Different Christian Views Surrounding Euthanasia Essay

Different Christian Views Surrounding Euthanasia - Essay Example Non-voluntary euthanasia occurs when it is performed without the patient’s consent or when someone else gives the consent. Involuntary euthanasia is to put patients to death and involves infants born with defects or the elderly people. The principle behind this sort of death is that ‘they have a life not worthy of life’, which was devised during the Nazi Regime in Germany when the state authorized the killing of the aged, mentally ill, and the handicapped. The definitions of euthanasia vary and this itself leads to controversy. Hemel (2005) quotes the Webster defining euthanasia as "the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy." The American Heritage College Dictionary, plainly states that euthanasia is "the act culture practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition." There is no mention of mercy here at all. The definitions of euthanasia has inherent problems. Some religious ethicists believe that passive euthanasia should not be included under the umbrella at all because according to Catholic moral teachings, "unless the actual intent to end a persons life is present, euthanasia has not occurred†. Some other religious groups are of the opinion that the definition of euthanasia should be governed not by the underlying intent but by the en d result of the action. The Christian response to euthanasia is to oppose it. Simply put, it amounts to killing. In legal terms, it is ‘the intentional killing of a patient as part of his or her medical treatment.’ (Cornwall-Kelly). Mercy killing has been debated over by many religious heads and has to be addressed seriously because it is a matter of life and death. Fr. Frank A. Pavone (Priests for Life) is of the firm conviction that suffering

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example Quality in education matters because without accomplishing some goal, there is no end purpose of that education and each party is wasting time on a meaningless relationship (Brennen). The process of instructing a child must give some meaning. In addition, using some set, objective standard of quality for instructors, one can provide the basis for improvements and advances made in favor the education system. When such a standard exists, educators have an idea of what they should aim for, and they can create plans and objectives to achieve those goals. Goals for children depend upon their age level and individual potential for improvement. For this reason, a teacher must work collaborative to set goals. Not only is it useful to get feedback from children on how much they want to accomplish, it is important to introduce the skill of goal setting early in life. This kind of teaching that encourages an active system of feedback serves to empower children, which will prove useful as they g row older and into adults (Aschermann). In this relationship, children put forward an idea of what they are capable of doing and accomplishing, and the teacher interprets and formalizes those observations.

The Silent Language Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Silent Language - Assignment Example In his book ‘, Edward T. Hall notes down the importance of mastering these skills for an American, who aspires to conduct successful business abroad (Cardon, 2008). This paper will, therefore, evaluate the important things that an American businessman needs to familiarize with while in a foreign land as addressed in The Silent Language in Overseas Business (Hall, 1960). Some things are acceptable in one culture, but may also be offensive in another culture. For instance, as Hall notes, an American will realize that a Latin American time might be quite spontaneous with their time, but when doing business with an Arab, he will realize that Arabs will tolerate interruptions in between. However, that will not lessen the seriousness of the business being conducted. With this in mind, an American should seek to understand the various cultural practices in a foreign state by acquainting himself or herself with the social, ethnic and economic dissimilarities of the people in that state. As Hall has stated, an understanding of various cultural differences will go a long way to make business transactions quite easier to conduct (Cardon, 2008). This includes an understanding of the communication in terms of time, space, material possessions, friendship patterns, and agreements. Hall makes it clear that people’s actions can act as a perfect means of conv ersing in one culture, while in others; it is words that do most of the expression (Hall, 1960). A person’s behavior communicates a lot and so are the attitudes and material possessions. Cultural interactions, according to Hall, can be explained in three levels; formal, informal, and technical. Formal forms include those instances when one does something inappropriately but is corrected and shown the right way. Informal involves learning the ways of a certain people by imitating them. Technical forms of learning, on their other hand, are similar to the experience of a teacher to a student (Hall, 19560).  

Traffic Accidents Essay Example for Free

Traffic Accidents Essay Traffic accidents are on the rise these days. Most of the accidents caused injuries or either worse death. Research have found that most of the accidents are caused by inexperienced drivers, for example young drivers. Young drivers tend to be more daring and are unable to avoid a crush when they face one. They tend to be more daring after drinking alcohol at night and this causes them to lose control of the car. Drunk driving will not only risk a person’s own life but may also cause an innivent life to be lost. The government should encourage the driving school to conduct driving lessons foryung drivers for a longer period. This will give them a clear picture about how accidents happen and teach them about the safety of others on the road. Drivers that have been in an accident after drunk driving should be ban from driving for at least two years and be given driving lessons again. However, for the aged drivers, the government should not only lowered the age limit but also check the capability of the aged drivers for instance eyesight, hearing and other related health conditions to ensure safe driving. It does not mean that an aged person are not fit to drive and has a problem with the heart but a young or a middle aged person could also have heart failure these days. To conclude, I feel that to raise the agelimit of young drivers arenot the best solution but to give them more driving lessons about the problems they may encounter on the road and to ban them from driving if they have caused an accident due to carelessness. As for the age drivers, as long as they are capable on the road before a certain age and there are no health issues there shouldn’t be a problem.

Change of Shift Report in Nursing

Change of Shift Report in Nursing Change in Practice Assignment: Shift Report Elizabeth Campins Nurses communicate information about their assigned client at the end of each shift to the nurse working on the next shift. Shift report provides updated patient’s status for continuity of care. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze the effectiveness of the change-of-shift-report at bedside and the implementation of evidence-based practice for an accurate and relevant report. The Problem There are different change-of-shift-report according to the institution rules and regulations. The different ways to give the end-of-shift report vary among institutions, and especially among different units in the same hospital. It constitutes a problem for nurses, particularly when they float from unit to unit (Dufault et al., 2012). Some common types of reports are orally in person, by audiotape, and walking- planning rounds. Oral reports are given in conference rooms, with staff members from both shifts participating. It has the advantage that they allow staff members to ask questions or make clarifications face to face. By audiotape recording question and clarifications have to be made after listening to the tape report. The problem is that orally and audiotapes reports are made without visualizing the client actual condition. The status of a patient, changes in vital signs, unusual response to treatments, and changes in client’s emotional condition can happen very quickly. These quick changes in a client’s condition can cause a gap of information between what is written or recorded in a report and what the client is experiencing at the moment. Inaccurate information can lead to treatment using outdated or even incorrect information that puts the patient and the nurse at risk. Nurse’s consent on taking the client with no direct observation are in danger of being responsible for any critical situation aroused at the last minute that it was not in the report, including death of the patient. Nurses accepting the assignment are responsible and accountable to the care of that patient they have not seen yet (Nelson Massey, 2010). Because nurse-patient relationship begins when the nurse accepts responsibility for nursing care, it does not matter the modality of the shift report, nurses are still accountable. Change in the way of giving an end-of-shift report is an implementation needed in every health care institution. Considering one format with the same protocol in every unit can be the most efficient strategy for bedside shift report. This implementation will reduce the possibilities of communication errors that is the most reported cause of sentinel events in U.S hospitals (Guido, 2013), and also has the advantage of involving the family in client car e. Practice Change The evidence-based change to practice propose in this assignment is a standardized protocol for bedside-shift-report. Evidence supports that breakdown in communication and medical errors occur during end-of- shift-report (Gregory, Tan, Tilrico, Edwardson, Gamm, 2014). The proposed standardized protocol for the report will use the SBARP format: Situation will review admitting information, problem list, and diagnosis. Background will include a review of past medical history, social history, resuscitation status if any, current orders and medication list. Assessment will be together with the oncoming nurse including validating progress notes and verification of the most recent vital signs. This step will be with nurses already in the patient room. Recommendation will be in front of the patient to discuss what the care plan for the shift is. Patient participation will consider patient concerns and questions. Gathering relevant information from medical notes and nursing documentation is the first step to initiate the report. It is necessary to validate all information with the actual status of the patient to facilitate the transfer to the recipient of the report. The oncoming nurse will review assignment sheet and read information on the computerized reports. At the time of meeting with the off-going nurse, it is necessary to review the information and to add what is not on the computerized report. This time outside of the patient room may be an appropriate time to discuss any sensitive information that may be considered an HIPAA violation if family members are present or when the patient is in semi-private rooms. Some staff members are skeptic in being able to discuss a sensitive topic as infectious diagnosis, HIV, drug abuse or psychiatric issues in front of and with the patient. In this case, both nurses could go to a private setting before entering the patient room. The study recommen dation is to adjust models as appropriate to attain and sustain the outcomes. Each off-going nurse will provide a verbal report at the bedside of the patient using the SBARP format (Dufault et al., 2012). Would be necessary highlight every critical area considering situation that include admitting information and diagnosis problem list. Nurse need to review past medical history, current orders, resuscitation status, med list, among others. At the time of the assessment oncoming nurse will verify the most recent patient assessment, review labs, vital signs and read progress notes. Any observation shared with the patient is useful for meeting their needs and also to find out what is not in need at that time. Both nurses need to discuss the proposed plan of care to move to the next level. Reporting in front of the patient reassures the patients that they are the priority and nurses are aware of the details in the client condition. Off going nurse will introduce to the patient the oncom ing nurse, and assess the patient concerns and the care plan for the day. This strategy will give to the patient a sense of security and wiliness to participate in their care with the recommended options. Finally, the off-going nurse turns over patient to the oncoming nurse (Dufault et al., 2012). Evidence Supporting the Proposed Change The first research study that supports the evidence for bedside shift report is Translating an Evidence-Based Protocol for Nurse-to-Nurse Shift Report (Dufault et al., 2012). The purpose of this study was standardizing communication practices to reduce the risk of patients in an acute care environment as a result of a gap in communication at the time of the shift report. It focuses on how to translate research into practice model to generate the best-practice-protocol for nurse-to-nurse shift handoffs in a Magnet designated community hospital in U.S. The project used the Collaborative Research Utilization (CRU) model with a six-step translating-research-into-practice approach. The model use three steps in this order: Identifying clinical problems related to change on shift report. The second is appraising and evaluating the strength of theoretical, empirical and clinical evidence. And the third one is the translation of this evidence into a best practice and standardized protocol for change of shift report. It has its basis in the Roger’s Adoption of Innovation Theory that considers three important factors to improve research translation into practice. The first one is the availability of a validated and predictable knowledge. Second, need of a competent staff using this knowledge with a favorable attitude toward the research. Third, a supportive policy-generating structure that promotes innovation (Dufault et al., 2012). Additionally to CRU model with its groundwork of Roger’s Adoption of Innovations Theory it was included Orlando’s Nursing Theory. It emphasizes in meeting the patient’s need and value the concept of nursing’s role as client-family advocate. The model gives tools to the review for validated literature on nursing shift reports. It provides a guide of research roundtables (experiential, problem-focused learning exercises) to evaluate and translate the empirical knowledge. Additionally, at the time to create the organizational structures within the hospital it provides the test; sustain evidence-based policies, and standards needed to cue clinical actions. While the transition to change, the above-mentioned model, paired in teams of clinicians, nurse researchers, clinical specialists, undergraduate and graduate nurse students. This strategy addresses the clinical issue, in this case, development of a standardized protocol for nurses’ shift report. The before mentioned approaches to change has been tested in other previously apply problems in which the evidence-based is strong. The second research study was Bedside Shift Reports: What Does the Evidence Say? By (Gregory, Tan, Tilrico, Edwardson, Gamm, 2014). This study summarizes a systematic literature review of BSRs and serves as a mechanism to relate the support for improving quality of care and patient safety. After strong evidence supporting the benefits of BSR, sustainability is still an issue. As a result, many studies recommend assessing staff attitudes before and after implementation to identify if periodic interventions are needed to sustain desired change in practice. Models of bedside report incorporating the patient into the triad have been shown to increase patient engagement and enhance caregiver support and education. This study analyzed Thirty-three titles divided into six categories: team-based variables, dynamic relationships, individual benefits, confidentiality concerns, accountability and cost efficiency. Twenty-five studies were reporting team-based variables that discuss positive attitudes and improved patient-centered care, team collaboration, and care coordination after implementation of BSR. In sixty-four percent of these studies (n=16) was noted an increased patient care. Only twelve percent (n=3) of the articles cited increased family-centered care within team-based variable. Enhanced team collaboration was observed in thirty-two percent of the articles. Nurses reported increased communication, timeliness, and consistency of information. Seventeen of the articles cited positive aspects of the nurse-nurse relationships. It included providing emotional support to on another, increased communication, mentoring and coaching and overcoming feelings of discomfort during BSRs. Twenty-nine articles highlighted individual benefits of BSRs for the patient, nurse, and even physician. Fifteen articles expressed confidentiality concerns with BSRs when discussing sensitive information about the patient especially during a family visit or semi-private rooms. Eight articles show advantage and disadvantage regarding accountability and reducing overtime accumulated between shifts changes. In resume, nurse shift reports are one of the most crucial processes in patient care were patient safety can be improved to reduce medical errors in the U.S. Evaluating the Change Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey data (Press Ganey, 2015.) was used to evaluate patient preference and nursing staff competence. It described the patient-centered, evidence-based, best practice protocol developed for the hospital, it made eight recommendations. The study evaluates the information content of the bedside-shift-report in a medium sized magnet-designated community hospital. It serves a high population of tourists, the military and older adults from the surrounding community. This population is similar in the percent of minorities, gender, and socioeconomic status to others community hospitals in the state. Bedside reports have been supported by improving patient safety, patient-centered care, and nurse communication as well as reduce medical errors by the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals (The Joint Commission, 2015). The project has a positive and sustained impact as an effective approach to handoffs report, and in other problem-solving in the future (Dufault et al., 2012). The results of the study indicate that standardized BSRs will increase compliance, increase patient’s and nurses’ satisfaction, and will saves nurses time. But it was found weak or little evidence to support the use of specific structure, protocol, or method for BSRs (Gregory, Tan, Tilrico, Edwardson, Gamm, 2014). The evidence is clear of the benefits to models of BSRs. The task is to identify the suitable model that fit each organization and patient population to attain and sustain the outcomes. Summary Bedside shift reports is a critical process in patient care that can improve patient safety, and reduce errors as a consequence of communication gaps during the transfer of information at the end of each shift. This assignment addressed the problem, and the evidence-based change to practice as with the standardized protocol for bedside-shift-report. We based our conclusion on two studies Translating an Evidence-Based Protocol for Nurse-to-Nurse Shift Report (Dufault et al., 2012), and Bedside Shift Reports: What Does the Evidence Say? By (Gregory, Tan, Tilrico, Edwardson, Gamm, 2014). After analyzing the data and evaluating the change proposed, we mention the most relevant results concerning to this change. References Dufault, M., Duquette, C. E., Ehmann, J., Hehl, R., Lavin, M., Martin, V., Willey, C. (2012, March 9). Translating an evidence-based protocol for nurse-to-nurse shift handoffs. Wiley Online Library, 7(2), 59-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6787.2010.00189.x Gregory, S., Tan, D., Tilrico, M., Edwardson, N., Gamm, L. (2014, October). Bedside shift reports: What does the evidence say? JONA, 44(10), 541-545. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000115 Guido, G. W. (2013). Legal and ethical issue in nursing (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Nelson, B. A., Massey, R. (2010). Implementing an electronic change-of-shift report using transforming care at the bedside processes and methods. JONA, 40(4), 162-168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181d40dfc Press Ganey website. (2015). http://www.pressganey.com/resources/patient-satisfaction-survey The Joint Commission website. (2015). http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/npsgs.aspx

Comparing Evil in The Elephant Man, Romeo and Juliet, and Let the Circl

Comparing the Evil Exposed in Christine Sparks' The Elephant Man, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and Mildred Taylor's Let the Circle Be Unbroken  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   "Evil is the underlying element in the life of a living creature." This quotation, by Ray V. Sjorvek, expresses the idea that all living creatures contain a certain degree of evil inside themselves. In literature, protagonists usually express their sinister sides through words or actions when trying to prove the point that one's hidden emotions cannot be concealed. Authors generally write about evil causing the downfall of society. In many cases, authors speak of hatred persuading people to aid in the corrosion of civilization. Christine Sparks' famous novel, The Elephant Man, William Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet", and Mildred Taylor's novel, Let the Circle Be Unbroken, all convey the idea that hatred, which develops out of the evil within man's heart, can only lead to destruction.   Ã‚  Ã‚   In Christine Sparks' novel, The Elephant Man, many of the characters express hatred towards a character referred to as the Elephant Man. One of the first characters introduced in the play is Mr. Bytes, the keeper of John Merrick (the "Elephant Man"). Bytes continually beats Merrick like he would an animal and he uses Merrick to gain money by performing at "freak shows". Because of his appearance, society views Merrick as an outcast. Furthermore, Bytes expresses his frustration towards Merrick by beating up the "Elephant Man". Another character in the novel named Dr. Treves is a kind, compassionate man. However, when he first meets Merrick, he chooses not to associate with John because of his outward appearance and apparent lack of intelligence. Lastly, we meet Jim Renshaw ... ...judice towards blacks and other minorities was nothing odd during the 1930's. The protagonist of the story, Cassie, first experiences an example of racial tension when she notices a drinking fountain and cannot drink from it because it is "White Only". Another example of prejudice occurs when Suzella, who looks white but is actually half white and half black, gets attention from many white boys. However, when the boys find out that Suzella is partially black, they stay away from her. Lastly, society's hatred towards blacks displays itself when a young boy named T.J. Avery is falsely accused of robbing a store. T.J.'s imminent conviction shows us that the judicial system, the one thing that should defend people's rights can be warped according to the way society wants it to be it to be. Therefore, we can conclude that prejudice is yet another manifestation of hatred.

Marketing Case Study

CASE 4? 6 Making Socially Responsible and Ethical Strategic decisions move a company toward its stated goals and perceived success. Strategic decisions also re? ect the ? rm’s social responsibility and the ethical values on which such decisions are made. They re? ect what is considered important and what a company wants to achieve. Mark Pastin, writing on the function of ethics in business decisions, observes: There are fundamental principles, or ground rules, by which organizations act. Like the ground rules of individuals, organizational ground rules determine which actions are possible for the organization and what the actions mean. Buried beneath the charts of organizational responsibility, the arcane strategies, the crunched numbers, and the political intrigue of every ? rm are sound rules by which the game unfolds. The following situations re? ect different decisions made by multinational ? rms and governments and also re? ect the social responsibility and ethical values underpinning the decisions. Study the following situations in the global cigarette marketplace carefully and assess the ground rules that guided the decisions of ? rms and governments. Marketing Decisions: Selling Tobacco to Third World Countries expanding market. As an example, Indonesia’s per capita cigarette consumption quadrupled in less than ten years. Increasingly, cigarette advertising on radio and television is being restricted in some countries, but other means of promotion, especially to young people, are not controlled. China, with more than 300 million smokers, produces and consumes about 1. 4 trillion cigarettes per year, more than any other country in the world. Estimates are that China has more smokers than the United States has people. Just 1 percent of that 1. 4 trillion cigarette market would increase a tobacco company’s overseas sales by 15 percent and would be worth as much as $300 million in added revenue. American cigarette companies have received a warm welcome in Russia, where at least 50 percent of the people smoke. Consumers are hungry for most things Western, and tobacco taxes are low. Unlike in the United States and other countries that limit or ban cigarette advertising, there are few effective controls on tobacco products in Russia. Russia, the world’s fourth largest cigarette market, has proved to be an extremely pro? table territory for British American Tobacco (BAT). BAT Russia, established in 1949, sold 65 billion cigarettes in Russia in 2005, giving it almost one? fth of market share. EXPORTING U. S. CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION In the United States, 600 billion cigarettes are sold annually, but sales are shrinking rapidly. Unit sales have been dropping about 1 to 2 percent a year, and sales have been down by almost 5 percent in the last six years. The U. S. Surgeon General’s campaign against smoking, higher cigarette taxes, non-smoking rules in public areas, and the concern Americans have about general health have led to the decline in tobacco consumption. Faced with various class-action lawsuits, the success of states in winning lawsuits, and pending federal legislation, tobacco companies have stepped up their international marketing activities to maintain pro? ts. Even though companies have agreed to sweeping restrictions in the United States on cigarette marketing and secondhand smoke and to bolder cancer-warning labels, they are ? hting as hard as ever in the Third World to convince the media, the public, and policymakers that similar changes are not needed. In seminars at luxury resorts worldwide, tobacco companies invite journalists, all expenses paid, to participate in programs that play down the health risks of smoking. It is hard to gauge the in? uence of such seminars, but in the Philippines, a government plan to reduce smoking by children was â€Å"neutralized† by a public relations campaign from cigarette companies to remove â€Å"cancer awareness and prevention† as a â€Å"key concern. A slant in favor of the tobacco industry’s point of view seemed to prevail. At a time when most industrialized countries are discouraging smoking, the tobacco industry is avidly courting consumers throughout the developing world using catchy slogans, obvious image campaigns, and single-cigarette sales that ? t a hard-pressed customer’s budget. The reason is clear: The Third World is an ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION In Gambia, smokers send in cigarette box tops to qualify for a chance to win a new car. In Argentina, smoking commercials ? ll 20 percent of television advertising time. And in crowded African cities, billboards that link smoking to the good life tower above the sweltering shantytowns. Such things as baby clothes with cigarette logos, health warnings printed in foreign languages, and tobaccosponsored contests for children are often featured in tobacco ads in Third World countries. Latin American tobacco consumption rose by more than 24 percent over a ten-year period. Critics claim that sophisticated promotions in unsophisticated societies entice people who cannot afford the necessities of life to spend money on a luxury—and a dangerous one at that. The sophistication theme runs throughout the smoking ads. In Kinshasa, Zaire, billboards depict a man in a business suit stepping out of a black Mercedes as a chauffeur holds the door. In Nigeria, promotions for Graduate brand cigarettes show a university student in his cap and gown. Those for Gold Leaf cigarettes have a barrister in a white wig and the slogan, â€Å"A very important cigarette for very important people. † In Kenya, a magazine ad for Embassy cigarettes shows an elegant executive of? cer with three young men and women equivalent to American yuppies. The most disturbing trend in developing countries is advertising that associates tobacco with American af? uence and culture. Some women in Africa, in their struggle for women’s rights, de? antly smoke cigarettes as a symbol of freedom. Billboards all over Russia feature pictures of skyscrapers and white sandy beaches and slogans like â€Å"Total Freedom† or â€Å"Rendezvous with America. † They aren’t advertising foreign travel but American cigarette brands. Cases 4 Developing Global Marketing Strategies Every cigarette manufacturer is in the image business, and tobacco companies say their promotional slant is both reasonable and common. They point out that in the Third World a lot of people cannot understand what is written in the ads anyway, so the ads zero in on the more understandable visual image. â€Å"In most of the world, the Marlboro Man isn’t just a symbol of the Wild West; he’s a symbol of the West. † â€Å"You can’t convince people that all Americans don’t smoke. † In Africa, some of the most effective advertising includes images of af? uent white Americans with recognizable landmarks, such as the New York City skyline, in the background. In much of Africa, children as young as ? e are used to sell single cigarettes, affordable to other children, to support their own nicotine habits. Worldwide nearly one-fourth of all teenage smokers smoked their ? rst cigarette before they were 10 years old. The scope of promotional activity is enormous. In Kenya, a major tobacco company is the fourth-largest advertiser. Tobaccosponsored lotteries bolster sales in some countries by offering as prizes expensive goods that are beyond most people’s budgets. Gambia has a population of just 640,000, but a tobacco company lottery attracted 1. million entries (each sent in on a cigarette box top) when it raf? ed off a Renault car. Evidence is strong that the strategy of tobacco companies is to target young people as a means of expanding market demand. Report after report reveals that adolescents receive cigarettes free as a means of promoting the product. For example, in Buenos Aires, a Jeep decorated with the yellow Camel logo pulls up in front of a high school. The driver, a blond woman wearing khaki safari gear, begins handing out free cigarettes to 15- and 16-year-olds on lunch recess. Teens visiting MTV’s Web sites in China, Germany, India, Poland, and Latin America were given the chance to click on a banner ad that led them to a questionnaire about their exposure to cigarette ads and other marketing tools in their countries. Some 10,000 teens responded to the banner ads. â€Å"In the past week, more than 62 percent of teenagers in these countries have been exposed to tobacco advertising in some form,† the 17-year-old SWAT (Students Working against Tobacco) chairman told Reuters. The tobacco companies learned that marketing to teens and kids worked in this country, but since they can’t do it here anymore, they’ve taken what they learned to other countries. † At a video arcade in Taipei, free American cigarettes are strewn atop each game. â€Å"As long as they’re here, I may as well try one,† says a high school girl. In Malaysia, Gila-Gila, a comic book popular with elementary school students, carries a Lucky Strike a d. Attractive women in cowboy out? ts regularly meet teenagers going to rock concerts or discos in Budapest and hand them Marlboros. Those who accept a light on the spot also receive Marlboro sunglasses. According to the American Lung Association Tobacco Policy Trend Alert, the tobacco industry is offering candy-? avored cigarettes in an attempt to continue to target teens. 1 Advertising and promotion of these products uses hip-hop imagery, attractive women, and other imagery to appeal to youth in similar ways that Joe Camel did a decade ago. Marketing efforts for candy-? avored cigarettes came after the Master Settlement Agreement prohibited tobacco companies from using cartoon characters to sell cigarettes. Researchers recently released the results of several surveys that showed that 20 percent of smokers ages 17 to 19 smoked ? avored cigarettes, while only 6 percent of smokers ages 17 to 20 did. In Russia, a U. S. cigarette company sponsors disco parties where thousands of young people dance to booming music. Admission is the purchase of one pack of cigarettes. At other cigarettesponsored parties, attractive women give cigarettes away free. In many countries, foreign cigarettes have a status image that also encourages smoking. A 26-year-old Chinese man says he switched from a domestic brand to Marlboro because â€Å"You feel a higher social position† when you smoke foreign cigarettes. â€Å"Smoking is a sign of luxury in the Czech Republica as well as in Russia and other Eastern countries,† says an executive of a Czech tobacco ? rm that has a joint venture with a U. S. company. â€Å"If I can smoke Marlboro, then I’m a well-to-do man. † The global tobacco companies insist that they are not attempting to recruit new smokers. They say they are only trying to encourage smokers to switch to foreign brands. The same number of cigarettes are consumed whether American cigarettes or not,† was the comment of one executive. Although cigarette companies deny they sell higher tar and nicotine cigarettes in the Third World, one British tobacco company does concede that some of its brands sold in developing countries contain more tar and nicotine than those sold in the United States and Europe. A recent study found three major U. S. brands with ? lters had 17 milligrams of tar in the United States, 22. 3 in Kenya, 29. 7 in Malaysia, and 31. 1 in South Africa. Another brand with ? ters had 19. 1 milligrams of tar in the United States, 28. 8 in South Africa, and 30. 9 in the Philippines. The ? rm says that Third World smokers are used to smoking their own locally made product, which might have several times more tar and nicotine. Thus, the ? rm leaves the tar- and nicotine-level decisions to its foreign subsidiaries, who tailor their products to local tastes. C. Everett Koop, the retired U. S. Surgeon General, was quoted in a recent news conference as saying, â€Å"Companies’ claims that science cannot say with certainty that tobacco causes cancer were ? t-footed lies† and that â€Å"sending cigarettes to the Third World was the export of death, disease, and disability. † An Oxford University epidemiologist has estimated that, because of increas ing tobacco consumption in Asia, the annual worldwide death toll from tobaccorelated illnesses will more than triple over the next two decades. Perhaps 100 million people died prematurely during the 20th century as a result of tobacco, making it the leading preventable cause of death and one of the top killers overall. According to the World Health Organization, ach year smoking causes 4 million deaths globally, and it expects the annual toll to rise to 10 million in 2030. GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT Third World governments often stand to pro? t from tobacco sales. Brazil collects 75 percent of the retail price of cigarettes in taxes, some $100 million a month. The Bulgarian state-owned tobacco company, Bulgartabac, contributes almost $30 million in taxes to the government annually. Bulgartabac is a major exporter of cigarettes to Russia, exporting 40,000 tons of cigarettes annually. Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s largest cash crop. One news report from a Zimbabwe newspaper reveals strong support for cigarette companies. â€Å"Western anti-tobacco lobbies demonstrate unbelievable hypocrisy,† notes one editorial. â€Å"It is relatively easy to sit in Washington or London and prattle on about the so-called evils of smoking, but they are far removed from the day-to-day grind of earning a living in the Third World. † It goes on to comment that it doesn’t dispute the fact that smoking is addictive or that it may cause diseases, but â€Å"smoking does not necessarily lead to certain 1 See â€Å"From Joe Camel to Kauai Kolada—The Marketing of Candy-Flavored Cigarettes,† http://lungusa. org. Part 6 Supplementary Material 350 million smokers, China has 50 million more cigarette buyers than the U. S. has people, according to Euromonitor. While smoking rates in developed countries have slowly declined, they have shot up dramatically in some developing counties where PMI is a major player. These include Pakistan (up 42 percent since 2001), Ukraine (up 36 percent), and Argentina (up 18 percent). death. Nor is it any more dangerous than other habits. Unfortunately, tobacco smoking has attracted the attention of a particularly â€Å"sanctimonious, meddling sector of society. They would do better to keep their opinions to themselves. † Generally, smoking is not a big concern of governments beset by debt, internal con? ict, drought, or famine. It is truly tragic, but the worse famine becomes, the more people smoke—just as with war, when people who are worried want to smoke. â€Å"In any case,† says one representative of an international tobacco company, â€Å"People in developing countries don’t have a long enough life expectancy to worry about smoking-related problems. You can’t turn to a guy who is going to die at age 40 and tell him that he might not live up to 2 years extra at age 70. † As for promoting cigarettes in the Third World, â€Å"If there is no ban on TV advertising, then you aren’t going to be an idiot and impose restrictions on yourself,† says the representative, â€Å"and likewise, if you get an order and you know that they’ve got money, no one is going to turn down the business. † Cigarette companies ? gure China’s self-interest will preserve its industry. Tobacco provides huge revenues for Beijing because all tobacco must be sold through the China National Tobacco Company monopoly. Duty on imported cigarettes is nearly 450 percent of their value. Consequently, tobacco is among the central government’s biggest source of funding, accounting for more than $30 billion in income in 2005. China is also a major exporter of tobacco. ANTISMOKING PROMOTIONS Since the early 1990s, multinational tobacco companies have promoted â€Å"youth smoking prevention† programs as part of their â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† campaigns. The companies have partnered with third-party allies in Latin America, most notably nonpro? t educational organizations and education and health ministries to promote youth smoking prevention. Even though there is no evidence that these programs reduce smoking among youths, they have met the industry’s goal of portraying the companies as concerned corporate citizens. In fact, a new study proves that youth smoking prevention ads created by the tobacco industry and aimed at parents actually increase the likelihood that teens will smoke. The study, â€Å"Impact of Televised Tobacco Industry Smoking Prevention Advertising on Youth Smoking-Related Beliefs, Intentions and Behavior,† published in the December 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, sought to understand how the tobacco industry uses â€Å"youth smoking prevention† programs in Latin America. Tobacco industry documents, so-called social reports, media reports, and material provided by Latin American public health advocates were all analyzed. The study is the ? rst to examine the speci? c effect of tobacco company parent-focused advertising on youth. It found that ads that the industry claims are aimed at preventing youth from smoking actually provide no bene? t to youth. In fact, the ads that are created for parental audiences but also are seen by teens are associated with stronger intentions by teens to smoke in the future. Brazil has the world’s strictest governmental laws against smoking, consisting of highly visible antismoking campaigns, severe controls on advertising, and very high tax rates on smoking products. Despite these obstacles, the number of smokers in Brazil continues to grow. In 2006, there were approximately 44 million smokers in the country, up from 38 million in 1997. Factors driving this trend include the low price of cigarettes, which are among the lowest in the world; the easy access to tobacco products; and the actions taken by the powerful tobacco companies to slow down antismoking legislation in Brazil. FOCUS ON DEVELOPING MARKETS Lawsuits, stringent legislation against advertising, laws restricting where people can smoke, and other antismoking efforts on the part of governments have caused tobacco companies to intensify their efforts in those markets where restrictions are fewer and governments more friendly. As part of a strategy to increase its sales in the developing world, Philip Morris International (PMI) was spun off from Philip Morris USA in 2008 to escape the threat of litigation and government regulation in the United States. The move frees the tobacco giant’s international operations of the legal and public-relations headaches in the United States that have hindered its growth. Its practices are no longer constrained by American public opinion, paving the way for broad product experimentation. A new product, Marlboro Intense, is likely to be part of an aggressive blitz of new smoking products PMI will roll out around the globe. The Marlboro Intense cigarette has been shrunk down by about a half inch and offers smokers seven potent puffs apiece, versus the average of eight or so milder draws. The idea behind Intense is to appeal to customers who, due to indoor smoking bans, want to dash outside for a quick nicotine hit but don’t always ? nish a full-size cigarette. The CEO of PMI says there are â€Å"possibly 50 markets that are interested in deploying Marlboro Intense. † Other product innovations include sweet-smelling cigarettes that contain tobacco, cloves and ? voring—with twice the tar and nicotine levels of a conventional U. S. cigarette. Marlboro Mix 9, a high-nicotine, high-tar cigarette launched in Indonesia in 2007, and a clove-infused Mix 9 will be exported to other southeast Asian markets next. Another iteration of the Marlboro brand, the Marlboro Filter Plus, is being sold in South Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. It touts a special ? lter made of carbon, cellulose ac etate, and a tobacco plug that the company claims lowers the tar level while giving smokers a smoother taste. One of PMI’s immediate goals is to harness the huge potential of China’s smoking population, as well as some of that country’s own brands, which it has agreed to market worldwide. With some ASSESSING THE ETHICS OF STRATEGIC DECISIONS Ethical decision making is not a simplistic â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† determination. Ethical ground rules are complex, tough to sort out and to prioritize, tough to articulate, and tough to use. The complexity of ethical decisions is compounded in the international setting, which comprises different cultures, different perspectives of right and wrong, different legal requirements, and different goals. Clearly, when U. S. companies conduct business in an international setting, the ground rules become further complicated by the values, customs, traditions, ethics, and goals of the host countries, which each have developed their own ground rules for conducting business. Three prominent American ethicists have developed a framework to view the ethical implications of strategic decisions by American Cases 4 Developing Global Marketing Strategies ? rms. They identify three ethical principles that can guide American managers in assessing the ethical implications of their decisions and the degree to which these decisions re? ct these ethical principles or ground rules. They suggest asking, â€Å"Is the corporate strategy acceptable according to the following ethical ground rules? † These questions can help uncover the ethical ground rules embedded in the tobacco consumption situation described in this case. These questions lead to an ethical analysis of the degree to which this str ategy is bene? cial or harmful to the parties and, ultimately, whether it is a â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† strategy, or whether the consequences of this strategy are ethical or socially responsible for the parties involved. These ideas are incorporated in the decision tree in Exhibit 1. Principles Utilitarian ethics (Bentham, Smith) Question Does the corporate strategy optimize the â€Å"common good† or bene? ts of all constituencies? Does the corporate strategy respect the rights of the individuals involved? Does the corporate strategy respect the canons of justice or fairness to all parties? Rights of the parties (Kant, Locke) Justice or fairness (Aristotle, Rawls) Exhibit 1 A Decision Tree for Incorporating Ethical and Social Responsibility Issues into Multinational Business Decisions Does the decision efficiently optimize the common good or benefits of: THE BUSINESS FIRM? Stockholders Management Profits Growth Other SOCIETY? Culture Order Justice â€Å"The good life† Other THE ECONOMY? THE INDIVIDUAL? Economic growth Freedom Allocation of resources Health and welfare Production and distribution Self-realization of goods and services Human dignity Other Opportunity Other YES NO YES Are there critical factors that justify suboptimizing these goals and satisfactions? NO Does the decision respect the rights of individuals involved? YES NO Reject Decision YES Are there critical factors that justify the abrogation of a right? NO Does the corporate decision respect the canons of justice or fairness to all parties involved? YES YES NO Reject Decision Are there critical factors that justify the violation of a canon of justice? NO Accept Decision Reject Decision Part 6 Supplementary Material See www. who. int, the World Health Organization’s Web site, for more details regarding the current tobacco controversy. See also www. getswat. com for a worldwide student initiative against smoking. Laczniak and Naor discuss the complexity of international ethics or, more precisely, the ethical assumptions that underlie strategic decisions for multinationals. 2 They suggest that multinationals can develop consistency in their policies by using federal law as a baseline for appropriate behavior as well as respect for the host country’s general value structure. They conclude with four recommendations for multinationals: 1. Expand codes of ethics to be worldwide in scope. 2. Expressly consider ethical issues when developing worldwide corporate strategies. . If the ? rm encounters major ethical dilemmas, consider withdrawal from the problem market. 4. Develop periodic ethics-impact statements, including impacts on host parties. 2 QUESTIONS 1. Use the model in Exhibit 1 as a guide and assess the ethical and social responsibility implications of the situations described. 2. Can you recommend alternative strategies or solutions to the dilemmas confronting the tobacco companies? To governments? What is the price of ethical behavior? 3. Should the U. S. government support U. S. tobacco company interests abroad? . Should a company be forced to stop marketing a product that is not illegal, such as cigarettes? Gene R. Laczniak and Jacob Naor, â€Å"Global Ethics: Wrestling with the Corporate Conscience,† Business, July–September 1985. Sources: â€Å"Smoke Over the Horizon; U. S. Gains in Tobacco Control Are Being Offset Internationally,† The Washington Post, July 23, 2006; â€Å"Death and Taxes: England Has Become the Latest in a Series of Countries to Vote for Restrictions on Smoking in Public Places,† Financial Management (UK), April 1, 2006; â€Å"Trick or Treat? Tobacco Industry Prevention Ads Don’t Help Curb Youth Smoking,† PR Newswire, October 31, 2006; â€Å"China Exclusive: China, With One Third of World’s Smokers, Promises a ‘Non-Smoking’ Olympics,† Xinhua News Agency, May 29, 2006; â€Å"Tobacco Consumption and Motives for Use in Mexican University Students,† Adolescence, June 22, 2006; â€Å"A Change in the Air: Smoking Bans Gain Momentum Worldwide,† Environmental Health Perspectives, August 1, 2007; â€Å"Adams Won’t Kick the BAT Habit: The Head of British American Tobacco Is Stoical About the Looming Ban on Smoking in Public Spaces: BAT will Adapt,† The Sunday Telegraph London, June 10, 2007; â€Å"Heart Disease, Stroke Plague Third World,† Associated Press (Online), April 4, 2006; â€Å"Get a Detailed Picture of the Tobacco Industry in Brazil,† M2 Press Wire, December 20, 2007; Vanessa O’Connell, â€Å"Philip Morris Readies Global Tobacco Blit z; Division Spin-off Enables Aggressive Product Push; High-Tar Smokes in Asia,† The Wall Street Journal, January 29, 2008; â€Å"The Global Tobacco Threat,† The New York Times, February 19, 2008; â€Å"How to Save a Billion Lives; Smoking,† The Economist (London,) February 9, 2008; â€Å"Whether Here or There, Cigarettes Still Kill People,† The Wall Street Journal, February 4, 2008. Marketing Case Study 1. When 7-UP introduced itself into the soft drink industry, they were generally thought of by consumers as a company that produced a clear soft drink for mixing alcoholic beverages.   After conducting extensive research, 7-UP found that colas were the best-selling category in the soft drink industry.   7-UP then repositioned itself in the market by introducing the slogan, â€Å"7-UP, the uncola.†Ã‚   This repositioning allowed them to take third place in the market, after Coca Cola and Pepsi, and also allowed for growth and gains over competitors in the lemon-lime category of soft drinks.   In addition, 7-UP differentiates itself from other soft drink manufacturers in several ways.   Within the lemon-lime category, 7-UP has introduced a new tagline, â€Å"all things in green bottles are not the same.†Ã‚   This tagline is meant to differentiate 7-UP from Sprite and Sierra Mist.   Two other new taglines will include â€Å"for less sweet, syrupy taste, the only way to go is Up† and â€Å"When you add it all up, the only way to go is Up† (Wikipedia).2. 7-UP was able to change consumer behavior by using psychology and working with the concept that everyone wants to be an individual.   When introducing the â€Å"uncola† tagline, 7-UP based this introduction on consumer research.   Purchasing and consuming Coke and Pepsi were part of going along with the group since many people were purchasing those products at the time.   Introducing 7-UP as the â€Å"uncola† brought to mind a sense of individuality for consumers.   The 7-UP marketing executives put the idea in their heads that purchasing and consuming 7-UP products would make them stand out from the crowd.   7-UP has continued this tradition of changing consumer behavior since that time.The company hopes to change consumer behavior in the twenty-first century by introducing a product called 7-UP Plus.   This product will create a whole new category wit hin the soft drink industry, as it is going to be sold as a soft drink with added nutritional value.   Again, 7-UP is basing the introduction of this product on consumer trends and research.   Due to the obesity epidemic in America, combined with raised health awareness on the part of many men and women, 7-UP will be introducing this reduced sugar product with added vitamins and minerals.   Introducing this product shows that 7-UP is on top of trends in consumer spending and, by introducing this product, the executives may be able to change consumer behavior from purchasing sugar-laden soft drinks with empty calories to purchasing a less sweetened product with vitamins and minerals that are needed to fuel the human body (Dillon).3.   Like any company, 7-UP has had many successes and failures throughout its history.   In the initial stages of the company, there were 600 lemon-lime beverages competing for market share with 7-UP.   7-UP was able to survive and rise to the t op of the market by successfully becoming one of the first lemon-lime soft drinks to be nationally distributed. 7-UP also floundered in the soft drink market due to poor marketing.   Originally, the soft drink was a means of calming children with upset stomachs.   Later, it became a mixer for alcoholic beverages.   Because 7-UP was thought of as a bartending mixer and not an individual beverage, sales were mostly due to people intending to mix the 7-UP with a type of alcoholic beverage.7-UP conducted extensive research and found that cola drinks were the best-selling soft drink in the industry.   However, these cola drinks contained a considerable amount of caffeine.   After careful consideration, they introduced the slogan, â€Å"7-UP, the uncola.†Ã‚   This slogan appealed to consumers because it carried a sense of individualism and it also appealed to those who were health-conscious and knew the effects of too much caffeine.   This was one of 7-UPs great success es.   Another failure by 7-UP was the introduction of 7-UP Gold.   7-UP Gold was designed as a spiced version of 7-UP, similar in taste to the ginger ale soft drink.   Although it was widely marketed and advertised, the product was never a hit and was discontinued.Another successful marketing campaign capitalized on the principles of Zen.   A television commercial featured a Zen master asking disciples to correctly choose.   The 7-UP symbolized light and consciousness while the cola featured in the commercial symbolized darkness.   With that commercial, 7-UP made consumers think they were making a good life choice by purchasing and consuming 7-UP.   Another failure in 7-UPs history is its poor bottling and distribution structure.   When 7-UP was first introduced, it had little competition because Coca Cola and Pepsi did not manufacture lemon-lime soft drinks.   This changed when Coca Cola introduced Sprite and Pepsi introduced Sierra Mist.   Bottlers were then fo rced by these respective companies to discontinue bottling 7-UP and exclusively bottle their products.   Unfortunately, this had led to an inability for 7-UP to be widely distributed to smaller stores.   As a result, 7-UP can often only be found in large stores or chains (Wikipedia).4.   7-UP's marketing strategy has been successful in many ways.   With the introduction of new taglines and slogans, 7-UP has been successful at positioning themselves in consumers' minds and increasing market share in the soft drink industry.   7-UP's marketing strategy has also been successful because marketing executives have capitalized on consumer trends throughout the history of the company.In the 1970s, the company seized upon the fact that the popular cola drinks had high levels of caffeine and redesigned their advertising to reflect the healthier choice that 7-UP was.   In addition, they appealed to the consumer's sense of wanting to be an individual and introduced advertisements ge ared toward that concept.   With the invention of new technology, 7-UP has also gained a presence on the World Wide Web with a well-designed web site that gives important information about the company and its products (Wikipedia). Marketing Case Study CASE 4? 6 Making Socially Responsible and Ethical Strategic decisions move a company toward its stated goals and perceived success. Strategic decisions also re? ect the ? rm’s social responsibility and the ethical values on which such decisions are made. They re? ect what is considered important and what a company wants to achieve. Mark Pastin, writing on the function of ethics in business decisions, observes: There are fundamental principles, or ground rules, by which organizations act. Like the ground rules of individuals, organizational ground rules determine which actions are possible for the organization and what the actions mean. Buried beneath the charts of organizational responsibility, the arcane strategies, the crunched numbers, and the political intrigue of every ? rm are sound rules by which the game unfolds. The following situations re? ect different decisions made by multinational ? rms and governments and also re? ect the social responsibility and ethical values underpinning the decisions. Study the following situations in the global cigarette marketplace carefully and assess the ground rules that guided the decisions of ? rms and governments. Marketing Decisions: Selling Tobacco to Third World Countries expanding market. As an example, Indonesia’s per capita cigarette consumption quadrupled in less than ten years. Increasingly, cigarette advertising on radio and television is being restricted in some countries, but other means of promotion, especially to young people, are not controlled. China, with more than 300 million smokers, produces and consumes about 1. 4 trillion cigarettes per year, more than any other country in the world. Estimates are that China has more smokers than the United States has people. Just 1 percent of that 1. 4 trillion cigarette market would increase a tobacco company’s overseas sales by 15 percent and would be worth as much as $300 million in added revenue. American cigarette companies have received a warm welcome in Russia, where at least 50 percent of the people smoke. Consumers are hungry for most things Western, and tobacco taxes are low. Unlike in the United States and other countries that limit or ban cigarette advertising, there are few effective controls on tobacco products in Russia. Russia, the world’s fourth largest cigarette market, has proved to be an extremely pro? table territory for British American Tobacco (BAT). BAT Russia, established in 1949, sold 65 billion cigarettes in Russia in 2005, giving it almost one? fth of market share. EXPORTING U. S. CIGARETTE CONSUMPTION In the United States, 600 billion cigarettes are sold annually, but sales are shrinking rapidly. Unit sales have been dropping about 1 to 2 percent a year, and sales have been down by almost 5 percent in the last six years. The U. S. Surgeon General’s campaign against smoking, higher cigarette taxes, non-smoking rules in public areas, and the concern Americans have about general health have led to the decline in tobacco consumption. Faced with various class-action lawsuits, the success of states in winning lawsuits, and pending federal legislation, tobacco companies have stepped up their international marketing activities to maintain pro? ts. Even though companies have agreed to sweeping restrictions in the United States on cigarette marketing and secondhand smoke and to bolder cancer-warning labels, they are ? hting as hard as ever in the Third World to convince the media, the public, and policymakers that similar changes are not needed. In seminars at luxury resorts worldwide, tobacco companies invite journalists, all expenses paid, to participate in programs that play down the health risks of smoking. It is hard to gauge the in? uence of such seminars, but in the Philippines, a government plan to reduce smoking by children was â€Å"neutralized† by a public relations campaign from cigarette companies to remove â€Å"cancer awareness and prevention† as a â€Å"key concern. A slant in favor of the tobacco industry’s point of view seemed to prevail. At a time when most industrialized countries are discouraging smoking, the tobacco industry is avidly courting consumers throughout the developing world using catchy slogans, obvious image campaigns, and single-cigarette sales that ? t a hard-pressed customer’s budget. The reason is clear: The Third World is an ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION In Gambia, smokers send in cigarette box tops to qualify for a chance to win a new car. In Argentina, smoking commercials ? ll 20 percent of television advertising time. And in crowded African cities, billboards that link smoking to the good life tower above the sweltering shantytowns. Such things as baby clothes with cigarette logos, health warnings printed in foreign languages, and tobaccosponsored contests for children are often featured in tobacco ads in Third World countries. Latin American tobacco consumption rose by more than 24 percent over a ten-year period. Critics claim that sophisticated promotions in unsophisticated societies entice people who cannot afford the necessities of life to spend money on a luxury—and a dangerous one at that. The sophistication theme runs throughout the smoking ads. In Kinshasa, Zaire, billboards depict a man in a business suit stepping out of a black Mercedes as a chauffeur holds the door. In Nigeria, promotions for Graduate brand cigarettes show a university student in his cap and gown. Those for Gold Leaf cigarettes have a barrister in a white wig and the slogan, â€Å"A very important cigarette for very important people. † In Kenya, a magazine ad for Embassy cigarettes shows an elegant executive of? cer with three young men and women equivalent to American yuppies. The most disturbing trend in developing countries is advertising that associates tobacco with American af? uence and culture. Some women in Africa, in their struggle for women’s rights, de? antly smoke cigarettes as a symbol of freedom. Billboards all over Russia feature pictures of skyscrapers and white sandy beaches and slogans like â€Å"Total Freedom† or â€Å"Rendezvous with America. † They aren’t advertising foreign travel but American cigarette brands. Cases 4 Developing Global Marketing Strategies Every cigarette manufacturer is in the image business, and tobacco companies say their promotional slant is both reasonable and common. They point out that in the Third World a lot of people cannot understand what is written in the ads anyway, so the ads zero in on the more understandable visual image. â€Å"In most of the world, the Marlboro Man isn’t just a symbol of the Wild West; he’s a symbol of the West. † â€Å"You can’t convince people that all Americans don’t smoke. † In Africa, some of the most effective advertising includes images of af? uent white Americans with recognizable landmarks, such as the New York City skyline, in the background. In much of Africa, children as young as ? e are used to sell single cigarettes, affordable to other children, to support their own nicotine habits. Worldwide nearly one-fourth of all teenage smokers smoked their ? rst cigarette before they were 10 years old. The scope of promotional activity is enormous. In Kenya, a major tobacco company is the fourth-largest advertiser. Tobaccosponsored lotteries bolster sales in some countries by offering as prizes expensive goods that are beyond most people’s budgets. Gambia has a population of just 640,000, but a tobacco company lottery attracted 1. million entries (each sent in on a cigarette box top) when it raf? ed off a Renault car. Evidence is strong that the strategy of tobacco companies is to target young people as a means of expanding market demand. Report after report reveals that adolescents receive cigarettes free as a means of promoting the product. For example, in Buenos Aires, a Jeep decorated with the yellow Camel logo pulls up in front of a high school. The driver, a blond woman wearing khaki safari gear, begins handing out free cigarettes to 15- and 16-year-olds on lunch recess. Teens visiting MTV’s Web sites in China, Germany, India, Poland, and Latin America were given the chance to click on a banner ad that led them to a questionnaire about their exposure to cigarette ads and other marketing tools in their countries. Some 10,000 teens responded to the banner ads. â€Å"In the past week, more than 62 percent of teenagers in these countries have been exposed to tobacco advertising in some form,† the 17-year-old SWAT (Students Working against Tobacco) chairman told Reuters. The tobacco companies learned that marketing to teens and kids worked in this country, but since they can’t do it here anymore, they’ve taken what they learned to other countries. † At a video arcade in Taipei, free American cigarettes are strewn atop each game. â€Å"As long as they’re here, I may as well try one,† says a high school girl. In Malaysia, Gila-Gila, a comic book popular with elementary school students, carries a Lucky Strike a d. Attractive women in cowboy out? ts regularly meet teenagers going to rock concerts or discos in Budapest and hand them Marlboros. Those who accept a light on the spot also receive Marlboro sunglasses. According to the American Lung Association Tobacco Policy Trend Alert, the tobacco industry is offering candy-? avored cigarettes in an attempt to continue to target teens. 1 Advertising and promotion of these products uses hip-hop imagery, attractive women, and other imagery to appeal to youth in similar ways that Joe Camel did a decade ago. Marketing efforts for candy-? avored cigarettes came after the Master Settlement Agreement prohibited tobacco companies from using cartoon characters to sell cigarettes. Researchers recently released the results of several surveys that showed that 20 percent of smokers ages 17 to 19 smoked ? avored cigarettes, while only 6 percent of smokers ages 17 to 20 did. In Russia, a U. S. cigarette company sponsors disco parties where thousands of young people dance to booming music. Admission is the purchase of one pack of cigarettes. At other cigarettesponsored parties, attractive women give cigarettes away free. In many countries, foreign cigarettes have a status image that also encourages smoking. A 26-year-old Chinese man says he switched from a domestic brand to Marlboro because â€Å"You feel a higher social position† when you smoke foreign cigarettes. â€Å"Smoking is a sign of luxury in the Czech Republica as well as in Russia and other Eastern countries,† says an executive of a Czech tobacco ? rm that has a joint venture with a U. S. company. â€Å"If I can smoke Marlboro, then I’m a well-to-do man. † The global tobacco companies insist that they are not attempting to recruit new smokers. They say they are only trying to encourage smokers to switch to foreign brands. The same number of cigarettes are consumed whether American cigarettes or not,† was the comment of one executive. Although cigarette companies deny they sell higher tar and nicotine cigarettes in the Third World, one British tobacco company does concede that some of its brands sold in developing countries contain more tar and nicotine than those sold in the United States and Europe. A recent study found three major U. S. brands with ? lters had 17 milligrams of tar in the United States, 22. 3 in Kenya, 29. 7 in Malaysia, and 31. 1 in South Africa. Another brand with ? ters had 19. 1 milligrams of tar in the United States, 28. 8 in South Africa, and 30. 9 in the Philippines. The ? rm says that Third World smokers are used to smoking their own locally made product, which might have several times more tar and nicotine. Thus, the ? rm leaves the tar- and nicotine-level decisions to its foreign subsidiaries, who tailor their products to local tastes. C. Everett Koop, the retired U. S. Surgeon General, was quoted in a recent news conference as saying, â€Å"Companies’ claims that science cannot say with certainty that tobacco causes cancer were ? t-footed lies† and that â€Å"sending cigarettes to the Third World was the export of death, disease, and disability. † An Oxford University epidemiologist has estimated that, because of increas ing tobacco consumption in Asia, the annual worldwide death toll from tobaccorelated illnesses will more than triple over the next two decades. Perhaps 100 million people died prematurely during the 20th century as a result of tobacco, making it the leading preventable cause of death and one of the top killers overall. According to the World Health Organization, ach year smoking causes 4 million deaths globally, and it expects the annual toll to rise to 10 million in 2030. GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT Third World governments often stand to pro? t from tobacco sales. Brazil collects 75 percent of the retail price of cigarettes in taxes, some $100 million a month. The Bulgarian state-owned tobacco company, Bulgartabac, contributes almost $30 million in taxes to the government annually. Bulgartabac is a major exporter of cigarettes to Russia, exporting 40,000 tons of cigarettes annually. Tobacco is Zimbabwe’s largest cash crop. One news report from a Zimbabwe newspaper reveals strong support for cigarette companies. â€Å"Western anti-tobacco lobbies demonstrate unbelievable hypocrisy,† notes one editorial. â€Å"It is relatively easy to sit in Washington or London and prattle on about the so-called evils of smoking, but they are far removed from the day-to-day grind of earning a living in the Third World. † It goes on to comment that it doesn’t dispute the fact that smoking is addictive or that it may cause diseases, but â€Å"smoking does not necessarily lead to certain 1 See â€Å"From Joe Camel to Kauai Kolada—The Marketing of Candy-Flavored Cigarettes,† http://lungusa. org. Part 6 Supplementary Material 350 million smokers, China has 50 million more cigarette buyers than the U. S. has people, according to Euromonitor. While smoking rates in developed countries have slowly declined, they have shot up dramatically in some developing counties where PMI is a major player. These include Pakistan (up 42 percent since 2001), Ukraine (up 36 percent), and Argentina (up 18 percent). death. Nor is it any more dangerous than other habits. Unfortunately, tobacco smoking has attracted the attention of a particularly â€Å"sanctimonious, meddling sector of society. They would do better to keep their opinions to themselves. † Generally, smoking is not a big concern of governments beset by debt, internal con? ict, drought, or famine. It is truly tragic, but the worse famine becomes, the more people smoke—just as with war, when people who are worried want to smoke. â€Å"In any case,† says one representative of an international tobacco company, â€Å"People in developing countries don’t have a long enough life expectancy to worry about smoking-related problems. You can’t turn to a guy who is going to die at age 40 and tell him that he might not live up to 2 years extra at age 70. † As for promoting cigarettes in the Third World, â€Å"If there is no ban on TV advertising, then you aren’t going to be an idiot and impose restrictions on yourself,† says the representative, â€Å"and likewise, if you get an order and you know that they’ve got money, no one is going to turn down the business. † Cigarette companies ? gure China’s self-interest will preserve its industry. Tobacco provides huge revenues for Beijing because all tobacco must be sold through the China National Tobacco Company monopoly. Duty on imported cigarettes is nearly 450 percent of their value. Consequently, tobacco is among the central government’s biggest source of funding, accounting for more than $30 billion in income in 2005. China is also a major exporter of tobacco. ANTISMOKING PROMOTIONS Since the early 1990s, multinational tobacco companies have promoted â€Å"youth smoking prevention† programs as part of their â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility† campaigns. The companies have partnered with third-party allies in Latin America, most notably nonpro? t educational organizations and education and health ministries to promote youth smoking prevention. Even though there is no evidence that these programs reduce smoking among youths, they have met the industry’s goal of portraying the companies as concerned corporate citizens. In fact, a new study proves that youth smoking prevention ads created by the tobacco industry and aimed at parents actually increase the likelihood that teens will smoke. The study, â€Å"Impact of Televised Tobacco Industry Smoking Prevention Advertising on Youth Smoking-Related Beliefs, Intentions and Behavior,† published in the December 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, sought to understand how the tobacco industry uses â€Å"youth smoking prevention† programs in Latin America. Tobacco industry documents, so-called social reports, media reports, and material provided by Latin American public health advocates were all analyzed. The study is the ? rst to examine the speci? c effect of tobacco company parent-focused advertising on youth. It found that ads that the industry claims are aimed at preventing youth from smoking actually provide no bene? t to youth. In fact, the ads that are created for parental audiences but also are seen by teens are associated with stronger intentions by teens to smoke in the future. Brazil has the world’s strictest governmental laws against smoking, consisting of highly visible antismoking campaigns, severe controls on advertising, and very high tax rates on smoking products. Despite these obstacles, the number of smokers in Brazil continues to grow. In 2006, there were approximately 44 million smokers in the country, up from 38 million in 1997. Factors driving this trend include the low price of cigarettes, which are among the lowest in the world; the easy access to tobacco products; and the actions taken by the powerful tobacco companies to slow down antismoking legislation in Brazil. FOCUS ON DEVELOPING MARKETS Lawsuits, stringent legislation against advertising, laws restricting where people can smoke, and other antismoking efforts on the part of governments have caused tobacco companies to intensify their efforts in those markets where restrictions are fewer and governments more friendly. As part of a strategy to increase its sales in the developing world, Philip Morris International (PMI) was spun off from Philip Morris USA in 2008 to escape the threat of litigation and government regulation in the United States. The move frees the tobacco giant’s international operations of the legal and public-relations headaches in the United States that have hindered its growth. Its practices are no longer constrained by American public opinion, paving the way for broad product experimentation. A new product, Marlboro Intense, is likely to be part of an aggressive blitz of new smoking products PMI will roll out around the globe. The Marlboro Intense cigarette has been shrunk down by about a half inch and offers smokers seven potent puffs apiece, versus the average of eight or so milder draws. The idea behind Intense is to appeal to customers who, due to indoor smoking bans, want to dash outside for a quick nicotine hit but don’t always ? nish a full-size cigarette. The CEO of PMI says there are â€Å"possibly 50 markets that are interested in deploying Marlboro Intense. † Other product innovations include sweet-smelling cigarettes that contain tobacco, cloves and ? voring—with twice the tar and nicotine levels of a conventional U. S. cigarette. Marlboro Mix 9, a high-nicotine, high-tar cigarette launched in Indonesia in 2007, and a clove-infused Mix 9 will be exported to other southeast Asian markets next. Another iteration of the Marlboro brand, the Marlboro Filter Plus, is being sold in South Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. It touts a special ? lter made of carbon, cellulose ac etate, and a tobacco plug that the company claims lowers the tar level while giving smokers a smoother taste. One of PMI’s immediate goals is to harness the huge potential of China’s smoking population, as well as some of that country’s own brands, which it has agreed to market worldwide. With some ASSESSING THE ETHICS OF STRATEGIC DECISIONS Ethical decision making is not a simplistic â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† determination. Ethical ground rules are complex, tough to sort out and to prioritize, tough to articulate, and tough to use. The complexity of ethical decisions is compounded in the international setting, which comprises different cultures, different perspectives of right and wrong, different legal requirements, and different goals. Clearly, when U. S. companies conduct business in an international setting, the ground rules become further complicated by the values, customs, traditions, ethics, and goals of the host countries, which each have developed their own ground rules for conducting business. Three prominent American ethicists have developed a framework to view the ethical implications of strategic decisions by American Cases 4 Developing Global Marketing Strategies ? rms. They identify three ethical principles that can guide American managers in assessing the ethical implications of their decisions and the degree to which these decisions re? ct these ethical principles or ground rules. They suggest asking, â€Å"Is the corporate strategy acceptable according to the following ethical ground rules? † These questions can help uncover the ethical ground rules embedded in the tobacco consumption situation described in this case. These questions lead to an ethical analysis of the degree to which this str ategy is bene? cial or harmful to the parties and, ultimately, whether it is a â€Å"right† or â€Å"wrong† strategy, or whether the consequences of this strategy are ethical or socially responsible for the parties involved. These ideas are incorporated in the decision tree in Exhibit 1. Principles Utilitarian ethics (Bentham, Smith) Question Does the corporate strategy optimize the â€Å"common good† or bene? ts of all constituencies? Does the corporate strategy respect the rights of the individuals involved? Does the corporate strategy respect the canons of justice or fairness to all parties? Rights of the parties (Kant, Locke) Justice or fairness (Aristotle, Rawls) Exhibit 1 A Decision Tree for Incorporating Ethical and Social Responsibility Issues into Multinational Business Decisions Does the decision efficiently optimize the common good or benefits of: THE BUSINESS FIRM? Stockholders Management Profits Growth Other SOCIETY? Culture Order Justice â€Å"The good life† Other THE ECONOMY? THE INDIVIDUAL? Economic growth Freedom Allocation of resources Health and welfare Production and distribution Self-realization of goods and services Human dignity Other Opportunity Other YES NO YES Are there critical factors that justify suboptimizing these goals and satisfactions? NO Does the decision respect the rights of individuals involved? YES NO Reject Decision YES Are there critical factors that justify the abrogation of a right? NO Does the corporate decision respect the canons of justice or fairness to all parties involved? YES YES NO Reject Decision Are there critical factors that justify the violation of a canon of justice? NO Accept Decision Reject Decision Part 6 Supplementary Material See www. who. int, the World Health Organization’s Web site, for more details regarding the current tobacco controversy. See also www. getswat. com for a worldwide student initiative against smoking. Laczniak and Naor discuss the complexity of international ethics or, more precisely, the ethical assumptions that underlie strategic decisions for multinationals. 2 They suggest that multinationals can develop consistency in their policies by using federal law as a baseline for appropriate behavior as well as respect for the host country’s general value structure. They conclude with four recommendations for multinationals: 1. Expand codes of ethics to be worldwide in scope. 2. Expressly consider ethical issues when developing worldwide corporate strategies. . If the ? rm encounters major ethical dilemmas, consider withdrawal from the problem market. 4. Develop periodic ethics-impact statements, including impacts on host parties. 2 QUESTIONS 1. Use the model in Exhibit 1 as a guide and assess the ethical and social responsibility implications of the situations described. 2. Can you recommend alternative strategies or solutions to the dilemmas confronting the tobacco companies? To governments? What is the price of ethical behavior? 3. Should the U. S. government support U. S. tobacco company interests abroad? . Should a company be forced to stop marketing a product that is not illegal, such as cigarettes? Gene R. Laczniak and Jacob Naor, â€Å"Global Ethics: Wrestling with the Corporate Conscience,† Business, July–September 1985. Sources: â€Å"Smoke Over the Horizon; U. S. Gains in Tobacco Control Are Being Offset Internationally,† The Washington Post, July 23, 2006; â€Å"Death and Taxes: England Has Become the Latest in a Series of Countries to Vote for Restrictions on Smoking in Public Places,† Financial Management (UK), April 1, 2006; â€Å"Trick or Treat? Tobacco Industry Prevention Ads Don’t Help Curb Youth Smoking,† PR Newswire, October 31, 2006; â€Å"China Exclusive: China, With One Third of World’s Smokers, Promises a ‘Non-Smoking’ Olympics,† Xinhua News Agency, May 29, 2006; â€Å"Tobacco Consumption and Motives for Use in Mexican University Students,† Adolescence, June 22, 2006; â€Å"A Change in the Air: Smoking Bans Gain Momentum Worldwide,† Environmental Health Perspectives, August 1, 2007; â€Å"Adams Won’t Kick the BAT Habit: The Head of British American Tobacco Is Stoical About the Looming Ban on Smoking in Public Spaces: BAT will Adapt,† The Sunday Telegraph London, June 10, 2007; â€Å"Heart Disease, Stroke Plague Third World,† Associated Press (Online), April 4, 2006; â€Å"Get a Detailed Picture of the Tobacco Industry in Brazil,† M2 Press Wire, December 20, 2007; Vanessa O’Connell, â€Å"Philip Morris Readies Global Tobacco Blit z; Division Spin-off Enables Aggressive Product Push; High-Tar Smokes in Asia,† The Wall Street Journal, January 29, 2008; â€Å"The Global Tobacco Threat,† The New York Times, February 19, 2008; â€Å"How to Save a Billion Lives; Smoking,† The Economist (London,) February 9, 2008; â€Å"Whether Here or There, Cigarettes Still Kill People,† The Wall Street Journal, February 4, 2008.