Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Teach the Past Simple to ESL Students

How to Teach the Past Simple to ESL Students Teaching the English past simple verb tense to ELL or ESL students is rather straightforward after youve taught the present simple. Students will be familiar with the idea of auxiliary verbs in the question and negative but not in the positive form. They will be able to convert to past simple using helping verbs as in: Does she play tennis? - Did she play tennis?We dont drive to work. - They didnt drive to work. Theyll also be happy to know that the verb conjugation always remains the same, no matter the subject of the sentence. IYouHeShe played tennis last week.ItWeYouThey   Of course, theres the issue of irregular verbs,  which  can be frustrating because they just have to be memorized and reinforced through practice. A sampling of these: be- was/werecatch- caughtspeak- spokeunderstand- understood Past Time Expressions The key to teaching the past simple effectively is making it clear from the beginning that the past simple is used when something begins and ends in the past. The use of appropriate  time expressions will help: last: last week, last month, last yearago: two weeks ago, three days ago, two years agowhen past: when I was a child, when she worked in New York Start by Modeling the Past Simple Begin teaching the past simple by speaking about some of your past experiences. If possible, use a mix of regular and irregular past verbs. Use time expressions to provide context. Its also a good idea to mix in some other subjects such as my friend or my wife to signal that there is no change in the conjugation of the past simple other than putting the verb into the past. I visited my parents in Olympia last weekend.My wife cooked a wonderful dinner yesterday.We went to a movie yesterday evening. Continue modeling by asking yourself a question and providing the answer. Where did you go last week?  I went to Portland yesterday.When did you have lunch yesterday? I had lunch at 1 oclock yesterday.Which level did you teach last month? I taught beginner- and intermediate-level classes. Next, ask students similar questions. Its a good idea to use the same verbs- for example: went, had, played, watched, ate- when asking questions. Students will be able to follow your lead and answer appropriately. Introduce Regular and Irregular Verbs Using the verbs youve introduced, quickly ask students the infinitive form for each verb. Which verb is went?  goWhich verb is cooked? cookWhich verb is visited? visit Which verb is had? haveWhich verb is taught? teach Ask students if they notice any patterns. ​Usually, a few students will recognize that many past regular verbs end in ‑ed. Introduce the idea that some verbs are irregular and must be learned individually. Its a good idea to provide an irregular verb sheet for their study and future reference. Quick drills, such as a past simple grammar chant, will help students learn irregular forms. When discussing past regular verbs, make sure that students understand that the final e  in ‑ed  is generally silent: listened - /lisnd/watched - /wacht/   BUT: visited - /vIzIted/   Introduce Negative Forms Finally, introduce the negative form of the past simple through modeling. Model the form to the students and immediately encourage a similar answer. You can do this by asking a student a question, then modeling a negative and a positive sentence. When did you have dinner yesterday?  (student) I had dinner at 7 oclock.Did he/she  have dinner at 8 oclock? No, he/she didnt have dinner at 8 oclock. He/she had dinner at 7 oclock. Resources and Lesson Plans to Practice the Past Simple Explaining the Past Simple on the Board Use a past tense timeline to visualize the idea that the past simple is used to express something that began and ended in the past. Review time expressions that are used in the past, including last week, last month, and last year; in dates; and yesterday. Comprehension Activities After students are familiar with the form, continue expanding their understanding of it, as well as irregular verbs, with comprehension activities. Using stories of vacations, listening to  descriptions of something that  happened, or reading news stories will help underline when the past simple is used. Pronunciation Challenges Another challenge for students will be understanding the pronunciation of the past forms of regular verbs. Explaining the idea of voiced and voiceless pronunciation patterns will help students understand this pronunciation pattern.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Looking at the Four Way Relationship among Jackson, Clay, Calhoun, and Essay

Looking at the Four Way Relationship among Jackson, Clay, Calhoun, and Webster, which Man do you Find more Admirable and Why - Essay Example First is the one concerning the â€Å"nullification crisis†. Prior to this period, under the American System a lot of subsidies were being granted through tariffs imposed on imports and otherwise aiding the domestic industry because it was thought to boost the economy. When Jackson came into power, he curbed these trade protection measures which resulted in an outcry and retaliation from the Congress. The crisis that developed with strong stances from both sides was dimmed when the Congress announced it would lower taxes in 1833. The second episode was concerning the â€Å"Bank War†. The Bank of the United States was a corporation controlled by the Congress with basically two major functions, one was to print paper money and the second was to manage the government’s finances, however Jackson thought that such an institution was dangerous and wrongful and later vetoed a charter asking to expand the Bank’s role. Jackson became the advocate for the people aga inst the elite who had set to exploit them. By doing this he introduced a new but permanent theme into American Politics. Further, Jackson strengthened and extended the role and responsibilities of an American President. He inaugurated the â€Å"spoils system† which was in effect a patronage system whereby once a party wins the elections, the government gives employment to its voters as an incentive to stay loyal to the party. During his time in power, Andrew Jackson displayed a lot of strength and patriotism and with his precise aim and steel will was able to greatly impact the face of American politics for generations to come. (Miller Center, University of Virginia). Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was an American statesman, lawyer and orator and a strong supporter of nationalism. Following his quick success, Webster was elected for the House of Representatives in 1812. Later, Webster left the congress and moved to Boston, where he proceeded to establish himself as one of the na tion’s greatest lawyers. He returned back to Congress in 1823 and was elected for senator four years later. Webster allied with President Andrew Jackson over the issue of nullifying tariff in South Carolina but apart from that they were not really on the same side. Webster ran for presidency but was never elected. (Sydney Nathan). Henry Clay (1777-1852) was an American statesman, congressman and senator. Clay was a supporter of balancing the rights of Free states as well as slave states and fought for federal funding for the national bank, the industry and for much needed investment in infrastructure. Clay also ran twice for the Presidency, both times unsuccessfully. (Bio.Truestory) John Calhoun (1782-1850) was an influential American politician, senator and political theorist. He was Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832 during the presidency of John Quincy Adams and also during the initial time period under Andrew Jackson. Calhoun resigned from Vice Presiden cy in 1832 and was then elected for the United States Senate. He had been a supporter of President Jackson initially, but with the passage of time and events their alliance deteriorated and Calhoun withdrew his support from Jackson after he turned against him. He subsequently became a strong voice against Jackson’s policies especially, the â€Å"spoils system†. From the time beginning from1832 and leading up to this death, Calhoun dedicated his

Thursday, October 31, 2019

IB Biology Food Energy Content Experiment Essay

IB Biology Food Energy Content Experiment - Essay Example 263). The nutritive value of food is derived from the ability of a food to supply energy to the organism (McDonald et al. 263). To calculate the quantity of chemical energy present in food, it is necessary to convert it into heat energy and calculate the amount of heat it produces (McDonald et al. 264). This conversion is conducted by oxidizing the food by burning it; the amount of heat that is created from the complete oxidation of the unit weight of food is identified as the gross energy (McDonald et al. 264). The central determinant of the gross energy content of a food is its degree of oxidation as conveyed in the ratio of carbon plus hydrogen to oxygen (McDonald et al. 264). Carbohydrates contain approximately the same gross energy content of 17.5 MJ/kg DM while triglyceride fats contain lower amounts of oxygen and have a higher energy content of approximately 39 MJ/kg DM (McDonald et al. 264). Proteins have a higher level of gross energy values than carbohydrates due to the fact that they contain the oxidizeable element nitrogen (McDonald et al. 264). The present study was conducted in order to determine the energy content of four different samples of food that includes a cracker, a Mars chocolate bar, bread, and a 'Flips' chip. The researcher hypothesized that the mass of food will have no effect upon its energy content. In addition to this, it is hypothesized that the food with the highest energy content is the 'Flips' chip followed by the bread, cracker, and Mars chocolate sample. The researcher determined the energy content of the food by calculating the amount of Joules per mass in grams of each sample. Method: The researcher chose four different food samples to test for energy content. The quantities of food included a 2-gram sample of cracker, a 5.6-gram sample of Mars chocolate, a 10.4-gram sample of bread, and a 0.8-gram sample of a 'Flips' chip. There were three variables in this experiment. The first variable was the variety of food type, the second variable was the temperature of the water, and the third variable was the difference of mass of each sample of food. All other factors of the experiment were be consistent including the distance of the bunson burner from the test tube, the volume of water in each test, and the environment in which the experiment was conducted. The researcher used a beaker to measure 25cm^3 of water into each test tube. Five tests of each food were conducted in order to determine a mean value of each sample. The mass of each food sample was determined as well as the temperature of the water in each test tube before heating. Each food sample was attached to a pin and burned with a bunson burner. When the food sample burned, it was placed under the test tube until the flame burned out. During this time, the water in the test tube was stirred in order to evenly distribute heat transfer from the flame. After the flame burned out, the Celsius temperature of the water in the test tube was measured. The mass in grams of the food sample was then measured. The following formula was used in order to calculate the amount of energy each food sample contained in Joules: 25g * temperature rise of water (C) * 4.2 (J/g/C)/ mass of food (g)= Energy (J/g) This process was repeated for each food sample Results: Food Mass (g) Volume of water (cm3) Temperature after heating (oC) Temperature before heating (oC) Rise in water Temperature (oC) Energy content of food (J/g) Cracker 2 25 34 20 14 735 Mars

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Main Rules and Features of Informative Speech Essay

Main Rules and Features of Informative Speech - Essay Example Before developing a good informative speech, it is vital to first pick a topic and thoroughly research on it in a specified time integrating ones experiences, understand its purpose, learn the time allocation for good time management and learn whom the audience is to be able to relate with them and guide their attention. A speech should also have a good arrangement of the information that one needs to include in a logical order. It is only after careful consideration of all these aspects and understanding of the audience that one can begin to write down his/her speech. Writing a Good Informative Speech Before writing the introduction of a speech, it is important to ensure that one has a good opening statement that would grab the attention of the audience. For my speech, I decided to start with a funny statement that related to current affairs with a strong predisposition to my audience. In the introduction of the speech, one should inform the audience what the speech is about and wha t the main points are going to be, for example, I informed my audience that I was going to talk about my hobbies, how they had influenced me positively and the importance of having such hobbies. The topic chosen might be very general so that one is able to narrow it down to a specific aspect that is relevant to the audience instead of a broad topic, which is partly covered leaving one's audience lost in the speech. Furthermore, the speech should also demonstrate a high degree of competence and self-confidence in the subject one is speaking about to his audience. This can be achieved by possessing facts and good background knowledge about the topic one has chosen, and the information one intends to relay to the audience should be clearly defined. One of the objectives I had in mind while choosing to talk about blood donation as a hobby was to inform the audience of the importance of donating blood by attempting to change or reinforce their behavior and attitude towards caring for one another. In addition, while addressing cooking as a hobby I explained that it had influenced my personal skills on invention and solving problems from different approaches.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Importance Of Integrity In Society Philosophy Essay

The Importance Of Integrity In Society Philosophy Essay The concept of integrity has played a key role in moral philosophy throughout history and is promoted in all societies because of its importance to social relations (Schlenker, 2009). Individual integrity is vital to society as the kind of society which is likely to be more conducive to integrity which is one which enables people to develop and make use of their capacity for critical reflection, one which does not force people to take up particular roles because of their sex or race or any other reason, and one which does not encourage individuals to betray each other either to escape prison or to advance their career. Besides, societies can be favourable to the development of individual integrity. Society expects and requires integrity of its leaders. A person of integrity insists on doing what is right at all times, not only when he knows that a superior or subordinate is watching him. It is the courage to complete a bombing run when one knows full well that the chance for survival is poor or non-existent or the courage to admit failure rather than alter a report (Duggar nd.). Ethics come into play when the interests of others are incorporated into the calculus of  personal  and business decision-making as human beings we live embedded in a society. The most successful individuals and companies are those with reputations of high individual integrity among everyone they deal with. This level of integrity builds the confidence and enables them to do more business than their competitors whose ethics may be a little unstable (Barry Stephens, 1998).   Integrity is complete honesty in any situation (Flynn, 1978). We must determine what is really right and really wrong. Right even transcends the violation of regulations. You must oppose what is wrong and support what is right even if it costs you your life or your career. In other words, integrity means more to the professional officer than the dictionary definition. It means honesty, truthfulness, reliability, impartiality, sincerity, open mindedness, trustworthiness, and courage. It means totally ethical behaviour at all times and in all situations, regardless of the consequences. It cannot be turned on and off as desired; it is the focus of the professionals life (Flynn, 1978). Babbitt (1997) explicitly links individual integrity to social structures in a way that broadens the concept of integrity. If social educational structures fail to facilitate the life of integrity, other structures may be positively hostile to it. As Babbitt (1997) notes, one needs to be able to make choices in order to develop the kinds of interests and concerns which are significant to leading a life of integrity. On the other hand, oppressed people are often able to reflect on social realities with the greater insight because they do not benefit from them. They have no incentive to accept self-deceptive attitudes about circumstances of oppression or to see past them with convenient blindness. Oppressed groups therefore have all the more scope to think about social reality with integrity, and to act out of this understanding with integrity. A capacity for reflection and understanding enables one to work toward integrity even if it does not ensure that one achieves an ideal of integ rity. An adequate account of personal integrity must recognize that some social structures are of the wrong sort altogether for some individuals to be able to pursue personal integrity, and that questions about the moral nature of society often need to be asked first before questions about personal integrity can properly be raised (Babbitt, 1997). Questions about integrity may turn out to be, not about the relationship between individual characteristics, interests, choices and so on, and a society, but rather about what kind of society it is in terms of which an individual comes to possess certain interests, characteristics, and so on. This does not imply that questions about personal integrity are entirely moral, not having to do with idiosyncratic characteristics of individuals; instead, it suggests that the very meaning of personal integrity in particular cases sometimes depends upon more general considerations about the nature of the society that makes some idiosyncratic properties ide ntifying and others not. The pursuit of adequate personal integrity often depends, not so much on understanding who one is and what one believes and is committed to, but rather understanding what ones society is and imagining what it could be (Babbitt, 1997). 3.1 The Importance of Integrity in Organization Integrity refers to the culture, policies, and leadership philosophy at the corporate level. A culture of integrity has to start at the top and be seen in the activities of the executives. The leadership of the corporation must develop a consensus around the shared values (Warren, 2009). Placing organizational and  personal integrity in the moral context could give organization a framework for articulating subtle aspects of the companys organizational life such as culture, routines, and so on. These have direct impact on profitability and on the companys sustainability. The reason is that in the same way as individuals possess an identity or character, the company does too. The organizational culture of a firm is the personality, identity or character of the company. It is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and ethical orientation of organization members, as well as of their behaviors (Nelly, 2007). Integrity is necessary to effective leaders in the workplace. It may possibly place at the top among the characteristic that a leader needs to possess. Thus, when faced between right and wrong, integrity means making the correct choice for leader. Besides, leaders in organizations and companies demonstrate ability to manage and motivate workers while furthering the aims and goals of the business. A leader who consistently demonstrates integrity and the willingness to make the right decisions for the good of the organization encourages loyalty and commitment from workers. It is an important factor in moving the company for those workers respond positively to a leader or manager with integrity (Kelchner nd.). Workers will catch on and follow suit if employers will demonstrate honesty and integrity in all situations. According to Bruyn power for the leader does not flow from the organization but from the influence that leader has to convince people to recognize and accept that power. Simply, a leader must build and maintain credibility with his followers. Those leaders who rely upon the organization to give them the authority they need will never have sufficient authority to carry out their tasks because what they need is not authority from an outside source but to build influence through integrity so that they can influence people themselves. It is not the plate on the door that gives a leader the authority to lead but the trust of the people being led (Maxwell, John, 1993). It is important for an individual to determine for an employer with similar values. This match will be a key factor in ones ability to grow professionally and gain experience. As Quigley (2007) has pointed out, the culture of integrity may be far more important than the starting salary in ones quest for personal and professional fulfilment. He notes that corporations with a culture of integrity will offer support to employees through colleagues and processes in place. Consultation with other is seen as strength rather than a weakness and supports a work-life balance. This is because it reduces job stress, balances ones perspective, and contributes to job satisfaction (Quigley, 2007). 3.2 The Importance of Integrity in Individuals Integrity is attributed to various parts or aspects of a persons life. There are those attributes such as professional, intellectual and artistic integrity. Integrity is more than ethics at the individual level. It is all about the character of the individual. It is those characteristics of an individual that are consistently considerate, compassionate, transparent, honest, and ethical. However, the most philosophically important sense of the term integrity relates to general character (Cox, La Caze, Levine, 2001). Integrity communicates to self and others in a way that psychic wholeness or individuation does not. It is this quality of communicability that reduces integrity such an essential factor in psychotherapeutic practice. It determines the way in which the individual relates to the world and to others in the world as well as to his or her own self. It can be understood as a particular moral, as opposed to psychological attribute which has a direct relationship with the rest of the subjects moral being while being independent of it at the same time. It is a given of personality and cannot be achieved (Gross, 2001). According to Quigley (2007), he emphasizes the critical role of trust in the professional success of an individual. He states: Simply put, those who bend rules are not considered trustworthy, and without trust an individuals value is severely diminished. Markets do not function and value is destroyed without trust and confidence. (Quigley, 2007, p.9). Quigley goes on to note the critical importance of integrity and character in the workplace. Competencies are meaningless if lacking trust. Individuals who are not trustworthy will not be given opportunities or responsibilities, and they will not be wanted as team members by clients or other employees. Individuals are untrustworthy without integrity. Individuals who own integrity will commit to choosing right before they find themselves in a situation (Quigley, 2007). Integrity is a quality of spirit that lives in all of us (Sherman, 2003). Professional integrity and ethical behaviour is crucial for personal  credibility  and professional success within the business world.  Each profession has a set of core values by which it identifies its very essence (Brown, 1980). Professionals who have worked with personnel who lacked integrity talk about the inability to count on individuals to do what they have said they would do, environments where the focus has gone from customers to protecting oneself, and where leaders are unwilling to live by the values that they publicly espouse (Warren, 2009. To act with professional integrity, each member of the profession has the responsibility to have personal integrity, and the best of us create environments that nourish the integrity of others (Sherman, 2003). 4.0 Other Relevant Theories 4.1 Kohlberg Theory This section discusses the relevant theories in explaining integrity and ethics. In order to study the theory for integrity and ethics, one must understand moral development. According to Kohlberg (1971) moral development is divided into three levels with six stages. His theory for this development is based on the thinking of Jean Piaget and John Dewey, who are Swiss psychologist and American philosopher respectively (Barger, nd.). Moral development proposed by Kohlberg believing that people progressed in their moral reasoning through a series of stages. Level Stage Social Orientation Pre-conventional 1 Obedience and Punishment 2 Individualism, Instrumentalism, and Exchange Conventional 3 Good boy/girl 4 Law and Order Post-conventional 5 Social Contract 6 Principled Conscience Table 1: Lawrence Kohlbergs Moral Development Framework The first level in moral development is pre-conventional level with two stages. Stage one is obedience and punishment. In this stage, people will try their best to avoid punishment and will not question human meaning or value on these consequences. In short, people behave is depends on social acceptable norms which set by authority group, such as parent, political leaders and teacher. This element can be found in ethic context. One is regarded to fulfill the ethical behavior if they behave consistent with social norms that set in their society. While in stage two, the benchmark for right behavior is means acting for self-interest. They will typically satisfy their own needs before the others. People in this group are practicing the element of fairness, reciprocity and equal sharing, however, in a pragmatic way, for example: you scratch my back and I will scratch yours (Kohlberg,1971). Conventional level of moral development is much common in today society. Good boy/girl in stage three explains that good behavior is usually judge by intention. It further explained that good behavior is actions that making others happy, helping others, and must approved by them. Integrity consists of element in stage three as integrity is not solely depended on rule and regulation by authority group. Instead, it is emphasized on personal judgment, for example, trust is hardly to measure with rule and regulations. On the other hand, stage four is law oriented. This means that people in this group are behaving based on a fixed set of rules and regulation. This can explain well the characteristic of ethic. In ethic study, one is considered acting ethically if he/she complied with the legal point of view set by authority in society. He/she is considered practicing moral if he/she doing his duty, respecting authority decision, and comply with the given social norms. Third level of Kohlberg moral development is suitable to explain the characteristic of integrity. In Solomon (1999) view integrity incorporates a balance between loyalty and moral autonomy and it is associated with moral humility. Social contract in stage five under post-conventional level is the continuous of stage 4 law and order. Behavior under social contact is still based on law and regulations set in society, but subjected to rational consideration. This means that there is a possibility of changing in law set by society, depending on the situation. It is about the mutual benefit, welfare and interest of the society as explained by Palanski and Yammarino (2007) integrity is about wholeness. The last stage is about principled conscience, which emphasize on universal principal and individual conscience. As discuss in Gutmann (1945) paper, integrity is seems to be something far more than a simple agreement. Gutmann said in order to achieve integrity, adjustment of innumerable elem ents which themselves compose the people character. There is no fixed rules and law, but it is based on intrinsic moral value. It is consistence with stage five in Kohlberg Moral Development, theorem emphasize on the universal principles of justice, reciprocity, equal respect and the dignity of human right. For example, a person claims to practice integrity if his /her actions are based on their conscience. At the same time, the actions done are fulfilling the universal principles. 4.2 The Forsyth Theory High Relativism Low Relativism Situationists High Idealism -Rejects moral codes -personal analysis of actions in each situation -relativistic -Idealistic Skeptic Absolutists Accepts moral codes Ethical decisions must not harm others Deontologist Subjectivists Low Idealism Rejects moral codes Personal values determine judgments, Not universal codes Ethical egoists Exceptionists Accepts moral codes, but open to exceptions. Optimal outcomes not possible for all Teleologist, utilitarian Figure 1 Forsyths Taxonomy of personal Moral Philosophies (S.J. Forsyth, 1980) Sources: Chan. L. M, Othman. J Joned. R (2011), The Conceptual Model of Personal Philosophy Ethical Decision Making. Journal of Management Research. According to Bass, Barnett Brown (1998) the differences between the ethical theories of deontology, teleology, and scepticism are the degree of the theories which is relativistic or non relativistic. Generally, most of the ethics theories recognized the personal moral philosophy (PMP) as one of important elements for individuals ethical decision making process. Forsyth (1980) has designed a 2 X 2 category of moral philosophies based on these two dimensions. He terms the integrated system of ethics as personal moral philosophy (PMP). According to Forsyth (1980) a persons moral beliefs, attitudes and values are included PMP. In the PMP, it provides the guidelines for moral judgments, solutions to ethical dilemmas, because it contains the elements produced by previous experiences in resolving ethical dilemmas (Chan, Othman Joned, 2011). As Forsyth (1980) states relativism is the degree to which an individual rejects universal moral rules as appropriate guidelines for ethical decisions. Forsyth (1992) argued moral rules exist in a situational context as a function of time, place and culture and relativism said that moral absolutes should be rejected. Normally, high relativistic people who will believe the universal ethical codes or moral principles are not important when making ethical judgments and decision because they must consider external factors also. While, low relativistic person when making a moral judgments or decision will more stress on the importance of rigid adherence to ethical codes. Forsyth (1988) explained that idealism is involves expand of an individuals concern with the welfare of others. This is the degree to which an individual believes that desirable consequences can, with the right action, always be obtained (Forsyth, 1980). An idealist believes that morally correct actions will always produce negative and also positive consequences (Forsyth, 1980). A person who are highly idealistic individuals are believe that harming is avoidable, and they would rather not choose if the decision will lead to negative consequences for other people (Karande, Rao, Singhapakdi, 2002). Idealism involves the values which related to sense of optimism in considering responses to moral issues; however, it is not based on an embrace of moral absolutes (Singhapakdi, Vitell, Franke, 1999). Therefore, idealism and relativism are conceptually independent, and individuals maybe high or low on either dimensions (Forsyth, 1980; Karande, 2002). From the previous research and finding found that many authors concluded the differences in personal moral philosophies are influence individuals toward the argumentative of ethical issues (business ethics). Based on the variety of social and ethics issues, the personal moral philosophy have shown that the beliefs on which ethical decisions should be made are important elements of attitudes (Chan, Othman Joned, 2011). 5.0 The Relationship Between Integrity and Ethics In Organization An organizations success depends on the integrity of its employees. Over the past several of the studies, many documented evidence proven of unethical behaviour in organizations (McDonal Nijhof, 1999). The lack of morality and ethics (employee) in an organization will results in lost security and credibility. The employees are the person who always contact with customers; therefore, they are representative of organizations image. If an employee acts without integrity will cause organizations reputation damaged and both customers and employees a tragic loss (Czimbal Brooks, nd.). The behaviour and performance of leaders were assumed to affect other people and organization (Cielo, nd.). According to Cheney (2006) organizations that have conducted an ethical orientation will witness the improved reputations. Generally, most theories and empirical research have attributed unethical behaviour to situational variables associated with the organization, characteristics of the individuals, or the interaction between these two factors (Trevin, 1986; Ford Richardson, 1994; Loe, 2000). Following by this, ethics and integrity also became a research focus, and specifically the relationship between a contribute individuals prosperity and the collective good. However, Dehspande (1996) argued that ethics policies in an organization and ethical behaviour of employees and management within an organization are two different concepts; yet, they do influence each other. According to Peterson (2003) the degree to which a person believes in universal moral is influence by how are the situational variables is. That is, some individuals may believe that certain acts such as bribe, unfaithful, are always wrong. However, the other individuals may reject the concept that there are universal moral rules and assume that what make up ethical behaviour depends on the situation of the behaviour. One of the possibilities that is, every people is different, in terms of their degree of believe in universal moral rules, and the belief that related to ethics. All such elements have been incorporated into a number of theories on ethical behaviour. The belief of ethics is relative incorporated into a number of theories on ethical behaviour is related to the possibility that individuals differ in terms of the degree to which they believe. One of the situational factors is after the observed unethical behaviour among many organizations; it assumed that the much of the differences is the integrity or ethical attitudes of the organizations leaders (Sims Brinkmann, 2002). According to Resick, Hanges, Marcus, Dickson, and Mitchelson (2006) explored approval that one of the components that characterize ethical leadership is integrity. Due to Beu and Buckley (2004) claimed that organization members will be influences if that leaders with unethical practices. Follow by Simons (1999) studied integral behaviour as an ingredient of leadership and found that a meaningful direct relationship between integrity and the ability to incur the changes. Davis and Rothslein (2006) further commented that ethical leadership involves personal integrity. The six core universal moral values stated in the Aspen Declaration have been referred to by other business ethicists (Carroll, 1993; Schwartz,2002) Josephson institute of ethics (1996) claim that what appear from the analysis is that moral values are declaim by other resources. The values include the following (Josephson, 1996): Trustworthiness (including the notions of honesty, integrity, reliability, and loyalty; Respect (including concept of civility, autonomy, and tolerance); Responsibility (including notions of accountability, excellence, and self- restraint); Fairness (including concepts of process, impartiality and equity); Caring (including notions of concern for the welfare of others, as well as benevolence);and Citizenship (including concept of respecting the law and protecting environment). According to Peterson Forsyth (1980) was proposed that the beliefs of individuals varied along from a strong belief in universal moral rules to a belief that ethics is relative. Kohlbergs (1969) original model viewed moral development as progressing through a series of stages and levels. An individual are assumed to believe in universal values or principles where highest level of moral are developed. It would seem logical to assume that individuals would not easily to be affected others views, such as leaders in organization because of the strong belief in universal moral rules (Peterson, 2003). Forsyths model normally individual who expected to solve ethical dilemma is adapted to belief in universal moral rules. However, in Kohlbergs model, individuals functioning at the highest level of moral reasoning are assumed to follow to a self-chosen set of moral rules and are expected to reason beyond the norms, laws, or authority of any individual group. Therefore, it acceptable to say that individual with strong belief in moral rules is not easily to be influenced. Conversely, it also reasonable to say that individuals who are strongly belief universal moral rules could be easily influenced by external factors in determining ethically appropriate. In Forsyths framework, individual will judge ethical dilemmas based on their personal perception and knowledge towards the situation if they do not belief in universal moral values. However, according to Kohbergs model, some of the individual will classified at the level of moral to determine ethically appropriate based on their expectations of behaviour of others, such as family, a peer group, or society in general. Therefore, based on all these theories, people who not believe in universal moral rules seems likely easily influenced by others, as well as the leaders in the organization ( Peterson, 2003). 6.0 Conclusion The relationship between integrity and ethics remains unclear because the researchers (McAllister, 1995; Kramer, 2000; Tyler, 2003) failed to declare the relationship between these two concepts through their researches. The reasons behind this phenomenon are clear as the relationship between integrity and ethics are mutual in nature. Integrity is a personal code of conduct that goes above the letter of good conduct and encompasses the spirit of good conduct (Shane, 2007) whereas ethics is an entity to be formed within a societal or environmental situation. The foundation assumption of ethics is that it develops through time, space and context. Integrity defined as the consistency of an acting entitys words and actions (Palanski Yammarino, 2007). The reciprocal relationship has create confusion towards the understanding on how exactly these two distinct concepts works in a social phenomenon. Kohlberg theory attempts to capture the whole relationship between these two dimensions which is integrity and ethics. However, this theory is still way behind to explain the relationship. Kohlbergs theory is concerned with moral thinking, but there are always a big gap between knowing what we should to do and our real actions (Cherry, nd.). Perceived an individuals functioning at the highest level of moral reasoning are assumed to follow to a self-chosen set of moral rules and are expected to reason beyond the norms, laws, or authority of any individual group (Peterson, 2003) . Thus, it adequate to about that individual with strong belief in moral rules is not easily to be influenced. The challenge of modern society is that there is a missing link between people and the quality of integrity. It has been lost to most in our world and culture. Some people not even know what integrity means. Integrity is a model of truthful and honest, yet its value in society seems to be underrated. Integrity is complete honesty in any situation (Flynn, 1978). Having a high level of integrity is one of the most important characteristic people can possess. It is a core value, a choice and something people can nurture. Integrity means totally ethical behavior at all times and in all situations, regardless of the consequences. People may not always be right or do right, but if people have integrity, they will accept the responsibility associate with their actions. People will feel remorse if they have done something wrong and revise their mistakes to ensure it will not happen in the future. A general is that an organization always overvalues the differentiation of the organization culture from the national culture. Different organization from a given country share many characteristics (Hofstede 1991; Zander 1997). They are differing according to the ethical values focused on and the implementation approaches used. Some companies focus on the core values of integrity that reflect basic obligations, such as respect for the rights of others, honesty, fair dealing, and obedience to the law. Other companies highlight ambitions values that are ethically desirable but not necessarily morally obligatory such as good service to customers, a commitment to diversity, and involvement in the community (Paine, 2001). As widely defined, integrity is more than ethics (Duggar, nd.). However, the issue arise is that it is hard for one to be classified as an individual of integrity. This is because the meaning of integrity itself is ambiguous and confusing, for instance, Turnnet (nd.) stated that individual of integrity will be responsible to keep promises. In practice, we are hardly to judge whether someone are keeping promise based on their responsibility. For instance, an employee could work overtime because he wants to keep his promises and responsibility in completing tasks. It may also happen because the employee intends to earn overtime paid by dragging the given tasks. Unlike ethics, integrity has no guideline or code to be followed. As mention by Duggar, integrity is about fair, just and acceptable. However these elements are hardly to be standardized as it is very subjective.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Great Gatsby: The Demise of Two Dreams Essay -- essays research p

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While there are numerous themes throughout the text of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the most prominent is that of the American Dream. The American Dream is the idea that any person, no matter what he or she is, or from where he or she has come, can become successful in life by his or her hard work; it is the idea that a self-sufficient person, an entrepreneur, can be a success. In this novel, however, it is the quest for this ‘dream’ (along with the pursuit of a romantic dream) that causes the ultimate downfall of Jay Gatsby.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the book, Gatsby avoids the reality of his simple, difficult childhood in efforts to avoid the embarrassment of having lived in poverty during his youth. At the age of seventeen, Jay Gatsby changed his name from James Gatz, marking the beginning of his version of the American Dream. â€Å"His parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people [and] his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all [†¦] the truth was that Jay Gatsby, of West Egg, Long Island, sprang from his Platonic conception of himself [when he] invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen year old boy would† (104). And although masked for most of the story, Gatsby’s childhood provides a key source of determination in his endeavor of achieving the American Dream.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During Gatsby’s early adulthood, he joined the army (where he first met Daisy). He initially loved her because of her extraordinary house and because many other men had already loved her. One evening in October, Gatsby fell in love with Daisy Fay, and in turn she fell in love with Gatsby. â€Å"[Daisy] was the first ‘nice’ girl that he had ever known† (155). Their love was uneasy at first but this uneasiness was lifted when he and Daisy fell in love, and he found that â€Å"she thought [he] knew a lot because [he] knew different things from her† (157). While their month of love was physically ended when Gatsby went abroad, their emotional love was not and Daisy, in her artificial world, could not understand why Gatsby could not come home; she wanted her love to be with her, she needed some assurance that she was doing the right thing. It was not long however, before Daisy fell in love with a wealthy, former All-American college fo otball player named Tom Buchanan. Gatsby’s heart was br... ...s romantic dream was dead, his American Dream remained alive and beaming. He still had everything going for him; he had his youth, money, and personality. He was morally superior to his fellow East Eggers and Nick acknowledged this when he told Gatsby that he was â€Å"worth the whole damn bunch put together† (162). To have it all taken away for something he had not done was the greatest misfortune of the entire novel and his death became even more disheartening at his funeral when, despite Nick’s efforts to make it respectable, only he, Gatsby’s father and servants, and one of Gatsby’s acquaintances attended. None of his ‘friends’, nor did the ‘love of his life’ come. Nick truly cared about Jay Gatsby as no one else did; he exemplified what a true friend is and did what only a friend would do for another. Daisy, however, did not seem to feel even a shred of sadness, or guilt, over Gatsby’s death which is apparent in he r not attending his funeral and instead going away on a vacation with Tom. In the end, it was Gatsby’s strong desire for wealth and Daisy, his version of the American Dream, which proved to be the greatest reason for his grave downfall at the hands of a ruthless society.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Genetic Engineering in Food Production Essay

Genetic Engineering in Food Production: Is it Safe, Wise, and Moral? Over the past couple of decades, the genetic engineering has been found and is regarded as the improvement of advanced technology in the field of biology. Ever since the first gene was cloned in 1973, genetic engineers have been pursuing at break-neck speed the unlimited possibilities promised by biotechnology . Their excitement, which has generated billions of investment dollars for the industry, is understandable. Bioengineering allows scientists to identify specific gene sequences responsible for particular characteristics and then to transfer the genes — and the specific trait — into entirely different species. One of the more current and controversial issue in the field of biotechnology is the use of bioengineering in food production. Scientists are experimenting with many different plants, but the genetic engineering of the tomato, dubbed Flavr Savr has been the most highly publicized project by far. The new tomato is supposed to boast more red and be tastier due to its longer staying time on the vine, thereby giving it more time to accumulate sweetness; yet, it will not rot or spoil because of its new genetic makeup. (Davidson 1993). With this advanced technology scientists argue that it could offer the greatest hope in the aid to stop hunger in Third World countries. This new technology could be used to make bulk levels of food production more efficient and less costly. However, despite all of its advantages in creating better crops, many people are very skeptical about its safe and possible long-term health effects. Moreover, the social issue lies deep in the realm of ethical and moral concerns. Do people really want to eat meat that is leaner and tastier but contains genes from humans? Or, would individuals (like vegetarians) be able to eat certain vegetables that may contain genes from animals? Personally, I would not support the use of genetic engineering in food production based on moral and ethical reasons: I do not think that scientists should be able to use their knowledge and social prestige in society to be able to play the role of God in creating new or better living things even if their justification is for the purpose of serving mankind. Although we still have much to learn about genes, recently developed techniques have already given rise to a new technology of molecular genetics. Genetic engineering, also known as gene splicing/manipulation and recombinant DNA technology is a set of techniques for reconstructing, or deliberately manipulating, the genetic material of an organism. Operating at the molecular level, this process involves the addition, deletion, or reorganization of pieces of an organism’s DNA (known as genes) in order to alter that organism’s protein production (Arms et al. 1994). The use and applications of genetic engineering range from medical and pharmaceutical to industrial crops and food products. Its applications, today or in the future, include†¦creating improved strains of crops and farm animals (Arms et al. 1994). All of these applications rely on the ability to transplant genes into a cell’s makeup, or genome. The new gene may come from another organism, of the same species, or it may contain DNA produced in the laboratory. One example, the new Flavr Savr tomato, developed by Calgene, a biotechnology company based in Davis, California, was subjected to years of scrutiny before the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) agreed that it was safe to eat. They found, copied, and rebuilt a gene that lets these tomatoes stay on the vine without softening and spoiling. That means that the fruit can develop more of the sugars and acids that make a home-grown tomato taste so sweet and rich. Conventional tomatoes sold in the stores are often hard and flavorless because they are picked while green and firm enough to transport, then ‘ripened’ by spraying with ethylene (Wood 1995). This turns the tomato red but does nothing to develop a riper flavor. Ethylene, a colorless, odorless gas that once kicks in, so do all the problems of perishability (Wood 1995). Since tomatoes have a softening gene, it produces RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) to help manufacture a protein that causes rotting. To stop the tomatoes going soft too soon, the researchers devised a way to block production of the enzyme polygalacturonase, which breaks down cell walls and eventually causes the fruit to rot (Miller 1994). The Calgene scientists inserted a mirror image of the softening gene that produces a reverse copy of the RNA. This reverse RNA blocks the action of the regular RNA and helps to preserve the fruit. All in all, Calgene seems to have produced a good but hardly outstanding tomato using antisense technology, given all the propaganda and advertisements. A couple of the reasons for why the tomato failed were because: (a) the manipulation of the ripening gene had unintended consequences (soft skin, weird taste, compositional changes); and (b) the high price — they tried selling it at first for$2. 99 a pound (as expensive as organic tomatoes), then later dropped the price to $2. 49, then $1. 99, then . 99. Furthermore, the general public does not seem persuaded or have caught up with this trend yet. For one, people are greatly concerned about the safety of the product since the FDA does not insist that genetically engineered foods carry a special label, even though the FDA assured consumers that they can be confident in knowing that foods produced by genetic engineering are as safe as food in our grocery stores today, stated FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, MD (Miller 1994). However, critics have cited a case in which at least 31 people died and 1500 contracted a fatal blood disease after ingesting a genetically engineered batch of L-trytophan, a dietary supplement (Davidson 1993). Without proper labeling it will be impossible for consumers to exercise their right to choose what kind of foods they eat. Another issue among consumers and environmental activist groups is that of moral and ethical concerns. Many people feel that scientists might have gone too far in terms of experimentation. We have now come to the end of the familiar pathway of leaving everything to the creation of Mother Nature. With the rise of advanced technology in genetics, scientists now possess the ability to manipulate genes, and redirect the course of evolution. They can reassemble old genes and devise new ones. They can plan, and with computer simulation, anticipate the future forms and paths of life. Hence, the old ways of evolution will be dwarfed by the role of purposeful human intelligence. However, just as nature stumbled upon life billions of years ago and began the process of evolution, so too would the new creators of life find that living organisms all have a destiny of their own. To evaluate the validity of the benefits of this technology, we need to answer three simple questions: Is it safe, is it wise, is it moral? Sinsheimer 1987). To answer the first question about whether it is safe, if the technological developments are kept open to public knowledge and scrutiny, I think in the short term it could be. This way the general public can monitor the hazards of any new product introduced into the biosphere, and can probably cope with any immediate problems or consequences. In answering the second question of whether it is wise, I would say that it is not. Through decades of research, scientists have learned of the different pathogens that prey on humans, animals, and major crops. But I believe that their knowledge is still very limited in trying to understand what led to these organisms’ existence and modes of adaptation. Thus scientists cannot really predict whether all their new discoveries and creations might somehow lead to a new and unexpected group of harmful species since potential organisms that could be converted by one or more mutations be transformed from harmless bugs to serious risks. Finally, to answer the question of the advantages of genetic engineering in terms of morality and ethics, I can only say that the more we create, the more problems we will have in the long run in trying to solve them. Life has evolved on this planet into a delicately balanced and fragile network of selfsustaining interactions and equilibrium. If we try to change or replace the creatures and vegetation of this earth with human-designed forms to conform to human will, I believe we will forget our origins and inadvertently collapse the ecological system in which we were found. Moreover, do we really want to assume the full responsibility for the structure and make-up of our world? I think that we seriously need to intervene between the scientists and engineers to consider a solution that will help slow down all of these experiments so that we could step back and look at what we are doing. If not, I think that these practicing scientists and researchers should be more broadly educated in our humanistic values and traditions. They need to understand the implications of what they are doing in order to be able to balance the concerns of the natural environment and that of society’s humanistic needs; to bear in mind that technology exists only to serve and not create. Human beings, are of course, sprung from the same DNA and built of the same molecules as all other livings things. But if we begin to regard ourselves as just another group of subjects to test our experiments on by altering or tampering with the foods we eat, just like another crop to be engineered or another breed to be perfected, we will surely lose our awe of humanity and undermine all sense of human dignity.