Haier Strategy Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Haier Strategy Analysis - Research Paper Example The company approaches the corporate-level strategy by establishing subsidiaries in different locations. Presently, the company has subsidiaries in 13 countries with eight being design centers and ten information centers. Analysis of Haier’s strategies using the BCG matrix indicates that, the developed regions falls under â€Å"stars† as seen in their high proceeds and market share. An example of a developed country that fits such a description is the US whose rewards would be a â€Å"cash cow† if the market share were kept. Cows are the developing countries, for example, Kenya that has a high market share based on the technologically perceptive persons; however, the income is low meaning that Haier has to reduce investments. Dogs are the emerging economies where the need for electrical items is still low especially in regions where distribution is hindered by distance and distribution costs. Haier is yet to access such markets as seen in war torn regions such as Sudan and Afghanistan. Question marks in the strategy are regions with high growth and reduced market share. Indeed, Haier accesses such markets through its extended subsidiaries as evident in Philippines; however, such markets are unviable meaning that it would be appropriate to sell the commodities and close shop. Based on Porter’s analysis, Haier’s strength include a huge market, reputation of the brand and innovation. Internal weaknesses are notable in ineffective marketing and advertising, the human management ineffectiveness, lack of core technology and inadequate competition in the high-end market. External threats include economic downturn, growing competition and strong rivals, increasing prices and the constantly changing customer needs. External opportunities for the company include a global economic integration, potential for increased domestic sales and the development of green products. Analysis of Key success factor for Haier (what is essential for Haie r in order to be successful) There are different factors that Haier should consider in ensuring success as a major firm in the market (Kynge, 1999). Some of the customer concerns regarding electronics are some of the success factors necessary to Haier. Quality should be one of the considerations for Haier as it designs its products. An electronics customer needs their acquired items to be long lasting, serve the purpose successfully and efficiently. Haier in the local content has been known for having quality products, but in the global concept, it faces well-established companies associated with a certain standard of quality. The first step necessary for Haier is promoting a standard, which the market expects from it. Issuing guarantees and service clinics could be one of the methods of setting up the platform for enhancing consumer quality. Budget is another concern for customers on a global scale. Most shoppers of electronics consider products within a given price range (Darwar & Frost, 1999). Some of the companies in the sector have succeeded due to the implementation of low and competitive prices based on the market. Functionality is a huge factor to consider in a competitive market. Today’s customer usually shops while considering the benefits. By meeting the preliminary function and introducing several other functions at a price that is lesser than the fee of a device, the organization can capture the market (Gupta &

Other topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Other topic - Research Paper Example This section is going to present how the research was carried out. It will give the approaches taken in the research and the philosophical assumption of the approach. Research approaches are plans and steps that explain how the research will be undertaken and the procedures and methods for data collection, analysis, and presentation (Karin 16). This study adopted a qualitative approach of research which involves studying and exploring new phenomena and problems with a certain group of people. It is a method best used in the social sciences and also in market research to explore the behavior of people or groups of people towards certain products (Karin 12). This approach best suited this study since the study wanted to explore the impacts that electronic marketing has on the service industry in Tallinn City. This study intended to gather in-depth understanding of the behavior of users of electronic marketing facilities and qualitative approach is the best to use on this kind of study. Furthermore, a small selected sample was used to facilitate the research and it is one of the features of qualitative approach of study (Karin, 12). The philosophical assumption behind this qualitative approach of research is constructivism. According to Karin, it is an assumption that mostly focuses on the interaction of human being with one another on their world (21). The study of impacts of electronic marketing in the service industry in Tallinn City is a study on the interaction of people as they shop for goods and services purchased and receive cash for the service rendered. The constructivism philosophical assumption has it that human beings develop meaning from their interaction in the world they live in, (Karin, 21). The aim of the research design is to provide a way of answering the research questions (Damon, Pedersen and McEvoy, 132). It is to provide the outline of the

Binge Drinking Patients and Effects on Staff Literature review

Binge Drinking Patients and Effects on Staff - Literature review Example Although the A&E attendances caused because of alcohol consumption may occur any time throughout the day, yet most of them happen during weekends and at nights when the tendency of people to consume alcohol is maximal (Pirmohamed et al., 2000). The male attendances outnumber the female attendances by more than twice and most of these attendees are young adults lesser than 40 years of age, which suggests that a vast majority of binge drinkers are young adults (Pirmohamed et al., 2000). The tendency of being involved in the alcohol-related violence in men is twice as much as that in women. 50 per cent of the injuries are related to neck and head and almost 25 per cent of the victims are hospitalized (Wright and Kariya, 1997). Binge drinking is one of the main causes of physical violence and verbal abuse of the healthcare professionals serving in the A&E departments. The effects of patients with the effects of binge drinking appearing in the A&E departments on the staff have been measur ed in different countries and most of the research studies have invariably estimated high level of danger and risks for the staff. In Australia, 2.3 per cent of the overall burden of disease could be attributed to alcohol in the year 2003 that was equivalent to 61091 life years adjusted for disability (Harvard et al., 2011). The burden of harm caused by binge drinking in Australia has been found to be disproportionately high in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. Departments that are usually affected the most are the inner city departments and the healthcare professionals assuming the maximal risk of assaults are nurses and male doctors. The healthcare providers in general and the staff at the emergency departments in particular have many concerns of safety while dealing with the binge drinkers. One of the nurses interviewed by Gunasekara et al. (2011) expressed these concerns in these words, â€Å"I

EndoPredict and Mammaprint Risk Classification

EndoPredict and Mammaprint Risk Classification Comparison of risk classification between EndoPredict and Mammaprint in ER-positive/HER2-negative primary invasive breast cancer. Alberto Pelez-Garcia, Laura Yebenes, Alberto Berjon, Antonia Angulo, Pilar Zamora, Jose Ignacio Snchez-Mendez, Enrique Espinosa, Andres Redondo, Victoria Heredia, Marta Mendiola, Jaime Feliu, David Hardisson Corresponding Author: David Hardisson, MD, PhD; Department of Pathology; Hospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZ; Paseo de la Castellana, 261; 28046 Madrid, Spain. ABSTRACT Purpose To compare the prognostic performance of the EndoPredict assay with the MammaPrint scores obtained for the same cancer samples on 40 estrogen-receptor positive/HER2-negative breast carcinomas. Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded invasive breast carcinoma tissues that were previously analyzed with MammaPrint as part of routine care of the patients, andwere classified as high-risk (20 patients) and low-risk (20 patients), were selected to be analyzed by the EndoPredict assay, a second generation gene expression test that combines expression of 8 genes (EP score) with two clinicopathological factors (tumor size and nodal status, EPclin score). Results The EP score classified 15 patients as low-risk and 25 patients as high-risk. EPclin re-classified 5 of the 25 EP high-risk patients into low-risk, resulting in a total of 20 high-risk and 20 low-risk tumors. EP score and MammaPrint score were significantly correlated (p=0.008). Twelve of 20 samples classified as low-risk by MammaPrint were also low-risk by EP score (60%). 17 of 20 MammaPrint high-risk tumors were also high-risk by EP score. The overall concordance between EP score and MammaPrint was 72.5%.   EPclin score also correlated with MammaPrint results (p=0.004). Discrepancies between both tests occurred in 10 cases: 5 MammaPrint low-risk patients were classified as EPclin high-risk and 5 high-risk MammaPrint were classified as low-risk by EPClin (overall concordance 75%). Conclusions This study demonstrates a moderate concordance between MammaPrint and EndoPredict. Differences in results could be explained by the inclusion of different gene sets in each platform, and the inclusion of clinical parameters, such as tumor size and nodal status, in the EndoPredict test. Keywords:  Breast cancer prognosis; gene expression signatures; EndoPredict; MammaPrint INTRODUCTION Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most frequent cause of cancer death among women in developed countries. Approximately 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,290 deaths are expected among US women in 2015 [1]. Currently, the decision on adjuvant treatment for breast cancer patients is based on risk assessment using clinicopathological criteria, such as patient age, menopausal status, axillary lymph node status, tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PgR) expression, HER2 status, and Ki67 score. However, decision making in adjuvant treatment of women with ER-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer remains a difficult task. Routinely, all of these patients will receive adjuvant hormonal treatment. However, a substantial proportion of these patients are also treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, although a significant part of these will not achieve a further reduction of their risk of recurrence [2].Therefore, a major challenge for clinical oncologists is to identify those patients who will not benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy, and those who are more likely to develop recurrence, so that the most appropriate therapeutic regime can be administered [2, 3]. In recent years, molecular characterization of breast cancer has contributed to broaden our understanding of breast cancer as a heterogeneous disease, and led to the development of a variety of prognostic and predictive gene signatures [4]. Morever, these assays may also be useful in recurrence prediction and treatment decision making [5]. One of the most widely used tests is the MammaPrint (MP) assay (Agendia Laboratories, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), which is a prognostic score performed by a central laboratory that was cleared by the FDA in 2007. MP was initially limited by its requirement for fresh tissue, but it is now validated for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue [6]. MP measures the expression of 70 genes using a microarray platform, and reports a binary risk classification (low-risk or high-risk) for recurrence without adjuvant chemotherapy. This information is intended to spare patients at low-risk of recurrence from receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, with its attendant morbidity. It is not intended to predict the response, per se, to chemotherapy; rather, it helps to select patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy from a prognostic point of view [7]. More recently developed, the EndoPredict assay (EP) (Sividon Diagnostics GmbH, Cologne, Germany), is a diagnostic test based on gene expression data in combination with clinicopathological risk parameters to assess the risk of distant metastasis in patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative primary breast cancer if treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy alone [8]. This test measures the expression of eight cancer-related genes of interest (BIRC5, UBE2C, DHCR7, RBBP8, IL6ST, AZGP1, MGP and STC2) and three reference genes (CALM2, OAZ1 and RPL37A) to calculate a molecular risk score (EP score). The molecular risk score is then combined with the nodal status and tumor size resulting in a molecular-clinicopathological hybrid score (EPclin score) with improved prognostic power. Using a p redefined cutoff value, patients are stratified into low- or high-risk of distant recurrence. The test can be carried out on routinely processed and archived FFPE tissue, and is designed to be performed decentrally [9, 10]. EP was validated in three randomized endocrine phase III trials with patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative node negative and node positive breast carcinomas [5, 8]. The EP provided additional prognostic information to conventional risk factors such as grading, quantitative ER, or Ki67 and outperformed risk classification by clinical guidelines. Moreover, it could be demonstrated that EP is prognostic for early and late metastasis [5, 11].The EPclin score was also directly compared to purely clinical risk classifications (like St. Gallen, German S3, and NCCN) and found to be superior to these classifiers [11]. The objective of this study was to compare the concordance of EndoPredict results in 40 ER-positive/HER2-negative breast carcinomas which were previously tested with MammaPrint and categorized as low-risk (20 patients) or high-risk (20 patients). We further evaluate TargetPrint (Agendia Laboratories), a commercially available mRNA-based gene expression test that quantitatively determines gene expression levels of ER, PgR, and HER2. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients and tumor samples This study involved 40 patients with ER-positive/HER2-negative early-stage breast carcinoma. All patients underwent surgery between March 2012 and December 2015 at the University Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain. Data on age and tumor characteristics were collected for all patients. The surgical specimens were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Four- µm thick sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histological diagnosis. Sections (10 µm) with at least 40% of tumor cellularity were selected for the study. Immunohistochemistry for ER/PR/HER2 and Ki67 and Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) for HER2 All cases were reviewed by two breast pathologist (DH and LY) to assess tumor grade (using the Nottingham histological three-tier grading system), tumor size, nodal status, ER, PgR, HER-2, and Ki67 expression. The expression of ERÃŽ ± (clone EP1; Dako, Glostrup, Denmark, prediluted), PgR (clone PgR1294; Dako, prediluted), and Ki67 (clone MIB1; Dako, prediluted) were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) during routine pathologic examination. ER and PgR status was determined based on the percentage of positive nuclei in the invasive neoplastic compartment of the tissue. Tumors were classified as ER- or PgR-positive when ≠¥1% invasive tumor cells showed definite nuclear staining, regardless of staining intensity. Ki67 was evaluated as the percentage of positively stained nuclear cancer cells (regardless of staining intensity). HER2 expression was evaluated with the HercepTest kit (Dako) and scored as 0, 1+, 2+, or 3+, according to the FDA scoring system. Tumors scored as 2+ wer e re-tested with FISH using the HER2 IQFISH PharmDx kit (Dako). Mammaprint Test The MammaPrint test was performed on representative paraffin blocks at the centralized Agendia Laboratories (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) blinded for clinical and histological data as part of routine care of the patients included in this study. Additionally to MammaPrint, TargetPrint assay, an additional test that is an alternative measurement of ER, PgR, and HER2 to IHC/FISH assessment, was also performed. EndoPredict Test The same tumor tissue block used for MammaPrint testing in each case was used for EP test. RNA extraction was performed as previously described [9]. Total RNA was extracted from one 10- µm whole formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue section using a silica-coated magnetic bead-based method with Tissue Preparation Reagents (Sividon Diagnostics). Expression of eight genes-of-interest (AZGP1, BIRC5, DHCR7, IL6ST, MGP, RBBP8, STC2, UBE2C), three normalization genes (CALM2, OAZ1, RPL37A) as well as the amount of residual genomic DNA (HBB) were assessed by the EP assay (Sividon Diagnostics). Gene expression was assessed by one-step RT-qPCR using the SuperScript III PLATINUM One-Step Quantitative RT-PCR System with ROX (Invitrogen, Karlsruhe, Germany) according to manufacturers instructions in a VERSANT ® kPCR Molecular System (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Erlangen, Germany). EP and EPclin scores were determined as published earlier [8, 9] using the EndoPredict Report Generator sof tware which is available online (www1.endopredict.com). The predefined cut-offs for diagnostic decisions were applied to stratify patients into low- or high-risk groups: EP low-risk (

Celtic vs. Rangers: Catholicism vs. Protestantism :: Essays Papers

Celtic vs. Rangers: Catholicism vs. Protestantism Most European cities can boast of a professional football (soccer) club and a competitive rivalry with a neighboring team. However, Glasgow, Scotland is the home of one of the oldest and most heated rivalries in the world. Two of the most prestigious football clubs in Europe, Celtic and Rangers, both call Glasgow their home. The cross-town rivals first met on the pitch on February 28, 1888. At that point, "none of the 2,000 spectators at the game could have guessed that they were present at a historic occasion, for that evening marked the first of what was to become the most famous, long-lasting – and bitter – sporting rivalry in the history of football" (Murray 4). Almost a hundred years after the inaugural match, the conflict between fans came to fruition when Celtic and Rangers met in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final. Immediately following an entertaining and relatively problem free match, built up tension exploded into violent riots before anyone had even le! ft the stad ium. Celtic supporters, excited after the victory, rushed the field to celebrate with their beloved players. Angered by the loss and the expression of joy shown by their nemesis, Rangers fans also rushed the field. However, †¦There was no question of celebration in the minds of the fans who invaded from the West end of the ground. They had violence in mind and no sooner was it offered than it was returned with enthusiasm. The brutal and disgusting scenes which followed as bottles flew and drunken supporters charged and counter-charged from one end of the field to that other, brought disgrace upon the two clubs concerned, upon Scottish football generally, and were an affront to Scotland as a nation (Murray 196). The riots after the 1980 Scottish Cup Final acted as a springboard for the conflict between Celtic and Rangers. Before that game, the extent of the tension between the two groups had gone unrealized. However, the truth behind the violence on the field that day continues to plague the rivalry today. Despite the age-old on field rivalry, the tension between Celtic and Ranger supporters runs much deeper than what takes place on the soccer field. The conflict between the fans has erupted into violence on many occasions, with games between the two clubs ending in some of the worst riots and greatest tragedies in sporting history. Despite the tension created through competition, the origin of hatred between clubs and fans is not just the result of bad tackles and endless taunting.

History of Rock Worksheet

History of Rock Worksheet Write a 500- to 750-word explanation regarding the role of plate tectonics in the origin of igneous rocks. Igneous rocks can come from two hot liquid like materials, which are lava and magma, these to substances are a lot alike, magma is what lava is before it is taken to the Earth's surface by a volcano eruption. These substances being such a large part of the forming of Igneous rocks is where the rock gets its name, the word igneous comes from the word ignis, which is the Latin word for fire.Magma and Lava are a consistency like molten metal and they carry crystallized minerals and are hot enough to change existing rocks forms. Igneous rocks are created in three places. The first is where the lithospheric plates pull apart making a gap in the at the ridges under the ocean. The second is where the continental crust is forced together. The third is where the plates come together. As the lava or magma moves they collect different minerals and these minerals b egin to crystallize as the lava or magma cools. The speed of the cooling process helps to determine the physical characteristics of the rocks.With the movement and the new minerals that come this will change the rock. There are two types of Igneous rocks. The first kind of Igneous rock is Extrusive rock, which is formed when magma escapes through the where the plates meet, these rocks cool very quickly some in a matter of seconds which makes their grains very small called the Aphanitic texture. The second kind of Igneous rock is Intrusive rock, which is made underneath the Earth's surface which makes it cool very slowly some take thousands of years, which makes larger size grains called Phanertic texture.The classification of each rock is based on the minerals that it is made up of, some of the common minerals found in Igneous rocks are olivine, mica, feldspar, quartz, and pyoxenes. The most well known Igneous frock is Granite, which is also the most commonly used Igneous rock. It i s used for many things that we see daily like, paving stones, counter tops, flooring tiles, curbing, and many other things. Granite can be found under the Earth's crust almost anywhere on Earth. The movement of the plates is what allows magma to move and causes volcanic eruptions which allows Igneous rocks to be created.Write a 500- to 750-word explanation regarding the role of plate tectonics in the origin of metamorphic rocks. Magma also plays a very large role in creating and forming Metamorphic rocks. To create a Metamorphic rock there has to be an extreme amount of pressure and very high temperatures. This high temperature must be hot enough to reorganize the matter within an existing rock but not hot enough to melt it all the way. There is two places where hot magma can push itself through to the Earth's surface. The first place is divergent plate boundaries.And the second is convergent plate boundaries. The process of creating Metamorphic rocks is called Metamorphism. Metamor phism is when magma is pushing its way to the Earth's surface and comes into contact with different rocks, the hot magma will heat these rocks. This much heat on the rocks causes them to change and then they have become Metamorphic rocks. This change will usually completely change the original rocks physical, structural, and textural characteristics, because new minerals come and change the original minerals.These rocks are a result of the continual movement of plate tectonics. New Metamorphic rocks can be created from the original rock being Sedimentary rocks, Igneous rocks, or even other Metamorphic rocks. When two plate collide they cause the Earth's crust to fold and fault, this intense pressure makes the process of Metamorphism, which makes sometimes large areas on the Earth's crust become Metamorphic rock. Which would make landmarks such as Mountain ranges. During this process it will only become a Metamorphic rock if the rock stays a solid, if it melts then that makes an Igne ous rock.

Proffessional Ethics

Professional ethics has become more important over the years. As we become more specialized in our occupation, the issues become that much more complex – and hard. Professional people and those working in acknowledged professions exercise specialist knowledge and skill. How the use of this knowledge should be governed when providing a service to the public can be considered a moral issue and is termed professional ethics. They must complete their job according to the moral values.Professionals are capable of making judgments, applying their skills and reaching informed decisions in situations that the general public cannot, because they have not received the relevant training. One of the earliest examples of professional ethics is probably the Hippocratic oath to which medical still adhere to this day. Professional ethics is a set of standards adopted by a professional community. Professional ethics are regulated by standards, which are often referred to as codes of ethics. Th e code of ethics is very important because it gives us boundaries that we have to stay within in our professional careers.The one problem with the code of ethics is that we can't always have the answers. Professional bodies have increasingly been at work developing, revising and refining professional codes of ethics. Professionals themselves ask for more detailed codes so as to have greater guidance. There is no longer a deference to the authority of experts on the part of the public or of the client group. Professional ethics helps a professional choose what to do when faced with a problem at work that raises a moral issue.One can certainly study what professionals do when faced with such problems, and confine the enquiry to the description. Our concern here, however, is to assist with making choices – an approach called prescriptive professional ethics. Obviously one can be unethical without behaving illegally. It is a common rationalization of unethical behaviour to say â €Å"well, it wasn’t illegal, so who cares? †. It is perhaps the major point of professional ethics, though, to deal with scenarios that do not involve illegality. Professional ethics covers far more issues than the law does.Many of the issues are imbedded in messy and complex factual situations, so ethical issues tend to be harder to identify than legal issues. We should have more sympathy when someone says they were confused or ignorant or thoughtless about a moral issue, as opposed to a legal problem. How does one recognize a moral problem within professional ethics? Is the issue one of â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† action? Is the issue one of â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† motives, methods or goals? Is there a â€Å"value† at stake? Is the terminology not descriptive, but prescriptive, involving words like â€Å"should†, â€Å"ought to†?We do a much better job of identifying issues in professional ethics if we are sensitive to the principles and values set out in our professional codes of ethics (that is one of their benefits – an educational function). It helps to have lists of issues available to contemplate. It is a curse of the twentieth century to speak of ethics as being subjective or relative – â€Å"it’s all a matter of personal opinion†. Moral relativism is ultimately futile and nihilistic. There can be no real debate, guidance, judgement or resolution.Those claiming relativism are usually in a position of self-rationalization. Moral absolutism is not a tenable position either, as it leads to inflexibility and a harshness that creates its own injustices. Most major corporations, and many smaller companies, now have Codes of Ethics, along with a range of other, issue-specific ethics documents. Such a document embodies the ethical commitments of your organization; it tells the world who you are, what you stand for, and what to expect when conducting business with you . Therefore, there are 2 important processes in forming this law: ) Objective There has been a dramatic increase in the ethical expectations of businesses and professions over the past ten years. Increasingly, customers, clients and employees are deliberately seeking out those who define the basic ground rules of their operations on a day to day Why have a Code of Ethics? †¢ To define accepted/acceptable behaviours; †¢ To promote high standards of practice; †¢ To provide a benchmark for members to use for self evaluation; †¢ To establish a framework for professional behaviour and responsibilities; †¢ As a vehicle for occupational identity; As a mark of occupational maturity;† Different kinds of documents serve different purposes. Is your new document intended to  guide  people or to set out requirements? Is it really a Code of Ethics that you need? You might consider creating a Statement of Values, a Policy, a Mission Statement or a Code of Conduct . Ideally, a code of ethics should be tailored to the needs and values of your organization. Ask yourself, what makes your Code specific to your organization? Is there anything that differentiates it from similar documents devised other firms in your field, or in other fields?If not, what makes it your Code, other than the fact that your logo is at the top? Your Code should make clear who within your organization will be governed by it. Does it cover everyone from the mailroom through to the boardroom? Only senior managers? Who has to sign off on it? Keep in mind that lower-level employees may not take very seriously a document that senior managers either aren’t bound by, or take lightly Many ethics codes have two components. First, an  aspirational  section, often in the preamble, that outlines what the organization aspires to, or the ideals it hopes to live up to.Second, an ethics code will typically list some  rules or principles, which members of the organization wi ll be expected to adhere to. In order to ensure the objective of the law will be reached, it is important to get the people who will be guided by the code be actively involved in writing it. If your organization is too large to get everyone involved, consider selecting representatives from various departments or various business units. The document is bound to be more meaningful, and find higher levels of acceptance, if employees are part of the process.It’s a good idea to consult key stakeholders – including, for example, customers, suppliers, and local community groups – as to what they think should be in your Code. This will help reveal what important external constituencies see as your key obligations, and will help make sure that the Code you write deals with the full range of issues that might confront your organization. 2) Planning After you have reached the objective of the code, you must make proper planning so that the code can be formed and implemente d on the time stipulated by your organization’s management. How will the Code be implemented?Once it’s written, will it gather dust, or will it influence policy and practice? What procedures are in place to make sure that writing a Code is more than just organizational navel-gazing? An effective implementation scheme (perhaps as an appendix to the Code) will explain to all concerned how the values embodied in your Code will be put into practice. You must also plan for education. It is a key aspect of implementation has to be employee training and education. How will employees be educated about the Code? A Code can only be effective if your employees know about it.Will new employees receive training regarding the Code’s requirements? Will current employees receive refresher courses? Especially for large organizations, the steps required to train employees on the requirements of a Code deserve special attention. Other than that, you must also be clear about enforc ement. How, if at all, will the Code be enforced? Are there specific penalties for violating the Code, or is the Code merely there to provide guidance? Who will decide when an employee has violated the Code – will that be up to the employees' immediate supervisor, or will that be the exclusive domain of senior managers?Last but not least, you must specify a sunset date. When will the code be reviewed and updated? Times change, and new issues come to light, so consider specifying a date for revising and refreshing your Code. What is the role of a professional code of ethics? It helps clarify values and rules, it strengthens group identity and collegiality, it fosters public confidence, and it can be used as a framework for discipline. The â€Å"audience† is the public, employers, clients, and fellow professionals. A code of ethics can be inspirational, educational, a tool for decision-making and a reference point.One can also criticize over reliance on a code of ethics. It can instil complacency (â€Å"we’re ethical because we have a code of ethics†). If it isn’t used or enforced, the suspicion may be it’s there simply to polish the group’s public image or to bolster a professional monopoly. It must be said that a code of ethics doesn’t create ethics and it is not really possible to completely codify ethics. Collateral education is necessary to bring a code of ethics alive. Most professional ethics cases have to do with conflicts. A moral dilemma is a conflict.We may have a clash between risk to human life and property interests, or a clash between risk to human life and risk to the environment. However, a common type of conflict is a â€Å"conflict of interest†. This usually refers to a conflict between one’s professional duties and one’s personal interests. As mentioned above, these case may not be true moral dilemmas, although they may be painful to resolve. A â€Å"bad faith† decision by a professional can involve the use of one’s position or powers to obtain a personal benefit – the powers or position have been used for a purpose other than for which they were granted.Sometimes there is an overlap with the law. It is a criminal offence to receive a â€Å"secret commission†. The protection of property is often denigrated as a value. It compares poorly with â€Å"human life†. We have already seen in the Burgess and Mullen study that â€Å"economic pressure† was the most common reason for ethical misbehaviour. It is an issue that the professional must guard against in his her own decision making, as well as an issue to watch for in others. Others will not go along because of the cost (a property interest). When risk to life is high, there is little doubt which way we should go.Where there is resistance, the professional has a duty to be honest and forceful and not to â€Å"go along†. Someone else may have the aut hority to make the decision and they then assume the liability, ethically and legally. Where the person in authority is unreasonable and dishonest, the situation may cry out for â€Å"whistleblowing† on the part of the professional. This should first take the form of â€Å"internal whistleblowing† as in an obvious case, some other senior person will see the light. On occasion, the external authorities must be called. A professional has less job security than a non-professional, and it is self imposed.The right thing to do is to withdraw services, but such cases should be very rare. Many codes of ethics refer to relations with colleagues. It is useful to distinguish between duties to the profession as an institution and duties to professional colleagues. They are not the same. What does it mean to say that the professional will not bring the profession into disrepute? If the efforts of colleagues will be undermined by a general loss of reputation and credibility resulti ng from personal misconduct of an individual, the wrong-doer may be doing far more harm indirectly than directly.The issue is not, as some might believe, a loss of income, prestige or position of colleagues, it is a reduction in the protection to the client group or public that is the harm done. Professionals must be vigilant that they are not protecting their self-interest when the profession is attacked or its reputation impugned, but are protecting the interests of others. As for relations with colleagues on an individual basis, a professional is required to be cooperative, respectful, supportive, helpful, open-minded as well as open, and without blatant or crude competition. Competition is good, but it must be meritocratic and honest.And it is of the essence of professionalism that discipline is maintained. It is an essential element of professionalism, and it is often referred to directly in codes of ethics, that one must engage in professional development throughout oneâ€℠¢s career. The idea of continuous improvement in professional knowledge and skills is actually implicit in the standard of the reasonable peer. There is a duty to take courses, read the literature, attend conferences, and so on. Many professional groups encourage (if not enforce) this through mandatory â€Å"maintenance points† – you can lose your designation if you cannot show upgrading over time.Many codes refer to â€Å"integrity† as a value – â€Å"maintain the highest standards of integrity†. It seems vague at first. Integrity means a consistency in commitment to moral commitments. Integrity  is a concept of  consistency  of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and  truthfulness  or  accuracy  of one's actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy,  in that integrity regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests tha t parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.The word â€Å"integrity† stems from the Latin adjective  integer  (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of â€Å"wholeness† deriving from qualities such as  honesty  and consistency of  character. As such, one may judge that others â€Å"have integrity† to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold. A  value system's  abstraction depth  and range of applicable interaction may also function as significant factors in identifying integrity due to their congruence or lack of congruence with observation.A value system may evolve over time  while retaining integrity if those who espouse the values account for and resolve inconsistencies. Commitment to commitments means one’s moral character must be consistent, whole and integrated. You don’t have â€Å"int egrity† if you are committed to conflicting standards or values. Your behaviour would become erratic and inconsistent. Integrity is related to other values, such as honesty. To be true to a system of values, one must be honest. A person with integrity will admit errors, refrain from false pretences and advise clients truthfully.Integrity is related to promise keeping – one must follow through on promises. A professional should be careful about what is promised. If you can’t deliver on your promises, your integrity is said to be jeopardized. Integrity is also related to loyalty – loyalty to one’s profession, the goals of the profession, loyalty to the employer’s goals. Loyalty should not be blind, however, and so other values may be in conflict with loyalty if the employer’s goals are not in themselves worthy in the circumstances. Do remember that a code of ethics will not solve all ethical problems.But we must remember that good laws, if they are not obeyed, do not constitute good government. Hence there are two parts of good government; one is the actual obedience of citizens to the laws, the other part is the goodness of the laws which they obey. (2567 words) REFERENCES: 1) C. A. Brincat and V. S. Wike, Morality and the Professional Life: Values at Work. Prentice Hall Inc. , (2000). 2) Pamela S. Lewis, Stephen H. Goodman, Patricia M. Fandt, Management Challenges for Tomorrow’s Leaders, 4th Edition, Thomson, South Western. (2004) 3) Chris MacDonald, Ph. D. – Gene Marks, ed. , Streetwise Small Business Book of Lists, Adams Media 2006.