What does the period 1848-51, tell us about the attitude of the Austrian and Prussia government towards the Unification of Germany Essay Example

What does the period 1848-51, tell us about the attitude of the Austrian and Prussia government towards the Unification of Germany Essay The period 1848-51 is generally considered by many historians as a period of consolidation after the 1848 but this does not necessarily mean that consolidation was the only outcome of this period. Also many historians are fond of describing the 1850s as a disaster for Prussia, this may be true on first glance but beneath the foundation stone for a united Germany had been laid. This period of consolidation did not just stabilize Germany but began a serious rivalry between Prussia and Austria that could end in war at the slightest provocation, the showdown at Hesse-Cassel a prime example of this fierce rivalry.Between 1848-51, Prussia and Austria both wanted to dominate but in practice only one could, again this caused friction between these great powers. Austria restored the Bund so the Habsburgs could exert their traditional dominance over the German States. Prussia formed the Erfurt Union, a way of dominating states or rulers that had signed up to the scheme. Throughout this period there way other underhand attempts to dominate Germany by both sides an example of this was the Dreikonigsbundnis which technically united the large states of Prussia, Hanover and Saxony under the Prussians, this could be seen as a Prussian attempt to exclude Austria by uniting with two of the other large states.Also although Fredrick William IV had declined the crown of Germany in 1849 from the Frankfurt parliament he spent these three years trying to unite Germany under him by using the Princes, this is seen in the Erfurt Union in which a new federation of German states would be created under the Hohenzollen monarch. The Austrian Empire would never join the Erfurt Union under Prussia so she was excluded.Also the Schleswig Holstein Crisis, which began in 1848 did not help relations between Austria and Prussia either in fact they just descended from peaceful friends into fierce rivals. For a unification of Germany to take place either Austria and Prussia would have to unite or one o f them would be defeated in a war and therefore excluded from a united Germany. As you can see by the examples, unifying Austria and Prussia was almost inconceivable at this time and neither side wanted a war at this time so unification was out of the question.Prussia, or more precisely, Fredrick William IV, wanted to become the ruler of a new Germany but only with the consent of Austria and the Princes, Austria would never consent so Germany would never unite under Fredrick William IV. Austria wanted to take Germany back to before 1848 where she was unchallenged in her dominance, the dominance that the Habsburgs had inherited for centuries, unification would spell the end of this dominance, so Austria would never willingly consent to unification. These were the general attitudes of the Prussian and Austrian governments and I will introduce more evidence to state these attitudes and then demonstrate, through evidence, the reason why Prussia and Austrian conflicted in attitude when i t came to uniting Germany.Austria and the Habsburgs in general had no desire for unification and their foreign policy of this period emphasised this for example the restoration of the Bund emphasises the fact that they still wanted to dominate the German states. The Habsburg had dominated and effectively ruled Germany under the Holy Roman Empire since the accession of Maximilian I in 1493, after being in power for over 350 years the Habsburgs would be unwilling to let Germany unite unless it was under Habsburg control. For hundreds of years the Habsburgs had many duchies, archduchies and kingdoms in their family, the Habsburg were meant to rule in the eyes of the German Princes, including Fredrick William IV. Every successor of the Habsburg Empire believed he was the King of Kings, you can see this through the way the Habsburgs treated the Bund, unification would mean that they would be put in a difficult position, because many German Princes did not want a GroBdeutschland, they wan ted Austria but not their Empire and Austria would not sacrifice its power base just for the crown of a unified Germany. This being the case Austria just ignored the idea of unification and when they needed a response the proposed a GroBdeutschland.The Bund was essential to Austrias control over Germany, it needed to Bund to maintain its influence and interests throughout the German States. If Austria did not renew its dominance over Germany through the Bund, Prussia would become dominate through the Erfurt Union. By bringing back the Bund it shows that Austria wanted to restore central Europe to the Vormarz period, with Austria leading the way. Also with a restoration of the Bund it would show that Austria was still powerful and it would not let go of its dominance.This also shows that although Metternich had been dismissed there was still many conservatives throughout the Austrian Empire who still resist change despite the events of 1848. The restoration of the Bund shows Austrias attitude to German Unification clearly, it would support a united Germany under Habsburg control which included all Austrian territory but would completely dismiss any other proposals of a unified Germany.In response to the opposition for a GroBdeutschland and for a Kleindeutschland. Schwarzenberg tried to turn this into Austrias favour, he suggested the idea of a Mitteleuropa which basically would be an extension of the Bund to include all the Austrian dominions e.g. Hungary for example and would be dominated by Austria. This was an obvious attempt to increase Austrian dominance in order to combat the rise of Prussia. The German Princes saw this for what it was and chose that if there was ever going to be a united Germany it would have to be a Keindeutschland because Austria would always want to dominate if she was included. This show Austrias attitude to German Unification once again because it shows that Austria wanted to dominate not unify and she would only unify if she could dominate.After the 1848 Revolutions, Austria had appointed more conservative ministers after the rise of Liberalism throughout the revolution. One of these Conservatives was Schwarzenberg, he was devoted to the interests of Habsburg Austria and as chief minister he had the authority to promote Austrias interest in the Bund. By the nature of conservatism it means that someone does not want change, this is true about the Austrian government between 1848-51, it was a conservative government headed by a conservative Emperor both of which respected the status quo, so you could say that because a unification proposal was never considered before it should not have been considered then. Although unified Germany was never considered a Germany under Austrian dominance had always been so Schwarzenbergs idea of creating a Mitteleuropa appealed to the status quo synthesisers because although it was a way of uniting Germany it considered one crucial Austrian conservative goal, retaining Austrias dominance.The Prussian attitude towards the unification of Germany was a more ambitious plan. Fredrick William IV aimed to unify Germany through the princes and through the consent of Austria. There was fatal flaw to this plan, Austria would never agree to a united Germany dominated by Prussia. Without Austrian support Prussia would have to exclude Austria from the Bund and this would require force, in the period 1848-51, Austrias military was more powerful so this was out of the question. Prussia had an attitude of unify Germany through the Princes and pronounce Fredrick William IV Kaiser, this was their attitude but it wasnt necessarily a practical plan.The first example of Prussias pro-unification attitude is seen by the proposal of General von Radowitz. Interestingly, Radowitz was a nationalist but also a friend of Fredrick William IV. It could be said that much of Fredrick William IVs idea to unite Germany through Princes stems from advice given by Radowitz. In 1849, Radowitz p roposed the Prussian Union plan which said that their would be a second Reich that would exclude Austria, but Austria and the 2nd Reich would have a very close relationship also Austria and Prussia would be equals, and would have a strong central government headed by the Prussian monarch. This met with approval from Fredrick William IV, who wanted to rule Germany but not as a constitutional monarch, like the Frankfurt Parliament proposed. Generally, the idea of a Kleindeutschland headed by Prussia with a strong government would have been greeted with enthusiasm if it wasnt for the influence and power of the Habsburg Empire.If Habsburg influence and power had been obviously in decline then I think Germany could have been unified in 1849 under Fredrick William IV, but because of conservative Austria, it had no chance of succeeding, the Union Plan tried to form a Germany with Kleindeutschland borders but a GroBdeutschland relationship with Austria. Although, Germany did not unify in 18 49, the Prussian Union Plan did show that the Prussian attitude to unification had changed, it was no longer staunchly devoted to the status quo like it had been in the Vormarz period but had began to seriously consider unification as a practical option. You could even say that the Prussian Union plan was the start of the period in which Prussia grew in stature, it had proposed, unifying Germany, something directly against the status quo and against Austria, and more importantly Prussia took some active steps to try and turn this proposal into reality. Also it showed how Prussia could take the lead in German affairs.Another example of the Prussians trying to become the dominate power of Germany was the Erfurt Union, this was a union in which 17 other German Princes joined or were bullied into joining a union dominated by Prussia. The Erfurt was an obvious successor to the Dreikonigsbundnis, which united Prussia, Hanover and Saxony in a similar union. Prussia is actively trying to pr omote a united Germany but with her as the leader. The Erfurt Union was formed when Austria was pre-occupied with revolution at home so she was distracted from German affairs, this is when Prussia tried to assert her authority. This was a poor decision because Austria was bound to get back to her feet at some point or another and any organisation that was against her interests and the Erfurt Union was a direct conflict to the Conservative Austrian government, so Austria then would use her power to destroy the Erfurt Union, this is exactly what happened. The period 1848-51 tells us that the Erfurt Union shows that Prussia wanted to unite Germany and make herself the dominant power. The Erfurt Union was a direct conflict to Austria because Prussia was trying to become the dominant power and Germany already had a dominant power, Austria.In 1849, before the Erfurt Union, Fredrick William IV followed Radowitzs advice and went to meet the Elector of Hanover and the King of Saxony and conv ince them to join in union with Prussia. He did this because combining Prussia with two other large states would make Prussia more powerful, also Saxony and Hanover are on the border with Prussia so political geography says that an alliance with these two countries would make Prussia more secure if there ever was a war also increased trade between these countries. Although there is no evidence to suggest the King Fredrick William IV intended to damage Austrian dominance, in fact Fredrick William IV was a traditionalist and believed in the divine right of Kings.Prussias attitude towards the Unification of Germany was that she wanted to rule a united Germany through the individual rulers of the states and Fredrick William IV would not accept the crown of Germany under democratic conditions or at the anger of Austria. This is the main reason why Germany was not unified in this 3 year period, because Fredrick William IV did not want to anger Austria through unifying Germany.I have descr ibed the attitudes of Prussia and Austria towards a unified Germany but how did these attitudes interact on the stage of German politics, how could two states with different political opinions hope to get on in a area of Europe dominated by co-operation.Prussia and Austria conflicted in attitude because Austria did not want a unified Germany because it would cause the Habsburg Empire to lose power, something that they were not willing to do, but Prussia wanted to unify Germany and put herself as head of a second Reich. This showed that Prussia wanted to become dominant and Austria did not want to lose her dominance. This was the nature of the Prussia and Austrian rivalry from 1849 up until the Seven Weeks War.Hesse-Cassel is an example where Austrian and Prussian attitude clashed with potentially lethal consequences. Hesse-Cassel was part of the Erfurt Union, in 1850 the ruler of Hesse-Cassel was overthrown by a liberal mob. Instead of calling for Prussian aid to re-establish his po wer, he went to the Federal Diet for assistance. I think he did this because Austria was the traditional leader of the German states and therefore she would have more power and more authority to get his throne back. By summoning the Diets support, Austria believed that it was her responsibility to help but as Hesse-Cassel was part of the Erfurt Union Prussia claimed it was her responsibility to help.This was clearly not about who would rule Hesse-Cassel but who would dominate Germany. Prussia mobilised its army and sent its army to Hesse-Cassel and Austria did the same. It seems as it would be war that would decide the fate of a united Germany, in Hesse-Cassel, Prussian troops began skirmishing with Confederate troops. Neither Austria or Prussia desired war with the other, luckily for both sides particularly Prussia, Prussia withdraw and the crisis was over. This event showed that these policies demonstrated earlier by Austria and Prussia would not be able to co-exist together in a united Germany.At Olmutz, 1850, Prussia was forced to concede to Austria and accept Austrian authority over the German states. The Erfurt Union was abolished and the Bund was re-established. This shows that Austria was in control no matter how much Prussia had changed. Conservatism had triumphed over Nationalism.The Restoration of the Bund was a direct conflict to Prussias plan for unification because as long as the Bund existed Austrias dominance in Germany existed and there could never be two dominant powers in Germany.Also the Prussian attitude towards unification was still very traditional despite Radowitz and Fredrick William IVs ideas. An example of this traditionalism was at Hesse-Cassel when Prussia backed down in front of Austria. This demonstrated that where Austria led Prussia followed on the outside Fredrick William IV may have wanted to unify Germany under his rule but on the inside he still respected Austrian authority and was willing to fall into line is the Habsburgs wanted it. How could a leader of a unified Germany be held to account by a foreign Duke?To conclude, Austria had the same attitude from 1815 to the Seven Weeks War, she wanted to dominate the German states and wanted to always dominate like she always had. Austria was not interested in a democratic unification, she was only interested in a Habsburg controlled united Germany. It was only Prussias attitude towards a united Germany that changed in the period 1848-51, the Prussians wanted to challenge Austria for dominance and by dominating Prussia could unite Germany under her banner. Prussia was not willing to fight for this privilege though, she hoped, naively, that Austria would grant a request for Prussia to dominate and this would never happen.I think this hope of uniting Germany with Austrian consent stems from Fredrick William IV, he was a nationalist but also a traditionalist, unfortunately these attitudes become oxymorons for a Prussian King because he couldnt be both and he respected traditional more highly. Austrias attempt to restore the Bund demonstrates her attitude that she still wanted to dominate and the Erfurt Union shows Prussian aim of unifying Germany and Olmutz shows the limits of Prussian power. No matter how enthusiastic King Fredrick William IV was in unifying Germany he would never be able to with his traditionalist values, unification would have to take place without Fredrick William IV, the Bund and Austrian dominance over the German states.

How to Answer this Interview Question Honestly

How to Answer this Interview Question Honestly In the interview, things are going along well. Maybe you’ve aced the small talk with the interviewer, and have created a rapport as you skip through the standard interview questions about five-year plans and that time you problem-solved the heck out of something. Then your new buddy looks you in the eye and asks for your honesty. For example, â€Å"Tell me what you’d do if your boss came up with an idea you hated.† Or â€Å"Tell me something negative you’ve heard about this company.† Just two new friends (and probable future coworkers) having a candid moment, right? Well, partly yes. But mostly no. The interview is still on, remember, and you need to answer it as an A+ candidate. How do you navigate this interview question?DO make sure you’ve got straightforward body language.Fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, all of those things make it look like you’re scrambling for an answer- or worse, making something up.DON’T disparage the c ompany or your hypothetical boss with the terrible idea.Going negative can be tempting to show what a badass shark you are, but keep in mind that this might not be so hypothetical to the interviewer. She might be your boss with the terrible idea at some point. Try to keep the tone positive no matter what:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I think an idea is a starting point for conversation.† Or â€Å"I did see the news reports last week about the company accidentally poisoning baby seals, but I think there are two sides to every story, and I’d want to know more about the situation that goes beyond the headlines.†DON’T gossip.If the company was all over the news last week for poisoning baby seals, then sure, it’s okay to go ahead and mention that particular elephant in the room if you’re asked about negative things you’ve heard. Otherwise, it’s likely the interviewer is fishing to see what the industry is saying about his company- or at the very least, trying to gauge whether you’re coming in with a particular agenda.This is especially likely to come up if your current/last job was at a competitor. You’re not a double agent, so don’t let them play you like one. If you’re pressed, be positive. â€Å"I can’t recall anything particularly negative, but I was interested in learning more about [aspect of company], if you’d like to talk more about that.DO see this as an opportunity to reflect back on your own skills.For the question on how you’d disagree with a boss or colleague, use an example of a time you faced different perspectives in a previous job. For the â€Å"what have you heard?† question, emphasize that what you have heard about the company dovetails with your goals, and that’s why you’re so interested in working with them.DON’T be brutally honest.Be tactful and positive instead. Remember, there’s Regular You, and there’s Professional You. There are, necessarily, differences between the two. Always err on the side of Professional You, even if Regular You would talk smack about the company off the record, or if Regular You would roll your eyes at a boss’s ludicrous idea. The interviewer needs to know you’re a team player, and this is a good place to show off your diplomacy skills.So in short: don’t go too negative, and if you need to, umm, massage what you really think, make sure it comes off as a straightforward response.

Hastings College Admissions (ACT Scores, Financial Aid, Costs More)

Hastings College Admissions (ACT Scores, Financial Aid, Costs More) Hastings College Admissions Overview: Hastings has an acceptance rate of 64%, making it a largely accessible school. Applicants will need to submit scores from either the SAT or ACT as part of their application. For more information, including important deadlines, be sure to check out Hastings Colleges website. And, feel free to contact the admissions office with any questions, or to set up a visit to the school. Will You Get In? Calculate Your Chances of Getting In  with this free tool from Cappex Admissions Data (2016): Hastings College Acceptance Rate: 64%Test Scores 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 460 / 500SAT Math: 430 / 510SAT Writing: - / -What these SAT numbers meanACT Composite: 20 / 26ACT English: 19  / 25ACT Math: 18  / 26What these ACT numbers mean Hastings College Description: Founded in 1882 in Hastings, Nebraska, Hastings College is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Hastings, in the southern part of the state, is about an hour and a half west of Lincoln, with a population of 25,000. At Hastings College, students can choose from over 60 majors, with choices in business, education, and the arts among the most popular. Academics are supported by a 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio. Outside of the classroom, Hastings offers a variety of student-run clubs and organizations, including recreational sports (frisbee, rodeo, bowling); academic clubs (political science club, artists guild); fraternities and sororities; and performing arts groups (bell choir, jazz ensembles, musical theatre). Students have the opportunity to attend chapel services on campus, and can participate in a number of faith-based activities, such as Habitat for Humanity, Chapel Band, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In athletics, the Hastings College Broncos compete in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics), within the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Popular sports include Football, Track and Field, Softball, and Soccer.   Enrollment (2016): Total Enrollment: 1,246  (1,186 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 50% Male / 50% Female93% Full-time Costs (2016- 17): Tuition and Fees: $28,250Books: $1,100 (why so much?)Room and Board: $8,880Other Expenses: $3,681Total Cost: $41,911 Hastings College Financial Aid (2015- 16): Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 100%Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 100%Loans: 74%Average Amount of AidGrants: $19,571Loans: $6,486 Academic Programs: Most Popular Majors:  Elementary Education, Music Education, Business Administration, Biology, Sociology, Fine ArtsWhat major is right for you?  Sign up to take the free My Careers and Majors Quiz at Cappex. Transfer, Graduation and Retention Rates: First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 65%Transfer-out Rate: 1%4-Year Graduation Rate: 46%6-Year Graduation Rate: 58% Intercollegiate Athletic Programs: Mens Sports:  Football, Golf, Track and Field, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Tennis, WrestlingWomens Sports:  Track and Field, Soccer, Tennis, Softball, Volleyball, Basketball, Golf Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics If You Like Hastings College, You May Also Like These Colleges: Regis College: ProfileBellevue University: ProfileDrake University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Kansas: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphWayne State College: ProfileUniversity of Wyoming: Profile  | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphColorado State University: Profile  | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphConcordia University Nebraska: ProfileBriar Cliff University: ProfileChadron State College: ProfileCreighton University: Profile  | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Iowa: Profile  | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph

Microeconomic Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Microeconomic Analysis - Essay Example This leads to creation of awareness of the product and thus an increase in the demand. The cost of other substitutes: electricity is the major substitute to solar panels (Denholm 2007). The high cost of electricity as compared to solar panels is pulling away many individuals to consumer the solar panels. Between 2006 and 2011, Europe represented more than 70 percent of global solar installations. In 2008 and 2010, the region made up roughly 85 percent of installations, the supply of solar panels therefore is a major factor in determining whether to venture into the contract business (Denholm 2007). Supply in the number of commodities the suppler is willing to sell at a given period of time. With the government intervention in the supply of the commodities the supplies have a ready market to supply to. This therefore enhances the demand to supply the commodity. The willingness of individual households and businesses to install solar panels is a major boost to the willingness of the suppler to produce the goods. Then levels of inventory have remained low in the recent past and therefore the venture is a great opportunity for Cindy. The region has expressed a huge market for solar panels with the government subsidy and the high cost of substitutes then the business is most likely to be a profitable venture for Cindy (Denholm 2007). I recommend her to venture into contract installation of solar panels and will definitely get the return on

Hydrolics Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hydrolics - Lab Report Example Pressures are examined at low, mid and also at high flow conditions. The spillway is one of the most important structures that should be given priority in a dam project. Spillways constructed along with the dams help in controlling excess water or flood hence ensuring the safety of the project. It is also vital that the design of the spillway facilities be done with enough capacity to help avoid overtopping of the dam, especially where an earth fill or rock fill dam type is used for the purpose of the project. The ogee-crested spillway has superior hydraulic characteristics. It has the ability to pass flow efficiently and safely when it is properly designed, with good flow measuring capabilities and this has enabled its application in a variety of situations by engineers. Though much is understood about the ogee shape and about its flow characteristics, it is also clear that a slight deviation from any conventional design parameter like change in the upstream flow conditions, a slightly modified crest shape or construction variations can significantly alter properties of the flow. These minor adjustments require that engineers carry out evaluation of the crest and also to determine whether the change or deviation will adversely affect the performance of the spillway or not. The ski jump spillways are basic in their design as they transfer the excess water from behind the dam. They usually have a â€Å"flip lip† and a dissipater basin which helps create a hydraulic jump and therefore protecting the toe of the dam from erosion. . An Ogee spillway was properly installed and the highest discharge was chosen and then using the weir boards, we created a USBR Type 1 stilling basin, with a hydraulic jump being within the stilling basin. We also ensured that the gradient on the flume was set at 3%. †¢ . Similarly a ski jump spillway was properly installed and the highest discharge was chosen and then using the weir boards, we created a USBR Type 1 stilling

A Report On Mahabalipuram

A Report On Mahabalipuram Mahabalipuram Since times immemorial, Mahabalipuram has been always been a city whose fame has spread far and wide as being a seat of religion, learning and an important port in the ancient world. Mahabalipuram is located in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu and is home to several architectural monuments built between the 7th and the 9th century. Significance Mahabalipuram was at the height of its splendour and glory during the reign of Narasimhavaram and Rajsimhavaram who played an important role in building the many magnificient temples in the city as Mahabalipuram was the second capital of the Pallava kings. Legend has it that Mahabalipuram was created when Lord Vishnu killed the cruel Mahabali after a fierce battle. Formerly known as Mamallapuram, the city was renamed to its present name during the reign of Narasimhavarman 1. Attractions The Shore Temple: The shore temple at Mahabalipuram is a world heritage site as classified by UNESCO and is believed to be the only existing temple amongst the seven shore temples that were originally constructed. Constructed during the 7th century by Narasimha Varman, the temple bears exquisite designs and carvings and is supposed to be the forerunner of Dravidian architecture. Visitors to the temple are greeted by delicately carved dwar palaks, who are said to stand in guard of the deity inside. Arjunas Penance: This is a rock structure carved to resemble a whale and was built by Raja Narasimha the first. The either sides of this rock are engraved with exquisite carvings of Gods from the Hindu pantheon, birds, beasts and these figures are carved in such a way that gives an effect of a hurry to see the miracle about to happen. Krishna Mandapam: This is one of the largest mandapams and is dedicated to Lord Krishna, the mentor and guide of the Pandavas. The inside of this mandapam is decorated with carvings that depict incidents from Lord Krishnas life. Varaha Mandapam: The Varaha Mandapam lies beside the Arjuna penance and is dedicated to Lord Vishnus Varaha incarnation. The northern wall portrays Lord Vishnu standing on one foot atop Naga, the snake king attempting to rescue Prithvi, the Goddess of earth. The entrance to this mandapam has two pillars engraved with two horned lions that stand guard at the door of the mandapam. How to Reach In addition to being a religious centre, Mahabalipuram is also a wanderers delight for the open air museum style sights the city offers. Mahabalipuram is well connected to other cities in India. The Chennai airport is located 60 km from Mahabalipuram. The nearest railhead is Chengalpattu, about 29 km from Mahabalipuram and the city is also well connected by road to Chennai, Kanchipuram and Pondicherry.

Business Ethics and Issues Essay

Ethics Ethics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to find answers about the moral concepts like bad, good, evil, right, wrong, etc. According to OEC (2011) ethic is defined as â€Å"a moral philosophy which is concerned with what is right or wrong, good or bad, fair or unfair, responsible or irresponsible, obligatory or permissible, praiseworthy or blameworthy†. Many scholars have associated it with the various feelings and emotions like guilt, indignation, empathy etc. The ethics deals in the way of doing things and with the generalized matters related to the public policies and the personalized issues. It is based on the social practices and laws, religious matters and conscience. These social practices give strength to this branch of philosophy. It seems to be very general matter but due to its connection to various social issues, it is often termed to be very complex and difficult to employ. With the passage of time, many companies have started giving importance to the corporat e ethics and their responsibility towards the society and communities. Today, many businesses have gained lot of reputation and recognition by being in business and following the morals when conducting their business activities while many others have lost their reputation only because of bad business practices. To many, business is an economic activity to maximize their profits and the main focus for them behind this activity is money. There is nothing wrong with the money itself but the some businesses acquire money and gain profits matters most and their manner raises several questions related to the ethical behavior. Business Ethics Business ethics strives to understand whether or not a specific business practice is morally and ethically acceptable. The American Heritage Dictionary has defined business ethics as â€Å"the philosophy of human conduct with the emphasis on determining right and wrong. It specifies the rules or standards governing the conduct of the members of a profession† (Ferrell et al, 2009). It is necessary for the entrepreneurs to follow good business ethics for every part of their business. There are several global entities, that offer brands to the public for general and specialized use, are engaged in the bad business practices and many of them have been fined by the related authorities which accounts for millions. The companies are fined due to their failure to adhere to the business ethics and ethical laws. The main problem with these companies is the amount of money they generate is much higher than the fines imposed on them. This outweighs the opportunity costs associated in their business and they happily pays off all the fines. It is therefore necessary for the authorities to force business ethics over all the business entities and their business units. Business ethics can remove the minor issues like the lower wage rates, work force exploitation as well as the big issues like the children in sweat shops making sneakers or footballs for the large companies. The above discussed implications explain some of the important facts related to the business ethics. The importance of ethical business practices is forced by many local, regional and state level governments to the companies. Importance of Business Ethics Being a good person or a person of values, in one’s own opinion, being a person of good ethical and moral values is not enough in the today’s business scenarios and it is not helpful to handle the issues related to the ethics that may arise in the organizations. It is very important for the companies to understand and recognize the relationship between the decision related to ethics and the legal aspects of business organizations. The importance of business ethics was first recognized, during the 1960’s, when the social issues in business rise to large extent in the American societies. There were increased issues related to the public safety, and ecological problems related to the pollution, waste management system, disposing the toxic wastes etc. in these societies. The then president of America, John F. Kennedy, gave a special message to the general public and the companies to safeguard the consumer rights of safety, the right to be informed and right to choose, which is widely known as consumer bill of rights. In the late nineties, business ethics became an emerging field in the societies. Lot of emphasis on this field was placed by the theologians and philosophers who suggested that some of the principles of ethics are applicable to business activities. This gave rise to the academic and research writings about Corporate Social Responsibility of a company (Ferrell et al, 2009). The importance of ethical practices can be recognized by considering the fact there is an international Federation Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations (FSGO) which was established in late 90’s to set the standards and code of conduct for the companies working in the business environments. There are ten basis guidelines for the organizations specified by FSGO which must be followed by the companies in order to remain ethical in the business (Ethics Resource Center, 2005). Ethical Issues in Business Due to increased emphasis on the business ethics over last three decades, this field is suffering and is troubled by the lack of proper directions and is struck, just like Alice in the wonderland, in the issues like logic, reasons etc. Much of the research emphasis is given on the two basis approaches to understand the relationship between ethics and the business practices. These approaches used by the researchers are termed as normative approach and empirical approach (Donaldson and Dunfee, 1994). The past conception of the companies about the ethical issues in business was related to the administration of rules, regulations in the organizations and making sure that the people are complying with these rules or adhere to the standards set by the organizations to stay ethical. This conception is now nowhere implemented, today, people from the top management level and the business owners have understood that this concept of ethical issues in business is far superior than handling the r ules and regulations and their effective implementation. There are wide ranges of issues related to the business ethics currently observed by the market analysts. According to the online report published by UK Energy Saving Website (2011), today, there is wide range of areas listed under the head of ethical issues in business. These issues can be of varying nature ranging from professional ethics which may include the moral duties of engineers, doctors, and architects, lawyers as well as the employee right issues. The issues related to employee rights may further be divided into various categories like issues related to wages, safe working environment, non-discriminatory policies etc. The functional areas of business like marketing, management, accounts etc. also reported to have ethical business issues. Due to the varying natures of these issues, it is difficult to conclude whether or not any company or a supply chain partner is adhering to the ethical principles. In the current business environment, the issues like fairness, justice and honesty are the main issues that are posing complex dilemma to the businesses. Any wrong or biased decision can have a profound impact on the goodwill of the company as well as its market position. To deal with such issues, many companies follow the ethical guidelines so that they â€Å"do not lose sight on the essential value of fairness. However, if they choose to use legality and profitability as their measurement in determining what is right from wrong then business ethics will surely become irrelevant† (CFA, 2009). Business Function Ethics: Marketing Ethics Marketing is among the most crucial functions of a business in an organization. The function of this business unit is to provide understanding about the four basic aspects of a business- Product, Price, Place and Promotion. It provides interface to the management related not only to the customers but the other related parties like media, investors, distribution system, supply chain partners, legal framework, as well as others. The importance of marketing ethics is vital to the organization due to the diverse nature of stakeholders associated with this business function (Ferrell, 2007). While Ethic deals in the determination and study of what is right, wrong, good, evil etc., for marketing managers, workplace ethics deals with the rules, regulations, principles for governing the code of conduct of the members of an organization (Ferrell, 2005). Therefore, ethical marketing can be defined as â€Å"practices that emphasize transparent, trustworthy, and responsible personal and organiza tional marketing policies and actions that exhibit integrity as well as fairness to consumers and other stakeholders† based on normative perspective (Murphy et al, 2005). The concept of marketing ethic emphasizes on the practices and standards that are deemed acceptable in the marketing conduct. These operative standards are usually determined by the stakeholders and the organization as a whole which is responsible for the marketing related activities. The marketing team is required to adhere to these standards and make sure that these prescribed standards are in fit with the societal needs and expectations. According to Ferrell (2005) the ethical marketing practices are most significant in establishing and retaining long term relationship, and development of customer trust. The nature of marketing is very diverse which in turn started large numbers of ethical issues incurred by the businesses today. Key Issues in Marketing Ethics As the 21st century started, the companies and business started to give more importance to the business ethics due to the various scandals emerge early this century related to Enron, Tyco, and Sunbeam etc. most of the business scandals were related to the accounting frauds or supply chain management. During this phase, the journal of marketing consisted of wide range of articles that were associated not only to ethics but especially to the issues related to business ethics (Klein, Smith and John, 2004). The marketing ethical issues are defined by the stakeholders and the company and therefore these issues must be resolved in the timely manner to improve the level of trust and build long term relationships with these people. Murphy et al (2005) suggested that due to the nature of marketing issues, the marketers are sometimes need to deal with the choices that are subjective and moral in nature requiring them make decision regarding the moral standards. Due to these ethical standards, the companies and their stakeholders must conform to the moral principles. Many companies have started fair trade system to operate ethically with their supply chain partners. For example, the star bucks has started the fair trade system to engage with their farmers by offering right prices and maintaining business relations as well as direct purchasing options (Starbucks, 2011). When applying ethics to the marketing practices some factors are important to be considered. First, the marketers should understand the objectives of the company. Second, they must balance the marketing practices with the objectives of the company. The balancing may involve compromise at any point of business or tradeoffs (Ferrell, 2007). Most of the marketing ethics are related to the fairness, justice and honesty as well as conflict of interest, fraud, discrimination and privacy etc. Talking about the global business practices, many countries trade departments have established regulatory groups like better business bureau etc that mainly deals with the issues related to the ethical marketing. The governments have also developed trade commissions that forces laws related to the consumer protection. These government regulated bodies includes Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration etc. these organizations strives to help the consumer in identifying fraud, deception and public safety. These and many other related agencies focus on identifying the major issues that are of ethical concern for the marketers. Examples of these issues includes the communication practices adopted for marketing, wrong advertising, hidden pricing, wrong information presentation in the internal and external communication system, misleading ads, etc. to deceive the customers (Ferrell, 2007; Leclair, Ferrell and Fraedrich, 1998). A lot of progress is been made in the field of ethical marketing based on research and theory. In order to obtain promising results various codes of conducts have been developed by the organizations like American Marketing Association, Marketing Research Association etc. which has elevated the marketing practices. Moreover, many organizations have developed code of ethics which helps them address various marketing practices related ethical risk areas. References CFA (2009) Ethical Issues in Business and the Importance of Ethics, retrieved on July 29, 2011 from http://cfagbata.com/ethical-issues-in-business-and-the-importance-of-ethics/ Donaldson, T. and Dunfee, T. W. (1994) Toward a unified conception of business ethics: integrative social contracts theory, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp.252-284 Ethics Resource Center (2005) Federal Sentencing Guidelines for the organization, ethics org, retrieved on July 29, 2011 from http://www.ethics.org/resource/federal-sentencing-guidelines Ferrell, O.C. (2005). A Framework for Understanding Organizational Ethics. In Business Ethics: New Challenges for Business Schools and Corporate Leaders. R.A. Peterson and O.C. Ferrell, (eds.) Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 3-17. Ferrell, O. C. (2007) nature and scope of marketing ethics. In G. Gundlach, L. Block & W. Wilkie (Eds), Explorations of marketing in society, Mason, OH: Texere/ Thomson South Western Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. and Ferrell, L. (2009) Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases, 7th edition, USA: South Western Cengage Learning Klein, J.G., N.C. and John A. Smith. (2004). Why We Boycott: Consumer Motivations for Boycott Participation. Journal of Marketing, 68 (3): 92-110. LeClair, D.T., O.C. Ferrell, and J.P. Fraedrich. (1998). Integrity Management: A Guide to Managing Legal and Ethical Issues in the Workplace. Tampa, Florida: University of Tampa Press. Murphy, P.E., G.R. Laczniak, N.E. Bowie, and T.A. Klein. (2005). Ethical Marketing, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall. OEC (2011) Defining Ethics and Morality, OEC org, retrieved on July 29, 2011 from http://www.onlineethics.org/Education/precollege/scienceclass/sectone/chapt2.aspx UK Energy Saving (2011) Ethical Issues in Business, retrieved on July 29, 2011 from http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/ethical-issues-in-business.html Starbucks (2011) Fair Trade, retrieved on July 29, 2011 from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/StarbucksAndFairTrade.pdf Further Reading 1. Business Ethics Cases: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/cases.cfm?fam=BUSI 2. Performance Appraisal case: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/dialogue/candc/cases/performance.html 3. Applied Ethics Resources: http://www.ethicsweb.ca/resources/business/topics.html 4. Business Ethics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_ethics 5. Cutting-edge issues in business ethics: continental challenges to tradition: http://books.google.com/books?id=RsBfMI6di8gC&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q& ;f=false 6. A companion to business ethics: http://books.google.com/books?id=PDXVnfyKHBIC&pg=PA178#v=onepage&q&f=false 7. Harvard Business Reviews: Business Ethics: http://www.businessweek.com/managing/company/business_ethics/ 8. Business Ethics and Stakeholder Analysis: http://www53.homepage.villanova.edu/james.borden/vsb1001/Goodpaster.pdf 9. Ethical Decision Making http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/ 10. Importance of Ethics in Business http://www.accountantnextdoor.com/importance-of-business-ethics-importance-of-ethics-in-business-investment/ 11. The Critical Importance of Business Ethics For Effective Leadership http://www.businessexpertwebinars.com/content/view/471/29/ 12. Business Ethics Manual http://www.trade.gov/goodgovernance/adobe/bem_manual.pdf