Management Concepts - Case Study - Motivation Essay

Management Concepts - Case Study - Motivation - Essay Example Mill operators at Sandstorm believe that they do not have enough power in their hands to change anything in the organization. They believe that they can improve the products and the services of the company but their suggestions are continually ignored by the employees working in the labs. This combined with the ever increasing demands of the customers has been leading to frustration amongst the mill operators. This frustration is the root cause why mill operators are looking to quit the company. At the same time, the attitude of the lab employees of not incorporating suggestions from the mill operators is resulting in the loss of quality conscious customers. This in turn is affecting the cash flows of the company. Hence this problem needs to be addressed. N.R.F Maier (1955) defined job performance of an employee as the product of his ability and motivation. While the ability of the employee can be gauged by the academic history and the experience; motivation for a job is dependent on various factors both internal and external to the workplace. In order to be a successful business enterprise, it is necessary that a company management makes sure that the internal factors motivate employees to do their best. In order to motivate its employees, the company needs to understand the hierarchy of need (psychological, safety, social, esteem or self-actualization) (Maslow, 1943) at which the employees are working In order to improve the motivation levels of the mill operators it is necessary that they shall be encouraged to come up with new ideas of improving formulas on the basis of customer feedback. At the same time, a process shall be made in place to ensure that the formula suggested by the mill operators is tested by the employees at the laboratory. If a particular formula is found out to be good by lab tests and is accepted by the quality conscious customers, the mill operator shall be rewarded suitably. This will enable the fulfillment of the

Part 1- To what extent can laws adequately combat terrorism Part 2- Essay

Part 1- To what extent can laws adequately combat terrorism Part 2- With refernce to the case of A(FC) V The Secretary of state for the Home Department [2004] - Essay Example s: â€Å"the following offences†¦ which are intentionally committed by an individual or a group against one or more countries, their institutions or people with the aim of intimidating them and seriously altering or destroying the political, economic or social structures of those countries will be punishable as terrorist offences." http://www.una-uk.org/archive/terrorism/terrorismhr.html Terrorism is perhaps the greatest danger mankind is facing today and it has become an enemy of human rights. Refugees and asylum seekers somehow seem to be seething under a sense of ill use and some of the countries to which they belong are now considered to be the breeding grounds of terrorismi. Public protection, national security and individual rights are clashing in Acts made for facing terrorism. This might even result in detention or deportation of people who are rather remotely connected with terrorism, or their refugee status could be revoked on suspicion. But war against terrorism has attained an expansive nature and encompassed the entire universe. David Blunkett, previous Home Secretary of UK, with good reasons, wanted the anti terror measures to be linked with combating illegal immigration, traffickers and granting of asylum. Most of the Western Governments and some of the Eastern nations like India, Nepal, and Srilanka are preoccupied with tackling terrorist activities. Adequately combating terrorism is not perhaps a proper phrase to be used. Terrorism and terrorist activities can never be eradicated fully, whatever could be the laws or however strict could be the security arrangements. A clever criminal can always find a loophole or two in the strong fabricii. In United Kingdom, there are many laws in place that should be able to effectively discourage terrorism. EU laws too cover UK laws and these laws over impose each other, and they should be able to create sufficient barrier against terrorism. But as we can see from recent events like London bombings, even though

The Arguments For Compulsory Voting Politics Essay

The Arguments For Compulsory Voting Politics Essay Using the definition of democracy as tied to the concepts of liberty, equality, legitimacy, and active citizenship, this paper analyzes whether or not compulsory voting is consistent with the fundamental principles of democracy. The argument for liberty would suggest that compulsory voting is principally undemocratic because the freedom of choice must necessarily include the freedom not to choose (Lever 2009, 3). Because democracy highly values individual freedom, as de Tocqueville suggests, the act of forcing individuals to vote with corresponding sanction for non-compliance is clearly a violation of liberty. While the libertarian argument does not discount the benefits of compulsory voting per se, such as higher turnout rates (Lijphart, 1997, 10), these perceived advantages cannot justify government encroachment on individual liberties. A government that values democracy values individual freedom and cannot compel its citizens to vote when it is not in the latters best interest to do so. The concept of voluntariness and the emphasis on individual freedom is a staple of American democracy (de Tocqueville 2003). Because voting is a political right, it must be left to the individual to choose to exercise or n ot to exercise. It eventually boils down to providing that option for the individual to voluntarily choose, free from government interference. From the standpoint of civil liberties, the right not to vote is a form of speech that is protected under the First Amendment (Matsler 2003, 960). This has an accompanying right not to speak as well. Remaining silent when doing so is for your best interest is a statement by itself. Likewise, the choice not to vote is a form of political statement that is enshrined under the First Amendment and needs protection. Forcing an individual to vote would be likened to the state violating that individuals right to the First Amendment. Because the government is compelling the individual to be subject to an array of choices they face at the polling station, the government may be silencing the more informative political statement they intend to make by staying away from the polls and choosing not to participate (Evler 2009, 32). Compulsory voting then, not only violates a major civil liberty (the right to free speech and freedom of expression), the state also endangers its own representativeness because it fails to respect the rights of electors to choose not to participate. From the philosophical standpoint, the issue of whether or not voting should be compelled among individuals is contrary to the aims of liberty, which according to Mill (1999, 34) prioritizes self-interest first, and self-government, second. Political participation goes hand in hand with these principles. The first relates to the power of the individual in a democratic society to unseat bad leaders. The second relates to the power of the individual to use his or her capacities toward collective responsibilities and upholding the public good. These interests all point to the citizen as having a moral duty to go out and participate in the electoral exercise. Nonetheless, moral and ethical considerations also necessitate the view that respecting the decision to abstain from electoral exercise is in keeping with democratic rights. Drawing from Mill, individuals in a democratic society have the right to protect themselves from all things that demean, neglect, and intrude upon them. Because people cannot completely look after themselves, liberty entails the freedom of individuals to pursue self-protection in a democracy. They are also entitled to choose the extent of their political participation in forming, joining and leaving political parties, expressing their opinions on political issues, voicing out their sentiments against policies that are detrimental to their interest, and refusing to disclose their political identities or political beliefs. Democratic rights are founded upon the respect for peoples capacity to make reasoned judgment. This goes against forcing people to exercise their rights or maximize their opportunities and liberties as citizens. We cannot generalize that people who do not exercise the right to vote are as the accusation goes, lazy, apathetic, or disinterested; rather informed judgmen ts of people would make them conclude that voting will not lead to the pursuit of their self-interests. Intelligent people can argue that by not voting, they are pursuing their own self-interest by making a statement that none of the candidates deserve to be in elective position. Because persons are rational and work toward their individual self-interest, compulsory voting cannot be justified because if voting is in their self-interest, there would be no need to force them to go out and vote. They would decide that voting would be good for them and they would cast their ballot of their own volition. Compulsory voting does not necessarily uphold fairness or equality. The case for compulsory voting is also argued on the issue of fairness and equality. Like Platos disdain for apathetic citizens, proponents of compulsory voting stress that because all benefit from being citizens of a democratic society, every citizen has an obligation to participate in the electoral process. By equality, is meant that no one should become a free rider in a democracy free riders meaning those that benefit off society without participating in elections. Supporters of compulsory voting suggest that it is a moral and political duty to vote and that in the interest of fairness, all should vote because all experience the consequences of electoral outcomes. Other strong arguments for compulsory voting include the fact, that voting on election day is much easier than other positive obligations of citizens such as paying taxes, doing jury duty, or performing military service. However, this argument must paint two groups. On the one hand, there are voters who are selflessly giving their time and effort to cast their ballot and contribute to the public good while on the other hand, there are non-voters who are selfishly abandoning their political duties but directly benefit from societys benefits as the first group that cast their ballots. The point that Mill makes is that in a democracy, everyone, whether consciously or unconsciously, is acting in what they judge to be their own self-interest. Voters go out and vote because it is in their self-interest to vote for their preferred candidates and see them in office. Non-voters cannot be generalized to be selfish; it can only be fairly assumed that abstaining from the electoral process is judged by them to be in their best interest. Democratic principles value the individuals rational judgment and capacity to make choices; hence, forcing a person to contradict his or her own rational choice is undemocratic. The problem with asserting that it is unfair that citizens vote while others do not is that dilutes the dynamism in a democracy. Compulsory voting also does not guarantee equality in terms of encouraging equal participation from various gender or educational groups. While this is asserted by proponents of compulsory voting, there is no empirical evidence to back this up. Studies however suggest that while compulsory voting has been observed to stimulate high voter turnout in some countries, it has not been observed to promote equal participation in those countries. A study (Quintelier, Hooghe, and Marien 2008) indicates that specific categories of potential voters refrain from voting, leading to the electoral dominance of more privileged groups within the population. The authors studied 36 countries that participated in the 2004 International Social Survey Programme. They found that while compulsory voting is associated with higher turnout rates, it has not led to a significant growth in electoral participation among gender or educational groups. 3. Compulsory voting cannot guarantee political legitimacy. Perhaps the strongest argument for implementing compulsory voting in countries is that higher voter turnouts strengthen the political legitimacy of a government. Non-voting is seen to override legitimacy and make electoral outcomes vulnerable to coups or resistance. When you probe deeper into this argument, non-voting can be construed not as apathy but as contentment with all the running candidates so that whoever wins the electoral contest, is worthy of the non-voters support. When citizens do not vote, this does not necessarily mean that they view any political outcome as illegitimate. Still, supporters of compulsory voting are weary of low voter turnout because it undermines representativeness and political legitimacy. Lijphart said that A political system with the universal right to vote but with only a tiny fraction of citizens exercising this right should be regarded as a democracy in merely a hollow sense of the term (1997, 11).   Proper democratic representation is strongly associated with the notion of free elections. By proper is usually meant that the outcome of the electoral contest was based on the sentiments of a majority of the population. Those that support this argument automatically assume that just because the elections were participated by majority of the population, that governments can assume perpetual legitimacy. This is a misled notion. Legitimacy is conferred not only through elections, but by the subsequent acts, policies, and decisions made by the governments leaders that pursue the general welfare of its population. Essentially, the vote s cast in an election are only a first step toward a governments claim to legitimacy. The more substantial claim is to be derived from the manner in which it leads and represents the collective interests of its citizens. If legitimacy means that government was voted by a majority, then not all legitimate governments are democratic and not all democracies are legitimate. There are governments considered to be legitimate but have passed undemocratic policies, engaged in rampant corruption, or were simply incompetent. Democratic politics is not simply a numbers game. The more substantive view of democratic politics is that it is competitive and cooperative at the same time. Judging political legitimacy based on voter turnout makes a poor analogy. Moreover, on the claims of representativeness, data show that compulsory voting is not a policy to be universalized. Figures from IDEA Show that while there are some countries that have shown impressive turnouts as a result of compulsory voting, the overall picture of voter turnout debunks the claim that countries enforcing compulsion have the highest voter turnouts. Since 1945, besides Italy, only 4 countries with compulsory voting made it to the top 50 countries arranged in terms of voter turnout: Belgium (84.9 per cent), Netherlands (84.8), Australia (84.4) and Greece (80.3). Forty five out of the 50 countries demonstrating a high voter turnout used voluntary voting. Other countries with compulsory voting have the lowest voter turnout in the world such as Egypt which only has a 24.6 percent voter turnout, the second lowest in the world (IDEA 2010). Compulsory voting cannot be equated to active citizenship. Equating a high voter turnout to active citizenship is too simplistic. The Australian experience indicated that while voter turnout was high, the incidence of invalid ballots also increased (Australian Electoral Commission 2006, 4). The phenomenon of donkey voting is a natural consequences of compelling citizens to vote against their own volition. Compulsory voting formalizes the participation of underinformed or uninformed voters who participate in a politically significant process. Opponents of compulsory voting suggest that having uninformed voters cast their ballots is worse than having informed citizens abstain from the vote. The more substantive definition of citizenship is how much informed citizens are about their society and the ways they contribute into the democratic process. Their contribution should not be measured exclusively on voting alone. For instance, in the U.S., where voter turnout is relatively lower than in Australia, the strength of public opinion in the U.S. is higher and laws have been modified, passed, or rejected in deference to public opinion (Mastrel 2003, 960). It could be safe to say that political outcomes are worse if the citizenry is uninformed than if the citizenry does not wish to vote (Evler, 2009, 32). Conclusion There is no question that the electoral process is an important part of democratic society. There is also no question that voting is a moral duty of every citizen in a democracy. The question is whether or not a person can be compelled to vote against his own judgment in the interest of democracy. The discussion revealed the many advantages of compulsory voting as experienced in countries like Australia, Belgium, and Italy and how this has contributed to higher voter turnouts. Nonetheless, the reading of democracy must not be reduced to the level of electoral participation alone. Voting, however important it may be is only one form of political participation, and as experience shows, not a very conclusive one. Elected governments have been toppled down, leaders have been removed, or refused reelection despite claims to legitimacy because of democratic elections. Electoral participation is valuable because it enables citizens to choose from among candidates who are considered the best to lead the country. Democratic societies respect individual freedom, including the freedom not to vote. Voting is a rational choice that a citizen decides to exercise when it is in his or her best interest to do so. Compelling him or her to exercise such is undemocratic. The higher turnout rates in countries with compulsory voting may not be necessarily good. Experience has shown that countries with compulsory voting also have high invalid or protest votes. Democracy cannot be enhanced when citizens go out and vote just because they have to and in order to avoid sanctions. Only when citizens freely decide to participate in the electoral process can their votes be authentic and truly reflective of their preference. Democratic government is a complex system that values not only electoral participation but providing avenues for people to express their choice, equality, freedom, and reasoned judgment.

Politics and its affect on the olympics :: essays research papers

Politics is the art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs. The Olympic Games is an event held every 4 years, which includes a variety of sport activities in which different countries compete against one another. â€Å"Sport is frequently a tool of diplomacy. By sending delegations of athletes abroad, states can establish a first basis for diplomatic relations or can more effectively maintain such relations† (Espy 3). One might think that politics and the Olympics have nothing to do with each other, but in fact they do have a lot in common. How did politics affect the Olympic Games in 1936, 1968 and 1972?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1934, the death of President Hindenburg of Germany removed the last remaining obstacle for Adolf Hitler to assume power. Soon thereafter, he declared himself President and Fuehrer, which means â€Å"supreme leader†. That was just the beginning of what would almost 12 years of Jewish persecution in Germany, mainly because of Hitler’s hatred towards the Jews. It is difficult to doubt that Hitler genuinely feared and hated Jews. His whole existence was driven by an obsessive loathing of them (Hart-Davis 14). In 1935, the U.S. decided to attend the ‘36 Berlin games, even though the United States knew how Hitler was persecuting the Jews. By July 1933, at least 27,000 people had been placed in what Hitler liked to call â€Å"detention camps† (Hart-Davis 16). In early 1932 at an IOC meeting in Barcelona, the committee decided to grant Germany the right to the 1936 Olympic Games, which allowed Germany to restore their athletic reputation that they lost because of the outbreak of World War I. All over the world, there was an outcry to boycott or at least change the location of the ‘36 Olympics. The IOC’s first response was that they had granted Germany the Olympic site before the Nazis’ came to power. All over Germany before the Olympic Games were signs that read Juden Unerwunscht, or â€Å"Jews not wanted.† â€Å"The racial discrimination- so obvious and deliberate- was more than some foreign sports organizations could stomach. Apart from being offensi ve to normal human beings, the Nazi attitude was also diametrically opposed to the principle of free competition on which the Olympics were supposed to based† (Hart Davis 62). More than anywhere else, action against what was happening in Germany mounted more quickly in the United States, especially in New York, where there were almost 2 million Jews living (Hart Davis 62).

Customer behaviour Essay

What is Electronic Commerce? Commerce – The exchange of commodities, buying and selling, of products and services requiring transportation, from location to location is known as commerce. E-Commerce – From a communications perspective, e-commerce is the delivery of information, products/services or payments via telephone lines, Fax, computer networks or any other means. What is Electronic Commerce? From an online perspective, e-commerce provides the capability of buying and selling products and information on the internet and other online services. It refers to a wide range of online business activities for products and services. Any form of business transaction in which the parties interact electronically rather than by physical exchanges or direct physical contact. Difference between E-Commerce & E-Business Electronic commerce or â€Å"e-Commerce† E-commerce covers online processes that touch customers, suppliers and external partners, including sales, marketing, order taking, delivery, customer service, purchasing of raw materials and supplies for production. More sophisticated system such as flight and hotel reservation system. e-Commerce breaks into two components: Online Shopping – the scope of information and activities that provides the customer with the information they need to conduct business with you and make an informed buying decision. Online Purchasing – the technology infrastructure for the exchange of data and the purchase of a product over the Internet. Online purchasing is a metaphor used in business-to-business e-Commerce for providing customers with an online method of placing an order, submitting a purchase order, or requesting a quotation. E-Business is a super-set of E-Commerce. E-business includes e-commerce but also covers internal processes such as production, inventory management, product development, risk management, finance, and human resources. E-business includes electronic mechanism to distribute information not directly related to buying and selling of goods. Examples: Product specifications, customer testimonials, and product reviews. Purchasing activities on your site, e.g., order forms, shopping carts, and credit card processing. Customers can’t interact directly with the firm. (territory barrier) History of EC The term e-commerce was originally conceived to describe the process of conducting business transactions electronically using technology from the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). These technologies, which first appeared in the late 1970’s, allowed for the exchange of information and the execution of electronic transactions between businesses, typically in the form of electronic purchase orders and invoices. EDI and EFT were the enabling technologies that laid the groundwork for what we now know as e-commerce. The Boston Computer Exchange, a marketplace for used computer equipment started in 1982, was one of the first known examples of e-commerce. Throughout the 1980’s, the proliferation of credit cards, ATM machines and telephone banking was the next step in the evolution of electronic commerce. The birth of companies such as eBay and Amazon (launched in 1994) really began to lead the way in e-commerce. Both eBay and Amazon were among the first to establish prominent e-commerce brands. The most prominent e-commerce categories today are computers, books, office supplies, music, and a variety of electronics. Dell.com,1997 Types of Ecommerce B2B( Business to Business E-commerce) or Inter-Organizational E-commerce B2C(  Business to Consumer E-commerce) C2B( Consumer to Business E-commerce) C2C( Consumer to Consumer E-commerce) or Ecommerce Involving Intermediaries Intra-organizational E-commerce  m-commerce(Mobile E-commerce) Business to Government E-Commerce B2B (Business-to-Business) or inter-organizational Ecommerce Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable. B2B is used to improve business relationship among orgz. (invoices, cheques, purchase orders, financial reports) are in electronic for. For Example: Logistic companies Benefits: Supplier Management (reduce no. of suppliers, processing coast, and cycle time) Inventory Management (list of items/product, eliminate out of stock items) Distribution Management (list of ship’s cargo, purchase orders etc) Channel Management (reduce labour, time saving) Payment Management (electronic payment reduce clerical errors, lower transaction fee and coast) B2C Business to Consumer In B2C seller is a business organization buyer is consumer. In this case costumer directly interacts with company, i.e. books and cd’s buy online and internet used as a medium for transaction. Newspapers reading and weather forecasting are used as a B2C E-commerce. This type of e-commerce improve the flow of information between firm and customers. Examples are ebay.com, and amazon.com. C2B Consumer to Business A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer’s requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the  project. Elance empowers consumers around the world by providing the meeting ground and platform for such transactions. Freelancing C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) or E-commerce Involving Intermediaries In this type both seller and buyers are consumers. There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions and forums where individuals can buy and sell. PayPal where people can send and receive money online with ease. Olx.com auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday. Intra-organizational E-C The purpose of Intra-organizational applications is to help a company maintain the relationships that are critical to delivering superior customer value by paying close attention to various functions in the organization. Benefits: Workgroup communications Electronic Publishing Sales force Productivity Business to Government E-C A platform for businesses to bid on government opportunities. It refers to the use of the Internet for public procurement, licensing procedures, and other government-related operations. It reduces the risk of irregularities. Income Tax Department, Excise and Taxation Department M-Commerce Mobile commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless technology – i.e., cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Including mobile banking (when customers use their handheld devices to access their accounts and pay their bills). Bill payment and account reviews can all be conducted from the same handheld device. Delivery of entertainment, financial news, sports figures and traffic updates to a single mobile device. Advantages of e-commerce for businesses? Reduction of costs in the business E-commerce serves as an â€Å"equalizer†. It enables start-up and small- and medium-sized enterprises to reach the global market. E-commerce makes â€Å"mass customization† possible. E-commerce applications in this area include easy-to-use ordering systems that allow customers to choose and order products according to their personal and unique specifications. E-commerce allows â€Å"network production.† This refers to the parcelling out of the production process to contractors who are geographically dispersed but who are connected to each other via computer networks. What forces are fuelling e-commerce? There are at least three major forces fuelling e-commerce: Economic forces. One of the most evident benefits of e-commerce is economic efficiency resulting from the reduction in communications costs, – low-cost technological infrastructure. – speedier and more economic electronic transactions with suppliers. – lower global information sharing and advertising costs. Market forces. Corporations are encouraged to use e-commerce in marketing and promotion to capture international markets, both big and small. The Internet is likewise used as a medium for enhanced customer service and support. Technology forces. The development of ICT is a key factor in the growth of ecommerce. What are the components of a successful e-commerce transaction loop? To maximize the benefits of e-commerce, a number of technical as well as enabling issues have to be considered. A typical e-commerce transaction loop involves the following major players and corresponding requisites: 1. The Seller should have the following components: A corporate Web site with e-commerce capabilities (e.g., a secure transaction server); A corporate intranet so that orders are processed in an efficient manner; and IT-literate employees to manage the information flows and maintain the e-commerce system. 2. Transaction partners include: Banking institutions that offer transaction clearing services (e.g., processing credit card payments and electronic fund transfers); National and international freight companies to enable the movement of physical goods within, around and out of the country. Authentication authority that serves as a trusted third party to ensure the integrity and security of transactions. 3. Consumers (in a business-to-consumer transaction) Form a critical mass of the population with access to the Internet and disposable income enabling widespread use of credit cards; and Possess a mindset for purchasing goods over the Internet rather than by physically inspecting items. 4. Firms/Businesses that together form a critical mass of companies (especially within supply chains) with Internet access and the capability to place and take orders over the Internet. 5. Government, to establish: A legal framework governing e-commerce transactions (including electronic documents, signatures, and the like); and Legal institutions that would enforce the legal framework (i.e., laws and regulations) and protect consumers and businesses from fraud, among others. 6. Internet, the successful use of which depends on the following: A robust and reliable Internet infrastructure; and A pricing structure that doesn’t penalize consumers for spending time on and buying goods over the Internet (e.g., a flat monthly charge for both ISP access and local phone calls).

Legal Environment Essay

Sexual harassment is always a legal topic in the work environment because the ramifications are so severe, but at the same time very abstract to describe what can constitute sexual harassment. This paper will take into consideration different elements of the law including Employment Law and cases tried before the U. S. Supreme Court. It will also offer suggestions for corrective action pertaining to the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace. In corporate America, sexual harassment is a huge concern amongst many organizations. The matter of sexual harassment is an issue that needs to be immediately attended to in order for companies to avoid large costs associated with lawsuits stemming from allegations of being sexually harassed in the workplace. Sexual harassment is usually an immediate damage. According to Crucet et al. (2010), â€Å"sexual harassment can cause damage to a company’s representation, status, customers, as well as their proceeds†. Sexual harassment can be identified as any unwelcome sexual jesters or advances, request for sex, and/or any physical or verbal conduct that may be considered in a sexual nature. The legalities circling sexual harassment can be broken down into two particular categories. According to Crucet et al. (2010), â€Å"the first category is quid pro quo and the second one consists of a hostile environment†. The first category of quid pro quo (this for that) sexual harassment usually involves an employee and a supervisor because in most situations only supervisors have the power of hiring and firing an employee. It also â€Å"involves some express or implied linkage between an employee’s submission to sexually oriented behavior and tangible job consequences† (Mallor et al. 2010, p. 1328). An example of quid pro quo could be related to a supervisor telling his female employee that â€Å"if you do this sexual favor for me, then you will be promoted†. According to Tyner & Clinton (2010), â€Å"other examples include managers requesting sexual favors, and the receipt or non-receipt of those favors as a condition for making hiring, termination, promotion, and other placement decisions. † Quid pro quo is easier to identify than hostile environment harassment. The second category of sexual harassment is called hostile environment harassment. According to Mallor et al. 2010), â€Å"hostile environment harassment, occurs when an employee is subjected to unwelcome, sex-related behavior that is sufficiently severe or pervasive to change the conditions of the victim’s employment and create an abusive working environment† (p. 1328). The key element of any type of harassment is unwelcomed sexual advances but in hostile environment harassment it is definitely a bit tricky and at times hard to define (Tyner & Clinton, 2010). Both categories of sexual harassment violate Title VII of Employment Law that is in place to protect equal opportunity in the workplace. In order to avoid or limit their liability for sexual harassment allegations, an employer must act immediately when issues of sexual harassment are brought to their attention in addition to providing adequate training on sexual harassment along with having an effective policy in place that identifies the definition of sexual harassment. A current ethical situation that I have encountered in the workplace involves hostile environment harassment. I have an employee by the name of Bob Doe that has been accused of sexual harassment in the workplace. Bob has been working as an Admissions Counselor under my supervision since January of 2011. Bob is married with three young children between the ages of ten to sixteen. Bob is a great worker but people still feel uncomfortable around him and comes off much different that the other male employee or co worker. He carries around an aura or vibe that makes the female employees feel uncomfortable. For instance, when Bob has a conversation with other female employees he tends to get too close and invade personal space. He is often caught saying vulgar and raunchy remarks that are HR inappropriate and has a habit of speaking under his breath a lot. Many of the female employees have claimed that he stares at them for periods of time without saying anything. He is medium to tall height, with a muscular build and tends to wear tight articles of clothing to reveal his muscles. Bob is middle aged and is about 5-10 years older than the average of other Admissions Counselors. In August of 2011, one day another male employee approached me and said that Bob had made some remarks to him regarding another female employee. Bob told this male employee â€Å"that he would love to catch her drunk† about that female employee. As a supervisor, this remark made me feel very angry that one of my employees would make comments like that about another employee and I immediately reported this action to my Director, Steve. Steve said that he really couldn’t do anything about that comment because I could not confirm whether or not he said it based off of the word of another employee and that the comment was not heard by the female employee. The director then told me to stay away from the gossip in the workplace and not to get involved in drama, He reminded me that I am suppose to be above that sort of office slander and that I was put in this position to make others people at their job and not be a whistle blower. I acknowledged what he told me and agreed that I would do a better job moving forward, but I still asked him to please report this incident to Human Resources. Steve said that he would handle the situation and would report the incident to Human Resources. Steve likes to handle all HR issues as he calls, â€Å"in house†. Steve wants the managers to run an incident by him before going to HR because he feels that he can handle the issues and that only if the cause was serious enough and if he was not present then we could go to Human Resources, otherwise we were to seek his approval or direction first. The second incident that involved Bob was in November 2011, when he approached another female employee on the team and grabbed her from behind and hugged her. Although he was not being overly aggressive and had a smile on his face, the female employee named Helen was caught off guard and felt violated and asked Bob not to touch her again because it made her feel uncomfortable. Bob laughed it off and said â€Å"Gezz girl relax! You know it’s not like that† and pointed at his wedding ring and walk away. Helen approached me and told me what happened. I immediately pulled Bob into a conference room and told him very sternly that it was inappropriate to hug and/or touch another employee in the workplace especially if it is unwelcomed because it could be viewed as sexual harassment. He said he understood and apologized for his behavior. At this time, I felt that this particular incident did not need to be reported to Human Resources since I felt I had a pretty good handle of the situation. I, however did document the incident in his employee activity log and mentioned it to my director who also said I handled the situation appropriately The third incident that happened regarding Bob was in January 2012. Bob was flirting with a female employee named Lisa who was not an employee on my team but still in the same division. Bob then began to grab Lisa’s hand and hold it with his hand. As Lisa pulled away, she asked Bob â€Å"why are you trying to hold my hand? † Bob’s response was â€Å" you’re so hot you’re making my hands clammy. † This was another sexual harassment issue that could have blown up. Once Lisa’s manager brought this situation to my attention, I once again called Bob into the conference room and explained to him that this was his second warning not to touch another employee, especially a female employee because it is inappropriate and unwarranted and if it were to happen again, then I would have no choice but to personally report him to Human Resources. Once again, I turned to my Director, Steve to seek his advice. Steve again told me that as long as you feel that you handled the situation appropriately and documented it then Bob should be fine. At this point I started getting the feeling that Steve didn’t care about the safety of my female employees and that he just wanted to avoid HR to avoid a situation. I felt as if Steve was allowing this to happen to prevent himself from looking bad. I then decide that I had to take the situation into my own hands and be more cognizant of Bob’s behavior with other employees. There have been a number of other times that Bob continued to make inappropriate comments to other female employees. He would compliment girls on their dress and say how nice their legs looked or that a certain color really brings out their figure. However, there were no mo complaints from Bob in regards to touching another employee inappropriately. He eventually decided to move onto another role with a different company and that was that. Sexual harassment is subjective because everyone identifies and perceives sexual harassment differently. Bob did come from the food and beverage industry where he was a bartender and a lot of his employees were cocktail waitresses in a night club in downtown. He did mention that in his previous job that he was very friendly with his staff because the culture would be more tolerable, especially with alcohol being involved. So, he may not have viewed his actions as being sexual harassment to his female employees, but obviously the employees felt otherwise. Author Tyner and Clinton write that â€Å"According to the law, the victim must be a â€Å"reasonable person† (Tyner & Clinton, 2010). The â€Å"reasonable person† standard initiated in the landmark case of Rabidue v. Osceola Refining back in 1986. According to Tyner & Clinton (2010), â€Å"in this case the majority ruled that vulgar language and the sexually oriented posters did not result in a working environment that could be considered intimidating, hostile, or offensive under the guidelines. † Essentially Judge Keith felt that â€Å"sexual harassment should not be judged by a reasonable person but rather by a reasonable victim† (Tyner & Clinton, 2010). It is the victim that feels uncomfortable and is claiming the allegations of sexual harassment. They are the one that feel that the acts of another are unwelcomed and violating their legal rights. Unfortunately, as a manager of fourteen Admissions Counselors, at times I don’t have the presence to be everywhere at all times. I have frequently not been present at urgent moments because I was helping or assisting another employee. I always made it a conscience effort to praise in public and coach or criticize in private. This was the course of action I took with Bob whenever I witnessed an inappropriate behavior from him. I took him into the conference room and let me know that what he just did is not acceptable. I did not want him to feel that he was being discriminated against because he was an older male. I know that it was my ethical duty to make sure that all of my employees have the right to feel safe in the workplace. This topic really sticks out to me because as a manager of a big company we are constantly having sexual harassment trainings and seminars on how to identify and prevent instances from occurring. A manager at the training shared with the rest of the managers a horrific case of sexual harassment from one of her employees. The employees name was Tim and he was a very skilled and tenure Admissions Counselor and often looked at as a great example of a successful hard working Admissions Counselor. When a female new hire Kristy was added onto the same team as Tim the manager advised that the new hire learn from Tim and create best practices and habits that Tim has. Kristy was near Tim a lot because she was given orders to learn from Tim. Tim would use this opportunity to flirt with Kristy constantly and asking her very intruding questions about her personal life such as, if she is dating anyone or if she is interested in a relationship or just â€Å"hooking up. † Kristy became very ucomfortable when Tim started to text message her at night saying that he is bored now that he is divorced and that he wants to meet her early in the morning to go over performance strategies. When Kristy finally confided in another employee the manager was brought to attention. The manager immediately told Kristy to go to HR right away and the manager went to her supervisor and they both took immediate actions. Because of Tim’s behavior Kristy was about to quit her job and she would attempt to be sick in order to stay away from Tim’s desk. Tim’s behavior created a hostile environment because Kristy was in fear of encountering Tim. This incident not only saddens me for Kristy, but also made me sad because of what Bob had done in the past to my fellow employees and I had not taken immediate actions like I should have. Legal Viewpoints: The U. S.  Supreme Court According to Crucet et al. (2010), â€Å"in 1980 the Supreme Court said that sexual harassment was a breach of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. † Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 â€Å"prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin in hiring, firing, job assignments, pay, access to training, and apprenticeship programs, and most other employment decisions† (Mallor et al. , 2010, p. 1323). An important case that first appeared the â€Å"reasonable person† argument was in the Rabidue v. Osceola Refining in 1986 mentioned earlier in this paper. This case is often cited as the predecessor to the landmark Supreme Court case of Ellison v. Brady in 1991. In Ellison v. Brady (1991) the Supreme Court rules that â€Å"it is unreasonable to use a â€Å"reasonable person† standard since the rules were established by men† (Tyner & Clinton, 2010). This is where the â€Å"reasonable victim† came into existence. The court went on to say that â€Å"we note that the reasonable woman victim standard we adopt today classified conduct as unlawful sexual harassment even when harassers do not realize that their conduct creates a hostile working environment† (Tyner & Clinton, 2010). This Supreme Court ruling is of great importance. Many of times, harassers don’t even realize what they are doing is wrong because their perception of reality is off. Two important Supreme Court cases in 1998 created the framework for deciding whether or not employers were held liable for sexual harassment committed by its employees. The first was Burlington Industries v. Ellerth (1998) and the second was Farragher v. Boca Raton (1998). According to Cabassa (2011), â€Å"employers in jurisdictions where courts have allowed indemnity claims against employees for actions giving rise to harassment cases† are on the rise. There are many cases linking to sexual harassment in the workplace that they have launched a litigation committee that covers employment law to covering all legal issues related to the employment relationship (Cabassa, 2010). The question still stands on whether or not a company is liable for sexual harassment committed by one of its employees. The answer to that question lies on â€Å"whether the harasser was a coemployee or a supervisor of the victim, whether the victim suffered tangible job detriment and whether the company had sexual harassment policies, training, and grievance procedures† (Mallor et al. , 2010, p. 1328). Therefore, in order for a company to release themselves from association and allegations of sexual harassment a number of things need to be considered. Suggestions for Corrective Action According to Das (2007), â€Å"sexualization itself, as a precursor to signaling, could arguably stem both from a targets developmental trajectory and from later-life experiences that get layered onto this basic personality substrate. † Therefore, although Bob had these precursor straits of sexualization prior to him going through divorce, the later-life experiences of divorce layered into his life may have caused him to be more relentless. Regardless of his personal life experiences, Bob needs to be in line with the Employee Handbook and follow its policies. It is imperative each company have a Human Resource or Employees Relations Representative that can handle any allegations of sexual harassment. It is first and foremost important for a company no matter of size small or large, to have an Employee Handbook in place to identify what is considered acceptable and what can be recognized as sexual harassment. Then adequate training needs to be in place to help identify what may be considered as sexual and/or ostile environment harassment. After the training, each employee should be required to sign off on an acknowledgment form acknowledging that they know and understand the sexual harassment policy. Once those guidelines are set then it is important for managers and supervisors to take the allegations of sexual harassment very seriously and prevent any further occurrences to take place. If allegations of sexual harassment are made, it is important for Human Resources to open an investigation immediately to determine the facts of the case and to get each sides of the story.  Once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, then the next step is to take appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination of the harasser. This measure will hopefully prevent sexual and hostile environment harassment. Conclusion In conclusion, the Employment Law has been established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 allowing every person the right to pursue a career and economic gain with the absence of sexual harassment in the workplace. The U. S.  Supreme Court has been a huge help in identifying the law surrounding and interpreting the U. S. Constitution as it pertains to sexual harassment. According to Tyner & Clinton (2010), â€Å"the Society for Human Resource Managers reported in 2002 that 97 percent of employers have written sexual harassment policies and that 62 percent of those employers provide training on sexual harassment. † Therefore, as a society we are on the right track to preventing harassment of any type in the workplace especially unwelcomed and unwarranted sexual advances.