Place name disambiguation pages Essay

Have you ever heard the saying, â€Å"Don’t judge a book by its cover† and wondered what it meant? Sandra Cisneros, author of the short story, â€Å"Salvador Late or Early†, creates a frame of mind and brings fourth a sad and sympathetic feeling within the reader towards Salvador; who is a young boy with more weight on his shoulder than any average kid his size should have to bare. Cisneros uses imagery, diction, and characterizes Salvador as solitary, troubled, and as unnoticed child. Who takes on more responsibilities as a young boy than most would imagine at a glance, that any kid would have to endure. Author Sandra Cisneros uses simplistic tone to create a sympathetic frame of mind within the reader by using an range of imagery to grab the readers attention. Cisneros describes Salvador’s responsibilities, the way he looks, and where Salvador lives leaving the reader tender in thought toward Salvador. â€Å"Inside that forty-pound body of boy with its geography of scars, its history of hurt, limbs stuffed with feathers and rags†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Cisneros) illustrate a weak, flimsy young boy with no sense of hope or direction. Cisneros then goes on to state, â€Å"In that vague direction where homes are the color of bad weather†¦,† painting a dark cloud over the home of Salvador inside the readers mind. Cisneros never gives the reader a specific age for Salvador but we can tell from the diction being used along with the specific details given to us by the author that Salvador is a young boy given an incredible amount of responsibility. The reader can also assume that Salvador has a head of the house type role. Also the reader immediately picks up on how poor Salvador and his family are when Cisneros writes, â€Å"combs their hair with water, feeds them milk and cornflakes from a tin cup in the dim dark of the morning. † This all being done by the young Salvador and by this passage the reader picks up on a depressing feeling that leaves the audience fascinated and worried at the problems this young boy is in. Cisneros labels the main character with great detail that he has a past shrouded in problem and puzzlement which in turn, leaves the reader mind with the question of what could have happened to this boy that left him with such with such a burden to carry. â€Å"Salvador whose name the teacher cannot remember, is a boy who is no ones friend,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Cisneros) this statement describes Salvador as a loner and not very out spoken considering his own teacher cant remember his name. In conclusion Sandra Cisneros creates a very graphic visualization of the characteristics that help the reader build an image and a diverse amount of feelings towards the character Salvador. Leaving the reader questioning the past of the young boy, which seems to eat away at his inner emotions and will continue to do so until there is nothing left but a empty shell of pain, and agony. Burdened at a young age with the role as the head of the household young, shy, Salvador is faced each day with obstacles not many his age must overcome. Filled with a past full of secrecy, Salvador pushes forward each day braving this storm not only for himself, but for his younger siblings and a â€Å"Mama†, who seems to be on her own also. Described as â€Å"his limbs stuffed with feathers and rags,† (Cisneros) a valid argument can be made that Salvador holds more than just pain, and agony within. One can argue that any young boy who has to burden the trouble and responsibilities that Salvador carries on his shoulders each day represents, the brave and determined will to go on not for himself but for the other he loves and that quality in anyone no matter size, or age makes them an amazing person.

Impact of Television Violence on Children Essay

Watching violence on television can have many affects on all age groups. I decided to write about the affects of television violence upon child development. Violence on television is one of the most common media influences in children these days. There are many reasons how television violence affects children, such as how much television they watch, their age and personality, and also whether they watch television alone or with adults. It also matters if their parents talk with them about the violence they see on TV. In order for parents to protect their children from the harmful effects of violence on television, it is essential to know what the impact of television violence can be on children. Violence can play an important role in the development of children; it may cause some to perceive it and not get affected and some may be affected by it in a very dangerous way like the columbine incident. There has been studies done over the past and hundreds of studies have examined how violent programming on TV affects children and young people. A study from a psychological research showed three major effects of watching television â€Å"Psychological research has shown three major effects of seeing violence on television: Children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, Children may be more fearful of the world around them, Children may be more likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways toward others† (http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html). Children can be vulnerable to violent images and messages. Children in particular can become victims of violence on T.V. than adults; which can cause them to be afraid of the world and people they are surrounded. The most common T.V. shows that affects children of all ages, which is close to real life violence is cartoons. In most of the cartoon shows violence is exposed as humorous and realistic conclusions of violence; which could cause children to show aggressive behavior towards their peers and others. Usually these types of shows do not show the consequences of violence, which doesn’t teach children that acting or enacting violence they can face jail time and other penalties for juvenile offenders in the court of law. According to a study on preschoolers at Pennsylvania State University, â€Å"Children who watched the violent shows were more likely to strike out at playmates, argue, disobey authority and were less willing to wait for things than those children who  watched nonviolent programs† (http://helping.apa.org/family/kidtvviol.html). Parents should pay close attention to what their children see on television like shows, news, movies and commercials. Studies have shown that kids are more afraid of violence in news coverage than in any other media content. As children get older and are better able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality then they would have a better understanding of real news events and the purpose of such graphic footage. Effects o n a healthy child development, television can affect learning and school performance. If watching television cuts into the time children need for activities, which is crucial to healthy mental and physical development as well. Children’s free time should be surrounded by time spent in activities such as playing sports, reading books, explore nature such as learning about plants and flowers instead of watching T.V.; which can lead to obesity which is a serious concern today. According to researchers, they concluded that viewers feel an instant sense of relaxation when viewers begin to watch TV and also said that feeling disappears as soon as the television set is turned off; which I personally feel is true. The feeling is not similar to the thrilled feeling a person gets from playing sports. For example, after watching TV, viewers may mentally feel tired and feel a sense of low energy. Parents should investigate on different studies that are conducted to understand different messages that violence on television sends to its audiences. Violence is portrayed in many ways it can be acted out by characters such as a hero or by a villain. Different types of violent scenes can be shown clearly in depth or it maybe left to the viewers imagination; for example, imagination allows a viewer to come up with his/her own conclusion to how a certain murder may have occurred, which represents a type of television violence shown by a network. In conclusion, Parents have to speak to their children about the different shows that are viewed by their children to avoid misinterpretation of violence and aggressive behavior that could lead them to become criminals. Parents should take an initiative on the issue, â€Å"While most scientists are convinced that children can learn aggressive behavior from television, they also point out that parents have tremendous power to moderate that influence† (http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html). Parents should  discuss violence in the news such as war and acts of terrorism need to be put into a more detailed and descriptive context for children. They should also explain different acts of violence and criminal activities to de-sensationalize, so the children don’t become fearful of the world. By talking to kids about violence in the media they can critically understand television, movies, music, and video games that can help them put media violence into perspective by not taking the full impact of violence mentally. They can start to judge the media violence and start to examine its use in the media that they tend to watch. The children also need to be addressed on how the actors of a show feel in real life about the part they played in a particular show. By expressing these issues out in the open the children can get a better perspective on why violence on television is potrayed and why people are attracted to it. They would understand that producers and directors create violence on television because it gives a certain network ratings; they would also understand that larger amount of audiences want their programming to be more entertaining with action and the network also creates such and atmosphere of violence through advertising to a younger audiences. Self Identity of children should not form from watching television because that can cause them to be like someone from TV rather than themselves; opinions of others form our social identity, in this case children perceive the television as social identity and become a TV character in real life as if the TV is set’s the standard of who you are. Becoming a character from watching television is subjectivity. Consciousness and the unconsciousness as well as emotions are part of our sense of who we are in this case children can come up with their own conclusion on who they are for example, a violent character such as a hero, a criminal, or a Psychopath that they might become from watching violence on television. Children need to understand, what violence is. After better understanding of violence they can then start to put media violence into perspective. http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/violence.html http://www.apa.org/monitor/may03/childhood.html http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ntvs.htm http://helping.apa.org/family/kidtvviol.html http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4100.htm

Comtemporary Management Issues Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Comtemporary Management Issues - Assignment Example The industry is self-sustainable which provide steady growth and stability to the country’s economy. The winemaking industry has been using the corks produced from the barks of the trees in this part of the country for over centuries. However, one needs to realize that these forests are thriving due to the presence of such industries (Darwall, 2007). However, in recent times that has been a very big dilemma in terms of the cork to be used, the companies have now two choices, i.e. the traditional champagne corks and the metal corks. The introduction of the metal corks has been one which is influenced by the idea of the number of trees that are needed to be cut down for the use in the cork industry (Bentham, 1789). This under the ISO 9001 does fall into the regulation and thus this can be used by the companies. This creates a strong ethical issue and also a moral issue. Considering the cork industry, it is seen that the industry similar to the wine industry is one which self-con tained and is one which has seen steady growth irrespective of the external factors. However, the industry is completely dependent on the trees and this has been the case for a number of centuries. However, one needs to realize that these forests are thriving due to the presence of such industries (Hollis, 2002). It lays importance on the essence of the action, the thought behind the action should be positive and towards the betterment. The consequences or the results of the action should not be given much importance (Scheffler, 1988). For actions to be considered as right it is essential that the actions led to best consequences. However, there is clearly no case of egoism that has been seen in the use of metal corks in the companies. Egoism is a case where the companies work based only on self-interest and without considering the other parties that might be affected by the decision. As per the consequentialist perspective, this is a sensible and ethical decision  to be made by t he company as this spreads happiness and also the consequence of the use of metal screw tops is beneficial to all at the end of the process (Samuel, 2004).

Increase in flights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Increase in flights - Essay Example DS-3 flew with 21 to 32 passengers (Hoyle and Knowles, 1998). By the time, DS-4 and DS-6 revolutionized the passenger flights and the power associated with them. Boeing and Airbus are two major companies that are providing the world with the passenger airplanes (Armstrong, 1993). The biggest passenger aeroplane is Airbus A-380. It is a double deck plane and made its first flight on 27 April 2005. The seating capacity for this plane is almost 853 for economy class or 525 people in a three-class arrangement. The airbus A-380 can reach the speed of almost 900km/hour or 0.85 mach (Cullingworth, 1997). History Fight history is full of experimentations and theories. The initialization in the field of flying is initiated by the Chinese. Chinese discovered kites round 400BC and people at that time thought that someday man could be able to fly in the air using kites or some other mechanism (Hoyle and Knowles, 1998). After that people, experimented big kites to fly in air but in vain. Chinese used these kites for fun and in their religious ceremonies. These kites are also used in weather testing. In 1480, Leonardo da Vinci proposed many theories about the flight and drew about 100 drawing to support his theories but his flight mechanism never came into reality (Hoyle and Knowles, 1998). In the year of 1783, Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier developed the first hot air balloon. The invention of hot air balloon opened new ways to develop an aircraft. About two centuries ago in 1804 a model of a real time glider is proposed by George Cayley (Armstrong, 1993). The model glider has fixed wings and a movable tail. This concept revolutionized the flight history. In 1853, George Cayley’s invented a glider, which was able to carry man. He named the glider ‘New Flyer’ and it took his footmen across Brompton Dale. In 1874, a piloted aeroplane was made by Felix du Temple, which ran down a ramp (Barrass and Madhavan, 1996). He named it ‘Hop’ and it is un able to take off using its own power. Clement Ader in 1890 created the first piloted aeroplane that is able to take off by using its own power. The name of this aeroplane is Eole. In 1893, first controlled flight was made by Otto Lilienthal (Cullingworth, 1997). He made a true controlled flight and glided up to 230 meters. Wright brothers made a sustained controlled flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk (Barrass and Madhavan, 1996). Wright brothers made a remarkable contribution in the flight history. Douglas airplanes contributed much in the history of the aeroplanes but when Boeing entered in the market of passenger planes, it made a remarkable contribution in passenger and cargo aeroplanes (Armstrong, 1993). In 1947, Boeing came with new design in aircrafts and presented their first plane and names it Boeing 377 Strato Cruiser. It has four piston driven engines (Hoyle and Knowles, 1998). Modern flights are much more advanced and are able to carry hundreds of passengers and tons of cargo w ith them (Newman and Kenworthy, 1999). Today airplanes have advanced turbo jet engines. Reasons for Increase in Flights Flight is the fastest mean of transport today. The speed of a plane depends on its engine. Today aircraft engines are such made that they can be able to carry tons of loads and maintain a high velocity. The property of an airplane that it can cover large distance in a little span of time makes it a major reason in the increase in flights (Tolley and Turton, 1995). It can save you

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution Essay

Analyzing the American Revolution and the French Revolution - Essay Example At face value, it might not appear as if the American Revolution in the French Revolution shares much in common. However, as a function of analyzing the commonalities and dissimilarities that these two historical occurrences share, the focus of this brief analysis will be to highlight the core commonalities that prompted both the American and French populations to actively resist the level of control that it been placed upon them by the authorities at that time; the British Empire and the French monarchy respectively. Through such an understanding and interpretation,  it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed level of appreciation for the causal factors that ultimately precipitated the rise of modern democracy within the Western world. Firstly, it must be understood that both the American Revolution and the French Revolution were partially predicated upon the economic hardships that both of these stakeholders were experiencing. In the case of the American colonies, the seven years war/French Indian war had created an economic hardship that the British Empire sought to escape from (Sherman, 2001). The most logical means through which the British Empire could pay off the massive amount of debt that it had accrued during this conflict was to raise taxes upon the colonies that it administered (Brunkhorst, nd). Naturally, unaccustomed to additional duties, tariffs, and taxes, the American population became frustrated with the hardship that living a frontier life, in addition to being expected to pay for the King’s most recent war, was too much; lending these individuals to rise up against the British overlords in the hopes that the economic situation and the overall quality/liberty that an individual could have w ithin the 13 colonies could be maximized.

English Employment Law Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

English Employment Law Study - Essay Example Self-Employed Individuals- Self-employed individuals are regarded as those individuals who are independent and run their business own. These individuals can also be duly considered as self-regulating contractors who are responsible for making broad regulations in order to attain predetermined business targets. It is worth to mention that self-employed individuals are   responsible for adopting   as well as implementing   broad decisions for smooth conduct of business (Kemp Little, 2012). A big similarity between the workers and the employees in the organizational context of the UK is that both of them are covered under common statutes of employment law. These include Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992, Employment Tribunals Act 1996, Employment Rights Act 1996, Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, Data Protection Act 1998 and Human Rights Act 1998. All these laws are enacted by the government in order to defend the rig hts of the employees as well as the workers belonging to different organizations of the UK (Kemp Little, 2012). Employees - All the employees in the UK are covered with special laws that eventually protect their respective rights by a considerable level. The basic understanding of these laws and statutory employment protection legislation apply to all those employees who work in diverse organisations despite their status i.e. higher, lower or middle level employees.   Employees are entitled to all major rights as long as they serve the basic purpose. of performing their

Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation Research Paper

Program Planning, , and Evaluation - Research Paper Example The disease shows various signs and symptoms that constitute hot flushes, breathlessness, restless legs, headaches, nausea, vertigo, abdominal pains, dry mouth, hyperventilation and palpitations. In a case, for example, students experience various anxieties resulting from their academic interactions (Cassady, 2010). In real sense, students’ assessment in particular areas of educational field results to the beginning of educational anxiety that hampers their potential to achieve success in a particular field. 3 Anxiety illness is partially passed on from parents. Several researches prove that high emotional, strung and nervous is experienced throughout a family. A perfect example is that sixty percent of children whose parents experience anxiety develop an inhibited temperament and fear (Coon, Mitterer, Talbot & Vanchella, 2010). These children have a character that is wary and irritable when young and when they become toddlers they are fearful and shy. When they enroll in the elementary they are often cautious and quiet and when they are adults they are at high possibility of anxiety difficulties for example panic attacks (p. 486). 3 This community needs the health promotion program because there is a possibility of anxiety illnesses in girls during adolescence. According to Weiner (2003), studies confirm that African American girls suffer from a higher number of anxieties (p. 40). An anxiety disorder is caused by integrating environmental and biological factors. Most families in Everett are poor which would then imply that their children can develop anxiety disorder resulting from state of poverty. 4 This health promotion program will be developed in conjunction with Everett Community Health Partnership (ECHP). The mission of ECHP is to enhance health and the standard of life of the community of Everett by generating chances for

Introduced or invasive species Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduced or invasive species - Lab Report Example With the introduction of globalization, efforts are on the way to introduce various plants and animals to other locations. Some of the species enhance the biodiversity of the new habitat while others require human involvement and care for their proliferation. The introduced species creates disturbance as it is potentially eliminating biomass from a specific community (Hughes, 2010; Invasive Plants-- A Horticultural Perspective). The problem occurs when the invasive species affects the agriculture, forest and also the prey and predators of the ecosystem. Reports state that 2/3rd of 40 North American fresh water extinct fishes in a century, were due to the invasive species. Thus invasive species are creating troubles for the native species in a varied manner- they not only affect the space, but also create competition for the food and therefore affect the food chain and food web, thereby affecting the ecosystem. They may act as predators for the native species, reproduce with the native species and generate hybrids. In such case rare species of the native environment are becoming endangered. Some of the US invasions encompass- Enhanced trade has made an invasion of Asian longhorn beetle from China to US (1996). It came to US in a wood packing material. The beetle is known to nourish on the hardwood trees and also on sugar maple thereby creating serious menace to the US forest (Invasive species.). Threats imposed by invasive species are becoming a serious issue across the world. They are affecting the natural ecosystem to a greater extent. Keeping this in view, President Clinton endorsed an Executive Order 13112 in the year 1999 to preclude the initiation of invasive species to prevent the ecosystem. It is the need of time to detect the introduction of the species as early as possible and measures should be taken to eradicate the species before it proliferates to the alarming levels.

Nursing Science in Research and Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Science in Research and Practice - Essay Example M., 2002). Evidence-based science is needed to be integrated into the nursing practice to meet the nursing roles of 21st century standards. By evidence-based practice, it is meant that these are proven ways to diagnose and treat patients based on rigorous evidence from contemporary science that may include not only theoretical perspectives, also practice perspectives. By practice perspectives, it is intended to mean studies that elucidate the clinical effectiveness of a particular practice. Authors have also defined it as application of best available empirical evidence that applies recent research findings to clinical practice so it may come into assistance of the clinical decision making of the nurse. To move into the 21st century, the nurses need to base their clinical practice on such empirical evidence to optimize outcomes of clients, to provide safe and accountable practice within the ethical realm, to ensure cost-effective practice on the face of resource constraints, and by these, to e nhance credibility of the profession (Litchfield, M., 1999). When the question of roles that nurses need to play to be able to efficiently do this arises, the answer is simple. They need to fill the gap between research findings and their implementation in their practice. In practice the academic structure for the basic nursing training should be oriented in such a manner that they can overcome the currently observed difficulty in synthesizing empirical and contextual evidence in order to integrate evidence-based changes into practice. Thus, their role should increasingly demonstrate skills and resourcefulness to appraise, synthesize, and implement best evidence into practice. This indicates an organized drift from the established knowledge and practice, and the nurses need to assume the dual role of a practitioner and a researcher. The science of nursing knowledge is a same scholarly investigative process that attempts to find out the factors that cause a change in the phenomenon. Thus, they should accept a practice activity that has been substantiated as predicting valid and reliable outcomes for their clients. This could only be done through establishment of a new body of knowledge confirmed by numerous research efforts and implementation of change in conventional practice based on that knowledge (Rogers, M. E., 1970). The integration of nursing practice should happen with strong rigorous empiric evidence, and such practice is always underpinned by nursing theory and science. The 21st Century nurses, thus would practice a systematic way of knowing that allows them to understand, predict, and explain the outcomes of their practice that is desired to help clients. It is important to note that now, the knowledge is being generated as a rapid pace, and they must adjust to this speed where they are able to understand and articulate clearly the theoretical bases of their discipline, both past and present. With a scholarship only, they can diagnose

Assessment item 4 Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assessment item 4 Report - Essay Example Pepsi was able to maintain such big reputation in international markets because of their innovative distribution strategies. This paper briefly analyses the distribution strategies of Pepsi in international markets. Distribution strategies of Pepsi Pepsi has concentrated in developing a wide range of distribution channels like, supermarkets/retail stores, fountain/restaurant, convenience stores, vending machines etc for marketing their products. Their product distribution philosophies or objectives were based on; making available all or most of the products in its portfolio within a distance easily reachable by consumers. Pepsi has realized that the beverage market is highly competitive and the customers may not take many efforts in locating the products. Most of the customers who like to purchase a soft drink will select the drink which is easily accessible to them. They will never travel long distances to purchase a soft drink even if they like a particular drink very much. Pepsi k nows better about the above consumer psychology and they structured their distribution channels in such a way to meet the customers at their doorsteps rather than asking the customers to travel lengthy distances in search of Pepsi products. In order to meet the above objective of shortening the distance between the customers and Pepsi products, â€Å"PepsiCo had developed various distribution models to offer its products and services to customers including the Direct Store Delivery (DSD), Broker Warehouse Distribution (BWD) and Vending & Food Service (V&FS) systems etc† (PepsiCo's Distribution and Logistics Operations, n. d). Advanced logic systems were also incorporated to the distribution channels in order to ensure hassle free transport of Pepsi products across the world. Moreover, in order to serve the customers more effectively and efficiently, Pepsi has made agreements with the local bottling companies. Direct channels, retailer channels, wholesaler channels, agent or b roker channels, dual channel or multiple channels etc are some of the common channels opted by product manufacturers to distribute their products. The distribution channels is selected based on the nature of the product, type of customers, market size, the producer’s level of control, the size of the producing company, the size of the retailers etc (The Retail Distribution Channel, n. d, p.36). PepsiCo is one of the largest companies in the world and they can opt for any type of distribution channels because of their immense financial capabilities. Pepsi has made use of different distribution channels based on the geographical characteristics and the cultural and economical aspects of the country in which they operate. For example, in countries like America and Middle East, Pepsi vending machines are available large in number whereas in countries like India instead of vending machines,

Factors Affecting Nigerias Underdevelopment Essay Example for Free

Factors Affecting Nigerias Underdevelopment Essay According to an economist the idea of development is a situation whereby there is an increase in a nations GNP and GDP, leading to an increase in growth .but to a sociologist this is a surface definition as development or rather a country is regarded as developed when such increase is affecting the living condition of its people even to the smallest group in the society. Where we don’t only calculate numbers and figures and structures but can see the positive change of things in the life of the people, both the rich, average and poor. Then such a society would be regarded as developed. For example the living conditions of the USA. Nigeria the most populated country in Africa filled with its endowed natural resources, and according to the â€Å"united nations statistics Nigeria is the 8th most populous county in the world with a population of 2.3%† (UN 2011).but the country still suffers the decay of underdevelopment due to certain avoidable factors that stand as unavoidable. What actually is underdevelopment? W.A Lewis 1963 says that a country may be â€Å"underdeveloped in the sense that its technology is backward when compared with that of other countries or in the sense that its institutions are relatively unfavorable to investment, or in the sense that capital resources per head are low when compared with western Europe or in the sense that output per head is low or in the sense that it has valuable natural resources that has not yet begun use† (extracted by opafola 1996). Agreeing to what Lewis has said so well underdevelopment can be explored from another dimension which in a way he seemed to have ignored, it is a situation whereby the quality of life of the majority of its people is low. The causes or factors of Nigeria’s underdevelopment can be divided into 2 which are both external and internal. â€Å"External includes slavery, colonialism, neo- colonialism and the worldwide recession† (Rodney 1972), with which in my opinion is a fact for our underdevelopment the foundation. Also the internal factors include bribery and corruption, poor leadership, bad patriotism from citizens etc. which actually is avoidable. FACTORS AFFECTING NIGERIA’S UNDERDEVELOPMENT 1. Bribery and Corruption This is the greatest factor that has put Nigeria where it is today, the issue of â€Å"corruption† this is an internal factor. According to the Longman dictionary of contemporary English new edition â€Å"corruption is define as dishonest, illegal or immoral behavior, especially from someone with power†. In Africa as a whole research has seen it that most African leaders are corrupt in nature, leading to their backwardness in development of their economy. Taking a cue from the late Attah Williams of Ghana, he executed all the corrupt leaders in Ghana for the stability of the country, and from recent news Ghana has taking a new turn in its development process (silver bird news 23rd august 2012). The issue of corruption is Nigeria’s biggest challenge that is eating into our economic growth leading to money laundering and looting of public funds meant for the improving living condition of citizens. Corruption now is found in every facets of the Nigerian system especially the political aspect has leaders steal for selfish gain. The transparency international corruption index 2011 ranked Nigeria 143th of 183 counties in the world that is developed, also on the scale of 10 (very clean) to 0 (highly corrupt) Nigeria scored 2.4%, between 2010 and 2011 Nigeria’s position declined from 9 places scoring 2.4% from a possible 10 showing the greatest sign that efforts at correcting corruption had been very inadequate in the last year† (business day, Wednesday September 6 2011). This shows the height of corruption in our country, taking the story of the former governor James ibori of delta state who was jailed for 16 years for money laundering in April 2012 by the American judiciary after being discharged by a Nigerian court due to bribe for a case he was still found guilty. Nigeria’s problem is this menace and until there is a stop to it I wonder where we are heading to. 2.Neo-colonialism or imperialism This is an external factor of Nigeria’s underdevelopment; it is the highest form of exploitation from the British countries to their colonies after independence. Nigeria has contributed to its economic backwardness, as it â€Å"promotes the maintenance of foreign domination and enhances neo-colonialism and the flowering of subjugationism† (onimode, 1981). Imperialism has always been an exploitative phenomenon, which was the initial motive for colonization. Nigeria has been seen as a dumping ground for most British counties, making it difficult for us to produce our own goods. Also the fact that we are primary producers with fewer technicalities to produce our raw materials into finished products makes it a means of imperialism as we export our goods at the rate determined by the British colonies and still import back at a higher cost. For example the crude oil, Nigeria is the largest country with the crude oil but the poorest in economic state due lack of technicality in transforming crude oil into petrol which led to the issue of sucidy removal in January 1st 2012, even after which things haven’t changed as fuel scarcity hits most part of the country e.g. Abuja, Lagos etc. as at 19th September 2012. 3.Poor leadership According to john c. Maxwell â€Å"leadership is about influence† and niyi adesonya sees it â€Å"as not just influence but also inspiration†. The idea of Nigeria’s leadership is just based on selfish gain of eating the â€Å"national cake† and leaving the main aim of governance. Research has seen it that Africa is one continent whereby its leaders are older than the country itself and Nigeria is not left out, as most of our past leaders are much older than the country itself. The issue of poor leadership is also a contributing factor whereby due to corruption leaders make laws to favour their actions, as each time a ruler comes in seat we keep on amending the constitution to suite political parties, politicians make empty promise during election campaigns when put office little or nothing is done in such community and citizens keep suffering in squalor and begin to govern themselves providing the necessities for their comfort. Due to poor leadership the recent issue of flood all over most riverine area would have occurred, this is because a developed country would have been prepared to channel the water released from the Cameroonian dam into another dam. But since Nigerian political elites spend time on unnecessary things like the introduction of the 5000 naira note, citizens are homeless. Poor leadership is a contributing factor of Nigeria’s underdevelopment, as the main issues are not critically tacked to solve other things. It has led to flamboyant spending of public funds whereby an average senator in the house of representative is paid unnecessary bills like the seating allowance, wardrobe allowance etc. aside the salary they earn, why won’t people kill to seat on political power? Nigeria is one country whereby the president earns more than the president of United States. As they continue to buy properties that they don’t need instead of investing in profitable business. 4.Bad patriotism This is also a causing factor for our underdevelopment from in my opinion, it is obvious that most Nigerians are aware of our backwardness and they don’t try to help matters instead they add to the problem itself. By disobeying or making difficult certain rules meant to help the country, this is because they believe it is another lie to eat from us. From the AIT news in August Hilary Clinton’s last visit to Nigeria in 2012, she told the president to have the will power of taking certain stringent rules and standing firm for example the handiwork of governor Fashola of Lagos state is termed credible as Lagos with its massive population is actually adjusting to change. This is because even as unpatriotic most Lagosians are governor Fashola still took a stand, Nigeria’s problem is also citizen built as persons no what is right and refuse doing it for no reason. REFERENCES Walter Rodney (1972) â€Å"How Europe Underdeveloped Africa† Dar-Es Salaam. Tanzania Publishing House. Lewis W.A (1963) â€Å"The Theory of Economic Growth† London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd. S.O. Opafola (1996) â€Å"The Journal of Philosophy and Development† Vol.2, Ogun State University: Hope Publications. Onimode, B (1981) â€Å"Imperialism and Nigerian Development† In O. Nnoli Edition. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English New Edition. Business Day Newspaper Wednesday September 6 (2011), Nigeria and Corruption Index United Nation Statistics 2011. AIT News august 2012.

Service Provider Essay Example for Free

Service Provider Essay Objective The objective of this report is to analyse the Service Provider named, StarHub and its success towards providing good service and being popular among the Singapore Consumers. To identify the factors that contributed to the success of StarHub using swot analysis. Background StarHub Limited is telecommunication Service Company and is Singapore’s fully-integrated info communication Company. StarHub Limited also provides other communication services like Mobile Network Services, Digital Cable Services, and Internet service for both consumer and corporate markets. It holds the second position in Mobile Operator Service and it has the fastest two-way High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPDA) and mobile network that has fastest network speed that gives up to 21Mega bit per second (mbps) with the help of the new 3G mobile telephony communication protocol technology. StarHub has this Hybrid Fiber-Coax (HCF) network which satisfies the consumers by providing multi-channel cable TV services which includes High Definition Television and on-demand services. It also provides Internet services in the form of Residential dial-up internet service and broadband internet via cable. It also provides mobile broadband where anyone can use it anywhere they want with network coverage. It delivers Ultra High broadband speed to its consumers. StarHub also provides digital voice service via cable with superior clarity. StarHub is the fast-rising challenger in the Singapore telecommunications Industry, placing second behind former government monopoly Singapore Telecom (SingTel). StarHub is also that markets only telecommunications group capable of providing the full range of telecommunications services, combining fixed and wireless telephone networks, cable television service, and broadband. Scope This report covers the analysis of Starhub Service Provider. It also covers the services given by the telecommunication services in Singapore and History of StarHub over the 10 Years. Surveys are done to collect data information of communication service consumers. Methods of enquiry Surveys are given to Consumers to get the opinion on the service they get  from StarHub. Finding out the factors through the surveys which contributed to the success in getting good reputation among the consumers in Singapore. 2.1 Management History Of StarHub. Management Singapore Government decided to liberalise the telecommunication sector by 2000. The 49% cap on foreign ownership of public telecommunications will be lifted and will give room for newcomers. StarHub was formed in April 2000. StarHub was given the license to deliver fixed network and mobile service on 7 May 1998. It was formed officially formed with Singapore Technologies Telemedia, Singapore Power, British Telecom and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) having the major shares in it. At the same time 2 other telecoms were formed, SingTel M1 (Mobile 1).Till then it was only providing mobile services. StarHub manage to sign agreement with 16 countries including china, USA and United Kingdom for its roaming services which even brought more consumers to them. StarHub further developed by winning the city’s 3G cellular phone licenses. During the period from 2003 to 2009, StarHub manage to develop in mobile services further. StarHub was the first mobile operator to launch Blackberry which is well known for its Smartphone service like e-mail, web browsing and other wireless data access. Wireless data services were even further developed by StarHub. By the end of 2009, StarHub was the first mobile operator in Asia to launch HSPA+ service having a high download speeds across nationwide. StarHub manage to get the License for Internet Service Provider and joint force with CyberWay service provider which was the first internet industry in Singapore and was announce as StarHub Internet on 3 Dec 1999. On the same day itself, a free surf plan was announce in conjunction of the new service provided and it became too popular that more than 180,000 people signed up for the surf plan less than few months. Consumers could surf the internet for via dial up and pay only normal local charges. In the year 2000, StarHub merged with Singapore Cable Vision which is the only paid TV media entertainment in Singapore. Due to th e merger, it obtained the SCV’s cable television together with the broadband internet access operations. In 2005, StarHub online was formed to provide broadband internet service. Both services came under StarHub. StarHub cable TV also manages to develop over the years. They had more  people subscribing to their service as the number of channel had start to increase and there were more variety channels to watch. Digital Television service was brought in 2004 and 11 interactive channels were added in. This made a tremendous change in subscriptions to their TV services. And now StarHub is the first service provider that provides with High Definition Television (HDTV) service and has 6 High definition channels. StarHub Launched the Maxonline plan where it is the connected 24 hours and has unlimited access to internet. They provided plans which suited for heavy and light users of internet. For light users, it came up plans like flexi surf where you pay as you use. Consumers only have to pay what they use for.It had the fastest download speed in Singapore when the MaxOnline Ultimate was launched. Now it provides 1Giga Bit Per Second (gbps) together with the Next Generation National Broadband Network. 2.2 Comparison In Singapore, We have 3 main telecommunication service providers which are StarHub, Singtel and M1. All have been a rising challenger to one another in a way with the service they have been providing for the past years. First we are going to compare what services they provide which defer from one another. These are the services provided by these service providers in a summary in the table below. Services Provided http://www.investorcentral.org/i/logo_starhub-a.gif http://topnews.com.sg/images/singtel_logo111.jpg http://blog.elyius.net/wp-content/uploads/m1-singapore-logo.jpg Mobile Service-Prepaid Service Mobile Service- Postpaid Service Broadband Service- Home( Fixed) Broadband Service- Mobile Digital TV services Home Fixed Line Service 2.3 Further Analysis From the above table, we could clearly see that M1 lacks in a Digital TV service where other service provider provides. Only StarHub and Singtel provide the Digital TV service. Another recent service just provided by M1  is the Home Fixed Line Service, meaning there were 2 services which M1 wasn’t providing before. But all the services are rather more similar if compared with one another which they are providing now. After seeing, the table you would have known the services provided is the same, we need to analyse further to see which service provider has better recognition among the consumers. Since our main focus is on communication services as a whole we shall remove M1 from the comparison as it doesn’t provide Digital TV service. So I would be comparing within StarHub and Singtel about their services. I have done some surveys using www.monkeysruvey.com using that I have collected some data from 80 people for my inferences. From the pie chart and bar graph below, we can clearly see that StarHub managed to dominate the graph by having 44% of the people surveyed using StarHub service. By looking at this, roughly we could estimate that StarHub is dominating the communication service industry in this Singapore. Followed by the Singtel which has 35 % and M1 21% from the people surveyed. I am going to explore the factors that contributed to this high percentage of StarHub consumers in Singapore. Survey on StarHub Consumers and other Consumers. Please Select the appropriate Answer. Which service provider do you subscribe to? StarHub b) Singtel c)Mobile 1(M1) Please proceed to the rest of the questions if you have selected â€Å"a† above. Which Service have you subscribed to? Mobile b) Cable TV c) Internet d) All services. Rate the Service Given by StarHub. Very Satisfied b) Satisfied c) Neutral d) Not Satisfied e) Very Not Satisfied Reasons for choosing StarHub? a)Cheap b) Good service c)Recommendations d) All of the above Would you recommend StarHub to others? Yes b) No 2.4 Factors Contributed We know that In order to be outstanding from one another we should have certain distinct characteristics or talent which differs from other people. This is case we have to explore How StarHub manage to obtain good  recognition among the consumers in Singapore even when there are other communication service Providers in Singapore. In order to be outstanding among the communication service providers they must be really competitive with other Service Providers. Getting updated with latest technology and offering services that go together with the latest technology. StarHub which follows this always provides its customers with up to date network service to serve them better. Also means that StarHub is readily available for changes and anticipate them accordingly. For example, when internet usage was getting higher in Singapore like surfing the net and online gaming increases they manage to help this consumers by having the highest internet download speed in Singapore. This made many co nsumers who prefer to be fast get attracted to their service. Next would be the quality of service. From the Survey I have done, below we can clearly see that StarHub provides with good service to the customers.service.PNG Higher percentage surveyed that their service is above average. StarHub has a very good recognition with their quality of service. They have a very coordinated system, which doesn’t have any severe problems and miscommunications. They provide 24 hrs customer service hotline, where people can call them 24 hours regarding their queries faced and technical difficulties, which makes consumers more accessible to them whenever they want. Next would be their promotions, which attract the customers to take their service up. They provide more promotions bundle services together so that consumers will take all the services together paying at a cheap price which eye catching for the customers. Hubbing promotion, where consumer will be subscribed to all 3 services at a cheaper rate compared subscribing to one service by one. From the survey done we can conclude that consumers with the higher percentage of 80% saying that their services charged at cheaper and worth it price. StarHub has done well in this area trying to attract the customers by providing its consumers cheaper services. Referring to this graph, we could roughly estimate that StarHub manage to get most of its consumers to subscribe to all its services. We can somehow conclude that the promotion above was effective after all in a way. StarHub also doesn’t focuses on getting new customers always but also tries to keep his current consumers by rewarding them by giving discounts to when they re-contract or waiving certain fee charge if they subscribe. They also have this point’s system feature, where the customers can redeem things in  return without paying full money for it. They also provide vouchers which can be used to re-contract their subscription with them without paying any fees. StarHub also gives birthday treat by giving free cake and vouchers on their customers birthdayreawrds.PNG StarHub have managed to attract new customers by giving them attractive promotions and cheap service. And as promise they also manage to give good service quality from the survey done. With good service provided, they also provide with reasonable cheap price which is really eye catchy for the customers. They also focus on attracting new customers and at the same time they also provide the current customers with good incentives making sure that they still prefer their service compared to other service providers. Customers satisfied with StarHub Service would tend to recommend the service and share the experience with their friends. With satisfied recommendations by friends People subscribe to the services also. This could be one of the reasons why it contributed 20 % to the graph above (4) on reasons for choosing for StarHub. We have explored certain factors on how StarHub manage to attract customer and the possible reasons on why they chose them. Next, we were going to analyse StarHub using SWOT analysis. 3.1 SWOT Analysis 3.11 Strengths StarHub strengths had made them a successful communication service provider. The strengths have enabled it to be successful and popular among the consumers in Singapore. One of it would be anticipating changes, as it becomes more and more competitive in the telecommunication industry its able to come up with new promoting ideas. StarHub manage to come up with new and innovative ideas on the service they give. For example, they were the first service provider to come with per second billing for outgoing calls and all day free incoming calls. This idea even boosted the service provider market. More people chose StarHub due to this reason. This is not the one idea they came up with, they were the first service provider who came up with unlimited internet access. This attractive idea of theirs had a huge jump of consumers subscribing to them. StarHub has this strength where many consumers preferred StarHub Services. Another good example would be when other communication services adapt th eir ideas to the services; StarHub has to come up with more new innovative ideas. When all services were the same  in all 3 communication services, StarHub manage to come with new idea with student Plan with an unlimited SMS service. When all the internet services provided by all providers were also the same, it came up with the highest and fastest internet service. They adapted to changes well and reacted to accordingly. Another important strength would be StarHub’s 24 hours customer service. With its 24 hours customer service department consumers and seek help anytime they want. All their problems can be addressed anytime they call the customer service. With this, consumers will feel more secured as there are people to support them with any kind of problem whenever they face. This would help the consumers to build trust on the service provider since they are assisted anytime. Next would be interactive. StarHub has Facebook which aids in connecting with all the people who have subscribe to their service. As most us know Face is becoming a the most popular social networking platform. StarHub uses this chance, to interact and have a better communication with the customers. People who cannot get through their customer service they can get their queries answered at facebook. StarHub also promote their service in the facebook so that everyone can see. Another interesting strength would be their Hub club and Platinum Club member scheme. This scheme is basically for those who subscribe to all their services will be provided certain discounts and special privileges. With this it helped StarHub to serve the customers better. With this discounts given more people preferred to treated specially by giving discounts. 3.12 Weakness StarHub’s weakness would be due to it’s one of its strength. When StarHub always come up with new attractive services these ideas would be adapted by communication service providers. Not only have other Communication service providers done that, in order to maintain the same level of other service providers, StarHub also adapts certain ideas from them. So due to this adaptation of ideas from one another to stand in the same level, StarHub needs to come with more so that they can be more outstanding from the rest. Coming with ideas isn’t easy; they have to consider certain factors at the same time. For example they have to come with ideas so that the company doesn’t make any loss but at the same time coming up with ideas with their current resources to attract and retain its current customers at the same  time. StarHub tries to make its new customers and existing customers at the same time. No questions to ask regarding about this. But when we really analyse this more in detail, we can say StarHub places most of its emphasis on attracting new customers. Equal emphasis isn’t given to both the sides. With this they have a chance of losing their existing customers. For example, for those who port over their mobile line to StarHub from other service providers were given $200 off any mobile phone they take and will be given whatever discount or fee waived for new sign up while for existing customers when they want to re- contract they are not given this privileges but only given vouchers that do not exceed the amount. 3.13 Opportunities StarHub has explored his opportunities well in telecommunication industry. When technology gets improved, it takes this chance to further more improve the service with the help of new technology. For example, it was the first to launch the 3G mobile service in 2004. It maximized the technology by providing the most 3G coverage around the whole Singapore and providing with the fastest HSPDA mobile internet speed up to 21Mbps. And also when Next Gen NBN service was out, StarHub made use of this and provided consumers with more faster and effective internet service. Another opportunity was for it to interact with customers and knowing what they want. As I have stated above of StarHub connecting themselves with the consumers through facebook social networking. Through facebook, consumers can ask the queries that need to be clarified. Consumers will also give ideas on how to improve their service and will give suggestions for them. From these, StarHub would roughly know what the issues that need to be solved are and know what the consumers really want. This helps StarHub to understand and provide service accordingly to reach the consumers standard and needs. When consumer’s needs are met, they would prefer more of StarHub service. StarHub manage to explore more of opportunities on the services they can provide. When StarHub merged with Singapore Cable vision with the cable services they also provided internet service. Providing 2 services due to the merger. These are some of the opportunities of StarHub. 3.14 Threats As this is competition based on Singapore, the only two threats faced would be Mobile One and Singtel communication Service Providers. As most of the  services provided by them are similar, StarHub has to do things making sure that they are outstanding among all the communication service providers. They must conquer well in most important 3 areas which will be Price, service quality and service they provide. 3.15 Suggestions My suggestion for StarHub would be really analyzing the consumer needs. For example, would be the lack of consideration for the existing consumers. The only provide more attention on attracting new customers. May be they could also give similar privileges to the current existing customers where everyone will be treated equally and will be fair, at the same sometime not having loss. Another suggestion could that, since it’s a very big company and they have many customers they could provide larger customer service serving customers as not all queries would be solved once they call. Most of the consumers hate waiting, thus having more people in customer service; consumers will have their queries solved immediately and with les waiting.

How Does Culture Impact On International Business Management Essay

How Does Culture Impact On International Business Management Essay Introduction The study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002) examines the effect of dimensions of national and organizational culture differences on the performance of international joint venture (IJV). They used the data from a survey of executives from joint ventures between Indian partners and partners from other counties to do the research. Finally, Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Chen, Park (2002) found that there is a negative effect from culture distance on the performance of international joint venture originates from differences in national culture and differences in organizational culture. Whats more, they found that the presumed negative effect from culture distance on the performance of international joint venture originates more from differences in organizational culture than from differences in national culture. Therefore, from the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002), we can know that differences in national culture have a negative impact on the performance of international joint venture. Moreover, differences in organizational culture also have a negative impact on the performance of international joint venture. Now, we know that differences in national culture and differences in organizational culture both have a significant impact on the performance of the international business. Differences in culture between partners have a significant impact on the international business. Therefore, it is very important and necessary for the international business people to study and understand how culture impact on the international business. Moreover, Sirmon and Lane (2004) said that when the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance, cultural differences between the partners members of that social group will be more disruptive. From Sirmon and Lane (2004), we can know that when cultural differences between the partners are very relevant to the value-creating activities of an alliance, cultural differences will significantly affect the performance of the international business. Therefore, it is very important and worthy to study how the cultural differences between the partners impact the performance of international alliance. Whats more, Sirmon and Lane (2004) found that when the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance, organizational culture differences between the partners members of that social group will be more disruptive than national culture differences. Furthermore, they also found that professional culture is the most relevant t o the value-creating activities of an alliance. Therefore, when the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance, the professional culture differences between the partners members of that social group will be the most disruptive. From the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002) and the study of (Sirmon and Lane, 2004), the culture differences have a significant impact on the international business when the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance. This essay will discuss how the culture impact on the international business. Moreover, this essay will discuss how the culture differences impact the international business based on three main readings: (Morrison, 2006, p.168), the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002) and the study of (Sirmon and Lane, 2004). Section 2 is definition of culture and international business. Section 3 is discussion and analysis of how the culture differences impact the international business. Section 4 is the conclusion and some suggestions. Section 2 Definition of Culture and International business Culture In order to discuss how the culture differences impact the international business, we must understand what culture is first. Culture can be broadly defined as , a learned, shared, compelling, interrelated set of symbols whose meanings provide a set of orientations for members of a society (Terpstra and David, 1991, p.6). From (Morrison, 2006, p.169), we can know that culture has many aspects, for example, value, behavior, beliefs, communication, sport, music and customs. International Business In order to discuss how the culture differences impact the international business, we should also understand what international business is. From (Morrison, 2006, p.5), we know that an international business forms when business activities of a company straddle two or more countries. A global business forms when a company expands to the extent that a large portion of its business is outside its home country (Morrison, 2006, p.6). Salk and Shenkar (2001, p.163) said that International alliances reside at the confluence of different cultures which include national, organizational and occupational cultures. Therefore, it is very important to study and understand how different cultures impact on the international business. Section 3 Discussion and analysis of how the culture differences impact the international business. Pothukuchi et al. (2002) found that partners cultural differences may have more influence on the performance of international alliance as those differences become more directly related to the alliances primary value-creating activities. An international alliances performance is driven by the alliances effectiveness in achieving its primary value-creating activities. Moreover, Harrison et al. (2001) said that resource complementarity between partners of international alliance is often a necessary condition to optimize this value creation. Therefore, in order to share, combine and leverage complementary resources, the partners employees must interact effectively. Many researchers found that national and organizational culture differences between these employees affect their interactions. This means that differences in national and organizational culture have a significant impact on the performance of international business. It is very important and necessary for the international busin ess people to study and understand different national cultures and organizational cultures. (Morrison, 2006, p.168) also said that culture differences can directly impact the success or failure of a project. He also said that achieving a successful outcome will depend on sensitivity to differences in cultures between partners. This means sensitivity to differences in norms of behavior, value systems and languages between the partners will impact the success or failure of a project. Whats more, Trompenaars (1994) also said that for international business, grasping the interacting cultural dynamic between the global and the local is the key to be successful. Therefore, for international business, sensitivity to differences in cultures and grasping the interacting cultural dynamic between the global and the local is very important because culture differences can directly affect the success or failure of a project. Moreover, Sirmon and Lane, (2004) said that cultural differences stems from national, organizational and professional cultures. The differences in national, organizational and professional culture can inhibit international alliance partners employees ability to interact effectively. This essay will discuss how the culture differences affect the international business from three different aspects: national culture, organizational culture, and professional culture. National Culture We know that different countries have different cultures. From (Morrison, 2006, p.172), nations are distinguishable from each other by a shared cultural history, for example, religion, language, or racial identity. Moreover, all these distinguishing characteristics blend into a national culture. Common language, shared religious, shared moral values, shared history, relationship between the individual and group, and attitudes to education are all the elements of national culture. National culture relates primarily to deep-seated values (Hofstede et al., 1990). National culture influences family life, organizational culture, education, and economic and political structures (Morrison, 2006, p.172). Sirmon and Lane, (2004) also said that the influence of national culture is strong and long lasting. Organizations, while they may develop their own specific values and behavior, are also highly influenced by the national culture of their home country (Morrison, 2006, p.202). Moreover, Hofst ede (1991) found that national culture explains 50% of the differences in managers attitudes, beliefs, and values. Albert (1991) said that national culture differences are clearly seen in economic and political systems, educational systems, and other institutions. Therefore, Sirmon and Lane, (2004) said that national culture differences between partners of the international alliance can challenge the development of successful relationships. Park and Ungson (1997) said that these challenges stem partially from the lack of shared norms or values. Moreover, this lack of common understanding may undermine the partners interpretation of each others strategic intent, which is crucial in global markets and partnerships (Hitt et al., 1995). Whats more, Hennart and Zengs (2002) research findings also suggests that differences in national culture can disrupt collaboration and learning between partners of the international alliance. Furthermore, Sirmon and Lane, (2004) said that a lack of shar ed values and norms may reduce effective communication, trust and knowledge sharing in joint ventures. They said that all these problems have been found to lead to lower the performance of the international business. However, differences in national culture can be beneficial. For example, when the managers work with the foreign partners, they will spend more effort on avoiding misunderstandings in international alliances than they would in domestic alliances. In this case, differences in national culture can lead to high-level communication and a more sustained collaboration. Therefore, differences in national culture also have a good and positive impact on the international business. Whats more, Chui et al. (2002) and Gibson (1999) also said that National culture has been shown to impact on major business activities, from capital structure to group performance. Now, we know that differences in national culture have a significant impact on the international business. Therefore, it is very important to study and understand how the national culture impact on the international business. This essay will also discuss how the national culture impact on the international business by discussing and analyzing how language and religions impact on the international business. (1). Languages Common language is an element of national culture. Language is the basic means of communication between people. Language facilitates social interaction and fosters a system of shared values and norms (Morrison, 2006, p.174). If partners of international alliance cannot have common language to communicate, they cannot cooperate and interact because they cannot communicate. Business people cannot do business with the people who speak different languages. Nowadays, the importance of English as a global language extends far beyond the number of native speakers. English as a global language and common language helps people who speak different languages to communicate. English language is an intercultural means of communicating. Business people can use English in their international business activities. Business people now can do business with the people who speak different languages by using English. English helps the business people overcome the problems of intercultural communication in their international business activities. Therefore, having a common language is a very important necessary condition for international business. Today, most of South America is Spanish-speaking, moreover, in recent years Spanish companies have expanded in the region, attracted by a perceived affinity with these markets derived from a common language(Morrison, 2006, p.175-176). Moreover, in a low-context culture, communication is clear and direct, such as America. In a high-context culture, much goes unsaid because ambiguity is the norm and directness is avoided, such as Asian cultures (Morrison, 2006, p.174-175). Difference in language culture will also impact international alliance partners employees communication and inhibit their ability to interact effectively. Therefore, knowing and understanding the partners language culture well is also very important for international business. (2). Religions The system of values and beliefs that characterizes a culture may be embodied in a particular religion (Morrison, 2006, p.179). As well as religious power, religion may exercise considerable political power. It can form a major unifying force in society. In countries where religion is a major element of the cultural environment, sensitivity to local religious beliefs and practices is particularly important in building business relations (Morrison, 2006, p.180). Research has identified over 15,000 distinct religions and religious movements among the worlds population (Barrett, 1997). Therefore, there are many people who have religious beliefs in this world. Knowing the local religious beliefs and the business partners religious beliefs well is very important for the international business. Moreover, many social associations and political parties in many countries are commonly based on religious affiliations. Moreover, these form an essential dimension of the business environment. For example, the growth in membership and influence of large churches in parts of the US impacts on the social and cultural environment of the communities in which they are located. If there is an established religion in a location, a business must take account of its wide ramifications. If there are multiple religions in locations, a business as a good corporate citizen should not discriminate (Morrison, 2006, p.181-182). Knowing the business partners religious beliefs well will help to achieve good outcomes. Do not know the business partners religious beliefs well may lead to the failure of your business. Therefore, we can know that it is particularly important and necessary for the international business to know the business partners local religious beliefs well. Whats more, many aspects of business life are directly (or indirectly) affected by religious beliefs and practices. For example, particular foods that are forbidden such as beef for Hindus; ban or restrictions on consumption of alcoholic drink; religious festivals during which work may be forbidden; clothing requirements; requirement for women and men to be segregated in the work environment in Muslim societies; and the ban on Sunday shopping in some countries (Morrison, 2006, p.187). Organizational Culture From the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002), we know that the negative effect on the performance of international joint venture originates more from differences in organizational culture than from differences in national culture. Whats more, from the study of (Sirmon and Lane, 2004), we know that when the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance, organizational culture differences between the partners members of that social group will be more disruptive than national culture differences. Therefore, from the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002) and the study of (Sirmon and Lane, 2004), we can know that organization culture has more impact on the international business. Organizational culture is very important for the international business. Therefore, in order to discuss how the culture differences impact the international business, we must understand what organizational culture is. From (Morrison, 2006, p.195), organizational culture or corporate culture, like national culture, focuses on values, norms and behavioral patterns shared by the organization. An organizational culture is one that is deliberately fostered among employees, who may have come to the company from a variety of different cultural background. Characteristics of organizational culture include that, for example, common language, shared terminology, norms of behavior, and dominant values of the organization. Hofstede et al. (1990) said that whereas national culture relates primarily to deep-seated values, organizational culture relates primarily to shared beliefs in organizational practices and processes. Weber et al. (1996) found that different organizational cultures between acquirer and target could decrease top managers positive attitudes toward the merger and decrease their cooperation. Therefore, Sirmon and Lane, (2004) said that organizational culture is very important for the success of mergers and acquisitions. They thought that when the partners have the same organizational culture, satisfaction, learning and effectiveness of interactions will be increased. Therefore, same organizational culture between the partners has positive impact on the success of mergers and acquisitions. Whats more, they also thought that if the partners have different organizational cultures, satisfaction, learning and effectiveness of interactions will be decreased. Moreover, from (Sirmon and Lane, 2004), we know when learning, satisfaction and effectiveness of interactions are decreased, the business processes used to share combine and leverage resources will be inhibited. Sirmon and Lane, (2004) said that it will be more difficult for partners who have different organizational cultures to effectively achieve the primary value-creating activities. Professional culture From (Van Maanen and Barley, 1984; Jordan, 1990 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ºBrown and Duguid, 1991; Lave and Wenger, 1991), we know that professional cultures develop through the socialization. Individuals receive the socialization during their training and occupational education. Then this socialization will be reinforced through the individuals professional experiences and interactions that lead to a broad understanding of how their occupation should be conducted. Moreover, Trice and Beyer (1993) said that professional cultures form as people, who span individual organizations, share a set of norms, values and beliefs related to their occupation. Sirmon and Lanes (2004) research findings suggests that professional culture differences are often the most relevant and salient cultural differences that the interacting employees face, and thus professional culture differences are the most disruptive to the alliances effectiveness in achieving its primary value-creating activities Section 4 Conculsion This essay discussed and analyzed that how the culture impact on the international business. Moreover, this essay discussed how the culture differences impact the international business based on three main readings: (Morrison, 2006, p.168), the study of (Pothukuchi, Damanpour, Choi, Chen, Park, 2002) and the study of (Sirmon and Lane, 2004). After discussing how the culture differences impact the international business, we know that: An international alliances performance is driven by the alliances effectiveness in achieving its primary value-creating activities. Moreover, resource complementarity between partners of international alliance is often a necessary condition to optimize this value creation. In order to share, combine and leverage complementary resources, the partners employees must interact effectively. However, national and organizational culture differences between these employees affect their interactions. Therefore, partners cultural differences may have more influence on the performance of international alliance as those differences become more directly related to the alliances primary value-creating activities. Achieving a successful outcome will depend on sensitivity to differences in cultures between partners. This means sensitivity to differences in norms of behavior, value systems and languages between the partners will impact the success or failure of a project. Therefore, culture differences can directly impact the success or failure of a project. Cultural differences stems from national, organizational and professional cultures. The differences in national, organizational and professional culture can inhibit international alliance partners employees ability to interact effectively. Differences in national culture lead to the lack of shared norms and value. The lack of shared values and norms may reduce effective communication, trust and knowledge sharing in the international business. Moreover, this lack of common understanding may undermine the partners interpretation of each others strategic intent, which is crucial in global markets and partnerships. All these problems have been found to lead to lower the performance of the international business. Therefore, differences in national culture can disrupt collaboration and learning between partners of the international alliance. Differences in national culture may have a negative impact on the performance of the international business. In some circumstance, differences in national culture can lead to high-level communication and a more sustained collaboration between the partners. Differences in national culture also have a good and positive impact on the international business. Therefore, differences in national culture can also be beneficial for the international business. Knowing and understanding the partners language culture well is also very important for international business. In countries where religion is a major element of the cultural environment, sensitivity to local religious beliefs and practices is particularly important in building business relations. When the domain of a social group is closer to the value-creating activities of an alliance, organizational culture differences between the partners members of that social group will be more disruptive than national culture differences. Therefore, the negative effect on the performance of international joint venture originates more from differences in organizational culture than from differences in national culture. Moreover, different organizational cultures between acquirer and target could decrease top managers positive attitudes toward the merger and decrease their cooperation. Organizational culture is very important for the success of mergers and acquisitions. Professional cultures form as people, who span individual organizations, share a set of norms, values and beliefs related to their occupation. Professional culture differences are often the most relevant and salient cultural differences that the interacting employees face, and thus professional culture differences are the most disruptive to the alliances effectiveness in achieving its primary value-creating activities. Some suggestion for the international business which reside at the confluence of different cultures: Morrison, (2006, p.202) said that in the international environment, a polycentric approach will make it easier for the international organization to adapt to the different cultural environments of foreign operations. (Morrison, 2006, p.168) also said that joint ventures is a good way to make international business relationships successful. Whats more, cultures are not fixed and static. Cultures can change. Therefore, organizations should be capable of change as they expand internationally because there are interactions between cultures and growth of international markets and global brands. Albert, M. (1991) Capitalisme contre Capitalisme, Paris: Seuil. Barrett, D. (1997) Annual statistical table on global mission:1997, International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 1 (1):24-5. Brown, J.S. and Duguid, P. (1991) Organizational learning and communities of practice: toward a unified view of working, learning, and innovation, Organization Science 2(1): 40-57. Chui, A.C.W., Lloyd, A.E. and Kwok, C.C.Y. (2002) The determination of capital structure: is national culture a missing piece to the puzzle? Journal of International Business Studies 33(1): 99-127. Gibson, C.B. (1999) Do they do what they believe they can? Group-efficacy beliefs and group performance across tasks and cultures, Academy of Management Journal 42(2): 138-152. Harrison, J.S., Hitt, M.A., Hoskisson, R.E. and Ireland, R.D. (2001) Resource complementary in business combinations: extending the logic to organizational alliances, Journal of Management 27: 679-690. Hennart, J.-F. and Zeng, M. (2002) Cross-cultural differences and joint venture longevity, Journal of International Business Studies 33(4): 699-716. Hitt, M.A., Tyler, B.B., Hardee, C. and Park, D. (1995) Understanding strategic intent in the global marketplace, Academy of Management Executive9 (2): 12-19. Hofstede, G. (1991) Cultures, Organizations: Software of the Mind, London: McGraw-Hill Hofstede, G., Neuijen, B., Ohayv, D.D. and Sanders, G. (1990) Measuring organizational cultures: a qualitative and quantitative study across twenty cases, Administrative Science Quarterly 35: 286-316. Jordan, A.T. (1990) Organizational culture and culture change: a case study, Studies in Third World Societies 42: 209-226. Lane, H.W. and Beamish, P.W. (1990) Cross-cultural cooperative behavior in joint ventures in LDCs, Management International Review 30(special issue): 87-102. Lave, j. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lyles, M.A. and Salk, J.E. (1996) Knowledge acquisitions from forging parents in international joint ventures: an empirical examination in the Hungarian context, Journal of International Business Studies 27(5): 877-903. Morrison, J. (2006), The International Business Environment, palgrave macmillan Parkhe, A. (1991) Interfirm diversity, organizational learning, and longevity, Journal of International Business Studies 22(4): 579-601. Park, S.H. and Ungson, G.R. (1997) The effect of national culture, organizational complementarity, and economic motivation on joint venture dissolution, Academy of Management Journal 40(2): 279-307. Pothukuchi, V., Damanpour, F., Choi, J., Chen, C.C. and Park, S.H. (2002) National and organizational culture differences and international joint venture performance, Journal of International Business Studies 33: 243-265. Salk, J.E. and Shenkar, O. (2001) Social identify in an international joint venture: an exploratory case study, Organization Science 12: 161-178. Sirmon, D.G., and Lane, P.J. (2004), A model of cultural differences and international alliance performance, Journal of international Business Studies (2004) 35, 306-319. Terpstra, V. and David, K. (1991) The Cultural Environment of International Business (Cincinnati: South-Western Publishing Co.). Trice, H.M. and Beyer, J.M. (1993) The Culture of Work Organizations, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Trompenaars, F. (1994) Riding the Waves of Culture (New York: Irwin). Van Maanen, j. and Barley, S.R. (1984) Occupational communities: culture and control in organizations, Research in Organizational Behavior 6: 287-365. Weber, Y., Shenkar, 0. and Raveh, A. (1996) National and corporate culture fit in mergers/acquisitions: an exploratory study, Management Science 42:1215-1227.

The Breakdown of the Carbone family in A View From The Bridge :: A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller

Trace the Breakdown of the Carbone family in A View From The Bridge New York in the 1940’s the United States welcomed immigrants from all over Europe but especially Italy, the only problem with these immigrants was, most where illegal. The Italians, starved from the depression of World War One fled their homes and sometimes families for a better life in America. This often worked because the areas where you went to live often contained more people of the same race and as they say ‘blood is thicker than water’ to these people so one person wouldn’t tell on another for hiding or being an illegal immigrant. One problem though, this being to get to America you had to be smuggled in by the Mafia, this happened to cost an arm and a leg which means your in debt to the Mafias, so when and if, you get to America most of the money you earned went to the Mafias, so it was a hard life but better than the one you had. This play is about two Italians that decide to take this risk, but what will happen as a cause of this†¦ Catherine Carbone is Eddie Carbone’ niece, she is a 17 year old girl and is strikingly good looking. On the other hand Eddie is a 40, husky, slightly overweight long shore man, one problem though he has a thing for Catherine, but Eddie knows he can’t have her, so because he can’t have here no one else can either, or you might say, Eddie Carbone ‘ wont settle for half ’, but a good looking 17 year old isn’t going to stay single for long, this creates a dilemma for Eddie. Catherine has spent pretty much all her life with Eddie so she has become very attached, for example, ‘you sit on the edge of the bathtub talking to him when he’s shaving’ in his underwear’, she thinks she is just talking to him, where as Eddie thinks that she is trying to say something and it’s not. So from an early age she has been manipulated by Eddie, making him seem the only one to trust and to believe every word he says, for example, ‘I wish there was one guy you couldn’t tell me things about!’ showing that if Eddie found a guy that Eddie didn’t now bad things about he would be a good guy to go out with but, Eddie isn’t going to find any won like. Beatrice is petrified of Eddie and he uses this to his advantage. Making Beatrice feel sorry for him when he’s being rude to her, ‘when

They Just Dont Understand Essay -- Personal Narrative Family Culture

They Just Don't Understand As the weekend drew in I knew that it’s going to be another battle between my mom and me. About whether or not it is acceptable for me to stay out till the club closes, or if I should just stay home and live like a hermit and study. I respect my mom very much, and in no way do I want to give her a hard time, but come on If your 18,19 years old don’t you feel that you deserve at least a little bit of freedom. People always tell me that â€Å"she is worried about you because you are her only son† and things like that, which I already understand. I know that every ones parents feel like that about them. I think that what adds to the fire is the fact that she was raised totally different than me, in a totally different country with totally different customs. This I feel has a great effect on the way she treats me here in America people go out to clubs, people party and have fun on the weekends, where my mom grew up it was totally different. My mom was raised on a small farm in Rorzniaty Poland; it is a really tiny town, not even two miles in total going north, south, east, and west. Her parents were pretty religious folks and she was a total study addict. All she would do is help out in the field come back home bathe, eat and study. There were really no clubs or anything she can go to, and only from time to time did the school have a dance. Basically her child hood consisted of studying. After high school she went on to the University of Krakow where she studied education. Only then did she start to live a li... ...e that we are not in Poland any more and that most of my years were spent here so I adapted to the way things are. She should really try to adopt to the way things are here, and I do talk to her and it is getting better but still there are those times where it all just goes back to square one and it seems like all the talks were just a waste of time. Many different cultures and many different generations will be put through the same cycle, some will adapt and others will not, some will try others will not, but either way we all should just try to bare with them because the chances are that the ones who will be against you doing what you do will be your parents, and whether it is going to be because of there age difference or there cultural difference, is up to them, but I guess in a way it is up to us to understand them if its so hard for them to understand us.

Gun Control in America Today Essay -- Guns Weapons Violence Crime Essa

During the Vietnam War, more than twice as many Americans were killed with firearms in the U.S. than died in combat. Today, firearms are used in approximately 65% of the 11,000 homicides a year. Suicides are carried out via a gun 57% of the 16,600 a year (â€Å"GunCite† 49). These statistics pose the question, â€Å"Would there be that many fewer deaths if guns were banned altogether? Or would these deaths occur just the same but by other means?† Studies on both a local and a national level have shown that the majority of murders are committed by those with previous criminal records. The â€Å"crimes of passion† are not very common; rather, most murders are planned and therefore would occur no matter what weapon is to be used (â€Å"GunCite† 49). However, controlling the guns in America is still an issue that needs to be addressed. Banning guns completely is not what should be done, however; if the government controls guns by other means, then crime w ill be reduced yet many Americans will still have them to use in recreation and in self defense. The Second Amendment of the Bill of Right in the United States Constitution says â€Å"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.â€Å" This statement has been interpreted two very different ways over the years. The Americans that favor strict gun control have come to the conclusion that this amendment guarantees the right of the states to own firearms. They believe the forefathers of the Constitution wanted to guarantee every state the right to keep and bear firearms, in order to defend against the federal government, should it try to possess too much power. The â€Å"well regulated militia,† they say, refers to state troops using state-supplied firearms, such as the National Guard or the Naval Militia. They believe that the Second Amendment was just another part of the checks and balances built into the American government. One strength this viewpoint has is that whi le the Supreme Court has never made a direct ruling on how to interpret the Second Amendment, it has never stuck down any gun-control law as being unconstitutional under the Second Amendment (Beard and Rand 224). Americans that are against gun control interpret this amendment in a very different manner. While they do not dispute that every state has the right to keep and bea... ...iewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. â€Å"GunCite† http://www.guncite.com. 8 December 2002. Halbrook, Stephen P. â€Å"An Individual Right† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Kopel, David B. â€Å"Guns Are Necessary for Self-Defense† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. National Rifle Association. â€Å"Gun Control Violates the Constitution† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Schwerin, Ursula. â€Å"The More Guns, the More Violence† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Vaughn, Jerry. â€Å"Guns Difficult to Use† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Wright, James D. â€Å"Gun Control Would Not Reduce Crime† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989. Zimring, Franklin E. and Gordon Hawkins. â€Å"Guns Should Not Be Used for Self-Defense† Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1989.

Philosophy I Think Therefore I Am Essay

‘Cogito ergo sum’, meaning I think therefore I am, Rene Descartes is the man credited to these few words. The quote originally written in French, comes from The Discourse on Method, but also appears written as the famous Latin, â€Å"Cogito ergo sum,† in his Meditations on First Philosophy, which was an attempt to find foundational truths for knowledge. The book contains six meditations that attempt to discover what is real by first doubting absolutely everything and starting from scratch. In this way, Descartes starts at the bottom and works his way up into believing in the existence of worldly things. For Descartes the essence of the self is the ability to think, in order to actually have an identity, you must be able to think. In many of Descartes works he emphasizes this point. In order for one to have an identity, you would have to be aware of your thinking, reasoning, perceiving processes. If someone was consistently unconscious of all of the for-mentioned things than it is impossible to actually have a perception of the self. Cogito, ergo sum is one principles of Descartes theory, where he is basically saying that if someone can not think, or have a conscience mind then they do not exist as an individual. It was the foundation upon which knowledge could be built. Although we can doubt our senses, we cannot doubt our thinking as doubting is a thought. And as one cannot think without existing and as we think, it follows that we exist. Many people now reject Descartes’ point of view, but I completely agree. If we can’t not think how can we truly understand our surroundings and adapt as all humans are naturally born to do. Our ability to think is completely dependent on all of the things we perceive with our minds. Though sometimes our senses can be a deceiving it is completely up to our minds and our thinking ability to be the decipher, the clear thought in the sea of confusing and discourse.

Critique on Happiness and Analysis Essay

In Karl Gibersons expression The Ends of Happiness (2006), from the acquirement & Spirit magazine, he raises the topic of joy, where he pleads that large number ar now act the means to happiness as an block up to itself and get under ones skin missed the psyche of life. Although Giberson(2006) has do some valid line of workations in claiming that people pursue wealth as a means to happiness, his arguments are largely undermined repayable to a deficiency of reliable evidences.Gibersons (2006) claims are not unfounded, as humankind beings t wind up to set their goals on substantial success. For them, monetary success is their definition of happiness. This bringing close together is illustrated by the statement The means have become an end for galore(postnominal) of us(para. 11). He goes on to say that many others cant seek happiness directly (para. 7). His thoughts align well with baseball clubs widely accepted regard that without family and friends it is hard to find happiness, for these are demand partners in living and doing well(para. 9). As such, Giberson (2006) implies that happiness comes from the various experiences and journeys which we go by in life, such as look time spent with people about us.However, Giberson (2006) makes an unsuccessful attempt in persuading his readers to tackle his beliefs by merely referencing to Aristotles doctrine of living well and doing well (para. 8). end-to-end the article, Giberson (2006) constantly refers to his own opinions and experiences. For example, he reminisces that in reflecting on the accumulated memories of happy time he finds himself agreeing with Aristotle (para. 12). Thereafter, he mentions that he coached his childrens sports teams and lov(ed) it (para. 13).This demonstrates that his views are greatly influenced by emotions rather than facts. Although the use of goods and services of anecdotes sparks interest and engages his readers effectively, his excessive usage of this ch at technique makes his arguments seem unsupported and weak. As a result of his heavy reliance on his own opinions, it has led to a hasty generalisation in his argument as seen through his claim that the States is not a nation prosecute happiness (para. 11). Due to a lack of expert opinion and statistical data, his claim remains unpersuasive and has little believability. Hence, Gibersons(2006) article lacks concrete support and fails to make a compelling argument.Although Giberson (2006) turn ins a good point of view on how people are becoming too focused on wealth in the pursuit of happiness, he makes sweeping statements that lacks credibility. He can provide a more concrete argument by using a wider simulacrum of reliable sources. This will greatly shit Gibersons (2006) argument and lend credibility to his claim. It would help greatly if he had supporting(a) opinions of other academic writers who follow his fill of thought. In essence, his article did indeed establish his t hesis that people are engage the means to happiness as an end to itself, but had unfortunately failed to compellingly persuade his audience. extension serviceGiberson, K. (2006, March/April). The Ends of Happiness. Retrieved on 21 Jan 2013 from http//ehis.ebscohost.com/explosive detection system/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4e0e6d4c-0091-45b9-be30-fd892a301bf9%40sessionmgr10&vid=3&hid=2