Utilitarian Issues Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utilitarian Issues - Case Study Example The final utilitarian issue to be explored is whether the company should just honour the obligations of its shareholders and stop the contract with the pacemaker company. Utility Test The utility test looks into several factors in choosing the best approach to solving a dilemma. Using the utility test we have to deduce the outcomes of the decision to be undertaken by the board of directors of the transistor company. Several solutions will be put forward for consideration and the best decision that will be chosen will concentrate on the happiness of all stakeholders. Step 1: In the case of the transistor company and the pacemaker company. Several solutions exist and we have to choose the best alternative other than the suggested solution. The first step would be for the directors to analyze the results of their intended decision. In this case, we take a look at the three solutions put forward by different directors. The main criteria to be used in deciding the best solution will facto r in happiness, the directors’ preferences and the cost of undertaking the decided solution (Mill 66). Step 2: Using the utility test, we look at the solutions brought forward by the different stakeholders. The first solution will analyze the effect on the company being bought and on its shareholders and employees. ... However, the transistor company has the intention of annulling the contract since it is not happy with undertaking business with the pacemaker company. Step 4: The decision undertaken by the directors of the transistor company had different ideas on the best solution. Moreover, there was no policy guideline on how to make the correct decision. There were no policies to guide on making the correct decision since the pacemaker technology was quite new in the medical field (Mill 172). As a result, the directors had to look into the ethical implications of their decision and the effect happiness of all stakeholders. Alternative solutions have to be developed in accordance with the utility tests and these decisions will consider the groups that the alternative decision would affect. In the case of our company, the best alternative solution would be to an acquisition by the pacemaker company. This alternative would save the pacemaker company from going under and at the same time help in th e continuous production of pacemakers (West 83). However, this solution would disadvantage the company and its other customers other than the pacemaker company. Rights Test A rights test is conducted with the main aim considering the respect of human rights. In the case of the Pacemaker Company and Transistor Company the rights of different stakeholders are analyzed. Step 1: The directors of the pacemaker company have the right to property and they make decisions on behalf of the company. However, while exercising their rights the directors cannot infringe the rights of the directors and employees of the pacemaker company from making a living. Patients who receive the pacemakers also have a right to life and good healthcare and thus their rights also have to

Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example for Free

Legalizing Marijuana Essay Cannabis Sativa, more commonly known as Marijuana, is made up of dried parts of the Cannabis hemp plant and is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. For centuries, people all over the world have been using marijuana to achieve â€Å"euphoria†, but the drug has remained illegal in the United States despite countless efforts to reverse the law. In the last few years, the legalization of Marijuana became both a prominent and controversial issue in our country and remains an extremely touchy subject. Despite its short term effect of distorted perceptions and memory impairment, Marijuana has several pro’s that can not only help individuals but could benefit our country as a whole. These â€Å"pros† include medical use, a boost in our economy, the creation of an entire hemp industry, and the lowering of crime rates. The use of marijuana for medical purposes dates back centuries to doctors of the western hemisphere. Because of their initial use of the hemp plant to help alleviate pain, doctors of the 18th century were able to develop the use of the drug and determine its uses in the medical field. It was classified as an illegal drug by many countries, including the US in the 20th century. Over the past 30 years, there has been a growing movement to legalize marijuana, primarily for medical use. In fact, several studied show that marijuana can even be good for your health and help with the treatment of other conditions. Medical marijuana has aided in the treatment of Alzheimers Disease, Epilepsy, Multiple sclerosis, Glaucoma, Arthritis, Depression, Anxiety, and different types of cancer. The American Cancer Society says that, Marijuana has anti-bacterial properties, inhibits tumor growth, and enlarges the airways, which they believe can ease the severity of asthma attacks. There have also been hundreds of studies done to show the benefits of using marijuana as a type of treatment. So far, 18 states have legalized medical marijuana, and several other states are fighting for those same laws. Other states are struggling to pass the law because the belief in how the drug can harm people. Though several doctors including, Dr. Lester Grinspoon have stated that there has never been a death reported from marijuana. In fact, Dr. Paul Hornby, a biochemist and leading authority on cannabis research stated, â€Å"Ive heard you have to smoke something like 15,000 joints in 20 minutes to get a toxic amount of delta-9  tetrahydrocannibinol and I challenge anyone to do that.Meanwhile it is known information that anyone can die from ingesting to much alcohol, aspirin, or even wate r. Legalizing the drug, especially for medical use, can help ease the pain of thousands of people and even help to save lives. Legalizing marijuana would lead to an increase in our economy. Due to the fact that the illegal drug is used widely across our country, the Federal Government spends billions of dollars each year in order to decrease and prevent the trafficking of it. According to Dr. Miron Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save approximately $7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement — $2.4 billion at the federal level and $5.3 billion at the state and local levels.† In our current economic situation, this would be considered a â€Å"smart move†. Besides it saving our country billions of dollars a year, it can potentially also increase our entire revenue due to tax dollars. Because production cost for marijuana is very low, the government can mark up the price significantly and tax it like alcohol and cigarettes. The legalization of marijuana would lead to the creation of an entire hemp based industry, which will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs. Hemp fibers from the stalks of the plant have countless of other uses besides its general purpose. The oil extracted from the seeds could be used for fuel and the fiber extracted from the hemp strand could be spun and woven into linen like fabric. This fabric will be usable for apparel textiles, home furniture textiles, and even carpeting. When combined with cotton or wool, hemp strengthens the fabric making it breathable and more comfortable to wear. Hemp can be made into rope, clothing, and even paper. More importantly, the creation of this industry will bring upon thousands of jobs for people in our country. Currently, our country exceeds more then $300 million in annual retail sales and the numbers continue to ride. Industrial hemp could generate thousands of sustainable job, helping our country to get back on track. Patrick Goggin, a bo ard member on the California Could for Vote Hemp, the nations leading industrial hemp-farming advocacy group stated, Were in the midst of a dark economic transition, but I believe hemp is an important facet and has tremendous economic potential.† Another benefit accrued through legalizing marijuana would be a significant reduction in crime rates. Since Marijuana is currently illegal, it is sold on the streets country wide. Thousands purchase the drug from dealers, putting their lives and reputations at risk, simply because it is the only method to attain it. Both drug dealers and gangs fight to sell the drug in the street, causing their deaths and the deaths of innocent people. Legalizing the drug help decrease the street wars and gang violence by taking the â€Å"right† to sell out of the hands of dealers, and into the hands of the government. Since the drug will be legalized, it will be available in the same locations as cigarettes and alcohol, decreasing crime across the United States. After going over the various pro’s that come along with legalizing the drug, it is hard to see why marijuana is still illegal in our country. In my opinion, the only reason for it not being legalized is the amount of money and jobs that were invested in the drug war. The United States Government takes great pride in their war on drugs and have put countless efforts in to show the potential dangers of the drug. In other words, the government looks defeated if they begin to revise laws and turn back. Another reason it hasnt been legalized is due to the protection of the reputation of political figures. Politicians assume that by supporting the legalization of marijuana, they are automatically condoning it. Though in reality, this isnt true at all. There are many positive benefits of legalizing the drug, and our government should begin to overlook the current laws and work in order to change them. They would be able to regulate it to their advantage and make a profitable revenue. Some states are already realizing the benefits and attempting to make changes. The reelection of the new president and a start to a new term brought about a great victory in the fight to legalize marijuana. On November 6, 2012 prohibition came to an end in Colorado and Washington State. The two states made it legal to smoke marijuana recreationally, without any prescription or medical use. Prior to this, Colorado and Washington were among the 18 states with medical marijuana laws but became the first in the United States to  approve it recreationally. An article in the New York Times stated that Even though it will take months before they write the rules and make other regulations, â€Å"As soon as the laws are certified, it will be legal under Colorado and Washington law for adults 21 years and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. In Colorado, people will be able to grow as many as six plants. In Washington, users will have to buy their marijuana from state-licensed providers.†(Healy, 2012) In conclusion, I believe that the legalization of marijuana would have a positive influence on America. Legalizing the now illegal drug will allow Americans to cultivate and use hemp to a great advantage. Billions of dollars would be saved in government expenditures, and revenue from taxation on the regulated sale of marijuana would bring in billions of dollars as well. Although the impact on a persons health is debatable, to this day, not one person has been killed from a marijuana overdose. Smoking cigarettes daily and drinking alcohol on an every day basis is much more detrimental to a persons health then marijuana, therefore, this is really no specific reason that the drug shouldnt be legalized. Also, most importantly, using marijuana for medical use would benefit the thousands of people suffering with terminal illnesses.

United Kingdom Fast Food Industry Commerce Essay

United Kingdom Fast Food Industry Commerce Essay The Fast Food in the United Kingdom industry profile is an indispensable source for high level data and analysis wrapping the fast food industry. It covers detailed facts on market structure and its segmentation, market size and segmentation, plus documented and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive background, leading companies and demographic information. The market predict for the fast food industry in UK is to generate total returns of $2.6 Billion by the end of 2013, with an expected complex annual growth of 3.5%.The market is broken down in to four segments: Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), Takeaways, Mobile Street Vendors and Leisure Locations. Intrinsic and Extrinsic environmental factors have a remarkable consequence on fast food industry. Market segmentation in UK is as leisure (48%), QRS (37.2%), Take away (13.4%) and street and mobile vendors (0.9%), (Data monitor-B, 2009). Purpose and Benefits: PESTLE analysis is an essential apparatus for understanding risks allied with market expansion or turn down and as such the situation, position, capability and trend for a business or organization. This analysis examines the impact of each of these factors (and their interaction with each other) on the business. And identifying means for change assists top-level to focus on pestle factors which are important and must given the main concern. By this analysis, we can certify that what we do is associated positively with the factors of change which upset our global and also avoid taking action which directs towards malfunctioning and helps to adapt in a new environment. A. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The policies of the government have greater collision on an organization in that particular country. Government decision such as accumulation, diminution, alteration in stuff like policy and taxes has adverse affect in organizations established in that particular country. And the taxation policy is 15-17.5% in UK. Likewise, fast food industry is an inevitable. (G Johnson K Scholes , 2005) CORPORATION TAX Corporation tax is a direct tax which is executed by the government, and organisation or industry pay directly depending on their profit. 30% is the standard corporation tax set for the business organisations but this rate is only applicable to the organisations whose annual profit exceeds more than  £1,500,000. In the year, 2010, 21% is applied for those organizations that make profit less than  £300,000 per year. CARBON TAX It is and environmental tax which is imposed due to the harmful gases it emanates likes carbon dioxide in the environment which affects environment. It is imposed to effect to minimize the emission of gases by the industries to guard environment.The Conservatives are planning to impose a carbon tax on British businesses in UK. There should be labelling of genetically modified food as well and health and safety guidelines from the government sector. ECONOMIC FACTORS Market value of UK fast food is bid. The market anticipation for the fast food industry in UK is to engender total revenue of $2.6 billion by the end of 2013 with an expected complex annual growth of 3.5%. Unemployment: This factor influence and has greater impact in every organisations executing in the country. The figure of people unemployed in the UK has plummeted again, leaving the jobless rate at 7.8 %. Workers are perhaps agreeable to accept lower wages or shorter period of time stick on to their jobs in fast food industries. (BBC, 2010) Affect of Inflation: There are various ways in which it affects business industries. The inflation rate in UK is 5% in 2010.If there is the rise in prices of the products it has an undesirable affect on the organisations including the fast food industries. Increase in inflation force employees to demand higher wages in their working places in order to maintain their living standard and increase in the disposable income. Therefore, companies spend more on labours for well execution of their business. As a result, companies need to enhance their prices or products to maintain the profitability in the business. Recession also leads to increase sales of a product of the companies. SOCIAL FACTORS Population: Fast food affects a community in many aspects. It is mainly geared towards the younger edge of the market. According to the census UK population is aging and most of the fast food organisations are concerned in this sector. So, fast food products are diminishing because people are concerned about their health. Busy Schedule: As we all know that UK has a very busy life style which has positive affect on the UK food industry by choosing fast food rather than cooking in their own house for saving their time. Health and Safety: Government are concerned about public health and imposed rules on fast food industry that the foods that contains high sugar, salt or obesity should be avoided in order to maintain healthy life and protection from obesity.( M Purcell, 2008) Most of the people are being vegetarianism due to health concerns which affects fast food industry. Animals right campaign: Fast food key players such as Mac Donalds, Burger King , Pizza Hut, KFC etc are the main industries for producing and consumption of food from animals all over the global. Thus animals right personnel are concerned about the maltreatment towards the animals which are supplied to the players of the fast industry. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Technology plays a vital role in fast food industries. It enhances the speed and saves time for the successful completion of its performance. For eg: systematic computerised system such as till counters helps to perform their operation in accurate time. The use of online marketing about their products too has been very successful. The presence of the internet of the companies such as Mac Donald, KFC etc has been very solid factor to stand out in their business. The products that are delivered online also assist to a large amount to enhance sales and profit of the business. LEGAL FACTORS Food safety act The Food Safety Act 1990 provides the framework for all food legislation in Britain. It is concerned with food safety and consumer protection in Great Britain. The main objectives of this law are as follows: To ensure that the food is safe to public health and provide legality authority to the consumers. For e.g.: a child spills himself/ herself and he/she should be properly cared. To ensure that the food is served should meet the expectations in (quantity and quality) forms To ensure they advertise and label the product in a proper way which do not mislead consumers. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Fast food outlets have been responsible for high amount of litters and waste. For eg: we probably dont think that eating a burger emerges carbon, but it is true that whatever we do we donate towards the resources we use. The organization concerned with protection of environment has held, which is keep Britain Tidy . And they found McDonalds which is responsible for most of the burger wrappers, condiment sachets and plastic straws. . The litters found in the streets have been divided among the all the fast food brands or companies as given below: 1. McDonalds 29% 2. Unbranded fish and chips/kebab 21% 3 .Greggs -18% 4. KFC 8% 5. Subway 5% and other branded coffee 5% Ultimately, the analytical tool helped us to understand the prons and cons of the fast food industry and their success and failure of the strategy. This analytical tool (PESTLE) helped to determine industrys attractiveness (profit potential) and can be influential in general performance. B: MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS (PORTERS FIVE FORCES): Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and strategy development introduced by Michael E. Porter in 1979. It is a way of assessing the potential profit of different industries which provide the starting point for strategic analysis even profit criteria may not apply. POWER OF BUYER: Despite the population of UK do not go for fast food, but many of the people plump for it or as consumers. Many of the big players in UK such as Mc Donald, KFC, Burger King .Etc, spend hugely in the fast food industry through advertising and other promotional activities to improve brand image towards consumers because they are the essential part of the business to survive. And leads to customer loyalty and decreases buying power. For e.g.: milk in the grocery sector in UK, where there is few retailers dominance that means few large customers relate for the majority of sales. Thus, buying power increases. If such gift items in fast food industries help to enhance some degree of customer loyalty, nonetheless, buying power can be strengthened to some extent, low switching cost is insignificant. In the fast food industry, the buying power can be accessed as reasonable. POWERS OF SUPPLIERS: The factors increasing buying power are the converse to those for buying power. It is very crucial for the fast food industry for the continuous, reliable supply of food with a quality and low cost which is applicable even in the fast food industry. By this we can figure out the reliability of fast food chains. As we all know, fast food industry are not only engaged with single sort of food but they can also create profit by other varieties. Suppliers are the main source of firm when there are few substitutes, they might also refuse to work with the firm, and therefore, it is vital for food industry to maintain good relationship with each other in order to get success. The leading food industry in UK is 3663 because it exceeds its sales which exceeds 1 billion pound per annum. For e.g.: star football players have succeeded in raising their plunder to enormous levels but leading football clubs, their buyers struggle. THREATS OF SUBSTITUTES Substitutes are services of products that offer a same benefit to an industrys products. For eg: trains are substitute of cars. Likewise in fast food industry there are other forms of food service providers as well as food stores, eg: Sainsbury, ASDA, Somerfield, etc provides ready serve their food to the customers. Fast foods are cheaper. Therefore, the substitutes do not have a power to dominate fast food industry in terms of various foods and services they provide. Eventually, the advantage which substitutes have with comparison with their substitutes is that they facilitate with diversity of products and there is the matter of health and safety towards fast food outlets which has been criticised by public and government. Consequently, substitutes in the whole market propose its consumers with more liberty or alternatives to organize their fast by delivering various ranges of food products. The threat of substitutes has been accessed as moderate in fast food industry. Threats of entrants: The entry into the UK fast food market does not involve huge investment. Individuals can enter without recognized brand name. Some companies execute their task as a franchise which enables the franchisee or the investor to help operating or fully operate a business. The franchisee pays for the cost to the franchisor and yield profit from the business from different strategies used by franchisor. For e.g. Mc Donalds., have many out lets all over the world among them 25,400 are operates by franchisee. Although it is not much expensive to execute a fast food industry but there is a threat to the entrants because there are key players who already set their brand images in front of the consumers. The already existing players are very strong established for the new entrants to compete with (Data monitor-A, 2009). COMPETETIVE RIVALRY As we are all concerned about fast food industry that they cover large market and focus on large part of UK population therefore it has been mushrooming every year. There is very low risk of business failure which as a result attracts more new entrants. Former fast food industry wants to increase their number of outlets as a result they want to survive in the industry for longer time period by employing more employees and execute for longer period. Each industry wants to be better than each of their competitors. Therefore, to float in the business, the main thing that the industry needs to maintain is attractiveness, i.e. profitability. Eventually, UK is mushrooming with fast food industry, in recent globalisation. It is not much easier to enter into the market. There are challenges in entering into the fast food industry as well opportunities to receive success. Despite the dark cloud on the horizon, fast food industry is one of the most important food outlets in the context of UK.

Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle and Hemodynamic Brain Scans Essay

Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle and Hemodynamic Brain Scans Hemodynamic brain scans such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) have been of immense utility in the neuroscience fields in illuminating the components and modulation of brain function. However, these hemodynamic brain scans have afforded utility without brain scientists truly understanding the mechanism by which they produce signals. Previously, it had been accepted without verification that the images produced by such techniques were direct results of neuronal activity. However, new techniques in studying brain function have revealed that when astrocyte activity is inhibited, hemodependent brain scans do not function (Halber 2008). Additionally, other studies have demonstrated that astrocytes display finely tuned responses to stimuli (Halber 2008) which are amenable to communication with each other in networks via calcium-wave propagation. In light of these new findings in regards to astrocyte function and communication, their influence on hemodynamic brain scans would offer much lucidity to our current understanding of neuropathology and neuromodulation. General Findings of Astrocytic Influence on Brain Scans Both PET and fMRI scans are hemodependent brain scans. However, the mechanism by which each works do differ from each other by which fundamental principle of blood flow they measure. In fMRI, a BOLD-signal (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) measurement is utilized which is then translated into working images. PET scans require a radioactive labeled tracer which accumulates in areas of activation. These active areas are then expressed in imaging techniques that interpret the level of activation. However,... ...arch 2009. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2008.11.005 Mo. (2008, June 20). Starring role in the brain for astrocytes [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2008/06/astrocytes_starring_role_in_the_brain.php Schummers, J., Yu, H., & Sur, M. (2008). Tuned responses of astrocytes and their influence on hemodynamic signals in the visual cortex. Science, 320, 1638-1643. doi: 10.1126/science.1156120 Segelken, R. (2004). CU laser microscopy technique settles brain chemistry debate, could aid studies of Alzheimer’s, stroke damage. Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved from http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/04/7.1.04/astrocyte-neuron.html Vaishnavi S.N., Vlassenko A.G., Rundle M.M., Snyder A.Z., Mintun M.A., Raichle, M.E., (2010). Regional aerobic glycolysis in the human brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U SA. 107, 17757–17762. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1010459107

Ethical Codes Essay

The increasing dependences on computers for critical infrastructure essentials for the functioning of a society and its economy has given rise to host of ethical, social, and legal issues. As software engineers, it is a bounden duty to design and build software intended for use by a set of individuals for a specified set of purpose, which initiate many issues about consumer’s privacy. Following is the exploration from three constituents. First, websites collect consumer’s private information. Social networks play a vital role in the life of Internet users, and more than a half billion people post vast amounts of information about themselves to share with online friends and colleagues. As more and more people join social networking sites, questions are beginning to surface about the safety of user’s information. A new study has found that the practices of many popular social networking sites typically make that personal information available to companies that track Web users’ browsing habits and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to specific people. Like most commercial websites, online social networks use third-party tracking sites to learn about the browsing habits of their visitors. Cookies are maintained by a Web browser and contain information that enable tracking sites to build profiles of the websites visited by a user. Each time the user visits a new website, the tracking site can review those cookies and serve up advertisements that might appeal to the user. For example, if the user frequently visits food sites, user might see an advertisement for a new cookbook. With the leakage of this type personal information, there is a significant risk of having one’s identity linked to an inaccurate or misleading browsing profile. Browsing profiles record the websites has been accessed by a particular computer, neither who was using the computer at the time nor why particular sites were chosen. This will lead to a serious problem inaccurate profiling by tracking sites. For example, a site about cancer was visited for curiosity rather than intent, inaccurate profiling would potentially lead to issues with health care coverage, or other areas of our personal lives. The second issue is when a consumer uses a product created by a computer professional. The main concept in engineering ethics is â€Å"professional responsibility†, such as political philosopher Langdon Winner, are critical of the traditional preoccupation of engineering ethics with specific moral dilemmas confronting individuals(Winner, 1990): â€Å"Ethical responsibility†¦ nvolves more than leading a decent, honest, truthful life†¦ And it involves something much more than making wise choice when such choices suddenly, unexpectedly present themselves. Our moral obligations must†¦ include a willingness to engage others in the difficult work of defining the crucial choice that confront technological society†¦ † But unfortunately, with the development of tec hnology and the awakening consciousness of human protection, user privacy is becoming a sensitive issue , after the two giants Google and Apple have stumbled in this regard. Recently, the recognition of the recent HTC phones to collect the user’s data. A user in a system upgrade and found a new CIQ application, the application can access statistics, including the application frequency, GPS location, even after the use of information related to home video cameras, and back to the respective companies. HTC aspects of this incident came to light on the phone today to confirm pre-installed software to collect user information, but all processes are encrypted safe manner. HTC also said in a statement, the company will protect user privacy, commitment to the future equipment and then collect information, the user will be prompted to make a clear choice. Although the company will give customers the utmost assurance of their privacy, why HTC phones collected the user’s data from the beginning? Finally, the employer or company who offers a services. With the rocketing development of Internet, most companies see web services as a platform to become a very profitable business in the near future. In other words, thousands of customers’ private information will be stored in the Internet, which could have serious consequences if a firm lacks the security to protect sensitive information. For example, the most infamous Internet attack occurred this year was the one suffered by Sony. Everything started with the theft of data from PlayStation Network, affecting 77 million users worldwide. Not only was this the biggest data theft ever but the situation was poorly handled by Sony. To make things worse, the stolen data was specially sensitive, including user’s names, billing addresses, email addresses, PlayStation Network IDs, passwords, birthdates, purchase history, credit card numbers, etc. If this was not sufficient enough, Sony Online Entertainment was subject to another attack a few days later, a data theft that affected another 24 million users. In short, the chief man-made cause is deficiency in professional responsibility. If the company built information securi ty system and strengthened individual information protection from the start, which would avert the tragedy from getting worse. In conclusion, the actions involved in carrying out the right and ethical solution to any engineering problem may not be easy, especially in today’s world. But the path that must be taken should be obvious. This type of decision-making comes with experience, but the basic principles can be learned. The work that an engineer does often impacts the lives of countless people. With such a responsibility it is up to them to act in the most ethical, honest and trustworthy manner possible.

Attitude Survey Essay

I created a survey for parents of adolescents to determine how important they think it is for their teens to be educated on environmental issues. This paper will explain the purpose of the survey and discuss the preliminary design issues that I experienced while creating the survey. Then, the paper will describe how this survey should be administered, scored and interpreted. Purpose of Survey The purpose of this survey is to get parents opinions on their adolescent’s involvement in environmental issues. The reason for this survey is that even people, who conserve natural resources, recycle and help keep the community clean are not always as aware of making their adolescents do their part. It is proven that, if parents are environmental and energy friendly in their actions then their children are more prone to be as well. (Sierra, 2009). If parents take it into their own hands to educate their adolescents they can rest assured the teens will do their part. This survey will show if parents feel that their children should have to take on this responsibility, or if they should be allowed to remain childish and carefree in their actions. This survey will also distinguish is parents held themselves accountable for teaching their adolescents to be conscious of their actions and how they influence the environment. Preliminary Design Issues Issues with the design of surveys include distinguishing which questions should be asked, and if these said questions would get true responses or false answers. The questions that are asked will determine the outcome of the survey. This survey was developed for parents of adolescents. The parents may or may not par take in activities that are geared to sustain the  environment such as conserving natural resources and recycling. This survey is not about the parents themselves, however, but rather about how educated about the environment that they think their teens are and should be. This survey can be taken individually, but would yield better results if given in a group setting, with an administer present so that the questions could not be discussed among the respondents. The survey is very brief and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. It is a simple 12 question survey that is given in the Likert format, with the scale being 5 answers ranging from strongly disagree t o strongly agree. (Hogan, 2007). â€Å"A Likert-type scale assumes that the strength/intensity of experience is linear, i.e. on a continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree, and makes the assumption that attitudes can be measured. Respondents may be offered a choice of five to seven or even nine pre-coded responses with the neutral point being neither agree nor disagree†. (McLeod, 2008). In my survey, there are five pre-coded responses, with the neutral point being unsure. It does not have to be a professional who administers the survey. The administer should have some knowledge in scoring and be well informed on the topic so that they may answer any questions the respondents may have. Specific Instructions for Administering, Scoring and Interpreting the Survey Individual questions will be asked to the respondents before they begin the survey. These questions will include things like name, age, gender, marital status, number of children in home, and age of adolescents. Simple questions about the respondent’s environmental views will also be asked. The only people present during the survey will be the respondents and the administrator. Since the survey has no right or wrong answers, all respondents will be urged to answer honestly so that the results will be accurate. The scoring of the survey will also be relatively simple. A five point scale, with numerical values will be issued. The assigned values will be as follows; -2 for strongly disagree, -1 for disagree, 0 for unsure, +1 for agree, and +2 for strongly agree. Once the surveys are scored the totals will be correlated. A respondent with a 0 score or mostly middle responses will be concluded as neutral or no opinion. A respondent with high scores would be seen as having favorable attitudes toward adolescents and their role in sustaining the environment. A respondent that had low scores would be seen as having a negative attitude about adolescents taking  responsibility for the environment. Then, the surveys would be tallied to determine the general attitude concerning adolescents and the environment. Conclusion This survey was created to determine the attitudes of parents with adolescents on how much responsibility the teens should have in sustaining the environment. The adolescents are the focus, but the survey will also allow results on the attitudes of the respondents as well. The results will also be able to be broken down into sub-categories based on the age, gender, and marital status of the respondents. References Hogan, Thomas, P. (2007). Psychological Testing: A Practical Introduction, 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons Langh, Sierra. (2009). 4 ways to encourage environmental awareness in your youth. Tampa Teen Issues Examiner. Retrieved From: http://www.examiner.com/article/4-ways-to-encourage-environmental-awareness-your-youth McLeod, Saul. (2008). Likert Scale. Simply Psychology. Retrieved From: http://www.simplypsychology.org/likert-scale.html