How to Cope With a Sense of a Foreshortened Future

How to Cope With a Sense of a Foreshortened Future PTSD Coping Print How to Cope With a Sense of a Foreshortened Future By Matthew Tull, PhD twitter Matthew Tull, PhD is a professor of psychology at the University of Toledo, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder. Learn about our editorial policy Matthew Tull, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 19, 2020 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes & Risk Factors Treatment Living With In Children PhotoAlto / Odilon Dimier / Getty Images Following a traumatic event, a person may develop a sense of a foreshortened future, which is currently considered an avoidance symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People who experience this symptom feel as though their life will somehow be cut short without any real explanation as to why. They may also feel as though they wont be able to reach milestones in their life, such as a career, marriage, or children. A sense of a foreshortened future can vary in terms of severity. Some people may have just a mild sense that their life will be cut short, whereas others may have a specific prediction regarding the length of their lifespan and are completely convinced of their premature death. This symptom can be very difficult to cope with and may lead to isolation, hopelessness, helplessness, and depression. Tips for Coping With a Sense of a Foreshortened Future However, there are some steps you can take to reduce the severity of this symptom. A number of potential coping strategies are described below. Practice Mindfulness of Thoughts Believing that your life will be cut short following a traumatic event makes sense. You may have feared for your life or even come close to death as a result of your traumatic event. Furthermore, following a traumatic event, our assumptions about the world as a safe and secure place are shattered. People are forced to come to terms with their own mortality. As a result, the belief that your life will be cut short likely feels very true; however, there is really no way to determine your lifespan. Consequently, it can be helpful to be mindful of those thoughts about your premature death. Notice your thoughts as simply objects in your mind, as opposed to the truth. Doing so will prevent you from connecting with those thoughts, thus reducing the likelihood of hopelessness and helplessness. How to Use Mindfulness for PTSD Identify and Engage in More Positive Activities A sense of a foreshortened future can increase the risk of depression. Therefore, it is very important to identify and increase the extent to which you take part in positive activities. It may be particularly useful to engage in activities that you used to enjoy before the traumatic event occurred. You may not notice an immediate change in your emotions or thoughts. That is normal. Keep at it. Being more active, especially in positive activities, will eventually improve your mood and can prevent depression. Pay Attention to the Choices You Make   We often make choices based on our emotions. Anxiety may tell us to avoid something. Sadness may tell us to isolate. Anger may tell us to retaliate. Although it is definitely important to listen to our emotions, they may not always lead us down the best path. Instead, it is important to think about what kind of life you want to live and make choices that are based on that idea. For example, if you want to live a life where you are a compassionate and caring person, make choices each and every day to engage in a behavior that is consistent with those values. Doing so will create a sense of agency and purpose as well as increase the feeling that you are living a fulfilling life. Connect With Others   A sense of a foreshortened future can cause people to isolate themselves from others. Given this, the best thing you can do to counter this is to connect with others and establish social support. The more meaningful relationships you have in your life, the more fulfilling your life may begin to feel. Reduce Avoidance   Following a traumatic event, it is very natural to avoid certain activities or places. The problem with avoidance is that avoidance often leads to more avoidance. When we avoid something, we are delivering the message to our brain that a situation is not safe. The more we avoid, the more our world feels unsafe, which will then lead to us avoiding more and more situations. Therefore, it can be important to take steps to approach situations or activities that you want to avoid. Of course, you dont want to approach situations that may be objectively unsafe (like running alone in a park at night, for example). You do, however, want to engage in activities that you used to feel comfortable doing before the traumatic event occurred. This practice can be difficult, as you may experience anxiety and fear, but these feelings will eventually dissipate. When you start this process, it may be helpful to bring along a trusted and supportive friend. Take Care of Yourself   Another way to combat the sense of a foreshortened future is to engage in behaviors that are about valuing your life. Schedule time to pamper yourself or engage in self-soothing and compassionate activities. Exercise. Eat well. Taking care of yourself can have a tremendous impact on your emotions and thoughts. How to Increase Your Chances of Success Many of the coping strategies listed above are easier said than done. Be patient and take your time. Reward yourself for any small amount of progress that you make in reducing your sense of foreshortened future. It may also be helpful to seek treatment for your PTSD. By reducing your symptoms of PTSD in general, you will likely notice that your sense of foreshortened future also reduces in intensity. A therapist can also provide you with support as you use the coping skills described above. There are a number of effective treatments for PTSD; however, finding a mental health provider can be an overwhelming and stressful task if you do not know where to look. Fortunately, there are several websites that provide free searches to help you find appropriate mental health providers in your area.

Henry George and Andrew Carnegie Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Henry George believed that poverty is being caused because the rich people are becoming richer every passing day. He gives an example of labor and rich people altogether to prove his point in the book that he had written. A rich individual can possibly inherit monetary goods from his lineage which can be easily served in terms of a good and healthy life whereas a poor individual would not inherit anything and would be serving as a laborer. In the same context, he believes that if this laborer stops working then the rich individual cannot survive at all (Henry 43). In totality, Henry tries to prove that the wealthy do not deserve being rich as they are not contributing enough to the people who are poor. Henry George believed that poverty is being caused because the rich people are becoming richer every passing day. He gives an example of labor and rich people altogether to prove his point in the book that he had written. A rich individual can possibly inherit monetary goods from his lineage which can be easily served in terms of a good and healthy life whereas a poor individual would not inherit anything and would be serving as a laborer. We will write a custom essay sample on Henry George and Andrew Carnegie or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page He emphasizes that in order to eliminate inequality from the world it is necessary that strict measures are taken in accordance with the distribution of wealth. He states that we must make land common property (Henry 180). By this, he means that a general value tax should be imposed on land and not on the production/texture of the land. He indirectly believed that wealth should be distributed in such a way that everyone benefits from it. On the other hand, Andrew Carnegie was also an important character in history who had his own views regarding wealth and inequality.

Over The Course Of American History, The Electoral College

Over the course of American history, the electoral college has frequently been a controversial portion of the American political system, especially in with the recent election of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Clinton lost the election, despite winning the popular vote by roughly three million votes. This election’s outcome although unique in its politics, isn’t at all rare within U.S. Political History, winning the election without the popular vote previously occurred four times. Recently, this has sparked notable discussion of the abolition of the electoral college, a move that would greatly benefit American politics. While some would argue the foundation of the college are sound, the actual origins are actually erroneous, and†¦show more content†¦When the direct election of a national leader was first posed at a national convention in Philadelphia, the father of the Constitution, James Madison denied the request. He said in his justification, â€Å"The right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes.† In plain language if a direct democracy was put in place, the North would outnumber the South, because slaves, who were roughly half of the South couldn’t vote. Though the electoral college, allowed for southern states to count its forty percent of their slaves, in the calculation of its population, hence its electors. Essentially, the electoral college is a dated, non-functional system designed for a time in the United States where owning another human was acceptable. On this merit alone the college must go. In addition to the argument of the electoral college being justified in existence on dated principle, it isShow MoreRelatedThe Electoral College Is A Democracy1012 Words   |  5 Pagesgovernment? For example, the Electoral College is used when selecting the president of The United States, but the founders developed the Electoral College based on a theory of how it should work with no practical, real-world example of how it realistically works. Based on the three core principles of democracy which are popular sovereignty, political equality, and political freedom, the Electoral College falls short when assessed using these democratic values. The Electoral College provides people with aRead MoreThe Electoral College Then, Now, and Tomorrow Essay1553 Words   |  7 PagesThe Electoral College Then, Now, and Tomorrow The Electoral College system has been in place for over 200 years and Americans are still not sure how it works or if it is the best system. Many Americans feel they go to the polls every year and vote for the president, and in the long run they are in control of the fate of our executive branch. With the 1992 election it was clear that many people had little understanding for how a president is chosen; the 1992 election came close to having noRead MoreLeave it Alone Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesAt its inception, the Electoral system of voting for the president of the United States was the best solution for a rather complicated problem. The problem was in selecting the method to choose the person who would hold the highest office in the new land. When faced with the decision of what format to use to elect the president and vice president of the United States, the founders of the Constitution finally decided that the electoral voting system was the best way for every Americanâ₠¬â„¢s voice toRead MorePersuasive Speech : The Electoral College1202 Words   |  5 Pagesthe audience to agree that the Electoral College should be abolished. Thesis: The Electoral College is unfair and should be abolished because of the â€Å"winner takes all rule,† the chance that a president cannot have the support of the majority of the voters, and candidates would campaign equally in every state. I. Introduction a. Hello everybody, today I am going to talk about a topic that could change the course of American History forever. b. The Electoral College is the process in which electorsRead MoreThe Electoral College System Essay1495 Words   |  6 PagesIn the Electoral College system, as presented by Hamilton, every voice is heard and there is a greater guarantee that the elected will effectively represents those voices in office. During election season, the people in the states vote for the representatives that will make up the Electoral College. The people within the states will votes for the prudent few that they believe best conform to their political interests, just as they do for those voted into the House of Representatives. As a resultRead MoreThe Political System And The United Kingdom Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pagesof what is known as the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a process that was created by the founding fathers, written in the Constitution. Not only is it a compromise made between the election of the President by a vote in Congress, but also the election of the President due to popular vote of eligible citizens. In total, there are 538 electors that make up the Electoral College. However, for the President to be elected there is a required majority of 270 electoral votes that need to be wonRead MoreThe Electoral College: An Outdated and Flawed System1203 Words   |  5 PagesThe infrastructure of American government, as set forth by the Constitution, has been subject to multiple changes and adaptations over the course of history. These additions and changes, however, are uncommon and only occur when an unavoidable and potentially crippling problem arises. The process of amending the Constitution can be likened to the restoration process of a historical house; even though changes are made to allow for the building to be functional in current times, the main essenceRead MoreAmerica Is Responsible For Transcending The Way Government Functions859 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica is responsible for transcending the way government functions. The idea that peo ple have certain inalienable rights that are God given was revolutionary thinking for the era of the founding fathers. There have been many instances throughout American history where we have failed to live up to the founding principles from the Declaration of Independence, of: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness— for all our citizens— but we have also had many moments of inspiration in being trailblazers forRead MoreIn Recorded History There Have Been Five Instances Where1899 Words   |  8 PagesIn recorded history there have been five instances where the United States has elected a President that did not achieve the office by popular vote, rather these politicians were elected by the system that our founding fathers enacted known as the Electoral College. This system was made to protect the people, and never to confront the very democracy that makes America the great country we all know and love. The Electoral College in recent years, has not lived up to th e expectations that the FoundingRead MoreAmerica Is Not A Democracy1592 Words   |  7 Pagesfounding fathers built the foundation of America on their ideological belief that the country should be a republic and that all mankind are created equally. However, over the years, America has gained the title as a democratic nation and the status quo of America being considered â€Å"the majority rule.† The present state of affairs of the American government proves to be incorrect because the United States is not a democracy. The United States has limited citizens to participate equally on various occasions

Sarbanes-Oxley Act Acc 403- Auditing Free Essays

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT ACC 403- AUDITING PROFESSOR August 19, 2012 The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was placed into effect July 2002; the act introduced major changes to the regulation of corporate governance and financial practice. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act was named after Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley, who were the main architects that set a number of non-negotiable deadlines for compliance. The organization for Economic Cooperation and Development was one of the first non- government organizations to spell out the principles that should govern the corporate and issued the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance. We will write a custom essay sample on Sarbanes-Oxley Act Acc 403- Auditing or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Sarbanes Oxley Act also known as Public Company Accounting Reform and Information Protection Act and Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act. It is a federal law that set various principles for all the U. S. companies to detect and evade fraud. It detects the scandals in the securities markets when the share prices of securities are affected. The act requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to implement rulings on requirements to comply with the law. It created a new agency called Public Company Accounting Oversight Board which regulates, oversees and inspects the role of auditors of public companies. The act covers auditor’s independence, corporate governance, internal control assessment and financial disclosures. The Sarbanes–Oxley contains 11 titles that describe specific mandates and requirements for financial reporting. Each title consists of several sections, which are the following below: I. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB): provides independent oversight of public accounting firms providing audit services and creates a central oversight board tasked with registering auditors. II. Auditors Independence: establishes standards for external auditor independence to limit conflicts of interest and states new auditor approval requirements, audit partner rotation, and auditor reporting requirements. III. Corporate Responsibility: mandates that senior executives take  individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of corporate financial reports. It defines the interaction of external auditors and corporate audit committees, and specifies the responsibility of corporate officers for the accuracy and validity of corporate financial reports. IV. Enhanced Financial Disclosure: describes enhanced reporting requirements for financial transactions, including off-balance-sheet transactions, pro-forma figures and stock transactions of corporate officers. It requires internal controls for assuring the accuracy of financial reports and disclosures, and mandates both audits and reports on those controls. V. Analyst Conflict of Interest: includes measures designed to help restore investor confidence in the reporting of securities analysts. It defines the codes of conduct for securities analysts and requires disclosure of knowable conflicts of interest. VI. Commission Resources and Authority: defines practices to restore investor confidence in securities analysts, and defines the SEC’s authority to censure or bar securities professionals from practice and defines conditions under which a person can be barred from practicing as a broker, advisor, or dealer. VII. Studies and Reports: requires the Comptroller General and the SEC to perform various studies and report their findings. Studies and reports include the effects of consolidation of public accounting firms, the role of credit rating agencies in the operation of securities markets, securities violations and enforcement actions. VIII. Corporate and Criminal Fraud Responsibility: It describes specific criminal penalties for manipulation, destruction or alteration of financial records or other interference with investigations, while providing certain protections for whistle-blowers. IX. White Collar Crime Penalty Enhancement: It recommends stronger sentencing guidelines and specifically adds failure to certify corporate financial reports as a criminal offense. X. Corporate Tax Returns: Section 1001 states that the Chief Executive Officer should sign the company tax return. XI. Corporate Fraud Responsibility: It identifies corporate fraud and records tampering as criminal offenses and joins those offenses to specific penalties. It also revises sentencing guidelines and strengthens their penalties. Prior to Sarbanes Oxley act, auditing firms were self regulatory. It may happen several times that challenging the counts of the companies damage the relationship with the clients. The frauds of the companies cannot be detected easily. There are many risks associated with the auditing report since it will not be able to report the actual position of the companies. The Sarbanes Oxley act states that it shall be unlawful to contravenes the provisions of the commission because it is not in the public interest or it is unprotected for investors, for any other person to take any action to fraudulently influence, manipulate, coerce and mislead any independent person in the performance of preparing the audit report of the financial statements of any concern. The most important aspect in the financial statement is to follow and regulate the internal control system of the organization. This is the most important point in this act as it detects that the internal control system of the corporations is sound or not. It wants to report about the internal control system of the organization so that the actual picture of the organization can be reflected easily in front of the members of the companies and the investors. Since the main motto of Sarbanes Oxley act is to protect the investors it has to report about the internal weakness and strengths of the companies to give a true picture of the company. It requires management to report the following points: * The operating effectiveness of internal control related to the significant accounts which affects the materiality of the account or from which the material misstatement risks can be occurred. * The flow of transactions so that it should be understood that whether there is any material misstatement could arise or not. * Evaluate the control of the company to record the components of COSO framework. * Perform the fraud r isk assessment of the organizations. * Evaluate the control performance to detect and evade the errors. * Evaluate the control performance to detect and evade the fraud. Evaluate the work of the management to ensure that whether they consider the basic elements like objectivity, competency and risks. * Evaluate the internal control over financial reporting. * Evaluate the size and complexity of the company. The findings of Sarbanes Oxley act incorporate a code of Best Practices on Director’s Remuneration. The four main issues which were dealt with as follows: * The role of Remuneration Committee in setting the remuneration packages for the CEO and other directors. * The required level of isclosure needed to shareholders regarding details of director’s remuneration and whether there is the need to obtain shareholder approval. * Specific guidelines for determining a remuneration policy for directors and * Service contracts and provisions binding the Company to pay compen sation to a director, particularly in the event of dismissal for unsatisfactory performance. The important recommendation was the establishment of Remuneration Committee of Non- Executive Directors which would be responsible for deciding the remuneration of executive directors. The majority of the recommendations of the committee were incorporated in the Listing Rules of the London Stock Exchange. The principles of corporate governance are evolved as under: * Sustainable development of all the stakeholders- it ensures the growth of all the individuals associated with or effected by the enterprise on sustainable basis. * Effective management and distribution of wealth- it ensures that enterprise creates maximum wealth and judiciously uses the wealth so created for providing maximum benefits to all the stakeholders and enhancing its wealth creation capabilities to maintain sustainability. Discharge of social responsibility- it ensures that enterprise is acceptable to the society in which it is functioning. * Application of best management practices- it ensures excellence in functioning of enterprise and optimum creation of wealth on sustainable basis. * Compliance of law in letter and spirit- it ensures value enhancement for all stakeholders guaranteed by the law for maintaining socio-economic balance. * Adherence to ethical standards—it ensures integrity, transparency, independence and accountability in dealings with all stakeholders. The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Department of Public Enterprises has issued Guidelines on Corporate Governance for Central Public Sector Enterprises. For the purpose of evolving Guidelines on corporate governance, Central Public Sector Enterprises have been categorized into two groups, namely – 1. Those listed in the stock exchange and 2. Those not listed in the stock exchange. Some claim that the financial activities of publicly traded companies are still severely nder-regulated while others hold that SOX was necessary, but that some of its requirements are not cost-effective which I believe will change over time. Reference * Arens, A. , Elder, R. J. , Beasley, M. (2010). ACCT 403: Auditing and assurance services: 2010 custom edition (14th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. * http://www. soxlaw. com/ * http://searchcio. techtarget. com/definition/Sarbanes-Oxley-Act * http://www. sec. gov/about/laws. shtml * http://www. sec. gov/news/te stimony/090903tswhd. htm * http://www. sox-online. com/basics. html How to cite Sarbanes-Oxley Act Acc 403- Auditing, Essay examples

Case Analysis free essay sample

Strategic Human Resource Management Unit 1 What is Strategic Management, and why is it critical to the success of an organization in meeting its goals and mission? Strategic management is setting priorities and goals within a business. It’s used with upper management to strengthen a company and prepare for future outcomes. Making a product that is highly profitable and easy for customers to use and benefit from is the main focus of Apple, Inc. The organization of Apple, Inc. started in the 1970’s and has been very profitable since. In 1978 they sold the Apple II and made billions of dollars from the product in less than three years. Between 1983 and 1984 Apple, Inc. lost sales and have fell into a crisis because of the slow processor speed and the compatible software. During this time it was hard for the organization due to competition. The problem Apple Inc. was facing at this time is other companies have found easier and faster ways for people to use the different products other than Apple, Inc. (1) Engineering: The SIMBA program was designed to fundamentally change the product architecture and the design process; it reduced the number of modules in use and lowered project cost throughout the value chain. 2) Supply Chain: The TQM and ACE empowered employees to identify and solve problems while at the same time practicing continuous improvement. Otis streamlined manufacturing operations and reorganized to be a new single supply chain and logistics management function. (3) Sales and Field Operations: The SIP program gathered best practice from around Otis and made these into standard processes across the whole organization. (4) e*Logistics: This initiative provided IT systems to facilitate business processes re-engineering that was taking place throughout the company. It became the mean for connecting sales, factory, and field operations through the Web. All of these IT tools were servicing the whole strategy of Otis turning form a manufacturer into a recognized leader in service excellence. Every initiatives adopted in each department were not very comprehensive but truly optimized the work processes and improved innovation, quality, cost and speed. Maybe the above factors led to Otis’s success in 2004. 3. An Otis manager states that â€Å"with the e*Logistics program, best practice from SIP are baked into the organization and institutionalized to achieve continuous transformation. How do the systems that comprise the e*Logistics program bake in an institutionalized best practice? To achieve continuous transformation, the e*Logistics program makes sure the business process change sticks by adopting every key processes and corresponding elements. (1)Project Proposal: This new process solidified ommitment for the estimates and enhanced the cooperation between sales and filed-installation function by requiring the practices derived from SIP. Also, the processes such as gathering account information were changed into automated and data integrated after the e*Logistics program was launched. 2)Sales Processing: The e*Logistics program automated all the workflow of the sales activities in SIP and electronically circulated key documents to all the appropriate supervisory personnel. It helped manage lead time, reduce inventory levels and eliminate waste throughout the value chain as well as record changes in supply chain. (3)Order Fulfillment: The creation of CLCs helped Otis shifting form. It handled all logistics and information flows between subsystem integrators (SSIs) and integrated all of the processes such as selling and servicing products. 4)Field Installation: With the e*Logistics program, all the involved parties were asked to focus on managing to a delivery date based upon ideal site conditions. This allowed SIP to maintain lean manufacturing flows and low inventory levels. (5)Closing Activities:It helped to generat e more accurate billing of changing orders,higher conversion of new equipment to maintain contracts, and faster collections. All the new processes in selling, ordering, and shipping of the e*Logistics helped to bake best SIP practice into the organization.

Should Worldcom Ceo Bernard Ebbers Been Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison free essay sample

The WorldCom fraud that came to light in 2002 was an example of many things that went wrong within the organization. Unethical conduct by its senior leadership beginning with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bernard Ebbers was certainly at the forefront of these problems. The question is should a CEO like Ebbers have been sentenced to prison for his liability in the WorldCom scandal? My answer is yes, he should’ve gone to prison as well as other CEOs who engage in unethical conduct that results in laws being violated. I will support my answer by aking a look at the duties of a CEO, focusing on leadership responsibilities and accountability. I will discuss causes of ethical problems in CEOs and finish by discussing utilitarian and deontological ethical issues as they pertained to Ebbers. Background As the telecommunications industry slowed in the late 1990s, WorldCom’s stock price began to decrease. Ebbers came under pressure from financial institutions to cover margin calls on WorldCom stock he used to finance other businesses (Vasatka, 2007). We will write a custom essay sample on Should Worldcom Ceo Bernard Ebbers Been Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From 1999 to 2002, a few WorldCom senior executives engaged in fraudulent accounting practices. These practices were esigned to portray losses as growth to the public. Ebbers resigned as CEO under pressure for several reasons unrelated to the accounting fraud on April 29, 2002 (Beresford, Katzenbach Rogers, 2003). Cynthia Cooper led an internal audit investigation of suspected accounting irregularities in May-June 2002. According to Ms. Cooper’s statement, she discussed the investigation with WorldCom Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Scott Sullivan on June 12, 2002. She then discussed her investigation with two others on June 13, 2002. They were Max E. Bobbitt, Chairman of the Audit Committee, WorldCom Board of Directors and Mr.Farrell Malone, engagement partner of KMPG, LLP, an external audit agency. The Board of Directors met on June 25, 2002 and decided to publish a revised financial statement for 2001 and first quarter 2002. They also decided to report this action to the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the events leading up to it (WorldCom, 2002). The SEC launched its own investigation into the matter (Vasatka, 2007) and brought civil action against a number of WorldCom executives in June 2002 (SEC, 2002). WorldCom filed for bankruptcy protection on July 21, 2002. The U. S. Justice Department rought criminal charges against Ebbers and several other WorldCom executives. For his role in the scandal, Ebbers was convicted in Federal court on March 15, 2005 and then on July 13, 2005 sentenced to 25 years in prison. The CEO as a Leader To examine the issues in this case from a normative ethics viewpoint, I believe that we should see what a CEO does in performing the leadership functions of their job as they relate to ethical issues. A good description of the CEO’s leadership role can be found in The Duties of a Chief Executive Officer (Wibowo Kleiner, 2005). The authors cite information in CEO Causes of Ethical Problems in CEOs The position of CEO is one that has a great deal of power. There is a quote from British historian Lord Acton (1834-1902): â€Å"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men† (Lewis, n. d. ). In the article No Fair Shake for Shareholders, the author discusses the CEO personality as possibly contributing to the ethical problems that arise with some CEOs. Traits such as a strong ego, left unchecked can turn into bad behavior. CEOs normally are good salesmen and they often sell themselves on how good they are which inflates their egos. A weak board of directors can fail to hold a CEO accountable. He stresses board responsibilities relative to CEO accountability (Wilson, 1989). In the article The Responsibility of the CEO Providing Ethical and Moral Leadership, Lewis says that there is a difference between what is legal and what is ethical. He stresses the need for a culture of ethics within an organization where all team players practice good ethics, including the CEO. He says laws only deal with part of the ethical issues faced by businesses. He cites heavy competition and pressure many employees feel to engage in unethical behavior as some of the keys to the problem. Good corporate governance, beginning with the CEO, is very important to building a good ethical culture within the organization (Lewis, 2002). Discussion of Ethical Issues Pertaining to Ebbers Ebbers had a responsibility to the employees of the company, investors, and the public to report WorldCom’s finances accurately and honestly. He was accountable to the board of directors for his actions as CEO – both good and bad. Ebbers should’ve had loyalty to these people to help them avoid the monetary losses resulting from WorldCom’s shaky financial situation. This is an example of a utilitarian ethics issue. Due to his position, he should’ve had the greater good of all these people in mind as he ran WorldCom. However, Ebbers allowed unethical practices to continue with his knowledge, with the consequence that many people lost money when WorldCom went bankrupt. Ebbers had an obligation to provide honest financial statements in order to not to violate the rights of others. He failed in this obligation, violating the rights of many people in the process. This is an example of deontological ethics. Continuing on this track, investors also have a right to know the truth about companies that they are investing in or may invest in. They also have an obligation to learn as much about the companies they are investing in or planning to invest in. Due to the fraud committed by senior executives and allowed by Ebbers, WorldCom’s public financial statements made it difficult for investors to know the truth about its financial health. Even with the fraudulent statements, some investors were able to learn of some of the irregularities in WorldCom. Shareholders filed a lawsuit against WorldCom in June 2001 alleging widespread fraudulent accounting practices. The case was subsequently thrown out by a judge in Mississippi (Weinberg, 2002). In this example of deontological ethics shareholders acted to protect their rights. Also by learning the truth about WorldCom they fulfilled their obligation to gain as much knowledge about the company as they could. In addition to Ebbers’ failings, there are others that should be mentioned in this discussion of ethics. First, WorldCom documents and testimony of employees revealed that some employees discovered problems as far back as 2000, tried to do something to correct them, and failed (Waggoner, 2002). The question is how hard did these people try to correct what they saw that was wrong? From a utilitarian ethics perspective, they had to know many people could get hurt if this continued. Secondly, regarding the shareholder lawsuit previously mentioned why didn’t the board of directors or the SEC act when these allegations were made? The board failed to hold Ebbers accountable for the accounting fraud that was being uncovered nearly two years from the time it went public in 2000. From a deontological ethics viewpoint, they had an obligation to look into these allegations so that the rights of others wouldn’t be violated. Conclusion Ebbers’ conviction and prison sentence were justified. From a utilitarian ethics perspective, he was responsible and accountable to serve the greater good of others and failed in that capacity. From a deontological viewpoint, he also had an obligation to ensure the rights of others associated with WorldCom wouldn’t be violated and he failed to meet this obligation as well. Contributing factors to the WorldCom fiasco were poor corporate governance and a corporate culture where some employees were aware of problems but failed to get corrective action taken.

The Use of the Modifier More in English

The Use of the Modifier More in English The modifier more is commonly used in English in a wide variety of situations. You are probably familiar with the use of more in the comparative form, but there are other uses as well. Below you will find explanations of each of the different ways more is used to modify nouns, as well as in the comparative form and as an adverb. More is different than (the) most which you can learn about on this page dedicated to the uses of most in English. Comparative Form The most common use of more is in the comparative form. More is used with adjectives of more than one syllable - with the exception of adjectives ending in y - to express that there is more of a particular quality. Notice that the opposite less is also used in a similar manner to indicate that there is less of a particular quality (This hike is less dangerous than the one we took last week.) Examples: My history class is more interesting than my math class.New York is more expensive than Seattle to visit. More Noun Determiner More is placed before a noun as a determiner to state that there is more of something. However, it is important to note that the preposition of is not used when speaking in general. Remember that the plural form is used when speaking in general about countable items or people (There are more students this year). When speaking about uncountable objects, use the singular form (We need more rice). Examples: Its important to eat more fruit in your diet during the summer.There are more books to read in the next room. More of Determiner Noun More of is used with articles and other determiners when speaking about a particular thing or group. This is true for people as well as for objects. Remember that the is used to indicate a specific object that both the listener and the speaker understand, whereas a is used to speak about something listeners do not which specific instance is referred to. Examples: He is more of a thinker than you might realize.Ill have to use more of this class to explain the present perfect. More Alone In some instances, its clear which noun more modifies. For example, in a restaurant, a waitperson might ask you if you would like more referring to coffee, water, etc. If the context is clear the noun may be dropped. Examples: Would you like more? - Sure, Id love more. (Mom talking to a child concerning cake)I wish I had more, but the economy is tough these days. (Friend talking about money) Number More Noun Infinitive A number used with more followed by a noun and an infinitive expresses that how many/much more there are/is to do of a certain task. One more ... to do can be substituted with another ... to do. Examples: There are three more tests to correct today.Jennifer needs two more credits to graduate. More as Adverb More can also be used as an adverb to indicate an increase in an action or feeling. The opposite of this form is less (i.e. I like him more every day. OR I like him less every day.) Examples: I like him more each time I see him.She wants more every time I talk to her. More and More The comparative phrase more and more before an adjective is used to state that something or someone is increasingly becoming a certain way. In other words, when stating that there is a growing tendency towards something use the phrase more and more before an adjective. The opposite of this phrase is less and less to indicate that something is decreasing (i.e. Its getting less and less expensive to buy a computer.) Examples: Its becoming more and more difficult to find a job.Peter is getting more and more nervous about his final exam.