Recent orders
More valleys Than Hills Commodity Prices are Close to the bottom of the cycle
More valleys Than Hills: Commodity Prices are Close to the bottom of the cycle
The article More valleys Than Hills: Commodity Prices are Close to the bottom of the cycle criticizes the perception that many international management experts have about the growth of China, the world second largest economy, and America’s highest exporter of products and services (The Economist 1). China is famous as the world’s destination of large exports of metals such as iron ore, copper, and many other metals. Moreover, the country attracts huge amounts of corn and oil. However, many experts are blaming the slow economic growth rate of the country on the low prices of many metals that account for the country’s largest imports. This is noticeable in the decline experienced in the prices of metals especially iron ore in the international market (The Economist 1). The volatile prices of these commodities has decelerated the country’s ability to super cycle commodities, which according to international management experts has led to decreased rate of production and gross domestic product.
However, this argument may be premature, as China has emerged to become an influential player in the management of international exchange of commodities, labor, and resources. Even though the world population is slowing, China’s population increases each year, and this has sustained economic growth in light of falling international metal prices. It is estimated that China’s economy will be 65% bigger in 2014 than six years ago (The Economist 1). Even though the demand of metals such as steel will fall from 3.3% to 3.1% between 2012 and 2018, it is estimated that the amount of steel demanded in 2014 will increase from 45 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes (The Economist 1). However, the prices of metals such as copper, alluminium, zinc, lead, and tin are set to increase in 2014 as many countries in the international market such as America and other emerging Asian economies will increase the demand for metal as they seek to produce commodities for the international market.
The article is related to the discussions made in class about the scope of international management. The article discusses the ongoing debate about the various challenges that face international market players when exchanging commodities, labor, and resources in the global market that have been covered in previous lectures. Many international management experts explain the sluggish growth of many countries such as China on the falling prices of metals such as iron ore, copper, and alluminium as China is the largest importer of the world’s iron ore. However, the article also argues there are various factors whose interplay influences the growth rate of economies. This is because every country exploits its comparative advantage in the global market. Chinas increasing population has sustained its economic growth due to low costs of production, which has balanced the low returns experienced from commodities exchanged in the global market.
In my opinion, China’s large labor supply, which is the country’s comparative advantage over other international players in the global market, has made its economy surmount challenges posed by the global market environment and emerge larger and stronger. The low cost of production due to high labor supply has led to increased production of products and services in the Chinese economy. Many countries that exploit the large labor supply in China provid employment for the country’s large pool of labor, and the declining prices of metals does not affect the country’s rate of production.
Work Cited
S.W. More Valleys than Hill: Prices are close to bottom of the cycle. The Economist, Daily
Chart. January 09 2014. Accessed from
<http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/01/daily-chart-4>
More than any other philosophers, Aristotle enshrines happiness as a key purpose of human goal and life in itself.
Happiness and Ethics
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More than any other philosophers, Aristotle enshrines happiness as a key purpose of human goal and life in itself. Because of this, he devotes more time and space to the issue of happiness than any other philosopher does before the modern era. He concludes that happiness depends on virtue cultivation. Essentially, this philosopher argues that virtue can be attained by maintaining the mean, which he defines as the balance that exists between two excesses (Ross, 1995). This paper, therefore, will discuss the thoughts of Aristotle about happiness.
There are two understandings of happiness or eudaimonia, one which is comprehensive, and another that is an intellectualist understanding. For instance, eudaimonia is appreciated in the activity of the most divine part of humanity, working in accordance with its appropriateness. According to the philosopher, this is the action of hypothetical consideration. According to the inclusive account, eudaimonia essentially involves not just the theoretical intellect activity, but also the full range of human action and life, in line with the broader practical wisdom and moral virtual excellences. This understanding associates eudaimonia with the human nature concept as composite; that is as including the interaction of emotion, reason, action, perception (Nagel, 1972).
There have been numerous arguments that indicate that Aristotle was more tempted by the intellectualist argument of eudaimonia. One of the best influential works on Aristotle is seen to be the Nicomachean Ethics, where he comes up with a theory of happiness that is even relevant today. In this case, one of the most essential questions that the philosopher looks to answer is what the ultimate purpose of existence of humanity is. Additionally, what is the ultimate end or goal should humankind direct their existence. In all our lives, we have witnessed individuals looking for pleasure, excellent reputation and wealth, but while each of these have some form of value, none of these can take the place of the central good for which humankind should strive to obtain (Aristotle, 2004). To be an ultimate end or goal, an action should be final and self sufficient; that which is at all times desirable in itself and never because of anything else, and it must be achievable by man. Aristotle argues that almost everyone would identify with the claim that happiness is the end, which addresses all of man’s needs (Nagel, 1972).
This definition of happiness utilizes and integrates into its understanding the aspect of good and spirituality, and supreme beings. This is unlike our usual understanding of what happiness is. It is how believe that happiness is reaching at a point or state whereby individuals are content and enjoying their lives to the fullest. With most individuals today, it is easy enough to realize that we want pleasure, money, and honor because individuals believe that these aspects will bring us happiness. The main problem is that happiness in most of our societies is conceived as a state of mind that is subjective. This is so because one might say that he is happy simply because he gets to enjoy a cold beer as a way of relaxing. It is quite different from our understanding of happiness because in most cases we do not see happiness as an end to itself; for Aristotle, however, happiness is a final goal or end that involves the totality of the life of an individual. It can, therefore, never be lost or gained in a short period, like sensations that are pleasurable. Aristotle sees it as the ultimate value of an individual’s life until it ends (Nagel, 1972).
Aristotle argues that if individuals are to stop with the truism, which the highest human good is eudaimonia, then they must enquire into a man’s ergon, since if an individual possesses ergon, then they are good and their good acts as a function of its ergon. The ergon of an individual or a thing is what he or it does that makes him or it what it is. Not everything or everyone has an ergon, but when they happen to possess it, then their good is spelled out by it. The appropriate human ergon, by which excellence in humanity is measured, is that which makes someone a man rather than something else. For instance, men do many great things, but since other living organisms can do the same things equally well, these things do not have anything to do with what makes individuals human (Hughes, 2001).
According to Aristotle, happiness involves attaining, through one’s life course all goods including wealth, health, friends and knowledge that result to perfection of the nature of humans and to the enrichment of one’s life. This requires individuals to make choices, some of which are usually difficult. In most cases, the lesser good promises an individual immediate pleasure, which is usually more tempting. The greater good, on the other hand, is difficult and requires sacrifice. This philosopher’s doctrine of virtue is regarded as the golden man between the extremes of deficiency and excesses. To him, therefore, happiness is determined by the acquisition of a moral character, in which an individual displays a number of virtues such as the virtual of courage, justice, generosity, citizenship and friendship in their lives. These virtues require the individuals to establish a balance or mean between deficiency and excess. A non- virtuous person can, therefore, never be happy (Aristotle, 1980).
On the matters of happiness, I agree with Aristotle more than Plato because Aristotle argues his points more logically in and in a manner that most individuals can identify with; for example, in the case of attaining such goods and virtues as courage, health, knowledge and pleasure as ways of attaining happiness.
References
Aristotle. (1980). The Ethics of Virtue. Oxford University Press.
Aristotle. (2004). Nicomachean Ethics, ed. Hugh Treddenick. London: Penguin.
Hughes, G.J. (2001). Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Aristotle on Ethics. London: Routledge.
Nagel, T. (1972). Aristotle on Eudaimonia. Phronesis, 17(3): 252-259.
Ross, Sir D. (1995). Aristotle (6th Ed.). London: Routledge.
Addressing Sexual Harassment in Work Place
Addressing Sexual Harassment in Work Place
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Institution
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Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Work Place
A recent statement realised by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shows that there are approximately 7000 reported cases of alleged sexual harassment. Recent public movements such as Times Up and me too movements have been hitting our screens in the near past. The ‘me too’ campaign has received a world wide support with over 1.7 million tweets and 12 million Facebook posts from eighty five different countries. The above numbers expose the magnitude of the issue of sexual harassment in the work place. A resent research conducted by the Langer Research Associate estimates that nearly 33 million women in the United States have experienced some form of sexual harassment in the work place. According to these women such behaviours were perpetrated by the male colleagues.
To understand why, when and how sexual harassment occurs we need to first define what exactly is sexual harassment. There are a myriad of definitions which attempt to describe sexual harassment. There are both academic and legal definitions of sexual harassment (Siuta, 2019). One of the definitions terms sexual harassment as any behaviour that is sexual in nature which the victim regards as threatening, offensive and which exceed her resources.
Another definition explains sexual harassment as any kind of behaviour solicited by a male worker which exalts the sex role of a woman over her work as an employee. The behaviour should be non-reciprocal on the side of the victim. A more recent definition terms sexual harassment as any form of abusive and counterproductive behaviour which at its core is connected to hierarchical power at the work place. The above definitions point out to the general definition that sexual harassment is typically any behaviour that is sexual in nature, unwanted and hostile. It involves exploitation of power in order to discriminate, take advantage or coerce the victim to something against their will. As a result there is always abuse of power that is connected to sexual harassment.
It is important to note that the definition of sexual harassment is subjective (Gruber, 1998). What constitutes sexual harassment varies from person to person. Different employees have different perceptions as to what exactly constitutes sexual harassment at the work place. Generally, sexual harassment is framed around the act of male colleagues harassing female workers. However, this does not exclude the fact that males can be victims of sexual harassment. Men can be victims of sexual harassment but the act is more prevalent on women. When compared to the male counterparts, the negative effects of sexual harassment are more severe on women than men. As a result, much of the discussion on sexual harassment will tend to focus more on women being harassed by men. As an important guide organizations need to come up with their own definition of sexual harassment and point out situations when men and women have been victims of sexual harassment.
The high rate of occurrence of sexual harassment has made it difficult to accurately assess the issue. In the United States, it is estimated that 38% of women and 13% of men have been victims of sexual harassment at one point. A research conducted by Pew Research Center gave a report that estimated around 49% of women who work in male dominated fields are victims of sexual harassment. An interview with women who work in male dominated fields such as engineering and architecture confirmed that this is indeed one of the biggest challenges that women face at work. The same study by Pew Research Center shows that 32% of women who work in a balanced work environment that is an environment with equal number of women and men workers or even women workers are more attest to experiencing sexual harassment. It is estimated that the rate of sexual harassment in European countries is anywhere from 17% to 81%. Most of the reported cases of sexual harassment are often reported by women.
The high prevalence in incidents which are termed as sexual harassment is caused by the fact that most victims either downplay of minimize acts which qualify as sexual harassment. Victims of sexual harassment fear the consequences of reporting a case of sexual harassment. In the event of reporting, the victim may be coerced to underreport or under emphasise the experience. There is also the fear of the unknown at the work place. Most victims are not sure how the organisation would respond to a case of sexual harassment. In male dominated fields, women fear or are reluctant to report cases of sexual harassment because they are unsure how people would respond. Most women would rather suffer in silence for fear that their male counterparts would discriminate against them. There is also the issue of the discrepancies in terms of definition of sexual harassment by different countries. What amounts to sexual harassment in one country may not be so in another country.
From the above data and statistics one would wonder why there is an escalation of sexual misconduct. Research by many universities and organisations incline to the fact that there is a direct relationship between sexual assault and sexual harassment. In the United States, cases of sexual harassment are more prominent in the military and higher education systems. In the United States army research, a study conducted on the African American female veterans showed that most of them have been victims of child and adult sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimate partner violence (IPV) (Refinetti, 2018). The above outcomes have contributed to negative health outcomes both physically and mentally.
A study done on graduate students showed that there is a relationship between peer sexual assault and peer sexual harassment. Both cases were high in both men and women. It is important to note that more often heightened cases of sexual violence lead to sexual harassment. In recent posts, it is believed that the heightened cases of sexual harassment in Dallas Mavericks Organization which is part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) has led to sexual assault. It is improper to link sexual assault to sexual harassment but there are numerous studies which point out to the fact that there is a close association between sexual harassment and sexual assault. In addition the steps that are involved in eliminating sexual harassment are less expensive compared to a single case of sexual assault. This makes it very necessary to counter and prevent sexual harassment before it escalates to sexual assault.
Sexual harassment is widespread in many societies around the world. In the United States a study done by Langer Institute of Research on middle school students showed that female students were exposed to sexual harassment in the form of sexual jokes or comments, spread of sexual rumours, forcible sexual contact and homophobic comments. Many people are exposed to sexual harassment at a very young age. The issue escalates and becomes more rampant at the work place. It is ignorant to sit down and hope that the problem will go away (Singh, 2012). Sacking the perpetrators at the work place will not make the problem go away. It is important for organizations to stand up and unite in the war against sexual harassment. Organizations should be role models in the society in the war against sexual harassment.
Many people are of the opinion that the rise in the cases of sexual harassment are as a result of many organisations down playing the issue. Organisations need to come up with specific measures which are geared towards preventing sexual harassment. One important factor is to acknowledge the existence of sexual harassment. Organisations need to come up with a clear definition of the term sexual harassment and state out clearly situations and instances which conform to this definition. Unfortunately the role of preventing sexual harassment is not 100% the duty of an organisation. Most of the causes of sexual harassment are beyond the control of the organisation. It is even more difficult to alter the ratio of men to women as a means of curbing sexual harassment.
However, there are other areas of controlling sexual harassment that organisations can tap into. Supervisor support, co-work support and perceptions of autonomy are characteristics within the control of an organisation. There is a guarantee that offering co-worker support, supervisor support and giving workers more autonomy on how they do their job leads to reduced cases and instances of sexual harassment. Organisations should encourage co-workers and supervisors to work to cooperate with the organisation to put an end to this issue. Conducting proper training and instilling interpersonal skills in the work place are important strategies used to curb sexual harassment.
It is also important for the organisation to curb the climate for sexual harassment (Castellon, 2010). An organisation needs to enrol a climate that has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. Employees need to be encouraged to report cases which are linked to sexual harassment. The only way to encourage employees to report is to take serious and legal action against previous perpetrators of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is a pervasive and complex issue in the work place that will not be solved overnight. Every step against it will ensure that the goal is reached.
References
Castellon, R. (2010). Workplace Motivation & Addressing Sexual Harassment in the Organization. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi: 10.1037/e564922012-001
Gruber, J. E. (1998). The impact of male work environments and organizational policies on women’s experiences of sexual harassment. Gender & Society, 12(3), 301-320.
Refinetti, R. (2018). Sexual Harassment, Sexual Consent, and Beyond. Sexual Harassment and Sexual Consent, 5–17. doi: 10.4324/9781315129259-2
Singh, P. (2012). Sexual Harassment at Work Place. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2118899
Siuta, R. L., & Bergman, M. E. (2019). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Business and Management. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.013.191