Premier Fitness Ethics Assignment

Ethics Assignment Premier Fitness The actions in question regarding Premier Fitness Clubs were proven to be misleading and in violation of the competition act as well as the basic consumerism trend that has aimed to empower consumers and increase their rights. In their quest to meet the firm’s profit oriented objectives, objectives of being economically usefull, and to earn enough profit to survive, Premier Fitness seemingly decided that they could forgo the objective of being socially useful. Misleading/false advertising and marketing was employed that drastically reduced or eliminated social usefulness by underhandedly convincing customers to enter contracts with the fitness club that resulted in materially higher fees, undisclosed costs, and high total net costs than the advertising would lead their customers to believe. Information was not adequately disclosed to portray the true costs associated with gym membership and cancellation of membership was found to be excessively difficult. Premier Fitness also was found to be withdrawing money from cancelled customer accounts which is also unethical behavior on their part. It is ironic that focusing on profit oriented objectives and the resulting unethical activity lead to the payment of a $200,000 fine by Premier Fitness for their unethical actions. Social usefulness was sacrificed by producing misleading advertisements that would lead customers to come to incorrect conclusions regarding total fees. This action violates the competition act and gave Premier Fitness and unethical advantage over their direct competition in the competitive business of fitness establishments. The competition act is structured to limit monopolistic behavior that could be damaging to smaller competitors and protect consumers, and by violating it, Premier Fitness could have negatively affected the competition in an unethical fashion as well as harmed consumers who ended up suffering greater financial losses than they had expected based on the advertising that they would have thought they fully understood. Premier Fitness’ false/misleading advertising and marketing would have left customers to believe that Premier Fitness was giving lower prices than the competition, which was not necessarily the case. Customers would therefore wrongly choose Premier Fitness’ services over those of the competition based on the superior price-point that Superior Fitness was seemingly offering. The result is that Premier Fitness’ acts harmed both the customers themselves as well as the competition that was advertising in a more ethical manor and losing business to Premier because of it. Advertising produced by Premier Fitness was misleading in that it violated many of the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of advertising. For example, using of fine print that was excessively small and possibly not legible. The impression created by the ad was much different than what the fine print conveyed. Also, not all material information was disclosed in all advertising, as some information was strategically left out of some advertisements. Premier’s misleading advertising and fine-print resulted in the charging of higher prices when multiple prices were appearing on their advertised product. With the misleading nature of the advertisements, customers were seemingly charged above the advertised price. The result of legal actions taken against Premier Fitness has undoubtedly affected their reputation considerably. Wide-spread negative publicity toward the company has unquestionably had a negative impact on the company’s operations. Websites designed to promote consumerism are a breeding grounds for the spreading of negative publicity towards unethical business operation. Although Premier continues to operate and has been in business for many years, it is conceivable that their reputation has been tarnished in a way that offsets any financial gains obtained through their unethical actions. Lost business due to poor reputation could easily have negatively impacted their financial objectives far more than gains achieved through misleading and false advertising. In order to fully recover from the negative effects on reputation that this incident has caused, Premier Fitness may benefit from re-aligning its objectives towards more of a customer oriented focus. Its marketing objectives must also be evaluation in order to be in line with such changes in the focus of the company objectives since marketing objectives often go hand-in-hand with company objectives. It is clear by the results observed in this case that Premier Fitness should have paid closer attention to the legal environment. Closer attention would have yielded the knowledge and understanding of the laws that inevitably were broken and could have guided Premier in a more ethical direction that would have bypassed the requirement for legal action and all the following negative publicity and financial ramifications that have haunted Premier Fitness thereafter.

Why Teachers Are Important

Why Teachers are Important Teachers are important because they educate the students by preparing them for a triumphant future. The number of human beings in the world is increasing every second of every day which is why it is not a surprise that teachers other than special education teachers hold about three point five million jobs (McKay, Dawn R. ). As each child grows older, he/she needs to learn in order to survive; teachers are the ones to instill knowledge (DeRoy). Every single person needs an education. To start most careers, a college degree is required.In order to get that college degree, an individual must complete grade school and high school and receive a high school diploma or GED, then complete college courses to learn the degree of choice. Children must be prepared for school and this starts with parents teaching them basic understandings of their alphabet and numbers (Archived: Early Childhood Education). If the students are not equipped with the basic knowledge, then they are bound to drop out of school (Shargel 19). Throughout the world, there are seventy two million children who are not getting the proper schooling they need (DeRoy).These children cannot better themselves through life without an education that can help them through the struggles of everyday life that only schooling can support. In those schools, teachers teach every single person how to write, how to read, how to do multiplication and addition facts, and how to write essays (McKay, Dawn R. ). Many people can think back and remember every teacher they have ever had, and if they cannot remember every one, then they at least remember their favorite one. Teachers are the ones who educate generations of people globally (DeRoy).There are many different teachers all over the world. There are teachers, who teach driving; there are teachers who teach art, and teachers who teach pupils how to construct machines. There are even teachers who teach teachers! All teachers however have to st art off somewhere, and that’s in a class room. Once schooling requirements have been met and some experience has been made, some teachers can become school administrators or can even get additional training and become a school librarian or a guidance counselor. Public school teachers in every state are required to have a achelor’s degree (Haugen, Lee). There are many states in the U. S. that even require a Master’s degree within a certain time frame. The future teacher must have fulfilled an official training program that includes earning a specific amount of educational credits. When it comes to teaching early education such as preschool, the requirements for training differ; some states require a bachelor’s degree while others accept just an associate’s degree (McKay, Dawn R. ). Absolutely all teachers, in every state, and the District of Columbia are required to be licensed.To get a teaching license, one must generally pass an exam that demonstr ates proficiency in basic skills and proficiency in the subject area that is desired. Licenses are normally issued by state boards or departments of educations (McKay, Dawn R. ). Since the world’s population is growing the teaching occupation is growing exceedingly as well. Employment of kindergarten through secondary school teachers alone will grow as quickly as all occupations through 2018. Location is key. Jobs are not meant to be everywhere in the world, if that was so then jobs would be given to anyone with a high school diploma.Also grade level and the subject specialty will have a great affect on job opportunity (McKay, Dawn R. ). In many schools today, students are required to have at least three years of a language course. People who have completed up to three years of a language are more likely to get a job over a competitor who has not had this extra information. Teachers are more likely to get a job over someone else if they indeed, can speak another language beca use they can help students who do not have English as their first language, which produces maximum learning efficiency (DeRoy).The most basic and most important teachers in the world, however, are grade school and high school teachers. Every single student must pass each grade in elementary school in order to go on to high school. Then in high school, the student must pass grades nine through twelve in order to receive one tiny piece of paper that gives individual opportunities in life. That piece of paper is called a diploma (McCourt). That one little piece of paper can make or break a person’s entire life. A diploma or equivalent, GED, is without any exception, required for college. There is no way to skate around it and hope to get in without one.Teachers need to be able to handle students, and teach them the curriculum that is required for the grade level. What makes a great teacher so incredible is their personality. They capture the minds and attentions of their pupils and without realizing it, get the students to understand the topic and remember it. Many students become teachers themselves because they loved their teacher and wanted to follow in the footsteps of them (College Board). A man named Eric Hanushek says that â€Å"teacher’s quality matter so much that a student is likely better off in a bad school with a good teacher than a good school with a bad teacher. If the teacher is good at his or her job, then odds are that student is going to do well academically no matter what. An author and teacher William Sanders once wrote that : â€Å" although an effective teacher can facilitate excellent academic gain in students during the years in which they are assigned to them, the residual effects of ineffective teachers were measurable two years later, regardless of the effectiveness of teachers in later grade. † In simpler words Sanders is saying that if a pupil has one exceptional teacher, then their learning can become corrupt f or years to come.Teachers indeed have an impact. Those students whose guardians are poor may have a hard time in school, but if they were to receive excellent hard working teachers who are willing to teach them, that problem could very well disappear entirely (Hanuskek). There are many ways that a parent or guardian can put their child through schooling. The government is here to help everyone be the best that they can be in this world, for themselves and for the community as a whole (Archived Early Education). Many people sending their children to school worry about their food consumption.They worry that the kids will sit astray with no food while others have a plentiful lunch and snack. Proper schools will not let that happen. A child will not go hungry or thirsty while a teacher or administrator is in that building. These are formative years in children’s lives, and the education and attention that every student requires is very important in determining the future of those pupils (Teachers: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary). College teachers and professors are more tough on their students than those who teach younger levels.This is because those teachers know what the real world is like (DeRoy). They have hands on experience. Each and every teacher knows how hard it is to get into college, get good grades, graduate, and get hired in a respectable school. They know that students need to get the degree of their choice in order to start a career. The individual needs to buckle down and get to work. Some students may have had bad study habits or bad learning habits in general and the college teacher will help to improve these abilities but will not however hold one’s hand while doing it (Haugen, Lee).College teachers typically teach about seven courses in their subject for example ranging from calculus, statistics, algebra and geometry. Not only may they teach graduates, but they could very well teach undergraduates as well. The tea chers in college do not necessarily teach pupils who have just gotten out of college and are not yet twenty years of age. They can teach all different ages that have no limit. A professor could be teaching someone that is the same age as their grandmother. Knowledge has no age limit and everyone is capable of retaining new material (Teachers—Postsecondary).Many teachers have very different and complicated schedules. Unlike grade school and high school classes that take place all day everyday Monday through Friday without change, these teachers have different obstacles. They may teach three classes a week and each class may be at different times every day. Many college teachers find the environment intellectually stimulating and rewarding because they are surrounded by others who enjoy the subject that they are teaching (Teachers Count). This is very different from younger grades and can be very stressful on students but teachers normally grow accustom to their hectic schedule . Teachers—Postsecondary) An impact that a teacher has on a student is extraordinary. Students spend more time with their teacher than they do with their parents or family while going to school. Teachers are no longer just training their pupils mind for an education but are affecting the intellectual, emotional, and social development of each student they meet (Teachers Count). Teachers are respected by others because they are viewed as knowledgeable about different subjects of school and because they take care of society’s children.Students look up to their teachers for guidance when they are most vulnerable (Rose, Mike). If a student is unsure about something they ask their teacher and trust that the answer given to them is the right response. A teacher spends an entire year with a handful of students. In that time they should have a pretty general idea about each and every pupil in the seats before him or her. Through the teacher’s words and through their act ions, they are being a role model to a student. The teacher provides a special window for the student on a possible future (Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend).Teachers make the world go round. Teachers have the ability to shape and mold the attitudes and values that their pupils possess. This possession can be beneficial with extraordinary outcomes. The society needs decent human beings who know right from wrong and who know how to help the community so the world can be a better place. By teachers enlightening students with more in-depth attitudes they are shaping the world with a strong society (Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend) Teachers are the foundation of this world.They bestow knowledge to all people of every age. Teachers do not just instruct math skills or English skills. They teach moral lessons to everyone willing to learn. When it comes to knowledge, the poorest person in the world could be rich, rich with knowledge. A teacher cannot just stand in front of a room a nd teach. The material in which they preach must be accurate and the students must understand it. One cannot call himself or herself a teacher if the students are not learning the material. The opinions of society can be very influential.If teachers are being viewed negatively than the students are not going to take the teachers seriously and will not respect them not soak up the information that they need (Shargel 19). A proper and positive learning environment is not all that is needed to educate students. Teachers need to radiate positive attitudes and let their students know that they are in charge and that they are there to help the students for a triumphant future that they will need to survive in the world full of seven billion people (McKay, Dawn R. ).

Fraud And Capital Market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Fraud And Capital Market - Research Paper Example These eroded financial statements are referred to as fraudulent financial reporting which can be defined in broad sense as deliberate misstatements or oversight of monetary values or disclosures in financial statements prepared to mislead financial statement users. Previous cases of fraud have left investors and regulators looking for answers like how can creative accounting be stopped, how it start and who is to blame when its revealed in their companies. Generally, these entire questions seem to be answered by putting liabilities to management for failure to comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Again, failure to detect fraud can be a backlog of independent auditors for failure to apply Generally Accepted Auditing principles (GAAP) accordingly. To counteract these frauds, regulators, corporations and government have instituted various professional ethics and liability laws to reduce such cases. Fraud detection and procedure Fraud detection is not necessarily the duty and obligation of the obvious and recognized agents such as investors, SEC and the independent auditors; rather it is the obligation of community which includes the media, industry regulatory actors, and the company employees. According to the research conducted by the (Kuhn & Sutton, 2006) whistleblowers defer in their capacity to detect frauds. Essentially, the researches indicate that, under legal duties and obligations, the independent auditors and the security regulators are the primary detector agents, auditors can either be internal or external. A fraud can either be detected by an internal auditor or external auditor since both have mutual interests in regard to internal financial controls. The internal auditor is usually part of the company or organization; their roles are stipulated by their respective boards, management and the professional standards while external auditors are not part of the organization but in the line of duty they are engaged by the organization (Harrison 2002). Their roles are set by their client and primary statute for a purpose of providing an independent opinion toward the organization financial statement and this is done annually. Both external and internal auditors ought to meet and share common interest which are directly related to auditing Procedures that auditor needs to go through to discover fraud There are three main steps auditors go through in detecting fraud, these steps are planning, execution and reporting, these steps involve follow up actions that reflect the performance of the audit. In a normal audit, fraud detecting can be done during the planning and execution stage. The table below show procedures an auditor ought to go through in order to detect fraud. Overview of fraud and detection process during normal audit During planning, the auditors assess the risk of fraud; this involves discussions between auditors to consider how and where the financial entity is lik ely to be susceptible to fraud (Harrion 2002). This assessment involves known external and internal factors that affect the financial entity and also consider risk of management overrule of control, and how the auditor is likely to react to the susceptibility of the entity in regard to fraud. During planning, it is important to obtain information required to identify fraud. The auditors are supposed to get sufficient

The Emergence of Modern Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Emergence of Modern Science - Essay Example Whereas it is healthy to ask critical questions, scientific proof, and evidence, accepting the scientific reality is a necessity. For instance, whereas our ancestors gladly accepted polio vaccine and eradicated polio, it is overwhelmingly difficult for present generation to accept genetically modified foods as a solution to rising food crisis. As argued by Michael Specter, healthy skepticism calls for asking the right questions, at the right time, to the right people. Pinpointing a problem is also a prerequisite to healthy skepticism. 3. A healthy skepticism requires an understanding between correlation and causation. Learning widely and gaining all round knowledge provides a basis for unbiased skepticism. Additionally, critical review of previous fundamental scientific theories makes it possible to question scientific knowledge based on scientific questions and scientific assumptions. 4. Articulate use of brains is one of the key to success in education. Understanding the unlimited relations between brain hemispheres is overwhelming. However, understanding that such relations exist makes it possible to prepare psychologically to expect, accept, interpret, and analyze wide array of knowledge. I hope to learn more about how brain hemispheres work in preparation for optimal use of brain resources. 5. Whereas it has been argued that schools kill creativity, I believe creativity starts with oneself and can be nurtured with time. Going beyond classwork and course books for search of knowledge is a prerequisite for creativity. Working in tandem with lecturers and like minded students will go a long way into cultivation creativity in my journey through UHD. 6. The first cartoon is funny because it depict a scientist in denial of scientific evidence. Whereas many scientists are looking hard for evidence to support theoretical predictions, it is funny that a scientist would disregard archaeological evidence of evolution in first the first

Literature Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literature Review - Essay Example Every year, companies incur a lot of undue cost just because of the slackness of employees despite the thoughtfully constructed performance appraisal systems in place. This paper explores reasons why performance appraisal systems may not be the best way to judge an employee’s abilities by conducting a thorough analysis of the workers’ needs and the various factors that influence their competence in the workplace. A lot of studies have conventionally been done to identify the factors affecting workers’ performance. However, this review will be limited to the discussion about the validity of performance appraisal systems. A lot of factors influence a worker’s performance that include but are not limited to job satisfaction, job security, allowances offered at the job, time of work, duration of work, relationship with peers, organizational structure, organizational culture, social interaction, accommodation, association with family and distance from the famil y. These and many other factors like them have a great impact on the motivation of a worker. The performance of a worker is fundamentally governed by his/her competence. Therefore, in order to study the impact of appraisal on the performance of an individual, it is customary to study the factors that influence the individual’s competence. According to Stern and Kemp (2004), competency is the product of an individual’s skill, motivation and personality traits. Various theories have been proposed at different points in time to identify the factors that play a decisive role in motivating an individual in the workplace. One of such theories that is discussed most frequently is the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory. The Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, as the name implies, consists of a set of needs that are staged in order of priority. The following diagram depicts all stages that accommodate the hierarchical order of needs identified by Maslow: Maslowâ⠂¬â„¢s Hierarchy of Needs (Chapman, 2010). There are basically five stages of needs. The biological and physiological needs which include such things as air, water and food form the most basic needs. Life is not possible without the fulfillment of these needs. Next come the safety needs. All humans need safety and protection. Unless their safety is ensured, workers can not put in their best effort because of the resulting psychological upsets. In the present age, job security has become a big problem all over the world. Because of the economic recession, employees are being fired in large numbers and the companies are being down sized. This is a potential threat to the safety of workers, so performance appraisals can not be considered valid system for the assessment of the workers’ capabilities with such job insecurity. After getting secure, a worker wants his love and belongingness needs fulfilled. Quite often, people have to live away from their home because of work, and he nce, do not get a chance to meet the family quite often. Many employees try to fulfill their love and belongingness needs by interacting with the colleagues. However, not many are successful because all employees share common interests in the context of an organization, and hence, many develop grudges particularly as one of the employees gains more status and reward as

Youtility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Youtility - Essay Example From this essay it is clear that  the chapter covers the essence of Meijer Find-It application that helps the customers find products when shopping. This application is different from Google Maps as Point Inside specializes in indoor cartography that helps the customer save time when shopping giving them a chance to make instant buying. The chapter states that this application will help reduce the 5% loss that failing to find a product when shopping. The chapter covers the essence of better marketing strategies to compete favorably. It claims that the marketers should try to give room for more information on their products rather than lower the prices of their goods.  This study discusses that  in the article on the major mistakes analysts make and ways to avoid them, the author states that the biggest mistake is the lack of purpose in their marketing techniques. The article illustrates that the marketers have many data, but since the advertising ad has no room to portray all d ata, the portrayed data lacks depth in analyzing the product and proving its value. The author calls for companies to enforce the digital marketing and measurement model, which is a five-step process. The processes tend to answer the following questions; why the site exists, the parts of the website that one should focus on first, to provide the measurement of how smart the digital marketing strategy is, how the company is doing in the competition front and the fastest way that one can have an impact on the business.

US company expanding to Italy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

US company expanding to Italy - Research Paper Example Mostly, foreign businesses are exploited through regulations, practices and laws that are usually protective of the local businesses. These are the challenges that a U.S. firm expanding to Italy will face as it tries to gain grounds and remain competitive in foreign environment. U.S. business regulations do not discriminate against small or large corporations as they are all subject to the same regulations. The country has a host of laws that govern business in the country and must be adhered to by any business. Employment and labor laws are stringent in how they regulate treatment of employees by businesses. These laws cover every aspect of employees’ relations. Further, the laws keep on changing as the government and labor bodies continue to protect employees more. The first labor law is Minimum Wage Law which sets the least possible wage for workers of every category. Other laws include Fair Labor Standards Act, Equal Opportunity Employment, Employee Retirement Income Security Act and many other laws that regulate employees’ welfare. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) seeks to make sure that every employee receives retirement benefits according to her own choice (Cihon & Castagneria, 2013). The Immigration and Nationality Act prevents any business from discriminating against any U.S. citizens. Advertising and marketing laws are also stringent on businesses activities. The Federal Trade Commission ensures that business comply with these laws. The laws are intended to safeguard consumers’ interests, while protecting them from scrupulous business who cheat through advertising and marketing. Businesses are required to give the truth in adverts, to enable Americans make purchasing decisions well. Failure to comply with these laws attracts lawsuits and heavy fines. The advertisements must not be unfair to competitors. Privacy law is another major business law that affect running of