Values, ethics and empowering the self through cooperative education

Following the recent global financial crisis and the collapse of major organisations such as Lehman Brothers, and the earlier corporate failings of Enron and HIH, there has been a shift of focus towards the role of ethics education in the formation of business professionals. In other professional settings, such as policing and medicine, similar major crises have highlighted the significance of the early development of ethical practice in emerging professionals. This paper considers the nature of professional ethics for an emerging professional, arguing that professional ethics should be a key factor in cooperative education programs. The paper considers the role of values and ethics education in empowering the emerging professional to shape and change their workplace. Building on this argument, the paper suggests foundational elements of an approach to professional ethics in cooperative education programs concluding with a suggested research path for further exploration of the content and nature of such an approach

Criminal intent or cognitive dissonance: how does student self plagiarism fit into academic integrity?

The discourse of plagiarism is speckled with punitive terms not out of place in a police officer's notes: detection, prevention, misconduct, rules, regulations, conventions, transgression, consequences, deter, trap, etc. This crime and punishment paradigm tends to be the norm in academic settings. The learning and teaching paradigm assumes that students are not filled with criminal intent, but rather are confused by the novel academic culture and its values. The discourse of learning and teaching includes: development, guidance, acknowledge, scholarly practice, communicate, familiarity, culture. Depending on the paradigm adopted, universities, teachers, and students will either focus on policies, punishments, and ways to cheat the system or on program design, assessments, and assimilating the values of academia. Self plagiarism is a pivotal issue that polarises these two paradigms. Viewed from a crime and punishment paradigm, self plagiarism is an intentional act of evading the required workload for a course by re-using previous work. Within a learning and teaching paradigm, self plagiarism is an oxymoron. We would like to explore the differences between these two paradigms by using self plagiarism as a focal point

Social responsibility reporting at group level in a mutual insurance company: the experience of ITAS Mutua Assicurazioni

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines state that a social responsibility re-port should provide information about 'all entities over which the reporting organisa-tion exercises control or significant influence'. A mutual insurance company which sells products through a network of insurance agents has to provide information about insurance agencies and about customers. ITAS is the first company to produce a so-cial responsibility report including data provided by the network of insurance agents, the customers and the shareholders. The paper illustrates the process used to collect and process information. Interestingly, the data collection process opened a channel of communication with both agents and customers/shareholders supplying ITAS with useful suggestions from the strategic and marketing point of view

Incorporating indigenous values in corporate social responsibility reports

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to show how a major state-owned enterprise in New Zealand uses its annual report to promote the image of an organisation concerned with the local community including Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, Māori values and their relationship with the environment. Design/methodology/approach – This longitudinal single case study of Mighty River Power Limited spans the period 2000 to 2009. It involves detailed examination of the narrative disclosures contained in the annual reports, including photographs, over the period of the study to determine whether Mighty River Power used the annual report to present a favourable image to the organisation’s stakeholders. Indigenous partnerships between the organisation and Māori trusts were also investigated to determine how these contributed to the corporate identity promoted in the annual reports. Findings – The analysis found that annual report was used to promote the image of an organisation upholding the Māori value of kaitiakitanga as part of its social responsibility to the local community and environment. Māori partnerships and community environmental group sponsorship were featured extensively in the images and narratives, with specific reference to indigenous values. Originality/value – This paper builds upon previous literature in the field of corporate social responsibility in annual reports and extends it to the state-owned enterprise sector in New Zealand, focusing specifically on the relationship between the entity and the indigenous community in which it operates

Science and Technology Governance and Ethics - A Global Perspective from Europe, India and China

This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics

Global Ethics and Nanotechnology: A Comparison of the Nanoethics Environments of the EU and China

The following article offers a brief overview of current nanotechnology policy, regulation and ethics in Europe and The People’s Republic of China with the intent of noting (dis)similarities in approach, before focusing on the involvement of the public in science and technology policy (i.e. participatory Technology Assessment). The conclusions of this article are, that (a) in terms of nanosafety as expressed through policy and regulation, China PR and the EU have similar approaches towards, and concerns about, nanotoxicity—the official debate on benefits and risks is not markedly different in the two regions; (b) that there is a similar economic drive behind both regions’ approach to nanodevelopment, the difference being the degree of public concern admitted; and (c) participation in decision-making is fundamentally different in the two regions. Thus in China PR, the focus is on the responsibility of the scientist; in the EU, it is about government accountability to the public. The formulation of a Code of Conduct for scientists in both regions (China PR’s predicted for 2012) reveals both similarity and difference in approach to nanotechnology development. This may change, since individual responsibility alone cannot guide S&T development, and as public participation is increasingly seen globally as integral to governmental decision-making

Coordination and synergy – increasing the width and depth of research in organic farming (SYNERGY)

The Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming (DARCOF) is a "centre without walls", which is to say that the researchers remain in their own research environment but collaborate across institutes. The overall remit is to coordinate Danish R&D for organic farming, with a view to achieving optimum benefit from the allocated resources. The specific objectives of the SYNERGY project are to secure the continued interdisciplinary development of Danish research in organic farming and to explore the many possibilities of synergy in DARCOF II. In relation to these objectives, the assignments of SYNERGY are to: • Co-ordinate, evaluate and manage DARCOF II as a whole • Analyse, discuss and synthesis knowledge across research projects and disciplines • Develop research methodology and investigate values associated with organic farming • Contribute to the education of research scientists involved in the DARCOF II • Communicate the research findings to the organic farming community and society in general • Contribute to international co-operation and communication In this way the project intends to secure the completion of the overall objectives of the programme; namely to contribute to increased production, and closer relationships between organic and inherent qualities in organic farming

Alat pemungut tandan kelapa sawit darjah kebebasan

Kelapa sawit merupakan tanaman yang menyumbang kepada industri penghasilan minyak di dunia seperti minyak masak, minyak industri, dan minyak bahan bakar (biodiesal). Pulangan dari sektor pertanian khususnya kelapa sawit sangat menguntungkan. Kini ramai petani telah bertukar ke tanaman kelapa sawit. Indonesia merupakan pengeluar minyak kelapa sawit terbesar di dunia [1]. Dengan terdapatnya pembukaan ladang sawit secara besar-besaran maka banyaklah syarikat-syarikat pertanian mula mencipta alat atau mesin yang baik untuk mencepatkan proses memetik dan mengeluarkan sawit dari ladang. Namun alatan yang lebih mesra pengguna dilihat tidak dipandang serius. Atas isu ini timbul idea mencipta alat pemungut tandan kelapa sawit darjah kebebasan. Semua sedia maklum untuk mengeluarkan sawit dari ladang perlunya meletakan tandan sawit ke dalam kereta sorong terlebih dahulu.Untuk meletakan sawit ke dalam kereta sorong T-shape palm fruit shank diperlukan. Pekebun akan mengangkat sawit yang telah dipetik dari pokok menggunakan alatan tersebut.Tanpa disedari alatan ini membahayakan pekebun dan membebankan. Pekebun memerlukan tenaga yang banyak untuk mengangkat tandan sawit yang amat berat ke dalam kereta sorong. Selain itu, mengangkat bebanan yang berat dalam kuantiti yang banyak menyebabkan sakit dibahagian tulang belakang pekebun. Di samping itu, mata alat yang tajam dan terdedah meningkatkan risiko kecederaan pekebun. Duri pada buah sawit juga bahaya pada pekebun

Report on a Boston University Conference December 7-8, 2012 on 'How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching?'

This is an editorial report on the outcomes of an international conference sponsored by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) (REESE-1205273) to the School of Education at Boston University and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University for a conference titled: How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching? The presentations of the conference speakers and the reports of the working groups are reviewed. Multiple themes emerged for K-16 education from the perspective of the history and philosophy of science. Key ones were that: students need to understand that central to science is argumentation, criticism, and analysis; students should be educated to appreciate science as part of our culture; students should be educated to be science literate; what is meant by the nature of science as discussed in much of the science education literature must be broadened to accommodate a science literacy that includes preparation for socioscientific issues; teaching for science literacy requires the development of new assessment tools; and, it is difficult to change what science teachers do in their classrooms. The principal conclusions drawn by the editors are that: to prepare students to be citizens in a participatory democracy, science education must be embedded in a liberal arts education; science teachers alone cannot be expected to prepare students to be scientifically literate; and, to educate students for scientific literacy will require a new curriculum that is coordinated across the humanities, history/social studies, and science classrooms.Comment: Conference funded by NSF grant REESE-1205273. 31 page

Newcastle Business School Principles of Responsible Management Education Project (NBS PRIME)

The world is changing rapidly and new demands face business leaders to deal with the planet and environment more sustainably, to deal with the numerous societies their organisations operate in more equitably and with greater cultural understanding, and to be more open, transparent and responsible with respect to their stakeholders. Recent events such as the credit and banking crisis alongside general global corporate social responsibility and sustainability concerns, have led to questions as to whether current management education is adequate to equip and develop future leaders with the requisite skills to meet these new demands (Colby, Ehrlich, Sullivan, Dolle, & Shulman, 2011; Datar, Garvin, & Cullen, 2010; Weybrecht, 2010). For these reasons it is essential that universities and business schools seek to embrace principles of sustainability and responsible management into their teaching, research and enterprise activities. Newcastle Business school is ideally placed to make a significant contribution to social, environmental and economic well being through its global reputation for delivering some of the best business management education in the UK