ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The costs and benefits of bribery The ethical dilemmas identified in the Siemens’s case study are conspiracy, fraud and false statement that have negatively affect such parties in the form of bribery. Based on the code of ethics, the parties should exercise integrity when reporting accurate information to all stakeholders. Moreover, good moral ethics define objectivity and motivation in maintaining trust in interaction. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the Siemens’ situation. The bounded bribery tends to justify unethical behaviors as stimulated by psychological tendencies and organizational pressure within the Siemens Company. In relation to the above dilemmas, the bounded bribery applies to the psychological tendency of the conspirators to fulfill selfish interests of self enrichment at the expense of the shareholders’ goals and objectives. Specifically, due to their top hierarchy in the authority ladder, they succumbed to incentives of power and deviated from discipline, responsibility, and sincerity undertaking their duties. Bribery is characterized by inflating the asset values, overstating the reported income and cash flow and eliminating the liabilities off the financial records. These events may make a company to go bankrupt. Siemens’ bribery scandal resulted in a massive loss that had never been experienced in the history of the United States of America and Germany at that time. First, shareholders of the company lost several billions of dollars as a result of the falling share prices in four years. Secondly, Siemens’ creditors and energy entities incurred hefty losses (Sinclair 46). The employees also suffered losses resulting from the loss in value of the shares. The total market failure that resulted from the Siemens’ scandal amounted to several billions of US dollars. Nature of the FCPA punishment A number of analyses have been carried for the Siemens’ scandal. This can be attributed to the fact that it impacts heavily on the economy. The analyses revolve around the causes and effects of the scandal. For instance, analysis carried out by the US Federal aimed at improving accounting and auditing profession and also to mitigate the risk which stakeholders are exposed to. Thus, the punishment by the FCPA was appropriate considering the size of the company. Basically, ethics denote set of laws or moral systems that provide a basis for discerning whether an action is correct or erroneous. Therefore, members of a profession can come up with ethical principles that guide them when carrying out their duties (Devito 19). The five common ethical principles are “independence, integrity, responsibilities and practices, competence and technical standards, responsibilities to clients, responsibilities to colleagues, and other responsibilities and practices” (Anthony 10). Since the company was aware of this provision, the punishment was right in checking negligence an
The issue of environmental pollution and the following global warming, which is said to bring drastic changes to the world as we know it, has been around for quite a while. However, in the XXI century, it has gained a new relevance, and nowhere is it as evident as in Canada. In order to reduce the harmful effects of pollution emitted annually, the government has issues an incentive by setting the cap on the volume of pollutants that are allowed to be emitted by law. Everything that goes above the norm must be paid for. On the one hand, the given solution is rather wise. Indeed, few companies can allow paying additional fees, given the high competition and numerous financial issues related. With that in mind, setting a cap on the amount of pollution emitted by plants and factories seems a reasonable step to make. On the other hand, the given idea presupposes that companies can get the permission to pollute environment beyond the cap set by the state, which somehow rubs the wrong way. It seems that the idea of additional taxation for emitting pollutants is not the right thing to do in order to save the environment. Instead, it would be much more logic to impose additional restrictions on the actions of the company whose emission rates exceed the ones allowed. Thus, a company would rather find the ways to reduce the pollution rates rather than take losses due to its inaction. Therefore, tradable permits system used in Strathcona needs reconsideration. Once people start caring about the environment, they will be able to find a certain compromise between developing industry and preserving nature. Intellectual Property in the Context of Bargaining, the Benefit to Society, Incentives, and Appropriability In the XXI century, when the internet has allowed people all over the world hare their ideas, knowledge, inventions, etc., the issue of intellectual property has become especially topical. While previously, the rights for an intellectual property were rather hard to break, given the fact that the property in question could only exist in hard copies, at present, the process of intellectual property stealing has become upsettingly easy. To start with, when considering the problem of intellectual property theft in Canada, one should view the issue from the position of bargaining. In the process of bargaining, the author of intellectual property relies on its exclusivity. As a result, the evaluation of the property cost becomes especially difficult. However, by calculating the advantages and the disadvantages of the specified property, one can make an arrangement concerning the price. The issue should also be considered in th
The interference by the US government in order to help large firms or states facing financial crisis is a crucial undertaking because the failure in this regard affects the economy adversely. In this regard, the government promotes measures that channel financial aid to firms or states in need of help. History demonstrates that the US government has participated in bailouts for various American corporations and states. In 1971, the Lockheed Corporation faced numerous financial challenges. The anticipated failure of the corporation meant that a large number of people would become jobless. In addition, the corporation’s failure would affect America’s gross national product and its defense system. However, Lockheed could pay off its various debts because of a bailout realized through the Emergency Loan Guaranteed Act passed by the Congress. In the 1970s, the New York City entered a period characterized by numerous financial problems. In response, the US government provided an estimated $2.3 billion to the city in terms of loans. The New York City Seasonal Financing Act enabled New York to obtain the largely needed financial aid. The 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States affected the airline industry negatively. Various airlines incurred considerable financial losses due to the mandatory grounding of aircraft because of terrorist attacks. In this regard, the Bush administration passed into law the Air transportation Safety and Stabilization act that introduced various forms of compensation for the affected airlines. The provision of financial assistance to businesses and states presents various opportunities. First, it creates an opportunity that allows the company of concern to remain within the industry to avoid causing any significant effects on other related entities. Thus, a country may grant subsidies or loans at low rates to a company in order to ensure that all the vital industries continue to function in a manner that promotes the sustenance of the economy. Furthermore, such an approach cushions the economy from various ripple effects whose outcomes are undesirable to a country. In this regard, the government can control unemployment rates and other costs such as welfare expenses due to reduced livelihoods. Bailouts provide companies and states with an opportunity to evaluate various aspects concerning financial management. In this regard, companies or states can adopt policies that promote the effective use of funds, and eliminate policies that increase chances of financial crisis. Furthermore, bailouts provide the government with an opportunity to benefit from loan fees. The advocates for the free market oppose the intervention by the state on matters relating to the economy. In their opinion, the provision of financial aid to companies or states encourages them to perform poorly. Another consideration among the free market advocates is the government’s influence on the nor
Ethical awareness The term ethics can be broadly seen to encompass all that drives the relations of individuals within a given society. It could refer to the principles, values, and guidelines that determine the appropriate individual behaviors in a community. The diversity that is seen among the individuals affects the values and guidelines that are considered ethical by the individuals, resulting into various ethical issues and problems in the society. Questions often arise concerning what is ethical and what is unethical among the individuals. Ethical awareness, thus, refers to the perception by an individual that there are different perspectives and views regarding the values that influence one’s behavior and conduct (Pope & Vasquez, 2010, p.2). It refers to the ability to understand the diversity and look into the causal factors. There is need to evaluate the values and develop one that promotes peaceful coexistence among the individuals in the society. Importance of understanding personal ethical perspective The societies we live in often have individuals from different backgrounds. The individuals will have different cultural values and traditions that influence their ethical standards as well. The individuals in the society also have varied strengths and weaknesses as humans and different perspectives on the feeling for others. Ethical awareness enables an individual to recognize the imperfect nature of human being (Pope & Vasquez, 2010, p.2). The understanding of personal ethical perspective will enable me develop ways of interacting with these individuals from diverse background. It helps in identifying the cultural values and beliefs that guide the individual behaviors and that are responsible for the aforesaid differences. It is often not very easy to act as per the established ethical standards due to the other forces acting within the society. The best action will then be that which comes closer to the required ethical standards. An individual can at times be faced with a decision that would require him to choose from two or more conflicting values and principles. It would then be appropriate to consider some of the common values in ethics l
Introduction Over seven million people spreading across three West African states including Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania is currently speaking Wolof. In fact, Wolof is deemed one of the most significant languages originating from Niger-Kordofan group of dialects set up by Greenberg. In Senegal, Wolof is widely spoken and perceived as the national language besides French. The estimates are that over eighty percent of Senegalese speak Wolof. The language is divided into various dialects ranging from Baol to Lebou. According to (Gamble 25), the number of Wolof speakers are rising given the fact that majority of the communities within Senegal, Gambia and part of Mauritania are using the language in their socio-economic and political undertakings. Moreover, the language plays a critical role in the socio-economic and political levels of the communities. In other words, the language is used in social, political and economic settings particularly in Senegal. Even though most of the speakers of the language are from diverse dialects, they are communally comprehensible (Campbell 341). The history of the Wolof language Historians argue that Wolof language came from Tekrur kingdom. Tekrur was one of the territories found in ancient Ghana. The Wolof language is considered the framework of the Senegalese ethnic communities. Moreover, Wolof is believed to have close relationship with Serer and Pulaar, the major languages originating from the north of Senegal (Garry and Rubino 445). Wolof, Serer and Pulaar are said to have over the years separated due to social, political and economic changes. As such, the three languages have various similarities in dialect and practical terms. Most historians assert that Wolof language branched out from Serer. In fact, Serer and Wolof are similar in all the foreign elements. In addition, historians point out that Wolof, Serer and Pulaar are linked heritably and culturally (Ruhlen 129). Further, historians assert that the three major and related languages might have originated from ancient Egypt. Further, other historians relate Wolof to Mandinka community of Djolof Mbing. In fact, the theory asserts that Wolof originated from a small village known as “lof” established by Mandinka, Djolof Mbing. The “lof” residents were later called “waa-lof”. The historians belonging to the school of thought believe that the name “waa-lof” later evolved to be Wolof (Gamble 25). As such, the “waa-lof” people later expanded to be Wolof speaking communities or the language group. The reason is that the “waa-lof” and Wolof is similar in cultures and dialects. The other similarities the historians cite include political systems, lifestyle a
As it is known, modernism preceded postmodernism, so these movements are close and similar in many respects. It can often be challenging to find differences between particular modernistic and post-modernistic literary works. However, some specific elements are inherent for each movement, which allows identifying whether the work relates to one style or another. The short story Girl written by Jamaica Kincaid is a matter of the corresponding discussion. Some people see it as a modernistic work, while others think the opposite. This paper aims to analyze that short story to determine its style. Modernism appears to prevail in Girl because it is a serious work that experiments with form and seeks new literature. The first sign of modernism in Girl is its seriousness. The work illustrates the difficulties of growing up as a girl in the Antiguan culture (Rabea and Almahameed 158). The author portrays tensions between the conforming mother and her daughter trying to resist her (Rabea and Almahameed 158). That makes the work highly dynamic, and people are likely to reflect much when reading the story. In addition, the author uses many cacophonic sounds in the mother’s speech to illustrate her harshness (Rabea and Almahameed 164). That cacophonic effect makes the text serious and makes the reader feel discomfort (Rabea and Almahameed 164). A general image of Girl and the seriousness of its separate elements make the work closer to modernistic style. Another element that makes Girl a modernistic work is its attempt to find something new. For instance, Rabea and Almahameed argue that the work is a transgression of generic labels’ boundaries between prose poems and short stories (165). Therefore, Girl can be considered a work of multiple genres or even create a new one. Moreover, the rhyme style throughout the text is not clear and orderly (Rabea and Almahameed 163). That creates a sense of chaos controlling the text and, subsequently, the story at large (Rabea and Almahameed 163). As it is known, chaos is unpredictable, meaning that new entities may be born within it. Everything mentioned above proves that Girl attempts to make a literary expression in an independent, original way, making it closer to modernism. The final element of modernism in Girl is its experiment with form and structure. According to Rabea and Almahameed, the story is an unconventional piece of writing which lacks the traditional structure (157). In other words, the structure of Girl is considered uncommon in contemporary literature, making the work experiment
Worldview Rogier van der Weyden is a European artist who lived between 1469, and as communicated by his artworks, his worldview was based on the religious perspective. Although the artist might have painted a few secular sensitive themes in his life, his main source of themes was Christianity (Kleiner, 2017). Van der Weyden’s worldview was significantly influenced by his mentors or people he looked up to for inspiration. Artists such as Robert Campin and Jan van Eyck influenced van der Weyden to dwell in the Christianity setting of artwork. Furthermore, his paintings such as St Luke Painting the Virgin, Madonna and Child with Four Saints, The Altarpiece of the Virgin, and Crucifixion say a lot about the artist’s interest in religion (Kleiner, 2017). Other factors such as places he visited and life experiences are also attributed to the painter’s world perspective. Jean-Honoré Fragonard is a French artist born in 1732 and died in 1806 with his worldview shaped by delicate hedonism. Fragonard’s pursuit for pleasure was expressed in his painting which mostly focused more on the code of dressing than facial expression (Baetjer, 2019). The artist’s worldview was significantly influenced by his mentors and other people with whom he associated. Fragonard was inspired by the flamboyant lifestyle of one of his chief patrons and artist, Jean-Claude Richard (Fragonard & Russell, 2018). The artist’s admiration for painters such as Frans Hals, Peter Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt made him paint executive versions of their heads. Fragonard also lived a fancy lifestyle which accompanied by places he visited added inspiration for hedonism perspective. Similarities of the Artists The two artists allowed the environment they lived in to inspire and formulate their destiny. By developing an admiration for certain artists, Fragonard and van der Weyden saw the world from the same angle as these artists. The desire for the two artists to become like their mentors is equally admirable. As van der Weyden had religious-based artists as his mentors, Fragonard had hedonism artists as his patrons and they both painted paints with such themes. The t
Introduction The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) was founded in 1973. The organization establishes and improves standards for financial accounting within the US. The standards are regarded as laws by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (Lozada, 2014). The entity replaced the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Accounting Principles Board (APB). The mission of the organization is to set effective financial standards. It helps non-governmental bodies to provide investors with important monetary information. FASB has succeeded in its various projects by employing a comprehensive and independent approach to its endeavors. According to Stephens and Chopping (2004), self-governing means carrying out duties that foster extensive participation. The views of all stakeholders are well-thought-out by the board of trustees. In this paper, the author will focus on an ongoing project by FASB. The undertaking selected for this analysis is the Insurance Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts. The author will discuss the project’s history, current status, and probable implications. Overview of the Project FAS-60 stipulates that insurance policies should be categorized as either short or long-term. Long duration contracts are considered to be non-cancellable indentures. Insurance entities are expected to renew them for an extended period of time. In the contracts, recognition of earnings takes place when premiums are due to the policyholder. Stephens and Chopping (2004) are of the view that there are two types of premiums. They include net and gross premiums. The latter is the sum a policyholder pays. It is equal to the net premium plus profit made by the insurance entity. On its part, the former is the portion of the gross payment needed to cover future expenses of all policy benefits. Some insurance contracts classified as long term include life, non-cancellable disability income policies, and title insurance. According to Williams, Carcello, and Neal (2009), health or accident indemnity may be regarded as long-term depending on the term of coverage. History of FASB’s Insurance Project on Long-term Contracts The insurance project commenced in August 2007. It was a joint effort between FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). The decision to include IASB was influenced by the 40 comment letters received by the FASB’s board. The primary goal of the project was to design a common and congregated standard to address the recognition, presentation, and disclosure required for all insurance contracts (Etheridge & Hsu, 2013). In June 2013, FASN and IASB provided key stakeholders with exposure drafts highlighting the important issues. The drafts recommended the development of a new model to replace the existing US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However, the proposal received negative feedback from the parties. Consequently, FASB limited the scope of the project wha
Suicidal ideas are often associated with adolescence as this group is vulnerable to a variety of issues. Notably, for the US adolescents, suicide is the “third leading cause of death” (Litwiller & Brausch, 2013, p. 675). One of these issues is bulling. Bullying is a common practice in schools as it has been estimated that 16% of US adolescents have been victimized while 13% of US adolescents have been involved in bullying (Juhnke et al., 2010). These figures are quite alarming as bullying acquires new forms due to the development of technology and it can potentially involve more people. Juhnke et al. (2010, p. 18) define bullying as a term which includes “any physical or emotional abuse that a child or adolescent may endure in or outside of school”. As for the new forms of bullying, the so-called, cyber bullying comes into play, it can consist of “any number of aggressive activities toward another in an online environment including harassment, denigration, impersonation, trickery, and exclusion” (Juhnke et al., 2010, p. 18). Some researchers and officials claim that the correlation between suicide rates among adolescents and bull