The future of natural medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

The future of natural medicine - Essay Example The future of heÐ °lth cÐ °re Ð °nd medicine cÐ °n not be predicted, but it will certÐ °inly be developing into Ð °n InformÐ °tion Ð °ge, evolving in itself. PÐ °rticulÐ °rly, the medicÐ °l services will be delivered through the Internet Ð °nd other innovÐ °tive meÐ °ns of communicÐ °tion providing quÐ °lity Ð °nd cÐ °re whenever Ð °nd wherever needed. In the following pÐ °per I will discuss the future of nÐ °turÐ °l medicine emphÐ °sis on e-medicÐ °l services. I will Ð °lso tÐ °lk Ð °bout conventionÐ °l medicine Ð °nd its plÐ °ce in the future of heÐ °lth cÐ °re. E-medicine refers to the use of telecommunicÐ °tion thÐ °t provides medicÐ °l informÐ °tion Ð °nd services. It mÐ °y be Ð °s simple Ð °s two heÐ °lth professionÐ °ls discussing Ð ° cÐ °se over the telephone, or Ð °s sophisticÐ °ted Ð °s using sÐ °tellite technology to broÐ °dcÐ °st Ð ° consultÐ °tion between providers Ð °t two distÐ °nt locÐ °tions, using videoconferencing equipment.† (Gustke et Ð °l., 20000) The simplest definition of E-Medicine is thÐ °t it uses multimediÐ ° technology (voice, video Ð °nd dÐ °tÐ °) to deliver medicÐ °l services. The lower cost of bÐ °nd- width Ð °nd improvement in video Ð °nd dÐ °tÐ ° compression stÐ °ndÐ °rds hÐ °ve increÐ °sed the number Ð °nd types of medicÐ °l services thÐ °t cÐ °n be delivered from Ð ° distÐ °nce to include virtuÐ °lly every speciÐ °lty. E-Medicine is Ð °n Ð °pplicÐ °tion Ð °nd not Ð ° technology. It uses Ð ° hybrid technology incorporÐ °ting elements of television, telecommunicÐ °tion, computers, engineering Ð °nd medicine. Services cÐ °n be delivered on Ð ° combinÐ °tion of technologies with Ð ° vÐ °riety of equipment. The objective of E-medicine â€Å"is not Ð °n evolutionÐ °ry concept but Ð ° revolutionÐ °ry concept Ð °nd Ð °t the heÐ °rt of every revolution, there is the need for Ð ° sudden mÐ °ssive chÐ °nge, Ð °t the core of which is the humÐ °n mind.† (Merrell, 2004). E-medicine in the future will bring mÐ °ny benefits to

Eastern Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Eastern Philosophy Essay Eastern philosophy is the philosophies of the eastern continents. Many postmodern philosophers believe the only variant of Eastern and Western philosophy is that of Geographic’s however some scholars will disagree that it is not geographical but of natural language and investigated thinking. Eastern philosophy touches base with three traditions —Indian, Chinese and Persian philosophy—which are just as different from each other as they are from Western philosophy. Eastern religions have not spent as much time as western philosopher questioning the nature of God and his role in the creation of mankind. More recently philosophical schools are teaching both religious and philosophical concepts. East Asian Philosophy includes Confucianism, which is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia[1], Taoism which refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced Eastern Asia[2], Shinto which is the indigenous religion of Japan[3], Legalism which was one of the main philosophic currents during the Warring States Period[4], and Maoism, which is officially known as Mao Zedong Thought[5]. Indian philosophies were several traditions which included but limited to, Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Sikh philosophy, Jainism and Carvaka (atheist school of thought with ancient roots in India). Indian philosophers live life by a philosophical custom. They believe this is the righteous way to best live their lives. Whether Indian schools believe in god or not, they all share the same perception of the truth through logical practices. West Asian Philosophies include to Babylonian philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Zoroastrianism, Islamic philosophy, and Sufi philosophy, however they can also be referred to as western philosophies. Babylonian philosophy dates back to the Mesopotamian era which demonstrated certain philosophies of life, in the forms of dialectic, dialogs, epic poetry, folklore, hymns, lyrics, prose, and proverbs. [6] Iranian Philosophy is the same as Persian philosophy and is said to date back to the beginning of the science of philosophy. Zoroastrianism was philosophy influenced Indo-Iranian Philosophy. Islamic philosophy is summed up as the philosophical harmonization of Sufi philosophy reason and faith. Sufi philosophy involves a school of thought, in the form of manuals, dictations, poetry, and other written works as a means of thinking and meditation. In conclusion, Eastern philosophy is more about, the scientific aspect of philosophy without questioning the practically of it. All cultures involved have lived their lives by means of experience and by doing so they have gotten the best out of their lives. Even in religious culture, they do not question the beliefs but rather embrace them without fear of judgment and ridicule from others. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Postmodernist http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Eastern_philosophy#Classification [1] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Confucianism [2] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Taoism [3] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Shinto [4] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Legalism_(Chinese_philosophy) [5] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Maoism [6] http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Eastern_philosophy.

Stages of Human Development

Stages of Human Development 5 Stages of Human Development Social, physical, emotional, cognitive and cultural changes take place throughout the lifespan of an individual. There is a general sequence of development which is fixed, however the rate of development can sometimes differ depending on many factors. There are key needs which must be met and consequences if they are not. Stage of Life Cycle: Infancy 0-5 Years Attachment Theory-Bowlby At this stage the infant is highly dependant. From the moment a child is born they begin to develop physically. The babys senses begin to develop; he is able to focus on objects, learns to hold the weight of his head up and attempts to pull himself up holding onto the edge of a chair or table. He then learns to crawl and with lots of encouragement finally learns to walk. Through interaction with parents, family, friends and other children they learn to socialise, play and communicate. With much needed stimulation and play, babies and young children learn. They begin to recognise and memorise faces, characters, objects and songs. With communication, consistency and encouragement they learn speech and are taught routines and behaviour, such as bed-time and toilet training. To develop emotionally, a baby needs love, affection and consistent care. Bowlbys attachment theory, as later complimented by Rutter, suggests that from birth a child requires a consistent attachment and bonding with at least one main caregiver. With a sense of safety, belonging and being cared for unconditionally the child learns trust and views the world as a safe place to be. For this reason it is important to avoid broken attachments. If the childs parents are uncaring, unreliable, are inconsistent with their care or if circumstances cause the attachment to be broken completely, the child may be unable to develop to their full potential. Without an adequate, loving attachment the infant may not be able to develop a loving relationship in future and without a trusting relationship with the main caregiver, they will develop mistrust. They may become apprehensive, withdrawn and suspicious around people. Stage of Life Cycle: Childhood 5-12 years 8 stages of Identity; Initiative v Guilt-Erikson As the child reaches school age they have increasing physical independence. They now begin to learn new skills such as running, skipping, ball games and cycling. They have progressed socially and have the ability to choose their own friends, find their own interests and make their own decisions about which activities they take part in. They begin to develop an understanding of others needs and wants and learn to share and take turns. They can begin to develop emotional attachments to individuals other than family members which can develop if stimulated. Cognitively the child begins school education and begins to develop an understanding of authority and following rules. At this stage of a childs development they should be able to learn initiative without taking on too much guilt. Initiative means they should be allowed a certain amount of responsibility and the freedom to learn new skills; they can only achieve this by the parents allowing and encouraging their child to try out ideas and to allow them to use their imagination. The child must not be treated to feel too much guilt over their behaviour or feel ridiculed; this can lead them to become over sensitive and they can feel guilty about their feelings. On the other hand too much initiative and too little guilt can create a ruthless individual; they may not contemplate or care about the consequences of their actions. Erikson also states a child must develop a capacity for industry without excessive inferiority. The child must learn to understand the difference between imagination and reality with the guidance of parents and teachers. The child should learn the feeling of success and be praised and encouraged, without this they may develop an inferiority complex; they may become scared of failure and not able to attempt and learn new skills. Stage of Life Cycle: Adolescence 13-20 years 8 Stages of Identity; Identity v Role Confusion/Self Concept-Carl Rogers During adolescence the individual goes through a rapid growth spurt. Puberty begins and many developmental changes take place; boys begin to develop more defined muscle tone, start to grow hair over their body and their voice breaks and becomes deeper; girls become more curvaceous and they begin their menstrual period-both sexes become extremely hormonal which can lead to mood swings affecting their social and emotional life. They may be concerned that they are not developing as quickly as their peers causing emotional stress. Teens begin to develop and explore their personality and self image. Dependant on their culture they may develop physical relationships and experiment with drugs and alcohol. They experience and develop new social skills as they attend higher education and may leave the family home to attend college or university. The brain continues to develop until late adolescence. Cognitively this can be a very turbulent time with the pressure of exams and choosing their ca reer. As adolescents go through new life experiences and learn to deal with their emotions, they begin to take responsibility for themselves, reflect on their experience of life so far and create their own identity. Teens often rebel against the authority which has governed them up until this point; they break the rules and resist against their parents wishes. Their behaviour and attitudes change, they experiment with style and clothing and even begin to speak differently as they struggle to find their true self. They have a need to discover their own identity and to been seen in a positive way by others. Eriksons theory states that the individual must discover his own identity and without the freedom to do so may struggle to fit in and socialise. If this development is not made, for example if adults in the adolescents life do not allow them the freedom to express themselves, they may find it difficult to take on responsibilities and develop a sense of right from wrong. Should the parents push them to conform to their views; the individual will experience role confusion. Stage of Life Cycle: Adulthood 21-65 years Hierarchy of needs-Maslow As the individual reaches young adulthood, they reach their peak physical fitness, have an increase in stamina and should have developed a balance of good health and lifestyle. They may have their own children and have begun to settle down. They have generally decided and have settled down into their chosen field of profession and work to develop and improve their education and skills. They now take on many more responsibilities such as a mortgage, providing a stable and secure base for their family or they may experience stress within the workplace. Emotionally they may have experience of death and bereavement. They have more intimate relationships and may decide to marry; their role within the family changes and they begin to build social networks. According to Maslow, to achieve fulfilment an individual has key needs which must be met in order to reach their full potential, this is know as a hierarchy of needs. The bottom of the pyramid shows physiological needs such as shelter, food, warmth, stimulation and rest. The next level states safety needs which are required; protection from disease and illness. Maslow states that in order to move up the pyramid, each stage of requirements must be met. For example, without food and shelter an individual cannot be safe against disease and in turn cannot move up to the next step of the pyramid which is love and belongingness, followed by self-esteem. In adult life in our culture it is expected that an individual will be provided with their physiological needs and can live in safety. If they do not receive the love and affection they need; trust and acceptance and a feeling of belongingness they may not have self-esteem. Without respect and love from others they cannot respect and love t hemselves. Stage of Life Cycle: Older Adulthood 65+ years Hierarchy of needs-Maslow As the adult enters into the last stage of their life, they may begin to physically grow frail and can often suffer with mental illness. Older adults eyesight and hearing often begins to fail as they age. Socially the older generation tend to follow other interests and after retirement have time to lead a full social life. However, the older generation can become more isolated due to family issues or health reasons such as hearing or sight difficulties. Emotionally they can become withdrawn feeling themselves as a burden to their society, family and friends. They may begin to contemplate their lives and have negative feelings such as regret or guilt; however they may feel fulfilled, proud of their accomplishments and their family. An older adult has wisdom and experience although they may find it difficult to grasp and understand new technology and develop new skills. These disabilities are often due to ill health or memory loss. According to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, at that top of the pyramid the individual has a need for esteem; self-esteem and the esteem they receive from others. They require a level of respect for themselves and from others; with the needs met they feel self confident and valuable. Without esteem they can feel inferior and worthless. If all the needs of the pyramid have been met, the older adult reaches self-actualisation; a feeling that they have lived a life of purpose. Without the other needs of the pyramid being met they may struggle to reach this level. References Miller. J (2000) Care in Practice for Higher Still, Hodder Stoughton Erikson. E.H. (1965) Childhood and Society, Hogarth Press, London, pp.222-43 http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/erikson.html http://www.learning-theories.com/eriksons-stages-of-development.html

deviance :: essays research papers

Deviance is an individual's or group's behavior, ideas, or attributes that some people in society find offensive, wrong, immoral, sinful, evil, strange, or disgusting. This definition consists of three parts. Expectation: Some behavioral expectation must exist. Violation: There must be a real or implied violation of the expectation Reaction: An individual, group, or society must react to the deviance The strain theory by Robert Merton believes that American society pushes individuals toward deviance by overemphasizing the importance of monetary success, while failing to emphasize the legitimate means to achieve that success. Cultural Transmission Theory by Edwin Sutherland states that deviants learn patterns of behavior form the people with whom they associate on a regular basis. Not only do they teach us the techniques for committing deviant acts, but also a set of beliefs and attitudes that justify or rationalize the behavior The Anomie Theory was coined by Emile Durkheim and it refers to the condition of normlessness, in which values and norms have little impact and the culture no longer provides adequate guidlines for behavior. Deviance is also thought of as an individual choice because it appears that the consequences of doing it are more desirable than the consequences of doing something else. The choice is as simple as weighing the pros and cons. Biological theories are a bit weak due to all the exceptions to the rule. William Sheldon proposed that deviance is in the body type. Other theorists say its in the extra Y chromosone Psychologists have attributed antisocial behavior to the conscious mind being too weak to overcome the strength of the id. Labeling theorists attempt to explain how cultural and individual perceptions create and sustain deviant idetities. A deviant is not different from you or I, they are just labeled deviant successfully. Has led sociologists to distinguish between primary and secondary deviance. Primary deviance is the original behavior that leads to the application of the label to an individual. Secondary deviance is the behavior that people develop as a result of having been labeled Functions of Deviance Deviance actually helps teach society's rules providing illustrations of violation. It is functional in that it 1) causes the group's members to close ranks 2) promotes group solidarity 3) help clarify what society really believes in 4)teaches normal behavior by showing us what is abnormal. Durkheim stated that deviance is "an intergral part of all healthy societies." There seems to be a disjunction between means and ends, such as the emphasis on wealth and success without many legitimate means to achieve them.

Functions, Values, and Roles of the Nurse Practitioner Essay

I have read and understand the plagiarism policy as outlined in the syllabus and the sections in the catalog relating to Indiana Wesleyans Honest/Cheating policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I certify that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act/s, which could include expulsion from Indiana Wesleyan University. Function, Values, and Roles of the Nurse Practitioner When contemplating the roles and values of the nurse practitioner it is necessary for the student to first exam the career path and scope of the nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who have advanced education and training in a health care setting. They are practitioners with advanced degrees such as a Master of Science in nursing and are licensed as registered nurses who have practiced as a registered nurse for a minimum of at least two years. Most nurse practitioners early in their course work will identify a specialty area of nursing that they have an interest in doing research in. Determination of this specific area is usually influenced by what area of nursing the student has experience working in as a registered nurse. Other times, it is influenced by the illness of someone close to them or a family member. Cardiac health and transplantation is an area that this student wishes to pursue as a specialty area. My interest has been piqued by personal experience in this area with a family member. This student believes that this specialty area values the health and well-being of all mankind and that research is rewarded as a basis for providing new and upcoming trends in this specialty area. Through early detection and treatment of cardiac related illness, healthcare providers in this area strive to prevent diseases such as congestive heart failure from progressing to advanced stages requiring even further cardiac intervention. It is the belief of this student that to become a competent urse practitioner one must value wellness, enjoy the human race, and have the true desire to care for others. Race, socioeconomic status, and educational level of the client are not priorities when determining plans of care for patients. The nurse practitioner must remain non bias in her personal beliefs and put the needs of the patient first at all times. This ensures nonbiased holistic complete care is provided which is valued by all nurse practitioners and sought by all health care consumers. . Due to recent changes in government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid coupled with the sky rocketing cost of health care many Americans are being forced to change the way they access health care. As the face of health care moves away from the traditional hospital setting to other sites within the community, the role and function of the nurse practitioner has moved to the forefront of the health care system. Nurse practitioners practice in a variety of settings that include community health centers, primary care clinics, hospital departments, physician offices, and walk in clinics. Accessibility to care is one criterion that has created popularity among the role of nurse practitioners. One area of interest among nurse practitioners that has become popular is the concept of family care specialization. Family care nurse practitioners value providing care to the entire family and are often viewed as the physicians of long ago. The care given by these practitioners is family based care, and not limited to one criterion such as age or gender, thus reminding people of how physicians practiced many years ago. Family nurse practitioners are licensed in the same way as other nurse practitioners but usually have a broader clientele base and work mainly in primary care clinics and not in specialty areas. Another quality the nurse practitioner must value is the ability to recognize the limits of their knowledge and expertise within their scope of practice. This recognition allows for collaboration with another health care provider to take place and ensures holistic problem focused healthcare is made available to all patients. When discussing society’s perception of the nurse practitioner, it is this student’s belief that there is an overall general acceptance in the role of the nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners have been made to earn the respect of their profession. During the early development of this career, nurse practitioners were originally viewed by some members of society as want to be physicians. This perception has changed within the last ten years and has mainly been influenced by the decrease in the number of general practice physicians. The increase in the number of baby boomers has also created the need for more medical providers thus helping to create further awareness and acceptance among the role of a nurse practitioner. Furthermore, recognition of nurse practitioners by third party insurances, in covering care provided by nurse practitioners, has also encouraged the use and popularity of nurse practitioners. When asked about society’s perception of the nurse practitioner, it is this student’s belief that there is an overall general acceptance of the role of the nurse practitioner. However, acceptance of this role in the medical field has not always been the norm. Nurse practitioners have been made to earn the respect of their profession and were originally viewed by some members of society as substitute doctors. It is this student’s belief this perception has changed within the last ten years due to the decrease in the number of available general practice physicians. The increase in the number of baby boomers requiring more medical attention has also created the need for more health care professionals thus promoting the role of the nurse practitioner. In conclusion, it is this student’s belief that nurse practitioners are competent medical professionals who value disease prevention, wellness, and patient education. All nurse practitioners strive to provide thorough patient care regardless of the area of specialty they practice and will remain strong advocates for change and stability in America’s health care system. Nurse practitioners have the ability to change the landscape of modern medicine and will continue to meet these challenges presented before them to ensure the continued growth and development of the practice of the nurse practitioner.

The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay Example

The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay Example The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organizations Culture Essay The Role of Unions in Improving and Disrupting an Organization’s Culture Describing and identifying the importance of abstract terms is a difficult task because their meaning rely more on substance than form. For this and other reasons, individuals as well as organizations tend to overlook or underestimate their importance for a successful career and for the effective functioning of an organization. Organizational Culture† is one of those terms, we can’t see it, but we can feel and experience it, and it has a profound impact in the way people behave in an organization. It denotes the attitudes, experiences, beliefs, and values of the work group or team within the organization, which to an extent affect the organization as a whole. All employees whatever their grade is, and whether they are professionals or not, contribute to the culture of an organization by bringing their diverse talents, knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs to the entity. Employees may possess abilities and talents that might enable them to fit into the organization and empower it, partly as a result of socialization, but they might need assistance from others, such as Human Resource Development specialists and Union cooperative efforts, in order to learn the skills that will enable them to play their part in the team, group, or department. The culture of an organization is important not only to individuals but to the organization itself. This makes culture an important part of every organization and union leaders and management need to understand the central role it plays in forming an effective organization. Union understanding of the important role culture play for an organization is essential since the recognition of unions and the labor agreement usually means structural changes to an organization’s policies, practices, strategies, and the environment. According to Neal M. Ashkanasy, author of the book Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate, more and more practitioners are coming to realize that, despite the best-laid plans, organizational change must include not only changing structures and processes, but also changing the corporate culture as well. Unions can play a role in creating and changing an organization’s culture, since they are in a position to provide the workforce with information designed to influence decisions about work practices, rules, preferred behaviors and attitudes, etc. Management as well as staff developers need, therefore, to communicate frequently with trade union officers. Improving organizational culture has become a necessity in todays ever- changing business environment. However, it can be a big challenge for the organization and its members. Managing in a union environment can be frustrating and confusing. Managers in a unionized workplace are challenged to manage effectively within legal and contractual parameters. This make the decision-making process more difficult for managers who must count with the union approval for many decisions and changes that might conflict with the labor agreement. If managers are not flexible in outcome, or are too specialized, then the organization may become too narrowly focused and the motivation and creative thought, a necessary precursor for innovation may be stiffed. Also, although individual ideas are important, strategies for team-working are essential. One of the primary responsibilities of strategic leaders is to create and maintain the organizational characteristics that reward and encourage collective effort (Neal M. Ashkanasy, 10). Individuals should be motivated to work as part of a team sharing a common vision of the direction in which they would like the organization to develop. To this end, unions are one of the most effective institutions that can be used to bring people that share common interests, goals, and principles together and motivate them to work as a team, since the mechanism of the union itself encourages team participation. Today, organizational leaders are confronted with many complex issues during their attempts to generate organizational achievement. A leaders success will depend, to a great extent, upon understanding organizational culture. Paul Clark, author of the book Building More Effective Unions contends that â€Å"Many of the problems confronting leaders can be traced to their inability to analyze and evaluate organizational cultures. † Many leaders, when trying to implement new strategies or a strategic plan leading to a new vision, will discover that their strategies will fail if they are inconsistent with the organizations culture. For example, a CEO, SES, political appointee, or flag officer who comes into an organization prepared to shake the place up and institute sweeping changes, often experiences resistance to changes and failure. These difficulties with organizational transformations arise from failures to analyze an organizations existing culture. According to Franklin Ashby, author of the book Revitalize your Corporate Culture, â€Å"When an organization has a union, most of the culture of the organization is dictated by the union contract, and the on-going relationship with the union. Unless Union cooperation is obtained, little can be done to change the culture of an organization. However, Unions often resist change to protect the interests of their members. One of the strongest cultures in the United States is the United Automobile Workers. Over the years and through many negotiations, they have established work rules that workers and companies must follow. These are now an integral part of the organizational culture of the Big Three Automobile Makers. For example, when competition from Japanese car makers cause the Big Three U. S. utomobile firms a significant loss of market share, the organizational culture of American Auto manufacturers had to be changed. This could be accomplished only through negotiation with the union. Although some labor leaders oppose any change they feel may weaken the union’s position, more and more enlightened labor union leaders are moving from an adversarial to a more cooperative philosophy (Franklin Ashby, 3). According to Paul F. Clark, author of the book Building More Effective Unions, â€Å"Most efforts to change an organization’s culture will meet with some resistance. A systematic approach to change is most effective in meeting such resistance. Many of us are familiar with the slogans, songs, jackets, parades, banquets, and picnics of unions because they are all part of the labor movement. To some they are simply windows dressing, unconnected to the important things that build an effective union. But, in fact, these things are part of a potentially and powerful phenomenon called â€Å"organizational culture† (Paul F. Clark, 10). It is important that unions understand the central role that culture plays in an effective organization and work to build a strong culture consistent with the union as well as the organization’s values, beliefs, and objectives. This is essential to avoid conflict by having two different cultures with different organizational objectives in the same company. Although one general culture might be ideal and best for an organization, subcultures exist and they do not necessarily exist to hurt the overall culture of the organization as long as the culture that involves the common interest of most members is accepted and recognized. The existence of subcultures is normal. In an organization with a strong culture, subcultures created by union members do not cause problems because the overall values and beliefs of the group are well recognized and accepted. If the culture of an organization is week, however, subcultures can override and compete with the overall culture, which can be disruptive to the organization’s culture. In his analysis, Paul Clark mentions that the effectiveness of a culture can be measured by the degree to which that culture and its various elements and subcultures clearly communicate the values of the organization. One of the core values emphasized by unions is the welfare of the collective group. Towards this end unions emphasize the principles of solidarity, unity, and togetherness. One common aspect of union culture that helps to communicate these values is the use of the terms â€Å"brother† and â€Å"sister† to refer to union members (Paul F. Clark, 6). Other values held in great regard by unions are fairness, equity, and justice. Unions help improve an organization’s culture by enforcing these values whenever they are violated or necessary for the welfare of employees. For example, managers often complaint about the tendency of unions to challenge through the grievance procedure many of the disciplinary actions taken by management. However, such challenge simply reflects the value that unions and union members place on due process and the fairness it brings to the workplace. By challenging any questionable management decision, unions are forcing management to evaluate the fairness of every action they take, before they take it. The member-union contract has an impact not only on union attachment, attitudes, and behaviors, but also on how it affects organizational culture. In summarizing the findings of their widely cited book, What Do Unions Do? Freeman and Medoff conclude that â€Å"Unions alter nearly every aspect of an organization’s culture. † The authors suggest that unions exert effects on organizational culture through collective bargaining. The primary effects of collective bargaining are the gains that the union is able to realize at the bargaining table for the employees. For example, extrinsic benefits like wages, job security, and working conditions, are all concerns that have dominated the collective bargaining agenda of North American Unions. Gains in these areas are determined primarily by the union’s ability to acquire and use power in the bargaining relationship. For example, the union wage effect is largely dependent on the ability of the union to achieve monopoly power within an industry. It is important to note that the union effects on organizational culture are also outcomes that emerge though management’s reaction to collective bargaining provisions. Management’s adjustment to the conditions imposed by collective bargaining and the union’s counteraction to managerial action will determine the nature and extent of union effects on organizational culture. The ability of unions to achieve their goals in areas such as wages, job security, and working conditions have important ramifications for organization culture both within the union and within the organization. For example, unions have a direct effect on the level, form, structure, and system of compensation plans. Through effective bargaining unions can improve an organization’s culture by emphasizing and enforcing the values, principles, and beliefs the members of the organization consider important. For example, the union can achieve fairness and equity with wage increases and justice and dignity with provisions for job security and better working conditions. Although these effects wary across industry and individuals, some general conclusion may be drawn. First, and most important, unions raise wages. Estimates of union wage effect wary but in general wage levels in unionized industries are 10 to 20% higher than wages for comparable non-unionized industries (William Holley, 324). Similarly, unions have a positive impact on employee benefits with unionized industries spending more on fringe benefits than comparable non-unionized firms. Job security is another factor through which unions help improves an organization’s culture concern for layoffs. For example, collective agreements often contain clauses that directly influence individual’s job security such as provisions for layoffs, job transfers, and contracting out. The prevalence of such provisions indicates the high priority placed on job security by union members. Based on the Quality of Employment Survey data, union membership was the best predictor of whether individuals would trade a 10% increase in real wages in exchange for increased job security. Unions also increase the security of their members from arbitrary decision making though the provision of grievance systems. Through the implementation of grievance systems with provisions for third-party dispute resolution, unions substantially increase the costs of arbitrary management decisions. As mentioned by Julian Barling, Author of the book The Union its Members, One would expect, and empirical evidence confirms that â€Å"Management decision making in a unionized environment would be more regulated by formal procedures and based on more objective criteria. Other areas in which Union have helped to improve an organization’s culture is through their intensive efforts to improve occupational health and safety in the workplace by advocating for government regulations, negotiating health and safety provisions, and encouraging the formation of labor-management committees to deal with health and safety issues. In additional to the negotiation of clauses dealing with health and safety, unions may also negotiate compensating wage differentials for workers exposed to higher risks. By doing so, they increase the incentive for management to improve working conditions by increasing the cost of dangerous work. Overall, unions substantially increase awareness of health and safety issues in the workplace. In addition to safety and health issues, unions also negotiate contact provisions dealing with a variety of working condition (William Holley, 435). For instance, hours of work, scheduling of rest breaks, and, in some cases, and rate of production. To the extent that unions are successful in negotiating these gains, unionization may have an indirect effect on occupational health and safety. Provisions such as rest breaks, minimization of overtime, and shift scheduling may all affect the risk of on-the-job injury. According to Clive Fullagar, the Neo-Classical Economic Theory suggests that â€Å"Management may react to the increased costs associated with unionization by replacing labor with capital. However, an alternate theory suggests that unionization has â€Å"shock effect† on management, whereby management reacts to unionization by becoming more efficient. † Such increased efficiency may be evidenced by the introduction of centralized, professional human resources functions and increased reliance on formalized decision making. Union involvement in the formulation of management decisions may be seen as usurping the rights of management to run the workplace. On the other hand, collective bargaining maybe e viewed as a way of managing the workplace rather than an abandonment of traditional management prerogatives. In this regard, it should be noted that through their involvement in establishing work rules and organizational policies, unions may have both positive and negative effects on organizational culture. The impact of unions in managerial decision making is seen clearly in the development of personal policies. It is commonly recognized that unions influence the use of seniority as a criteria for promotions and job transfers. Unions also have an effect on hiring decisions. For example, one managerial response to wage premiums maybe to raise the hiring standards of the firm and in particular to place more emphasis on education as a hiring criteria. The presence of a union may result in the implementation of policies that are in the organization’s best interest. Thus, the presence of a union is associated with more efficient managerial decision making. In particular, this increased efficiency is attributable to the formalization of decision making and the substitution of policy for individual judgment as a basis for decision making. As the preceding discussion indicates, unions have substantial effects on organizational culture through the negotiation of specific provisions in the collective agreement. Additional union effects on organizational culture also accrue during the administration of the collective agreement as management and the union adjusts to the new environmental conditions mandated by the collective agreement. Unions improve organizational culture by supporting, developing, and enforcing values, beliefs, attitudes that are of importance to the members of the organization. As a result, this has a direct effect at increasing productivity and performance. Freeman and Medoff have concluded that unions substantially increase the productivity of organizations. That is, after controlling for various organizational characterizes, unionized firms are more productive than their non-unionized counterparts. However, nionized firms are found to be less profitable than non-unionized firms because the increase in productive do not seem to offset the increased costs of unionization. Freeman and Medoff point out that â€Å"The union impact on the firm’s productivity can be explained by two factors. † First, unionization leads to a more stable workforce by reducing voluntary turnover. A direct consequence of this increase stability is the firm’s investment in human resources management. Second, the union effect on productivity provides a conceptual basis for the hypothesis that unionization may have an effect on individual job performance. For example, through more rigorous selection, investment in employee training, and the institution of more professional management practices, an organization attempts to adjust to the cost of unionism by increasing individual job performance. While the end result of such strategies is an increase in firm productivity, the initial effect is plausibly an increase in individual job performance. It is imperative to note that the union’s effect on firm productivity is moderated by the quality of union-management relations. When the industrial relation climate is favorable, unionization is associated with higher firm productivity. Conversely, a poor quality of union-management relations is associated with decreased productivity in unionized firms. The quality of union-management relationships influences the motivation of employees. When the quality of union management relations is poor, the potential for increments in job performance maybe be offset by decreased individual motivation, work stoppages, and work-to-rule campaigns. Perhaps one of the most well documented effects of unions in organizational culture is the reduction in voluntary employee turnover in unionized industries. According to Clive Fullagar, unions help to reduce turnover in two different ways. First, unions increase wages and improve working conditions. These primary union effects make unionized jobs more attractive and conversely reduce the likelihood of finding an equivalent job. The union affects on benefits and particularly the increase in deferred compensation schemes that favor senior workers, contribute to the union effect on turnover. Similarly, benefits based on seniority also help to decrease the voluntary turnover rate. Second, unions reduce turnover by providing individuals with a voice. Through the provision of employee grievance systems, unions provide the individual an alternative to quitting, the opportunity to redress specific dissatisfactions through the grievance system. Unions provide mechanism for individual to express their dissatisfactions and influence their working conditions. The provision of such mechanism reduces the probability that an individual will voluntarily resign his or her position. If unions reduce voluntary turnover by providing voice mechanisms to individuals then these effects may be logically extended to other forms of individual withdrawal from work such as absenteeism. However, unionized firms experience higher absenteeism rates. Therefore, in this sense unions hurt organizational culture. For example, increased sick-leave benefits negotiated during collective bargaining are associated with higher rates of absenteeism. Another ways in which a union can hurt an organizational culture is by causing strain and stress. While not widely researched, there are conceptual reasons to suggest that unions and the practice of industrial relations have consequences in terms of individual stress and strain. First unions negotiate contract provisions that directly affect working conditions. Management may react by implementing more formal policies and standardized job descriptions. The result of such increased formalization may be experienced as a reduction in role ambiguity and increase in role conflict, which are two components of roles stress. The consequences of worker participation in union activities also have an impact on organization performance and various behavioral outputs. Unions provide discontented workers with a participatory forum and a collective voice at the workplace by means of which they may articulate their feelings rather than exiting temporarily through absenteeism or permanently through turnover. Unions encourage member participation making employees feel valuable to the organization. Union organizations have mechanisms such as a written constitution and bylaws that ensure an opportunity for members to participate in the governance of the organization, hold office, attend meetings, vote in elections, or express dissatisfaction with the leadership. Unions help improve an organization’s culture by maintaining some balance between employer and employee’s rights and responsibilities. Although employers and employees share some common interest, each group is motivated by self-interest. The inherent conflict of interest between employers and employees inevitably creates conflict within any employment relationship, which must be managed effectively. Unions rather than an individual are more effective in managing this conflict of interest and creating an enjoyable working environment. The presence of the union formalizes the employee representation activities because employees may file a grievance if they believe the company has violated the terms of the negotiated agreement. If the company employs an accommodation and labor management cooperation strategy, unions can help by cooperating with management rather than the parties having an adversarial relationship. Management and the unions can actively work together to create an organizational climate and a way of operating that will allow employees to participate directly in decisions in their work areas as members of task teams and as members of problem-solving groups. Unions can contribute to companies’ strategic planning and implementation activities which directly affect the organization’s culture. For example, a union can provide input from a clearly defined group of employees, as well as transfer information about corporate plans and direction to those represented employees. The union leaders can help the rank-and-file employees better understand the business plan and lend credibility to the plan. According to our textbook, The Labor Relations Process, â€Å"Unions can help improve an organization’s culture by reducing the employees feeling of alienation which have resulted from the extensive use of machinery in manufacturing operations. Employees might feel alienated because they have lost contact with their own labor when the product they created were taken away from them, thereby reducing their spirit and status or when they became estranged from fellow employees when their work made them too tired and competitive that they were incapable of having authentic relationships. Unions can and do address a possible aspect of employee alienation, namely the employees’ desire to speak their minds without fear of management reprisal. For example, a union typically indicates to its potential members that the employee’s rights to voice their opinions regarding a managerial action are protected by negotiated grievance procedures and disciplinary polices. In conclusion, Unions play a crucial role in improving an organization’s culture. Therefore the union’s members understanding of organizational culture as well as management recognition of the union as a key player in improving organizational culture is imperative. The above examples indicate that failure to achieve organizational change when necessary can be accredited to the lack of management’s understanding about the important role culture plays for an organization. The most important point of this is that such as an organizational culture is made of members that might be union’s members in a unionized firm, and their approval, understanding, and acceptance of any change in their inherent or traditional culture is essential for an organization to operate effectively. Although, the majority of examples and research suggests that unions have more positive impacts in improving an organization’s culture, they can also hurt it if they don’t develop the skills needed for mutual union-management cooperation such as understanding the business and the problem-solving process. They can hurt the organization’s culture if they don’t maintain contact with the membership to better represent members’ interests. Also, if management doesn’t take steps to reorient its view from seeing unions and labor agreements as constrains to recognizing a more cooperative union-management relationship and provides the union with a secure position as the legitimate, permanent representative of the bargaining unit employees. Bibliography Ashby Franklin C. Revitalize Your Corporate Culture: Powerful Ways to Transform your Company. Golf Professional Publishing. Burlington: MA, 1999. Ashkanasy M. Neal, Wilderon Celeste, and Peterson Mark. Handbook of Organizational Culture and Climate. London: New Delhi, 2004. Clark F. Paul. Building More Effective Unions. Cornell University Press. New York: Ithaca, 2000. Julian Barling, Fullagar Clive, and Kelloway Kevin. The Union Its Members: A Psychological Approach. Oxford University Press. New York: Oxford, 1992. Holley William, Jennings Kenneth, and Wolters Rogers. The Labor Relations Process. South-Western. Ohio: Mason, 2005.

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work

20 Extremely Easy Ways to Building Confidence at Work Successful people tend to have at least one thing in common: confidence. If confidence isn’t already your strong point, it can be tough to figure out how to get some and apply it to your own life. Where do people find this mysterious elixir that lets people crush it, and let others know they’re crushing it? Unfortunately for us, there’s no magic involved in building confidence at work. But there is some good news: there are plenty of simple things you can do to boost your own confidence, and boost your career in the process.According to The Muse, building  confidence at work has three basic components:Comfort level in what you’re doing and what your goals are.Your understanding of what your strengths and talents already are, as well as your limitations.Your ability to trust your instincts (or ignore them), depending on the situation.Broken down this way, this gives you a very basic attack plan for boosting your own confidence in your work, and setting yo urself up for future success. Confidence is a unique skill in that there’s an art to it, sure, but also plenty of manageable, concrete things you can do to try to build your confidence. [via Happify]Let’s look at some of the things you can do to raise that confidence factor.1. Know your comfort zone.Are you comfortable with your daily tasks at work? Do you feel secure at your company, with the parameters of your work? Once you’ve sat down to figure out how you fit into the bigger picture at work, and how everything works, you can let go a little and feel more relaxed about your role.2. Make a list of things that would make you feel more comfortable at work.Maybe it’s working with your boss to adjust your workload, or taking on new responsibilities that are more in line with your long term goals. Maybe it’s connecting more with coworkers so that you work better with them on projects. Or maybe it’s as simple as promising to take a lunch break every day, or clean off your desk before you leave in the evening so that things don’t feel chaotic when you come back in the morning. Whatever is on the list, it should include tasks that will make you feel happier and more in tune with your job.3. Communicate more openly.If you have concerns, vent them! If these are issues you feel comfortable discussing with your manager, great. If not, it’s totally fine to have a trusted confidante (at or outside of work) with whom you can talk about anxieties and frustrations. Don’t keep things bottled up, because then they fester and become longer-held resentments. Similarly, if you have issues with a coworker, don’t just sit on them. Discuss them in a rational, professional way before miscommunications pile on miscommunications, and everyone’s ticked off. Being open about things (and getting in the habit of doing it) can make you feel like you have more control over a situation, as well as what the next step s are.4. Get outside feedback and help prioritizing.Confident people know they can handle what’s on their plate. That’s not because they can magically handle everything, but because they know what’s important and what they can do. If you feel overwhelmed, work with your boss to figure out how to restructure your tasks and make sure your head is in the game for the most important ones.5. Learn new skills.One of the best ways to feel more confident is to go out and get more skills. Feel a little insecure about your tech know-how? Find online tutorials. Scared of presenting? Take an improv class. Anxiety and self-doubt often stem from being unsure about how to tackle new things. If you dive right in and discover that you have the skills to take on new things, it’ll start to bolster your general confidence.6. Expand your network.Nobody is an island, right? Make sure you’re adding to your network all the time. It’s like having a virtual posse beh ind you, and can make you feel less like you’re out there on the high wire all alone. Feeling supported is key to confidence. You can build your network by trying to find open social events in your field, or by using social media.7. Engage experts in your field.This is kind of like building your network, but adds the step of trying to start dialogues with people in your field who Know Their Stuff. With social media, it’s easier than ever to follow someone’s posts, then offer comments and ask questions accordingly. It may not be the most personal connection, but it gets you in the habit of dialoguing about your own experience while learning from others’.8. Accept self-doubt.Even the most confident people have self-doubts. The key is in not letting those define your decisions, or just ignoring them completely. Self-doubt is kind of a mental check on our instincts. When you feel them, think about whether the concern is valid or not, and what you can do to fe el comfortable enough to push past those doubts.9. Sit up straight.This is a very physical thing you can do to start feeling more powerful and confident right away. Flash back to all those times your parent or a teacher told you to stop slouching. They weren’t doing it to be annoying- there are studies that show that good posture correlates strongly to confident thinking.10. Get physical.If you’ve got your head down working on something, it can start to feel like you’re in a bubble, with your own perspective swirling around and around. Taking a break to get up and walk around, do yoga for half an hour, etc. gives your brain some space, allowing you to come back and feel confident that you know what you need to do next.11. Drop a few off-color words.Of course, this one really depends on your audience- a meeting with colleagues and higher-ups is not the time to debut your new Swear Like a Pirate policy. But using strong words makes us feel strong and confident.12. Try some power posing.Body language is everything, according to social psychologist Amy Cuddy. Throwing a few power poses into your repertoire at work can make you feel more self-assured. You can channel your inner superhero while you stand with hands on hips, lean forward with hands flat on a desk or table, or sit back with your hands behind your head. These poses get you into an ownership mindset where you feel strong and self-assured.13. Use some daily affirmations.Okay, so gazing into the mirror and whispering sweet nothings to yourself sounds a little weird. I get it. But having a quick set of positive things that you say to yourself can help you feel more confident as you get ready to go about your day. Make statements like, â€Å"I WILL achieve _____ today,† or â€Å"I am so ready for this† as you’re getting ready for work.14. Envision success.Vision boards may not be everyone’s cup of tea- the arts and crafts part is optional. But having a clear image in your head of what your success looks like (on a project, in a year on the job, or whatever parameters you want to use) can make you feel more self-assured on your path to get there.15. Work on your physical appearance and confidence.You know the old clichà © â€Å"dress for success†? Well, it’s a pretty true clichà ©. Wear clothes that make you feel put-together and ready for the world. (Work appropriate ones, of course.) If that means getting up ten minutes earlier so that you have time to pick an outfit that makes you feel strong and attractive, do it! Personally, I’m guilty of defaulting to â€Å"what’s clean and readily available as I scramble to get ready?† and I always feel more ready to take on the world if I spend a little more time and wear what I want, rather than what’s easy.16. Be selective about who you spend time with.Your time is valuable, so you shouldn’t spend it with people who make you feel bad, or who ar e (quite frankly) a waste of time.17. Stop putting everyone and everything else first.Your career is the most important one (and mine is for me, and Aunt Sally’s is for her.) Whenever you make decisions, it’s fine to evaluate your needs and priorities above others.18. Live in the present.It’s so easy to get caught up in what happened back then, or what’s likely to happen in the future. Focusing on other times let’s self-doubt creep in about what you’re doing now. Try to stay focused on what’s directly in front of you.19. Speak your mind.This doesn’t mean brutal honesty all the time (as fun as it would be to remove all filters sometimes), but rather speaking up when you have something to contribute. Whether it’s in a meeting or a social occasion, don’t wait for the perfect moment to speak up- that moment may never come. Make your voice heard, even if you’re expressing an unpopular or dissenting opinion.20. F orgive yourself.The most important one is this: forgive yourself for mistakes, and move on. Getting caught up in a cycle where you blame yourself, and let that cause anxiety about how to act in the future is not a healthy place to be. Confident people know that stuff happens, and you learn from it and move on to the next thing. If it’s your fault, acknowledge that you’ll learn from it and do better next time, and let it go.All of these are things that you can start phasing in to your daily routines. There’s no need to overhaul your way of seeing the world- just adding in some practices that will help you get a stronger sense of yourself and your goals. That’s really the heart of confidence- knowing where you want to go, and the strengths you have in trying to get there.

The Present Tense of Verbs in English Grammar

The Present Tense of Verbs in English Grammar In English grammar, a present tense is a form of the  verb  occurring in the current moment that is represented by either the base form  or the -s  inflection  of  the third-person singular, contrasting with the past and future tenses. The present tense may also refer to an action or event that is ongoing or that takes place at the present moment. However, because the present tense in English can also be used to express a range of other meanings- including references to the past and future events, depending on the context- it is sometimes described as being unmarked for time.   The basic form of the present indicative is commonly  known as the simple present. Other verbal constructions referred to as present include the present progressive  as in are laughing, the present perfect  as in have laughed, and the present perfect progressive  as in have been laughing.   Functions of the Present Tense There are six common ways to use the present tense in English, though the most common function is to designate an action that is occurring at the time of speaking or writing like she lives in the house or to indicate habitual actions like I run every morning, and in some cases may be used to express general truths like time flies, scientific knowledge like light travels, and when referring to texts like Shakespeare says a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Robert DiYanni and Pat C. Hoy II note in the third edition of The Scribner Handbook for Writers that present tense also has some special rules for their usage, especially when indicating future time wherein they must be used with time expressions like we travel to Italy next week and Michael returns in the morning. Many authors and literary scholars have also noticed a recent trend in literary works to be written in the hipper present tense, whereas most works of great literature are written in the past tense. This is because modern literature relies on the use of the present tense to convey a sense of urgency and relevance to the text. The Four Present Tenses There are four unique forms of the present tense that can be used in English grammar: simple present, present progressive, present perfect, and present perfect progressive. The simple present is the most common form, used primarily to express facts and habits, detail the action of scheduled future events and to tell stories in a more compelling and engaging manner than past tense entails. In the present progressive sentences, a linking verb is often attached to the present progressive verb to indicate events that are ongoing in the present, such as I am searching or he is going while the present perfect tense is used to define actions that began in the past but are still ongoing like I have gone or he has searched. Finally, the present perfect progressive form is used to indicate a continuous activity that started in the past and is still ongoing or has recently been completed as in I have been searching or he has been depending on you.

A Brand Plan report for Cadbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Brand Plan report for Cadbury - Essay Example In the year 1969, Cadbury merged with Schweppes and it was named as Cadbury Schweppes PLC. In February 2010, Kraft Foods took over the company and Cadbury PLC is now its subsidiary which is an international organization; it is commonly referred to as Cadbury in the market (Kraft Foods, 2011). Currently, it has its presence in more than sixty countries and has a workforce of more than fifty thousand people (Wallace, 2010). Strategically, the company has been positioned in the market as the leading supplier of chocolate and sugar confectionary worldwide. Since 1905, ‘Dairy Milk’ is the most successful product of the company that has given it a top ranking in the confectionary industry (Burns, 2008). In terms of revenue, Dairy Milk has grown to become a famous and highly accredited moulded chocolate bar in UK and worldwide. The basis foundation of the strategic success of Cadbury comprises of its three strong core pillars i.e. premium quality, value for money and sound advertising (Infor, 2010). The mission statement of Cadbury is â€Å"to be the best and biggest confectionary company across the globe while delivering a superior shareholder return through an efficient process that fosters growth of the company and ensures complete capitalization of the company’s core capabilities.† (Shelley, 2009) ... In terms of revenue, Dairy Milk has grown to become a famous and highly accredited moulded chocolate bar in UK and worldwide. The basis foundation of the strategic success of Cadbury comprises of its three strong core pillars i.e. premium quality, value for money and sound advertising (Infor, 2010). 2.0 Mission Statement of Cadbury The mission statement of Cadbury is â€Å"to be the best and biggest confectionary company across the globe while delivering a superior shareholder return through an efficient process that fosters growth of the company and ensures complete capitalization of the company’s core capabilities.† (Shelley, 2009) 3.0 Situation Review 3.1 PEST Analysis Since the business environment is changing at a fast pace, it has become vital for every organisation to ensure that it monitors the happenings that are taking place in its surrounding so that it can manage its operations effectively and alter the business plans and strategies accordingly (Kepferer, 20 05; Kotler & Keller, 2005). The PEST analysis of confectionary industry of UK is discussed below: 1. Political – There are various policies and legal requirements that Cadbury will have to comply with to ensure that it conducts its business operations within legal and ethical business operation boundaries such as Weight and Measures Act, Minimum Wages Act, Equal Employment Opportunity Act, Trade Description Act and many more. 2. Economic – An increase in per capita income means that the people will have more money to spend, even better penetration opportunities in developing countries that can increase the revenue amount and increase in demand is expected as there is an increase in the urban population. 3.

Case study analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Case study analysis - Essay Example In this case, it is counter-productive for a company to internationalise a product without fundamentally seeking to acquire a large market segment of the local market. Despite these factors, a strategic analysis is crucial in the process of internationalising a product. To internationalise a product, an effective strategic analysis will involve the identification of the strengths that make the product a good option for new markets. Such strengths include the competitive advantage of the product over its competitors. Consequently, the competitive advantage determines whether the company will modify its product in order to be accepted in the new markets. In addition, the company may decide to introduce a new product for the new market or the company may decide to venture into the new international markets with the same product (Czinkota and Ronkainen 2007). In line with this, it is essential to point out that a good product does not require modification in order for the company to intr oduce it to new markets. As an alternative internationalisation of a good product should involve its introduction into the new market in its original form since it has the competitive advantages related to superior quality and a powerful brand name. The specific capability of a firm to produce a quality product is crucial in determining the internationalisation of a product. In this regard, efficiency in production and distribution systems determines whether the product will be offered to the customer when required (Lessard 2003). Case in point, investing in innovative technology was a crucial factor that helped Auer meet its customers’ demands since the company was able to offer its customers products when required due to continuous production. However, it is evident that the company failed to meet the demands of its customers once the distribution channels were affected. In this regard, the investing in effective distribution channels and innovative technology ensure that t he company will be able to meet the demand of its customers by offering the products on time. A good product for internationalisation should be a differentiated product. By differentiation, a company should offer new customers a product that is unique in order for the customer to easily adopt the new product in place of the one that they were consuming. In this regard, it is challenging for a customer to adopt a new product without experiencing uniqueness of the product. In line with this, a company that internationalises a product should ensure that the product is distinct from its competitors since an inferior product cannot replace a superior product in an international market. Lessard (2003) identifies these factors as responsiveness to the demands of the local customers by ensuring that the product was in line with the tastes and preferences of the customer. Without responding to the tastes and preferences of the local customer, it is challenging to internationalise a product t o new markets. A good product provides avenues for strategic partnership between various companies engaged in the international mar

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths Research Proposal

The Effect of Media Violence On Youths - Research Proposal Example In the year 1998, one of the faculty members of Simon Fraser University carried out a study on the teens that were interested in watching violent media. (Bryant, pp. 23-25) The results of that study showed that such media made twenty-five percent of teens addicted to it. In addition, all those teens showed great changes in their behavior, which was not in a positive manner. Furthermore, a number of studies have shown that worse academic results are shown by the youth that watch violent media according to the National Institute on Media and Family. (Gentile, pp. 39-41) It is indicated by the researches that violent media is preferred by more than seventy-five percent of teens in the United States that are interested in watching television and other available mediums. One of the schools in Texas carried out a study of adolescents that watch violent media, and it found out that teachers complained of frequent arguments from such students. In some cases, these adolescents were even involved in physical fights with their teachers and classmates that is a major concern of the schools, as well as, the parents. In specific, studies have shown that gender does not play a major role in the behavioral changes after watching violent media, which is another major topic related to the effects of violent media on youth that is not discussed in this paper. In another study, it was observed that eighty percent of adolescent girls that were involved in watching violent media argued with their teachers and classmates, as compared with the eighty-three percent of boys in the same category. Thus, it shows that gender does not play any role in such case. (Krug, pp. 45-46) The advent of violent media has prompted the researchers to go into the details of this medium of entertainment. In popular media, the topic of violence is quite controversial, as different people have provided different interpretations regarding

For-Profit Colleges and Universities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

For-Profit Colleges and Universities - Essay Example rt in providing admission to all desired candidates, for-profit institutes were the second best option left for students to pursue their desired courses. For-profit institutes provide ample choices in the matter of class-timings, anytime admissions, provision of online options, small strength of class and accessible locations. For such students who are pursuing jobs, doing part-time jobs, or having children, for-profit colleges and universities seem to be the viable option (NCSL, 2013). The trend for for-profit colleges was started by John Sperling, a humanities professor at San Jose University from 1961 to 1973. He started remedial reading classes for Mexican Americans and courses in social issues for police personnel. Going against the education norms, he started similar other programs for the for-profit University of Phoenix, presently online and the largest U.S. university, with nearly 500,000 students. Sperling and his supporters changed the mom-and-pop trade school scenario into a $30 billion industry by roping in such investors as Washington Post Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. For-profit colleges give admissions to 12 percent of U.S. undergraduates and use 24 percent of U.S. Pell grants for poor students (Golden, 2010, Dec. 29). Sperling supports for-profit colleges for providing the opportunity to low-income people to attain degrees and jobs. His reaction to the administration’s â€Å"onerous† initiatives was that it â€Å"would make it impossible for the sector to offer many programs† that help students to become teachers, nurses and police officers, and â€Å"would have a devastating impact on institutions that enroll low-income students.† Thus, Sperling and his supporters have set the stage for opposing government regulation and starting a fight between the Obama administration and the rising Republicans (Golden, 2010, Dec. 29). Stakeholders of the larger society need to view the traditional economic theory, which shows that profit-making is not an

Battle of Gettysburg Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5500 words

Battle of Gettysburg - Dissertation Example Northern States was propelled at a full speed. Studies indicate that in a period of less than ten years, 80% of all the factories in the United States and about two thirds of the United States railroad mileage were based in the North States.7 In this very period, the Southern states were experiencing the agricultural revolution, which was dependent wholly on the abundance of cheap slave labor. This, in effect, had led to the increase in cotton production from 2 million bales to about 5.8 million bales. This increase in cotton production translated to about seven eighths of the total world production, and it was more than the total other America’s combined exports. Life in the Southern States and the Northern States seemed to flow at its own individualized pace, and style, however, the 1860 presidential elections signaled the start of ideological clash between the Northern and Southern States. The 1860, Presidential Elections, In these elections, Abraham Lincoln had won all the Free states other than the New Jersey State.8 The in these elections, the Southern States had backed Kentucky Senator Joan C. Breckinridge.9 However, because of the electoral vote factor, Lincoln carried the day and was announced the president elect. After this 1860 elections, the discounted group Southern secessionist movement gathered passionate fervor. This had been fueled by a newspaper in the south, which advocated for the secession of the South from the United States.10 Moving forward the Southern secessionists movement members converged in Montgonery, Alabama. In this meeting, the provisional constitution of the Confederate States was adopted. The Mississippi Senator, Jefferson Davis, was chosen as the Confederate States’ President. On 18th of February 1861, Senator Jefferson Davis took the oath of office and in his speech he stated that the Southerners wished to be left alone. On the other hand, Abraham Lincoln, was shown in on 16th of March, 1861 as the 16th Preside nt of the United States.11 A year later, the Federal Commander of Fort Sumter send a message to Abraham Lincoln asking him to send troops for reinforcement. Wanting to avoid direct confrontation with the Southerners, Abraham Lincoln, instead authorized the delivery of supplies at Fort Sumter.12 While this was happening, the ongoing negotiations between the North and the South broke down leading to the eruption of the war at Fort Sumter. However, after 33 hours of continuous bombardment, Fort Sumter was surrendered on 13th April, 1861. On 15th April, 1861, Abraham Lincoln issues an executive order, which called for about 75,000 volunteers for a period of three months service having declared the war between these two sides.13 Preamble to the Battle of

Compare and Contrast Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Compare and Contrast Paper - Essay Example Thus, as the name implies, current asserts can be consumed during the current period or they can be converted into cash within a short period of time. A good example of a current asset is a bar of soap in the shop or a bottle of cooking oil. These can be used within the current period or they can be converted into cash when they are bought by a buyer. 2. Any assets whose use is restricted for purposes other than the current operations must be excluded from current assets (Glautior & Underdown, 2001). Assets are classified as noncurrent assets if they are not expected to be converted into cash or consumed during one year of their operating cycle. The operating life cycle of the noncurrent assets is usually very long and it can exceed a period of ten years. In some instances, the noncurrent assets are intangible and they include investments and special purpose funds. These funds cannot be withdrawn or used within a short period but can only be used after proper plans have been put into place. Long term investments are regarded as noncurrent assets as this money will be meant for long term plans and may not be immediately withdrawn even in case of emergence. Noncurrent assets also include property, plant and equipment used in the firm. This equipment cannot be readily disposed given that it is in everyday use to manufacture goods and products that can be sold to generate cash. This equipment can only be disposed if it has past its expected life span but not for quick cash like current assets. 3. The main difference between current assets and noncurrent assets is that current assets can be in form of cash or other assets which can be easily converted into cash. On the other hand, noncurrent assets include investment and special purpose funds and these cannot be readily used like the current assets. Most current assets are tangible and they can be converted into cash easily. On the other hand, noncurrent assets are big assets which include equipment or machinery as well as other property which cannot be converted into cash over a very short period. In some instances, noncurrent assets are intangible which makes them different from the current assets. Another major notable difference between current assets and noncurrent assets is that their operating cycles are different. The operating cycle of a current asset is relatively shorter and it does not exceed a period of one year while that of a current asset is very long. The operating cycle of a noncurrent asset is more than 10 years long which makes it different from the current asset. For instance, operating cycle of a wine distillery which is a noncurrent asset may extend 10 years while that of a grocery shop may be no more than just a several days. 4. Order of liquidity can be loosely defined as the order upon which the items in the balance shit are listed depending on their liquidity (Chasteen, Flaherty & O’connor, 1998). As the name implies, order is concerned with chronological orga nisation of items in their descending order while liquidity is concerned with establishing the readiness upon which cash can be disposed. Something that is liquid is readily used such as cash which can be taken straight away from the pocket to purchase something. In this order, the current assets will come after cash or other payments as these can be

For-Profit Colleges and Universities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

For-Profit Colleges and Universities - Essay Example rt in providing admission to all desired candidates, for-profit institutes were the second best option left for students to pursue their desired courses. For-profit institutes provide ample choices in the matter of class-timings, anytime admissions, provision of online options, small strength of class and accessible locations. For such students who are pursuing jobs, doing part-time jobs, or having children, for-profit colleges and universities seem to be the viable option (NCSL, 2013). The trend for for-profit colleges was started by John Sperling, a humanities professor at San Jose University from 1961 to 1973. He started remedial reading classes for Mexican Americans and courses in social issues for police personnel. Going against the education norms, he started similar other programs for the for-profit University of Phoenix, presently online and the largest U.S. university, with nearly 500,000 students. Sperling and his supporters changed the mom-and-pop trade school scenario into a $30 billion industry by roping in such investors as Washington Post Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. For-profit colleges give admissions to 12 percent of U.S. undergraduates and use 24 percent of U.S. Pell grants for poor students (Golden, 2010, Dec. 29). Sperling supports for-profit colleges for providing the opportunity to low-income people to attain degrees and jobs. His reaction to the administration’s â€Å"onerous† initiatives was that it â€Å"would make it impossible for the sector to offer many programs† that help students to become teachers, nurses and police officers, and â€Å"would have a devastating impact on institutions that enroll low-income students.† Thus, Sperling and his supporters have set the stage for opposing government regulation and starting a fight between the Obama administration and the rising Republicans (Golden, 2010, Dec. 29). Stakeholders of the larger society need to view the traditional economic theory, which shows that profit-making is not an

Compare and Contrast Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Compare and Contrast Paper - Essay Example Thus, as the name implies, current asserts can be consumed during the current period or they can be converted into cash within a short period of time. A good example of a current asset is a bar of soap in the shop or a bottle of cooking oil. These can be used within the current period or they can be converted into cash when they are bought by a buyer. 2. Any assets whose use is restricted for purposes other than the current operations must be excluded from current assets (Glautior & Underdown, 2001). Assets are classified as noncurrent assets if they are not expected to be converted into cash or consumed during one year of their operating cycle. The operating life cycle of the noncurrent assets is usually very long and it can exceed a period of ten years. In some instances, the noncurrent assets are intangible and they include investments and special purpose funds. These funds cannot be withdrawn or used within a short period but can only be used after proper plans have been put into place. Long term investments are regarded as noncurrent assets as this money will be meant for long term plans and may not be immediately withdrawn even in case of emergence. Noncurrent assets also include property, plant and equipment used in the firm. This equipment cannot be readily disposed given that it is in everyday use to manufacture goods and products that can be sold to generate cash. This equipment can only be disposed if it has past its expected life span but not for quick cash like current assets. 3. The main difference between current assets and noncurrent assets is that current assets can be in form of cash or other assets which can be easily converted into cash. On the other hand, noncurrent assets include investment and special purpose funds and these cannot be readily used like the current assets. Most current assets are tangible and they can be converted into cash easily. On the other hand, noncurrent assets are big assets which include equipment or machinery as well as other property which cannot be converted into cash over a very short period. In some instances, noncurrent assets are intangible which makes them different from the current assets. Another major notable difference between current assets and noncurrent assets is that their operating cycles are different. The operating cycle of a current asset is relatively shorter and it does not exceed a period of one year while that of a current asset is very long. The operating cycle of a noncurrent asset is more than 10 years long which makes it different from the current asset. For instance, operating cycle of a wine distillery which is a noncurrent asset may extend 10 years while that of a grocery shop may be no more than just a several days. 4. Order of liquidity can be loosely defined as the order upon which the items in the balance shit are listed depending on their liquidity (Chasteen, Flaherty & O’connor, 1998). As the name implies, order is concerned with chronological orga nisation of items in their descending order while liquidity is concerned with establishing the readiness upon which cash can be disposed. Something that is liquid is readily used such as cash which can be taken straight away from the pocket to purchase something. In this order, the current assets will come after cash or other payments as these can be

Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism Essay Example for Free

Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism Essay Distinguish between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The name Theravada means â€Å"the way of the elders.† It is an austere religion that requires solitude, meditation, and self-mastery through which each member hopes to achieve Nirvana. Because of these requirements, the possibility of liberation is limited to a few. Many of its followers are monks and nuns who spend most of their time in meditation and teaching. Theravada Buddhism is sometimes called â€Å"Hinayana Buddhism,† Hinayana meaning â€Å"small vehicles,† but this term is not accepted by followers of the religion (Conze, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On the other hand, Mahayana means â€Å"large vehicle.† It is a less austere system than Theravada Buddhism and emphasizes liberation for everyone. Many Mahayana Buddhists believe in liberation through good faith and good works. Their object is not only to obtain a personal Nirvana, but to help others to that goal (Mizuno, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Mahayana branch has developed a system of ideal Buddhas, or enlightened ones. The most important Buddha is the Amitabha, or Amida, Budhha, to whom members can appeal for deliverance. Some Mahana Buddhists also believe in a goddess, a symbol of compassion, who is called Kwan Yin in China and Kwannon in Japan (Mizuno, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mahayana Buddhists have elaborate temples presided over by priests. They have colorful festivals and solemn rituals. Statues of the various Buddhas and Bodhisattras (Buddhas-to-be) play a part in their worship, but the statues themselves are not worshiped. Mahayana Buddhism is divided into many sects, including Zen, Jodo, Shin, Tendai, and Nichiren Shoshu (Soka Gakkai) (Carrithers, 2003). Reference: Carrithers, Michael. The Buddha (Oxford University 2003). Conze, Edward. A Short History of Buddhism (Allen Unwin, 2002). Mizuno, Kogen. Basic Buddhist Concepts (Tuttle, 2001).

In Depth Analysis Of The Globalisation Issue And Its Impact Business Essay

In Depth Analysis Of The Globalisation Issue And Its Impact Business Essay In this paper, Fischer provides an in depth analysis of the globalisation issue and its impact on trade, firms, employees, cultures and politics worldwide. From evolution of concept of globalisation to its adoption in even the lesser developing countries, Fischer has provided a detailed account of developments that occurred over time in field of human and economy development. Fischer has also included the analysis of policy impacts on enhancement of global trade and employment and several developing regions like Africa, Tunisia, Indonesia and Turkey have been discussed which not only includes political but cultural aspects that affect globalisation. The paper is an important input towards understanding globalisation, its impacts on emerging economies and impact of political, cultural and technological developments on globalisation. UNCTAD. (2004). Development and Globalisation: Facts and Figures. United Nations Publications. [Online] Available from http://unctad.org/en/docs/gdscsir20041_en.pdf [Accessed August 14, 2010] The research paper by UNCTAD presents a detailed survey of developing economies from perspective of globalisation. UNCTAD has selected data from various regions around the world including Northern African states, Central and South American states and Asia. The economic development has been measured in terms of trade policies, FDI, trade figures and other external factors. Also the social and cultural developments in terms of education and other social factors have also been observed in the report. The report is rather a quantitative input to the project as it includes facts and figures regarding globalisation issues in countries including Algeria which is the main focus of the research. Rothenberg, L. E. (2003). The three tensions of Globalisation. The American forum for Global education. [Online] Available from http://www.globaled.org/issues/176.pdf [Accessed 15 August, 2010] Rothenberg presents a critical analysis of globalisation and its perception in various cultures. Three main dimensions or rather tensions of globalisation are investigated in this study: Individual versus societal choices, free market versus government intervention and local authority versus supra-local authority. The paper gives an interesting perspective on globalisation and its affect on various national cultures that will eventually affect organizational culture. The research thus, is a valuable input in interpreting various cultural and economical challenges associated with globalisation. Stiglitz, J. E. (2003). Globalisation and its discontents. W. W. Norton The book by Stiglitz is a critical opponent of disadvantages associated with concept of globalisation and manipulation of global rules and regulations by developed countries or richer participants. The book provides a detailed analysis of under developed nations and developing nations who participated in globalisation process to gain from it but due to the fundamental believe of free markets and austere policies of institutions like IMF, only wealthy nations and participants have gained from globalisation instead of poor and developing nations. The book is a valuable input towards critical analysis of globalisation concept as it gives a candid and realistic view of negative aspects of globalisation. Boudreaux, D. J. (2008). Globalisation. Greenwood Publishing Group The book from Boudreaux is based on the concept of globalisation and its various aspects. The book is a complete guide towards understanding of globalisation concepts and difficulties that participants of global economy face in complex world of Multinationals. Issues like international trade, national wealth disparity, foreign investment and geographical and cultural issues are discussed in the book with relevant issues that international firms face in foreign countries. The book also includes positive as well as negative contributions of globalisation that have been provided over time to developed and developing economies. Henry, C. M and Springborg, R. (2001). Globalisation and the Politics of Development in Middle East. Cambridge University Press In their book, Henry and Springborg present a detailed analysis of challenges affiliated with globalisation and the politics of country. For the case study purpose, authors have selected Middle East where democratization is nil compared to other cultures around the globe. The authors have discussed several challenges that global firms face while setting up operations in countries of Middle East which has monarchs as rulers and thus, the level of educational and social development is a great hindrance for human resource departments. The authors then further go on with study of different cultures and their political situations and deduct a direct relationship between political structure and implementation of globalisation. Banerjee, D and Goldfield, M. (2008). Labor, Globalisation and the State: workers, women and migrants confront neo-liberalism. Routledge The book by Banerjee and Goldfield revolves around the issue of neo-liberal globalisation and how it has affected the developed as well as developing economics around the globe. The research in the book revolves around one main developed economy of United States and one developing economy of India. Banerjee and Goldfield highlight the misconceptions about globalisation regarding liberalized labor market and capital markets and posit that globalisation has varying effects on labor market in practice. The book also emphasizes on negative effects of globalisation on system of wage fixation, employment pattern, and basic rights at work in both developed, as well as underdeveloped countries. The book is a valuable input in understanding the labor issues which later affect the human resource practices in international communities. ILO. (2004). A Fair globalisation: Creating opportunities for all. ILO Publications. [Online] Available from http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/report.pdf [Accessed August 14, 2010] International Labor Offices report on globalisation is a struggle towards pushing governments around the world to embrace the concept of global economy for progress and improvement of economies worldwide. The report emphasizes on establishing open policies towards globalisation and how it can help boost the trade between nations thereby, resulting in improved infrastructure, technology and human resource. The report also presents views and stances of various regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America and Arab nations regarding global standards and suggests universal efforts for successful transition in trade, technology and labor from local to global level. The report also demands for a fair governance system in globalisation policies while holding departments of parliament and governing councils accountable for maintain fair system. Crafts, N. (2000). Globalisation and Growth in the Twentieth century. IMF. [Online] Available from http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2000/wp0044.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2010] The paper by Crafts is a review of past few years as globalisation spread to various economies around the globe and left its positive as well as some negative effects. Although negative effects of income disparity and economic divergence has emerged along with globalisation. However, remarkable growth has been seen in human development index specifically skill and literacy rate. This report explores contributions that have been made by globalisation, future prospects of where economies around world are heading due to this phenomenon and lastly, what if any globalisation backlashes are expected over the coming decades. The report is a valuable input in studying empirical impacts of globalisation on various regions around the globe. Wen, D. (2006). China copes with Globalisation: A mixed review. IFG. [Online] Available from http://www.ifg.org/pdf/FinalChinaReport.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] The report by Wen is an empirical analysis of Chinese economy after entering the era of globalisation. Wen covers almost all aspects of globalisation from policies to urban reforms, impact on quality of life, education and environment including cultural aspects, labor reforms and workforce attitude. The report provides a thorough review of effects of globalisation in economy of China which is relevant to this study as the cultural differences between China and other developed nations such as U.S. and Japan are enormous and therefore, it will be easy to relate to difficulties of cultural context in Algeria due to globalisation. Kremer, M and Maskin, E. (2006). Globalisation and Inequality. Harvard University The paper presented by Kremer and Maskin is a theoretical approach towards understanding the criticism on Globalisation regarding widening the gap of education and money between poor and rich. Kremer and Maskin support the notion that due to several constraining factors like lack of access to education and skill learning, globalisation mainly benefits the rich both in rich and poor economies while the poor can only benefit if he by any means increase his skill or education level. The research includes evidences from several developed and developing nations like China, India, United States and Japan and confers that the concept of globalisation is more complicate than implicated and thus, requires careful consideration by developing or under developed nations before its implementation. ILO. (2001). Human Resources Development, Employment, and Globalisation in hotel, catering and tourism sector. International Labor Organization. [Online] Available from http://www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/sector/techmeet/tmhct01/tmhct-r.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] The concept of globalisation is widely applicable in industries of hotel, catering and tourism that are in a way interrelated. The report by ILO presents a comprehensive review of hotel and tourism industry which is boosted by globalisation as cross-border travelling increased overtime. According to ILO, the most positively affected sector in this case is the employment sector where employment level and skills of employees have tremendously increased due to global travelling. The inter country interactions with tourists and guests have led local firms to develop training and education programs for their employees which gives development opportunities for both men and women, thereby, affecting the culture as well. The study will be an important input in studying the impact of globalisation of human resource development and culture of developing nations. Yusoff, M. S. (2003). Globalisation and Human Resource Development in the Malaysian Public Sector. UN. [Online] Available from http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/EROPA/UNPAN014373.pdf [Accessed August 14, 2010] Yusoff in his report presents the globalisation approach adopted by Malaysian public sector to avoid consequences of income inequality and win-lose situation between developed and developing countries as conceived by various critics. Yusoff studies various initiatives that Malaysian government has taken in development of its human work force such as remuneration policies that support growth and productivity and can be rewarded accordingly, career development strategies to increase motivation for learning and performance in employees and global training and development programs for locals to adjust to globalisation demands. The study is a valuable effort that provides factors and strategies that can combat negative consequences of globalisation. NATIONAL ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Kefela, G. T. (2010). Understanding Organizational Culture and Leadership- Enhance Efficiency and Productivity. PM World Today. [Online] Available from http://www.pmforum.org/library/papers/2010/PDFs/jan/FP-KEFELE-Managingorganizationalcultures.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2010] This paper by Kefela revolves around importance of organizational culture in creating effective leadership and shaping the approach of employees towards their goals. A strong organization of efficiency and productivity is created by cultures that promote as well as support structures and policies which lead management into taking actions that can enhance productivity of employees through suitable job designs, hierarchy of command and delegation of authority. The paper by Kefela is an important input in understanding culture separately as well as in organizational context. Also the importance of organizational culture as emphasized in paper is relevant to study of global HRM where clashes between national and organizational cultures are observed. Michailova, S and Hutchings, K. (2004). Knowledge Sharing and National culture: A comparison between China and Russia. Journal of Management Studies [Online] Available from http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/7306/knowledge%20sharing%20and%20national%20culture.pdf?sequence=1 [Accessed August 14, 2010] The research report by Michailova and Hutchings is an analytical approach towards understanding the cultural approaches in transitional economies of China and Russia and how national culture affects the processes of organizations such as knowledge sharing. The cultural aspects of vertical individualism and collectivism in these two countries definitely affect the way organizations and especially international operate. The authors have investigated the differences in national cultures of Russia and China and then empirically analyzed how the difference in cultures affect the perceptions of management in firms regarding knowledge sharing which is an essential element in business today. Yeganeh, M. E. (2006). The impact of National and organizational culture on information technology (IT). [Online] Available from http://www.nlai.ir/Portals/2/files/faslname/69/en_content.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] Yeganeh in this paper discusses the increasing importance of national and organizational culture on Information technology and over all global operations. According to Yeganeh, as the world moves towards a global end, use of information technology is also increasing leading to dependency of foreign firms on information technology. However, the national culture prevailing in host country often causes hindrance to achievement of such transfer of knowledge. The paper intends to provide a detailed overview of national culture as well as organizational culture which is believed to overcome any hindrances created by national culture if strong enough and therefore, provides a comprehensive account of various issues like culture and globalisation. Edwards, T and Kuruvilla, S. (2005). International HRM: national business systems, organizational politics and the international division of labor in MNCs. International Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol 16. No. 1. [Online] Available from http://org8220renner.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Edwards.pdf [Accessed August 12, 2010] In this journal article, Edwards and Kuruvilla discussed the issue of national and organizational culture that has been faced by managers of global firms as they enter another country. The concept of International HRM though is a powerful tool to cater to national culture needs as well as organizational goals, yet is difficult to implement as the management often ignores the importance of national culture and its effects on employees while implementing global standards. Edwards and Kuruvilla stressed the need for focus on three main dimensions of national culture that might affect implementation of global HRM: internal organizational politics, inadequate conceptualization of national effects and internal division of labor in MNCs. Rutkowska, A. L. (2009). The impact of national and organizational culture on the cooperation of firms a supply chain perspective. Journal of Intercultural Management. Vol. 1. No. 2. [Online] Available from http://www.joim.pl/pdf/Laskowska-Rutkowska2.pdf [Accessed August 12, 2010] In this journal article, Rutkowska emphasizes on importance of global chain of knowledge and sharing of technology and how various factors affect the efficient process of globalisation. Among several factors, national and organizational factors are the most important factors that not only affect organizations output but its resources like employees as well. Rutkowska has selected supply chain as focus technology which is strongly affected by culture as it requires elements of partnership, cooperation, negotiations and information transfer. The article explains in detail various perspectives of national and organizational culture and how organizational culture needs to dominate when it comes to globalized operations. Yintsuo, H. (2007). Relationships between National Cultures and Hofstede Model, and Implications for a Multinational Enterprise. Asia Pacific Management Conference. [Online] Available from http://infotech.monash.edu.au/research/centres/cdsesr/papers-pdf/t145.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] This article by Yintsuo draws relationship between real life examples from MNCs existing in high power distance countries like China, Taiwan and Thailand and low power distance countries like United States and Canada. The study is empirical in nature and provides a detailed analysis of effect of national culture on MNCs in that country and how organizational culture can help management in eliminating cultural risk. The five dimensions of culture were used in the study including power distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty avoidance and Long-term orientation. Hofstede model of cultural dimension is an important input in study of globalisation and particularly impact of culture in it and therefore, this article gives a significant input in this study. Murphy, W. H. (1999). Hofstedes National Culture as a Guide for Sales Practices across Countries: The Case of a MNCs Sales Practices in Australia and New Zealand. Australian Journal of Management. Vol. 24, No. 1. [Online] Available from http://www.agsm.edu.au/eajm/9906/pdf/murphy.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2010] This journal article is another significant contribution towards understanding role of national culture in affecting global operations of firms in host country. Murphy in his research has different implications than Yintsuos and Rutkowskas research as he implies that MNCs need to alter their strategies according to local markets especially when considering sales training as applying foreign practices results in more resistance and risks compared to advantages and gains. The research paper by Murphy can be used as a counter argument in research as organizational culture is given least importance in the project. Mowat, J. (2002). Corporate Culture. Herridge Group. [Online] Available from http://www.herridgegroup.com/pdfs/corp_cultures.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] The paper by Mowat emphasizes on importance of organizational or corporate culture to employees as well as management in order to successfully operate and achieve desired goals. Unlike researchers who place greater emphasis on national culture, Mowat places corporate culture in higher regard as any misunderstanding in corporate culture can damage the profitability and success rate of firms. Corporate culture is an important aspect in Human Resource Management as HR personnel are always expected to mold or persuade employees to achieve maximum benefits for the firm. The paper by Mowat therefore, gives a useful account of internal culture of organizations that build a strong solution for international firms struggling with diversity issues. Fey, C. F. and Denison, D. R. Organizational Culture and effectiveness: The case of foreign firms in Russia. [Online] Available from http://swoba.hhs.se/hastba/papers/hastba2000_004.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2010] Fey and Denison present an empirical paper on importance of cultural context in countries like Russia which significantly differ in cultural context from that of U.S. or Japan. The researchers, based on the inflexible nature of Russians and turbulent political and social environment of country, have tried to investigate the effects of international Human resource and social frameworks on Russian individuals. Based on these frameworks and empirical research from international firms operating in Russia, Fey and Denison have analyzed common elements in cultures of U.S. and Russia which results in positive existence of foreign firms while dissimilar cultural factors result in discontent attitude of Russians towards foreign firms. KObonyo, P. (2007). Influence of Culture on Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) Practices in Multinational Companies (MNC) in Kenya: A Critical Literature Review. University of Nairobi. [Online] Available from http://www.strathmore.edu/research/strategic-human-resource-mgt.pdf [Accessed August 14, 2010] The paper investigates misperception of some theorists that application of Strategic Human Resource management is the key solution to diversity management in MNCs. The author asserts that organizational culture though provide a uniform framework and goals for employees in international firms yet national culture in some countries specifically developing nations hold great significance and therefore, it is important to understand perception of workers regarding their national identity to ensure that there is no clash between national and organizational culture. The researcher has also implemented Hofstedes cultural dimensions framework to international firms in Kenya in order to understand the strong influence of culture on them. Guidroz, A. M., Kotrba, L. M and Denison, D. R. (2009). Workplace Diversity: Is National or Organizational Culture Predominant? Linkage Inc. [Online] Available from http://www.linkageinc.com/thinking/linkageleader/Documents/Denison_Consulting_Workplace_Diversity_Is_National_or_Organizational_Culture_Predominant.pdf [Accessed August 13, 2010] This report by Guidroz, Kotrba and Denison is an important contribution towards understanding an important aspect of Human Resource Management under globalisation: Work place diversity. The report emphasizes on emergence of concept of diversity management which is implemented by managers of international firms to deal with the local and international workforce. The report also studies the impact of national and organizational culture on perceptions of employees regarding their treatment under foreign firms as culture shapes individuals perceptions. The report is a significant addition to literature review as it covers all aspects of globalisation including HR policies and frameworks, workforce issues and diversity management. Ghauri, P. N and Usunier, J. C. (2003). International Business Negotiations. Edward Elgar Publishing. This book is another contribution towards issues of international business which is everywhere in todays world. The authors have emphasized on two major aspects of globalisation: culture and communication that significantly affects business dealings and negotiations which are integral parts of International business. The authors discuss in detail the concept of international business negotiation and its importance, cultural dimensions that affect negotiations and guidelines to international managers based on real life examples and case studies from different cultures. The book is an important input in understanding concept of globalisation and factors of negotiations that initiate the global business. Silverthorne, C. P. (2003). Organizational psychology in cross-cultural perspective. NYU Press. Silverthorne in this book has emphasized on the differences between various cultures and how human psychology varies from nation to nation depending on culture of that nation. This aspect of culture also affects the organizational culture of MNCs and international firms who aim at implementing similar psychological theories in each nation. The author has covered various aspects of Human Resource Development in the book including leadership, motivation, conflict and power, negotiation and communication that managers face in foreign nations and with their employees. The book covers all essential elements of globalisation and HR factors affecting its implementation. GLOBALISATION AND ITS EFFECTS Rioux, S. M., Bernthal, P. R and Wellins, R. S. (2000). The development of Human Resource practices survey report. Development Dimensions International. Vol 3. No. 1. [Online] Available from http://www.ddiworld.co.uk/pdf/theglobalisationofhrpractices_fullreport_ddi.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] Rioux, Bernthal and Wellins have presented a paper pertaining to several HR issues that surround managers in this global world and analyze the issue by observing HR practices of managers around the globe. The report also emphasize on issue of national and corporate culture which often gives organizations a hard time in adjustment in other countries. Leadership adjustment, recruitment, local differences with culture and training and development are few HR issues that managers face in host countries. The authors also emphasize on the social, economic, cultural and political differences that limit the consistent HR practices by a firm across globe. The report helps in understanding the difference between corporate and national culture and what role these factors play in global context. Cesyniene, R. (2008). Globalisation and Human Resource Development. Economika. [Online] Available from http://www.leidykla.eu/fileadmin/Ekonomika/82/41-56.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] The article by Cesyniene represents negative effects of globalisation on Human Resource Practices of firms operating outside their home country. The author appreciates the positive aspects of globalisation such as free trade and technology flows cross borders leading to competitive business environment. However, the establishment of business outside home country involves several other problems like national culture differences and thus different personality traits of employees. The author compares cultures of economies like U.S., U.K, France, Japan and Lithuania where differences in cultures lead to perception differences in terms of compensation, reward, working conditions, delegation of authority, training and social interactions within firms. Poor, J. (2005). Internationalization and Globalisation in Human Resource Management. [Online] Available from http://kgk.bmf.hu/system/files/Poor.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] In this paper Poor presented the concept of International HRM (IHRM) which emerged as a result of globalisation. Poor posited that internationalization of firms requires all operational and marketing activities to be delivered in consensus with local culture and market etiquettes and therefore, the HR practices need to be global as well to avoid the chaos of national and international culture and its adoption difficulties. Poor distinguishes clearly between local and international HRM and thus, provide a detailed analysis for foreign firms to operate under a global framework of HRM that can reduce cultural, employment and operational risks in foreign country. Tomlinson, J. (2003). Globalisation and Cultural Identity.GT Reader. [Online] Available from http://www.polity.co.uk/global/pdf/GTReader2eTomlinson.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] Tomlinson in this paper presented an argumentative analysis in favor of globalisation and its positive impacts on cultural identities. The paper is presented to counter the criticisms of various researchers over negative impacts of globalisation on cultural identities whether in organizations or marketing campaigns or even products. Tomlinson considers national identity as a strong cultural point which is highlighted by globalisation instead of being crushed and thus, rejects the notion of critics of globalisation. According to the paper, Tomlinson suggests that globalisation brings with it modernity and updated reflections upon life which positively enhances cultural identity whether it is in form of modern organizational practices or products for consumers. Goyal, K. A. (2006). Impact of globalisation on developing countries: with special reference to India. International Research Journal of Finance and Economics. [Online] Available from http://www.eurojournals.com/IRJFE%206%20goyal.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] This paper by Goyal intends to study the effect of three major policies of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalisation on developing countries economies. This impact is studied on basis of Foreign Direct Investment and export and import trades in countries like China and India and implies that LPG itself is a progressing concept however; the wrong selection of policies is what makes an economy suffer from dark side of globalisation. The paper is an important input in understanding the effects of globalisation and assessing factors that positively or negatively align a countrys strategies to positive effects of globalisation. Eregare, E. A and Afolabi, A. O. (2009). The Effects of Globalisation and Deregulation on Nigerian Culture Industries. Journal of Social Sciences. Vol 21. No.2. [Online] Available from http://www.krepublishers.com/02-Journals/JSS/JSS-21-0-000-09-Web/JSS-21-2-000-09-Abst-PDF/JSS-21-2-145-09-360-Eregare-E-A/JSS-21-2-145-09-360-Eregare-E-A-Tt.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] The report by Eregare and Afolabi critically analyzes the effects of Globalisation on Nigerias culture. Where the authors appreciate the economical growth that has been spurred by globalisation and privatization, they also become cautious of the penetrations in Nigerian cultures that globalisation has made possible for other nations. The authors consider American and European cultures as strong ones compared to Nigerian culture and thus, warn against the takeover of one culture by another. The report provides a fair evaluation of effects of globalisation as both negative and positive aspects are discussed by authors. Pickering, J. (2002). Globalisation: a threat to Australian culture? Journal of Australian Political Economy. [Online] Available from http://www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au/doc/jape48_3.pdf [Accessed August 15, 2010] Pickering positively analyzes cultural changes in Australia that have been brought by globalisation both in consumers as well as in employees. Despite the criticisms of anti-globalisation personnel, Pickering points out various positive changes brought by globalisation, for instance, improved skills of employees, modern technology, promotion of human rights and modern culture. The paper is an additional evidence of positive contributions of globalisation towards national culture as well as organizational culture. Lee, E and Vivarelli, M. (2006). The Social Impact of Globalisation in Developing Countries. FTP Institute for the Study of Labor. [Online] Available from http://ftp.iza.org/dp1925.pdf [Accessed August 14, 2010] Research by Lee and Vivarelli is another negative perspective in popularity of globalisation as the researchers condemn surety of successful globalisation in every case. Lee and Vivarelli have analyzed globalisation in context of FDI and trade increases where according to their research, FDI and open trade alone cannot bring positive effects on economy. Another perspective of concentrated employment is used in the paper which emerges as result of different demographics, education level and cultures of countries and therefore, can result in increased poverty. Similarly, increased imports can affect the local industries affecting employment as well poverty level. The paper provides limited yet strong evidence on effects of globalisation. Campe, C. V. (2008). Globalisation and its effects on nationalism. [Online