Night Shifts (After Seneca) free essay sample

There I remain behind a counter that squares me from this world. I hear the clients chatter in a high pitch just known as disappointment. Which will she purchase for the dress, she announces, seeing her girl. The little girl reacts in a tone possibly just pooches ought to hear that she loathes each and every choice. Out of sight you get the white-out clamor of a disappointed spat which must be that they theyre going to contend when they get to the front. A little carriage squeaks as it passes, sharing that the woman will leave soon. I stand uncertain about whether to roll the truck to take care of the texture or to remain and support my companion. He mutters to himself how he needs a smoke and a decent espresso as he steps his feet and mightily puts the texture on the table with a smack. He has some kind of old and eccentric music playing from a not all that ageless radio. We will compose a custom article test on Night Shifts (After Seneca) or on the other hand any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page A couple requests help with the gems area, and he with his excessively ready psyche, has a quick reaction. I hear him leave the counter from which we stand. The trough is rapidly Spanish (which she doesn't have the foggiest idea about all the words to) trying to converse with a more seasoned man of honor about how to make a blessing to shock his most youthful. She with her boisterous voice can be gotten notification from a couple of columns awaya sing tune y voice that folds into chuckling. Giving me the texture he needs cut, I attempt to discover the score for cutting and the sound of metal gathering itself closes with a thump. As the scissors presently cut into the texture, she keeps on talking stronger as she ventures into the following passageway till she finds what she was searching for. You would now be able to hear my companion coming back from helping the couple; I can nearly feel his shout as it hits my ear when he sets off the occasional movement sensor items. He excessivel y gripes that he isnt paid for a cardiovascular failure yet truly is currently battling the giggling that wont quit, seeing this will be the second time this night he impersonated a little childs shout. Presently to calm the store, he jumps on the speaker and reports that we will be shutting soon in endeavor to have everybody quit remarking on the last occasion. As we close, you hear the last carriages being returned to their homes with the sound of them mightily being assembled back. The delicate gab of every client leaving the store starts to cease to exist till just a couple are left. The opportunity is approaching near the end with every declaration blasting over our heads; you can hear every specialists franticness to at long last stroll through the ways to begin their excursions home. One associate has started the profound murmurs of depletion that can recount to the account of what life has tossed at them. It is at last shutting time. As the last barely any clients head to the front, so do the representatives. One of us heads to the entryway to bolt it as every individual completes their exchange. One young lady looks at the remainder of the line as the administrator shuts the draws. You can hear numerous great evenings and last inquiries. Attempting to close as quick as could reasonably be expected, we escort the last one out. The store haves everything lock and prepared to rest. My companion brings over the trough, and they go out for a last smoke before the genuine work starts. Being outside in the severe air, you can nearly hear the delicate murmur of the roadway and considerably progressively closer the road with vehicles halting and beginning at regular intervals to the cadence of the light. There is a family coming out of the café a couple of stores down, and the children are screeching as they rush to the vehicle. They yell supportive gestures to their folks who fall increasingly behind. My companion grad ually discusses workmanship and the significance of life as he rapidly begins whaling at the moonas if his issues would have been fixed by it. My chief sits on the control, just creation hints of understanding, and pings are originating from the gadgets in her grasp. Inside there is a great deal of work to be finished. There is texture to be taken care of and junk to go out with a clock cause somebody overlooked a mid-day break and cant remain any later at that point inquired. The sound of every representative turning on their music begins so each side of the store appears to have a sample of each kind. Its increasingly livelier everybody is discussing their day and glad to share what been occurring at home. The sound or the snap of the considerable number of radios turn off as every one concludes that shouting and hollering to one another is a superior decision. I return to the truck I didnt know whether I needed to take care of prior, realizing I need to drag it as its heavyweight makes it collide with each end top. The feeling of working close to somebody is soothing as each does whatever them might feeling like doing, hearing the sound of breath if not the music of decision first. The sound of the light switch clicking gradually begins, and the trucks squeak back to their homes as the caution signals, cautioning that anybody left isnt needed organization, and with that we close for ourselves.

Accounting Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited Essay Example for Free (#2011)

Bookkeeping Analysis of the 2011 Annual Report for Bank of Queensland Limited Essay ? The point of this report is to give a bookkeeping investigation of the 2011 yearly report for Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), and a scrutinize of the announcing of their presentation. The report examines the decision of bookkeeping arrangements and the adaptability of these strategies. The primary target of this report is to assess and perceive the chance of utilizing imaginative bookkeeping inside the organization, perceive and flawed bookkeeping numbers inside things recorded beforehand. Various things have been chosen from Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. Bank of Queensland Limited (BOQ), has history of 137 years with system of more than 280 branches working in Queensland. It offers center banking (business/retail), hardware fund, riches the executives and insuranceservices. BOQ is recorded on the ASX and utilizations its one of a kind idea of the Owner-Managed Branch (OMB),a organization between the Bank of Queensland (franchisor) and experienced bank directors (franchisees) to give banking administrations. 3. Depiction of key bookkeeping arrangements and gauges 3.1 Loans and advances at amortized cost (Asset) As appeared on BOQ’s Balance sheet in FY11, credits and advances at amortized cost are expensive itemsin its advantages representing around 98 percent. As per the noteworthy bookkeeping arrangements investigated by BOQ yearly report 2011, credits and advances are started by the bank and are perceived upon money being progressed to the borrower. In view of AASB13, credits and advances are at first perceived at reasonable incentive in addition to steady direct exchange cost utilizing the powerful intrigue technique. 3.2 Deposits and acquiring (Liability) Stores, as the one of the most significant money inflows of the bank, follow ruleAASB13 too. They are at first perceived at reasonable incentive in addition to exchange costs and thenby utilizing the powerful intrigue strategy, they are estimated at amortized cost. It is ordered in two fixations: retail stores and discount stores. This thing follows AASB119Employee Benefits which has been changed in its bookkeeping rules influencing the estimation of its commitments and the planning of acknowledgment of end benefits. Representative advantages can be arranged to four classes: wages, pay rates and yearly leave; long assistance leave; superannuation plan and offer based installments. 4. Adaptability of Management in Selecting the Key Accounting Policies It is evident that having flexiblemanagement can apply beneficial outcomes on the introduction of company’s yearly monetary report. In particular, from the Bank of Queenslandâ's point of view, if troughs have extensive flexibility in choosing the key bookkeeping arrangements, the money related execution of Bank of Queensland Ltd can be improved; thusly more financial specialists and clients would offer need to helping out them later on. 4.1 Loan and Advances at Amortized Cost 4.1.1 Flexibility Analysis The estimation of credits and advances at amortized cost is extremelyfavourable to business banks. From BOQ’s merged money related yearly report, the credit and advances at amortized cost represented around 83.3% of all out resources in 2011, it had expanded from 31,736,5 million to 33,276,1 million during 2010 to 2011. This change in $1539, 6 million was brought about by debilitation charges made by directors of the bank. The expansion of advances and advances at amortized cost could improve the clients trust in the bank. Sincefinancial reserves, credit business and obligations are the center business exchange of the financial business, this itemappears to increment receivable records. Likewise, as banks could charge a sensible pace of enthusiasm on such future advances/propels, they are capable utilizethis pay to pay current liabilities, compensation and pay rates of representatives, and furthermore the assessment obligation of business. Thusly, the BOQ’s directors have chosen an adaptable bookkeeping arrangement in this thing. Being prevailing in the benefits, advances and advances at amortized cost worries about the concern of creating money. The way that Bank of Queensland perceives advances and advances at amortized cost can be isolated to two stages. At first, advances are perceived at reasonable incentive in addition to steady direct exchange costs. Also, BOQ utilizes compelling interest technique to gauge the amortized cost at each detailing date. The upside of this bookkeeping arrangement is that incorporating direct exchange cost in the advance cost can balance the genuine exchange cost happened and expand the benefit for the bank. Moreover, the successful intrigue strategy is considered as one of the earlier techniques for amortizing a security markdown. Hypothetically, speculators require a markdown on securities in light of the fact that the market loan fee at the hour of issue is higher than the coupon installments on the security. Along these lines, by amortizing the rebate at the market loan cost, bookkeeping explanation of Bank of Queensland will precisely uncover the financial truth of the security issue and its actual expense of obligation. 4.2.1 Flexibility Analysis Due to the qualities of banking industry, there is a high adaptability for the board in these two liabilities. It is perceptible that stores and obtaining represented about 97% of absolute liabilities on the monetary record. Possessing 69% of absolute stores, supervisors give more consideration to Retail Banking Services as a result of itsattractiveness to clients contrasted with different kinds of stores. This approach expresses that securitization set-up costs identifying with on-monetary record resources are incorporated with securitization borrowings, and amortization is recorded as intrigue cost. At first, barring reeling sheet costs makes the obligation a lot littler and develops their net resources. Similarly, enthusiasm on obligation is a duty deductible cost and makes an assessment shield profiting Bank of Queensland. The significant capacity for this strategy is to spare incomes for BOQ. 4.3.1 Flexibility Analysis Employee costs principally comprise of offer based installments and worker benefits. These sorts of money related exercises are beneficialto BOQ.The come about because of expanding motivating forces to workers applies as it urges them to performenthusiasticallywhicheventuallyleads to higher benefits for the firm. Among Employee Benefits, shared based installments are recognized. The bookkeeping arrangement exhibits that Bank of Queensland permits workers to secure its offers, choices and rights sold perceived in the Employee Benefits Reserve. This cost could be turned around if the misfortune isn't because of an economic situation. This is exceptionally helpful as it urges workers to buy portions of their own organization be that as it may, then again, as more offers are sold, the more significant expense ascends in the stock trade. 5. Nature of Disclosure Made in BOQ Accounts The nature of revelation in the BOQÂ's approaches, system, execution and budget summaries and reports is acceptable as it gives open, straightforward and genuinely supported data. As the BOQ is a recorded organization, it needs to consent to all ASX exposure arrangements and revealing however what's more it likewise agrees to the ASX Corporate Governance Recommendations just as the Australian Prudential Standards (APS) (Profit Announcement 2011). In the benefit declaration report for 2011, BOQ reveals various divulgence standards which incorporate administration, load up structure, moral and dependable dynamic, budgetary announcing, auspicious and adjusted exposure, regard privileges of investors, perceive and oversee hazard, compensation. 5.1 Business Strategy and Economic Consequences The business methodology and monetary outcomes are revealed in the notes to the yearly report as far as the hazard the board of the organization. As it clarifies in these notes the bank approach is to deal with its hazard as far as credit chance, showcase chance, liquidity, operational hazard, consistence arrangements and capital administration. As it states in the yearly report there is a significant level of evaluation and observing of these dangers so as to follow the companyâ's procedure. 5.2 Notes to the Financial Statements †Explanation of Policies The notes to the fiscal summaries and reports do give a clarification to the bankâ's administration arrangements. As indicated by the 2011 Annual Report these arrangements give viability and effectiveness regarding dealing with the dangers depicted above just as making controls to help development and upper hand. A case of these strategies in 2011 was a solid cost the executives which lead them to decrease their expense to-pay proportion from 45.8% to 44.5%. Also, these strategies give administrative consistence just as execution the executives. 5.3 Explanation of Current Performance BOQ through its yearly Profit Announcement Report plainly clarifies its present execution regarding its essential exercises. It expresses its present degree of productivity and the principle explanations behind any misfortunes. Just as these benefit or misfortunes clarifications the report shows clarifications for changes in costs, resource development, retail store development, branch arrange extension and capital administration. As far as budgetary shows that limit the firm as a financial establishment, the principle one is the Basel II Accord in which the bank is committed to keep up capital sufficiency necessities. In the 2011 Annual report is referenced that Tier 1 capital made up of value capital and revealed holds was higher than required by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). Also, AASB 124 Related Party Disclosures is moreover unveiled so as to comprehend the effect on the firm. Additionally it reveals all its united explanations for all auxiliaries of the gathering keeping all union measures. The nature of the portion exposure for BOQ is adequate as it uncovers its two working fragments, and since the bank works just in Que

Using the Science of Persuasion to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

Using the Science of Persuasion to Become a Successful Entrepreneur Have you ever thought about what it takes to sell a product successfully to potential customers? Well obviously, in order to make a sale, salespeople often have to make the product appealing to the eye of the customer not just by describing its benefits but also persuading the customer that purchasing that particular product would definitely be worth their while.Now when we say that a salesperson must make the product appealing to the eye of the customer in order to make a sale, it does not involve ‘tricking’ the customer into making a purchase; instead, it refers to the fact that the salesperson must make use of the persuasion technique to convince the customer.You must be thinking about how you can also use the science of persuasion to become a successful entrepreneur or marketer; so here is everything you must know about the science of persuasion in order to master it. © Shutterstock.com | GraphicworldIn this article, we will learn 1) the principles derived from the science of persuasion that help doing business as well as 2) essential persuasion techniques that are used in fundraising and commercial advertising.THE PRINCIPLES DERIVED FROM THE SCIENCE OF PERSUASION THAT HELP IN DOING BUSINESSAn American Psychologist at the Arizona State University named Robert Cialdini was the brilliant mind that came up with the key principles of persuasion. He wrote a book in which all the key principles were discussed in detail, ‘Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion’ in 1984. Till date, Robert Cialdini’s book on persuasion is considered a bible that every marketing expert reads at least once before designing a persuasive marketing strategy.According to Professor Cialdini, it neither takes luck nor magic to influence someone. In fact, there is a whole science to it based on the six universal principles that can be used to influence people easily and eff ectively. If you ask most people, they cannot exactly explain how and why they made a decision to buy a particular product.But over a period of thorough research done for almost 30 years, Robert Cialdini proposed six different steps that may be implemented in a marketing strategy to influence the thought process of the potential customers. The six universal principles of persuasion are reciprocity, consistency, and social proof, display of authority, likeability and scarcity.Till date, Cialdini’s book has been listed on the list of Business Bestsellers List of New York Times and has landed a spot on the list of 75 Smartest Business Books list by Fortune Magazine. This brilliant marketing psychology masterpiece has been translated into more than 26 different languages and has sold more than 200 million copies over the years.If you are still not sure where the science of persuasion can be applied, here is what you need to know. Anyone from an entrepreneur to a salesman to recruiters , marketers, advertisers and fundraisers implement the persuasion technique to convince people without making any faulty promises. Take a look at the detailed explanation on each of the six different principles of persuasion and how they are helpful in running a successful business. However, it is important to understand that using these principles for selling shoddy goods unethically may backfire and result in a huge loss. So, entrepreneurs must always use this influence technique while upholding all the tenets of good business ethics.#1: ReciprocityHumans have a tendency to return favors, repay debts and treat other people on the basis of how well they treat them. The idea of reciprocity is simple yet profound for it explains how we would want to offer discounts and concessions to others if they offered them to use in the first place. The reason why we tend to behave this way is because humans feel uncomfortable knowing that they are indebted to someone. For instance, if one of yo ur coworkers assists you in completing a difficult task that you otherwise would not be able to do on your own, you automatically want to help them the next time around when your coworker is in a similar situation.Similarly, in the world of marketing, it is believed that distributing free samples, information or simply making your customers feel valued is important because it makes them want to reciprocate by building a positive association with your brand in their mind.A 2005 experiment was carried out by a social scientist named Randy Garner, who tried to get people to respond to a survey simply by using sticky notes. One-third of the respondents to the survey received a handwritten sticky note that requested them to complete the survey while the second group of respondents got a blank sticky note, and the third group received nothing. The results showed how a thing as insignificant as a handwritten sticky note had the power to make the highest percentage of respondents to complet e the survey with a response rate of 69%. While only 34%, respondents made an effort to fill out the survey without receiving a sticky note.The principle of reciprocation, therefore, has a significant impact on the psyche of the potential customers. If they receive a free sample or an unexpected gift, they are more likely to listen to what benefits the product offers or donate generously to a cause. The gift may not be pricey, but the impact that it will leave on the minds of the customers will be far greater than the price of the gifts given.#2: ConsistencyAccording to Prof. Cialdini, we crave consistency in everything we do; especially our commitments. This is one of the reasons why we feel more inclined to fulfill our commitments once we have made a verbal or written agreement. Prof. Cialdini believes that humans strive to remain consistent with their commitments while keeping in mind pre-existing values, attitudes, and actions.In 1987, an experiment was carried out on the Electi on Day â€" Eve where potential voters were asked if they would vote or not and to provide reasons for their decision, by a social scientist named Anthony Greenwald. 100% potential voters said that they would cast their vote, but that was not the case when the Election Day arrived. 86.7% potential voters went to their respective polling stations while only 61.5% of those who were not asked went to cast their votes; thus showing how consistency affects our decisions.Since people strive to remain true to their word, marketers can make sure that the customers follow through with a purchase or any required action by having them commit to it. Once coworkers or customers commit to doing something publicly, there are higher chances of them fulfilling their commitments.However, using the principle of consistency is not a piece of cake, and there are certain technicalities that one must fully understand. For instance, in order to get a higher response rate from your target audience, it is imp ortant to have people say ‘Yes’. For instance, never say something like ‘Please call if you are not able to come’ instead, ask a question to which you can have them respond to in the affirmative like ‘Will you please call if you have to cancel?’ The answer to this question will automatically be ‘Yes’ and so, you will have them more powerfully committed to an action.Another important consideration that you must look into when applying this principle practically is that age plays an important role in how we value consistency. The older you get, the more inclined to are to keep your word; making it more difficult for older people to change.This piece of information is very useful when designing marketing strategies for older customers in the corporate world. A 2005 study ‘Evidence of a Positive Relationship between Age and Preference for Consistency’ authored by Stephanie Brown showed that as you age, you become more ‘set’ in your ways and resist change.The only solution to addressing this problem and making older customers more receptive to a new idea or product is to praise them for the ‘good’ decisions they have made in the past. Marketers must build links and connections between the values they hold close to their heart along with new purchases that are consistent with their values and preferences.#3: Social ProofWe all believe in one thing â€" ‘safety in numbers’. We are more likely to work late if everyone in the office stays back. Social proof is how our decisions are affected by what others are doing. Whenever you are uncertain about making an important decision, you tend to look at what others are up to; this is how your decision is affected by the actions and decisions of your peers.Cialdini believes that social proof is the very reason why laugh tracks exist in comedy shows. In order to test how people’s decisions are more likely to get influenced by what others are doing, Cialdini carried out an experiment with his co lleagues. The experiment was simple â€" they tested four types of signs in order to gauge which sign would encourage most people to reuse towels during their stay at Arizona Hotel. The four signs stated the following:Environmental reasons are what make visitors at Arizona Hotel reuse their towels.A portion of the laundry would be donated by the hotel to support an environmental cause.The hotel had already donated money to save the environment and encouraged visitors to help in supporting the environmental cause.Most visitors reused their towels at least once when staying at Arizona Hotel.The results showed that the fourth sign that stated ‘most visitors reuse their towels at least once when staying at Arizona Hotel’ influenced 48% of visitors to take a similar action and reuse their towels. This shows that we are more likely to comply with a request when we already know that others are doing it. This cost effective strategy helped Arizona Hotel in saving a significant amount of money each year.Now this key element of social proof can easily be used by marketers when persuading new customers to make a purchase by using testimonials from satisfied customers. Once potential customers read testimonials from happy customers, there are higher chances of them becoming new customers themselves.#4: Display of AuthorityWe feel a strong sense of security when we know that a product or service is endorsed by a highly qualified professional or expert in the field. For instance, pharmaceutical companies usually get their medicines endorsed by famous doctors, physicians, and surgeons in order to create a strong image of the brand and build credibility.A psychologist named Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment in 1974 to test how authority affects our decision-making process. In the experiment, people were asked to shock victims whenever they gave wrong answers to certain questions asked. The ones who were responsible for shocking the victims were made to wear white lab coats to exhibit high level of authority. The participants said that the shocks given were increased 15 volts in terms of intensity each time the respondent gave a wrong answer. In reality, the shocks were only imaginary, and the respondents were only acting. As shocking the victims continued, the respondents faced high levels of discomfort until they finally screamed and demanded to be released.It was found that surprisingly only two-thirds of the participants ignored the screams of their victims and inflicted a full dose of 450 volts. Milgram was of the opinion that the real culprits of this experiment were the participants who were unable to defy the orders of their boss who urged and directed them to perform their duties despite the physical and emotional pain caused by them.In the world of business, marketers can build a strong image of their brands by having them endorsed by people of high authority in their respective fields. For instance, women are more likely to buy a cosm etic product of so and so brand if it is endorsed by a famous female celebrity.#5: LikeabilityAccording to observations and research done by Cialdini, likeability is another key element that affects our decisions greatly. People usually say ‘Yes’ to those whom they like or aspire to be like them. We also tend to favor those who are good looking and similar to us. Likability affects our decision-making process so much that even having the same name as someone may increase the chances of making a sale.In 2005, Randy Garner conducted an experiment to see how we react to those around us who share certain similarities with us. The experiment involved sending surveys to people with a note signed by someone with a similar name to theirs. For instance, Robert Ames may receive a note from Bob James.The result of the experiment was quite astounding. It showed that people were rather likely (56%) to fill out survey forms sent to them by someone with a similar sounding name. The question no w remains, how can marketers use the principle of likeability to increase their sales by persuading their target audience effectively? The answer is simple; they can relate to the audience by reporting honestly how similar the people who are providing these products and services are to their target audience.Marketers should stress on the fact that the people who have designed the products or services are well aware of the people’s preference, dislikes, challenges, and expectations.#6: ScarcityThe principle of scarcity indicates that we tend to go for products that are available in a limited quantity in order to boast its uniqueness. For example, there are higher chances of you buying a product when you know it’s the last piece left or when you know the promotional offer is going to end soon.Simply put, the less there is of something, the higher the value it is perceived to have. The principle of scarcity can also be applied in creating a foolproof marketing strategy by emphasizi ng the unique qualities a product has or the potential for a wasted opportunity when the product is not bought instead of just advertising the salient features of the product. ESSENTIAL PERSUASION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USED IN FUNDRAISING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISINGThe science of persuasion is not limited to the business world only where you can apply the six techniques simply to ‘up’ the sales volume. In fact, it can be used effectively to raise funds for a cause or a new startup too. Here we have come up with considerations you must look into when raising funds keeping in mind the principles of persuasion by Robert Cialdini.Reciprocity â€" Do not always try to get something out of the investor; try to give something of value in return too.Social Proof â€" When an investor wants a huge chunk of equity in your business, do not take it lightly. Having a few investors on board will automatically bring in new investors.Likeability â€" Always begin the first meeting by appreciating the op portunity given to you by the investor. Try to find something that you truly find admirable about your prospective investor.Authority â€" When you meet your investors, establish your credential as soon as you can to create a credible image in the mind of the investor.Now when it comes to persuasive ads, here are some key elements in which the science of persuasion is used.A short, memorable, positive slogan;A strong narrative story;From what perspective the target audience sees the action;The color psychology used the color scheme;Who is given the power in the ad and who isn’t;The subtext of the ad.Worldwide ads that highlight success stories like that of Pantene are no accident. They are executed and created carefully by implementing the principles of persuasion in their commercials after thorough research. The four main persuasion principles are the endorsement, appeal to emotions, solutions, and character/storylines.Appeal To Emotion This technique focuses on eliciting positiv e associations with a brand by leveraging the power of emotions. Such ads stir up desirable emotions in the viewers and focus on nostalgia, security, happiness, relaxation, sadness, intimacy, etc.Endorsements â€" Endorsements give an extra nudge to those potential customers who are still in limbo when it comes to making a purchase. Testimonials by people of authority or happy customers can make a world of a difference.Characters/Storylines â€" Powerful storylines involving imaginary characters can be used to attract and engage the customers enough to recognize the benefits and advantages of using a certain product. Depictions and stories of the everyday lives of people also help in making customers interested.Solutions In our problem riddled world, solutions are more than welcome. By showing a positive relationship between a product and the problem it solves can easily make a product more attractive in the eyes of the customers and make them purchase it.You now know the secret that has helped thousands of businesses reach the pinnacle of success â€" the science of persuasion. You too can reach out to your target audience more effectively by using the six principles of persuasion. However, you must never use the persuasion technique to deceive people and trick them into buying shoddy goods as it will bring down the credibility of your brands instantly and kill the pristine image of the company in the mind of the consumers.

Dante Alighieri and his Divine Comedy Essay - 596 Words

Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) was an Italian poet in the Middle Ages. The Divine Comedy, of which Inferno is a part, is considered the greatest literary work in the Italian language and a masterpiece. Inferno is the story of Dante the pilgrim’s journey from the dark wood of error through Hell, led by Virgil. This is Dante the pilgrims opportunity to recognize his sins; he is given the opportunity to see how the error of his ways will be punished if he does not change. In Dante’s Hell, the punishment of the sin is reflected by the nature of the sin. There are many overall themes to this work, but three specific themes are represented in the â€Å"Up on your feet passage†; letting your drive change your life, carpe diem, and pushing through all†¦show more content†¦He was lost in sin and was watching all the good things he could be doing pass by him. The â€Å"Up on your feet† passage also displays the theme of being persistent and letting that drive change your life. The lines offered to Dante the pilgrim by Virgil are profound in the respect that they offer so much upon close study. Virgil closes this speech to Dante the pilgrim by saying, â€Å"Now, therefore, rise. Control your breath, and call upon the strength of soul that wins all battles unless it sink in the gross body’s fall. There is a longer latter yet to climb: this much is not enough. If you understand me, show that you mean to profit from your time.† (Lines 52-57) Virgil is offering the literal meaning to Dante the pilgrim as get up so we can get you out of Hell. The metaphorical meaning of these lines would be to live your life to its fullest potential; one cannot be content with a life full of sin. One has to live a fair life, to himself and others, so they can progress and move on to bigger and better things. The very last line of the speech tells us that you need dedication and the will to push on to be able to make a difference in the world, or â€Å"profit from your time.† Letting your drive change your life, carpe diem, and pushing through all obstacles in your way are three of the sub-themes of Dante’s Inferno. The journey Dante the pilgrim took was symbolicShow MoreRelatedThe Divine Comedy1705 Words   |  7 Pagesthe writers that influenced this revival is Dante Alighieri, a 13th century poet from Florence, Italy. His world famous epic, La Commedia, or more commonly known as The Divine Comedy remains a poetic masterpiece depicting truth and sin. The Divine Comedy, through the journey into the three hells, expresses a universal truth of good versus evil. Alighieri’s life of heartbreak with the influences of other famous poets like Homer and Virgil has affected his writing style, and through reviews by literaryRead More Analysis of the Inferno of Dante Alighieris Divine Comedy Essay1221 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis of the Inferno of Dante Alighieris Divine Comedy The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is considered by many as the first great poem in the Italian language and perhaps the greatest poem written in Medieval Europe. The poem is so famous that one of the minor characters, Capaneus the great blasphemer, has his name on a mesa on one of Jupiters moon Io (Blue, 1). Also, the poem is divided into three canticles, or sections, Inferno, Purgatorio, andRead MoreThe Divine Comedy By Dante Alighieri873 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Divine Comedy† is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri. He wrote the epic sometime between 1308 and 1321, the year he died. It is considered one of the greatest works of world literature. He wrote â€Å"The Divine Comedy† while he was exiled from Florence, Italy (Bishops 182). â€Å"The Divine Comedy† recounts Dante’s idea of the afterlife. It is written in a first person perspective and follows Dante’s journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. At the time Dante wrote the Divine Comedy, Italy wasRead MoreDante’s Vision of Divine Justice Justice is one of the major building block that society is built900 Words   |  4 PagesDante’s Vision of Divine Justice Justice is one of the major building block that society is built upon. It gives people a sense of retribution when they have been wronged. In Dante’s Inferno, justice is served in the supernatural realm. Throughout this play, the reader is exposed to the inner working of hell and the nine circles of specialized punishment it is composed of. Justice, in Dante’s Inferno, differs from justice in the mortal world in that it is decided, not by humans, but by God. HoweverRead MoreSatan s Location And Physical Attributes1096 Words   |  5 Pageshell. In Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, Dante and Virgil encounter Lucifer in the last circle of hell before they ascend to Purgatory. It is here in the circle of Judecca that Lucifer had been condemned for eternity as a result of his treachery against God. In my essay, I will argue that Lucifer’s location and physical attributes ironically reflect qualities of God in such a way that Lucifer becomes mocked. Dante Alighieri utilizes Lucifer’s characterization to illuminate the force of God’s divine powerRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Comedia 947 Words   |  4 PagesIn his life Dante, Alighieri was a famed author, poet, and statesman. Over the course of his life the esteemed thirteenth century Italian wrote a handful of successful works. However, Dante is undoubtedly best known for his critically acclaimed epic poem, Comedà ¬a, which would later be called The Divine Comedy. Comedà ¬a has 3 parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The first installment, Inferno, may currently be the most well known of the three poems, spawning countless reprints, several moviesRead MoreEssay about Dante Alighieri1178 Words   |  5 PagesDante Alighieri Dante Alighieri was the first and best Italian poet and wrote mainly on love and religion. His Divine Comedy is considered the greatest book of the last millennium. George Steiner said, Dante’s totality of poet form and philosophic thought, of local universality and language, remains unrivaled. At a time where the notion of culture and of European culture in particular, is somewhat in doubt, Dante is the sovereign underwriter. His are the solutions beyond logic†Read More The Divine Comedy Essay728 Words   |  3 Pagesa life of sin was to be sentenced to hell. Dante Alighieri was an Italian poet, who had an admirable depth of spiritual vision and was known for his intelligence (Encarta, 1). Between the years of 1308 and 1321, Dante wrote the epic poem, The Divine Comedy,; which described a journey through the afterlife. It takes place during the three days of Good Friday, when Jesus died, and on Easter Sunday when he rose body and soul to heaven. It is a mor al comedy, and was written to make readers evaluateRead MoreHow Literature Changed a Nation: Dante Alighieri and The Divine Comedy1146 Words   |  5 PagesThe poet, Dante Alighieri’s world was one filled with spirituality and stigmas. Unlike many other artists of his time, he completed his most famous and influential work in Europe’s 1300’s. Dante’s piece, The Divine Comedy, demonstrates the journey one takes throughout life, to find one’s self and connect with the world and religion, all through three volumes of poetry. Of his talent, came a business of the arts. In addition, he changed the way the Italian language was perceived. He used his writingRead MoreThe Vaule of Personal Development in The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri1209 Words   |  5 PagesIn Italian Dante Alighieri (1265) Poem, The Divine Comedy Inferno, Translated by Mark Musa. Dante demonstrates the value of personal development which is the ability to keep a balanced life an d continuously learn from past mistakes in order to create a better future. Dante begins the poem wrapped in his own thoughts and suffering but by the end of the poem he begins to understand other’s sufferings beyond his own. In his growth throughout his journey he learns about pain and sorrow that he cannot

Poverty and Children in America - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1845 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/09/13 Category Advertising Essay Topics: Childhood Essay Childhood Memory Essay Did you like this example? Poverty and Children in the United States Who are America’s poor children? How many children in America are poor? What are some of the hardships that face poor children in America? These are only a few questions that we can ask ourselves when considering children who live in poverty in America. Children face monumental hardships in our country because of poverty or the condition of not possessing the means to afford basic human needs. The economic crisis that we find ourselves in today threatens to cause a dramatic increase in the number of America’s poor children; however poverty in America has long been a crisis that has faced the children of our nation. This essay will investigate the previous asked questions and research the challenges that poverty plays on the sociology of children in the United States. Who are America’s Poor Children? According to the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) 14 million American children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level, which is $22,050 a year for a family of four. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Poverty and Children in America" essay for you Create order They also state that the number of children living in poverty increased by 21 % between 2000 and 2008 and it is estimated that there are 2. 5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000. (Wright, 2010) These numbers are staggering and are estimated to grow significantly in the next few years considering the current economic crisis facing the United States. The NCCP explains that current research shows, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to survive. Children who live in homes with incomes of $44,100 or less, for a family of four, are considered low income. This means that forty one percent of children in the United States live in low income homes. Children represent 25 % of the population and 41 % of all children live in low income families and nearly one in every five live in poor families (NCCP, 2010). Families in the United States are facing challenging economic times where workers are seeing decline in wages and the loss of jobs. Many cannot afford basic human needs with increased costs on food, gas, and of homes; these economic realities have a profound sociological effect on America’s children. The NCCP goes on to state that some of the characteristics of children who live in poverty in the United States are race and ethnicity related. They note that 11 % of white children live in poor families, 35 % of black children live in poor families, and 31% of Hispanic children live in poor families. These figures show that black and Hispanic children are disproportionately poor in the United States. Also children who live in single parented homes are more likely to live below the poverty line especially those who live with single mothers. â€Å"Female headed households live in poverty more than all other household types† (Poverty, 2001). Single mothers have been labeled the â€Å"new poor† most often because of changes in family composition such as divorce, separation, and remarriage, driven by a series of events in their lives. Who are America’s children living in poverty? They are the kids who live in the confines of these statistics generated by levels of income and they are often children which we see every day. Unlike the torturous pictures we see of poverty stricken children who live in underdeveloped countries, the children of the United States who live in poverty are struggling to survive in a society where poverty goes very often unnoticed. Hardships Facing Children who live in Poverty Hunger In the article â€Å"In America Today, hunger is very real†; Yolanda Young quoted President Obama saying â€Å"Hunger rose significantly last year. † Mr. Obama said that he hopes to alleviate childhood hunger by 2015. (Young, 2009) What does that mean then for the children who are going hungry today? These children eat less healthy meals, they visit shelters, they get help from school food programs, and they eat at emergency kitchens. The U. S. Census Bureau states that nearly 14 % of all American homes were afraid they might not be able to put enough food on the table this past year. Fortunately there are programs that assist families in crisis and can help to feed the children of the United States; however the number of hungry children is growing. Child hunger in the United States has been described as an increasingly complex problem and has been called the â€Å"silent epidemic. † (Goldstein, 2009) Malnutrition is being reported by medical professionals everywhere and is of major concern in almost every state in the nation. Children who suffer the effects of malnutrition contribute to a high number of those with negative health problems. Obesity is being associated as a side effect of malnutrition, as children ho don’t get enough to eat regularly eat foods that are less healthy. Childhood hunger also contributes to health conditions like a deteriorated immune system, chronic fatigue, developmental problems, and behavioral issues. Many poor children in the United States today, experience an uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food, or hun ger. Homelessness â€Å"The National Center on Family Homelessness currently estimates that as many as fifty U. S. children (1. 5 million) are homeless or â€Å"precariously housed† in temporary quarters such as motels and shelters† (Cohen, 2009). Today’s economic crisis is not helping this growing number of families that are being relocated as home foreclosures and loss of jobs add to the overwhelming number of homeless children in the United States. The result of homelessness can cause children to feel disassociated with those around them, they feel a sense of loss and privacy, and they ultimately feel an overwhelming sense of insecurity. Although these temporary quarters put a roof over the heads of millions of children in the United States, children often are left with psychological issues that last a lifetime. It is reported that homeless children are sick more often, go hungry more often, and repeat more than one grade in school over kids who have a home. Also, children who are homeless are more apt to have been exposed to sexual or physical abuse. The government has instituted many programs to help with the homelessness crisis in the United States; however for a child who has no home to call his own, this is little consolation. Inadequate Healthcare More often than not, children who live in poverty do not have adequate health care and comes as a result of a parent losing a job. We have discussed in this essay how the current economic crisis has affected families. With so many people losing jobs comes those same people who are losing the option of healthcare for their families. Government programs exist in order to provide healthcare for those who cannot afford it; however many argue if it is adequate. Preventative health care is essential for healthy living and the lack of this care affects children their whole lives. The NCCP reports that 17% of poor children lack health insurance, whereas 10% of all children (poor and non-poor) lack health insurance. In the ten most populated states, the percentage of poor children who lack insurance options ranges from nine percent in the state of Michigan to 31% in Florida, showing that state to state healthcare options are significantly different. The Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Program (CHIRP) was instituted in 2009 and is intended to give additional Medicaid benefits to children of low income families. Without programs like this, and others many children who live in poverty would have no insurance coverage at all. Many low income families lose insurance coverage every day because of job layoffs or employers who can no longer afford to offer insurance to their workers. Along with the health issues that come from living in poverty, inadequate health care coverage threatens the youth of our society. Education Children of poverty are more likely to fail in school achievement and are twice as likely to have repeated a grade, been suspended, or dropped out of high school. The effect of poverty on children as it relates to education clearly demonstrates the possibility of poor outcomes. Children who are hungry are less likely to learn, children who are homeless are far less likely to adapt socially to a classroom setting, and children who consistently miss school because of illness will be unable to pass the tests of authorized curriculum. Children who live in poverty are more likely to have learning disability and are more likely to fall prey to gangs and crime. Children of poverty are also more likely to be exposed to lower quality schools as neighborhood conditions often determine the quality of schools. Many poor children are at a disadvantage when it comes to education and struggle their entire lives because of this problem. Poverty contributes to low self esteem and causes a lack of confidence in children leading to lifelong deficiencies that threaten their economic futures. â€Å"Poorer health and social behavior due to poverty undermine education achievement† (Moore, 2009). Researchers also suggest that chronic stress due to poverty undermines children’s working memory. It is evident that childhood poverty compromises educational prospects of children. Conclusion Child poverty is a significant and growing social problem as poverty negatively affects children’s development, health, home life, and educational goals. Children, who face these monumental hardships in our country because of poverty or the condition of not having basic human needs, are rapidly growing in numbers. The sociological implications of children living in poverty in the United States threaten the very social structure of our country. The stability pattern of social behavior in the United States can be uprooted by the problems associated with children who live in poverty. If we truly believe that the children are our future, then we must address the issues that low income children are faced with and we need to more than hope that childhood poverty will be alleviated by 2015, as efforts to reduce the child poverty rate commands the nation’s attention today. This crisis in which children in the United States live in poverty, demands efforts to reduce the child poverty rate, and command the nation’s attention today. References Cohen, Aaron M. , Child Homelessness on the Rise, the Futurist Aug. 1, 2009. Vol. 43, Issue 4, p7, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from EBSCOhost Goldstein, Amy, 2009 Child Hunger and increasingly complex problem, Washington Post, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article. html National Center for Children in Poverty, Mailman School of Public Health, NCCP, 2010, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. nccp. org. html Moore, Kristin Anderson, Ph. D. , Zakia Redd, M. P. P. , Mary Burkhauser, M. A. , Ashleigh Collins, M. A. , Children in Poverty: Trends, Consequences, and Policy Options, Trends Child Research Brief, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www/childtrends. rg/files/child_trends-2009-04-07-rb-childrenin Poverty. pdf Poverty, (2001), In World of Sociology, Gale. Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www. credoreference. com/entry/worldsocs/poverty Wright, Vanessa R. , Chau, Michelle, Yumiko Aratani, 2010, Who are America’s Poor Children? The Official Story, National Center for Children in Poverty, NCCP, 2010 Retrieved March 1, 2010 from https://www/nccp. org/publicatio ns/pub_912. html Young, Yolanda, 2009, USA Today, In America today, hunger is very real, News, pg. 13a, Retrieved March 1, 2010 from EBSCOhost

A Different Kind of Leadership Free Essays

string(144) " with a variety of managerial styles-authoritative, affiliative, democratic and coaching can be successful as long as they encourage dialogues\." When The Economist magazine recently asked 180 leaders what the major influence on future organizations would be, two-thirds of them said it would be teams and groups. Clearly, the John Wayne model of leadership won’t work. What is needed today is a different kind of leadership. We will write a custom essay sample on A Different Kind of Leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now People who think they can do it by themselves are somewhat deluded. Despite these kinds of statements the cult figure of the Chief Executive Officer still exists. They are enshrined, and probably celebrated too much. This is partly an American phenomenon. However throughout Europe there are beginning to be reactions against these icons for companies and these are ominous signs for the future of figureheads. Groups, teams, communities, partnerships, stakeholders, colleagues, collaborators signal the end of the â€Å"Great Man,† the death of the John Wayne myth. As the business world becomes more complex and interdependent, executives cannot afford to lead in isolation. Instead, they must tap into the collective knowledge and expertise of their colleagues by creating real teamwork at top levels of the organization. They need to build truly effective leadership teams. Successful management in today’s society are forever trying to seek out the most competent individuals to employ in specific roles within a business environment. The criteria on which an individual is selected are widely recognised as the common attributes of a leader. These qualities would include; intelligence, forcefulness, sensitivity, patience, decisiveness, the person would be reflective and dynamic, a good communicator as well as being a good listener. The list of desirable traits continues to describe the perfect leader-manager who would be effective and most probably flawless. In reality this person could not exist, simply because many of the characteristics seem to conflict with one another. It is unlikely that someone could be both forceful and particularly sensitive. The inability of a single individual to possess all the skills that are sought after, presents the opportunity for the development of a team that certainly could. Teams also have the advantage that if a single member of a team is unavailable, then the productivity of the team may not be impacted significantly, whereas if a single person had full responsibility for a task and then was taken ill for example, any progress due to be made on the task would be halted. Another problem with focussing on training individuals to a high level and therefore becoming somewhat reliant on that person is that, if that person decided to leave to take a position with a competitor or to take early retirement to spend time with their spouse then the business is left trying to adjust for the loss. By focussing on teams the business is somewhat less exposed to these potential problems. However the development of teams to provide protection against competitors ‘poaching’ personnel, has become less effective, especially in the service industries. An example of this kind of activity occurring was seen in November 1999 when a team of Merrill Lynch Co. telecom analysts defected to Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB). This forced Merrill to reshuffle its depleted research effort just as the firm’s telecom bankers were positioning to land the mandate on what could be the biggest initial public offering in history. The highly regarded telecom analysts Dan Reingold and Mark Kastan left Merrill for CSFB on 22nd November, taking with them a group of five other analysts – almost Merrill’s entire U. S. telecom research team. With such an emphasis on the formulation of effective self-managed teams, the question of whether leadership is actually required arises. It has been suggested that to organize genius and to have a great group, the fine art of herding cats must learnt. This analogy is used to demonstrate the difficult skill of persuading members within a team to carry out tasks they may not particularly want to, and feel good about doing it. This ‘soft skill† is very important if a group is to have a member in a leading capacity. Some leaders have managed to succeed without having great people skills. Examples include Steve Jobs at Macintosh Computers, Walt Disney, Kelly Johnson at Lockheed’s Skunk Works, and John Andrew Rice at Black Mountain College. In fact they have been described as having herded their cats with whips; and yet still produced phenomenal results. Leaders typically provide direction and meaning that resonate in the heart, soul and mind. But many leaders of great groups are abrasive, if not downright arrogant. Another analogy used to describe these people is that they are all alchemists. They are creating something out of nothing. They are creating something magical. They are creating an object of enchantment. An explanation given for why these team leaders were obnoxious at times was that when believing that they were involved in a group that would change the world, they could be afforded the opportunity of being a â€Å"son-of-a-bitch† for a time. If a group can be created that thinks they can â€Å"make a dent in the universe,† as Steve Jobs told the team that created the Macintosh computer, one’s personal foibles, losing one’s temper, one’s style become less important. If the team feels transported, and part of the excitement, the thrill and the electrifying feeling of doing something that nobody has ever done before, arrogance on behalf of the leader can be excused. Undoubtedly this aggressive style of team leadership producing outstanding results is the exception to most group situations. The charismatic nature of the people involved probably had more to do with the eventual result rather than the manner in which they lead. Charisma is intangible, difficult to assess, and cannot be taught, yet can override all learnt skills of good team leading. However there have been studies that suggest that the personality of the leader may adversely affect the team†s performance. Mary Fontaine, head of the Hay/McBer’s competency practice, a U. S. management consulting group, carried out a study that found that team leaders with a variety of managerial styles-authoritative, affiliative, democratic and coaching can be successful as long as they encourage dialogues. You read "A Different Kind of Leadership" in category "Essay examples" However team leaders with a coercive managerial style were found to be far less successful at promoting dialogues. In contrast to the success of the individuals and their organisations mentioned earlier it was found that it wasn’t the best and the brightest who excelled. â€Å"Sucking the oxygen out of the room with excessive charisma or with an intimidating intellect and self-confidence was often detrimental to team efforts,† Fontaine says. â€Å"The truly outstanding leaders frequently were those whose contributions were less visible, who worked behind the scenes to create structures and arrange for organizational supports that made it easier for their teams to excel. There seems to be a threshold level of team skills required to be a competent leader, and above this level charisma can either make an average leader-manager into someone special or more likely hinder the groups performance. The ideal that leaders are not born, but make themselves supports this theory. A person may develop to be charismatic, however in order to grow as a leader they must learn the necessary people or ‘soft† skills. These are the hardest skills to learn. They are the things that will make the biggest difference in organizations. Bob Haas, CEO of Levi Strauss, has said the hard skills are not getting the pants out the door. The hard skills are creating the work force that will be motivated to be productive. So, the soft skills are the hardest skills. It seems that there is still a place for leaders within teams, but not in the traditional sense. Leaders are purveyors of hope who suspend disbelief in their groups. They represent the group†s needs and aspirations. They don’t know that a task cannot be achieved. Most individuals are hungry spirits, and any leader who can dangle a dream before them usually gets their attention and the collective talents within a team make that dream a reality. Today the one thing that the majority of professional people want is to be inspired. For many years the qualities of individuals have been studied, and the successful characteristics copied. However the successful features of a management team are less well understood. A team has proved more difficult to study than a single person. However there has been recognition of some of the main elements of what makes one team more successful than another. A number of studies have been carried out to try to depict the foundations of teamwork and the complimentary relationships between members. The format of the team and the relationships within seem indicative to whether the team is successful. It is not necessarily the ability of individuals within the team. Given a free choice of members and the need to form a high-powered management team to solve complex problems, it would seem sensible to select members who have sharp analytical minds. This would suggest creating a team composed entirely of intellectually clever people. These types of people would be equipped for coping with major projects and big decisions. Creating a ‘Think-Tank’ would initially appear to be the best solution for high profile managerial teams. However, studies carried out by Belbin concluded that the grouping of highly intellectual and similarly analytically minded people within a team in general does not produce the expected high performance. Belbin championed the result as â€Å"Apollo Syndrome†, named after the team consisting of the intellectually clever people that carried out the executive management exercises he designed. The analysis of these highly intellectual ‘Apollo’ teams illustrated some of the flaws within the group interaction. A large proportion of each individual’s time was engaged in trying to persuade the other members of the team to adopt their own particular, well stated, point of view. No one seemed to convert another or be converted themselves. This was largely due to the ability to spot weak points in each other’s argument. There was, not surprisingly, no coherence in the decisions that the team reached – or was forced to reach. Subsequent to the eventual failure of the team, finishing last in the exercise, the aftermath was marked by mutual recrimination. If having a team consisting of homogeneous people with respect to members’ demographics, cognitions and high intellect does not create a successful group, then the obvious alternative would be to create groups of heterogeneous individuals. Scholars have carried out studies to investigate the various types of diversity within a group. Diversity differentiates individuals by the degree to which they are directly related to the task at hand. Job relatedness is one form of diversity and is an important property because it determines whether a particular type of diversity constitutes an increase in a group’s total pool of task-related skills, information, and perspectives. The magnitude of this pool, in turn, represents a potential for more comprehensive or creative decision making. This concept has been studied by Milliken and Martins. The idea of having a diverse team to provide a wide spectrum of views has been used as a starting point to formulate teams. However, teams do not just happen when people get together. At the start, a team is just a collection of individuals. And, like most collections, it is only as strong as its weakest member. The optimum number of individuals within a team is a major issue for discussion when creating a team. This figure would to some extent depend on the amount of work that needs to be performed. In general the larger the group, the greater the unseen pressures that make for conformity. These pressures may impinge upon an individual to the extent that in mass meetings, congregations and assemblies they feel anonymous. Behaviour within the group is further complicated by group structure. The stronger the structure, the less tolerance there is for dissenters or for any form of deviant expression. Where groups are unstructured, for example large numbers of people meeting for a purpose but without any imposed constraints, studies have shown that rather than the individual recovering a sense of mature individuality, they are likely to revel in the anonymity which size offers. Investigations have discovered that large gatherings of people has the effect of either their constituents becoming excessively passive or, if full self-expression is permitted, inclined to irresponsible behaviour, aggressive verbal declarations, or even acts of destruction. In a team building situation this type of behaviour would clearly not promote the synergy and effectiveness that is sought after. How to cite A Different Kind of Leadership, Essay examples

Plato Allegory Of The Cave Essay Example For Students

Plato Allegory Of The Cave Essay if an individual can learn to understand the possibilities outside of the realm of singular understanding, and by exposure to different things, determine new understanding, then Plato would assert that all men have the potential to move from ignorance to knowledge. The basis for the Allegory of the Cave is this: a prisoner is held in a cave for his whole life (since birth), only able to see and experience that which is placed before him. For example, the fire that is used to luminate the cave becomes the center of the world much like our own sun is such a compelling central component, and the prisoner experiences everything that he sees and understands relative to the fire. In conjunction, the fire become a means of visualizing other elements, including exposure to a puppet and the shadows on the wall, and all of these factors make up the specifics of what is known in the world of the prisoner.. Knowledge, then, is not simply sensory based (because the prisoners in the cave, for example, believed they had the knowledge of the fire, the shadows and the cave itself as if these were the only elements in the world that needed to be known), but also extends past our senses into the realm of logical reasoning, constructive reasoning, and a process orientation to learning and developing wisdom. Rather than simply producing information and addressing the learning process and the students in order to bring them into complicity, it is Platos contention that the learning process, the same process that occurs when the prisoner in the cave is allowed to leave and experiences the sun, the moon, trees, and all of lifes sciences and concepts, should be student directe d. The teacher is simply a means by which the student can come into connection with the ways of attaining knowledge, but the process of learning itself must be singular and directed by a personal learning focus. The teacher provides the individual with the means to perceive themselves, to evaluate their nature, and to consider the search for truth as a major aspect of the educational process. Plato believes that the metaphor of the cave, asserting mans ignorance prior to learning, results in the need for a teacher who can provide exposure to different subjects, different perspectives and a range of educational subject areas

THE KNIGHTS Essay Example For Students

THE KNIGHTS Essay A monologue from the play by Aristophanes NOTE: This monologue is reprinted from Aristophanes: The Eleven Comedies. Trans. Anonymous. London: The Athenian Society, 1922. SAUSAGE-SELLER: The story is worth hearing. Listen! From here I rushed straight to the Senate, right in the track of this man; he was already letting loose the storm, unchaining the lightning, crushing the Knights beneath huge mountains of calumnies heaped together and having all the air of truth; he called you conspirators and his lies caught root like weeds in every mind; dark were the looks on every side and brows were knitted. When I saw that the Senate listened to him favourably and was being tricked by his imposture I said to myself, Come, gods of rascals and braggarts, gods of all fools, toad-eaters and braggarts and thou, market-place, where I was bred from my earliest days, give me unbridled audacity, an untiring chatter and a shameless voice. No sooner had I ended this prayer than a lewd man broke wind on my right. Hah! tis a good omen, said I, and prostrated myself; then I burst open the door by a vigorous push with my back, and, opening my mouth to the utmost, shouted, Se nators, I wanted you to be the first to hear the good news; since the War broke out, I have never seen anchovies at a lower price! All faces brightened at once and I was voted a chaplet for my good tidings; and I added, With a couple of words I will reveal to you, how you can have quantities of anchovies for an obol; tis to seize on all the dishes the merchants have. With mouths gaping with admiration, they applauded me. However, the Paphlagonian winded the matter and, well knowing the sort of language which pleases the Senate best, said, Friends, I am resolved to offer one hundred oxen to the goddess in recognition of this happy event. The Senate at once veered to his side. So when I saw myself defeated by this ox filth, I outbade the fellow, crying, Two hundred! And beyond this I moved, that a vow be made to Diana of a thousand goats if the next day anchovies should only be worth an obol a hundred. And the Senate looked towards me again. The other, stunned with the blow, grew deli rious in his speech, and at last the Prytanes and the guards dragged him out. The Senators then stood talking noisily about the anchovies. Cleon, however, begged them to listen to the Laced?monian envoy, who had come to make proposals of peace; but all with one accord, cried, Tis certainly not the moment to think of peace now! If anchovies are so cheap, what need have we of peace? Let the war take its course! And with loud shouts they demanded that the Prytanes should close the sitting and then leapt over the rails in all directions. As for me, I slipped away to buy all the coriander seed and leeks there were on the market and gave it to them gratis as seasoning for their anchovies. Twas marvellous! They loaded me with praises and caresses; thus I conquered the Senate with an obols worth of leeks, and here I am. We will write a custom essay on THE KNIGHTS specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now

Utilitarian, Libertarian, Deontological, And Virtue Ethics Perspectives

Utilitarian, Libertarian, Deontological, And Virtue Ethics Perspectives An ethical dilemma is a situation that involves conflicts between moral principles in which obeying one ultimately results to transgression of the other. The utilitarian ethical perspective holds that a good course of action maximizes happiness for the parties involved, and therefore the moral worth of a certain action is determined by its outcome.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Utilitarian, Libertarian, Deontological, And Virtue Ethics Perspectives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Libertarian ethical principles hold that individuals have the right to be respected and the only limit to an individuals ability to enjoy these rights is the obligation to respect others’ basic rights. Deontological theories are also referred to as duty-based ethics. In deontology, morality is judged through examining the nature of the actions and the will of the individuals to do the right thing. Drawing judgment from an indi viduals will and control of certain actions is based on the argument that the future is not controllable. Virtue ethics perspective emphasizes on the influence of character traits and moral virtues toward the resultant ethical behavior.1 For the utilitarian principle, completion of the project could give a team a satisfaction for its achievement. Melanie and other members of her team were putting in extra time to ensure that the project was completed and launched in a few weeks. Several individuals at Zagante were forced to put in extra working hours to complete their assignments related to the software code project. Some dedicated members of the staff were forced to sleep in their cubicles because of the demands of their assignments. Melanies hard work was aimed at ensuring a successful launch of the product together with hopes for promotion to the projects senior vice president.2 On the contrary, considering the deontological theory, Melanie and the team were working on TerraPix 2 .0 map-making software meant for enhancing topographical view for the oil companies. Technology related companies in the region had suffered in the previous two years and Zagante was not exception. Although the company survived through the hard time, it was affected financially thus forcing its management to freeze the hiring process. This meant that although the present employees were lucky to retain their jobs, they had to work extremely hard to ensure that the product was a success. In an effort to maintain their jobs, zagante staff was exploited through the requirement to put in extra time and effort at the minimal pay.3Advertising Looking for case study on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In the process of carrying out evaluations for her team members, Melanies comparison between Tom’s and Jeremy’s profiles is a dilemma. This brings into focus the virtue ethics. Although both candidates disp layed outstanding qualities, Tom’s profile was more striking professionally but Melanie leaned on Jeremy’s side because she considered him as a close friend. On the contrary, considering libertarian principle, Melanie caught Jeremy programming a game instead of working on the running project, TerraPix. Later on, Jeremy admitted that he was working on a project he had picked from his brother-in-law’s company. His brother in laws company was pressured by the need to complete the programs before the commencement of a certain trade show. According to Jeremy, the offer, that includes the payment was good such that he could not decline. Melanie confronted Jeremy for moonlighting, and inquested to know how he felt about it. According to Melanie, the team had their own project, which might not be as enticing but it was important for the company.4 On the utilitarian principle, Jeremy argued that he was fully engaged in the project and only took the side assignments becau se he felt that he could comfortably handle them off his working hours. According to Jeremy, his brother in law’s company was conversant with his tight schedule at work and were okay with it.5 Melanie was angered because he felt that the best programmer in the organization was on his exit from the company. On the contrary, considering the deontological principles, Melanie continued to question Jeremy if he would take up the opportunity if they offered a full time position and whether he was happy in his current job. Jeremy took up the side job to have fun, break the monotony of doing the same thing day in day out, and he was interested in gaming from childhood. In addition, he was learning new techniques which could be helpful to Zagante in the future. For example, he said that he was learning to use MAX 4 modelling tool, which at some point zagante had considered checking it out.6 According to Simons, straightforward ethical decisions are meant for enhancing both short-term and long-term benefits of the growth of the business.7Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Utilitarian, Libertarian, Deontological, And Virtue Ethics Perspectives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethics are aimed at protecting and maintaining a good business and individuals reputation. For example values like honesty, conscientiousness, and integrity create a connection between ethical principles and the expected business activities. Jeremy’s need for extra income to support his family brings in the deontological principle. Melanie demanded to know the precise reason as to why Jeremy decided to take up the extra work. Was it because working at Zagante had become monotonous or for the need of the money. Jeremy made it clear that he was not sacrificing to be away from his family , especially the newborn for fun, but it was because life was becoming expensive day in day out. In addition the fact that his wife w as not going to work for some time meant that he had to provide for the entire household solely. In the interest of the company and Jeremy (utilitarian principle), Melanie requested Jeremy to focus on terrapix because they expected his entire devotion to enhance successful launching of the project. Melanie promised to keep the secret of Jeremys moonlighting so far as Jeremy would not do anything that would jeopardize the success of the project and his reputation.8 Appropriate ethical behavior acts as a guideline to what may be considered in a business organization as the right course of action. According to American Psychiatric Association, decisions made for proper business management are never ethical even in situations in which they seem to adhere to the required ethical principles.9 Ethical decisions are considered to be right when they in conflict with important business decisions. The awareness of the existing conflict justifies the decision. In the process of safeguarding the interest of the company, deontological principle , Melanie carried out research in an effort to understand the consequences of moonlighting. Melanie found out about a case involving a supervisor from the city water department. The supervisor operated an irrigation business besides his job and had used his employers resources to carry out his personal work. Melanie related this to Jeremy’s case whereby he was using Zagantes computers to carry out his personal tasks. In another case, a teacher moonlighted as a stripper in which although she enjoyed doing it, it was not beneficial to her toward her growth managerially. Jeremys case still bothered her. This is because he moonlighted for a company which was not a competitor meaning that he had little to gain from the side job and he was using Zagantes resources (computer). But onto her fears, Melanie was not ready to fire Jeremy because the company could not afford to lose such a talent. Melanie considered that moonlighting could not earn Jeremy a promotion and after his search, there was no other case of an individual who had been promoted for moonlighting.10Advertising Looking for case study on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In situations where an organization does not regulate a certain behavior, its activities can be regulated by external policies. For the virtue ethics, Melanie further inquested from the companys human resource director, Jill Darby, if there were any policies on employees moonlighting. Melanie lied that there was no one involved in moonlighting, but she was only concerned because the issue came up with her team. Jill confirmed that the company did not have any policies. However, according to Jill, the state has stipulated clear rules about it, in addition to the vacuum created by the incomplete agreement signed when one is hired. In business organizations, there should be a coincidence between the quest for personal interests and ethical behavior.11 Covering up of behavior is usually harmful to the business in the long run. When Jill asked whether the company was facing a potential problem, Melanie covered up for Jeremy and lied that her team was a source of solutions and not problem s. Melanie explained that her concern was fueled by frustration of her team members because of bare minimal pay rises in the entire year. Melanie tried to explain that although employees understand the financial situation of the company, they could take up side jobs to meet their financial needs. To solve the employees financial strains, Jill referred Melanie to Aaron who could offer low interest rate loans to employees who were in a fix.12 Virtue Ethics Perspective The ethical dilemma presented by the case study can be solved using the virtue ethics principles. A behavior which is detrimental to the business in the short term but enhances growth of the business in the long term should be encouraged. According to Grace and Cohen, the ideas acquired from such practices can be used in redefining the business.13 Changing of the new ideas into a profession enables the business to benefit from the inventions. As Melanie thought about Jeremy, she gathered that he was faithful to the compa ny, he had worked there for five years, earned promotions and importantly enjoyed working for the company. She informed David and Marc that Frank Lloyd was fired for moonlighting. According to David, that was a bad managerial decision that most probably his boss regretted for a long time. Melanie said that she was not going to fire Jeremy because moonlighting was kind of normal to programmers. David supported her idea by explaining that when he worked at way bridge associates, the architects had side businesses of designing houses that paid less. In these circumstances, virtue ethics principle allows Jeremy to carry out the side business as far as it does not affect his performance in the project. Melanie asked whether these side businesses affected their jobs and David said that it had no effect because it was expected. In addition, moonlighting for the architects gave the firm a reason to pay the architects less than their worth. However, side jobs enabled the architects to learn new ideas and bring them into the project.14 In conclusion, Melanie called jeremy in her office and explained to him that the company could give low interest loans and thus he would not be required to take up side jobs. Jeremy declined the offer and Melanie was upset because the side job was not beneficial to the project. In addition, she was afraid of the implications of Jeremy’s moonlighting to the rest of the team. Jeremy did not care about the effect of his actions to the rest of the team.15 He considered them as grown ups who were obligated to perform their duties. In addition, Jeremy considered that so long as he performed his duties to meet the projects expectations, it was not important to the team and the management on what he did with time out of the office. Melanie was agitated by this statement and realized that it was time for her and the organization to fire Jeremy. In trying to offer Jeremy a solution to his financial constraints, Melanie did not consider other interests Jeremy derived from taking the side job and this made them to fall apart.16 Value Ethics Bibliography American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual. 4th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Pub. 1994. Drumwright, Minette, and Murphy, Patrick. â€Å"How Advertising Practitioners View Ethics: Moral Muteness, Moral Myopia, and Moral Imagination.† Journal of Advertising, 33 (2004): 7-24. Grace, Damian and Cohen, Stephen. Business Ethics: Australian Problems and Cases. 2 Ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998. Hinman, Lawrence. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994. Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. Robinson, Mary 2000, Business and Human Rights: A Progress Report. PDF File. 8 August 2012. Sandel, Michael. â€Å"The Case Against Perfection.† The Atlantic Monthly (April 2004): 1-11. Savulescu, J et al. â€Å"Why We Should Al low Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport.† British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38 (2004): 666-670. Simons, Paul. Be Interested in the People You Serve and Your Life Will Be Happy†, Fourth Annual Lecture. Sydney: St. James Ethics Centre. 1994. Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1993. Footnotes 1 Savulescu, J. et al. â€Å"Why We Should Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport.† British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38 (2004): p. 669. 2 Savulescu, J et al. â€Å"Why We Should Allow Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sport.† British Journal of Sports Medicine, 38 (2004): 669. 3 James, Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. p. 226. 4 Minette, Drumwright, and Murphy, Patrick. â€Å"How Advertising Practitioners View Ethics: Moral Muteness, Moral Myopia, and Moral Imagination.† Journal of Advertising, 33 (2004): 7-24. 5 Robinson, Mary 2000, Business and Human Rights: A Progress Report. PDF Fi le. 8 August 2012. https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/BusinessHRen.pdf 6 Minette, Drumwright, and Murphy, Patrick. â€Å"How Advertising Practitioners View Ethics: Moral Muteness, Moral Myopia, and Moral Imagination.† Journal of Advertising, 33 (2004): 7-24. 7 Simons, Paul. Be Interested in the People You Serve and Your Life Will Be Happy†, Fourth Annual Lecture. Sydney: St. James Ethics Centre. 1994. p.16. 8 Lawrence, Hinman. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994. 9 James, Rachels. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993. p.56 10 Michael, Sandel. â€Å"The Case Against Perfection.† The Atlantic Monthly (April 2004): 1-11. 11 Lawrence, Hinman. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994.p. 106. 12 Michael, Sandel. â€Å"The Case Against Perfection.† The Atlantic Monthly (April 2004): 1-11. 13 Damian, Grace, and S tephen, Cohen. Business Ethics: Australian Problems and Cases. 2 Ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998. p.2 14 Hinman, Lawrence. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994. P.211. 15 Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1993. p.183. 16 Lawrence, Hinman. Ethics: A Pluralistic Approach to Moral Theory. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1994. p. 304

Brittany Article 4 Overview Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brittany 4 Overview - Article Example The article "Brittany Article 4 Overview" presents the analysis of the Brittany Article 4 regarding the significance of younger employees recruitment and retention. The author of the article concurs with the sentiment that federal retirees often have little motivation or incentives to return to work because the current policy would reduce or cut their salaries by a number of their pensions. The office of personnel management has argued that redefining and modifying the rules to bring back skilled and experienced retirees on a part-time basis without interfering with their pensions would permit federal agencies to rehire recently retired workers to help with short term projects, train the future generation and fill critical gaps. Federal labor unions argue that it is imperative to have a more useful approach to offsetting the sting of retirement could be an increase of alternatives available to agencies incorporating flexible, part-time, and flex-place schedules for retirees. The author agrees that lawmakers should not make a permanent change to the statute but rather they should encourage the creation of a pilot program that would last for five years to assess and evaluate how the agencies react. In sum, recruitment and retention of younger workers should be encouraged since it will avert the issue of retirement in future. The federal retiree should be allowed to return to the workforce since they bring in skills and experiences. Therefore, the government should pay retirees who are willing to return to the workforce.

American International Group (AIG) Research Paper

American International Group (AIG) - Research Paper Example This essay discusses that the CEO Greenberg ensured that he networked with everyone including the different presidents in power and hence built himself a fortress of support and built himself and AIG immunity from questions and outside auditing which would have discovered the fraud and illegal business deals that were taking place in the company and which led to the massive expansion of the company and its ultimate downfall. The rest of the executives offered their full support of the illegal Credit Default Swap (CDS) project which even though it brought in a lot of money than any other department in the firm, its activities and ethics were questionable. The executives even prevented external audit firms from coming to audit them as they did not want their grand fraud and illegal scheme to be discovered by outsiders even though that eventually took place. If only the firm had an organizational culture that necessitated external auditing, then they would not have initiated the program in the first place hence saving themselves embarrassment and government the bailout money. A stronger ethics program would have prevented Greenberg from calling in favors to prevent the firm from being scrutinized and the uncovering of the truth. The corporate executives were dishonest and harbored business deals that were not illegal but unethical. They also jeopardized the lives of millions of Americans through the unethical deal with CDS as many people whose money was lost in one way or another would have suffered. Their unethical conduct also out at risk the jobs of all their employees some of whom even had no idea what really that financial department that dealt with CDS was all about or that it even existed and hence were caught in the spur of the moment at the discovery of the truth. If the executives were ethical and honest in the company, the bailout would not have been necessary. A stronger ethics program would have prevented even the illegal department officials to carry out these illegal deals. The corporate executives should be the ones to set a perfect example to their employees and not aid in turning them criminals if they had put in place a stronger ethics culture within the organization. 3. What could AIG have done differently to prevent its failure and subsequent bailout? AIG should never have set up that department and the CDS financial dealings in the first place. This would have prevented the whole meltdown as it was. Even after its creation, they would have allowed external auditors or even external scrutiny to be carried out which would have unveiled the problem as early as possible hence preventing the government from having to spend over $180 billion bailing it out and preventing it from being fully bankrupt hence preventing other businesses and individuals in America from the already bad economic recession of 2008. The employees who were aware of the deal should have refused to participate in an unethical deal and even taken the init iative and report the firm to securities and exchange if the corporate culture had taught them how to be ethical. 4. Provide your thoughts/opinion about the importance of Corporate Culture in the Business world? Corporate culture provides guidance to all the employees in an organization starting from the top executives to the downright bottom employee in the chain of command (Flamholtz and Yvonne 3). This therefore ensures that no unethical behavior goes unreported to the necessary authorities hence preventing an embarrassing situation later on. A business has many stakeholders and a good corporate culture helps to define the roles of each of these stakeholders

Cross Cultural Awareness in Management

Cross Cultural Awareness in Management Task 1 The FIVE most important competencies for managing internationally in my country, Hong Kong, for these three American managers of TDS are: Interpersonal Skills – If this is not the most important skill of all, it is the crucial one. This skill helps the expatriate managers to establish relationships, coordinate with others, satisfying the needs for friendship and intimacy when they are abroad. It also helps in building trust and form relationships with the people around them. The expatriate managers are often experiencing uncertainties and getting stressed when dealing things with work and personal life in a new environment. So with good interpersonal skills will be able to reduce the stress coming from every angle. Referring to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 190-1), the primary selection of many companies for the expatriate managers in practice is their track records on reaching their targets or getting their jobs done. Companies also would like to send those that are eager to climb further on their career ladders or those with technical or conceptual abilities instead of those with interpersonal skills abroad. These expatriates are often too focused on their personal agenda to make things happen and ignore the pressure that are given to the local staffs which would create tension at work. Moreover, feelings of mistrust and resentment of the local staffs towards the head office will also be exacerbated. Therefore, interpersonal skills should be taken into account when the American managers are being chosen to manage in a foreign country like Hong Kong. Motivation to live abroad – It is a key factor for the expatriate managers and their families to adapt into the local culture successfully (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192). Basically they should have real interests in the country they will live in, in order to have the curiosity to get to know it better and experience it well. It is the desire that makes them easier to understand the culture with ease. Patience and respect – Different countries have different cultures so it is necessary that the international managers have the patience and respect when dealing with the new culture. It takes time to cope and learn the differences between the culture at home and the culture of the new place so the international managers should be patient (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). They also need to have respect for the local of how the things happen in some ways when dealing with different circumstances in any aspects. Cultural empathy – This is a not skill that can be easily acquired because it is deeply rooted in someone’s character to have the mentality of empathy for others with cultural differences (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). It is required in order to respect the local staffs by the international managers to be a good listener to focus on what they have to say. Being non-judgmental is also important for those managers to be able to understand others’ points of views. The psychological development of a human being allows narcissism to be evolved to a point that interfere the capacity for empathy (Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. 1992). Managers that are narcissistic usually are self- centred and think that others are paltry or just the extensions of their own. They make the values of others hard to be recognized, let alone appreciate, because they see others as objects or tools for them to get what they want in order to achieve their goals and they also think of others as the mirrors to reflect their own glory. This type of managers would use all their efforts to prove their worth instead of considering the needs and the existing values of the other staffs. Flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity – These managers also need to have the flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. Changing circumstances that are unexpected makes the managers face with thread of uncertainty and ambiguity because the reactions and the behaviors of the local staffs may be unpredictable. Managers are intended to reinforce greater controls and restrict on the information flow when they face this kind of tread especially during an international assignment (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192-3). It often results in a stereotypical response and not well adapted to the situation on hands. Although it is difficult for the managers that are usually awarded by being in charged and staying on top of things, expatriates need to ‘go with the flow’ and let go of control. Everyone doesn’t always need to go by the book because actions are often taken base on insufficient, unreliable or/ and conflicting information. Task 2 Controlling model and Adapting model are the names and characteristics of two specific models of strategy related to cultural assumptions and approaches in adapting to external environment as discussed in the literature. The differences between controlling and adapting approaches are described below: Controlling model is based on active search that is focused and systematic. The planning system of the controlling approach is formalized and centralized using expert consultants to assist in devising strategy. The information being used by the controlling method is objective, quantitative and impersonal also interpreting information relies on formal models and methods like strategic forecasting with scenario planning. The people involve in this model are those from the top management or the experts of the particular area. The decisions for the controlling approach would be made by the top management and pass down to be implemented. The strategic goals and action plans are clearly defined, articulated and it would be explicitly measured and rewarded in this controlling method. As it assumes that the environment is known to reduce environmental uncertainty. This approach is usually sequential and short term (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124). Adapting model is broad, sporadic, decentralized and mostly based on monitoring. It is the opposite from the controlling model, informal and decentralized. The adapting approach is personal, subjective and qualitative; the information would be interpreted by some informal methods with discussions and debate. It would have the employees involved from all across the ranks. The decisions for the adapting approach would be made by the front lines staffs, neither the people from top management nor the experts. The strategic goals tend to emerge and action plans are broad, implicit and vaguely monitored. Also it assumes that the environment cannot be readily known or controlled. This approach is long term and simultaneous (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124). The model of adapting approach is more appropriate in this situation with TDS because TDS is new to town and not quite familiar with the culture and environment in Hong Kong. Also the environment cannot be controlled or readily known, it would be wise to have the responsibilities to be diffused throughout the organization to make all the staffs from different ranks to get involved. Strategic direction tends to emerge when different people come with different perspective on the business point of view. The implementation should be locally determined to keep it within this strategic frame. Strategy can be refined on an ongoing basis and the adjustments can be made to any unexpected circumstances. TDS should be flexible in order to deal with any sort of unforeseen events or sudden change in any situation. A broad scan is needed in case of any subtle change in the environment and also accountability should be assigned to the collective too because everyone is involved to contribute to make things happen. Task 3 The Five methods of discovery that I would recommend to the three American managers transferring into my country, Hong Kong, are: Architecture and design – According to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 24-6) the most obvious artifact is the architecture and design of the building when you enter the organization. In the United States, most of the office design would be opened space with partitioned off by half walls with each individual cubicles personalized by personal interested items such as photos, plants or aphorisms. By not being able to see each other directly allows a sense of privacy to be established. Also opened doors are usually signaled as accessible and available while closed doors are indicated as a sign of privacy desire in the United States. To the contrary, Japanese prefer to have some of the walls knocked off so informal communication would not be inhibited. On the other hand, Germans experience difficulty to work in an open-plan office due they feel it is lack of privacy. Although Hong Kong has a majority of 95 percent Chinese people according to a website (The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 2008), and was also a British colony for over 150 years, the main business partner of its own is still the United States as shown by the figures provided from the Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department, (2007a) (2007b). Therefore, most of the office design in Hong Kong is followed to the same style as those in the United States. Greeting rituals – In the United States, the greeting rituals are tended to be paid less attention according to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 26-7). But for the other countries, the protocol is taken quite seriously. There are different forms of way in greetings such as showing respect by exchanging and inspecting business cards in Japan, greeting individual by name, shaking hands and making eye contact by French. The degree of body contact expected in greeting creates a fair amount of confusion in another part of the rituals too. In the United States, people might greet others with a hug even when the acquaintanceship is ordinary. In some countries like France, kissing hello and goodbye are common while people from countries like Hong Kong might feel uncomfortable and uneasy about it. According to a website (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2008), handshaking followed by an immediate swapping of business cards is the most common form of greeting in Hong Kong. Dress Codes – It is another cultural artifact varies from the degree of formality. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 29) pointed out that Anglo and Asian managers do not want to get too much attention or stand out by the way they dress while the Latin managers really care about their personal style. Moreover, corporate dress seems to be color coded in some countries. For example in the United Kingdom, some women are advised not to wear suits and dresses in bright color to work such as red and some bankers of a Dutch bank even avoid to wear suits in brown. It also signals task orientation. In the United States, rolled up shirt sleeves is considered as a signal of hard working while in France means ‘relaxing on the job’. Not to mention that some US companies have designated days to encourage people to appear in casual clothes at work such as Fridays. According to a website (World Business Culture, 2008), dress codes differ base on the size of company and industry sector in Hong Kong. Men mostly wear dark suits, shirts and ties while women wear conservative suits and dresses. Trousers and causal wear are tended to be worn only on informal occasions or designated days. Written versus verbal contracts – In different parts of the world people have different definitions toward the sealed business agreements as mentioned in a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 30). In some places, one’s word means more than a legal document while others need to put down all the details on a paper in black and white. Problems would appear when the contracts are expected by the head office to be signed, sealed and delivered from a place where one’s reputation and honor are way more valuable than some legal documents. Figures from Schneider Barsoux (2003, 30) for the estimated numbers of lawyers per capita of some countries like United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan reflect the differences on expectations. American managers will bring it to the legal department to retrieve whenever a business deal has been fell through while some other countries would sort things out through the relationship. Since Hong Kong is a Common Law Jurisdiction like most of the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008a), people most likely to expect to have a written contract over a business deal. Criteria for success – It depends on the importance of stakeholders whether it is the benefit of the shareholders, the customers or the employees. Beliefs and values differ when there are different stakeholders; there are different criteria for success. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 31) claimed that American companies only exist for the benefit of the shareholders. This might be disagreed in Japan or even shock the Japanese as they believe customers have the divine rights. Some countries in Europe such as Germany or Sweden believe that the employees have the divine rights instead. Although all these factors are crucial to the business success, you still need to have a closer look to the cultural preferences in different countries like Hong Kong. Task 4 In my opinion, the key functions for managing people and human resource management are recruitment and selection, compensation and rewards, employee relations, and career development. Recruitment and selection – This can be the most challenging and important function for managing people and human resource management. It is because finding ‘the right people for the right job’ is essential. It is often a challenge as well especially when the nature of the local labor market or the available human resources is not familiar. The company needs to understand how to access the local labor pool in order to get the equivalent people to work for the company. So finding those candidates who have the abilities and requirements to finish the task and get the job done is also hard and essential, not to mention to get those who seem to likely match with the existing corporate culture. Moreover, the standard profile of one country might be very different from another in terms of representation and the differences in education systems also play a part to make the selection difficult in selecting which person fits the profile for the job (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Compensation and rewards – The cultural differences play a role when it comes to determine the terms of reward and who gets it. Different cultures have different type of value in relations to the reward and vary to the extent in the belief that reward should be collective or individual. Pay for performance is assumed to be based on contribution or ‘equity’ instead of the belonging to the group or ‘equality’ (Eretz and Early, 1993). In the contractual view of employment, the notions of equity, ‘you get what you deserve’, are embedded while the notions of equality, ‘you deserve what you get’, correspond to the social view (Pennings, 1993). According to Susan Barsoux (2003, 165), the current trend of linking salary payment to working performances is especially suspect to be cultural related. It has been discovered that in some countries like France, it would be shocked for the French executives to have clearly stated quantifiable objective relating increased performances to increased bonus. It is because the French executives found that discussion about money and finance is such a turned off. It also provoked outcries when the merit pay was attempted to be introduced in Japan. It created uproar as the Japanese executives were scared that it would ruin the harmony of the group and might also encourage short term thinking especially when the employees only focus on the performance in order to get the bonus. On the other hand, the dominant influence in American managerial thinking is the principle of equity that each one should be rewarded based on the solely contribution by that particular person. Nowadays in the view towards team management that demands group cooperation instead of competition among individuals finds the merit-based pay in the United States demotivating (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). The preference between financial or non financial incentives is also related to the culture. The motivating potential of money, status, vacation time is also affected and changed across countries. Swedish would prefer to have some time off rather than a bonus because they are more concerned with the quality of life and monetary rewards are less motivating while giving time off might seem to have not much point in Japan when most of the employees only take half of their holiday entitlement (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). So the internationally operated companies should learn to appreciate the different values and evaluate the potential impact as well because the remuneration package is a very strong indicator of the culture and the behavior expected and also can be used in order to encourage cooperation or competition, risk taking or conservatism, and information sharing or information hoarding. The remuneration package is also a very important signal when it comes to aspiring recruits. When the company wants to attract local elite, it can choose to align itself with the local norms or the alien one when the preference of the company changes to attract the less mainstream or adventurous or those that are frustrated with the local practices and looking to be rewarded for their efforts and success (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168). Employee relations – It is important to have a good relations and mutual understanding between the management and the staffs of the company. Any staff grievances of the company should be dealt with and well listened to in order to promote a harmony environment. An open dialogue is needed to be promoted between the management and the unions of the company to eliminate any conflicts or fictions that may occur between the staffs and the management specially when there is a new implementation of company policies. Also the employees’ political standing should be respected and well listened to especially when it is toward the company policy and issues. Good employee relations help increasing the engagement of the employees to the company so as their commitment and involvement as well. It also helps with the staff retention which is necessary for a company setting up in a new country like TDS (CIPD, 2008). Career development – National culture has an impact on career development and the natures of the managerial tasks on what management should do or be are depended on assumptions of being versus doing. The determinants for success varies across cultures when some places have it based on achieving results like the United States while in the United Kingdom having good interpersonal skills and personal connections are the keys for success at the career front. Favored career paths also differ culturally and it is bound up with cultural assumptions regarding the importance of the individual versus loyalty to the company, doing versus being, and tolerance for uncertainty. So a multinational company should make sure that the perceptions of what it takes to get to the top and the patterns of career development would include people with different skills, abilities, knowledge and perspectives (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168 -70). With the references to managing people and HRM, I feel the four department managers, two from the United States and two from Hong Kong, should focus on during their first three months is selection because it is vital to get the right people for the right job in any organization (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Local talent may have different types of abilities, skills, knowledge and strength owing to the national values differences placed on the education so it is also a challenge to get the right people who fit the requirement for the particular job and also fit with the company culture. The managers should consider the differences in attitude towards the hiring practices in Hong Kong and also the cultural differences will influence on how to recruit as well. So getting access to the local labor pool to get the people that match with the job criteria is important too. Therefore, selection should be focused by four department managers for the first three months to get the right people in place and help them to adjust and fit into a new culture and way of life in order to make the launch of TDS in Hong Kong a success. The trade unions in the United Kingdom has a culture as a collective bargaining tool with management while the one in the United States has more of a hire and fire culture. In Hong Kong, there are four trade unions and the largest one among them is the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and their main slogans are patriotism, solidarity, right, welfare and participation (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008b). Although the unions in Hong Kong are focused on the rights and welfares of the workers as much as those in the United Kingdom and the United States but they are still at the stage of establishing as the largest unions in Hong Kong was founded in 1948 while those in United Kingdom have been existed for over 100 years like the General Federation of Trade Unions (UK) (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008c) and so as those in the United States like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1886 (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008d). Since the United States is the biggest trade business partners of Hong Kong, most of the companies would contain the culture of the United States to remain individual. Task 5 The benefits of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are given the larger complexity and speed of change in the international business environment. It seems obvious that bringing people together from different cultures enhance the quality of decisions taken. These multinational cultures contribute a greater range of perspectives and options with even more successful marketing strategies and ideas to attract different types of customers. It can also provide a different or new way of looking at the old or existing problems and help to promote the chances for greater innovation and creativity with the cultural differences as well (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 218). Combining people from different cultural backgrounds also benefits the organization integration and learning so as the managerial development. It improves lateral networks for the communication and information flow. Also when bringing the people with the different cultural backgrounds together, it can be a solution to help minimize the risk of uniformity and pressures for conformity which can appear in the company when there are too many like minded people working at the same company together at the same time (Janis, 1971). Also teams that are composed by members with different profiles are far more effective than teams that are made by the best and the brightest performers or with the members who are having the similar profiles. Teams that have included a mixture of members with profiles of different areas performed better as they have the balance of roles. Different cultures have different assumptions toward the business issues and also have different ideas about the reasons of teams. So that to share information and discuss about any problem at work with people from different cultural background would often generate greater results in a dynamic way. Furthermore to the benefit of the combination with people from different cultures background would enhance the productivity for the organization. The challenges of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are that bringing people together from different cultures is given more ambiguity and uncertainty in decision making. Also it would be much more complex in the organization from the procession to implementation due to the cultural differences in assumptions. People with different cultural backgrounds work together might create interpersonal conflict and communication problems at work. Also it would create greater potential for frustration and dissatisfactions that might lead to higher turnover of team members within the group (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 231). The choice of language using within the multicultural team might also creates friction and misunderstanding especially when the native language for the three American managers is English while the native language for the local managers is Chinese, there is a huge scope for misunderstandings that could hamper the cohesion and effectiveness of the team no matter how fluent the local managers could speak in English (I-change, 2008). According to the personal upbringing and values, technical background and training, and also the national backgrounds can distort and filter the messages in many layers of meaning within a multicultural team that can lead to further misunderstanding and frustrations. Barriers would also be created for the multicultural team due to the direct versus indirect communication; trouble with accents and fluency; differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority and so as the conflicting norms for decision making (Brett, Behfar Kern, 2006). Direct versus indirect communication is that in western cultures, the communication is typically direct and explicit. The listener does not need to know much about the speaker in order to interpret the context because the context of the meaning of the conversation is on the surface while the meaning of the conversation is embedded in the way the message is presented in many other cultures. Although the language of international business is English, the trouble with accents and fluency may lead to deep frustration and misunderstanding because of nonnative speakers’ accents, problems with translation or usage and lack of fluency would also influence the perceptions of status and competence. A challenge inherent in multicultural team with differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority is that by design, teams have a rather flat structure. But team members from some cultures that people are treated differently according to their status in an organization probably are uncomfortable on flat teams. If they defer to higher status team members then their behavior will be seen as appropriate when most of the team members are came from a hierarchical culture; but they may damage their stature and credibility and even face humiliation if most of the team members are came from an egalitarian culture. Cultures differ enormously when it comes to decision making due to the conflicting norms for decision making particularly on how much analysis is required beforehand and how quickly the decisions should be made. American managers like to make decisions very quickly and with little analysis relatively when compared to the managers from other countries that may also be the challenge too. Task 6 Management Approach The four profiles are Village Market Well oiled machine Family or tribe Pyramid of people Ethical considerations: Managers and companies need to access how different spheres of cultural influence contribute to ethnical behavior. Ethical considerations could include such things as ‘harsh capitalism’ which could include laying off workers, breakdown of psychological contract, corruption, codes of conduct, and the Sullivan Principles. Common rationalizations in explaining unethical behavior can be: It is not really illegal or immoral It serves the best interest of the individual or company It is safe because it will never be found out or publicized The activity helps the company and therefore it will be condoned and protected References: Brett J., Behfar K. Kern M.C. (2006) Harvard Business Review[online]. Available from:http://web.gsm.uci.edu/~kbehfar/Behfar-HBR%202006.pdf [Accessed 27 July 2008] Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007a). Hong Kong Statistics – Statistical Tables [online]. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available from: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=133excelID=134chartID=tableID=133ID=subjectID=5 [Accessed 29 June 2008] Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007b). Hong Kong Statistics – Statistical Tables [online]. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available from: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=134excelID=chartID=tableID=134ID=subjectID=5 CIPD. (2008) Employee Relations: an overview [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm [Accessed 13 July 2008] Eretz, M. and Early, P.C. (1993) Culture, Self-identity, and Work, New York: Oxford University Press. I-Change. (2008) Multicultural teamwork Communication[online]. Available from: (http://www.i-change.biz/multiculturalteamworkcommunication.php [Accessed 27 July 2008] Janis, I.L. (1971) Victims of Groupthink, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. (1992) Development of the global leader, in V. Pucik, N. Ticy and C.Barnett (eds) Globalizing Management, New York: John Wiley, pp.194-205 Pennings, J.M. (1993) Executive reward systems: A cross – national comparison,, Journal of Management Studies, 30(2), pp.261-80, p.264. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.24-6, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.26-7, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.29, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.30, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.31, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.124, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.151, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.165, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.167, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.168, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.168-70, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.190-1, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, p.192, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd Cross Cultural Awareness in Management Cross Cultural Awareness in Management Task 1 The FIVE most important competencies for managing internationally in my country, Hong Kong, for these three American managers of TDS are: Interpersonal Skills – If this is not the most important skill of all, it is the crucial one. This skill helps the expatriate managers to establish relationships, coordinate with others, satisfying the needs for friendship and intimacy when they are abroad. It also helps in building trust and form relationships with the people around them. The expatriate managers are often experiencing uncertainties and getting stressed when dealing things with work and personal life in a new environment. So with good interpersonal skills will be able to reduce the stress coming from every angle. Referring to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 190-1), the primary selection of many companies for the expatriate managers in practice is their track records on reaching their targets or getting their jobs done. Companies also would like to send those that are eager to climb further on their career ladders or those with technical or conceptual abilities instead of those with interpersonal skills abroad. These expatriates are often too focused on their personal agenda to make things happen and ignore the pressure that are given to the local staffs which would create tension at work. Moreover, feelings of mistrust and resentment of the local staffs towards the head office will also be exacerbated. Therefore, interpersonal skills should be taken into account when the American managers are being chosen to manage in a foreign country like Hong Kong. Motivation to live abroad – It is a key factor for the expatriate managers and their families to adapt into the local culture successfully (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192). Basically they should have real interests in the country they will live in, in order to have the curiosity to get to know it better and experience it well. It is the desire that makes them easier to understand the culture with ease. Patience and respect – Different countries have different cultures so it is necessary that the international managers have the patience and respect when dealing with the new culture. It takes time to cope and learn the differences between the culture at home and the culture of the new place so the international managers should be patient (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). They also need to have respect for the local of how the things happen in some ways when dealing with different circumstances in any aspects. Cultural empathy – This is a not skill that can be easily acquired because it is deeply rooted in someone’s character to have the mentality of empathy for others with cultural differences (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 193). It is required in order to respect the local staffs by the international managers to be a good listener to focus on what they have to say. Being non-judgmental is also important for those managers to be able to understand others’ points of views. The psychological development of a human being allows narcissism to be evolved to a point that interfere the capacity for empathy (Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. 1992). Managers that are narcissistic usually are self- centred and think that others are paltry or just the extensions of their own. They make the values of others hard to be recognized, let alone appreciate, because they see others as objects or tools for them to get what they want in order to achieve their goals and they also think of others as the mirrors to reflect their own glory. This type of managers would use all their efforts to prove their worth instead of considering the needs and the existing values of the other staffs. Flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity – These managers also need to have the flexibility, tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. Changing circumstances that are unexpected makes the managers face with thread of uncertainty and ambiguity because the reactions and the behaviors of the local staffs may be unpredictable. Managers are intended to reinforce greater controls and restrict on the information flow when they face this kind of tread especially during an international assignment (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 192-3). It often results in a stereotypical response and not well adapted to the situation on hands. Although it is difficult for the managers that are usually awarded by being in charged and staying on top of things, expatriates need to ‘go with the flow’ and let go of control. Everyone doesn’t always need to go by the book because actions are often taken base on insufficient, unreliable or/ and conflicting information. Task 2 Controlling model and Adapting model are the names and characteristics of two specific models of strategy related to cultural assumptions and approaches in adapting to external environment as discussed in the literature. The differences between controlling and adapting approaches are described below: Controlling model is based on active search that is focused and systematic. The planning system of the controlling approach is formalized and centralized using expert consultants to assist in devising strategy. The information being used by the controlling method is objective, quantitative and impersonal also interpreting information relies on formal models and methods like strategic forecasting with scenario planning. The people involve in this model are those from the top management or the experts of the particular area. The decisions for the controlling approach would be made by the top management and pass down to be implemented. The strategic goals and action plans are clearly defined, articulated and it would be explicitly measured and rewarded in this controlling method. As it assumes that the environment is known to reduce environmental uncertainty. This approach is usually sequential and short term (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124). Adapting model is broad, sporadic, decentralized and mostly based on monitoring. It is the opposite from the controlling model, informal and decentralized. The adapting approach is personal, subjective and qualitative; the information would be interpreted by some informal methods with discussions and debate. It would have the employees involved from all across the ranks. The decisions for the adapting approach would be made by the front lines staffs, neither the people from top management nor the experts. The strategic goals tend to emerge and action plans are broad, implicit and vaguely monitored. Also it assumes that the environment cannot be readily known or controlled. This approach is long term and simultaneous (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 124). The model of adapting approach is more appropriate in this situation with TDS because TDS is new to town and not quite familiar with the culture and environment in Hong Kong. Also the environment cannot be controlled or readily known, it would be wise to have the responsibilities to be diffused throughout the organization to make all the staffs from different ranks to get involved. Strategic direction tends to emerge when different people come with different perspective on the business point of view. The implementation should be locally determined to keep it within this strategic frame. Strategy can be refined on an ongoing basis and the adjustments can be made to any unexpected circumstances. TDS should be flexible in order to deal with any sort of unforeseen events or sudden change in any situation. A broad scan is needed in case of any subtle change in the environment and also accountability should be assigned to the collective too because everyone is involved to contribute to make things happen. Task 3 The Five methods of discovery that I would recommend to the three American managers transferring into my country, Hong Kong, are: Architecture and design – According to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 24-6) the most obvious artifact is the architecture and design of the building when you enter the organization. In the United States, most of the office design would be opened space with partitioned off by half walls with each individual cubicles personalized by personal interested items such as photos, plants or aphorisms. By not being able to see each other directly allows a sense of privacy to be established. Also opened doors are usually signaled as accessible and available while closed doors are indicated as a sign of privacy desire in the United States. To the contrary, Japanese prefer to have some of the walls knocked off so informal communication would not be inhibited. On the other hand, Germans experience difficulty to work in an open-plan office due they feel it is lack of privacy. Although Hong Kong has a majority of 95 percent Chinese people according to a website (The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, 2008), and was also a British colony for over 150 years, the main business partner of its own is still the United States as shown by the figures provided from the Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department, (2007a) (2007b). Therefore, most of the office design in Hong Kong is followed to the same style as those in the United States. Greeting rituals – In the United States, the greeting rituals are tended to be paid less attention according to a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 26-7). But for the other countries, the protocol is taken quite seriously. There are different forms of way in greetings such as showing respect by exchanging and inspecting business cards in Japan, greeting individual by name, shaking hands and making eye contact by French. The degree of body contact expected in greeting creates a fair amount of confusion in another part of the rituals too. In the United States, people might greet others with a hug even when the acquaintanceship is ordinary. In some countries like France, kissing hello and goodbye are common while people from countries like Hong Kong might feel uncomfortable and uneasy about it. According to a website (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2008), handshaking followed by an immediate swapping of business cards is the most common form of greeting in Hong Kong. Dress Codes – It is another cultural artifact varies from the degree of formality. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 29) pointed out that Anglo and Asian managers do not want to get too much attention or stand out by the way they dress while the Latin managers really care about their personal style. Moreover, corporate dress seems to be color coded in some countries. For example in the United Kingdom, some women are advised not to wear suits and dresses in bright color to work such as red and some bankers of a Dutch bank even avoid to wear suits in brown. It also signals task orientation. In the United States, rolled up shirt sleeves is considered as a signal of hard working while in France means ‘relaxing on the job’. Not to mention that some US companies have designated days to encourage people to appear in casual clothes at work such as Fridays. According to a website (World Business Culture, 2008), dress codes differ base on the size of company and industry sector in Hong Kong. Men mostly wear dark suits, shirts and ties while women wear conservative suits and dresses. Trousers and causal wear are tended to be worn only on informal occasions or designated days. Written versus verbal contracts – In different parts of the world people have different definitions toward the sealed business agreements as mentioned in a recent book (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 30). In some places, one’s word means more than a legal document while others need to put down all the details on a paper in black and white. Problems would appear when the contracts are expected by the head office to be signed, sealed and delivered from a place where one’s reputation and honor are way more valuable than some legal documents. Figures from Schneider Barsoux (2003, 30) for the estimated numbers of lawyers per capita of some countries like United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan reflect the differences on expectations. American managers will bring it to the legal department to retrieve whenever a business deal has been fell through while some other countries would sort things out through the relationship. Since Hong Kong is a Common Law Jurisdiction like most of the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008a), people most likely to expect to have a written contract over a business deal. Criteria for success – It depends on the importance of stakeholders whether it is the benefit of the shareholders, the customers or the employees. Beliefs and values differ when there are different stakeholders; there are different criteria for success. Schneider Barsoux (2003, 31) claimed that American companies only exist for the benefit of the shareholders. This might be disagreed in Japan or even shock the Japanese as they believe customers have the divine rights. Some countries in Europe such as Germany or Sweden believe that the employees have the divine rights instead. Although all these factors are crucial to the business success, you still need to have a closer look to the cultural preferences in different countries like Hong Kong. Task 4 In my opinion, the key functions for managing people and human resource management are recruitment and selection, compensation and rewards, employee relations, and career development. Recruitment and selection – This can be the most challenging and important function for managing people and human resource management. It is because finding ‘the right people for the right job’ is essential. It is often a challenge as well especially when the nature of the local labor market or the available human resources is not familiar. The company needs to understand how to access the local labor pool in order to get the equivalent people to work for the company. So finding those candidates who have the abilities and requirements to finish the task and get the job done is also hard and essential, not to mention to get those who seem to likely match with the existing corporate culture. Moreover, the standard profile of one country might be very different from another in terms of representation and the differences in education systems also play a part to make the selection difficult in selecting which person fits the profile for the job (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Compensation and rewards – The cultural differences play a role when it comes to determine the terms of reward and who gets it. Different cultures have different type of value in relations to the reward and vary to the extent in the belief that reward should be collective or individual. Pay for performance is assumed to be based on contribution or ‘equity’ instead of the belonging to the group or ‘equality’ (Eretz and Early, 1993). In the contractual view of employment, the notions of equity, ‘you get what you deserve’, are embedded while the notions of equality, ‘you deserve what you get’, correspond to the social view (Pennings, 1993). According to Susan Barsoux (2003, 165), the current trend of linking salary payment to working performances is especially suspect to be cultural related. It has been discovered that in some countries like France, it would be shocked for the French executives to have clearly stated quantifiable objective relating increased performances to increased bonus. It is because the French executives found that discussion about money and finance is such a turned off. It also provoked outcries when the merit pay was attempted to be introduced in Japan. It created uproar as the Japanese executives were scared that it would ruin the harmony of the group and might also encourage short term thinking especially when the employees only focus on the performance in order to get the bonus. On the other hand, the dominant influence in American managerial thinking is the principle of equity that each one should be rewarded based on the solely contribution by that particular person. Nowadays in the view towards team management that demands group cooperation instead of competition among individuals finds the merit-based pay in the United States demotivating (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). The preference between financial or non financial incentives is also related to the culture. The motivating potential of money, status, vacation time is also affected and changed across countries. Swedish would prefer to have some time off rather than a bonus because they are more concerned with the quality of life and monetary rewards are less motivating while giving time off might seem to have not much point in Japan when most of the employees only take half of their holiday entitlement (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 167). So the internationally operated companies should learn to appreciate the different values and evaluate the potential impact as well because the remuneration package is a very strong indicator of the culture and the behavior expected and also can be used in order to encourage cooperation or competition, risk taking or conservatism, and information sharing or information hoarding. The remuneration package is also a very important signal when it comes to aspiring recruits. When the company wants to attract local elite, it can choose to align itself with the local norms or the alien one when the preference of the company changes to attract the less mainstream or adventurous or those that are frustrated with the local practices and looking to be rewarded for their efforts and success (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168). Employee relations – It is important to have a good relations and mutual understanding between the management and the staffs of the company. Any staff grievances of the company should be dealt with and well listened to in order to promote a harmony environment. An open dialogue is needed to be promoted between the management and the unions of the company to eliminate any conflicts or fictions that may occur between the staffs and the management specially when there is a new implementation of company policies. Also the employees’ political standing should be respected and well listened to especially when it is toward the company policy and issues. Good employee relations help increasing the engagement of the employees to the company so as their commitment and involvement as well. It also helps with the staff retention which is necessary for a company setting up in a new country like TDS (CIPD, 2008). Career development – National culture has an impact on career development and the natures of the managerial tasks on what management should do or be are depended on assumptions of being versus doing. The determinants for success varies across cultures when some places have it based on achieving results like the United States while in the United Kingdom having good interpersonal skills and personal connections are the keys for success at the career front. Favored career paths also differ culturally and it is bound up with cultural assumptions regarding the importance of the individual versus loyalty to the company, doing versus being, and tolerance for uncertainty. So a multinational company should make sure that the perceptions of what it takes to get to the top and the patterns of career development would include people with different skills, abilities, knowledge and perspectives (Susan Barsoux, 2003, 168 -70). With the references to managing people and HRM, I feel the four department managers, two from the United States and two from Hong Kong, should focus on during their first three months is selection because it is vital to get the right people for the right job in any organization (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 151). Local talent may have different types of abilities, skills, knowledge and strength owing to the national values differences placed on the education so it is also a challenge to get the right people who fit the requirement for the particular job and also fit with the company culture. The managers should consider the differences in attitude towards the hiring practices in Hong Kong and also the cultural differences will influence on how to recruit as well. So getting access to the local labor pool to get the people that match with the job criteria is important too. Therefore, selection should be focused by four department managers for the first three months to get the right people in place and help them to adjust and fit into a new culture and way of life in order to make the launch of TDS in Hong Kong a success. The trade unions in the United Kingdom has a culture as a collective bargaining tool with management while the one in the United States has more of a hire and fire culture. In Hong Kong, there are four trade unions and the largest one among them is the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and their main slogans are patriotism, solidarity, right, welfare and participation (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008b). Although the unions in Hong Kong are focused on the rights and welfares of the workers as much as those in the United Kingdom and the United States but they are still at the stage of establishing as the largest unions in Hong Kong was founded in 1948 while those in United Kingdom have been existed for over 100 years like the General Federation of Trade Unions (UK) (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008c) and so as those in the United States like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was founded in 1886 (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 2008d). Since the United States is the biggest trade business partners of Hong Kong, most of the companies would contain the culture of the United States to remain individual. Task 5 The benefits of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are given the larger complexity and speed of change in the international business environment. It seems obvious that bringing people together from different cultures enhance the quality of decisions taken. These multinational cultures contribute a greater range of perspectives and options with even more successful marketing strategies and ideas to attract different types of customers. It can also provide a different or new way of looking at the old or existing problems and help to promote the chances for greater innovation and creativity with the cultural differences as well (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 218). Combining people from different cultural backgrounds also benefits the organization integration and learning so as the managerial development. It improves lateral networks for the communication and information flow. Also when bringing the people with the different cultural backgrounds together, it can be a solution to help minimize the risk of uniformity and pressures for conformity which can appear in the company when there are too many like minded people working at the same company together at the same time (Janis, 1971). Also teams that are composed by members with different profiles are far more effective than teams that are made by the best and the brightest performers or with the members who are having the similar profiles. Teams that have included a mixture of members with profiles of different areas performed better as they have the balance of roles. Different cultures have different assumptions toward the business issues and also have different ideas about the reasons of teams. So that to share information and discuss about any problem at work with people from different cultural background would often generate greater results in a dynamic way. Furthermore to the benefit of the combination with people from different cultures background would enhance the productivity for the organization. The challenges of creating and working within the context of a multicultural team are that bringing people together from different cultures is given more ambiguity and uncertainty in decision making. Also it would be much more complex in the organization from the procession to implementation due to the cultural differences in assumptions. People with different cultural backgrounds work together might create interpersonal conflict and communication problems at work. Also it would create greater potential for frustration and dissatisfactions that might lead to higher turnover of team members within the group (Schneider Barsoux, 2003, 231). The choice of language using within the multicultural team might also creates friction and misunderstanding especially when the native language for the three American managers is English while the native language for the local managers is Chinese, there is a huge scope for misunderstandings that could hamper the cohesion and effectiveness of the team no matter how fluent the local managers could speak in English (I-change, 2008). According to the personal upbringing and values, technical background and training, and also the national backgrounds can distort and filter the messages in many layers of meaning within a multicultural team that can lead to further misunderstanding and frustrations. Barriers would also be created for the multicultural team due to the direct versus indirect communication; trouble with accents and fluency; differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority and so as the conflicting norms for decision making (Brett, Behfar Kern, 2006). Direct versus indirect communication is that in western cultures, the communication is typically direct and explicit. The listener does not need to know much about the speaker in order to interpret the context because the context of the meaning of the conversation is on the surface while the meaning of the conversation is embedded in the way the message is presented in many other cultures. Although the language of international business is English, the trouble with accents and fluency may lead to deep frustration and misunderstanding because of nonnative speakers’ accents, problems with translation or usage and lack of fluency would also influence the perceptions of status and competence. A challenge inherent in multicultural team with differing attitudes toward hierarchy and authority is that by design, teams have a rather flat structure. But team members from some cultures that people are treated differently according to their status in an organization probably are uncomfortable on flat teams. If they defer to higher status team members then their behavior will be seen as appropriate when most of the team members are came from a hierarchical culture; but they may damage their stature and credibility and even face humiliation if most of the team members are came from an egalitarian culture. Cultures differ enormously when it comes to decision making due to the conflicting norms for decision making particularly on how much analysis is required beforehand and how quickly the decisions should be made. American managers like to make decisions very quickly and with little analysis relatively when compared to the managers from other countries that may also be the challenge too. Task 6 Management Approach The four profiles are Village Market Well oiled machine Family or tribe Pyramid of people Ethical considerations: Managers and companies need to access how different spheres of cultural influence contribute to ethnical behavior. Ethical considerations could include such things as ‘harsh capitalism’ which could include laying off workers, breakdown of psychological contract, corruption, codes of conduct, and the Sullivan Principles. Common rationalizations in explaining unethical behavior can be: It is not really illegal or immoral It serves the best interest of the individual or company It is safe because it will never be found out or publicized The activity helps the company and therefore it will be condoned and protected References: Brett J., Behfar K. Kern M.C. (2006) Harvard Business Review[online]. Available from:http://web.gsm.uci.edu/~kbehfar/Behfar-HBR%202006.pdf [Accessed 27 July 2008] Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007a). Hong Kong Statistics – Statistical Tables [online]. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available from: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=133excelID=134chartID=tableID=133ID=subjectID=5 [Accessed 29 June 2008] Business Expectation Statistics Section, Census and Statistics Department. (2007b). Hong Kong Statistics – Statistical Tables [online]. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Available from: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistical_tables/index.jsp?htmlTableID=134excelID=chartID=tableID=134ID=subjectID=5 CIPD. (2008) Employee Relations: an overview [online]. Available from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/emprelsovr.htm [Accessed 13 July 2008] Eretz, M. and Early, P.C. (1993) Culture, Self-identity, and Work, New York: Oxford University Press. I-Change. (2008) Multicultural teamwork Communication[online]. Available from: (http://www.i-change.biz/multiculturalteamworkcommunication.php [Accessed 27 July 2008] Janis, I.L. (1971) Victims of Groupthink, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Kets de Vries, M. and Mead, C. (1992) Development of the global leader, in V. Pucik, N. Ticy and C.Barnett (eds) Globalizing Management, New York: John Wiley, pp.194-205 Pennings, J.M. (1993) Executive reward systems: A cross – national comparison,, Journal of Management Studies, 30(2), pp.261-80, p.264. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.24-6, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. (2003), Managing Across Cultures 2nd edition, pp.26-7, Prentice Hall. Schneider, S.C. and Barsoux, J.L. 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