Preview

Flash Of Genius Ethics

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1156 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Flash Of Genius Ethics
When Robert Kearns develops an intermittent windshield wiper, he believes he and his family are set for life. Though the invention is a hit with Detroit automakers in the 1960s, he finds himself out of the picture. Determined to get the recognition he deserves, he wages a lengthy legal battle with the auto industry. “Flash of Genius” is a movie directed by Marc Abraham, released in 2008. This movie, based on an article by John Seabrook, stars Greg Kinnear as Dr. Robert Kearns, Laura Graham as his wife, Phyllis, Dermott Mulroney as Gil Previck, a financial backer, and Alan Alda as Attorney Gregory Lawson. Patent law rarely makes for a spellbinding drama. But in this case, one man’s obsessive crusade against the big automakers is also the tragic story of how his efforts to protect and enforce his patent bring about a mental breakdown and the end of his marriage. “Flash of Genius” is a good movie that offers a number of lessons on business ethics. In the early 1960’s, Dr. Robert Kearns is a husband, father, engineer, professor and inventor in Detroit, Michigan. While driving in a rainstorm, he wonders why the car’s windshield wipers cannot function like an eyelid. Kearns thought, “Why can’t it blink” (Seabrook, 1993, p. 38)? This question leads him to invent the intermittent windshield …show more content…
Ford Motor Company is the big evil company that stole the idea of the intermittent wiper from Kearns. The movie perpetuates the myth that invention comes from a “flash of genius,” which is the most important part of innovation. However, an idea is only a small part of what is important. The real innovation is turning an idea into something that works, is useful, cost effective and a product people will buy. The movie clearly suggests the importance of the intermittent wiper to the auto industry, but it also alludes to the unethical way in which Ford Motor Company acquires
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Comparing Latimers 'And A Sticky Problem For Farmers'
    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Comparing Latimers 'And A Sticky Problem For Farmers'

    Many ideas and objects can be improved. That is just what the successes John Deere and Lewis Latimer did. In the articles “A Sticky Problem for Farmers” by Nathan Aaseng and “Lewis Latimer” by Stephen Currie, the main characters both have creative ideas, but they are different in their paths to success. “A Sticky Problem For Farmers” explains the difficulties of farming the Midwest, and how one man, named John Deere, helped by inventing a new plow. “Lewis Latimer” shows the willpower and creativity of a black man working in a white community. Both John Deere and Lewis Latimer had different, new ideas that would change the way certain people lived.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 824 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    Dr. Williams assistant Jerry does have the training but does not have the ability to make a call for a patient because if he prescribed the wrong dosage amount then there will be in trouble with the patient and also with HIPAA. It will not be in the best interest of Jerry to make this call for Dr. Williams without making a call to Dr. Williams first. In order for this to happen without breaking any laws, Jerry needs to have communication with Dr. Williams. To keep the integrity of office Jerry should ensure that the proper medication and make sure that it is the patient’s correct prescription if Dr. Williams gives the okay for jerry to provide the Valium for the patient. This might have to be a medication that this patient have to go without on his trip.…

    • 824 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue the refill order. The patient’s physician is the one who needs to determine whether or not the patient should have a prescription of Valium issued for his flight or not. Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue any prescription to any patient regardless of what it is and who it is for. If a patient’s prescription request was for control of high blood pressure that the patient critically needed on a daily basis Jerry would still not have the professional credentials to allow him to issue the prescription orders. If faced with such a scenario Jerry should explain to the patient that he does not have the right to issue a prescription of any kind but that he would make it his first priority to tell the receptionist when he or she returned from his or her lunch break.…

    • 814 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Ethics Final Super Fresh
    • 1611 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethics Final Super Fresh

    Whole Foods is the leading distributor of organic produce in the United States. Whole Foods also is leading the “labeling war” on genetically modified food being sold grocery stores. Whole Foods is trying to become a “game changer” by becoming the first store in the United States to require labeling of the genetically modified produce sold in its stores. President of Whole Foods A.C Gallo commented that “some of our manufactures say they’ve seen a 15 percent increase in sales of products they have labeled”. Those who support the movement in labeling if the food is genetically modified or organic feel that “consumers have a right to know about the ingredients in the food they eat”. However, those against labeling food “feel that labels could mislead consumers into believing that these food products are different or provide a potential risk”. Labeling foods that are genetically modified or not, seems to be the wave of the future. In a recent poll conducted by the Mellman Group last year, resulted stating that over ninety percent of the respondents were in favor of labeling food. Super Fresh should support the movement of labeling genetically modified foods because, it is their ethical responsibility to inform the public what Super Fresh is selling to its customers, supporting the movement will also affect the farmers by producing less genetically modified food and more organic food, given that the sales of organic food will increase, because the public is more informed about the topic, and lastly, looking at the community, including small restaurants will be pressured into labeling as well, and pressured into serving non-genetically modified options.…

    • 1611 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    Medical laws have been put into place to protect not only the patient, but also the physicians, nurses, and medical office staff. The laws were put into place to ensure that these professionals follow the correct procedures and steps that only qualified persons follow. The definition of practicing medicine has also been clearly explained. Those professionals who do not abide by these set laws are therefore subject to punishment by law (Baxter 2005).…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    Everyday health care workers around the world are faced with tough decisions. The law guides many decisions but some decisions require ethical considerations. Making good ethical decisions is not always as easy as it seems. Making ethical decisions is even harder when the primary intention is to be helpful, but it is beyond an employee’s qualifications.…

    • 1136 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Flivver King: Henry Ford
    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Flivver King: Henry Ford

    In the early 1900’s Henry Ford developed the idea of “a wagon that will run without a horse”.1 This idea and Ford’s success changed America and its people forever. The development of the automobile played a tremendous role in the economy, labor unions and society. Generally, when most people think of Henry Ford they reflect upon his wealth and contributions to the transportation industry as an infinitely positive phenomenon. It is thought that aside from just allowing consumers to purchase and use his inventions, he provided thousands of people with jobs and the promise of prosperity. The tale of Henry Ford’s legendary business and remarkably effective assembly line is unparalleled in American History. But when it comes to Henry Ford it is impossible to think in terms of black of white. He may have made an awesome amount of money distributing a product loved by almost everyone, but at what cost? Upton Sinclair addresses this question in The Flivver King. The Flivver King tells the story of Henry Ford and his massive business from the perspective of his workers. Contrary to popular belief, the relationship between Mr. Ford and his workers became much more frustrating and upsetting as his business progressed. World War 1 and the Great Depression damagingly effect Ford and his workers. Upton Sinclair’s story of the Shutt family depicts the changes that occurred between Henry Ford and his workers and how his growing wealth and the nations declining economy had a negative impact on his approach as a boss and business man. Abner Shutt is a loyal character and a hard worker for Henry Ford. But as the reader follows experiences he and his family encounters while working with the Ford Motor Company it is easy to realize that Henry Ford’s story of success had more tribulations than most people would have expected.…

    • 1571 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Ethics 101 Final
    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Ethics 101 Final

    1. When discussing stereotypes and race, it is important to recognize how insignificant skin color is. Racism itself if focused mainly on cultural states, and more times than not, whites are considered culturally superior to people of color. The treatment of African Americans and Native Americans in American culture perfectly demonstrate how oppositional dichotomies of race define racial stereotypes. Cultural dominance was set since the first settlers began to participate in the slave trade. While the black slaves looked very different than their white counterparts, it was the culture of these Africans that subjected them to discrimination. Slave owners believed their culture was superior, meaning they could rape, enslave, and hold their workers prisoner without punishment. Blacks continue to be mistreated by the whites in power till this day, whether it be profiling by authorities leading to massive incarceration rates or poor representation by the federal government. Whites also believed they were culturally superior to Native Americans. Many Native Americans showed hospitality to the white settlers, but the major cultural differenced ended up destroying rel3ations and the majority of Native peoples. Only the naïve can believe that racism and stereotypes are caused by the color of one’s skin, it is cultural differences that cause the oppositional dichotomies that define race.…

    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethical Vignette
    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethical Vignette

    In this paper I will discuss the ethical vignette as it deals with confidentiality and ethical dilemmas that counselor’s face. I will reflect on a video presentation as well as the North Carolina rules and regulation and the ACA Code of Ethics as it relates to confidentiality and ethics. I will explain why confidentiality is important and what the rules says about it. This will help me and others to become a better counselor.…

    • 782 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Industry Specific Use of Information Technology
    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Industry Specific Use of Information Technology

    References: Banham, R., & Newman, P. (2002). The Ford century: Ford Motor Company and the innovations that shaped the world. New York: Workman.…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    Ethical business behavior can be defined by business leadership. “Generally speaking, an action or choice can be considered ethically correct if it’s honest, fair, supports a beneficial outcome for both parties, and generally enables the overall corporate image and vision” (Definition of Ethics, 2002). In the following we will discuss how economic pressures on China, Jamaica, and America play a role in the ethical decision-making for financial, environmental, and cultural issues.…

    • 865 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Ethics Case Study
    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethics Case Study

    “Jerry McCall is Dr. Williams’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time” (Bonnie, 2009, P. 85)…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ethics Week3
    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Ethics Week3

    1. The Mayor of a large city was given a free membership in an exclusive golf club by people who have received several city contracts. He also accepted gifts from organizations that have not done business with the City but might in the future. The gifts ranged from $200 tickets to professional sports events to designer watches and jewelry.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    applying ethics
    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages

    applying ethics

    This brief synopsis as a human service worker in which I make every effort to help people, groups, and communities to triumph over their issues and struggles. As a human service worker I almost certainly would come across many ethical predicaments that involve susceptible issues such as discrimination, social unfairness, and oppression, poverty, substance abuse and mental health issues. As a human service worker or provider my personal principles may become an ethical difficulty with reference to discrimination of any sort because of my private belief but of course I am conscious of how many ethical standards that can be challenged if I allow my individual view to develop into concern. Nevertheless of course I identify with knowing and should no bet use as an unbiased conclusion unless the circumstances turn out to be dangerous to myself or the client involved. Next, if this circumstance come to pass then I would use the code of moral principles produced by the national association of human service workers as a most important point addressing ethical predicament which it may cause. On the other hand, I was in a circumstance where a person that I was helping he was very serious and clear in his mind and full detail about who he wanted to work with and talk too. He was discriminating against a co worker because of skin color and race although we were on the job and others was watching him he decided to be rude and very sarcastic for no apparent reason. I wanted to voice my opinion but I didn’t but finally one day I decided to read the code of ethics at work and fill out a report on him with other co workers so that the discrimination could stop. It ended up being better than before the man was disciplined but functioning in the human service department there will be times when you do not agree with your client and your own principles could turn…

    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Ethics
    • 7028 Words
    • 29 Pages

    Ethics

    Case 9 Apple Inc. in 2011: Can It Prosper Without Steve Jobs? John E. Gamble University of South Alabama Lou Marino The University of Alabama…

    • 7028 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics