 06-05-05) Lesson from working class history From: http://www.bolshevik.org/1917/no21/No21gnst.pdf (Access Date 02-05-05) David M. Boje (1999) Labour Process Theory and Other Grand Narratives From: http://cbae.nmsu.edu/~dboje/grand.html (Access Date: 02-05-05) --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] What is Marxism by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods [2] 1993: Long Live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism [3] An Introduction to Marxist Economy by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods [4] this is one of the definition from http://www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/marxism/terms/laborpower.html (Access Date 11-05-05) [5] What is Marxism by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods [6] Ibid [7] The Marxist critique of capitalism [8] Labour Power Definition: http://www.sla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/marxism/terms/surplusvalue.html [9] An introduction to Marx's Labour Theory of Value by Brooks Mick [10] Ibid, same resource [11] Lesson from working class history [12] Marxism and Trade Unions by Leon Trotsky [13] Lesson from working class history. [14] Labour Process Theory and Other Grand Narratives by David M. Boje (1999)

Capitalism or Moral Enlightenment in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Heart Of Darkness - Capitalism  or Moral Enlightenment   Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness is about a seaman named Charlie Marlow and   an experience he had as a younger man. Early in the novel it becomes apparent that there is a great deal of tension in Marlow’s mind about whether he should profit from the immoral actions of the company he works for which is involved in the ivory trade in Africa.   Marlow believes that the company is ignorant of the tension between moral enlightenment and capitalism. The dehumanization of its laborers which is so early apparent to Marlow seems to be unknown to other members of the Company’s management. In this story Marlow’s aunt represents capitalism. Her efforts to get him a job are significant because of the morally compromising nature of the work of which she seems totally ignorant. When Marlow expresses doubts about the nature of the work, she replies, â€Å"You forget, dear Charlie, that the labourer is worthy of his hire† (12). It is clear that Marlow has mixed feelings about the whole idea. At one point, trying to justify his actions to himself, he says, â€Å"You understand it was a continental concern, that Trading Society;   but I have a lot of relations on the living continent, because it’s cheap and not so nasty as it looks they say† (12).   Marlow finally takes the job, however, and tells himself that the pain and unusually harsh treatment the workers are subjected to is minimal. During the tests and the requirements that he has to undergo before entering the jungle Marlow feels that he is being treated like a freak. The doctor measures his head and asks him questions such as, â€Å"Ever any madness in your family†(15)?   In this part of the story Marlow is made to feel small and unimportant.   Any feelings or concerns that he has are not important to the company, and as a result, he feels alone. It is only logical that Marlow would have been second guessing his decision and feeling some kinship with the other (black) workers who are exploited, but he does not reveal any such understanding. Upon reaching his destination in Africa, Marlow finds that things are just   the same. At the point when he is denied rest after traveling twenty miles on foot he sees things are not going to change.   Marlow then tells of how disease and death are running wild through-out the area, and the company does nothing in the way of prevention other than to promote those who stay alive. Capitalism or Moral Enlightenment in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Heart Of Darkness - Capitalism  or Moral Enlightenment   Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness is about a seaman named Charlie Marlow and   an experience he had as a younger man. Early in the novel it becomes apparent that there is a great deal of tension in Marlow’s mind about whether he should profit from the immoral actions of the company he works for which is involved in the ivory trade in Africa.   Marlow believes that the company is ignorant of the tension between moral enlightenment and capitalism. The dehumanization of its laborers which is so early apparent to Marlow seems to be unknown to other members of the Company’s management. In this story Marlow’s aunt represents capitalism. Her efforts to get him a job are significant because of the morally compromising nature of the work of which she seems totally ignorant. When Marlow expresses doubts about the nature of the work, she replies, â€Å"You forget, dear Charlie, that the labourer is worthy of his hire† (12). It is clear that Marlow has mixed feelings about the whole idea. At one point, trying to justify his actions to himself, he says, â€Å"You understand it was a continental concern, that Trading Society;   but I have a lot of relations on the living continent, because it’s cheap and not so nasty as it looks they say† (12).   Marlow finally takes the job, however, and tells himself that the pain and unusually harsh treatment the workers are subjected to is minimal. During the tests and the requirements that he has to undergo before entering the jungle Marlow feels that he is being treated like a freak. The doctor measures his head and asks him questions such as, â€Å"Ever any madness in your family†(15)?   In this part of the story Marlow is made to feel small and unimportant.   Any feelings or concerns that he has are not important to the company, and as a result, he feels alone. It is only logical that Marlow would have been second guessing his decision and feeling some kinship with the other (black) workers who are exploited, but he does not reveal any such understanding. Upon reaching his destination in Africa, Marlow finds that things are just   the same. At the point when he is denied rest after traveling twenty miles on foot he sees things are not going to change.   Marlow then tells of how disease and death are running wild through-out the area, and the company does nothing in the way of prevention other than to promote those who stay alive.

Hero’s Journey- Ender’s Game Essay

Enders Game, written by Orson Scott Card is a â€Å"classic novel of one boy’s destiny among the stars†. The representation of Ender as the typical hero partaking on a hero’s journey is shown through the language devices and the characterisation of Ender. Card presents the conventions of a traditional hero, namely qualities of bravery and wisdom, leadership, responsibility and the tragic or traditional weakness. Card explores the idea of a traditional hero’s weakness, through the character of Ender, who undergoes a hero’s journey, which demands that individual weaknesses are overcome, which mirrors Enders. Enders weakness is considered as the fear of him transforming into his violent, heartless brother as suggested in the quote â€Å" I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away, and I am just like Peter†. This describes the distress and uneasiness Ender feels in situations where it seems he is transforming into a murderer like Peter. â€Å"I’m a murderer, even when I play. Peter would be proud of me†. Throughout Enders Game, Ender struggles through overcoming this weakness, which is a similar difficulty a typical hero goes through; this shows the strong link between Ender and a conventional hero. The sense of responsibility delegated to Ender by others around him displays the typical conventional hero. â€Å"I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get† Card uses word choice in order to convey the sense of urgency when saying â€Å"or at least as close as we’re going to get. â€Å"This sense of urgency creates the tension of Ender being the hero that they are relying on to save the world. Ender also being aware of this factor by saying â€Å"it’s what I was born for, isn’t it? If I don’t go, why am I alive? † The responsibility that Ender has no choice in accepting shows how essential and significant Ender is in the scheme of redeeming world peace among the buggers. Being depended on by others to accomplish something is the main reason why heroes must do their job; Ender like any other traditional heroes must carry out this role. Card displays the conventions of a hero, and explores the idea of heroes being an outcast, which is shown through Enders character. From the very beginning there is a connection between Ender and isolation shown through the quote â€Å"Too willing to submerge himself in someone else’s will†¦ So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time? † From the very beginning of Enders Game and throughout the novel Ender has been deliberately isolated for the in order for Ender to became the leader and hero that is needed in the book. This concept is also suggested through the quote â€Å"Isolate him enough that he remains creative- otherwise he’ll adopt the system here and we’ll lose him. At the same time, we need to make sure he keeps a strong ability to lead. † In Enders game Ender has been deliberately isolated just enough for him to show his creativity in finding new solutions to problems but not too isolated to insure his social skills are still intact in order to achieve success in creating him as a leader. These qualities are what Ender must attain to be a hero. The brave qualities that Card illustrates Enders character as, display the true nature of a hero. Ender, although at a young age shows great intelligence and bravery in the way he cleverly and skilfully thinks situations through. I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves. And then, in that very moment when I love them†¦. I destroy them. † This quote displays the creative and wise thoughts that enter Enders mind whilst solving a problem. â€Å"I have to win this now, and for all time, or I’ll fight it every day and it will get worse and worse. † This citation from Enders game represents the courageous characteristic that Ender displays in standing up for himself. Although the decision that hero’s chose may be risky it is the wisest option. The obstacles that Ender faces throughout his ‘hero’s journey’ reinforces his characterisation as a traditional hero. Card invokes this convention of the heroic genre by Ender displaying these identical qualities of a hero. Heroes are known for obtaining great intelligence or skill, which sets them apart from everyone making them valuable and unique. Ender in the world of mundane is described as a complex and advanced 6 years old. â€Å" He always knew the answer, even when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. † Also the quote â€Å" he was the one who figured out ow to send messages† shows the intelligence and cleverness of Ender breaking and altering the system. Enders intelligence is hinted in these quotes, which associate with a hero being extremely clever and more advanced than others. Card taking on the idea of Ender as the typical hero on his ‘heroes journey’ is shown in the obstacles and situation Ender faces where he shows the nature of a true hero. Orson Scott Card’s interpretation of Enders wise and brave characteristics, his sense of responsibility and his weakness is displayed throughout the novel which depicts the idea of Ender resembling a traditional hero.