Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Argument of the Case of ¡Bonnie and Clyde¡ essays

Argument of the Case of  ¡Bonnie and Clyde ¡ essays In the case of  ¡Bonnie and Clyde, ¡ Both Bonnie and Clyde drove recklessly that they drove much faster than the posted speed limit. Basically, both of them committed the same legal law. In this incident, Clyde ¡s passenger died; however, Bonnie ¡s passenger survived due to the decision of flipping a coin by the surgeon who was the only available person to do the surgery. In my opinion, Clyde should not be punished more severely than Bonnie since Clyde had no control over his passenger ¡s life. The reason that I support this conclusion is that punishing Clyde more severely would be unjust. Since Bonnie and Clyde both were reckless driving, and therefore violated the same legal law, they should be punished equally. Moreover, Clyde should not be held responsible for his passenger ¡s death. If he were not responsible, then he should not be punished more severely. The reason that Clyde should not be held responsible is that he has no control over the passenger ¡s death. If Clyde had no control over his passenger ¡s death, then holding Clyde responsible would be unfair. Therefore, Clyde should not be held responsible for his passenger ¡s death that was out of his control. The reason that Clyde should not be held responsible for his passenger ¡s death is that Clyde had no direct control over the event that ultimately decided his passenger ¡s fate. Clearly, the ultimate fate of Clyde ¡s passenger was decided by flipping a coin, and the action of the coin flipping is down by a surgeon, not Clyde. Since Clyde was not the one who decided his passenger ¡s fate, Clyde had no direct control over the event of coin flipping that ultimately decided his passenger ¡s fate, and therefore Clyde should not be held responsible for his passenger ¡s death. Punishing Clyde for his passenger ¡s death would be unjust. Therefore, Clyde should not be punished more severely. Although Clyde violated the legal law with reckless driving, he...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Quiz Do you have what it takes to become a virtual assistant

Quiz Do you have what it takes to become a virtual assistant Virtual assistants, also known as VAs; have become a popular option for people who want to work remotely. Despite popular belief, virtual assistants are not limited to just clerical work. In fact, the career varies depending on the company. Â  Some may require a VA with a specialized skill set that fitss the company and the tasks that are needed to get done. Others may not. If you are considering becoming a virtual assistant, but aren’t sure if you would be a good fit, Â  this quiz is the perfect test to find out!Source [Playbuzz]

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Why the father and son relationship in the plays Hamlet Oedipus and Essay

Why the father and son relationship in the plays Hamlet Oedipus and the King and Death of a Salesman were important to the tragedy of each play - Essay Example The most important scene in the play is the supernatural confrontation of Hamlet with the ghost of his dead father. It is this scene that erupts a volcano of tragic and deepest feelings and emotions in Hamlet. We are enlightened on the character Hamlet and the relationship he shared with his beloved father. In the conversation that takes place between the father and son, the deep and intense admiration that Hamlet has for his father is clearly exposed, in addition to the differences they encountered between them. These experiences accounted for Hamlets inability to neither act in a decisive manner nor find real or concrete moral truths in his world. In ‘Oedipus and the King’ Oedipus was cursed due to the sin of his father and from birth it was prophesized that he would kill his father and would marry his mother. The Oracle had said – Lord of Thebes, do not sow a furrow of children against the will of the gods; for if you beget a son, that child will kill you, and all your house shall wade through blood." (The Oracle of Delphi to Laius  1. Euripides, Phoenician Women 20).To avoid such a catastrophe Oedipus leaves Corinth never to return again. But unfortunately, Oedipus had accidently killed his father after he confronted him on a narrow road and refused to let him pass, and following the solving of the riddle of the Sphinx was crowned the king of Thebes and unwittingly got married to his mother. In ‘Death of a Salesman’ by Arthur Miller, the author brings out the agony and angst of the middle-class in America who were trapped in a world of illusion. Everyone dreamed of the American Dream and wished to achieve it at any cost. The protagonist of Miller’s story is Willy Loman, a man in his sixties who seemed to be chasing the American Dream. Though he worked hard, he gradually understood that the dream was nothing but an illusion which he had been breathlessly pursuing all along. The

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Psychology - Essay Example English bolstered my comprehension regarding the European Business Model – for the sake of knowing how the business strategies would shape up within the future. Within my BBA course, I gained a much needed exposure in the subjects of administration, communication, management and marketing. As for my personality, I have proactively remained a very ambitious and highly motivated individual. I adapt to different things easily and my command over four different languages makes me unique in my own righteous way. I love spending time playing golf and tennis. I seek to know more and more about cultural understandings and issues. In the same vein, traveling has remained as one of my most revered pastimes. I want to learn psychology due to the fact that it asks for interaction with people on a constant basis. I plan to complete my Masters in Psychology and thus I believe the foundation course would help me to firm up my basics within the subject. As for the future, I look forward to getting a respectable job within the International Relations departments of some esteemed governmental organization. I would request the management at the helm of affairs to support my candidature at Regents College so that I could enliven my dream of learning the science of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Stirling Sports Essay Example for Free

Stirling Sports Essay Stirling Sports opened their first Store on Dominion Road in Auckland in 1964. The first Stirling Sports franchises were awarded in 1983 after Stirling Sports had invested almost 20 years in developing the best sports retail stores in New Zealand. Stirling Sports Dunedin’s mission statements asserts, ‘The Dunedin community speaks positively about their Stirling Sport experience’. Their logo is ‘We love our sport’, an apt summary of the passion held by management and staff for their products, service and the specialist knowledge they provide. Stirling Sports is the one of the New Zealand leading retailers of sporting goods. Stirling Sports has a huge range of sports clothing and mens and womens shoes, supporter gear and more. In 2004, Russell and Sue became aware of an opportunity to purchase the Stirling Sports Dunedin area franchise and made the decision to buy within a week. Since they originated from the Otago region, this was an opportunity ‘to come home’. After some negotiation they successfully acquired the franchise and began to determine how best to manage the two operations. After some deliberation, the  decision was made that Sue would move to Dunedin and manage that store, while Russell continued to manage the Kapiti store. Russell and Sue decided to buy the franchise with the existing staff at the Dunedin store. The store had to become profitable, so changes needed to be made. However, the change in structure and process did not suit everyone and staff left. Previously, the store had been managed from Auckland, so some having the manager on-site was very different from the previous management style. Stirling Sports adopts marketing strategies based on the seasonal nature of  various sports, student population migration during semester and holiday periods, public holidays and festive seasons Christmas is one of the biggest financial periods with equipment, clothing and shoes being in demand for Christmas gifts. In-store specials, glossy flyers, and newspaper and radio advertising are all useful means of marketing their products to all of their customer segments. The March/April period is the second-largest cash-flow period with the beginning of winter sports, such as rugby, soccer, netball, volleyball and basketball, traditionally boosting sales. September/October is also a peak period, with the focus particularly on fitness and getting ‘back into shape’ after the ravages of winter lifestyle choices. Sports such as cricket, tennis and softball also begin which may require the purchase of new equipment, uniforms and speciality footwear. Many sports are now played all year round, which is beneficial in maintaining an acceptable level of monthly sales in addition to seasonal cash-flow peaks. RETRIEVED FROM HTTP://STIRLINGSPORTS. CO. NZ Rebel Sport is a well known brand name throughout New Zealand and Australia. Until 2006, Rebel had no big-box sports competitor, prompting the use of the well-known slogan No ones got more sports gear. However, Lane Walker Rudkin, owners of sports franchise Stirling Sports, have announced plans to launch several large format stores across the country, beginning with a store in Christchurch, which opened in mid-2006. This followed the collapse of a deal between Briscoe Group and LWR a year earlier, which would have seen Briscoe buyout the Stirling franchise. Since Stirlings big box launch, Rebel has dropped their original slogan, which has been replaced with Lets Play, backed by a new  marketing campaign which targets a wider audience from the traditional club-orientated team sport audience. The company is also continuing their aggressive expansion programme, launching several smaller-format stores such as Napier and Taupo to allow branches to reach further into provincial areas. Briscoe Group. (n. d. ). Retrieved March 15, 2014 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Briscoe_Group The latest retail customer satisfaction report for New Zealand from research organisation Roy Morgan Research reveals that Rebel Sport has emerged as the  sports store with the highest percentage of satisfied customers. Rebel came in at at 82. 0 percent for the 12 months to December 2009 (up 4. 4 percent points from the 12 months to December ‘08). Stirling Sports was third with 77. 5 percent (down 2. 9 percent from the same period). â€Å"The category as a whole has performed below the average for all non-food stores. It seems all sports stores need to close the gap in improving their levels of satisfaction. † Sports Link. Sporting Goods Outdoor Retailing. (May 17, 2010). Retrieved from http://www. mysportslink. net/rebel-sport-leads-the-way-cms-837.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Friday :: essays research papers

The movie Friday was one of the best comedies I have ever seen. It had a great director, a talented cast, a good plot, a spectacular soundtrack, and is filled with funny gags and jokes. It was by far the most hilarious movie of the decade. I have never laughed so hard in all of my life. I loved this movie. The cast of the movie was sensational. Playing the main character was famous musician and actor, Ice Cube. He is such a serious person that at first I was skeptical of his performance in a comedy. He has played in such movies as Dangerous Ground, Higher Learning, and Boyz 'N Tha Hood. Playing opposite of him was Chris Tucker who is one of the most gifted performers that I've have seen. He has stared in hits such as Rush Hour, The Fifth Element, and Money Talks. These two along with other big comics like Bernie Mac, John Whitherspoon, and Fazion Love bring big laughs to the big screen. Tiny "Zeus" Lester, Nia Long and Regina King do there part as well, to serve up laughs. It is so important to have a good cast that can play their parts well, and get along. If I watch a movie and it is evident that the actors are acting, then I lose interest very quickly. These actors and actresses did a very good job of making every character believable. Cast is important, but a good plot is crucial in the success of a film. So many movies have had great marketing and bombed because the plot was not good. I hate when I go to see a movie and the plot is not interesting. If I pay money for a movie, I want it to be worth it. In a comedy, I look for, a lot of, laughs. That is exactly what this movie gave me, it had it all. They had midgets, catching wives in bed with preachers and anything else you could look for to make you laugh. To fulfill this requirement on my movie list is very important. This movie did just that and exceeded the expectations I had for it. As with any successful movie you must have a good Quentin Terintino, Mel Brooks, or Stephen Spilburg working behind the scenes. This film had a gifted director by the name of F. Gary Gray. I personally think that he is one of the best directors ever.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Personal Brand Plan Paper Essay

There are three companies I would like to begin my career in Human Resources department in. Those three companies are Exxon Mobile Corporation, Apple Incorporated, and Wal-Mart. Exxon Mobile Corporation the third largest oil and gas refinery in the world in revenue. With over 80,000 employees globally Exxon Mobile Human Resource Department is functions are full of challenges. I view those challenges as being exciting, and rewarding. I would like to be employed as an Employment, Recruitment or Placement Manager. Through research I found Exxon Mobile has a variety of different employment, recruitment, and placement manager positions to help me gain a broad functional and developmental expertise in the human resource field. This experience will also give me a better understanding of how important Human Resource is integrated in various organizations and companies around the world. Working for Exxon will give me the opportunity to achieve my professional goals in managerial and technical areas through a multitude of assignments, mentorship’s, and training over my career. I would like to be employed with Exxon Mobile Corporation it is ranked number 2 in 2014 fortune 500, and because this company has been around for over 125 years. This company has built a strong foundation over the years, and also invests in its employees. I would like to obtain as much knowledge here to use in the rest of my career. The second company I chose was Apple Incorporated. Apple, Inc. is a multinational corporation creating numerous consumer electronics such as computer software, digital distributors, personal computers, commercial servers, iPhone smart phone, iPod portable media devices, and iPad tablet computers. Over the last two decades Apple Computer was predominantly and manufacturer of personal computers. I would like to be employed as an International Human Resource Associate for Apple, Inc. Working as Apple’s International Human Resource Associate I will play the role of a human resource generalist inside the company but will also have global responsibilities. Some of my task will be job postings, recruiting and screening candidates, and explaining benefits and compensations packages. To be successful in this position I would have to obtain a solid grasp of the employment markets around the world including understanding others culture aspects, compensation, benefits and screening. I would like to work  for Apple, Inc. because it is a fairly new fortune 500 incorporation leading in the world of technology. Apple consistent innovation continues to lead in sales over all of their competitors. With the experience and training obtained from Exxon Mobile will assist me in being a successful international human resource associate. The final company I would like to work for is Wal-Mart. Since 1962, Wal-Mart has been dedicated in making a difference in the lives of their customers by helping customers and communities save money and live better. Wal-Mart is ranked number one in Forbes as 2014 company who generated the most revenue. I would like to be employed as a Human Resource Consultant for Wal-Mart. As a Human Resource Consultant I will work as a contractor in helping corporate with things such as employment structure, manager policies, benefit issues, and performance incentives. I will help analyze employment success systems, evaluate how the benefits plans are panning out, and recommend productive changes to the system. I will use my the training and work experience accumulated over the years obtained from Exxon Mobile and Apple Inc.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

War Destroys Trust: a Long Way Gone

War Destroys Trust In the book Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah struggles between trust and survival in the midst of a gruesome war. He laments how, â€Å"the war had destroyed the enjoyment of the very experience of meeting people† throughout the book there are many examples of this upsetting truth. The consequences of this mistrust in people are clear as he travels through Sierra Leon while being incessantly threatened and assumed a member of the RUF. Most of this book is about the ongoing struggle within Ishmael between trying to stay alive and deciding who to trust.The phenomena of war and trust can coexist only if you have an ability to differentiate your friends from enemies. Ishmael struggles throughout the book to stay alive, and thus decides to trust no one, but this could be detrimental to his survival. Ishmael gives an example of the repeated mistrust he encounters saying â€Å"Many times during our journey we were surrounded by muscular men with machetes who almost kill ed us before they realized we were just children running away from the war†. A repose old man in a village once told Ishmael and his friends, â€Å"My children this country has lost its good heart.People don’t trust each other anymore† explaining just how much trust had been destroyed and replaced with fear and accusation. Because of the continuous mistrust in the country when Ishmael has any contact with a new person they automatically suspect each other, and things become very tense. In chapter fifteen Ishmael and his travel companions come across the ocean for the first time, but the excitement is short lived. They soon find themselves in a virulent fishing village which heard the rumor about the, â€Å"seven boys† and believed them to be rebels.They attacked the boys and took away their shoes, chased away from the village they were forced to walk on burning sand for hours. The mistrust of the fisherman caused these boys great pain and suffering, but lu ckily they got through it with the help of a benevolent fisherman, â€Å"we stayed in the hut for a week. Our host brought us food and water every morning and night†. After spending months in the forest a morose Ishmael finally comes into contact with some young people his age, Alhaji, Musa, Kanei, Jumah, Saidu, and Moriba.They all immediately froze in fear until Ishmael smiled to break the tension, and then talked about how they were going to Yele and he decided to follow them. This was most likely a lifesaving decision, he decided to trust them and in turn they trusted him and helped each other survive. They provided emotional support for each other throughout their journey such as when Kanei tried to talk to Ishmael for the first time, â€Å"He tapped me on the shoulder as if he knew what I had experienced.Circumstances will change and things will be fine, just hold on a little more, he said, tapping my shoulder again and nodding†. Mistrust and war are two inseparab le concepts, mistrust leads to war and war leads to mistrust. This is clearly shown throughout the novel; Ishmael conveys how war and fear combined can lead to savage thoughts and behaviors. He did not recognize himself any longer because he did not trust others or even himself. Through what he had seen and what he had done he was permanently separated from who he once was. Within a three year span Ishmael became in his own words, â€Å"a long way gone†.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Differences in Chinese and American Cultures Essays

Differences in Chinese and American Cultures Essays Differences in Chinese and American Cultures Essay Differences in Chinese and American Cultures Essay The differences in Chinese culture and American culture are many. Language and dialects, the importance of family, a hierarchy, and traditions are pillars in Chinese culture. American culture is more , we can classify the different social things and human behaviors into three categories, depending upon the moral value system of a particular society: first, the good, these kinds of social things or behaviors demonstrate or conform to the moral ideal of the society; second, the appropriate, they conform to the basic moral norms of the society; third, the evil, they deviate from the basic moral norms of the society.Of which, both the first and second are acknowledged by the moral value system of a particular society and hence deemed as moral, and only they may be at different levels in the moral value system; whereas the third is regarded as immoral and necessarily prohibited by the moral value system of a particular society.In fact, among the social things or be haviors that are acknowledged by the moral value system of any society, there are always only very few that demonstrate or conform to the moral ideal, the majority of the social things or behaviors is merely appropriate. When the evil prevails over the appropriate, it means a collapse or dissolution of the societys moral value system, or even the entire social life.Should we ignore or deny the extremity in evaluating the good and evil, or amount the good and evil to the entire moral value attribute of social things and peoples behaviors, and then simply regard them as either good or evil with a dichotomy, we could end up either making the good condescend to the appropriate, or putting the things that should have belonged to the appropriate into the evil category, consequently, weakening the normalizing function during the evaluation through the good or evil, obscuring or watering down the significance of removing evil in favor of good, and even blocking the normal development of so cial life.The INTRODUCTION What does culture have to do with business? Many business majors and practitioners immersed in questions of financial forecasting, market studies, and management models have turned aside from the question of culture and how it affects business. But more and more organizations are finding themselves involved in communication across cultures, between cultures, among cultures; because they are doing business in foreign countries, perhaps, or because they are sourcing from another country, seeking financing from another country, or have an increasingly multicultural workforce.The globalization of the world economy, on one hand, has created tremendous opportunities for global collaboration among different countries; on the other hand, however, it has also created a unique set of problems and issues relating to the effective management of partnerships with different cultures. It can also be observed that most of the failures faced by cross-national companies are caused by neglect of cultural differences. With the increasing importance of the China market in the world economy, many businessmen rushed to enter China to explore business opportunities.It was reported that the great barriers caused by cultural differences like difficulty of communication, higher potential transaction costs, different objectives and means of cooperation and operating methods, have led to the failure of many Sino-foreign cooperation projects. Here is how arise some issues on â€Å"how to understand China† and â€Å"how to settle business† with Chinese people. Predominantly motivated by the quest for material inputs (oil and other primary commodities) required for its infrastructural investments and booming manufacturing sector, Chinese presence in Africa is rapidly growing.The rapid growth and significance of enhanced Chinese participation in Africa has important implications while talking about cultural aspects. To clarify the differences between C hina and Africa, I will focus on Hofstedes four cultural dimensions: power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, and uncertainty avoidance and Bonds dimension about long-term/short-term orientation also called â€Å"Confucian Dynamism†. Hofstede is one of the first to adopt a pragmatic problem-solving approach in the field and relates culture to management.He defines culture as a kind of collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another (Hofstede, 1980). He explained that culturally-based values systems comprised four dimensions: power distance, individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. Michael Bond (1989) in a further research discovered another dimension called long-term/short-term orientation. China and Africa differ greatly with regard to their economic systems, political systems, social values, and laws, despite the substantial changes that have occurred in China during recent years.Some differences can be found according to Hofstede studies on culture differences. First, in terms of power distance, China is centralized (though it has shown some tendency toward decentralized power) while Africa is relatively decentralized. In high power distance cultures, authority is inherent in one’s position within a hierarchy. There are strong dependency relationships between parents and children, bosses and subordinates and a significant social distance between superior and subordinate.In low power distance or power tolerance cultures, individuals assess authority in view of its perceived rightness. Second, we notice in both cases that contrary to western countries which have a strong individualism, China and Africa have a strong collectivism. Individualism-collectivism refers to the relative importance of the interests of the individual versus the interests of the group. In collectivistic societies, the interests of the group take prece dence over individual interests. People see themselves as part of in-groups and the in-groups look after them in exchange for their loyalty.In individualistic cultures, the interest of the individual takes precedence over the group’s interest. Third, Africa has higher value than China in masculinity, which indicates that Africa is medium masculinity while China is medium femininity. Masculinity-femininity or goal orientation pertains to the extent to which â€Å"traditional† male orientations of ambition and achievement are emphasized over â€Å"traditional† female orientations of nurturance and interpersonal harmony. Cultures differ on what motivates people to achieve different goals.Cultures of the aggressive goal behavior type (masculinity) value material possessions, money, and assertiveness whereas cultures of the passive goal behavior type (femininity) value social relevance, quality of life and welfare of others. Fourth, China and Africa have higher value s for uncertainty avoidance the West. This shows that in both sides, people are relatively risk-avoiding while western people are relatively risk-taking. Uncertainty avoidance captures the degree to which individuals in a culture feel threatened by ambiguous, uncertain, or new situations.Cultures are characterized as either high or low on uncertainty avoidance. Whereas low uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer positive response to change and new opportunities, high uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer structure and consistent routine. Last, Africa has a short-term orientation while China has a long-term orientation. Also called â€Å"Confucian dynamism†, this last dimension assesses a society’s capacity for patience and delayed gratification. Long-term oriented cultures (China and Hong Kong) tend to save more money and exhibit more patience in reaping the results of their actions.Short-term oriented cultures (African countries) want to maximize the present rewards and are relatively less prone to saving or anticipating long term rewards. It has been widely accepted that cultural differences greatly affect human thinking and behavior and thus business organizations in which people interact on the basis of shared values. Management is embedded in a wider societal setting, and is heavily influenced by local historical and cultural norms (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983). The significant ifferences between Africa and China seem to affect some aspects of their business management practice. Cultural Differences in business Strategies Because entrepreneurs mature within a societal context, their attitudes toward cooperation are likely to be influenced by the underlying values of their society (Weaver, 2000). As discussed above, Africa and China have a strong collectivism. People depend more on groups or institutions to determine what they should do and emphasize loyalty to the group.They are more likely to cooperate with others to avoid risks and reduce resp onsibilities. However due to the medium masculinity, Africans sometimes are reluctant to cooperate because their masculine culture view cooperation in general as a sign of weakness and place a high value on independence and control. In the process of cooperation, Chinese tend to pay more attention to relationships. I have to mention that the term â€Å"guanxi† which in English means relation or connection is at the center of businesses in China.In Weaver’s studies (2000), I found that entrepreneurs from societies that are masculine and individualistic have a lower appreciation for cooperative strategies as compared to entrepreneurs from societies that are feminine and collectivist in nature. Cultural Differences in Conflict Management In order to solve conflicts, Chinese and Africans have different ways. For Chinese where harmony and personal relationship are very important, they don’t like open conflict; therefore they use indirect ways to work out problems.Any time there is conflict, they use the authority to end up with it or settle things in private. Negotiation and compromise are determinant for them in this case. Contrary to them, Africans managers like Europeans or Americans, will directly confront problems and bring them out in the open. To resolve problems, everybody is involved in order to bring rational arguments and ideas to suggest solutions. We can notice that Chinese avoid this method because for them that will create disagreement which is very undesirable.African managers are reluctant to devote their time and efforts together in solving business conflicts. Other people’s help is needed. In contrast, according to Bond (1991), the strong collective orientation and uncertainty avoidance values in China encourage Chinese managers to use indirect forms of influence that involve the assistance of a third party. Indirect forms are used by Chinese managers to deal with a difficult or controversial request. In this way, they avoid losing face or damaging â€Å"guanxi†.Cultural Differences in Decision-making Risk-taking/Risk-avoiding Chinese and African managers differ from in the attitudes toward risks when they make decisions for their different values in uncertainty avoidance. Chinese managers with a high uncertainty-avoidance have a lack adventurous spirit and the sense of risks. Immediate decisions which make them lose the opportunity to compete in a market are avoided in the case they feel the circumstance is uncertain. Most of the time, they want to be safe by taking less risky decisions. For African managers, it is almost the same.Middle and lower level supervisors are less willing to make decisions without deference to superiors. The result is that decision-making takes much longer than anticipated and requires more input from players at various social and professional levels. Uncertainty Avoidance measures for Africa indicate low risk taking and a resistance to change which can further d elay projects which encounter problems mid-cycle. Levels of Participation in Decision-making The decision-making process involves making sense of ambiguity and taking risks (Jackson, 1993).The decision maker is working on the information available about what has already happened, what is assumed to have happened or is happening. The second aspect is future oriented (Brady, 1990). A risk is being taken because one is applying a perspective based on (often assumed) knowledge of the past, and projecting this to what might happen in the future if a certain course of action is followed. Chinese managers or African managers have different level of participation in decision- making. In China, decisions are participatory.Employees accept decisions handed down by their supervisors. Because of their unquestioning attitudes towards their supervisors, they resist participation in decision-making. In Africa, managers make individual decisions. They don’t consult with others but can defer to their supervisors. They value personal equality. To summarize, I can say that Chinese managers adopt the no participatory approach to decision-making. The decisions come from the higher superiors to the subordinates. However, since the reforms in China, things are changing.More and more, participatory decision-making is starting to be used in a certain number of companies. Cultural Differences in Work-group Characteristics The first difference about the work-group characteristics is the concept of â€Å"brotherhood, network, family feeling† which is at the heart of all Chinese interactions. In African business style which is quasi the western business style, managers focus on the deal, the possibilities, the risks and so on. There is less focus on the people they are doing business with.They may encourage their group members to learn from each other, to focus on task rather than on social and interpersonal relations, and to build the confidence required for superior perfor mance. They make difference between personal relationship and work. In China, it is the opposite. Chinese managers may initially focus more effort on building social and interpersonal relations (guanxi) before entering into business or contractual relationship. They would like to spend time developing and maintaining guanxi during the process of interaction and consider it as a prerequisite to do business.What sort of person you are is more important than what you do. A good deal of time is spent exploring peoples characters. People want to know your background, your family situation, your likes and dislikes. A good deal of business is conducted in banqueting halls. Chinese believe a persons true character comes out during these moments. The only purpose during these meetings is to see people’s other side, the human side. If they are comfortable with you, and if they think they can trust you, that you can be invited to â€Å"join the family†, you and your business are made.Chinese managers are not interested in short term; they want long, life-long business relations. However, as the economy has become increasingly marketized, privatized and competitive, the value and effectiveness of the Guanxi system has greatly deteriorated. In industries that have been substantially deregulated or privatized, or where there is vigorous competition, business is business, and Guanxi has been neutralized or marginalized. Relationships or connections now resemble that which we find elsewhere. Cultural Differences in Motivation SystemsIn business contexts, the motivations of employees, partners, superiors, contractees, social associates, and members of a society spring from cultural values, or what people think is important. In order to understand how to do business with members of another culture, it is necessary to understand what motivates them, to know where to begin and what you need to cover all necessary bases. According to Aguinis (2002), employees can be rewarded according to their performance (principle of equity), equally (principle of equality), or based on their needs (principle of need).In general, the equity principle is common in individualistic cultures while the equality principle is widely used in collectivistic cultures. Pay for performance and pay equity are the two main differences in motivation systems. From the 1950s until the 1980s, every aspect of Chinas economic activity was planned, controlled and operated by the government. There was no private ownership of any property or asset, and, consequently, no profit motive for individuals or enterprises. The government would allocate everyone a pre-defined slice of the â€Å"big pie. If anyone wanted more than what was allocated to him/her, it meant circumventing that system and getting someone in that allocation chain to provide a special favor. People were obliged to sacrifice their individual interests for those of the society. Cooperation, interdependence, group goa ls that create group harmony are applied in China. The sense of belonging and devoting to the group are important for Chinese people. Focusing on the view that one’s success is mainly based on group work; they believe that one cannot claim the reward just for oneself.Contrary to what some Chinese researchers argued on this part, I can say while setting salaries Chinese managers will not pay more attention to the working experience and academic qualifications of employees. In that case, the equality principle is reflected in the motivation system. For African managers, individual achievement is important. They are expected to achieve success only by their individual efforts. Value competition, achievement and personal goals are their main motivations in order to have plans to recognize their individual contributions.Their success relies on their own efforts. Talents and work performance of the employees will be considered by their superiors for salary increases and promotion. CONCLUSION As a result, understanding other cultures is more important than ever. If we consider that people from the same economic, political, and cultural background have problems communicating effectively; we can appreciate the difficulties and challenges that people from diverse cultures face when trying to communicate. Misunderstandings will always be a part of cultural aspects.The objective of this topic is more or less to minimize misunderstandings through an awareness of the priorities and expectations of business partners. In this period of Globalization, examination of cultural factors and the subtle ways in which culture affects business practices and patterns of market behavior should command increased attention from businessmen. Companies need to think outside the proverbial box when formulating their business strategies and when collaborating and forming business partnerships.As sometimes companies move to do business in other countries, a greater sensitivity to cultur e will be required and an understanding of cultural realities should facilitate business transactions. Knowing another culture is a legitimate concern of businesses. More than that, it is essential. Those who make effort the effort to understand another culture gain knowledge about how to behave in that culture. Otherwise, if you know what people value and understand their attitudes, you won’t unintentionally do something that offends and diminishes your chances for business success.In today’s global businesses’ context, the winners are not those who study the markets they deal with even if it’s important but those who study people they deal with. REFERENCES Adler, N. (1991), â€Å"Cultural Dimensions of Organizational Behavior†, Thomson Publishing Company Adler, N. (2001), â€Å"International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior†, South-Western Pub, 4th Edition Blunt, P; and Jones, M. L (1992), â€Å"Managing Organizations in South Africa †, Berlin:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walter de Gruyter. Beamer L. and Varner Iris, (1998) â€Å"Intercontinental Communication in the Global Workplace†, New York: John Wiley ; Sons Beamer L. 2003, â€Å"Directness, Context and Facework in Chinese Business communication†, Journal of Business and Technical communication, Vol. 17, No. 2, 201-237 Beamer L. (1998) â€Å"Bridging Cultural Barriers†, China Business Review 5-6 1998, pp. 54-58 Boon, M. (1996), â€Å"The African Way: The Power of Interactive Leadership†, Zebra Press, Stanton Cohen R. , (1991) â€Å"Negotiating across cultures: International Communication in an Interdependent World†, Raymond Cohen Dia, M. (1991), â€Å"Development and cultural values in sub-Saharan Africa†, Finance and Development Hofstede, G. 1997), â€Å"Cultures and Organizations†, McGraw Hill Hofstede, G. (1984) â€Å"Culture’s consequences†, Sage, London and Beverly Hills Hofstede, G. (1991) †Å"Cultures and Organizations†, New York: McGraw-Hill International Hofstede, G. (1980), â€Å"Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values†, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Kalafatis, S. P. (2000), â€Å"Buyer-seller relationships along channels of distribution†, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 215-28. Koopman, A. (1991), â€Å"Transcultural Management†, Oxford: Blackwell. Kovach K.A. (1987), â€Å"What motivates employees: workers and supervisors give different answers†, Business Horizons Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 58-65. Levitt, T. (1983), â€Å"The globalization of markets†, Harvard Business Review, May-June, pp. 92-102. McCoy, F. (1995), â€Å"Doing Business in South Africa†, Black Enterprise, May, pp. 58-68. McLeod R. (1988), â€Å"China Inc. : Doing Business with the Chinese†, New York Bantam Books Mbigi, L. (1994), â€Å"The Spirit of African Management†, in P. Christie, R. les sem ; L. Mbigi (eds), â€Å"African Management, Knowledge Resources†, pp. 7-92. Mitchell C. (1999), â€Å"International business culture: building your international business through cultural awareness†, World Trade Press Prime, N. (1994), â€Å"Culture, temps et negociation commerciale†, Ph. D Thesis in Business Administration, Universite Pierre Mendes France, Ecole Superieure des Affaires, Grenoble Richmond, Y. ; Gestrin P. (1998), â€Å"Into Africa: Intercultural Insights† Intercultural Press. Robert Y. (2004), â€Å"What is Culture in Organizations†? Project Management Community Industry Article 3/2/2004 Storey J. 2000), â€Å"Cultural theory and popular culture: An Introduction†, Prentice Hall 3rd Edition Song Li (2004), â€Å"Gateway to Intercultural Communication†, Harbin University of Industry Press Victor D. (1993), â€Å"International business communication†, Harper-Collins Retrieved from articlesbase. com/internatio nal-business-articles/culture-differences-in-business-relationsthe-case-of-china-and-africa-1483226. html (ArticlesBase SC #1483226) Read more: articlesbase. com/international-business-articles/culture-differenc

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

What Xenophobia Is With Examples

What Xenophobia Is With Examples Xenophobia is as ubiquitous as the common cold. It shapes public policy, drives political campaigns and even sparks hate crimes. Yet, the meaning of this multi-syllabic word remains a mystery to many of the people who adopt xenophobic attitudes or find themselves subjected to them. This review of xenophobia illuminates the practice with a definition, contemporary and historical examples and an analysis of how xenophobia intersects with racism. What Xenophobia Is Pronounced zeen-oh-fobe-ee-ah, xenophobia is the fear or contempt of foreign people, places or things. People with this â€Å"fear† are known as xenophobes and the attitudes they have as xenophobic. While phobia refers to fear, xenophobes aren’t scared of foreign people in the same way that a person with arachnophobia fears spiders. Instead, their â€Å"fear† can best be compared to homophobia, as hatred largely drives their repulsion to foreigners.   Xenophobia can occur anywhere. In the United States, known for being the land of immigrants, a number of groups have been the targets of xenophobia, including the Italians, Irish, Poles, Slavs, Chinese, Japanese and a variety of immigrants from Latin America. As a result of xenophobia, immigrants from these backgrounds and others faced discrimination in employment, housing, and other sectors. The U.S. government even passed laws to restrict the number of Chinese nationals in the country and to strip Japanese Americans from the country’s coasts. The Chinese Exclusion Act and Executive Order 9066 More than 200,000 Chinese nationals traveled to the U.S. after the gold rush of 1849. In a three-decade period, they became 9 percent of California’s population and a quarter of the state’s labor force, according to the second volume of America’s History. Although whites excluded the Chinese from higher-wage jobs, the immigrants from the East made a name for themselves in industries such as cigar-making. Before long, white workers came to resent the Chinese and actually threatened to burn the docks from which these newcomers arrived in the U.S. The slogan â€Å"The Chinese Must Go!† became a rallying cry for Californians with anti-Chinese biases. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to halt the migration of Chinese nationals into the U.S. America’s History describes how xenophobia fueled this decision. â€Å"In other parts of the country, popular racism was directed against African Americans; in California (where blacks were few in number) it found a target in the Chinese. They were an ‘infusible’ element who could not be assimilated into American society, wrote the young journalist Henry George in a famous 1869 letter that made his reputation as a spokesman for California labor. ‘They practice all the unnameable vices of the East. [They are] utter heathens, treacherous, sensual, cowardly and cruel.’† George’s words perpetuate xenophobia by casting the Chinese and their homeland as vice-ridden and, thus, threatening to the U.S. As George framed them, the Chinese were untrustworthy and inferior to Westerners. Such xenophobic opinions not only kept Chinese workers on the sidelines of the labor force and dehumanized them but also led to U.S. lawmakers banning Chinese immigrants from entering the country. The Chinese Exclusion Act is far from the only U.S. legislation passed with xenophobic roots. Just months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, allowing the federal government to force more than 110,000 Japanese Americans on the West Coast from their homes and into internment camps. He signed the order under the guise that any American of Japanese descent was a potential threat to the U.S., as they could join forces with Japan to commit espionage or other attacks against the country. Historians point out, however, that anti-Japanese sentiment in places such as California fueled the move. The president had no reason to view Japanese Americans as threats, especially since the federal government never linked any such person to espionage or plots against the U.S.   The U.S. appeared to make some headway in its treatment of immigrants in 1943 and 1944, when it, respectively, repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act and allowed Japanese American internees to return to their homes. More than four decades later, President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which offered a formal apology to Japanese American internees and a payout of $20,000 to internment camp survivors. It took until June 2012 for the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a resolution apologizing for the Chinese Exclusion Act. Proposition 187 and SB 1070 Xenophobic public policy isn’t limited to the anti-Asian legislation of America’s past. More recent laws, such as California’s Proposition 187 and Arizona’s SB 1070, have also been labeled xenophobic for striving to create a sort of police state for undocumented immigrants in which they’d constantly be under scrutiny and denied basic social services. Named the Save Our State initiative, Prop. 187 aimed to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving public services such as education or medical treatment. It also mandated teachers, healthcare workers, and others to report individuals they suspected of being undocumented to the authorities. Although the ballot measure passed with 59 percent of the vote, federal courts later struck it down for being unconstitutional. Sixteen years after the controversial passage of California’s Prop. 187, the Arizona legislature passed SB 1070, which required police to check the immigration status of anyone they suspected to be in the country illegally. This mandate, predictably, led to concerns about racial profiling. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately gutted some parts of the law, including the provision allowing police to arrest immigrants without probable cause and the provision making it a state crime for unauthorized immigrants not to carry registration papers at all times. The high court, however, left in the provision allowing authorities to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws if they have reasonable cause to believe the individuals reside in the U.S. illegally. While that marked a small victory for the state, Arizona suffered a highly publicized boycott because of its immigration policy. The city of Phoenix lost $141 million in tourism revenue as a result, according to the Center for American Progress.   How Xenophobia and Racism Intersect Xenophobia and racism often coexist. While whites have been targets of xenophobia, such whites usually fall into the â€Å"white ethnic† category- Slavs, Poles, Jews. In other words, they’re not white Anglo-Saxon Protestants, the Western Europeans historically deemed as desirable whites. In the early 20th century, prominent whites expressed fear that white ethnics were reproducing at higher rates than the WASP population. In the 21st century, such fears continue to be raised. Roger Schlafly, son of Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the conservative political group Eagle Forum,  Ã‚  expressed his dismay in 2012 about a New York Times article that covered the rise of the Latino birthrate and the dip in the white birthrate. He lamented the growing number of immigrants with little in common with the 1950s American family, which he describes as â€Å"happy, self-sufficient, autonomous, law-abiding, honorable, patriotic, hard-working.†   In contrast, according to Schlafly, Latino immigrants are transforming the U.S. to its detriment. They â€Å"do not share those values, and †¦ have high rates of illiteracy, illegitimacy, and gang crime, and they will vote Democrat when the Democrats promise them more food stamps.† In short, because Latinos aren’t 1950s WASPs, they must be bad news for the U.S. Just as blacks have been characterized as welfare dependent, Schlafly argues that Latinos are too and will flock to Democrats for â€Å"food stamps.† Wrapping Up While white ethnics, Latinos and other immigrants of color face negative stereotypes, Americans typically hold Western Europeans in high regard. They praise the British for being cultured and refined and the French for their cuisine and fashion. Immigrants of color, however, routinely fight off the idea that they’re inferior to whites. They lack intelligence and integrity or bring disease and crime into the country, xenophobes claim. Sadly, more than 100 years after the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, xenophobia remains prevalent in U.S. society.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Journals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journals - Research Paper Example The problem of decision making that requires an individual to balance between good and bad. While good is not very promising, bad is neither the best option. This signifies a life situation that requires concrete decision making on serious issues. Such situations require an individual to compromise on one aspect or the other, yet the aspect to compromise is not as clear. Visualizing clearly the right decision to make troubles this person. He thinks of taking both opportunities, but there is only one option at a time. Taking either option would mean no opportunity to take the second. However, in every confusing situation, there is always a more promising option. Regardless of how complex the situation in life can be, there is always a better way out. The confused individual looks at both options carefully and takes the best, hoping to try the other, if life allows a chance. This is a poem depicting real life, informing people that compromising situation must occur, and calling for peo ple to ponder more and be decisive. There is more to life than just love. This poem is about the reality of life, telling people that love is not the ultimate solution to the challenges we have, yet it is the most important thing for man. There is a great irony in this poem. First, the impression of the title and the first sentence makes us believe that love is worthless, since it cannot supply man with the very basics of this life. However, this notion changes as the poem progresses, and we come to realize that love is in fact everything. Love is the most coveted thing by man, which overshadows everything else. Many people will not value anything else other than love. Even though an individual may have everything they need in life, all the treasures, all the comfort, all the possessions; lack of someone to love them will make all those meaningless. Love could be there, but people shall always need food and shelter. Love could be there but people still

Friday, November 1, 2019

Supply Chain Would Cease to Exist without Information Systems Research Paper

Supply Chain Would Cease to Exist without Information Systems Technologies - Research Paper Example Both association and suppliers have to practice information technology since it guarantees the integration of supply chain on condition that the associates truthfully share it and if not, their supply chain would definitely come to an end. Even as it broadens the level of knowledge it makes sure the accuracy in outlay management as well. What is more, it is a feature to evaluate the top suppliers' value and then leverage potential right through the absolute supply chain (Bharadwaj, 2000, p. 182). DHL is the wide-reaching seller of the global package and document express and logistics trade, focusing on offering modern and custom-made solutions from a single source. They analyze information technology as a practical tool. DHL runs the intercontinental air express shipping business in providing high-tech technology that presents customers smooth access to delivery and trailing information. Their spending in IT enables them to carry on exploiting the latest technologies to rationalize the shipping method and give services that let customers be further competitive. DHL exploits X.25 plus Frame Relay technology in their speedy TCP/IP exchange network (DHLNET), facilitating clients to monitor the status of deliveries, research shipping programs and rating details from anyplace in the world. Moreover, it presents helpful information on map-reading, delivery moments and system ability which allows shipments to move with ease around the world. Different innovative equipment used by DHL is Electronic Data Interchange. Deployment of EDI enhances rate and efficiency in carrying, invoicing and statistics management and permit customers to interact via symbolic electronic messages openly with DHL.