Can there be any hope in promoting ethical behavior in the modern business culture? The public’s general skepticism of corporate ethics is understandable considering the track record of organizations in recent years of continued downsizing, outsourcing, scandals, increasing executive pay and decreasing employee benefits. “Many believe that executives are not being held accountable for bad management decisions and the pain they inflict on employees as a result(Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 3).

For there to be any hope of promoting ethics in a business culture, ethics training, policies, programs and finally, actions, must be deeply ingrained into a culture of an organization in order to be seen as more than half hearted public relations gimmicks that only provide lip service to ethical behavior while the real culture of an organization runs in the opposite direction. Ethics must become a primary function and responsibility of the modern leader in order to have real impact on organizations and teams. While these leaders still must protect and promote the healthy profits of their organization, they also must recognize “”that business has a responsibility to address certain social problems because of its unique abilities, and because a healthy social environment is a prerequisite for a healthy business environment (p. 7). Such a leader recognizes that by serving all of its stakeholders to the utmost of their ability, including their customers, employees, and community, that in the long run they will best bring a return on investment to their shareholders (p. 7).

“Ethics is a body of principles or standards of human conduct that govern the behavior of individuals and groups” (Bottorff, n.d., p.1). While ethical behavior is based on a set of values and principles, ethical behavior goes beyond mere belief; it also encompasses actions of individuals, groups and organizations (p. 2). For there to be ethical behavior in an organization, leaders must not only state a belief in a set of actions, their actions as a leader must be in alignment with those values and beliefs. The leader must work to establish clear business practices within the organization that reward and promote positive ethical behavior and promote the reasoning and consequences of ethics as strongly as they promote business results. In time all individuals and teams must be able to follow the ethical decision-making process involving; “moral awareness (recognizing the existence of an ethical dilemma), moral judgment (deciding what’s right), and ethical behavior (taking action to do the right thing) Trevino and Nelson, 2005, p. 15). They can only do this if an organizational culture has been developed that clearly defines its values and supports actions in alignment with those values. Because individuals may have different values and cognitive ability that influences their ability to recognize and act ethically, leaders must ensure that training, rewards, recognition and consequences are clearly defined in the organization in order to help individuals act accordingly.

A perfect example of such a leader is the story of Aaron Feuerstein, who was the owner and CEO of Malden Mills, the New England manufacturer of “climate control” materials like Polertec and Polarfleece (p. 38). Feuerstein was a business leader who had built his business based on Talmudic teachings and values that extended beyond his responsibilities to the shareholders, but also to the workers and community (Shafran, n.d., p. 1). When a fire destroyed the companies’ New England factories in 1995, Feurestein faced an ethical dilemma (moral awareness). While most other fabric manufactures were closing plants in the US in order to reduce manufacturing costs, he had maintained his factories in Maine. Now he faced a dilemma; would he rebuild in New England or re-establish his facilities overseas where construction and manufacturing costs would have been less. Feuerstein explained “that the ideas of his religious heritage had played the major role in his decision” (p. 1), (moral judgment). He stated in an interview with Parade Magazine in 1996 that “I have a responsibility to the worker; both blue-collar and white-collar…I have an equal responsibility to the community” (p.1). His final decision (ethical behavior), which was in alignment with his stated values, was to rebuild the plants and keep as many employees on the payroll until they opened operations again (p. 1).

All leaders must have the same moral courage to support and to make similar ethical decisions, even if they are on a much smaller scale. I lead the learning and development department for on of the world’s leading organizations for all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The company attracted and maintained top talent in part based on one of its stated core values of developing people. Because of this core value and our international approach to development, the company had been recognized for several years as on the world’s top training organizations. I faced an ethical dilemma when the company, which was projecting loses in revenue in the coming years, decided to “downsize” and re-align the Leaning and Development Department. I saw this as a major departure from the company’s stated value of people development (moral judgment). I had to decide whether to abandon this key value and go forward in support of the re-alignment or leave the company. I decided (ethical behavior) that I would stay with the company for one more year in order to ensure all cuts and re-alignments were carried out in a manner that showed respect to the people who had dedicated themselves to people development and to help our clients finish their learning and development commitments. I then left the organization in order to start my own training business where I could contribute to the development of others.

The public’s trust in ethical business behavior can only be re-established by strong leadership of individual leaders within their own sphere of influence; great or small. Leaders must take strong actions to elevate the importance of ethical behavior based on clearly stated values that emphasize equal commitment to all stake holders equally. This may be a strong departure from traditional bottom line focus. Leaders and organizations would benefit from development and coaching from ethics trainers and coaches who can help leaders understand the steps to establish ethics within a team and/or organization.

References:

Bottorff, D. (n.d.). What is Ethics? Retrieved July 6, 2007 from a Website

Shafran, A., (n.d.). Aaron Feuerstein: Bankrupt and wealthy. Retrieved July 6, 2007 from a Website

Trevino, L., and Nelson, K., (2005). Corporate social responsibility and managerial ethics. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Since founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James has developed, facilitated and coached programs including; Change Leadership, Coaching, Communication Skills, Sustaining Learning, Interviewing Skills, Leadership, Territory Management for dozens of leading global organizations; including, Advantis Research and Consulting, IMS, CMOE, Pfizer, Sinclair, Disetronic Medical Systems, StratX, ASTD, Coventry Health Care, Wilson Learning, and many others. James is bilingual and can facilitate and coach in both English and Spanish.

Prior to founding Magnify Leadership and Development, James headed Pfizer’s Learning and Development for all of Europe, Canada, Africa and the Middle East where he was instrumental in the development of a global management curriculum and other training initiatives to enhance organizational effectiveness for over 30,00 employees.

Visit James website here to learn how we can you with your leadership and communication development needs.

Article Source

Tags: ethics, business, code, dilemma, issue

Ethics is not an easy path, in most cases, nor is it a path taken by businesspersons without thought or consideration. That is not saying that ethical decision-making is complicated (although in some cases it may be confusing and culturally complicated, and we shall think through that), but even decisions that are not complicated are not always easy courses to take. Let’s take a close look at some of the kinds of situations and events that may arise in the ethical daily travels of a businessperson and consider whether the right choice is easy, or not. As a side thought, remember that some ethical and moral decisions are small in the grand scheme of business, but those decisions, like a dripping faucet now, can become a flood later.

Decisions that do not overtly attract moral condemnation, but nonetheless contain value judgments and may be considered more or less ethical across cultures, are made every day in organizations throughout the globe, for instance, think about these decisions, shall I call in sick to have a day off, or, should I use the office telephone to make a private call?

Ethics in business is serious whether we speak about stealing from one’s company, doing personal business on the corporate clock, or rigging the accounting process to hide (or at least try to hide) a multi-billion dollar corporation financial scandal. Is there a dilemma in the businessperson’s life surrounding ethics and integrity, or have we made it seem so, and in fact is there always a right choice available?

The point is, as Drucker noted in 1974, any means can be justified if the end is determined to be for the overall good. We will examine several issues; the perspective of clarity and precision versus flexibility, top-down influence versus bottom-up influence, substance versus process, confrontation versus compromise, and tangible versus intangible. In most cases, research shows that the best choice (at least in business environments like the United States) is to have a corporate code of ethics (integrity), and in the larger corporate enterprises, there is usually a compliance division with a hotline, and webpage. This is the best arrangement for a business, and if the top leadership has given thought to the matter, there should be no confusion, or complication in the matter of ethics/integrity.

In CSO Magazine, March 2004 edition, a Chief Security Officer wrote anonymously about a scattered approach in the corporate environment that did not comprehensively define or guide the corporate body in the area of integrity and ethics. If this individual reports a situation that is a reflection of the condition of this important matter in corporate America, then the situation may be that the Enron fiasco is doomed for repetition.

Ethics and integrity in business would seem to beg for a well-defined, and fully trained (and regularly reviewed) corporate code of ethics/integrity. Should integrity be focused from a top-down perspective or can it be driven from the bottom-up? It seems the prevailing thought is that it is best driven from the top down. One could certainly agree that either an executive, or an executive sponsored committee writes policies and procedures at departmental level, and then the HR training directorate normally provides the written guide and training to the corporate body.
Cultural issues will confuse and provide a bit of complication in the matter of ethics and integrity. The debate over child labor has been a contentious and difficult matter, with the arguments rising about the need for a family to survive even if that survival comes in part by a working child. In addition, the use of prison labor brings the debate over rehabilitation and instilling a strong work ethic, and can there be harm in a company accruing some benefit from that labor.

Change in this cultural ethical confusion has begun as following the Asian financial crisis many Asian businesses are rethinking their ethical stances and applying a system of governance that is clearer, and more professional, which several management researchers indicate is modeled on Western business practices.

Sometimes there is difficulty in decision-making where ethics is concerned due to confusion since a practice may be ethically problematic and legal today, but then the law may change tomorrow rendering that business practice both illegal and problematic ethically. What must the course of action for the manager and the company be at this point? It is a conundrum that many companies must face as BP did in the early 1980′s by making a corporate choice to act more responsibly in relation to the environmental area.

Clarity and precision are fine goals for the ethics and integrity of a business and they encourage improved communication and understanding as to context, tone, timing, and reference points. The final question is how to implement the better practices once they are decided? Here are a few methods that may assist in ensuring clear policies, goals, and the code of ethics are well communicated; peer discussion groups, regular or ad hoc stakeholders’ discussion groups, appropriate information and decision-making systems, and training for managers in necessary ethical decision-making competences. Certainly this is a start, many of the questions and struggles around this business ethics area will be resolved by personal decisions within the mind of the individual worker. Yes, it is a start, but there is a ways yet to travel.

Ken Wallin is a retired US Army Officer, and a Senior Project Management Professional. He has more than 35 years leading in both military and consulting positions. He currently is working on his PhD in Business Administration specializing in International Business at Northcentral University in Arizona. His website is here and he specializes in the theme Leading and Team-Building

Article Source

Tags: business, ethics, issue, cases, articles

In life there seem to be two acceptable standards of ethics. One applies to personal life which I’ll call personal moral ethics and the other is the standard for sports or competitive games which I will refer to as competitive gaming ethics. Under the personal standard, “most of us would agree that it’s wrong to deliberately mislead or deceive another person, or to steal. In competitive games, the rules or ethics are different.

In gaming ethics, deliberately misleading and deceiving others is not only allowed, but is an essential skill for wining [the game].” (Quinn McKay, The Bottom Line on Integrity, (Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2004) p.71- 72) For example, a basketball player seeks to mislead and deceive his opponent with head fakes, screens, and misdirection plays. In baseball, stealing bases is a good strategy for base runners; in football stealing the ball is one of the objects of defense.” (Quinn McKay, The Bottom Line on Integrity, (Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2004) p. 72-73) The point to remember is that these are games whether professional or not they are still games.

Many have the belief that business is a game and profits and personal gain are the score. Many also believe that it is just as ethical to deceive another for personal gain while playing poker as it is to not keep ones word in a business transaction if it leads to personal advantage or gain. Much of the lack of integrity in business stems from the application of competitive gaming ethics to business situations. In business you commonly hear the phrase “It’s not personal. It’s just business.” Signifying that what they have done is not wrong because competitive games ethical should be apply to business and not personal moral ethics.

Competitive gaming ethics should not be applied to business. The same morals that guide personal life should guide every aspect of life including business. God did not create 10 commandment for personal life and 10 different commandments for business life. You can achieve financial success in business by applying competitive gaming ethics but by so doing you will most likely violate personal morals. Consider the following 5 choices.

Deception vs. Honesty

In the past several years, we have seen the devastating effects of dishonest business from companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Xerox, Qwest, Tyco, ImClone, Anderson and others. Through their competitive gaming ethics, they fraudulently were able to gain short term profits, but, in the end lost everything. Honesty is a key to long term true success.

Profit First vs. Integrity First

Donald Trump is an example of running a business with competitive gaming ethics. He wrote, “Business is about making money. It’s about the bottom line. I’m often surprised by people [who]… come in with lofty ideas and philanthropic purposes that have absolutely no place in a business meeting. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.” (Donald Trump, “The Bottom Line-Your Guideline,” Inside Trump Tower Newsletter, Issue 14:It’s Not Personal, It’s Business, August 30, 2005) With this view, business would not be directed or founded on integrity.

In contrast consider the Omni Hotel’s decision to not sell pornography. In 1996, hotel guest’s nation wide spent over $175 million watching in room ‘adult’ movies. Omni’s decision not to offer ‘adult’ movie will cost the chain $4 million a year. However, that’s not the point, according to Omni VP of Marketing Peter Strebel. ‘Money is not the issue in this matter,’ he said. ‘Not all business decisions should be fiscally driven. We believe that this is the right thing to do.’” (American Family Association, “Omni Hotels Drop In-Room Porn,” AFA Journal, January 2000: Volume 24, Issue 1)

Is It Legal? vs. Is It Right?

Many companies use the defense that “It is legal” to justify unethical business practices. When ending relations with a business who failed to pay as agreed, I received a call from the law firm who represented the company saying, “I have review the information and legally my client does not have to pay you.” I responded, “There is a big difference between what is legal and what is right.” It is important to remember that laws are to protect personal rights not to measure ethics against.

Best for Me/Shrewd vs. Mutually Beneficial/Fair

According to competitive gaming ethics, whatever you can get is okay. The more you can squeeze out of employees and customers the better. This would be ethical and considered good business. Many practices which are reported as shrewd are really unethical and dishonest. There are many companies who, at the expense of others, may turn great profits. However, they also forfeit their own integrity. Taking advantage of others is artificial success.

Win vs. Serve

Under competitive gaming ethics, the only goal is to win. A former general manager of an NBA franchise said “All we reward is winning. We don’t reward people who have high values, integrity or character.” This attitude is readily seen in the NBA as players more frequently are fined and suspended for bad behavior. A business honestly serving others will always have business and all involved will win.

The next time competitive gaming ethics are brought into the board room, blow the whistle and throw the penalty flag because people and family are most likely going to be injured. True success is using personal moral ethics in business. Being personal is good business.

Cameron C. Taylor is the author of the book Does Your Bag Have Holes? 24 Truths That Lead to Financial and Spiritual Freedom. Content for this article was taken from chapter 16 of this book. The book’s table of contents, overview, and sample chapters are available online here

Article Source

Tags: ethical, ethics, issue, living, moral

The Washington Post’s continued mentioning of the NFL’s Rooney Rule when a minority candidate is interviewed for the Washington Redskins head coaching position is a disservice and a slap in the face of affirmative action efforts everywhere. In a recent Post sports column, “Colts’ Meeks talks to Redskins” the reporter should have mentioned only that he is a great coach without mention of color but instead, after stating he was the fifth candidate for the position, added the disclaimer that the interview “fulfills the NFL’s Rooney Rule”… stipulating that a team must interview one minority candidate. Did they ever think of the impact of this caveat? Was there any consideration of how this would make Ron Meeks feel about the interview? Was he just selected to interview only because he is a minority so as to not have repercussions from the league?

That inclusion of the Rooney Rule in the article serves no purpose, is incredulous and unprincipled comments that have nothing to do with Mr. Meeks’ qualifications. How would any applicant for any position feel who read the next day that they helped the company they interviewed with fulfill some directed affirmative action requirement? I do not think it would give anyone much confidence that they are under serious consideration for the position. Ron Meeks should have been interviewed solely because he is a great defensive coach that is now in line for a head coaching position in the NFL.

Any affirmative action good faith effort is suppose to be just that. A good faith effort to ensure that companies have the opportunity to interview all qualified candidates regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sex, or any other protected category and that everyone has the equal opportunity for the position. With the Washington Post stating Mr. Meeks helped the Washington Redskins fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement, you basically paint the picture of an “Affirmative Action Only Candidate” stamp on a superbly qualified candidate. It is time to leave the rule unpublished in the news media and keep it as an internal rule for the league that has good intentions. It should not be broadcast and attached to every person who interviews that “fulfills” this requirement. Interviewing qualified diverse candidates should be the right thing to do not something any organization does just to protect itself.

John Fuller is the Diversity & Equal Employment Opportunity Consultant for Johns Hopkins Hospital. He has held prior EEO positions with Fortune 300, the US Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Defense. He holds a Master of Science in Leadership/Business Ethics from Duquesne University and a Master of Arts in Education from Norwich University. John has been directly involved in EEO and prevention of sexual harassment training and EEO investigations since 1989.

Article Source

Tags: ethical, ethics, issue, living, moral

How many times have you heard someone bad mouth a business person? How many times have you heard someone bad mouth another professional in their industry? The truth of the matter is, even though the subject of ethics may seem easy to understand, its actually not.

Where do you cross the line between hard working aggressiveness and being unethical? Well, just look at the long-term consequences of what you are doing today in your profession. If what you are doing today constitutes “burning bridges,” then you know its time to re-evaluate how you conduct yourself. The person who feels they are getting the short end of the stick from you today, may show up in your office 3 years from now looking to do business, and they’ll probably walk out once they see that you are the one handling their account.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person sitting across from you, or the company sitting across from you. In the professional world, different companies do business with each other for a reason, all sides tend to gain from it. Its normal to do business with another person or company, with all sides coming out on top.

How would you feel if you got ripped off? Its something that’s hard to forget. Being lied to is another action that most people don’t easily forget. Try keeping the focus on making all sides happy, in all business transactions. You don’t want anyone walking away mad. Practicing bad ethics isn’t just the fastest way to a lawsuit, but it affects us emotionally. The long term scars of dealing with someone who is unethical is damage that is unrepairable.

Anyone who feels that they must be a “hustler” or a “smooth talker” in order to succeed in the professional world is sadly mistaken. Personally, I can’t stand people who are like this. I can smell them a mile away, and their attitudes usually turn me off. Attitudes like that turn alot of people off. At the end of the day, be ethical, it pays.

Sam Hachem is an electrifying Motivational Speaker who speaks on many inspirational, motivational, business, self improvement, health, and family topics. Sam was once over weight and unemployed but was able to turn his life around by losing weight, getting healthy, and creating a 6-Figure per year income. Sam wants to share his experience, his knowledge with the masses. Sam is available for public speaking engagements through his website, just click.

Article Source

Tags: ethics, ethical, issue, business, articles

Ken Blanchard

Corporate executives appear to be faltering and need help. Scandals grow larger and more intensive day-by-day for organizations. Some people may proclaim that a highly respected consulting firm can get this job done. Executives only need to hire a good consultant, and the ethical issues will disappear. By being an objective party, a consultant can evaluate an organization and provide them new insight on organizational behavior.

In this line of reasoning, consultants become the executive’s moral compass; they serve in this role to produce ethical people at all levels. Unfortunately, given most consultants’ power position, this would not be the case for most consultants. Consultants are paid on a fee basis. Some work for unethical organizations. How does a consultant deal with an unethical client? Consultants have little formal organization power. Draft, organizational behavior guru, argues that expert power is derived from a person’s higher knowledge. Ciulla, author of Ethics: The Heart of Leadership, explains that all leaders bring a certain agenda to the table based on their value systems. Organizational leaders listen to consultants if they’re highly respected.

Fortunately, a consultant’s role can serve as a preventive and remedial action for management. In profit-making, Brown-Volkman, management consultant, argues that successful businesses stay positive. Consultants can use their influence for good. They can model high moral integrity. A consultant’s level of influence on customer values is a sliding scale on his or her expert power. If a consultant is highly respected, organizations may listen more about their ethical shortcomings. However, there’s a mental breakdown. Although the consultant’s influence is limited, he or she must always maintain their ethical standards. In bad situations, it is better over the long-term to just get out. Therefore, good consultants can make a difference by their moral conduct.

References:

Brown-Volkman, D. (1995). Four Steps to Building A Profitable Business. New York: iUniverse.com Publishing Company.

Ciulla, J.B. (1998). Ethics: The Heart of Leadership. Westport, CT: Praeger.

Draft, R. (1995). Organization Theory and Design. New York: West Publishing Company.
© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. For more information,visit his website.

Article Source

Discrimination in America is as prevalent today as it was in the early 1900′s. Some people may argue against the previous statement; saying that America has made huge improvements in civil rights and equality in the last one hundred years. In some ways those people would be right, but in many other ways they would be wrong. First off, when you think that the underlying causes of discrimination are based off immediate impressions such as: age, clothing, attractiveness, verbiage, heritage, cleanliness, etc. you begin to realize that this assumptive nature lies within all people and is used to judge all other people. In other words, discrimination can and is used against every nationality, age, sex, religion and every category in between. When these assumptions or stereotypes become hugely exaggerated or start to negatively impact the people they are being used against, that is when harmless judgment changes to the much more severe issue of discrimination. Because of the extreme historical disadvantages faced by African-Americans in our countries past, the little progress that we have had in addressing discrimination can be largely contributed to the leaders of the civil rights movement. True, a major improvement in the last century did occur when the American people became conscious of the need for equality and demanded government intervention. The government responded by passing the civil rights act of 1964 which, among other things, allowed prosecution for the following actions:

• harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age;

• retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination, participating in an investigation, or opposing discriminatory practices;

• employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age, religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities.

- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. L. 88-352) (Title VII)

The above laws were created to ensure that people are given equal opportunities in the workplace and would be protected from retaliation when confronting individuals whom discriminate. Then why do I argue that discrimination is still apparent in America? Mainly because I personally have been impacted by the negative affects of discrimination at my workplace and was subject to a bias resolution. No, I am not African-American, female, homosexual or disabled and yet I still experienced discrimination with just as severely of consequences as an individual from any of those sub cultures which are often in the news for being the victims of discrimination. In fact, it seems that because I do not fit into any of those sub-cultures, I am not taken seriously with my complaints or concerns. Are some forms of discrimination more acceptable than other forms? I think not; discrimination is discrimination, no matter what context it is in or how small or large the person is affected by it. Don’t get me wrong; I am, by no means, attempting to say that I am a “victim” of the newly coined idea of “reverse racism”. Reverse racism is the idea that affirmative action has led to the over-protection of minority groups and has resulted in the majority group being disadvantaged as a result. In fact, reverse racism and the need for the civil rights act of 1964 are result of the underlying issue at hand.

The underlying issue that spawns discrimination and inequality is; anyone and everyone can fit into a stereotype held by another individual and will therefore be subject to some form of discrimination or prejudice in their lifetime. Because everyone can be discriminated against, does that mean that everyone also partakes in discrimination? To some extent, yes, I believe that everyone uses snap judgment and stereotypes to quickly asses a stranger’s personality. The ability to judge based off appearance is a natural ability that is vital in our species survival; but the intensity of this judgment separates innocent appraisal from an illegal injustice. When you think about it, almost any aspect of your personality, appearance, ideals, beliefs, wants, needs or desires can be looked at in a negative light and is therefore subject to appraisal; which in turn creates a positive or negative appearance which in turn can be a means for discrimination.

So, what can be done to help counteract discrimination? First, we need to understand that there are multiple forms of discrimination. There is an unconscious application of discrimination where an individuals’ (lets say a manager for example) personal beliefs and ideals contributes to an overall negative view of a certain person(lets say an employee). This subtle discrimination will inadvertently lead to a lessoned willingness for the manager to present opportunities to that employee, either consciously or unconsciously. This form of discrimination often goes unnoticed, making it much more difficult to asses. To help resolve this problem, I think that the media could attempt to bring the issue into the public’s conscious. If people are made more aware of this taking place; either the individuals who are unconsciously discriminating against people will become aware of it and attempt to change their actions or people around them (say coworkers) will report the discrimination to authorities. Another form of discrimination is the conscious / apparent form of discrimination. In this form of discrimination, an individual purposefully tries to belittle another person, sometimes maliciously. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was made for people like this. As we saw above, passing laws is somewhat effective but, up to this point, has only been able to protect members in minority groups. However, for people with malicious intentions, I think that the best form of rehabilitation would be through government interaction.

Due to the personal nature of discrimination; the solution to this problem must be found on the personal level as well. If I raised hell every time I saw people treated unfairly, I guarantee I could have helped so many people. If someone had done it for me when I was treated unfairly I would have been more inclined to do it for someone else. To solve this problem, it must begin from the bottom up. So what can you do to help? First, you should make sure that you are not guilty of unconsciously discriminating against anyone for any reason. Then, you could let people know if they too are treating people unfairly without knowing. Lastly and most importantly, do not tolerate being discriminated against. Lead by example. Revolution!

Robert Coffen

Article Source

Tags: ethical, ethics, issue, living, moral

Discrimination against older workers is out there, and none of us will ever know (for the most part), whether we were discriminated against because of our age.

During my many years on this planet (60), I’ve never gave any thought to ageism. But, years ago, I couldn’t understand why I was having so much trouble finding work…including temporary work. During my entire lifetime, I have had no use for racists and bigots, so the issue of ageism never crossed my mind.

Then one day, I read an article in the local newspaper about the subject of ageism. It said that discrimination against older workers was the number ONE COMPLAINT at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). And, the article went on to say that complaints were rising at a rate of 15% per year over the past three years! At this time, I was over 50 years old, and after I read this article, I started to pay more attention to the subject of ageism. And, that’s because I had to find a better paying job!

A few months later, I read another article that came over the Internet, and was written by a writer at a business magazine. It gave some frightening numbers, with respect to discrimination against older workers. It said that a survey was conducted by an employment agency, who specializes in recruiting and placing executive personnel. Their survey showed, that an incredible 88% of those over 40 who responded, felt they had been discriminated against when it came to getting a job! And, a chilling 92% of those who already had a job…felt they had been discriminated against, when they were up for promotion! The question was asked in the article, “Could boomers be discriminating against other boomers?

Anyway you slice it, these are terrible numbers! So, after I saw these numbers, I sat up and took notice! After I read the two articles, I began to think back, as to how ageism could have been one of my problems in my job search. Over the past decade, I have been laid-off from SIX jobs…all for legitimate reasons like companies closing or moving; defense cuts; the economy and so forth. I have never been let go because of poor attendance or an attitude problem. Over the years, I’ve just had my share of bad luck!

My first job lay-off came, when I worked for an engineering company, where I had worked for over ten years. This company also moved out of town and was eventually eaten by a bigger fish! This lay-off happened when I was in my late forties. After working several months as a temporary employee, I got a job, which lasted about four years, before the company closed…and, another lay-off! It was about this time that I really started having trouble…not only finding a regular job, but getting temporary assignments as well. This period of time was a very difficult for me!

After I lost my third job, and like many others, I had to work as a temporary employee, until something permanent came along. But, what will always amaze me, is the fact that I had to sign up with 24 temporary agencies…that’s right…24 temp. agencies to survive! As I said earlier, I didn’t give ageism a thought, but after reading the two articles, I had to wake up and smell the coffee and get my head out of the sand!

Of the 24 agencies I signed up with, only 12 of them ever called me for work, and those assignments were only for a few days…never any long-term assignments. And, never did I get any Temp-to-Hire jobs either! The sign-up dates for most of these agencies had gone back three to five years…and NOTHING…NO CALLS! Even if I called in available every week, I GOT NO CALLS!

After the 9/11 crisis, is when things really got bad for me, with the economy almost falling apart! At that miserable time, I had to start living off credit cards to pay the rent; buy groceries; buy gas, etc. I called the agencies twice a week, to get on the “available list,” as my life headed downhill fast! Being as naive as I was at that time, could it be true that people would discriminate against me and others? Later, I would find this to be true, as this horror story would unfold!

One day in October, I was called by a temp agency to go work at a printing company, which was to be a three day assignment. I took it because there was nothing else! This is where I got the answer to the possibility about ageism, and how it affected me, etc. The answer came in about three months when this assignment was over!

The three days was to have ended the assignment on Friday afternoon, and the supervisor came to me and asked if I could come back the next week, and I said yes. They had me all over the production floor, helping other regular employees. The following Friday came along, and the same thing happened…I was asked to come in the following week.

This went on for THREE MONTHS…as I was asked to come back week after week. The job started in the middle of October and ended in the middle of January. I worked the day shift; the swing shift; overtime; on week-ends; came in at 3:00 in the morning to get special orders out, etc. So, I did everything they asked me to do! This was a temp-to-hire position, meaning that after a certain period of time working there (usually 60 days), I would be eligible to be hired on, and I was happy about that!

So, after three months of being called back to the company, my work record would speak for itself, which was very good. As it turned out, when this job was over, I could either get hired on as a regular employee by the company, or there would be another assignment waiting for me by the temp agency! But, it was not to be! After the assignment was over in January, this is where I can really point the finger to ageism! I was NOT hired on by the company, despite my good record as a temp and perfect attendance for over three months. (They hired someone off the street)

After the printing company job, I got another assignment elsewhere. But, just to do a little experiment on the subject of ageism, to satisfy myself, I called the temporary agency, who sent me to the printing company. I called in (available) every week, for about three months…AND, I NEVER HEARD FROM THE TEMP AGENCY AGAIN!

I’ll give you an example of a scenario that may happen, at a temporary employment agency. Three people call in available for work…and all are qualified to do the job…one is 25 years old; another is 35 years old, and the third is 55 years old…who do you think is going to get the job? I can assure you that it’s not going to be the 55 year old! I’m pretty certain of that! So, why did I get the job at the printing company? Because the job was supposed to be for only three days, and there was probably nobody else around they could send…so they sent me! (it’s called left-overs!)

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I KNEW THAT AGEISM PLAYED A PART IN MY DOWNFALL!

Because of so many job lay-offs, I had worked as a temporary employee longer than I would have liked. And, as I thought back at some of the incidents that happened during this long period of time, at the companies, as well as at the temp agencies, I could tell that ageism played a part, and I would never know by who; where, and I would never be able to do anything about it!

Because of my experiences, I prepared about a 30 page booklet about my work history, that went back about a decade. In the booklet, I talked about how the temporary industry has grown, and the government has to be more watchful as to what’s going on. I hand-carried the booklet to the EEOC downtown, and guess what? I never heard from the EEOC concerning the matter!

* * *

Bigotry in this country is doing well and fine, in my view, and, there’s not much any of us can do about it! If I were a writer on a popular series, and was in my early fifties, I would flip-off the bigots and find something else to do with my life!

Discrimination against anyone in this country, is a big black eye for America! In other countries, the elderly are respected and revered. In this country, many of the elderly are called names, put out to pasture and forgotten! In many cases, not even their own kids want them, because they’re a burden, which is appalling! And, the numbers on senior abuse continues to rise, which is another black eye for America! It’s a shame that bigots exist anywhere in America, and especially in the work place, where it is important for all of us to make a living!

Jerry L. Aragon has a site here.

Article Source

Tags:ethics, issue, moral, ethical, living

There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is a vein of gold in that old saying. And yet, that doesn’t stop many from trying to get something for nothing. Entire generations have grown up now trained to depend on the government for support whether it be through food stamps, skewed tax credit laws or welfare. The price they pay in dignity, respect and freedom is barely noticed by many of them. And yet, even with those who are truly in need or who truly deserve the help there are many more who look for ways to scam the government for funds.

Each one of them is convinced they have found the fool-proof way to scheme Uncle Sam and in many cases they get away with it temporarily. Though there are many variations on the overall themes, each will generally fall within one of five categories.

1. EIC Fraud
2. “”Under the Table”" Payroll
3. Falsifying of W-2 or 1099 information
4. Clustered Nest
5. Multi-Level Marketing Tax Evasion Methods

EIC FRAUD

Earned Income Credit is a refundable tax credit meant to help working single parents. Normally, the way a tax credit works (nonrefundable) is that if an individual has paid $5000 in taxes for the year and qualifies for the $10,000 tax credit, they can only receive the $5000 they paid in taxes. If the individual paid $0 in taxes, the tax credit could be as much as $50,000 or more and they would get $0. With the refundable tax credit, the individual isn’t required to have paid taxes to get the earned income credit added to his or her refund amount.

It works on a sliding scale where the EIC climbs up to it’s maximum (usually around $15000 in earned income) and as the income climbs above $15,000 the EIC slides down. Maximum EIC is usually around $5500. Finally at about $28,000, the EIC has decreased to $0. As someone who spent several years preparing taxes in the lower income bracket neighborhoods, let me tell you that there are those whose whole year is planned around receiving this huge check of taxes taken from those who pay them and given to those who won’t. EIC is given only for your first two children from birth to age 17.

The ‘married or unmarried’ couple with four kids will go in to a tax prep office, separate ones if they are experienced at this. And though each lives in the same house, each one claims the Head of Household status, which increases the amount they can deduct off of their taxable income and with each of them claiming EIC they can receive a checks totaling up to $10,000 for end of year tax filing season. The Head of Household is supposed to be for those who are receiving no other support from anywhere else. The Head of Household must be providing for that Household, so if there is a boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, parent etc living there, they cannot claim that designation.

These cheats will do this for years before they are caught, but having been caught, they are not allowed to claim EIC for ten years following a fraud investigation. They will then have to pay back incorrectly paid EIC and pay penalties for fraudulent returns on top of that of up to 75% of the amount that the IRS was defrauded.

How They Get Caught

Every time an individual opens a bank account, purchases a car, or rents or buys a home there is a little note made that identifies their Social Security number with that transaction. Obviously someone whose earned income doesn’t reach over $15,500 isn’t going to go buy a $35,000 vehicle, or a $200,000 home. These cheats do not realize that they are putting a huge target on their back that screams, “”Audit Me!”" to the trained IRS auditors. You can’t have it both ways and claim to make enough income to pay off your purchase on credit and then on another form claim that you didn’t make enough money to pay taxes.

There is a storehouse of this information, and the IRS does take note of logical errors. Example; A man came into my office and told us proudly that he was the father of nine children with seven different women and that his total income for the year was under $3000 and he wanted to claim half of his kids before their mothers did so he could get the refund first. There is no way on this earth that a man on his own can pay for food, rent and gas on $3000 annual income. And he wanted to claim that he supported these children too? He went to prison a year and a half later, but I hear his kids are doing just fine without him.

Under the Table Payroll

Whether it be because the worker is illegally living here in this country or because the employer doesn’t want to bother with payroll taxes, a growing number of small businesses are paying in cash. And since their employer isn’t reporting it, the individual employee sees an opportunity to cheat the government. (In some of these cases, these individuals are engaging in illegal activity through which they make all their cash. Drug dealing, prostitution, etc.)

The first caution here is that this arrangement is illegal. The second is that it is dangerous. Illegal because there are certain state requirements for employment that cannot be met or measured without records. And, dangerous because this is how most employers get around paying worker’s compensation insurance. An injury on a jobsite where all is done ‘under the table’ will usually receive sub-standard care for fear of reporting the injury to a hospital or qualified doctor.

How They Get Caught

In much the same way that those who are cheating EIC, every legal transaction they make puts one more flag on a case that would not have one otherwise. If they are making money they are not reporting, they will have a hard time explaining how they are making $900 a month in mortgage payments when they only claim to earn $500 and that they are the sole provider of support for that household. As the Zen Master would say, ‘all things are connected, and yet not all things are the same.’

Falsifying of W2 or 1099 Information

It is relatively easy to purchase a pack of blank W-2′s or 1099′s and ‘create’ your own income. Usually the cheaters use a legitimate EIN number of a legitimate business that they have worked at temporarily or that a friend or relative has worked at and they create a W-2 that gives them just enough earned income to get the EIC credit. By the time the ruse is discovered, the cheaters have cashed their super fast refund checks and left town. Electronic filing prevents some fraud, but it makes others so easy.

The legitimate business owner then is left to explain why he or she didn’t pay employment tax on these individuals who faked these forms. The IRS seems to move much slower when you are the one who has been wronged. It could mean paying penalties on payroll taxes that were never supposed to be filed anyway.

A lot of those people using this particular scam are illegal aliens and do not have a legitimate social security number anyway, those that are legal citizens, and yet, cheaters anyway, eventually move and forget the crime they have committed.

How They are Caught

Once this particular fraud is forgotten, one day they will have to use their social security number for a job, a loan, or college application. At that point, they are nailed even though it may be five or more years later. Offenses of this type earn prison time.

If it is an illegal that is cashing this check, it makes it more of a challenge. Typically, an illegal does not have a checking account to use to cash this check, so they must go to a check cashing store. It is there that they must produce ID, addresses of references and some employment information. What a lot of people don’t realize is that all the checks you receive and cash have clearly identifiable stamps showing where and when the check was cashed, deposited and processed. If the illegal is still in the same area when the IRS does get up and start investigating, it doesn’t take too much to find them.

The Clustered Nest

Using the same principle in the first EIC fraud of a couple living together in the same place and each claiming Head of Household and EIC for each of their four children, the clustered nest describes what happens when that is taken to extremes. Where there are four or more families within the same residence each claiming HOH and EIC for their group of kids. This is common in heavily Hispanic areas where the families are actually able to get along with each other in close quarters. Often the children are swapped back and forth amongst the relatives to get the maximum benefit of the tax refund.

How They are Caught

In doing background checks there are areas and addresses that are automatic ‘red flags’ of fraud. They are called ‘high risk’ areas, high turnover, a transient population, hotels, apartment complexes, etc. When an address has ever been used as a ‘clustered nest’ where more than one family is claiming residence at the same time, that location is flagged. Eventually the addresses are matched together with dates and times people are claiming residence and sole ownership of the Head of Household title. As long as the entire family moves every three years, they could keep this up for many years. But once an area has been ‘flagged’ so too are any social security numbers using that address.

Multi-Level Marketing Tax Evasion Fraud

Lately there has been a group promoting an old idea they tout as being “”new”". This group stems from a MLM that sells legal insurance plans and a big part of their business is in recruiting other representatives. As the steam has gone out of their engine in the past seven years, it is getting more and more difficult to recruit smart people into these pyramid schemes. So their approach has changed to deemphasize the MLM aspect and sell them on the benefits of being able to deduct expenses they already have by opening their own business.

Most W-2 earners as they call them, don’t have time to work 40-60 hours a week and put in another 10 – 20 on an MLM. So the approach is this, let me show you how to deduct those expenses you have now anyway and save you money on your taxes. When you own your own business you do get to deduct losses, home office expenses and a percentage of your utility bills depending on the size of the home office.

So now they have otherwise smart people joining this pyramid MLM group, not to advance within the MLM, but to deduct all the losses they will have pushing these pre-paid legal insurance plans on their friends and family. There are several things wrong with this; First, your business needs to be in operation for the purpose of making a profit, NOT for writing off day to day personal expenses. Second, there are rules and regulations for home office and vacation deductions that these ‘fake tax experts’ don’t bother explaining to their new recruit, which easily lead to the deductions being disallowed and the penalties and fees start rolling in. And third, these so called tax experts are the furthest from being experts that one could be. A weekend training class does not a tax expert make.

How They Get Caught

The chief inspiration behind this devious scheme deftly avoids investigations and prosecutions. The pre paid legal insurance company however, seems to attract investigations constantly. Experts in corporate fraud have cited several red flags that show a company is ripe for fraud to be committed on the corporate level and this particular company is at that point. Since it is difficult to hold the corporation liable for the outlandish claims of its’ sales force, there will continue to be people sucked into this ‘incorporate yourself’ scheme that has been around for over 30 years. The good news is that the eyes of the corporate fraud experts are on them and soon there will be a slip up. Gee, I hope they know a good lawyer.

David Roberts, CFE, CQBPA, MBA, lives in Kissimmee, Florida with his four girls, three dogs, two snakes and one wife. He has been a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners for five years and has been studying fraud for longer than that. He is the owner of Homesoon Accounting Services which specializes in Quickbooks Consultations and Fraud Prevention and Detection.

Article source

Tags: ethics, legal, issue, articles, moral

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of running a business. Marketing could make or break a business. That’s why it is important to get it right, especially if you’re on a limited marketing budget.

Perhaps the easiest way to get your marketing strategy right is to do what your most successful competitors do. But would you steal marketing ideas from your competitor? Is that ethical? There are patent laws, copyright laws, trademark laws, and other laws that make it illegal to steal or to use certain things that belong to another company. But there aren’t any laws that say you can’t use the same marketing techniques that your competitors use.

In fact, some of the most successful business start-ups use other people’s marketing ideas. They use what’s tried and true rather than thinking up new marketing ideas, which may have a higher probability of failure. A winning marketing plan of one form has a higher probability of being a winning marketing plan with a related firm.

Would you do it? Would you steal marketing ideas from a competitor? Perhaps it’s a matter of business ethics for you? Maybe you consider yourself ethical and you don’t steal no matter what. If so, your cognitive dissonance would probably prevent you from stealing marketing ideas. Or, perhaps stealing marketing ideas is not really stealing. Maybe marketing ideas have no ownership and all is fair in business competition. In the end, it’s up to you.

Tino Buntic created TradePals to provide free advertising to business professionals, entrepreneurs, freelancers, salespeople, and trades people across North America. Visit the site and create a professional profile to get started.

Article Source

Tags: ethical, issue, business, legal, ethics

Eighteenth century thinker Denis Diderot once noted, “There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it.” The underlying truth of that statement is one reason some people seem to have difficulty operating an ethical home business. Ironically, however, those seeming inconveniences can actually turn out to be advantages. Those who try to short-cut real important business values aren’t doing themselves a favor on either an ethical or a financial plane.

The temptation to skirt ethics comes from our strong desire to generate profits and to experience personal success. Most people who operate their own businesses are very driven by their aspirations and when all that seems to stand in the way of greater profits is an ethical question, they may be tempted to turn a blind eye to what is right.

That willingness to overlook principles might seem like a solid business decision in terms of the bottom line. Even if it is, of course, its reprehensibility and contribution to the worst parts of our society should dejustify the unethical behavior. However, a closer examination of most ethical shortcuts reveals that the “easy but questionable” way usually isn’t the sound business decision in terms of the profit levels, either.

That’s because our home businesses are based on our word and honor. This is especially true of online enterprises, where our perceived credibility is largely determined by our history of clean dealings. Although it may be possible to grab a few quick bucks disingenuously, doing so is likely to have longer-term repercussions on one’s reputation that will cost more in the long run than what is immediately generated.

Additionally, the Internet never forgets! A questionable auto salesman may be able to last awhile, as advertising and blind luck may lead others onto his lot. Those who make buying decisions online, however, are already positioned to do quick research about those with whom they may be dealing. All it takes is a little bit of “Googling” to reveal complaints, allegations and criticisms of unethical players. An ethical compromise in pursuit of fast money will haunt online vendors and service providers indefinitely.

When I teach and mentor new online home business owners, I make a point of reminding them not to compromise their ethical standards. Not only is that important on some deeper level, it is also a core component of long-term success. Ethics breaches do nothing to help home-based businesses, but do risk destroying them.

As you grow your home business, remember that the inconveniences of maintaining the highest possible standards also supply you with the building blocks by which you can construct a recognized foundation for honesty and fair dealing. That kind of reputation can be the difference between barely eking out a living and being a home business success story.

Elias Georgi makes it easy to build your home based business and earn a substantial income. Learn how to increase your income in the comfort of you own home with minimal effort by visiting here.

Article Source

Tags:ethical, theory, code, business, issue

The article highlights the need for purchasing power by rural Indians especially in the context of wide FDI’s which set up / comming up in India.we know that the traditional market place are increasingly being replaced with the departmental stores,super markets and speciality stores.The lifestyles of the economy class are increasing,but the average rural Indians earnings are still the same.

People of rural India need information and decision making for their better day to day operations,which will improve their quality of life and also empower them.FDI’s are shaping the country’s economic scenario,but do this mean that the retail stores are set up only for the economy class.In India,the rate of items in any retail stores are so high and a common layman cannot even dream of buying a product.The government is promoting the retail stores in India,without keeping in mind the income of the rural Indians.

In terms of GDP,we are comparing with Chinas’s GDP,but see the standard of living in China and the Indian rural people.The Government has created the NREGA Bill,but does it mean that all the people residing in rural India are benefitting from this scheme.I do think that this scheme has benefitted the pocket of many politicians & State Government officials.Time has come for the government to open the eyes and see this all,rather than providing good lifestyle only for the certain class of the society.

Rural India consumes 56% of the FMCG demands and we have got quite lot of Indian FMCG Companies,but still lot of FDI’s are pouring in India.What I suggest is that let the Government see the living standard of the rural India,upgrade them and chalk out potential opportunities for any MNC’s or FDI’s.We all know that Retail stores in India are meant only for the uper class / economy class,can we see anyone from rural India over the retail outlets or any retail outlets set in Rural India.Never,India is still sleeping and trying to cope up with the developed countries.First lets ensure that 100% of the Indians are economically forward and create opportunities for any MNC’s or FDI’s in India.

I want to ask one question,can you find any rural indian working in WAL-MART,you wont find this,why that,we should change the system.To sum up,I would like to say that any retail stores operating in india shouls see wheather they are really creating road for the rural indians to buy any products.I’m really proud of many Indian Companies like HLL,ITC,GODREJ etc., whose sales figure crosses more than 60% only form rural market.The Government should take steps to ensure that the prices of stuff in the retail stores are lowered down,which can be beneficial to all classes of the society and the corporate Sector should put forth the views what I suggested.

Article Source

Tags: ethics, business, work, Issue, person

Today, businesses have a great deal of responsibility. They have a responsibility to their employees, to their customers, and to their community as a whole. This is all a part of doing good business, but businesses must also deal with ethical business issues on a daily basis.

Ethical business issues cover a wide scope of areas. Ethical business must be practiced with employees, with customers, and internally. For example, cooking the books, so to speak, is unethical. Not dealing fairly with employees is unethical as well, and there are numerous other ethical issues that employers face in the area of human resource management. Ethics must also be applied to sales and marketing tactics, to production of the product, to copyrights, and much more.

Some businesses face special ethical business issues. For instance, a lawyer cannot represent a client if he has already represented someone who has sued that particular client. It is unethical. A doctor may not give out medical information about a patient to anyone, as this is unethical – and against the law.

But in the general area of business, one must ascertain exactly what ethical business issues may arise, in their particular business, and develop a plan to avoid unethical business practices, or to handle those matters as they occur. For small business, this is a fairly easy task. However, for large corporations and such, it can be very complex, and this is why many large corporations actually have ethics officers. These officers make sure that the business is being operated, as a whole, in an ethical way, and they work to make sure that if this is not the case, that the problem is dealt with in a timely manner.

In the last decade, numerous ethical business issues have been in the news. The Enron scandal probably tops that list, but there have also been issues of employee privacy, in cases where the employer was watching them or monitoring phone calls or emails. There have even been issues concerning blogs written by employees that employers find to be less than favorable, where employees are fired from their job for stating their personal opinion, on their personal blog, during their own personal time. The question begs to be answered, where does an employee’s responsibility to his company begin, and his privacy and rights end?

In the online world of business, a whole new set of ethical business issues have cropped up. Whether your business is large or small, you have a responsibility to other cultures and nations. You must use care with your content, making sure that it is not offensive to any group. You must also use care with your coding, to ensure that your website will not damage your customers system. You must also not use underhanded tactics to collect email addresses, to overcharge customers, or to spam people in general. At the same time, all other traditional ethical business issues still apply. What are the ethical business issues that will arise with your particular business? It is important to figure this out now, and to devise a plan that ensures that you and your business are protected, without stepping on the rights or privacy of others.

This and other topics that deal with corporate communications, business to customer relationships, and sales training through Collective Vision are just some of the topics discuss.

We help you create your future through Collective Visioning

And now I would like to offer you one of my book chapters absolutely free. You can get instant access at this site

From Jed A. Reay – The Communicator/Connector and Visionary Master Sales Trainer.

Article Source

Tags: ethics, business, work, Issue, person

Honesty and Integrity go hand-in-hand, but in today’s world, it seems that people have grown so lax that both of these traits have flown out of the window. In fact, if you ask the majority of today’s youth to give you the truest definition of honesty and integrity, they may be able to tell you that being honest means telling the truth, but they probably won’t be able to tell you anymore than that.

Although most people understand what honesty is – telling the truth – do you understand what telling the truth entails? For example, yes it is wrong to lie, but isn’t it also wrong not to tell the whole truth, or the whole story so to speak? Many people believe that withholding portions of the truth is the same as lying, and if you are doing this, you are not practicing honesty.

But, again, if you ask today’s youth about integrity, most won’t have a clue what you are talking about. This is a word that they know how to spell. They have some small idea of what it pertains to, but they have no real grasp on what it means to have integrity, along with honesty. If you have integrity, it means that you live your life in a moral and ethical way. Honesty covers lying, but integrity seemingly covers everything else in life.

Once we grow up, and are forced to face reality, we learn that the world can be a cold, hard, cruel place. As we work our way through life, often we lose site of our own values. We are trying to get the bills paid, get the kids educated, taking care of elderly parents, trying to hold our marriage together, and trying to live to see our own retirement years and grandchildren. With all of this going on – seemingly all of the time – it isn’t hard to lose sight of our values, which in turn affects our honesty and integrity, even if we never intended for that to happen.

Before you can live your life with honesty and integrity, you first need to have a good sense of who you are, and what you stand for in life. We all have strong feelings concerning certain issues, such as abortion, firearms, and things of this nature. But as big as these issues are, these are the easy ones. Here, you are either on one side of the fence, or the other.

But in the small day-to-day things, where do you stand in terms of your values. For example, is your honesty and integrity so great that if you ran a red light, you would pull over the next policeman that you saw and insist that he give you a ticket? The chances are good that you won’t. But if the cashier at the lunch counter gives you too much change, the second you realize it, are you going to give that extra money back? Hopefully your honesty and integrity would come into play, and you would do everything in your power to get that money back to that cashier.

In order to live a life based on honesty and integrity, you must know who you are and what you stand for, and you must also police yourself on a daily basis, ensuring that you aren’t doing anything that conflict’s with your own values or moral code.

This and other topics that deal with corporate communications, business to customer relationships, and sales training through Collective Vision are just some of the topics discuss.

We help you create your future through Collective Visioning

And now I would like to offer you one of my book chapters absolutely free. You can get instant access at this site

From Jed A. Reay – The Communicator/Connector and Visionary Master Sales Trainer.

Article Source

Tags: business, work, Issue, integrity, ethics

Insert punch line here: ________.

Okay, now that’s out of the way…

They have something else in common. Confidentiality. A priest can’t rat you out to your neighbors if you confess to being the one who egged their houses on Halloween. A doctor can’t tell everyone at the cocktail party about the nasty infection you have from doing ________ and failing to ________. Your lawyer can’t call the DA’s office and advise them of some potential weaknesses in your testimony a few days before the trial starts.

Maybe “can’t” is a little strong. The law does carve out a few exceptions in very specific situations and more than one member of “Team Secret” has improperly spilled the beans, but none of those people are supposed to be sharing the details of your interactions.

You should have at least as much faith in your ghostwriter to keep things hush-hush. Anyone ghostwriting or doing writing on a “work for hire” basis should be just as tight-lipped as a priest, doctor or lawyer.

I was inspired to address this topic after noticing another writer mentioning where some of his/her work was appearing online, even though the materials were ghostwritten and (intentionally) didn’t have a byline. Although the comments weren’t the kind of thing that would be likely to crush a project and didn’t necessarily represent a reason for the buyer to be annoyed with the writer, they did get me thinking about how writers should approach confidentiality concerns.

Personally, as a writer I know how to keep a secret. Here’s what that means to my clients:

* You can discuss your projects and plans, even before we reach an agreement, without worrying about having them shared with competitors and others. I will make sure that understanding is part of our written record of communication or will gladly sign a non-disclosure agreement or any other document assuring you that your secrets are safe.

* You don’t have to worry about me turning down an assignment, doing it for myself, and reaping the rewards.

* You own the writing upon payment and that means more than reaping the financial rewards. It also means I won’t be telling the rest of the world what I wrote and for whom.

* The work won’t end up as one of my portfolio samples without your expressed consent. If you do agree to let me use part of the work to hawk my wares, it will be provided to others in the form of a PDF file, not as another readily-accessible web page. I won’t tell others where it appears, etc. It will also be given only to prospective clients who expressly agree to maintain an appropriate level of discretion.

There are a lot of things to consider when one outsources a key component of their online business to a writer. Confidentiality concerns might not be the first thing on the list that come to mind, but they can be important.

If you are buying “work for hire,” deal with someone who can keep a secret.

Never rely on random bid board suppliers, unknown amateurs, or “cut and paste” plagiarists for your SEO content needs. Partner with a content pro offering top-notch material at prices that make sense.

Content makes the online world go ’round and Content Done Better will keep it spinning in your direction!

You need it. Content Done Better writes it.

Visit Content Done Better when you need a professional content writer!

Article Source

Tags: office, ethics, behaviour, conduct, issue

Jorge was a young construction worker, sitting near the front of the bus. Natasha was an older lady confined to a wheelchair. She asked him about his orange safety vest, “Where do you get those?”

The vests are highly reflective and are easily seen by oncoming automobile traffic. Natasha thought that a similar vest might protect her as she crossed the street from the bus stop to her house in the evening.

Jorge stood up, took the vest off, and presented it to Natasha as a gift.

In a world that seems less concerned with the well being of others, than with grabbing what you can, Jorge’s selflessness stands out as a welcome gesture.

In our personal lives and the business world there is room for improvement in manners and etiquette. In the business etiquette training video America the Rude, the lack of good manners and honesty is pointed out as a growing problem.

“As common courtesy becomes less common and good taste is all but a contradiction of terms, Americans continue to push the envelope of socially acceptable behavior. Does the Golden Rule still apply, or are people too busy to care about the feelings of others? This program probes the apparent erosion of decorum in the United States, which has had a profound impact on respect for authority, trust for one another, and willingness to give a helping hand. Experts include Professor Stephen Carter, of Yale University; psychologist Arnold Nerenberg, author of Overcoming Road Rage; and Pier Forni, of Johns Hopkins University’s Civility Project.”
– Ad copy for America the Rude

Doing nice things for people should be the norm, not the exception. In our shrinking world, we need to make the effort. We still need to adhere to the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Is that really so hard? Of course, if were easy, we wouldn’t need training videos like America the Rude, which is actually the first tape in a two-part series called Truth and Consequences: Is America Going Downhill? The second video is called Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.

Lies and rudeness seem to be so prevalent that small courtesies really stand out. This is good for people and businesses that do practice polite customs like expressing pleasantries and sending thank you notes.

Who really wants to be an oaf or a bumpkin? In today’s world it’s easier than ever to be a gentleman or a lady. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, a nod of recognition, or the gift of a used plastic vest.

Don Doman is a published author, video producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the business training site Ideas and Training, which he says is the home of the no-hassle “free preview” for business training videos. He also owns Human Resources Radio, which broadcasts HR and business training information, program previews, and training samples from some of the world’s great training speakers twenty-four hours a day. You can listen and learn on Human Resources Radio.

Article Source

Tags: ethical, news, perspectives, articles, issue

Standing back and applying a ‘Reputation Lens’ to our business is a useful way of ascertaining whether someone, or something internally, may be enhancing our reputation, or damaging it. Whether we’re building trust or breaking it.

Everything we do has an impact on how we are perceived and judged. Unfortunately, however hard we might work to control our reputation, the reality is we can’t control it – we can only influence it. We can’t control it because we can’t control what others think of us, and what they think of us is our reputation – in their opinion.

However, it makes sense to periodically review what we can control, and these largely fall into three groups that can have a huge affect on the level of trust and reputation you have. I call them the 3 P’s:

People
If you’re a solo-operator this is you. If you employ others, it’s every one of them and you. Are the people that answer your phone, send out your newsletters, visit clients and do your book-keeping helping build trust or damaging it? Do they understand and support your values and have the training and confidence to make sound judgment calls when dealing with a difficult customer or situation? Is the way they come across and behave representing you in ways that enhance your reputation and build trust? If not, it’s up to you to help them understand the impact of their choices and actions and provide the training and support to enable them to step and represent you confidently and with ease.

Processes
Do you periodically carry out ‘mystery’ or ‘secret shopper’ checks to see how the processes you have in place may affect your reputation? Do you encourage ongoing, wide-ranging feedback from clients and customers and give any suggestions for improvement serious consideration? Do you give people options so they can interact with you in ways that suit them, rather than one way that suits you? Encouraging both formal and informal feedback from staff, customers, suppliers and others will enable you to monitor and adjust the impact your processes may be having and ensure you remain relevant, rather than redundant.

‘Partnerships’
Who and what are you associated with, formally and informally, that may affect your reputation and the level of trust someone has in you? ‘Partnerships’ relates not only to legal partnerships, but also includes your associations – formal or otherwise, with professional bodies, individuals, companies, brands, joint-venture initiatives, co-operative groups and so on. Is being associated with them helping or hindering you? Are there others you should consider being associated with? Have you considered possible effects if their reputation is damaged in some way and you’re formally or loosely associated with them? What might you do in those circumstances?

Our People, Processes and Partnerships hold our reputation in their hands. They have the power to make or break trust on a daily basis, yet rarely do we consider just how much impact they can have on how we are perceived.

If you haven’t applied a ‘reputation lens’ to the three Ps in your business lately it would certainly be worth doing so. We’re only as strong as our weakest links. Better to identify and minimize chinks in our armour before they become triggers that can severely damage our reputation and breach the trust people have in us.

Want to know more? Download Hannah’s free report: ‘Reputation Branding Essentials’ and opt-in to receive her electronic newsletter, ‘Reputationz’, at Here

Hannah is a specialist reputation advisor, professional speaker, author and founder of online performance-based service directory, TRUSTcite. She regularly comments on issues around reputation, trust and integrity in mainstream media and on her blog

Article Source

Tags: ethics, issue, trust, person, result

Corporate responsibility (CR) is becoming an increasingly critical matter of concern for large companies across the globe, as the unscrupulous are lambasted in the Press media and sued into oblivion. Business ethics, environment, society and employment are considered now integral parts of the quadruple-bottom-line in operating successfully i.e. sustainably in the modern business world.

A key precept of establishing sound CR practices is how an organisation defines and provides for its Key Material Sustainability Issues (KMSI).

Firstly, let’s define “materiality.” At its most basic, it is “the state or quality of being material.”[1] Another more specific source says, “An issue or concern is material if it could influence the decisions, actions and behaviour of stakeholders or the organization.”[2] Materiality hence relates to tangibility. When issues have high materiality they’re meaningful to the sustainability of the organisation.

Furthermore, issues are ‘material’ to an organisation if they’re both appreciably relevant (what matters) and significant (how much it matters) as normally defined by account of all stakeholders and the business itself. Materiality is measured by the stakeholder’s: 1) impact on sustainability, and 2) influence on the industry.

Fundamentally, a business must know what its stakeholders care about i.e. know what is material for them, and put this together with the strategic impact of individual stakeholders on that business or business area i.e. their impact and influence.

This information (the KMSIs) provides a business with direction or rules with which to guide and govern judgments, decision making and action. Underpinning and further directing this detailed corporate knowledge are Sustainability or Business Principles. These are broad business values, for example, “We create and sustain a working environment where people are challenged to do their best.” This would be a fitting Business Principle supporting the ‘employment’ branch of the quadruple-bottom-line.

In sum, sustainability is achieved through stakeholder involvement and the embracing of the Principle of Inclusivity. Supporting this principle of inclusivity (i.e. breadth) are three others: Materiality (i.e. realness), Completeness (i.e. accuracy) and Responsiveness (performance based on reality).[3]

At the end of the day, business needs to endeavour to do whatever it can to protect its future interests; the only way a company can do its best to guarantee its future, or provide for its sustainability, is to heed all stakeholders’ input and weigh it with opportunities, and against the perceived threats, to its business. This is sustainability.

Copyright © 2009, S. J. Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Post Script: I don’t normally tackle such issues as this, preferring to handle ‘softer’ issues such as those on relationships. In part two of this series I will focus on Issues of Sustainability – in Relationships.

ENDNOTES:
[1] The Free Dictionary, “Materiality,” Retrieved 20 May 2009. Source
[2] Det Norske Veritas, Defining Materiality and Material Sustainability Issues (presentation) at Report Comunicacao, Sao Paulo, 22 July, 2008. Source: AccountAbility. Available
[3] Where ‘inclusivity’ and ‘materiality’ provide an understanding of reality, almost like the breadth and length of prevailing knowledge. Referring to the AA1000 Assurance Standard.

Steve Wickham is a safety and health professional (BSc, MSIA, RSP) and a qualified, unordained Christian minister (GradDipBib&Min). He also has training and leadership Diplomas. His passion in vocation is facilitation and coaching; encouraging people to soar to a higher value of their potential. Steve’s key passion is work / life balance and re-creating value for living, and an exploration of the person within us.

Article Source

Tags: corporate, result, person, ethics, Issue

Much of the litter that we see along highways and stream banks when we go out hiking or do a clean up is disposable products finding their way into the environment. These petroleum-based products like polystyrene containers, plastic cups, lids, straws and plastic cutlery will take decades to decompose. Those same products are also a concern when burned in municipal solid waste incinerators spewing dioxins and other toxic emissions into the air. Even seemingly innocent paper products like cups and plates rarely contain recycled content and contribute to worldwide deforestation problems.

Thanks to some innovative thinking in the manufacturing sector however, earth-friendly alternatives to most of these types of products are now available to consumers.

[b]Disposable Earth-friendly Products[/b]

Bagasse (pronounced baa-gaas) is a paper material made from the waste cane stalks of the sugar industry. What was once a waste product that needed disposal is now being used to make disposable plates, bowls, cups and clamshell food containers. Bagasse products are considered to be “tree-free” products. Good-bye Styrofoam restaurant boxes!

PLA which stands for polylactic acid is a revolutionary new technology that creates clear, “plastic” food containers from yellow corn. These clear cups, lids, straws, deli boxes, and other containers are biodegradable and compostable. PLA products will decompose in the environment in about 50 days; perhaps sooner in a compost bin.

To complete the picture, we no longer need to use those nasty plastic, picnic utensils. Plant-based knives, forks and spoons are now available for your outdoor and indoor special events. This biodegradable and compostable cutlery is strong, heat resistant and earth friendly.

Of course the best way to handle these earth-friendly products after use is the compost bin. But, if you dispose of them in the traditional way into the waste stream, they are considered benign in both the landfill and the incinerator.

Now, go picnic in peace!

Copyright by GreenLine Paper Company

Article Source

Globalization and technology developed at a rattling rate make our lives more comfortable but we are stranded in a tighter area in our daily lives, on the contrary. Future might be ahead that is worse than Georger Orwell’s “Big Brother”. This time private companies trace us more than the government does, ranging from GSM operators to web search engines, credit card data and survey forms.

In the era of marketing, advertising and consumpiton, it does not matter so much to get data collected about us. The heart of the mattter for the companies is what they could do with those data, how they could increase their sales and forecast future.

Data mining is a method became very popular in 1990s, which aims to reach optimum efficiency in planning and organization thru collecting data from gigantic databases and determining specific trends, allowing to forecast future. Having used artificial intelligence, this method is based on analysing “significant” data and trends by computers, which takes many years for an ordinary man to collect those data. In the beginning such significant data seem “irrelevant”, but following computer analysis, it could appear as “relevant” by comparing two parameters. For example, according a survey run in a supermarket chain, families buying nappies tend to buy beer as well. So, a promotion campaign is held with the concept of “Party Time for the Families with Kids”.

Why is it so important to connect medicine and insurance, public and private sector, automobile demand graphics with avocado and banana curves? Before answering this question, it would be better to check how such a thing could be possible.

The key concept of data mining is to purge specific data series by sorting and comparing among gigantic databases. Despite “Merge and Purge” and “Database Enrichment” methods remained out of fashion as compared to “data mining”, data could be really transformed into valuable information and automized easily.

It is not easy to set up such huge databases. Many legal and illegal companies and people appeared to collect databases, especially e-mails currently. Metromail is one of the largest companies collecting mail addresses, currently collecting and selling e-mails, established in 1948, hiring 3000 people with a sales turnover of over USD 281 million. It “hunts” data researching from different resources ranging from state records to surveys, which also include income, householding, marital status, age groups and even the team supported. So Metromail is the no 1 company as required specific name-address info. On the other hand, it has a gigantic database continously developing with data about almost every house in the USA . In addition to such legal companies, there are also pirate ones producing data for pirate CDs.

Cookies innocently embedded in our computers, security cameras tracing us on the streets, retina scanners at airports, mobile phone call centers recording what we said for us, machines recording what we wrote and tools registering our actions…It is a world that do not care about us, but our data.

There is a new possible future ahead in case there is not a social consciousness formed to pass the overseas laws protecting invidual privacy. That future is “profitable” for companies, “secure” for states but “nightmarish” for us, ordinary people.

Emre Kizilkaya is a journalist. He writes articles for a communication technologies magazine, Tele.com.tr.

Article Source

Tags: ethical, examples, issue, theories, dilemmas

They say no good deed goes unpunished and sadly that is the truth in the world of the whistleblower. The theory on ‘whistle blowing’ is that the individual is helping the community, and following their ethics, by reporting the offending person or company. The risk of recrimination is very high and usually results in a long and difficult fight for the whistleblower. This battle will likely including legal threats and character assassination.

So what can you do to protect yourself when you do blow the whistle? Having been through this process I have gain some insight on how best to handle the situation.

1. Documentation: Once you suspect that something is wrong you should begin documenting. Start by taking notes in a log book or note pad. This information will be helpful when you need to tell your story and will provide the detail needed to track down further evidence of wrong doing. Next, start collecting pertinent documents. The best way is to copy documents (photocopy, computers docs, etc.). When you think you have enough, double it. Pictures, phone recordings, documents, conversations, e-mails are all important and should be noted when possible. There can never be enough documentation. Once the authorities begin investigation documents had a tendency to disappear.

Many people who don’t know the laws will try to tell you that these methods are illegal. The fact is they are not. In Canada it is legal to record a conversation or phone call as long as one of the parties is participating in the conversation. The removal of documents from the workplace is a gray area. Under normal circumstances removing company information is illegal, however when it is evidence it can be collected. In a Canadian court all evidence will be considered. Check with your governments laws or speak with a lawyer before taking any risks.

2. Minimize Your Exposure: When you draw up the courage, and support, to finally report the issues there are a few things you need to do. First, it is best if you stay at your job while you report the issues. Sometimes the authorities will ask you questions, that will help them with their investigation, and being at the location is beneficial. Ask to be kept anonymous, if possible, but sometimes this can’t be done. Next, get your resume polished up and start sending it out. Then prepare financially by locating your employment insurance office. Tell them that you are blowing the whistle on your employer and you may be fired for it. Provide the person with the contact names of whichever authority you contacted. The idea is to build a repour, so if bad things happen, people will know the facts. Don’t loose that all important safety net.

3. Go with your Instincts: Most people will tell you not to blow the whistle because there are no winners. They are partially right, but without your courage people will get hurt, the rich will get richer and abuse their powers. You can change that by doing what you feel it right. We often cloud our thinking with other peoples perceptions, but only you can determine what to do. Most of the time your instinct are right and you should trust them. If you listen to others and they convince not to go with your instincts, and then something bad happens, you have to live with the consequences, not them.

4. Be Patient: Nothing happens quickly no matter how fast you want to be done with it. The reality is that things will go much slower than you ever expected them too. The best way to make sure things are moving is to do some research. For example, if you file a complaint against a medical professional, the regulatory College that receives the complaint will have a complaints process. However, this is usually regulated by a government agency that has legislation regarding complaints. In Ontario all complaints must be handled in 120 days. If not, you can contact the Health Professions Appeal & Review Board and they will contact the College and accelerate the process.

Some other tips to accelerate the process include contacting your local politician, begin a letter writing campaign to media outlets and compiling your story onto an internet site. Be persistent when dealing with each agency, don’t accept their statements at face value and always follow up.

5. The Media is Not a Solution: They can help but you have to convince them to write the story. Many times it may take months for them to move. Remember they don’t want any liability, they are a profit motivated company and will only publish story’s that make them a dollar. If your former employer is litigious, they will probably be too scared to publish. The media has no problem reporting history, so once a final verdict is reached, by the authorities, they will write a story. Unfortunately it will be to late to help you.

Some of the smaller media outlets may be more willing to help you. Take a look at freelance writers, who may spend more time working on your story and getting the facts. They also have the contacts you need to get it published.

6. Prepare for an Attack on your Character and Legal Threats :: The person or company you are dealing with will not let things go easily. The first response will be to discredit you. If you look like an disgruntled employee or someone with a vendetta then your story will be less believable. It’s easy for the person or company to do this. If they were unethical to start with, it’s not a huge leap for them start lying about you after you report them. There isn’t much you can do except try to disprove they’re statements. Use the document you gathered to clearly show that they are the guilty party and you were just being ethical. In the end your efforts will be recognized. You will probably receive a cease and desist letter, don’t be overly concerned as this is most likely posturing. If you are worried, speak with a lawyer.

7. Use Lawyers Sparingly: Nobody can fight with the passion you have and no lawyer will ever put the amount of effort you already have into your fight. Replying to a cease and desist letter is easy, just stick with the facts, provide the evidence and take the high road. Most lawyers will act like an 600 lb gorilla, your job is to be bigger. In all likelihood they won’t want to take this issue to a public forum, like a court room, especially if you have documented the case very well. That would give you a perfect opportunity to invite the media and lay your case out. Examples of cease and desist responses can be found at Snake Oil

If you need legal advice, get it, but don’t let the lawyer bleed you dry. Have your questions prepared on paper and sit down with the lawyer and discuss the issue. If they charge a minimum of one hour time, use it all. One good thing to do is prepare a short summary of the facts in your case, and fax it in to the law office. Don’t ask question in the letter. Blowing the whistle is stressful enough without having thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Some people will tell you not to let the event consume you. If it does consume you, it will affect other parts of your life. But sometimes focussing your energy can be better if it will resolve the issue quicker. It’s better to throw your whole heart into the matter, rather than fight with yourself. It is difficult to not be consumed. My advice is to simply go with it. The harder you work the quicker the issue will be resolved and the sooner you can get on with your life.

The is no reward for doing a good deed, that’s only in movies. In the end however you should have the satisfaction that you made your community or country a better place. People will respect you for your efforts and hopefully inspire then to do something good and that is a reward in itself.

Darcy O’Neil is a chemical technologist who became a pharmaceutical whistleblower. His experiences, including the evidence, legal threats and decisions can be found at Snake Oil. Darcy is currently working as a bartender and a freelance writer.

Article Source

Most businesses have prepared, documented, and published their company policies derived from their basic beliefs and philosophies, and Business Ethics is usually one of them.

We must avoid even the appearance of unethical conduct.

How do Business Ethics apply in the workplace?

One perspective on Business Ethics is what each of us thinks about using the company equipment and information we have access to as we perform our duties:

* What we think about making copies of personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
* What we think about faxing personal (non-business) documents on company provided equipment.
* What we think about making personal (non-business) telephone calls on company provided equipment.
* What we think about sending personal (non-business) electronic mail messages on company provided computers and Internet network connections.
* Etc.

These and other non-business usages and actions are a drag on company profitability.

Other applications of Business Ethics in the workplace might be:

* Do you copy software to take home for personal use?
* Do you properly dispose of classified information regardless of media type?
* Do you “shoulder-surf” when a colleague is entering his or her password or viewing sensitive data?
* Do you ask those who “tailgate” upon entrance to the controlled-access office building to see their ID?

You should always be ethical or the old motor oil commercial will eventually haunt you: “You can pay me now, or you will pay me later.”

Let’s be sure that our Business Ethics “dip-stick” always reads FULL.

For more information and guaranteed insight into this site in general.

Article
Source

Tags: ethical, issue, dilemma, defined, business

My grandfather was a very wise man. Simple but wise. He once told me “The only thing you get in life for free is hungry.” There is a lot of truth in that. I see it all the time online and offline that people are looking for the perverbial “free ride.”

Online it takes the form of “get rich quick schemes” and overnight success stories. Promises of quick money for doing nothing. While setting back and doing nothing and watching the money roll in would be nice, the truth is that very few if any get rich quick promises ever pan out.

The thing to look for if you are seriously wanting to start an online business is one that shoots straight from the get go without making promises of exhorbitant amounts of money falling in your lap without you having to do anything. The greatest companies in the world took many years to build and lots of hard work. While it is true that you can start a company with little or no money the flip-side of that coin is you will have to put in extra time promoting and advertising it.

So one way or another you invest whether it be money or time. If you hear someone tell you something like “You don’t have to do anything but cash the checks” then the check you send them will probably be the only one cashed.

There are some easy signals to spot when looking for a business to get involved in. Like red flags that should tell you whether the business is worth checking out or not.

They want to charge you to sell their products:

If their products sell so good and you will be selling them for the company then why should you pay the company for the right to sell? After all you will be making profit for the company right?

They want money upfront for information about their “Opportunity”:

You see this a lot especially offline. People are duped into sending money for information about a “Business Opportunity.” When you receive the information it is pretty much useless and more times than not they ask for more money for more info. If it were a legit opportunity especially online they would let you check it out for free.

They offer you FREE products:

This is a very popular ploy online. You are offered free products only to find out that you have to buy something to receive your “Free Bonus.” If someone says this and this are free then they should give them to you free. After all that would be the honest thing to do wouldn’t it?

Is it a real business or just a Storefront?:

Both online and offline there are fly-by-night companies that pop up, take peoples money and then as quickly as they appeared they are gone. One of the main things to look for in a Business Opportunity is to make sure the company is well established. How long have they been in business? Do they have an actual brick and mortar business or simply a P.O. Box they operate out of? Do they use only auto-responders to answer e-mails or can you get a response from a real person?

These are only a few things that you can look for in determining if a company is reputable or not. Most times just common sense is enough to tell you if they are worth checking out. The most important thing to remember is don’t pay money to anyone for anything until you at least have an idea as to what you are getting. At least then you can decide for yourself if it is worth it or not.

John Dyer is the creator of the T.H.I.S. Online website. T.H.I.S. stands for Truth Honesty Integrity Sincerity. Dedicated to the presentation of ethical online opportunities, products, and tools, T.H.I.S. Online has very stringent guidelines for anything promoted on the website.

Check us out here

Article Source

“Life Is a Scam
By Jose De La Serna

Article Word Count: 558 [View Summary] Comments (0).
What can you do? Most of life is really one form of scam or another. The biggest scams are being uncovered as scientists peel away the layers of reality to reveal that nothing is really as firm as we believe them to be. A piece of wood may look solid enough so that if one were to be hit in the head with it, some form of damage would be inflicted on skin of the head if not fracturing the skull itself. On the sub-atomic level, the atoms that comprise that piece of wood have another kind of reality. An atom is composed of a nucleus and orbiting electrons. The nucleus and the electrons never meet such that it might as well be infinite space that separates them This ghostlike quality of an atom is a far cry from the solid manifestation of a bunch of atoms that comprise a piece of wood that is capable of inflicting great damage to a head or a portion of the human body that comes in contact with it as when a wooden bat is swung to strike a man. A neutrino on the other hand, is a particle so tiny that it would pass through most anything as though nothing exists except itself

One of the biggest scams in human history is the belief that the world is flat. Sailors and mariners would be afraid to stray from charted waters for fear of falling off the edge of the world. Ancient maps would say, “”here be dragons”" to denote parts of the world which people know nothing about.

Christopher Columbus in his quest to find treasures for his king by charting a route to the fabled land of India mistakenly thought that the Indies was India hence the name and the indelible appellation of native Americans as Indians.The fiction of Heven and Hell is one of the biggest scams perpetrated on gullible Christians who swallow hook line and sinker anything professed by Church Fathers and Evangelists who know how to write and orate better than to use their reason.

Galileo Galilei was a genius who fell victim to the ignorance of the Church Fathers who found his notion of the Heliocentric System contrary to the Religious belief that the sun revolved around the earth. He spent his life in house arrest so to speak unable to share his wisdom and knowledge for the good of humanity simply because his theory challenged popular Christian belief.

Even today, the general population is held captive by the ignorance of so-called leaders who foist their own brand of authoritarianism in the name of Democracy and freedom and economic progress. Proponents of terrorism also promote the fiction of a holy war on clueless adolescents and young people who feel dispossessed and hopelesss enough to end their own lives along with their intended victims by a tragic act of self-annihilation.

Life is a scam and scams are not limited to economic scams perpetrated in the Internet by unscrupulous marketers who prey on the naive desire of people to make money online. Every day there is a new scam being concocted by people and every day there are people falling victim to these scams. The Romans in their legalistic wisdom knew that scams were difficult to prevent so they merely decreed: Caveat emptor. Let the buyer beware.

Retired software developer
Chings Empire of Valuable Information

Article source

Tags; ethical, ethnics, issue, training, work

A good, honest, Internet friend of mine is not only sold on the concept and product, she, claims to be making money from uniformed money-hungry work at home enthusiasts that have not done, or even attempted, to research products they sell, for the companies they represent.

It reminds me of stories I read about “snake oil” salesman of the 19th century. Now its the “pills and potions” scam of the 21st Century. One of the most controversial is corral calcium. This cure-all is used to treat everything from athletic aches and pains to old age. Could this be a 21st Century placebo? Users actually claim it works.

What do professionals say about coral Calcium?

Alert! Coral Calcium Supplements Scam.
Check here.

“Coral calcium” is a dietary supplement said to be derived from “remnants of living coral that have fallen from coral reefs, as a result of wave action or other natural processes.” It is also said to be mined from the old ocean beds at the base of the coral reefs in Okinawa, Japan [1:120]. Simply put, “coral remnants” are limestone, which coral organisms originally manufacture as a protective shell. Since coral reefs are protected by law, “coral calcium” is made by grinding up limestone that no longer contains live organisms.”
Stephen Barrett, M.D.

“The “discoverer” of coral calcium Dr Robert Barefoot claimed that the reasons Okinawans from Japan live longer was due to the fact that they have been drinking water rich in coral reef substances surrounding Okinawa. In addition, Dr Barefoot also suggested that coral calcium can “neutralize” the toxic acidity of our bodies as coral calcium is alkaline base. According to the coral calcium infomercial, taking coral calcium can cure up to 200 human diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes etc.

However, there is no evidence that calcium can cure any diseases. There is also no evidence that alkalinizing our bodies can stop cancer or reverse any ailments. In addition, coral reef is protected by international laws and hence it is likely that these coral calcium supplements came from fossilized coral beds i.e. industrial waste.

If you are concerned with your heart health, you may want to look at Omega 3 fatty acids and fish oils and vegetables instead of coral calcium. If you are concerned with cancer risk, you may want to look at your antioxidants and vegetables intake instead of coral calcium. If you wish to take calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis, take the good old calcium carbonate or calcium citrate.”

Written by Gloria Tsang R.D

Claims, Benefits: Not only the best source of calcium for your bones, but also cure or treatment for everything from cancer and Alzheimer’s to diabetes, and lupus.

Bottom Line: There is no evidence that coral calcium cures or treats any disease, or that it is better than a basic, inexpensive calcium carbonate pill.

How to Sell a 5¢ Supplement for $1

Debunking the wild claims made for supplements is an ongoing battle. The latest cure-all is coral calcium, promoted widely in health-food stores and on the Internet. It’s probably the most expensive calcium pill in history.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, February 2003

Check this link.

If you are looking for the best natural alternatives, click here.

The Evidence About Okinawa Coral Calcium Supplements, visit the site.

“Research from recent calcium studies has shown that too much calcium may not be helpful for preventing fractures associated with osteoporosis and may in fact be linked to increased odds of developing prostate cancer in men . . . . For a good summary see The Harvard Health Letter, which recently warned: “If you are looking for consistency in health advice, don’t pay too much attention to the studies of calcium intake and cancer.”

Most of the health claims being made about coral calcium from Okinawa are based on the fact that the Okinawans are among the world’s longest lived people and supposedly drink water containing coral calcium. Although Okinawa may have the world’s highest concentration of centenarians, as well as extremely low mortality rates from diseases common in the West such as coronary heart disease, breast and prostate cancers, research shows that it has very little to do with their drinking water, as we explain in detail in our book “The Okinawa Program”. Although drinking hard water (high mineral content that includes calcium, magnesium and other minerals) gives the Okinawans a boost in their calcium intakes, they still fall far below the calcium intakes of most Western countries.”

I could go on about the overstated claims and high priced coral calcium. But I won’t.

Those involved in selling their coral calcium supplements will continue doing so. Those experiencing the placebo effect of this overrated, over priced supplement will continue to shell out their hard earned money to these “pills and potions” peddlers.

What have I accomplished? Peace of mind. I will not sell the product.

Visit this great site.