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Source: http://www.infolinkit.com.au/marketing-tips/competitive-online-advantage-with-website-promotions-seo-experts/

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Source: http://jarredcoleman576.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/competitive-online-advantage-with-website-promotions-infolink-it.html

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SpaFinder Wellness Previews Top 10 Spa and Wellness Trends for ...

NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? SpaFinder Wellness today revealed a preview of its 10th annual Trends Report, which forecasts top trends that will impact the spa and wellness industry and shape consumer experiences around the globe. The full 60+-page report, including an analysis of factors influencing each trend and examples of early trend adopters, will be released on January 15, 2013.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121206/NY24717LOGO )

Susie Ellis, president of SpaFinder Wellness and industry expert, noted that when the company?s first trend report was issued a decade ago, the industry was in a different era.? ?A lot has happened in the world of spa and wellness these past 10 years,? said Ellis.? ?We think this forecast will make it startlingly obvious just how far the industry ??and consumer expectations ? have evolved from pampered indulgence to personalized, functional health and wellness.?

Each year the SpaFinder Wellness Trend Report is developed by company research analysts, led by Ellis who is also the Chairman and CEO of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit. The forecast is based on ongoing surveys with spa and wellness businesses and stakeholders around the globe, thousands of travel agents and hundreds of thousands of consumers.

Snapshot: Top 10 Spa and Wellness Trends (full descriptions below)

  • Healthy Hotels
  • The Mindfulness Massage
  • Earthing
  • Spa-Genomics?Telomeres and Beyond
  • Authentic Ayurveda and Other Ancient Revivals
  • Color Self-Expression
  • Inclusive Wellness
  • Label Conscious Fitness
  • Men:?From Barbers to ?Brotox?
  • Where the Jobs Are

Healthy Hotels
In 2013 and beyond, what constitutes a true ?vacation? will be redefined and ?hospitality? will be rewritten. We?ll see an explosion of new ?wellness everywhere? hotel chains and environments becoming more mainstream. In the past, gyms and spas have been positioned as mere amenities, but now these walls are being conceptually (and literally) broken down. Established hotel chains are re-branding around wellness and it?s not just about fitness. Customized food and beverage offerings (gluten-free and vegan menus) are becoming standard fare, and hotels are jumping into the juice-themed vacation frenzy.

The Mindfulness Massage
A creative blend of two effective approaches, mindfulness and bodywork, the ?Mindfulness Massage? is a more profound experience that can help people relax more deeply and quickly. Rather than lying on the massage table with a mind full of chatter from the stresses of the day, the Mindfulness Massage uses breath work and techniques such as ?body scans,? where attention is brought to every part of the body and the action of the therapists? hands. This two-way symphony directed by a therapist who understands mindfulness offers guidance on how to take the massage to a new ?mindful? level.

Earthing
As modern-day humans become more cut off from nature, ?earthing? specifically refers to the movement[1] promoting direct contact with the earth?s electron-rich surface (walking barefoot, etc.). The premise is that ?grounding? the body to the earth?s surface stabilizes natural electrical rhythms and reduces disease-causing inflammation. While we expect to see more of this formal ?earthing? at spas, we expect to see far more ?nature grounding? in a wider sense. Think less background music with nature sounds and more real nature to help combat ?Nature Deficit Disorder.?[2]

Spa-Genomics?Telomeres and Beyond
Humans have 30,000 genes and a three billion-letter DNA code. The future of medicine is mining this information to identify breakthrough approaches to support a new age of predictive, personalized medicine grounded in each person?s unique genetic profile. The power of direct-to-consumer genomic testing lies in the potential to pinpoint which diseases/issues could be forestalled by specific lifestyle changes. It?s easy to see how the spa industry is a natural benefactor of this development, but perhaps no genomic breakthrough holds such profound implications for the spa industry than telomeres: the only malleable part of DNA, which some studies are showing can be repaired by stress-reduction, exercise, sleep, healthier food and meditation.

Authentic Ayurveda and Other Ancient Revivals
Expect more aggressively-authentic and comprehensively-executed global wellness experiences at spas with a distinctly ancient look, feel and language ? and a far more expansive, exotic menu of wellness traditions. Best known is the 3,500-year-old, Indian-born Ayurveda, a complex medical system identifying imbalances in a person?s ?doshas,? and prescribing a personalized, detoxifying regime of diet change, exercise, meditation, massage and herbal medicine. But, we?ll also see more accent on the traditional Turkish and Roman baths, more traditional Russian banyas (with their birch-twig-thwacking venik experiences) and novel healing traditions? ? some in spaces with unique ?ancient-hip? designs, others built on ancient spa sites or within reclaimed historic buildings.?

Color Self-Expression
In 2013 ?self-expression? will be most intensely played out around COLOR. Because color is easily applied and relatively inexpensive, self-transformation will be painted on. Expect more in-your-face shades on hair and face from reverse ombre to neon lashes; more body art hitting bodies of every gender and age, performed at new, haute ?tattoo spas?; and nail art will continue to ascend with less bling and more nuanced textures and designs from 3D art to freehand mini-paintings.?

Inclusive Wellness
The future bodies welcomed at spas will look more like bodies in the real world. With more than one billion people who are formally ?disabled?[3] and a massively graying global population, the industry will shift focus from luxe-pampering to delivering wellness to persons of all age and ability levels. More people will look to spas to heal and keep bodies functional, whether through pain-relieving and mobility enhancing therapies, nutrition advice, or the right forms of ?functional fitness? for those with physical limitations or special needs.

Label Conscious Fitness
The ?name-brand? fitness wave has been around for decades. But today, as the fitness market expands as quickly as the world?s waistlines, an explosion of ?fitness labels? distinguishes products and programs ? and serves as a shortcut for instant recognition in an oversaturated market full of similar choices. From Yogalates and Piloxing to CrossFit and The Skinny Jeans Workout?, health and wellness have become the new luxury. Millions chase the ?insider elite,? giving the fitness world a distinct fashion world vibe where consumers shop for the latest fitness craze just as they search for the newest designer purse.

Men:? From Barbers to ?Brotox?
Dramatically more men ? from Beverly Hills, to Berlin, to Beijing ? are having more serious ?work? done at medspas and plastic surgery offices, as injectables, love handle remedies and advanced new surgery technologies make for little downtime and telltale scars. Men have different needs than women when it comes to face/body enhancements, desiring subtle, not overdone results. So look for far more spas to build out comprehensive, for-men ?beauty? menus ? male waxing and threading services and man-geared cosmetic procedures.

Where the Jobs Are
?High-tech? is a much-discussed job creation savior, but there has been little talk about the growing talent-needy, job-rich spa and wellness industry. With the $2 trillion-plus pan-wellness market (spanning fitness, alternative medicine, spa, etc.) continuing to grow, spas simply cannot find enough people (with the right skills) to fill spa management/director or therapist jobs. This need promises to expand in years ahead as the world continues its shift from a manufacturing to a service economy ? and people, health care institutions and governments recognize the effectiveness of spa/wellness programs and experiences.

About SpaFinder Wellness
SpaFinder Wellness is a wellness discovery engine that connects millions seeking a healthier, happier lifestyle with wellness providers around the globe. Its unique digital platform gives people everywhere the ability to discover, search, evaluate and reserve the services they want, at the time, location and price that they desire ? whether they are seeking spa, fitness or wellness experiences. SpaFinder Wellness is the largest retailer and wholesaler of gift cards for the spa and wellness industry, and also offers SpaFinder Wellness currency to support corporate wellness programs to help employees maintain healthy lifestyles. For more information, please visit www.SpaFinder.com.

[1] Pioneered by Clint Ober, Founder, The Earthing Institute; co-author of ?Earthing.?

[2] Written about/identified by Richard Louv in ?The Nature Principle.?

[3] WHO data, 2012

Media Contact:
Lauren Grunstein
Lauren.Grunstein@edelman.com
212.277.3814

Posted in Wellness

Tags: berlin, chairman, development, dna, finder-wellness, fitness, globe, industry, jobs, time, wellness

Source: http://wit168lines.com/spafinder-wellness-previews-top-10-spa-and-wellness-trends-for-2013/

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Source: http://dion290.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/spafinder-wellness-previews-top-10-spa-and-wellness-trends-for.html

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What We Write About Tells Us Who We Are by Cristian Mihai ? This ...

This post by Cristian Mihai speaks so well to the dilemma writers face each time they put their thoughts on paper and each time they put their words out there for the world to see. Cristian's observations were spot on, and the quote by Chuck Palahniuk was great advice that really resonated with me. I've written since I was old enough to hold a crayon. My first?implement?of choice for writing was black marker. (I guess I was rather fearless back then!) I wrote all sorts of things- from commercials to advertisements to stories to plays- a lot of plays actually, which is strange because I would rather die than get up in front of people and perform now! I guess that line by Rod Serling is true :??Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull.? While writing was, for me, the ultimate outlet and form of expression for my thinking and creativity, it did nothing for my reputation. You know that weird kid growing up? That was me. My writing activities only succeeded in making me appear even more odd and out of place than I felt! For that reason, I never could quite 'own' the idea of being a writer. Still, I kept on writing things. In college, I got up the nerve to take a creative writing class. The teacher was an older woman named Dorla Jenkins. She was an imposing character with red hair and penetrating eyes, which I was sure could read my mind. She was intimidating. I was scared every day I walked into that class- scared that she would look at me, or worse, say something to me, scared that I would be called on to stand and read what I had written, but even more scared of what all of them might think about it...and me. Despite all of that, I loved everything I was learning. I wasn't as fond of the impact it had on my writing, however. I seemed to be writing darker and darker things, which was alarming to a good girl like me. I just couldn't seem to help it. It mortified me to imagine what my teacher must be thinking. I suppose that's why I procrastinated signing up for the end of the year, one on one interview with Dorla Jenkins. My name was the last one on the list. I was dreading it. When the day arrived she greeted me with, "I was wondering when I would see you!" as she looked at me with that all-knowing, soul-penetrating gaze. We sat down, her large desk between us, and she paused a moment- one long, uncomfortable moment, before telling me that I had a gift. ?The surprise must have registered on my face. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that before?" she asked. I'd had a supportive English teacher my Senior year of high school, but she was a pot smoker and a bit of a ding-a-ling and I was one of the few kids in her class that actually did?the work she assigned, so I didn't put much stock in her enthusiasm. ?My writing escapades had only made me an oddball, in my opinion. Dorla jenkin's parting words to me were, "You need to ask God what he wants you to do with it." I've never forgotten what she said, even though I've wondered if Dorla Jenkins didn't say that to all of her students. I was still frightened by what I was writing and there was no way I was going to ask God what I should do with it! Control it, stuff it, stop doing it was all I could think of...and I did that until I had to do some writing for another English class a year later. This time the teacher was a big, very hairy, liberal professor at the state university. It was a literature class, but he had us writing everyday about what we were reading. I sort of enjoyed it. The class was huge and I could be incognito (which I preferred), or so I thought. One day after class, I heard him hollering ?my name over the heads of the other students and running down the hall to catch up with me. Oh great! I thought. I would actually have to speak to the man! "You know that story about your old maid schoolteacher neighbor?" He said, "I liked it. I think it's good." and he proceeded to give me some pointers and suggestions for it. He was a published author and he thought something I wrote was good. I've never forgotten that moment, either. It's been thirty years since then and I still haven't gotten around to asking God what to do with all of those words that come out of me. There's one part of me that thinks it's a foolish hobby, a huge waste of time. Then there's the other part of me that is afraid of what God might tell me and what that would mean. Evan Sanders,writer of the blog: The Better Man Project, says it best in his blog post called Day(354)- Rope-a-dope, "We put our work out in front of people for judgement, but often times it is not just the work we have created, but a piece of our soul...if not the whole thing entirely. But that is the profession...the calling I've chosen. " I've taken up writing again in the last few years. I've written a novel! ?(said in an excited whisper) And there are more in my head where that one came from; story upon story just waiting to be written. Maybe I've been 'hanging on the ropes' , protecting myself all this time, afraid of what it will mean if I really am supposed to be a writer. Maybe Fear is getting tired wailing on me. Maybe I'm getting tired of letting it. Maybe the day has come for that one on one interview with God. I anticipate a comment and look similar to Dorla Jenkin's. "I wondered when I would see you!" He will say. "I gave you a gift, now here's what I want you to do with it..."

Source: http://thisisyourrealmotherspeaking.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/1379/

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Possible Wintour appointment gets London talking

FILE - This Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 photo shows Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour before the start of the Rag & Bone fall 2010 collection during Fashion Week in New York. Anna Wintour may be poised to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and John Quincy Adams by becoming U.S. ambassador to England or France. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in London said they would not speculate on President Obama?s eventual choice for a successor to Ambassador Louis Susman, who has announced plans to step down. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, file)

FILE - This Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 photo shows Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour before the start of the Rag & Bone fall 2010 collection during Fashion Week in New York. Anna Wintour may be poised to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and John Quincy Adams by becoming U.S. ambassador to England or France. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in London said they would not speculate on President Obama?s eventual choice for a successor to Ambassador Louis Susman, who has announced plans to step down. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, file)

FILE - In this Monday, May 7, 2012 file photo Anna Wintour arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute gala benefit, celebrating Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada, in New York. Anna Wintour may be poised to follow in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin and John Quincy Adams by becoming U.S. ambassador to England or France. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in London said they would not speculate on President Obama?s eventual choice for a successor to Ambassador Louis Susman, who has announced plans to step down. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)

(AP) ? Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Quincy Adams ... and now Anna Wintour?

A report suggesting that the influential editor-in-chief of Vogue is one of the candidates being considered for the top U.S. diplomatic post in France or Britain has sparked spirited debate about her qualifications, exciting Britain's glamour-hungry tabloids but raising hackles at the conservative Daily Telegraph.

"Anna Wintour may be an enticing pick for a celebrity-fixated White House," wrote Nile Gardner in the Telegraph. "But she is eminently unsuitable for America's most prestigious diplomatic posting."

The possibility that the British-born Wintour would move into London's grand ambassadorial residence was raised several years ago by The Guardian newspaper ? where her brother Patrick is a prominent journalist ? and again this week by Bloomberg News, which based its report on "two people familiar with the matter."

Officials at the U.S. Embassy in London said they would not speculate on President Obama's eventual choice for a successor to Ambassador Louis Susman, who has announced plans to step down. White House officials have also refused to comment.

Officials caution that a decision is months away and would only follow the appointment of a new secretary of state to replace outgoing Hillary Clinton and would also include a thorough vetting process.

Guardian fashion writer Jess Cartner-Morley said the editor ? the model for the imperious character played by Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" movie ? would be well-suited for an ambassadorial position.

"Wintour is generally acknowledged as whipsmart and extremely hard-working," she wrote. "She is enormously charismatic, a born networker and a formidable fundraiser."

Cartner-Morley also challenged the dismissive view that Wintour's many years in the fashion industry are not enough, citing recent ambassadorial choices of a retired investment banker and a retired car dealership owner.

"Is a career as one of the biggest global players in an industry estimated to be worth $900 billion to the world economy really so inferior and shallow by comparison?" the writer asked.

Vogue spokeswoman Megan Salt in New York said Wednesday said that Wintour is very happy with her present job.

Wintour raised $40 million for Obama's re-election through a number of campaigns and star-studded dinners she co-hosted with some of the most powerful people in the entertainment and fashion worlds. In August, she teamed up with movie mogul Harvey Weinstein for a fundraising dinner, after a successful party at Sarah Jessica Parker's Manhattan home in July.

The ambassadorial posts in France and Britain ? formally known as the Court of St. James's ? are among the most coveted in the diplomatic ranks. They also typically go to wealthy individuals willing to use personal funds to buttress the government-provided entertainment budget.

Wintour, 63, is best-known for her trademark glossy bob hairstyle, oversized sunglasses and haughty demeanor. Born in London, she started in fashion journalism at Harper's Bazaar and New York magazine, and after working at the helm of other glossies became editor-in-chief at U.S. Vogue in 1988.

Carne Ross, a former British diplomat who now runs a New York-based diplomatic advisory group, said Wintour's skills ? "honed in the vicious world of the fashion industry" ? would qualify her for a diplomatic posting.

Ross said a large part of an ambassador's job involves taking part in social gatherings, something Wintour would be comfortable with. Often most of the real political work is done by direct communications between the White House and the prime minister's office at Downing Street, he said.

"That diminishes the political significance of the ambassador's role," he said.

Mary Jo Jacobi, a presidential adviser during two Republican administrations, said Wintour would be an unusual choice but possibly an effective one.

"Vogue is a very successful, very large publication, and she has experience with big budgets and with challenging, difficult people," Jacobi said. "She knows how to marshal resources. And her job has involved a great deal of diplomacy."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-05-Britain-Anna%20Wintour/id-690f484aa9dc409b8d6dc9f03078caf1

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A CASE STUDY IN BUSINESS ETHICS - Academic and Creative ...

A CASE STUDY in BUSINESS ETHICS

HOW TO RESOLVE ETHICAL DILEMMA USING CATWOE ANALYSIS

By

VIKRAM KARVE

[An updated excerpt from my Article titled PUTTING ETHICS BEFORE BUSINESS by VIKRAM KARVE published in the Journal INDIAN MANAGEMENT (The Journal of the All India Management Association) Vol 36 No 10 October 1997 issue pp 51-53]

Some people believe that ethics is of little concern to business people.

Ethics is ethics and business is business.

When faced with an ethical dilemma today, many upwardly managers tend to take the position that they must wear two ethical hats and cloak themselves with two separate conflicting codes of ethics.?

One Ethical Hat applies to the professional or technical aspects of their work (professional or technical ethics).

The second Ethical Hat applies for their business behaviour (business ethics).

This leads to the development of a schizophrenic ethical personality.

On the one hand the manager strives for professional excellence and high ethical standards for his own self.

Whereas, on the other hand he resorts to unethical practices to achieve business success for his organization at all costs.

Indeed this Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?Ethical?Approach is at the heart of many ethical dilemmas in managerial decision-making.

One useful technique to resolve such ethical dilemmas is the CATWOE model adapted from Systems Management.?

Ethical dilemma occurs due to mismatch in ethical perspectives of various stakeholders involved in the ethical situation. ?

A CATWOE analysis helps the manager identify all stakeholders involved in a decision and their respective ethical perspectives.

CATWOE is an acronym to categorize various stakeholders:

CATWOE MODEL

C = CUSTOMERS, OR CLIENTS OF THE DECISION

A = ACTORS, OR AGENTS WHO CARRY OUT THE DECISION

T = TRANSFORMATION PROCESS, THE DECISION MAKER

W =WELTANSCHAUUNG, WORLD VIEW PREDOMINANTLY HELD?

O = OWNERS / OWNERSHIP

E = ENVIRONMENT / ENVIRONMENTAL IMPOSITIONS

To elaborate a bit:

C:?? The ?customers of the system?. In this context, ?customers? means those who are on the receiving end of whatever it is that the system does. Is it clear from your definition of ?C? as to who will gain or lose from your decision?

A:?? The ?actors?, meaning those who would actually carry out the activities envisaged in the notional system being defined.

T:?? The ?transformation process?. What does the system do to the inputs to convert them into the outputs?

W:?? Weltanschauung - The ?world view? that lies behind the root definition. Putting the system into its wider context can highlight the consequences of the overall system. For example the system may be in place to assist in making the world environmentally safer, and the consequences of system failure could be significant pollution.

O:?? The ?owner(s)? ? i.e. those who have sufficient formal power over the system to stop it existing if they so wished (though they won?t usually want to do this).

E:?? The ?environmental constraints?. These include things such as ethical limits, regulations, financial constraints, resource limitations, limits set by terms of reference, and so on.

CASE STUDY ? ETHICAL DILEMMA

(This case study pertains to the year 1997)

A state-of-the-art cutting-edge technology product (say something like a mobile cellphone ? remember we are talking about the year 1997) is to be launched by a leading company simultaneously at different locations for the first time in the country on a certain date which has been widely announced and advertised and there is fantastic customer response and heavy bookings for the product.

A big event is planned in Pune for the launch for which a large number of dignitaries, customers and media have been invited, for extensive TV, media and press coverage.

The manager?s career hinges on the success of the event and the launch.

Three days before the scheduled launch date the newly appointed regional manager?s deputy tells him that the trucks transporting the product have been detained at the octroi post outside Pune.

The trucks (carrying the consignment of the new product) have been detained ostensibly for want of some documents and the octroi inspector is demanding a bribe for immediate clearance of the consignment.

?Should we pay the bribe?? the deputy manager asks the regional manager.

CATWOE Analysis

To begin CATWOE analysis of the ethical situation, let us start with the key player ? the regional manager who is the decision maker or the??T??of the CATWOE model.

The newly appointed regional manager may face a number of ethical dilemmas that may complicate his decision.

What is the meaning of the directive from his boss that the launch event must succeed at any cost???

Does his boss mean that the regional manager must do anything, legal or illegal, in order to ensure a successful launch???

Or does this directive imply and assume that the regional manager should act within bounds of the law and ethical propriety??

Why has his deputy manager passed the ball in his court???

The deputy manager has been working in this office for a long time and surely such situations must have arisen before.?

The amount of the bribe is peanuts and well within the deputy manager?s scope to pay and he can surely ?manage? this on his own.?

Then why is he asking the regional manager??

Is it a trap to test the newly appointed regional manager?s honesty??

The regional manager has many ethical obligations towards several parties. He has an obligation to obey the laws of the land but as an employee he also has owes a degree of obedience to his superiors and obligations to ensure the company?s success.

This conflicting two-fold obligation comprises not only business and commercial success but also includes his duty to guard his company?s reputation, protect its interests and see that it does not fall foul of the law.

Finally, the regional manager has a duty towards himself not to compromise his own personal conscience.?

At the same time he needs to look after his career interests for which a successful launch is vital.

And he must safeguard himself against legal hassles if he is caught breaking the law.

CATWOE -?The Dramatis Personnae and their Ethical Perspectives

ACTORS

The actors include the various persons demanding the bribe and the company employees / agents involved the the payment / delivery process of the bribe.?

It could set a bad precedent as both the company and newly appointed regional manager could acquire a reputation that they can be easily ?milked? and are ethically vulnerable.?

Furthermore, paying the bribe could create an attitude?among?employees and junior staff that, in this company, bribery is simply a standard operating procedure.

It is most likely that employees expecting to be held accountable to the manager and company rules will begin to distrust both the manager and the company itself, for in today?s world employees reject the ?Do as I say, but not as I do? notion.

OWNERS

The directive the the launch must be a success at all costs (secure business at all costs) conveys the message that the company?s top management is concerned with only results not with the means to achieve the results.?

It encourages employees to abdicate moral responsibility for their actions and take refuge in the ?I was only following orders? excuse thereby shifting the blame and trying to clear one?s conscience.?

When senior management fosters an attitude that anything goes, experience suggests that it probably will and there is every chance that scams and scandals may occur.

It must also be remembered that to the extent the company gains sales for non-business reasons it runs the risk of being complacent about the quality of its products or services.?

On the contrary, if the?organization?no longer feels the need to respond to the demands and dynamics of market or the challenge of technological advancements, it risks losing its competitive edge.

CUSTOMERS

From the perspective of the customers, the ethical dilemma here is that:

On the one hand the regional manager must keep his promises to his customers regarding timely delivery

while on the other hand

?

the regional manager must not lose sight of the fact that bribes represent unproductive?dead-weight?that raises the cost of doing business which in turn is passed on to the customer.

ENVIRONMENT

Is the argument ?well, others are doing it, so why not us? valid and ethical??

The prevailing ethical environment depends on the moral behaviour of the majority of citizens.

In this case the ethical environment is also determined by the moral values and code of ethics and conduct?practiced?by the existing industry in India, particularly in and around Pune.

But one thing is sure ? in the long term, it is not beneficial to conduct business in an environment where lying, stealing, bribery, cheating and other immoral activities are permitted and?practiced?by the majority.?

That is why bribery is illegal in virtually every country in the world.

WELTANSCHAUUNG (World View Predominantly Held)

?

On the ethical plane, bribery and corruption is almost universally condemned as it violates the core ethical values of honesty and integrity.

SUGGESTED SOLUTION (to the Ethical Dilemma)

CATWOE analysis presents a holistic view of the ethical perspectives of concerned stakeholders involved in the ethical dilemma.?

In the ethical situation analysed here in this case study, it clearly suggests that it is the?long?term interests of the stakeholders involved in the ethical decision that the regional manager should act in the?following?manner:

1. Decline to pay the bribe.

2. Apprise the top management of his decision.

3. Use the three days time available and try to resolve the issue in the proper manner, with the help of the top management, intervention at higher levels and threat of counter-exposure if necessary.

4. Take customers into confidence to cater for the ?worst case scenario?.

5. Ask the top management promulgate a code of ethics which clearly prohibits all types of bribes and illegal payments.

BUSINESS ETHICS

Business ethics concentrates on moral standards as they apply to business policies, institutions and behaviour of top management and employees who work within these organizations.?

Business ethics is applied ethics as it incorporates ethical analysis involving all stakeholders (CATWOE Model) and applies the conclusions of this analysis to resolve ethical dilemma.

Business is a cooperative activity whose very existence requires ethical behaviour, as any unethical behaviour on the part of any of the stakeholders is detrimental to business interests.?

Business cannot strive without ethics so it is in the best interest of business to promote ethical behaviour among all its stakeholders as well as within its larger society.?

When employees believe an organization is ethical, they are more willing to contribute to the organization?s interests, as they see managers? leadership as legitimate and readily follow what their managers and supervisors tell them to do. ?

Thus, ethics is?sine qua non?for any business and term ?Business Ethics? is certainly not an oxymoron.

Dear Reader:

This is the end of the Case Study

Now let us talk about practical things.?

Do you agree with the above analysis in the case study?

Or do you consider it quite?theoretical, idealistic?and?Utopian?and feel that it is impractical to implement such business ethics practices in today?s world??

Do you feel that the term??Business Ethics? is an oxymoron and such?Utopian?concepts of ethics and codes of conduct have no relevance in?today?s world?

Please comment and let us know your views.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright ? Vikram Karve?
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.?
? vikram karve., all rights reserved.?

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About?Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional ?and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal:?http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve:?http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:??https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog:?http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email:?vikramwamankarve@gmail.com

? ? ??

? vikram karve., all rights reserved.

?

Source: http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-case-study-in-business-ethics.html

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Robotic cars will be safer, faster in traffic

8 hrs.

When we leave the driving to the robots, they?ll zip through dangerous intersections more safely and quickly than human drivers, according to a civil engineer who wrote an algorithm that serves as an automated traffic cop to keep the robots moving along.

With the help of the automated intersection controller, the robot cars can move near the speed limit through intersections with only minor tweaks to prevent crashes, according to Ismail Zohdy, a civil engineering student at Virginia Tech.

The system takes into consideration the vehicle?s location, speed and acceleration in addition to weather conditions. It means cars won?t have to stop at intersections, waiting for a light to turn green or a gap in traffic that?s big enough to zip through safely.

?Keeping vehicles moving is also more fuel efficient and reduces emissions,? Zohdy noted in a news release.

Watch the video below to see a simulation of heavy traffic flowing through an intersection with the aid of the algorithm.

The system gains control of the robo-cars when they are within 218 feet of the intersection and determines the optimum speed for each vehicle within the intersection zone, keeping traffic flowing smoothly.

?The aim of giving complete authority to the controller is to overcome any selfish behavior of an autonomous vehicle and benefit all vehicles in the intersection zone,? said Zohdy.

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/robotic-cars-will-be-safer-faster-traffic-1C7424226

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Business Finance: Take travel insurance on your business break ...

Our CFO Greg Taylor reminds business people who are taking a well-earned overseas break this Christmas to make sure they pack travel insurance. He shares a great Mozo infographic that shows why travel insurance is as essential as a passport.?

Are you taking a well-earned break this Christmas? For some business people, Christmas is a key time to recharge the batteries and come back to work with renewed enthusiasm and ideas for their business.

More Australians than ever before are heading overseas for their holidays. This is due to the strong Australian dollar, rise in the number of low cost airlines and the relatively cheap accommodation and food prices in some overseas destinations, particularly parts of Asia. In fact, Australians took more than 7.8 million overseas trips in 2011 and this is expected to rise to 11 million by 2021.

Are you thinking of crystal clear, warm water, golden beaches and drinks with umbrellas in them? I don?t want to put a dampner on the trip to paradise you have been looking forward to all year, but here are some sobering facts. Did you know that the cost of a medical evacuation from Bali is $60,000? It is even higher from the USA, at up to $95,000. The USA and Bali also top the list of top accidents in popular holiday destinations. Around 25 million passenger bags were mishandled last year.

These statistics come from a great infographic (below) put together by financial comparison site Mozo to show why travel insurance is as essential as your passport. (An infographic is a trendy word for a diagram.)

travel insurance infographic

Made by Mozo. Designed by Shaun Leung.

mozo.com.au

After forking out for an overseas holiday, you don?t want to do is incur unnecessary expenses. You will have to work twice as hard when you get back. For a family of four travelling to New Zealand or Bali for two weeks, basic travel insurance starts at the same price as a cup of coffee each day. Just like your health, car, home and business, ensure peace of mind on your holiday by taking out travel insurance.

This blog is Greg?s Newcastle Post Business Finance column for this week. ?

Source: http://blog.greater.com.au/2012/12/business-finance-take-travel-insurance-on-your-business-break/

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