The Warhead Cable Test Dilemma Narrative Essay
Stanton Wong’s moral development is at a somewhat transition period at present, between stages three and four of Kholberg’s Stages of Moral Development. Stage three consists of the self fulfilling social roles, where individuals are receptive of approval and disapproval from other people. At this stage they try to live up to people’s expectations as either a ‘good’ boy or girl as they learn that there is an inherent value in doing so. Stanton has also learnt this through his work at the establishment, i.e. staying on the right side of Harry will gain his respect and a prolonged career.
However, due to the dilemma at hand, Stanton’s moral development is moving onto the next stage, where he is beginning to want to obey rules and regulations of both social order and from other authorities he is bound to. He is realising the importance of maintaining these for the proper function of society. Therefore, he is beginning to think about how the faulty cables will impact the lives of others. Harry, in comparison, is still at stage one, where he is only concerned about morals if the act he has committed will bear some punishment. Therefore, unless he is found out, he isn’t guilty.
Stanton should undoubtedly rise against Harry, and by doing this he will be letting go of ‘egocentric thinking’, that which both strives to gain it’s selfish interests, and to validate its current way of thinking. Instead, he should apply rational thinking, that which considers the rights and need of others and makes one strive to see things as they are. By doing this, he will achieve ethical reasoning.
Stanton should not blow the whistle, per se, and rather take a fair approach. He should contact the appropriate department to let them know that he is concerned about the level of safety of their products and that extra testing might be needed. Being too self-righteous is not always appreciated by people and should only ever be the last stance when no other action has worked. However, it is important to bear in mind that the products they are working with can have dire consequences, so a little action on Stanton’s part could possibly fair a long way. The company could deter such events occurring again by making Jane, or inspectors like her, carry out tests of their own. As this would allow for unbiased testing and more accurate results.
The Dark Side of the Internet
Like any other tool in the world, the internet can be used for both, good or bad. It would be ridiculous to allow the illegal activity to hinder the use of a tool that has enabled such advancement in all areas of life. Everyone has the responsibility of making sure that criminals use the internet for their activities. We should make it as difficult as possible for them. For example, one wouldn’t leave home without locking all doors, and wouldn’t buy medication from a market stall. Similarly, it is important to be just as vigilant with keeping vigilant with internet accounts and when purchasing things online.
The main fundamental of technology is advancement, so needless to say that it will always be ahead of us. And there will always be people who can facilitate this advancement and also are looking to make a quick buck. Therefore this can probably never be controlled. What can be done is to make this as difficult for these people as possible. Therefore, always use certified sites and always remain suspicious. The government can aid this by providing us with a list of certification that is verified by them, so the layman is able to distinguish between the genuine sites and those that aren’t.
Hurricane Katrina
The kindness demonstrated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina are more likely to be as a result of the charity principle as at a time like this, religion is less likely to play a part. And as far as the stewardship principle goes, it is more rooted in religion. Whereas, the charity principle is more geared towards taking what people say as the truth and thinking the best of people. And, at such a time, people are highly unlikely to lie, therefore, those donating the victims must have also have judged them on this basis.
Corporate social responsibility has been taken on by all the firms mentioned within this case, as all have demonstrated both the charitable and stewardship principle. It can be argued that the charity shown by the business mentioned may be self-serving, as the quicker society recovers form such an incident, the quicker businesses begin to make money again. No doubt, at times like these, businesses suffer tremendously. It can’t be argued that the onus of aiding those in need should be on businesses. It is no doubt the job of government. However, it serves in the businesses best interest to aid the recovery of society after such a disaster as the quicker society recover, the quicker they get back to business.
Dukes v Walmart Stores
Before the legal case, Walmart had established an Office for Diversity and had appointed a chief diversity officer. After the case, they linked officer bonuses for increased diversity and said they would promote more women. I would set a quota for the amount of women that should be promoted and encourage the promotion of women. To make this easier for women, l may also look into childcare facilities on site and flex-hour contracts, as it seems that these factors may put women off from putting themselves forward for promotion. I would communicate this to the public by launching an advertising campaign in terms of jobs and highlight the fact that we, as a company, welcome women and are therefore willing to offer incentives such as onsite childcare and flexible working hours.
Further investigation needs to be carried out into the individual cases sited here before a conclusion can be made. Judging by the swift response of Walmart in allocating a bonus system gives rise to the fact that they have something to be guilty about. Usually, when one is adamant about the innocence of their actions, they tend to rest on their laurels. However, in the present context, there isn’t enough information to say either way.
Damming the Yangtze River
The damming of the Yangtze River would undoubtedly affect the 2 million or so people who are settled on the banks of it. The resettling of such a vast amount of people may have dire economic effects on the region, e.g. growth in unemployment and productivity. I would also affect the fishing industry as a significant amount would be blocked from swimming into the region. Environmentally too, an artificial blockage of this sort would alter the natural course of the river and it’s surrounding areas, which may also effect.
Tourism trade, in aesthetic terms. However, such an action would also help produce renewable energy, which would also aid the environment. Along with this, and most importantly, it would end the loss of human life which takes place frequently in that region due to flooding. As a result of the dam producing hydroelectric power, and this too, 18 times the amount of a nuclear power station, it is by far a better alternative environmentally to the former coal-combustion method, which produces acid rain and carbon dioxide, both major contributors to global warming.
I believe that the building of the dam is the lesser of the two evils, by far. Whilst it may take a lot of readjusting, economically for those who will have to move as a result, they will be safe out of the region. Along with this, the environment is a pressing issue for every government at present and should also be for every individual. By building the dam, China’s source for electricity will be very eco-friendly, therefore better for the planet as a whole. There are negatives to this option too however, when looked at objectively, they are outweighed by the positives. Like most developing countries, China needs to concentrate on educating its enormous population. Whilst the urban areas are educated, there is a vast majority which is still not. It is only through education will the country be able to seek solutions to economic problems without infringing the environment.
Cisco in the Coyote Valley
Cisco’s main objective was to expand as quickly as possible, and to enable this, it would have to keep its employees and local authorities on side. The relevant market stakeholders for this project would be all those who either facilitate this project and those or are monetarily affected by Cisco City. The non-market stakeholders would be the local residents and the environment. The former group are so, as the actions of Cisco affect them economically, whilst the latter are affected in ways which are besides monetarily, i.e. in terms of pollution, noise, congestion, etc.
If Cisco were to work harmoniously with their stakeholders, it would make it far easier for them to establish Cisco City, as the local authorities would be more inclined to agree. Economically, if they were to work out schemes by which they could endorse the usage of local businesses by their employees, or even work out a discount system, it could benefit them, their employees and the locals. They could to the same with local housing agencies too; to make sure demand for housing doesn’t push up the prices of houses in the area, and so negatively impact locals. By doing this, it will boost the moral of employees and locals, alike. The above could be achieved through dialogue between Cisco and the stakeholders, which would inevitably achieve harmony between the two. The key is, for both sides to satisfy their main objectives, be they social or economic.
