Tax Breaks as Spending Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax Breaks as Spending - Article Example The tax code in the United States also offers help by giving parents tax breaks to pay for child care. A reduction in the taxes families has to pay puts more money in the hands of American citizens. There is a tax break that exists that allows parents to put aside $5,000 to pay for child care. Those wages escape the burden of being taxable income. The effect of this tax break for people that are in the 25% tax bracket is $1,250 a year in savings, while parents in the 39.6% tax bracket are able to save $1,980. The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefits more low-income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper-income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to he lp out students of low-income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side, there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper-income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance, the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise.... The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit provide families with a tax credit of up to $6,000 to cover eligible child-care expenses. These two tax breaks have the effect of saving American families $3.1 billion in taxes. The use of direct subsidies benefit more low income families, while tax breaks target middle income and upper income households. A second major way in which the government gives back to the community is through student aid. The subsidy mechanism that is used to help out students of low income families is the Pell Grant. On the tax side there are numerous credits and deductions for education purposes that benefit middle and upper income families. Not all tax breaks are considered spending. For instance the lower tax rate on dividends is not considered spending. The reason for the lower tax rate on dividends is to offset the effect of double taxation. It is estimated that nearly 67% of all tax breaks in the United States are a form of spending in disguise. The article pro vides a very interesting discussion about the effect of tax breaks and subsidies in America. Most people do not realize that the government is hiding its spending through the tax code. The actions of the government should be praised since the government is looking for ways to help out poor people and provide social justice. A more detailed discussion about the effect the government’s strategy has on the national deficit would have made this article better. Barack Obama has to negotiate a deal with the Republicans to ensure the economic future of the nation. It is imperative for the government to continue to help out poor parents that can not afford child care. These types of incentives allow a lot of people to join the

The Private Sector Essay Example for Free

The Private Sector Essay Below is a quick summary on the key events from the present day back to 1936 and a brief description of what each one is about 1936 Billy Butlin opens his first holiday camp at Skegness with over 600 chalets included 1938 Holidays with Pay Act introduced People given time off work whilst still getting paid 1946 Fred Pontin opens his first holiday camp near Weston-Super-Mare Competition to the Butlins holiday camp 1950 First packaged air holiday organized by Horizon Advance in technology allowing this to happen 1952. First jet airline passenger service faster and more comfortable way of travel 1959 First jet airline passenger service to Australia transport and technology has allowed for this to happen 1960 Number of domestic holidays exceeds 30 million for the first time and number of holidays rises to 3. 5 million showing an increase of people taking holidays Early 1960s First global distribution systems developed by American airline companies 1968 Worlds first commercial Hovercraft operated from Dover to Boulogne Advance in Technology and meant people could get across quicker than with ferry. 1969 Development of Tourism Act introduced. Formation of the British, English, Scottish and Wales Tourist Boards Government realized that they had to promote the country for tourism and for incoming and domestic tourists 1976 Concorde goes into service A supersonic transport plane built by Britain and France, begins passenger service 1981 60 per cent of households in the UK have regular use of at least one car More money been made and another form of transport meaning that domestic tourism can expand with people been able to travel in the UK easier. 1987 Number of holidays abroad exceeds 20 million for the first time, whilst domestic holidays fall to 28. 5 million, the lowest number since 1955 Showing that the advance in flying and cheaper holidays abroad with sun are tempting people to go that way 1992 EU Directive on package holidays introduced EU has found it important to pass legislation 1992 Department of National Heritage formed For Culture, Media and sports 1995 Le Shuttle and Eurostar carry first passengers through Channel Tunnel New quicker way of getting across the channel 1997 70 per cent of all households in the UK have regular use of at least one car Showing that more money is coming into the households 1998 Number of holidays abroad exceeds 30 million for first time Cheaper flights and cheaper accommodation abroad. More time 1998 An estimated 1. 4 million people purchased travel tickets on the internet New cheaper way of getting tickets for travel and also quicker 1999 The English Tourism Council replaced the English Tourist Board 2000 Air passenger duty reduced on economy flights removes barrier to the growth of inbound tourism. 2001 September 11th and Foot and Mouth disease hits Britain meaning restrictions to people going into certain places People afraid of flying after the 11th attacks. 2002 Terrorist bomb in Bali Effect on people wanting to travel, meaning there could be an increase in domestic tourism 2003 SARS broke out and in March Iraq war started For both, People not wanting to travel abroad meaning there could be an increase in domestic tourism The main reasons for the rapid growth in the industry since the end of the Second World War are: 1. The changing social economic circumstances. Increase in leisure time   Increase in disposable income   Increased car owner ship 2. Technological developments 3. Product development and innovation 4. Changing consumer needs and expectations and fashions I will explain each of these reasons below E1 Changing Social Economic Circumstances 1. Increase in Leisure Time There are a variety of reasons why there has been n increase in the leisure time. Firstly there has been a decrease in working time since 1971. The table below shows the decrease in working time from 1971 to 2001. Full Time Workers 1971 2001. Weekly hours of work 42. 0 39. 7 This has resulted in an increase in free time for people and therefore more time to go away. People have also been encouraged to take time off work and go on holidays because of the introduction of paid holidays. With the introduction of this it has encouraged people to take holidays because they can take time off work whilst still been paid. There has also been an increase in the amount of days that people have off from work and the annual hours or work per worker has also decreased. All of which equal to an increase in free and leisure time. Full Time Workers 1971 2001 Paid Holiday Days 16. 7 25. 1 Public Holiday Days 6. 0 8. 0 Annual Hours of Work per Worker 1,999 1,807 Another factor for the increase in leisure time is that of more people employed as just part time workers, as the table below shows. Key Labour-Force Statistics 1971 2001 % of Labour Force employed as part-time workers 15. 5 30 This table shows a big increase in the amount of part time workers in 2001. This could mean that if someone only works 4 days a week they will have more leisure time and therefore more time to go on holidays. There have also been changes in the age structure of the population   Decrease in birth rate   Population Getting Older Increase in life expectancy The decrease in birth rate means that people have more time on their hands and also more money because they dont have young children to look after. The growth of the population means that there are more people which can mean more holidays been sold And finally the increase in the life expectancy means that there are more old aged pensioners and when they have retired from the working life they will have a lot more time to do leisure activities. There has been an increase in ready meals. Whereas before the 1990s people would have to go to different shops such as the groceries and the butchers and then preparing all the separate ingredients which were very time consuming. Now you can go to the local supermarket and buy meals already prepared which just need heating up and also they are significantly cheaper. Saving money and time can increase the leisure time. Finally the introduction of household consumer goods means that cleaning up around the house is easier and a lot quicker than before which also saves time. 2. Disposable Income. Disposable Income is money that is left over after you have bought something. This money goes into a variety of things such as the following list:   Tax   National Insurance   Pension   Mortgage   Clothing   Council Tax   Power   Food Individual disposable income has risen in the UK which has meant an increase on the consumer spending on travel and tourism In the economy when there is a recession this means there is high unemployment, high interest rates and high inflation. When the economy circumstances are in recession the taking of holidays is usually one of the first items of household expenditure to be cut out. An example is in the early 1990s recession in the UK led to a decrease in the overseas holidays, with consumer confidence low due to the fears of unemployment and a fall in house prices. When there is a boom in the economy though, this leads to high employment, low in interest rates and low in inflation. This means that there is confidence for the consumers because of the high employment and with extra money through disposable income more money is been spent in the travel and tourism industry. The rate of inflation is another key factor in the UK economy. The rate of inflation is the rise in prices of products and can affect whether people buy certain products and when a holiday increases in price then consumers will look elsewhere if they feel the holiday is not value for money. The exchange rate is also a key feature in the UK economy. When the English pound is strong against other currencies such as the euro and the dollar then people are more likely to travel abroad because they are getting more money for their pound and so outbound tourism is greater. However this affects inbound tourism to the UK because the exchange rate for foreign countries is not as good. 3. Car Ownership Since 1945 there has been an increase in the car ownership that people now have. In 1997 70% of all households in the UK had regular use of at least one car and now there is an estimate of 20 million cars in the UK The effect of households having access to cars is that it can encourage travel in the UK. It is a lot easier to go by car to places than other forms of transport around the UK and this will increase the domestic tourism. In 1998 80% of trips were taken by cars with a 3/4 of the population visiting the countryside at least once a year which shows how important the use of a car has been for the UK tourism. Another factor of the increase in car ownership is that the development of the road network has led to the rise in the visit to the countryside E1 Technological Developments Since the 1940s there has been a steady increase in the technological developments with aircraft, ships and trains all been developed and carrying larger numbers In the 1970s there was the development of the jet engine which encouraged people to travel abroad and with prices falling in recent years and the introduction of cheap airlines such as easy jet it has encouraged people to fly abroad. This has also led to the further developments of package tour holidays with the transport and accommodation all been included. In 1999 the most popular tourist destination abroad was Spain with more than a quarter of UK tourists going there. Below is a table showing the percentage of people going to certain European destinations Under 16 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 and over All1 Spain 32 28 24 26 26 30 31 27 France 29 17 18 21 19 17 17 20 USA 7 7 9 9 8 6 5 7 Greece 4 10 7 6 7 6 3 6 Eire 2 5 5 5 5 5 7 6 This table also shows the kinds of age groups that visit those countries. Another popular holiday destination outside of Europe is the USA. This is all related to the growth of technology because it has allowed people to travel around more and get to places which were before impossible. www. statistics. gov. uk Following the opening of the channel tunnel there has been more competition for the transport industry. The channel tunnel has offered a quick and cheap way of travel across to channel and into the rest of Europe. With flight prices also falling with the introduction of cheap airlines such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air, people have chosen to go this way because it is the fastest way of travel and with prices falling the best option for many people. This has led to a problem for the ferries on the sea because people have chosen to use over forms of transport such as the airlines, the euro tunnel has also suffered because of this. Airlines can now be cheaper than the ferries and Euro tunnel with the introduction of low cost airlines and quicker. To compete therefore with other forms of transport, ferry has started making their holidays start from the ship with nightclubs, bars, cinemas and other entertainment. This to compete and keep ferry going. 2. Communication and information systems. The development in the communications and information technology systems has resulted in a significant impact on the travel and tourism industry. The computer reservation systems (CRS) and global distribution systems (GDS) has improved the sales of airline tickets, packaged holidays, hotel accommodation and other tourism products since the development in the late 1960s in the USA. The use of Global Distribution Systems has enabled companies such as Thomson to operate commercially in the world and develop partnerships with airlines; hotel groups; tour operators and so on. The internet has had a huge impact on the travel and tourism industry. Back in the 20th century people would go down to the travel agents and book their holidays through this all together with flights, accommodation and so on. However with the introduction of the internet people have found booking holidays through this is usually cheaper and quicker than going down to the travel agents. You can now book each aspect of the holiday separately and many people have recognized this and now you can easily book flights and accommodation on the internet for cheaper than going to the travel agents which have led to problems for the travel agents. 3. Product Development There has been changing needs and expectations of the consumers such as people now expecting to have ensuite bathrooms which have now become a necessity rather than a luxury to people There has also been a development of the mass market tourism industry with resorts such as Euro Disney becoming more and more popular for tourists because it is a holiday which there is something to do all the time. Things like Innovative travel products, domestic tourism and the seaside resorts and holiday camps have all been developed since the 1950s and these have been developed because they are popular and countries can make money and people have the time to go to them. People started to travel abroad in the 1970s because it was becoming possible to do so with the advance in technology such as the introduction of airplanes, people having more time on their hands with things such as paid holidays and as it has become cheaper and cheaper to get abroad people have left the UK as they are guaranteed sun more in other countries than here in the UK. Even though the domestic tourism have fallen since its peak in 1974 of 40 million people the industry has thought back with the development of short breaks such as weekend breaks to major cities in the UK or to country places such as the Lake District for which has offered a cheap and relaxing way to get away for a short time. Blackpool is an example of a 12th month holiday destination. This is because Blackpool has something to offer all year round such as the pleasure beach and the lights as well as concerts. Tour operators, airlines, hotels and travel agents are consistently under pressure to develop their innovative products in order to meet consumer need and retain their market share in the competitive market. Tour operators have successfully developed innovative new products for specific markets such as families and single people. The industry is continuing developing new products and services to cater for all markets. Examples for tour operators developing their products can be offering late deals for cheaper prices and given special offers. For example when a large group are going on a skiing holiday some tour operators will offer discounts on the party. E1 Features of the Travel and Tourism Industry Travel and Tourism can be split into two groups which are:   Commercial (The Private Sector)   Non-Commercial (Public and Voluntary Sectors) The UK travel industry is dominated by the private sector with the majority been small and medium sized organizations. These private sector companies have the main to simply make a profit. The main activities in the private sector are:   Sales Catering and Accommodation. Travel Services Entertainment Many are public limited companies which are owned by shareholders. There is also the Public Sector in the travel and tourism industry. These are largely funded by central or local governments. These organizations include tourist boards and local authorities which run museums, art galleries and tourist information centres. Visit Britain and the National and Regional tourist boards are the key public sector organizations involved in supporting the UK industry. Previously the Visit Britain was known as the BTA. Visit Britain markets Britain to the UK as well as the rest of the world to build on the value of tourism in Britain and throughout the year by creating world class destination brands and marketing campaigns. Its goal is to promote Britain to the rest of the country and the rest of the world. Visit Britain is funded by the Department for culture, media and sport. Regional Tourist Boards support the work of the national tourist boards to promote the domestic tourism. There are 10 regional tourist boards in England and there are 3 in Wales.

Comparing Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and Michael Radfords F

Margaret Atwood’s depiction of the future in The Handmaid's Tale is extremely bleak and forlorn; this oppressive atmosphere has been created by the development of an independent nation - Gilead - inside the U.S, which is governed by a totalitarian fundamentalist Christian sect. This dystopian text is the brainchild of a series of experimental social ideas which have given birth to a science-fiction novel, which satirises mainly the folly of human characteristics rather than the misuse of technology. Another related text is 1984 the film which was directed by Michael Radford who also envisioned the future as being extremely dark and oppressive; as it depicted in his film adaptation of 1984 the novel, by George Orwell. Several language and film techniques were employed by Margaret Atwood and Radford, such as metaphorical imagery, satire and irony, so that it was possible for the audience to delve deep into the protagonist's mind and understand the world they live in from their perspective. The atmosphere of oppression in The Handmaid's Tale effectively shapes the society of Gilead, as Offred metaphorically describes the life of each individual as being similar to "a rat in a maze †¦ free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze", the maze representing the laws and boundaries of Gilead. Language is used to convey individual opinions and express emotions and feelings; because of this the government of Gilead have attempted to eradicate it, so no revolutionary literature may arouse the mind and create any doubt concerning the integrity of the Gilead and its laws. "Words like free" are "considered too dangerous" because these words encourage thoughts of freedom and individuality which are prohibited since Gilead reli... ...aphorically represent the hope of freedom. We are shown through the metaphorical imagery of the shattering of the pink coral, that this hope is impossible. Ultimately both â€Å"1984† and â€Å"The Handmaids Tale† fulfil the purpose of ominious prophetic texts that have portrayed a dystopian future, a future filled with oppression, corruption and misogyny in the case of The Handmaid's Tale. The governments of Gilead and Oceania have succeeded in brainwashing their citizens by isolating them and attempting to abolish language which would make it impossible for any outcry to be heard or even expressed. Both Atwood and Radford created these texts during times of peril, with the intention of having them serve as ominous reminders of what would become of society if any doctrine was to be enforced by a totalitarian body which withheld all authority without being challenged.

Setting a Grade Goal

Most of us could use some improvement on our test grades. The way that we are studying right now might not be the best way if our grades are not what they should be. Set a grade goal and if it is not met, cut down on non-school activities and learn how to study. Taking notes, organizing, and managing time are the keys to succeeding toward making the grades. Follow these simple tips on how to study to lead toward rewarding grades. The first tip is learning how to take proper class notes. There are several reasons to take notes that are as complete as possible. It forces us to pay attention to what is going on in class, it will keep us awake, and there will be less to remember. The key idea of taking good notes in class is to write down as much as possible. Taking complete notes will require quick writing and the use of abbreviations. Most everyone sends text messages on our cell phones. The same abbreviations can be used when taking notes in class. The next tip is organizing and using the notes. The notes taken in class must then be neatly re-written so they can be legible. Outlines are most helpful to organize almost any material. For any subject, a set of flash cards is helpful. Highlight important or interesting passages, but be careful not to highlight everything. Reading the text and reciting it aloud is a way to retain the information. Finally, managing time is an important step toward the study process. Study the hard subjects first since that is when we are the most alert and energetic. Leave the easier or more fun subjects for later. Study in a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. If it is too quiet, music or TV should be used at a low volume. A small study group can be helpful and fun. Making rhymes or songs is another way to remember. It is important to spend adequate time to study the material. The more time spent on the material, the more it will be remembered for the time of testing. Remember to organize and take proper class notes. Always carry around flashcards in case there are an extra couple of minutes to go through them. Do all other activities before studying and turn off the distractions. Do not wait until the last minute; start studying early and as often as possible. Never cram the night before or the morning of a test. Paying attention and practicing good note taking, organizing the material, and time managing will ensure a positive outcome. The study habits we put to practice will generate to the grades we earn.

Defining Social Problems

A distinction is made between the definition of a social problem and sociological problem by Peter Worsley (1972). The latter refers to the problem of explaining social behaviour in terms of a sociological theory, whilst the former is some piece of social behaviour that causes public friction and or private misery and calls for collective action to solve it. The study of social problems is a complex and very controversial undertaking. Broadly speaking, this is not understandable to the average layman whose concepts of what constitutes a social problem is firmly established by the rhetoric of his/hers everyday social discourse and indeed the classification of acts or situations as social problems seem to be a relatively simple exercise. It is becoming more and more evident by present day sociologists and social scientists alike the complexities involved in defining, identifying and classifying a social situation as a social problem. This process has far-reaching implications on the focus, scope and projected recommendations of studies conducted of a particular social situation. There are two major conceptualizations of defining a social situation as a social problem. The first is centered around the self-explanatory phase â€Å"public opinion approach†. This approach contends that a â€Å"social problem cannot exist for a society unless it is recognized by that society to exist† (Blumer, 1971) the inference here is that it is the members of the society that define and construct their social reality and that via socialization these interpretations of societal phenomena and value consensus is conveyed to the offspring. Individuals and social situations that do not conform to the norms and values of society are often viewed as social problems. In Blumer's definition of social problem he uses a broad concept of society but fails to further refine his definition. Merton writing in Contemporary Social Problems also utilizes in his definition of what is a social problem the broad and in my opinion ambiguous term â€Å"people†. His definition of social problems is as follows â€Å"a social definition exists when there is a sizeable discrepancy between what is and what people think ought to be†. One discovers that each society has their own conceptualizations and interpretations of their social world and furthermore as contemporary sociologists, namely M. G. Smith and his pluralist model of society (adapted from the research of J. Furnival of Burma), have suggested different fractions of society have competing and contrasting ideologies. The use of such terms suggests social union and cohesion of meanings and oversimplifies the above mentioned complexities of societies. A branching school of thought emerging from the public-opinion approach in the defining of social problems is in my opinion the quantitative approach. Perhaps realizing the aforementioned pitfalls of the definition proposed by Blumer and Merton some sociologist have attempted to further refine their definitions by assigning a seemingly quantitative value to them. Sheppard and Voss's definition is critiqued by Manis [Contemporary Social Problems] They define a social problem as â€Å"a social condition which a large proportion of society †¦ see as undesirable or in need of attention† Here the quantitative term â€Å"large proportion of society† refines the initial term â€Å"society† and â€Å"people† utilized in the definition of Blumer and Merton respectively. Julian writing in Social Problems, 10th edition, too in his definition utilizes the term † significant proportion of people†, Kornblum includes the term â€Å"most people† and likewise Fuller and Myers in their book The Natural History of a social problem, â€Å"American Sociological Review' quantifies his definition by added the term † a considerable number of people†. Though the inclusion of some additional factor concentrates the overall definition of what is a social problem it still does not give a full representation of the other forces at work that lead to a social condition being classified as a social problem. We have moved from the ambiguity of the term â€Å"society† to saying that it's the majority who decide or define social problems. The supporters of the public opinion approach contend that this approach limits the subjectivity of the researcher. Turner and Beeghley believe that by relying on the public's conceptualization of what constitutes a social problem that the sociologist remain neutral and value-free thereby playing a passive rather than active role in the process of defining social problems, since he/she is unable to impose his values, morals and ethnics. Gross dismisses the proposed objective rational proposed by the supporters of the public-opinon approach. He believes that for the sociologist even to interpret a public response to a social situation as negative or positive, good or bad is in itself a value judgment! This method of defining social problems is not as value free and objective as Beeghley and Tuner insinuate. If one is to speak of the majority, then what of the minority. In all fairness some public-opinion supporters have attempted to address this aspect of the debate around the definition of social problems. Sheppard and Voss have included in their definition the point that not only is a social problem defined by the â€Å"large proportion of society† but by â€Å"powerful elements of it† who see a social condition as undesirable and in need of attention. Julian makes an intuitive juxtaposition of the words to further develop this point. In his definition he contends that a social problem is so defined when â€Å"a significant number of people or a number of significant people† †¦ agree that the condition violates an accepted value or standard†¦. It confuses the definition somewhat since one is unable to determine whether the values of the majority are the ones violated by the social condition and it is thus defined as a social problem or if a social problem is so defined because the accepted values of the powerful (assumption here is that individuals who share the same social status or class have the same values) have been threatened. In the book, Defining Social Problems, there is considerable evidence to suggest that power groups play a significant role in the defining of social problems. Here the writer contends, and correctly so, that a social problem can exist for a number of years and still not be classified or acknowledged as a social problem! A social problem is said to ‘exist when an influential group asserts that a certain social condition affecting a large group of people is a problem that may be remedied by collective action. ‘ This introduces the concept that social problems are ‘subjective, value-laden and culturally informed' a point contested by Manis. Furthermore it's the influence of the power groups derived from their ‘strength, status or sheer number of people' that have significantly impacted on social policy at the national level. The example given was centered around the hysteria of the milk cartoon kids. There arose in the 1950's in the USA an outcry against the seemingly stark increase in the number of kidnappings. This caused a mass hysteria and this ‘social problem' was deemed acute and severe enough to warrant an increase in police surveillance at schools. The situation was not a real social condition but it was considered as such. This is one of the primary concerns of Manis whereby subjectivity in the definition of a social problem may lead to falsehoods. He suggests rather an objective approach which he labels the ‘knowledge values of science'. He links social facts to values and devises an approach to defining social problems based on: intrinsic values, contextual values and social responsibility values. By utilizing his method, he contends, ensures objective results by the sociologist. Though not part of the Marx theory, the labeling theory in this case exists alongside and supports the theory that power groups play a significant role in defining social problems. Howard Becker was instrumental in the development of the labeling theory. Pierre Bordeaux, a Marxist, studied the education system extensively and acknowledges the ability of the powerful to impose their definition of reality on others. The controversy surrounding the definition of social problems is still going strong. Some may ask why is it important to understand how a social situation is classified as a social problem. The implementation of social policies affects everyone and some policies may not always be to our benefit. For example the Mass Marriage Movement in Jamaica looked to encourage couples to marry because some British sociologists thought that single-parent families were having adverse effects on their children and this was considered a problem. Through the research of dedicated Caribbean sociologist we know differently. In conclusion, I adapt the view points of Merton and Roberts, Contempory Social Problems, that social problems ‘vary among societies and it varies in the same society among social groups and from time to time, since both the social realities and the social norms differ and change. Fuller and Myers to develop a rather accommodating definition of a social problem. They wrote ‘Every social problem thus consists of an objective and a subjective definition. The objective condition is a verifiable condition which can be checked as to the existence and magnitude by impartial and trained observers†¦. The subjective definition is the awareness of certain individuals that the condition is a threat to cherished values. ‘

MLM †For Friend or Foe †Business Ethics Essay

MLM – For Friend or Foe – Business Ethics Essay Free Online Research Papers MLM For Friend or Foe Business Ethics Essay At some point in life everyone is exposed to the seedy world of multi-level marketing, or MLM for short. There is always that friend looking to demonstrate the fabulous world of Cutco Cutlery or the Mary Kay lady who is always having a party. But what is one’s cost for signing up to be a distributor for these companies, and are you ever able to enjoy the blatantly materialistic life that is offered to you by getting on board? The legality of either a pyramid scheme or a MLM program is not really the question. The real issue resides in the moral and ethically questionable behavior that is encouraged by the founders of these organizations. Greed is used as bait for those looking to get rich quick. This unbridled greed simply makes for bad judgment. MLMs seduce their members into putting aside their own values to promote the blatant values of the company. All of these scams involve meetings to motivate the representative into pressuring their friends and family into hearing the pitch. For years the classic Cutco opening line has been â€Å"Oh, I am not trying to sell you anything. I am just very new to direct sales and would love a chance to practice my presentation.† Who can say no to their struggling friend or family member who is asking for a chance to practice their sales skills on you? Furthermore this demonstrates the level of manipulation that is involved in learning the craft of MLM. The flip-side of these peer pressure ridden motivational meetings is that all other areas of an MLM are extremely loose and flexible. However, because these organizations have such a loose structure there is too much room for both misinformation and product claims that are simply not true. So why would a reputable company want to have such room for abuse associated with their name? One could argue that an MLM is simply a machine for exploiting personal friendships and family relationships for corporate gain. MLMs have their own unique sales techniques that often involve slander, rumors, defamation, and of course â€Å"studies† done by unknown scientists that backup all of these outrageous claims. The most publicly known case of slander was in 1991 when Procter and Gamble filed charges against the Amway Corporation and some of its distributors. Amway was found guilty for spreading rumors to the effect that PG, maker of familiar household products such as Mr. Clean and Tide laundry detergent, is affiliated with the Church of Satan. Even though PG won the case, these rumors are still alive in Amway folklore. Another ethically questionable practice by MLMs is the worship-like behavior seen towards the founders of these organizations. The manner in which these people are depicted in their corporate materials almost portrays them in the same light as our founding fathers. These iconic images attempt to express the ideals most often associated with those individuals who have gained success through hard, honest work. It is easy to swoon in admiration of such powerful and visionary people dedicated to bringing these wonderful opportunities to the common American. Perhaps though, it is just an elaborate smoke and mirrors trick created to motivate the down line. In most cultures throughout the world it is believed that misleading people in order to get their money is morally wrong. Pyramid schemes are illegal because they are exploitative and dishonest. They exploit the most vulnerable, desperate, and ignorant people. But add a product to the pyramid scheme, call it an MLM, and people are willing to hear the sales pitch. As a general rule when things are too good to be true, they generally are. A real friend would never ask you to compromise your ethical beliefs to make a profit. ****************************************************************************** This paper was used for a 300 Level Business Ethics course. I received a B+. This paper is only 2 pages double space and I just find it hard to explore all areas of an issue in 2 pages. ******************************************************************************* Research Papers on MLM - For Friend or Foe - Business Ethics EssayThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsOpen Architechture a white paperAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaCapital PunishmentRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

10 Career Paths to Explore After Graduation

10 Career Paths to Explore After Graduation You did it! Degree in hand, head held high, you’re ready to take on the world. But†¦what will you do? The world is filled with opportunities, but you’re not sure where a passion for, say, sociology and literature and the environment might collide into a career. Never fear: there’s a career for you, ready for the taking. Read on to figure out how to determine where your skill sets and passions can lead you. Here is an infographic from enchancv  showing the different career paths you can explore after graduation.