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One day, if there was anybody questions me: “Have you ever made mistake to your parents?”, I would say: “Yes”. It’s even a lot. Since the time I was given a birth, I did a huge mistake to my mother. I did hurt her at the beginning. In order to born a baby, the mothers carry out with the pregnant in nine months ten days and give birth in physical painful condition. Year over the year, I grew up under my parents’ protection. They give me a greatest love which I could never have in others. They always forgive me for every single mistake I did even the very much serious one. I understood their mental painful through every time I was guilty. I was very sorry to them, but yet, such feeling of sorry was not as intensive as this moment.

Three years and a half since I’ve been in Malaysia for my degree, my parents are trying their best to provide me the most comfortable financial condition for me to concentrate on study. I am certain with my family economic situation. It’s not as high class as the worthies, but also not as low class as poorer. It’s in the middle. Therefore, in order to do so, they must discipline in their financial control. That’s a reason why I always speak to myself that I must make my parents proud of me. After three years, I almost reach to my current goal which is completion of studying and at the same time, my parents are almost exhausted as well. Nevertheless, they did never make a complaint. During that time, when I faced to any problems not only in study but also in my personal life, I called them and made a lot of complaints. With the greatest love to me, they always encourage me and give me motivation to move on. But I never knew that how much worry they were when listening to such complaints. Until now, at this moment, I’m experiencing on the financial burden, I’m scare, I worry because I’ve never experienced it before. I realized that those feelings are in my parents for so many years and they are even more than what I feel.

Last two months, my parents faced to major financial problems.  They did share that information to me and tried to reassure me by saying: “don’t worry, it will be ok”. They still banked in for me every month but the amount was lesser than last time. Therefore, I was trying to look for a permanent job during this semester to certain that I’ll get job immediately after completing my study. I sent number of resumes to the organizations which I desire to join. Until last week, I received an appointment for interview. I was happy about that well in preparation for that interview. After the discussion, the employer said something such an implication that I’m hired and asked me to wait for the email. I was quite happy about that even though the job was not confirmed yet. I wanted to bring this good news to my mom. From the inner, I knew that she would be disappointed if the news is turn to the other way. In other words, she would be disappointed if I could not get that job. However, I could not control myself. I just wanted to bring happy moment to her. One week later, I still do not receive any confirmed email from the company. I don’t know how to explain to her. I don’t want my worry comes truth. I know that it will unethical if I say the lie her. However, is it ethic for me to notice her with the bad news? She would be sad because of that.

On the other hand, I found that the ordinary life has become unusual. I scare, I’m afraid of living in uncomfortable financial situation. The date of studying completion is almost coming. I need to be financial independent after that. Although I told my mother that I can be able to care for myself after graduating and tell her that she not need to bank in for me once I complete my study. I was a bit disappointed when she agrees to do so. Human being is quite complicated. The disappointed feeling goes on together with happiness. I was happy because my mom was happy. I was disappointed because I didn’t know that I really able to do as what I promised. Currently, the job is still not be secured. I am waiting. And the waiting is such a punishment for me at this time. Number of negative things keeps coming in my mind. If there is unexpected thing is going to happen, should I tell her the truth which would disappoint her? Or should I go through it without any supported and see it as the truth challenge which I need to overcome. It’s hard. it’s really hard for me to step out the real world without financial support from family. From the inner, I also don’t want to ask for help because I don’t want to worry my parents anymore. That’s enough for them.

I scare. . . . I really scare now. . . . .  

How to practice ethical business?

As I mentioned in the previous blog, ethics nowadays is an emerged topic. Every organization despite how large or how small it is, ethic practices are the most concerned in the way it is doing business. The most obvious reason is that it doesn’t want to be boycotted by the consumers. However, it is hard to balance between ethical practices and standing profitable. It is because on the way to approach ethical conduct, it might cost some of the revenue which gained by organization. Some of the aviation organizations in US are examples.

According to Patterson, 2012, standard coach seat for low cost airlines widths range from 17 to 19 inches between the armrests. Due to the reason of “the seat is a revenue generator”, those organizations are trying to maximize their revenue by designing 3 seats in each side on the aircraft. Besides that, a vice president of seat manufacturer stated that the seats are closer together and researcher of human body measurement, Kathleen Robinette, said that the Americans are getting bigger for the three decades. Meanwhile the customer’s comfort is being compromised when purchasing low fare flight.

On the other hand, one of the aviation companies, Southwest Airlines, in US was faced to an issue of discrimination. According to Chang and Stuart et al, 2012, Southwest questioned two passengers about their weight in the presence of more than 100 others, and they were requested the two passengers to step out the flight because of the reason: ”too fat to fly”. Besides that, in 2013, a passenger name Matthew Harper who weighs 154 kg was asked to step off the flight from Chicago with a reason of overbooking. In fact, the main reason was that this gentleman is over size.  Besides that, Mr. Harper reported that there were two people who even bigger than him but they were not refused to board in. It made him “felt like a criminal” (Kim, 2013). Those actions were criticized. Currently, it has “Customer of size” policy and those oversized passengers have to pay 2 seats per one ticket. The reason for that policy is that oversized customer will disturb the neighbor passengers by encroach the armrests.

As discussed earlier, passengers who purchase cheap flights compromise their comfort on the air. It means that the bigger body size, the lesser comfortable on the flight for the customers. The discussion can be started from those issues. Due to the positioning of low fare airline, Southwest has to minimize the cost and maximize the revenue in order for it to survive sustainability. Therefore, tightening seat space compare to other full service airlines is acceptable and it is nothing wrong for doing that because the “seat is the revenue generator”. However, Southwest charge double seat for those who oversize because the reason of disturbing from them to neighbor passengers by encroach the armrests. It might lead to dissatisfy for both oversize customer and the neighbor. Is it ethic for the airline to do so? If this aviation company double charge for “too fat to fly” customers, it will be claimed as a discrimination action. If the airline doesn’t take any action on this problem, it might bring dissatisfaction to those neighbors. It’s a dilemma for the Southwest on this ethical issue.

As an individual who figures out and understands the situation, I found out that there always has a solution for any dilemmas. It’s just only how people choose the way to deal with them. Agree that in order to pursue low cost positioning, Southwest must have strategy to minimize the cost and maximize the revenue; nevertheless, double charge is not the only way to keep satisfaction for the neighbor guests and bring comfortable for overweight customers. Due to the Americans are getting bigger in those three decades, it means that number of overweight people are increased. Therefore, Southwest can redesign by adding the additional inserted part on the two line seats which next to the walkway on the aircraft. When there is any oversize customer board in, the flight attendants assist them by inserting the additional part of seat for them without any charges. Although it mays cost the airline, it can help to enhance the service as well as improve the low cost airline image for the company. Besides that, this brings ethical image for the company as well.

Sometimes, simple method can help to solve the problem which may be hard to solve. In this situation, just adding the inserted space for the seat, Southwest can deal with the problem which considers as the dilemma. This innovation enables the organization doing business in this situation in the most ethical practice. 

References

Patterson, T. 2012. Airline squeeze: It's not you, 'it's the seat'. [online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/30/travel/airline-seats [Accessed: 28 Jun 2013].

CHANG, J., STUART, E., EFFRON, L. and HAWKINS, S. 2012. 'Too Fat To Fly' Passenger Sues Southwest Airlines For 'Discriminatory Actions'. abcnews, [online] May 3, 2012. Available at: abcnews.go,com [Accessed: 18 June, 2013].

Kim, S. 2013. Man Claims He Was Kicked Off A Southwest Airlines Flight For Being Too Fat Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/man-kicked-off-flight-for-being-too-fat-2013-4#ixzz2WSzACqUH. [online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/man-kicked-off-flight-for-being-too-fat-2013-4 [Accessed: 17 Jun 2013].