Choose one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose one - Essay Example There has been a lot of emphasis on empowerment of people, equality of rights, and eradication of racism from the society at all levels over the past few decades. This has made gay marriage one of the most debatable topics of the present age. â€Å"Fifty percent of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages† (Newport). Anti-gay notions that have been an integral part of the conservative culture are being openly discussed and challenged now as these notions are being identified as racism and discrimination against the gay community. I personally believe that since religion has condemned gay marriage, and religion happens to be the fundamental source of knowledge of ethics for the mankind; gay marriage should remain illegal. Analysis of the Issue Proponents of the gay marriage say that it should be legalized because illegalization of gay marriage is a discrimination against the gay community. The Natio nal Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Executive Director, Rea Carey shared her views in these words, â€Å"Equal protection under the law is a foundational guarantee for all Americans, and denial of the right to marry flies in the face of this shared value† (Carey). ... Even some heterosexual people approve of gay marriages. While declaring that he approves of gay marriages in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, President Barack Obama said, â€Å"I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient [and that] for a lot of people, the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth† (Obama cited in â€Å"JUST IN†). Opponents of the gay marriage primarily base their argument on the teachings of religion. Homosexuality has not only been condemned but has been described as a transgression of the limits imposed by God upon mankind in most of the religions in general and the Abrahamic religions in particular. George (Carey) refers to the gay marriage as a threat to the bond between the state and the church. In addition to religion, opponents of the gay marriage consider it an unnatural act since gay couples cannot produce children in the biological w ay. They either have to adopt children or live with the children they have had through previous heterosexual marriages. Opponents of the gay marriage also highlight the negative implications of the gay marriage on the psychology of children living with the gay couples, as well as upon the society particularly which suffers from a negative rate of population growth. Conclusion Legalization of gay marriage is an ethical controversy since it involves the right of a certain community i.e. gay community and its implications on their own lives, on the lives of people related to them, and the society at large. In most countries of the world, women outnumber men in population. On one hand, if gay marriages are legalized,

Porter's Five-Force Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Porter's Five-Force Analysis - Case Study Example The first key external environmental issue in the PHARMAC case study is the importance of regulatory agencies and authorities. From the case study, three advisory committees are identified as the key regulatory factors. The Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC), the Pharmacology and Therapeutics Advisory Committee (PTAC), and the Cancer Treatment Sub Committee (CatSop) are all identifies as the key factors (Koster, Erakovic and Smith). These committees are the advisory boards to the various elements of the external environment and the decision-making organs of PHARMAC. The other key environmental factor identified is the political factor in the operations of PHARMAC. The decision that PHARMAC made; approving the nine-week trial Herceptin drug reflects the influence of vested shareholder interests in the decision-making process. The political element is particularly important for this analysis because of the vested interests of the parties. Roche industries can be identified as having som e political influence on the analysis and the decision-making process. Porter’s Five-Force Analysis An analysis of the case study can also be done using Porter’s five-force analysis, which is used to determine every facet of the organization ranging from the profitability to the competitive threat and power of the industry (Porter, 1998). The first part of the five-force analysis is the threat of new entrants into the industry, a factor that is deemed to increase the intensity of competition. From the case study, it can be concluded that there is no threat of new entrants into PHARMAC’s industry because it is a government sanctioned advisory agency. An analysis of the second element in Porter’s five-force analysis is focused on the power of suppliers, who, in this case, are identified as the drug company Roche. The case study indicates that the supplier of Herceptin had exceptional power in the market; therefore, the bargaining power was relatively high. The third factor of Potter’s five-force analysis is the bargaining power of buyers, who, in this case, are identified as the New Zealand population and the regulatory and advisory agencies. An analysis of these buyers indicate that they have relatively low power compared to the suppliers, hence the decision to fund the nine-week trial of the drug Herceptin. The threat of substitutes is also considered in the same way as the threat of new entrants. In the funding process of new drugs, the case study indicates that PHARMAC and MedSafe are the primary considerations; therefore, there is no credible threat of substitutes. The competitive rivalry within the industry, the last factor of the industry analysis, indicates that the various factions in the funding and approval industry have different bargaining powers. The drug industry is very costly; therefore, the different competitors in the industry are identified to need massive amounts of funding to succeed. The case study also i ndicates that the critical success factor in the industry is consultation and good relations between the key players in the industry. The case study reveals that PHARMAC made its decision to fund the limited trial period for Herceptin based on a cost-benefit analysis. The success of the decision-making process could have been varied if the firm had decided to perform prior consultation with the stakeholders. This can also be supported by the success of the drug in other countries and regions. The main critical success