President John F. Kennedy's assassination Research Paper

President John F. Kennedy's assassination - Research Paper Example While the Warren Commission determined that Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy, many alternative accounts have been proposed.  This paper will examine at least two of the proposed accounts on President Kennedy’s assassination and further evaluate these accounts from the perspective of Hume (empiricism), Descartes (rationalism), and Kant (transcendental idealism). The two accounts that are examined in this paper are the findings of HSCA on the investigation of Kennedy’s assassination and the account of James Fetzer entitled â€Å"Assassination Science.† The account of HSCA stated that John Fitzgerald Kennedy being the 35th president of the U.S was shot dead on the November 22nd the year 1963 when riding in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. According to its findings, Lee Harvey Oswald actually fired three gun shots at the then President John F. Kennedy. The 2nd and the 3rd shot that he fired struck the president and the 3rd shot was the one that killed the president. This account further stated that scientific acoustical proof recognized a high probability that more than one or two gunmen were involved at firing the gun shots at the president. The other scientific proof does not prevent the chances of two gunmen firing shots at the president. The scientific evidence thus negated some of the specific conspiracy allegations. The HSCA committee believed that based on the evidence available or presented to it, president Kennedy was probably assassinated because of a conspiracy or political scheme. However, the HSCA committee was not capable of identifying the other claimed gunman or the level/extent of the claimed conspiracy. Another reason provided by HSCA to have made the assassination possible was that the departments and agencies of the U.S administration performed with various competency degrees in the fulfillment of their duties. The president was thus not accorded adequate protection. The account presented by James Fetzer entit led â€Å"Assassination Science† explained and reported the most important or vital scientific findings in the assassination study history of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The account comprises of evidence stipulating that some of the autopsy X-rays on the body of President Kennedy were fabricated to cover a huge blow-out to the back of the head of the deceased by a shot from in front. Assassination science account evidence suggest that other autopsy x-rays were altered by the imposition of a 6.5 mm metal object, which was not present on the original x-rays, photographs and diagrams that were supposed to be those of JFK’s brain were suspected to be the brain of someone else other then John Kennedy. James Fetzer further through his evidence claimed that the president alone was hit by at least four shots, one of which fired from in front went to his throat, the other fired from behind went to his back, and the remaining two fired from in front and behind went to his head. This evidence disapproved the magic bulled theory suggested by the HSCA report. Assassination science unveiled or discovered that in Dealey Plaza, for the duration of the assassination, an absolute minimum of around six shots were actually fired and that the Zapruder assassination film viewed by most people as the nearest account to absolute truth was edited extensively using a highly sophisticated or complex technique. The evidence presented by Fetzer’

Causes Animal Extinction Essay Example for Free

Causes Animal Extinction Essay Choose one of the following topics and write a 3-paragraph essay consisting of an Introductory Paragraph, ONE Supporting Paragraph and a Concluding Paragraph. Requirements: 1) Your introductory paragraph should not exceed 150 words, the body paragraph should not exceed 200 words, and the concluding paragraph should not exceed 150 words. 2) Your thesis statement should consist of at least 3 subdivisions and choose only ONE subdivision to develop your supporting paragraph. 3) Type your essay using Arial font, 12 pt., and spaced at 1.5 between lines. Remember to include page numbers. 4) You MUST cite works from experts. Include at least TWO (2) specific supporting details of different types (e.g. quotations or paraphrase/ statistics/ examples from various sources / references / online journals). Citation and referencing should be using the APA format. 5) Essays that are submitted after the deadline will be penalized 2 points per day unless you have prior approval/extension date, or a good and confirmable reason. If you need an extension, see your instructor. Extensions are at his/her discretion. TOPIC 1 Many foreign students are interested in studying in Malaysia for many reasons. However, some of these students do not turn up at their colleges after successfully obtaining their student visa. In some cases, those absentees were caught being involved in vice activities such as prostitution and drug dealing. Suggest some methods that can be implemented by the government and education institutions to stop foreign students from misusing their student VISA. TOPIC 2 Every 4-5 years, Malaysia undergoes the election process by which the citizens select the people to lead the government. However, many of the younger generation do not feel the need to participate in the voting process. Suggest the ways to encourage youths to register as voters. TOPIC 3 It is easy for people to forget that when they travel alone, whether via public transportation or on their own, they are actually exposed to many dangerous situations, such as crime. Hence, it is vital for all to have some basic safety guidelines to avoid or protect oneself from danger. Suggest the precautions that a person can take while travelling alone.

Examine how Heaney presents his relationship with his father in :: English Literature

Examine how Heaney presents his relationship with his father in Digging and Follower. In the poem the Follower, the poet admires his father with all factions. The poet, Heaney, describes his father on verse 2, stanza 1 as being a very strong, well built man and classifies him as an "expert" (verse 5, stanza 2) when it comes to working in the field. In verse 10-12, stanza 3, Heaney describes his father's eye as "his eye narrowed and angled at the ground mapping the furrow exactly", this verse describes his father as if he was a sailor, carefully, watching the field as a map with a close eye making sure that everything is moving or growing the way they should be. In the poem digging, the reader begins to get a sense that time has moved on, and that the young boy has now become older as so did his father. The poet, Heaney, says on verse 7, stanza 3, "till his straining rump along the flowerbeds", this verse indicates that his father is old, and strains as he bends over to the flowerbeds, but even though the father is aging, he is still a strong man who can still hold a spade. Also, in the poem digging, it mentions about the grandfather of the poet. Heaney describes his grandfather through a series of recollections he had with him. In stanza 6 of the poem Digging, it is there the reader, reads about the poets past with his grandfather. From, the memories the poet recalls, the reader can see that the grandfather was like the father, careful and we also catch from verse 19 -21, stanza 6, which is a memory Heaney recalls of giving milk to his grandfather, he drinks it but than falls right away to work. From these verses the reader sees that he is extremely dedicated to his work and feels very strongly about it. In the end of the poem the Follower, the poet ends it very sudden, and leaves the reader puzzled. The end of the poem the poet says, "à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦It is my father who keeps stumbling behind me, and will not go away" (verse 23-24, stanza 6). These last two statements speak about the poet, as he is older. He is now taken on the tradition of continuing the legacy of farming as his father had done when he was young. When Heaney says he now stumbles behind me, the poet does not literally mean that his father is, but metaphorically instead is. In the past the son has admired his father's abilities to be able to farm with such elegancy,

Checkpoint: Motivation Explained Essay

The three major motivation theories in life are psychoanalytic, humanistic, and diversity. Psychoanalytic: determinism, drive, conflict, the unconscious. Humanistic: self-actualization, Maslow’s need hierarchy, intrinsic motivation, self-determination theory. Diversity: Murray’s psychogenic needs, achievement. A time where psychoanalytic had happened in my life would have to be with my current boyfriend. When we first began talking and getting to know one another I had a little slip where I had called him by my ex-boyfriends name. Now that I think about it I think it may have happened due to the fact that I was considering starting a relationship with him. As well as the fact that my ex and I never really had closer in the relationship either so I still hard feelings towards him. In humanistic that would just be how I live my life every day trying to achieve something greater. I would like to leave some kind of legacy that my daughter could be proud of. It happens naturally due being determined to achieve something great in your life that you can be proud of. One thing that I am proud of doing is having my daughter she has to be my greatest achievement as well as my drive to keep doing what I have to provide her with a good life. As for diversity I believe people overcome it every day. I know that I have when I moved to Pennsylvania I am Hispanic and Native American the area I lived in was mostly Caucasian area. So I had to adjust and overcome racist remarks which I feel I came out of well just made me a stronger less judgment person. When people would first say thing to or about me I would just get mad then after time went on I got over it because these people didn’t know and were most likely raised that way. I overcame it realizing I’m different and it’s a good thing not to be like everyone else.

Nes China Case Study Essay

1. Chen was told by her former colleague, Zhu, to give RMB 3000 (US $360) to each of the two government officials. What would be the consequences of doing so for the involved parties and other relevant stakeholders? The core issue around this case is the major differences between Chinese and western ethical values. It is common, in most developed Western countries, for businesses and government officials to closely follow business rules and regulations that are straightforward and by the books. There is absolutely no room for working around any of them, without risking your reputation and ultimately your career. It is common for Western cultures to implement internal audits to make sure no violations to the rules exists. Regarding business practices, dinner parties are common, but expensive gift giving is seldom used in a business setting. On the other hand, in China, building strong relationships and trust is a huge factor involved in their business practices. It is preferable for Companies and government agencies to conduct business with groups their associated with, rather than outsiders. For the Chinese, giving gifts shows a sign of reciprocity between the two parties. It will be almost impossible for NES to built a strong relationship with the Chinese officials without understanding the basics of how they do business. As Chen, what would you suggest to Mueller? Why? As Chen, I would suggest creating a separate business code of conduct especially for the China region. Chen should suggest that NES should not continue to make business decisions based on Western values because China has their own set of unique business norms and cultural values. If they want to be successful in their business dealings in China they need to implement a new plan. They can start by informing the Representative office, especially Steinmann and Dr. Perrin, of the importance of gift giving in the Chinese culture. As stated in the China State Council Article 382 and 383 that gifts given in the amount less than RMB200 do not need to be handed over to the gift administrative department. Also, as long as those gifts are not given for securing illegitimate benefits they are not considered illegal. Therefore, it would be in the best interest of NES representative office to  implement a new established code of conducts for the Beijing office. This will help eliminate uncertainty of the rules and regulations that apply in NES dealings with China and create a business culture that is more diverse and applicable to China’s business culture.

Solar Winds and Lightning Strikes

Solar Winds and Lightning Strikes When you go outdoors for play or work, it probably never occurs to you that the lovely yellow Sun that heats and warms our planet is also responsible for a whole raft of other actions that affect us and our planet. Its true - and without the Sun we wouldnt have the beauty of the northern and southern lights, or - as it turns out - some of the lightning strikes that come during thunderstorms. Lightning strikes?   Really? Lets take a look at how that might be a solar effect. The Sun-Earth Connection The Sun is a somewhat active star. It regularly sends out giant outbursts called solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The material from these events rides out from the Sun on the solar wind, which is a constant stream of energetic particles called electrons and protons. When those charged particles get to Earth, some interesting things can happen.   First, they encounter Earths magnetic field, which protects the surface and lower atmosphere from the solar wind by deflecting the energetic particles around the planet. Those particles DO interact with the topmost layers of the atmosphere, often creating northern and southern lights. If the solar storm is strong enough, our technology can be affected - telecommunications, GPS satellites, and electrical grids - can be disrupted or even shut down.   What About the Lightning? When these charged particles   have enough energy to penetrate down into the cloud-forming regions of the Earths atmosphere, they can affect our weather.  Scientists found evidence that some lightning strikes on Earth may well be triggered by energetic particles from the Sun that reach our planet via the solar wind. They measured significant increases in lightning rates across Europe (for example) that occurred for up to 40 days after the arrival of particles carried by high-speed solar winds.   Nobodys quite sure how this works, but scientists are working to understand the interactions. Their data show that electrical properties of the air are somehow changed as the incoming charged particles collide with the atmosphere. Can Solar Activity Help Weather Prediction? If you could predict an increase in lightning strikes by using solar wind streams, that would be a real boon to weather forecasters. Since the solar wind can be tracked by spacecraft, having advance knowledge of solar wind storms would give weather forecasters a significant  chance to warn people about upcoming thunder and lightning storms and their severity. It turns out that astronomers have long known that cosmic rays, which are tiny high-speed particles from across the universe have been thought to play a part in severe weather on Earth. The ongoing studies of charged particles and lightning shows that lower-energy particles created by our own Sun also affect lightning. This is related to a phenomenon called space weather which is defined as geomagnetic disturbances caused by solar activity.   It can affect us here on Earth and in near-Earth space.  This new edition of the Sun-Earth connection, lets astronomers and weather forecasters learn more about both space weather and Earth weather. How Did Scientists Figure This Out? The record lightning strikes over Europe was compared with data from NASAs Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft, which lies between the Sun and the Earth and measures the characteristics of solar winds. It is one of NASAs workhorse space weather and solar activity observatories. After the arrival of the  solar wind at the Earth, the researchers showed there was an average of 422 lightning strikes across the UK in the following 40 days, compared to an average of 321 lightning strikes in the 40 days before the solar winds arrival. They noted that the rate of lightning strikes peaked between 12 and 18 days after the arrival of the solar wind. Long-term studies of the connection between the Suns activity and Earthly thunderstorms should give scientists useful tools not just for understanding the Sun, but also to help predict storms here at home.

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God

Chinese New Year and the Kitchen God The Kitchen God is assigned by Yu Huang, the emperor of heaven, to watch over each family and record what they do throughout the year. A paper picture of the Kitchen God is hung in a prominent location in the kitchen. Each year during Chinese New Year, the Kitchen God returns to heaven to report on what the family has done throughout the year. The family has a thank you dinner in which a bowl of sticky rice is placed in front of the Kitchen God. It is believed that if the Kitchen God’s mouth is full of glutinous rice, he will not be able to speak about the family’s activities. Others give glutinous rice balls served in sugar soup and brown sugar bars as a bribe for the Kitchen God to say favorable things about the family. After the thank you dinner, the picture of the Kitchen God is burned and thereby sent back to heaven. A new picture of the Kitchen God is hung in the kitchen after the start of Chinese New Year festivities.

COOPER Surname Meaning and Family History

COOPER Surname Meaning and Family History The surname Cooper is an English occupational name for one who made and sold casks, buckets and tubs. The name derives from the Middle English couper, cowper, adapted from Middle Dutch kuper, a derivative of kup, meaning tub or container. Cooper may also be an Anglicized version of a similar sounding surname such as the Dutch Kuiper, or the Jewish Kupfer or Kupper. Origin and Popularity of COOPER Cooper is the 64th most popular surname in the United States and the 29th most common surname in England. The prevalence of the surname  is due to the cooper trades importance during the  Middle Ages throughout Europe.   As a Dutch surname, Cooper may have originated as an  occupational name for a buyer or merchant, from the Middle Dutch coper. Surname Origin:  English, Dutch Alternate Surname Spellings:  KOOPER, KOEPER, KUPFER, COOPERS, COOPERMAN, COPER, COOBER, COOPEY, COPPER Famous People With the COOPER Surname James Fenimore Cooper - 19th-century American novelistGary Cooper - American actor of the silent film eraMartin Cooper - American engineer who conceived the first mobile cellular phonePeter Cooper - American industrialist and inventor; best known for designing and building the first steam locomotive in the United StatesJackie Cooper - American  actor, director and producerBradley Cooper - American actor Where Is the COOPER Surname Most Common? Forebears identifies Cooper as the 927th most common surname in the world, with the greatest numbers of individuals with the name living in the United States, where the name ranks 61st. Based on surname density, Cooper is also a very common last name in England (where it ranks 35th in the country), Liberia (4th), Australia (43rd), New Zealand (37th) and Wales (67th). While the Cooper surname  is very common throughout the United Kingdom, WorldNames PublicProfiler shows it as most common in central England, especially in Staffordshire. Genealogy Resources for the Surname COOPER 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Cooper Genealogy DNA ProjectThe  Cooper DNA group project was begun in 2002 by Gary S. Cooper of Lexington, North Carolina, as a tool to use in conjunction with other written documentation in genealogy research to help identify and define different Cooper-Lines and validate existing Cooper family history. Cooper  Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Cooper  family crest or coat of arms for the Cooper surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. Cooper Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Cooper surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Cooper query. FamilySearchExplore over 6.7  million  historical records which mention individuals with the Cooper  surname, as well as online Cooper family trees on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. COOPER Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Cooper surname. GeneaNet - Cooper  RecordsGeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Cooper  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries. The Cooper  Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Cooper  from the website of Genealogy Today. References Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Research Phase 3IP Paper

Evidence Based Practice and Applied Nursing Phase 3IP - Research Paper Example Scand J Urol , 12 (1), 34-38. Retrieved flrom: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/21681805.2013.834512 Mufti, U. B. & Dasgupta, R. (2013). Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections. Urinary Tract Infection , 13 (3), 53-57. Retrieved from: http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4471-4709-1_6#page-1 Tenke, P.; KÃ ¶ves B. & Johansen T. (2013). An update on prevention and treatment of catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Curr Opin Infect Dis , 21 (7), 102-107. Retrieved from: http://journals.lww.com/co-infectiousdiseases/Abstract/2014/02000/An_update_on_prevention_and_treatment_of.16.aspx Weber, D. J., Sickbert-Bennett, E. E., Gould, C. V., Brown, V. M., Huslage, K., & Rutala, W. A. (2011). Incidence of Catheter-Associated and Non-Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in a Healthcare System. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology , 32 (8), 107-116. Retrieved from:

LDPs Long Domination in Japanese Politics Until 2009 Essay

LDPs Long Domination in Japanese Politics Until 2009 - Essay Example The Liberal Democratic Party has managed to maintain power in Japan for a very long period due to certain attributes that facilitated the bringing out of its strengthsÃ'Ž. Despite the successful run is not a product of a few approaches or interventions, certain concepts of success stand out than the rest.The commonly held opinion on the success of the party revolves around three main factors variously referred to as the Iron Triangle. LDP success as a political powerhouse in Japan depended on a number of factors creating a network of interaction between bureaucracy, politics and private sector contribution in policy formulation and implementation. Reliance on the traditional vote rich regions to instigate domineering politics ensured that the party had tight grip of political following across the country. In order for the party to facilitate a lengthy political presence in national governance, elimination of completion from opposition meant introduction of unfair practices against t he weaker players. Such a structure had to come to an end with due course and LDP was ousted by the DPJ in 2006, making its recovery a complicated affair to handle. In view of the political environment in Japan under the governance of the DPJ, it is doubtful that the LDP will return to its former glory of domination and unmatched power.

Aspects of Contract and Negligence for Business in United Kingdom Essay

Aspects of Contract and Negligence for Business in United Kingdom - Essay Example An offer is an expression of willingness to have a contract under specified sets of terms and conditions. This is made by an offeror and the focus here is that in case the offer is accepted, then the offeror is bound by the contract. In other words, an offer matches an individual’s manifestation about his or her intent to get into a binding contract with somebody else. Acceptance on the other hand refers to an expression of agreement which is unconditional and absolute. This is in regards to all terms formulated in a given offer. In this case, it refers to an assent by an offeree who is responsible for offering a legal contract (Berle 435). It can either be in writing or oral though it has to reflect on the original offer agreed upon. Capacity entails the capability of an individual to get into a legal agreement considering the fact that other people such as the insane, the drunkards and infants may not be able to enter an agreement. Intention is another element of a valid con tract and it simply entails intimating to get into an agreement. These elements play important roles as far as contracts are concerned. One of the importance of the elements is that they help in protecting an individual from potential problems for instance from overcharging or from losing deposit (Mitchell). They also ensure that one has a guarantee for complete and quality work. They also help in clarifying expectations of different parties involved into a contract as well as in knowing how possible conflicts can be resolved. Apart from these, they are important in that they enable parties to safeguard their resources. Typesof Contract Contracts are in different categories and they all have their impacts and relevance in applications. Written contracts are usually written and sealed off in official documents. One of the impacts of a written contract is that they get into operation once they have been adopted and delivered between the concerned parties. Friedman (105) notes that the y also bind all the parties involved within their terms without considering whether the terms have been read or not. There are contracts which require written evidence. These contracts have their evidences taking effect upon agreement and they help in preventing perjury and frauds. There are also sealed contracts which are usually made by a party and delivered to another party after sealing them (Wedderburn 99). These types of contracts are important in that they check on misconceptions. Finally, there are simple contracts which can be oral, partly written, fully written, oral or even implied. Their impacts are usually dependent on what is being agreed upon. Terms in a Contract Conditions in contracts mean the operating regulations between the contracting parties. One party’s performance is conditioned based on terms being operated upon. This further implies that termination remedy is present with damages or if there are no serious effects from a breach (Drew and Skitmore 228 ).Warranties are terms which are less essential and are mostly implied as collateral with regards to the key purpose. With warranties, there are no rights to termination. However, damages reflecting on actual losses are pertinent. Innominate terms are those for which there are no advance prescriptions for remedies. There is termination if effects felt upon a breach are serious and capable of depriving innocent parties of contractual benefits. TASK 2 It is possible that you hold Direct Training to the price they stated on the website. However,

Issues and controversies in management project Case Study

Issues and controversies in management project - Case Study Example McDonald's evidences the validity of the stated. Renown for its corporate social responsibility record in its home country, and owing a sizeable percentage of its market share to this, upon expansion into foreign markets, McDonald's exported its CSR principles along (Bronn, 2006). Hence, in the 32 of the countries in which it operates, it has over 200 Ronald McDonald Houses, charity organisation which support underprivileged children (Bronn, 2006). It has also embraced environmentalism and committed itself to green practices, publicly acknowledging its responsibility towards the preservation and conservation of an increasingly fragile environment and ecosystem (Paton, 2007). Operating on the basis of these and other practices designed to underscore its commitment to CSR, McDonald's has successfully entrenched itself in the communities within which it operates. Indeed, a significant part of its market success and ability to penetrate the barriers to foreign market entry are a direct o utcome of the fact that it projects an image of a company which wants to give, not just take, from its community (Paton, 2007). Corporate ethics, albeit strongly related t... rnationalisation, it is imperative that multinationals acquire an understanding of the ethical systems particular to the foreign markets in question and adhere to them. For instance, in some cultures, gender segregation is an inviolable ethical principle, with the implication being that foreign entrants should adhere to this practice. In others, child labour is not viewed as unethical and the employment of children may be interpreted as the extension of assistance to an impoverished family. However, since this last is not viewed as an ethical practice and its implementation as universally unethical, not to mention a violation of international law, multinationals who engage in this practice may irreparably damage their market standing. This means that in designing their ethics guidelines, companies must create a fine balance between international and national ethical systems. McDonald's has managed to achieve this balance. On the one hand, it adheres to universal ethics guidelines whi ch dictate the imperatives of fair wages, non-discriminatory labour practices Royle, 2005) and quality goods from suppliers (Verschoor, 2001). On the other, it respects the cultural ethics of its host environments whereby, for example, it does not employ women in its restaurants, in concession to the segregation precept, although it does in its offices (Heck, 2003). The point here is that upon entry into foreign markets, the company does try to embrace and adhere to local ethical precepts, even as it abides by international ones, so as to facilitate entry and acceptance. Branding Competitive advantage is a critical determinant of successful entry into foreign markets and of surviving the challenges of globalisation and realising its promises. Branding is a managed process to

Explore how a particular type of deviance is defined, conceptualised, Essay

Explore how a particular type of deviance is defined, conceptualised, interpreted, apprehended and evaluated in 1 or 2 different sports - Essay Example This implies certain transformations on the notions of pain and injury, and ultimately on the notion of deviance. This paper is an exploration on the said transformations as effected by factors such as the agonistic nature of society and the subjection of mixed martial arts to the disciplinary mechanisms of society. Pain and injury stemming from violent behavior in sport is often seen from a negative perspective, that is, physical violence and sport are often seen as exclusive from one another. Boxing is one such sport that has received criticisms for supposedly being unnecessarily violent (Poliakoff, 1987, pp 89-90). It might be argued of course that a degree of violence will always be present in sport because of its competitive nature. However, it can be argued still that the infliction of pain and injury to the opponent is behavior that borders on deviance, in the sense that society in general does not approve of harming one’s competitor, whether it be in business or other, just to promote oneself to a more advantageous position. An excessively violent or aggressive response to conflict is generally disapproved, and hence seen as somewhat deviant. More so in the sporting arena is aggression that inflicts physical and perhaps even mental pain or injury, perceived as disagreeable behavi or. Sport, as conceived in relation to the concepts of play and games, is a social activity that presumably promotes certain ideals. When the Olympic Games were revived in 1896 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, it was with the vision of instilling positive virtues in young men, such as camaraderie, sportsmanship, and excellence. To this day, the idea of Olympism, the view that sports is used to promote values that are held in high regard by society, appears to be dominant, albeit with evident difficulties itself. This is perhaps one of the reasons as well, why violent behavior in sport is often understood as

Issues and controversies in management project Case Study

Issues and controversies in management project - Case Study Example McDonald's evidences the validity of the stated. Renown for its corporate social responsibility record in its home country, and owing a sizeable percentage of its market share to this, upon expansion into foreign markets, McDonald's exported its CSR principles along (Bronn, 2006). Hence, in the 32 of the countries in which it operates, it has over 200 Ronald McDonald Houses, charity organisation which support underprivileged children (Bronn, 2006). It has also embraced environmentalism and committed itself to green practices, publicly acknowledging its responsibility towards the preservation and conservation of an increasingly fragile environment and ecosystem (Paton, 2007). Operating on the basis of these and other practices designed to underscore its commitment to CSR, McDonald's has successfully entrenched itself in the communities within which it operates. Indeed, a significant part of its market success and ability to penetrate the barriers to foreign market entry are a direct o utcome of the fact that it projects an image of a company which wants to give, not just take, from its community (Paton, 2007). Corporate ethics, albeit strongly related t... rnationalisation, it is imperative that multinationals acquire an understanding of the ethical systems particular to the foreign markets in question and adhere to them. For instance, in some cultures, gender segregation is an inviolable ethical principle, with the implication being that foreign entrants should adhere to this practice. In others, child labour is not viewed as unethical and the employment of children may be interpreted as the extension of assistance to an impoverished family. However, since this last is not viewed as an ethical practice and its implementation as universally unethical, not to mention a violation of international law, multinationals who engage in this practice may irreparably damage their market standing. This means that in designing their ethics guidelines, companies must create a fine balance between international and national ethical systems. McDonald's has managed to achieve this balance. On the one hand, it adheres to universal ethics guidelines whi ch dictate the imperatives of fair wages, non-discriminatory labour practices Royle, 2005) and quality goods from suppliers (Verschoor, 2001). On the other, it respects the cultural ethics of its host environments whereby, for example, it does not employ women in its restaurants, in concession to the segregation precept, although it does in its offices (Heck, 2003). The point here is that upon entry into foreign markets, the company does try to embrace and adhere to local ethical precepts, even as it abides by international ones, so as to facilitate entry and acceptance. Branding Competitive advantage is a critical determinant of successful entry into foreign markets and of surviving the challenges of globalisation and realising its promises. Branding is a managed process to

Foundation of Business report about the Hairdressing firm called Essay

Foundation of Business report about the Hairdressing firm called Friends - Essay Example the role of David, this paper will make recommendations on how to optimize its overall functioning particularly in marketing, human resources, finances and operations. Friends, with their two hair salons, needs to focus on major marketing programs to revamp their declining fortunes. â€Å"Marketing provides the bridge between an opportunity and a purchase.† (Stapleton and Thomas). It should start with repositioning its hair salon business for the new generation market. With their aging and greying customer base, the potential to sell their services is minimized. â€Å"Retaining existing clients is a key to running your hair salon successfully but attracting new customers should be the aim of Friends hair dressing salon.† (bodycareblog.com) New age customers, the youth and the mid-aged market with their growing grooming consciousness, are the most lucrative market to tap into. The company needs to device appropriate and relevant marketing programs to capitalize on this high potential market. The remarketing should start with services they offer; then along with hairstyling they can offer some complementing beauty salon services. They should transform into a holistic hair styling and beauty care service, offering all hair and beauty service under one roof, which provides the real value for their money and conveniences for the customers. There are various marketing strategies that can be used to pull a large number of customers to the salon. Friends should increase the Ad spend, as it’s very critical to communicate their new positioning to the youth market. Also with competition closing in, the advertisements should be intensified. Advertising through magazines, direct mailing and the most important of all is time-investment. The most effective advertising options are magazines, brochures, or billboards with colorful, creative and attention grabbing content (bodycareblog.com). The company can distribute brochures in residential colonies, posh apartment, colleges,

Respect Essay Essay Example for Free

Respect Essay Essay Respect can be defined as a positive feeling of esteem for a person or entity. It denotes the regard and consideration shown by an individual towards others. Respect cannot be demanded, it is an asset that has to be earned. From the very childhood kids are taught to respect their parents, elders, teachers and an unending list of social obligations. This is because as people, we tend to respect other people who has more experience with an abundance of things such as life. Also, people tend to respect others that teach them the most through life. First, I would like to start off with my respect for my father, the most important man in my life. A lot of children of today’s society are not able to say those words, due to the absence of a father figure. Not to boast about the situation, but it’s no other feeling in the world like it, especially when you are a young man growing up into adulthood. I see my father every day in his older age and weary condition, going to work to provide for our family. I can tell and even seethe physical and emotional toll, that life is subduing him. All of this pressure and weight that is put on his back and he still strives through the barriers to provide. Taking on every responsibility for himself, and even the responsibilities of others: that’s a hero. One who deserves to be look at and admired with the highest level of respect. Although I speak about my father with pride, I also respect many other male fathers. In the same breath, I also have tremendous respect for my karate instructor. Not only is he a father of three children in his immediate family, but he is really a father to hundreds of people in his karate school. I look at my instructor as a respectable, and great man because it takes a lot to bring in and teach hundreds of people the art of karate. Some people may never understand this significance, but when you are able to take young men and women off of the streets and turn their life around for the better, it is a blessing and only commendable by respect. With the discipline learned from the karate school many people was able to avoid controversy with others, a process which saved many lives from being harmed. Being a hero can mean pulling someone out of a deadly situation or giving someone a place to stay. It can also mean making better young men and women of society, and I believe this deserves great respect. The final person that I have the greatest respect for, is myself. I believe that innocence ends when the illusion that the liking of oneself is taken away from him. Self-Respect is a quality which is extremely important for the dignity, confidence and personality of an individual. People with self-respect have the courage of accepting their mistakes. They exhibit certain toughness, a kind of moral courage and they display character. It is important to respect yourself because if you are not able to who will? Nobody can be you, besides you. For acquiring self-respect, we need to learn who we really are and to accept ourselves as we are and live with that. It is better to displease people by doing what is right rather than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong. To sum up this point, Self-respect is necessary for the happiness of Man. In the final analysis, every person has his own standards of judging people. Yet, there are certain set of qualities that are common and popular to gain respect in society. An individual who possess high moral values and shows compassion and solidarity towards other human beings is respected by a large section of society. Then there are other traits like general behavior, reaction, response and a personal growth. All these factors contribute to effectively comprehend the term, â€Å"respect†. It is a natural response or reaction towards an individual. To earn respect is a matter of individualistic integrity and rational behavior. It’s not easy nor hard to receive, but it is something that you would like from others. So go out and challenge yourself to be the best person you can possibly be. Who knows you may earn respect from an infinite amount of people.

Power distance

Power distance So you want to do business abroad and actually make a profit? Dont forget to ask yourself this: What do I know about the culture? To explain the biggest differences between cultures in this essay we are going to use a method developed by Geert Hofstede (geert-hofstede.com) using his four dimensions; Power distance, masculinity/ femininity, individualism/ collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. With this we will explain the difference between the Dutch culture and the cultures of India and Italy when doing business. Power Distance What Is Power Distance? Power distance measures how much the less powerful members of institutions and organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. In cultures with low power distance, people expect and accept power relations that are more consultative or democratic. In cultures with high power distance, the less powerful accept power relations that are autocratic or paternalistic. Power Distance In India And The Netherlands With a population of over 1 billion it is hard to describe life in India because the Indian people have many different religious, regional, cultural, social, and educational variations in structural and functional patterns of family life, making it hard to generalize. However because the majority of Indians are Hindu, we will primarily focus on the Hindu way of life. India has a high power distance; it scores a 77 on the index. While the Netherlands only scores a 38 with around 16 million people. India is a very interesting country to look at because they have ‘used the caste system ¹ for a long time. With that, they automatically create a massive distance between the highest members of the caste: Brahmins (priests) and the lowest members of the caste the pariah (outcasts, â€Å"untouchables†) there are a total of 5 levels in the caste system and each of the people in a lower caste listen to members of the caste above their own. This makes equality, like in the Netherlands, impossible. This because the social position of a person is determined by heredity, for example if you are born a pariah you will never be a Brahmin and you are expected to life your life in the caste, making it your social group as well. Although the system was officially abolished it continues to play a crucial role in Indian society. Family Life A Joint Family is an extended family arrangement prevalent among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of many generations living under the same roof. All the male members are blood relatives and all the women are mothers, wives, unmarried daughters, or widowed relatives. However in the last couple of years the people in the urban areas of India seem to have been shifting more towards a nuclear family household (consisting of 2 parents and children) School/ Education In India higher educations are more like the western European way of teaching, so the power distance is not extremely large in the schools, Teachers are however expected to lecture the students. It has been like this since India was a British colony and it keeps improving towards the level of equality which we are experiencing in Holland right now. However, in India the respect for most of the teachers is higher than the respect students in Holland show towards the teachers. Work/ Business As said before the Indian culture prefers a high power distance, in business there will be a large structural difference between the boss of a company and an employee, splitting them by so many layers that they will rarely or never actually talk to each other. And if they do it would be very formal. Also its necessary to avoid forum like situations where you as a manager ask the ‘lower ranking employees for feedback or advice because this will be seen as weak leadership. Opposed to Holland where we consider it a good thing when managers come to us for our opinions. The State The state consists of many layers in India though it is somewhat similar to the political system in the UK. In India, a persons time is valued based on power. A high-power individual must never be kept waiting. In India, a high-power individual can and will demonstrate their power by keeping a lower power individual waiting. In the Netherlands this is just not acceptable. Power Distance In Italy And The Netherlands Italy scores a 50 on the power distance index of Hofstede which puts it somewhere in the middle worldwide. According to Hofstedes dimensions Italy looks a lot like Germany in. Italy was the pinnacle of European development in the early days (Roman Empire). Italians still seem to expect a lot of differences in power between people. They would say the boss in a company should act like he/she is the boss. Family Life The Italian family is important. Grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins are often invited to share family celebrations and Sunday dinners. The family members do not usually live near each other. When children grow up, they usually live in the house until they marry. Sometimes the children would move in to help their parents. The father is always the head of the family. Friends of the family are also a very big part of Italian society. School/ Education In Italy the schools are even more similar to Holland, you are allowed to question the teachers as long as you do it with the proper amount of respect. The teachers will however have a lecture prepared. Work/ Business Power distance in Italian companies is not extremely really high because a lot of the businesses there are family businesses, nonetheless communication at the office is formal and subordinates are rarely allowed to call their superiors by their first name. The boss of the company is really the boss and he/she should be treated with a lot of respect. Good manners and courtesy are prized qualities in Italy. When doing business in Italy ensure your conduct is always polished. There are etiquettes and protocols for many social and business situations; however, it is important to remember that Italians rate considerateness above behavioral formulas. When you are meeting and departing, always shake hands. This is valid for both individuals and groups. When you do business in Italy, you dress to impress. It is no coincidence that Versace, Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana are all Italian fashion houses. Italians like to make an impression with their clothes. What you wear speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. The State Italians are often cynical about persons in positions of authority. Italians love to ridicule authority and people in positions of power. Breaking petty rules is a source of amusement for many Italians. Individualism And Collectivism What Is Individualism And Collectivism? In relation to Hofstedes cultural dimension study, Individual/ Collectivism will be determined. The meaning of individualism expresses exactly a nation, which do care for him/ herself and his/ her direct family. The word â€Å"I† is a very important factor in this form of life, which is completely different in a form of collectivism. This attitude to life shows that these people care about their whole in-group which includes family, friends, uncles, aunts and grandparents. The word â€Å"we† has obviously a higher meaning to them. Hofstedes charts visualize that countries with high power distance (PDI) belong to the collectivists and countries with low power distance belong to the individualists. According to Hofstede individualism countries have the tendency to be a rich. Countries in a collectivism country have most likely the opposite tendency. Individualism And Collectivism In India And The Netherlands A comparison between India and The Netherlands gives a good impression and shows the differences between those two countries. First of all it is important to have a look at Hofstedes charts. India scores, according to Hofstedes, power distance (PDI) as its highest points for cultures, with a ranking of 77 compared with a world average of 56.5. This fact shows a clearly result of a collectivism country, which India is. It makes itself felt in terms of friendships, which were chosen by their parents, not having conflicts, by being indirect or sharing the income if someone has a good job for example. It absolutely represents the loyalty of the in-group members. As a counter-example The Netherlands will be represented. In opposite to India, Holland scores its highest points in the category individuality (IDV), which is 80 points and ties Canada as the fourth highest worldwide IDV ranking. Some examples to clarify the culture are being very direct, let the children choose friends whoever they want or spend their money however they think it will be right. These facts enunciates that Holland doesnt have this in-group attitude like India but rather the absolutely priority to their immediate family. At school children from India see the teacher as a higher person, whatever the teacher says is right without to question it, which shows that they are depending on their teacher. Furthermore it is normal to focus on a social network, where the synonym â€Å"we† more important than â€Å"I†. Dutch children are joining a completely different way of getting taught in school. It is more important to learn how to develop their own abilities, to be independent and learn how to discuss problems. They also expect the teacher to know everything with every detail. The next part relates to work and business in India. Since they have in-groups it is not normal to work with people who are not part of their in-group. It is very common that the children from India start to work in their fathers, or uncles business. Otherwise they wont find another job because in a collectivist country they are so depended on their in-group. Dutch people raise their children to work at a place wherever and whatever they like. Its more important for them to let them pick up their own experience and realize their dreams. This is the logical way of thinking for individual countries. In addition it promotes the economy to have people who are independent. The final aspect is about the states in individualism/ collectivism countries. Since India is a part of collectivists it is to say that there are more differences between poor people and rich people. Further the human rights are lower than those ones from individualist countries. In contrast The Netherlands which belongs to the individualists are more equal regarding the differences between poor and rich people. It is very important to have the same human rights like every single person in the country. Equality has different meaning for those two mentioned countries. Individualism And Collectivism In Italy And The Netherlands The comparison between Italy and The Netherlands will show the differences between those countries. It is important to take a closer look at Hofstedes charts. It shows Italys highest score, which is about 71 points â€Å"Individualism† and shows the similarity between Holland and Italy. Italy is an individualist country, like The Netherlands, but its Power distance (PDI) is also high. Family life is important for Italians, not just the immediate family, but also uncles, aunts and grandparents play a big role in the childrens life, which shows the differences to comparing to Holland. Sons from Italy leave their parents house in their 20s which is pretty much same like in The Netherlands. Furthermore children are supposed to tell the truth, even if it hurts. This is a typical attribute of individualist thinking countries, which Dutch and Italian people are. They also get raised as independent children with personal opinion because this could useful for a successful life. In those two mentioned country the school and education is pretty much the same. Pupils or students have to be independent, competitive and they are supposed to determine their own goals. It is very common to discuss issues in the class without being silent, so they can develop their skills. Work and business is also a similar matter between Italy and The Netherlands. They are highly educated business people and make business with foreign countries. Employees and employers are committed to contracts which show the human rights, but there is law that people can get laid off, or they could quit the job. The last aspect is about the state and in this point those two countries are also pretty much similar. Human rights are very high, education is important and everyone has his privacy. In conclusion individualist countries appreciate the individual interests and do not deal with collectivism.   Masculinity And Femininity In India and The Netherlands Hofstedes dimension masculinity pertains to societies in which gender roles are clearly distinct. That means, men has to be assertive, competitive and have to air toughness while women stand for nurturance. They are responsible for the household and the children. High earnings and status symbols present a certain social standing for the man. One gets the recognition deserved while doing a good job and is allowed to reach a higher level in his job. In feminine societies these gender roles overlap. Both, men and women are suppose to be modest (both, men and women have the same rights but also the same duties) both parts focus on their relationship and they are also more concerned to the quality of life. With a ranking at 56, the masculinity of India is with the world average just slightly lower at 51. A high rank means that the country is a masculine country. The lower it is, the lower is the masculinity and goes more to femininity. You also can see that India is a masculine country on different examples in Family Life The man is the head of the family. He is the one, who makes the decisions. Who says what to do. Children are obedient towards their parents. Younger children have to listen to the older children. The man is more dominant than the woman. The woman takes care of the household and the children. Whereas women are going to shop for food, household and clothes, the men are looking for cars, a house or things and objectives, which are standing for status. Even when the trend goes more femininity, step by step, traditions like a marriage portion are still common, in rural areas. The woman has to give money which depends of the family earning to marry the man. However, not always the woman (wife) has to do what the husband says. India consists of a lot traditions and one of them is, that the wife has to follow the instructions of the mother of her husband for the first few years. Even when both genders are equal, rightly, the woman is still undervalued. It is not rare that the girls get less or qualitative less food than the boys because the boys have to get strong for hard work, which a girl is not able to do. That is the reason why girls get more jobs like home helpers and get married early. In comparing to the Netherlands which occupy a score of 14 points rank 72, this country is very feminine. Men and woman are modest and focus on their relationship. Both shop for food and both discuss which car to buy. They do not have one dominant â€Å"leader† of the family both act non- dominant. School/ Education Indias school-systems are free for the grades from one till five. However, more boys go to school than girls. Girls are going to marry early, so they let them work and send the boys to school. An example what makes it visible is, that 48% of the Indians over fifteen cannot read and write. 62, 3% of women and 34, 5% of men are illiterates. The education is also more masculine because the pupils or students try to make them visible in class and compete openly with each other. Job choices are strongly guided by perceived career opportunities. The best student is the norm; failing in school would be a disaster. The atmosphere of ego boosting is exiting, the best one wins. Indian children try to learn jobs where they can make money. The Netherlands have more students which present the average. Failing in school is not the end of the world and they learn jobs, basic on their talent and what they like. They underrate their own performance, they do not want to appear too eager and it is okay when the teacher is also just a â€Å"human† and do not know everything. Work/ Business Most of the time, even when it changes in the big cities and step by step also all over the country, the men are working and earn the money for their families. One fourth of the population lives under the poverty line. They live for the work whereas in the Netherlands the people work to live. That means that money and status are not so important like the leisure time. The Indians work in a competitive atmosphere, the higher the position, the better is the money and their status. Only the best are successful in the hard business. The State The state is a performance society. You will be paid for that what you accomplish. The more you can the higher is the earning. The higher the earning is the higher is your status in society. In the Netherlands it is quite different, the community is more important. The solidarity is higher; people help more each other and also the weaker ones. India focuses a lot to the growth in economy, more than in the Netherlands. Masculinity And Femininity In Italy And The Netherlands Italy counts over 60 points and stands on rank 52 in the index from Hofstede but only for the European countries. Italy is also a masculine society but not so high like India. Italy is less masculine but more feminine than India but not so feminine like the Netherlands. Family Life Women expect men to get the leadership in family life and earn the money for the family. Gender roles are also clearly distinct here. The woman is responsible for the family and especially for the household and the man is making career. Children suppose to be obedient, whereas the boys should be tough and the girls more emotional. Most of the time the father is dominant but it is not unusual when there are non-dominant partners in a relationship. Family is very important and children are their future. Parents try to give their children the best perspective and are always around them; often the â€Å"bambinis† sit on the table till late in the evening. The parents take very care of the children and control them also a lot what they are doing. It is normal, that fights are sometimes loud and the Italians also like to make jokes and do not care when the neighbor or strangers hear it whereas love is not shown to the outside. Often a fight between a man and woman sound hard for a n on-Italian but that is their mentality and normally after five minutes all is forgotten. Men are often seen like machos but it is unusual that parents have a divorce. School/ Education The teachers are authority persons to the students but the communication is still friendly and the teachers also make jokes. It is very important that the Italian students pass school with high grades. Often they learn till late in the evening and the parents still control them to repeat the homework and if they understand well. The education is more masculine than in the Netherlands, failing in school or not passing a test is a disaster whereas the Dutch students are more comfortable and they just need to pass, independent from the grade. According to this fact, teachers in the Netherlands, take more attention to weaker students and try to push them by giving them attention, than openly praise the good students. The students are decent in their CVs, whereas in Italy, they sell themselves in interviews to show they are the best. The Netherlands are a permissive society in which the environment should be preserved as small is beautiful. Furthermore the government depends on a coalition between different parties and women are more often elected than in Italy and India. Work/ Business Usually the woman take care of the family and the men is going to work. However women also work, but the earnings of the men are most of the time higher and the high positions are often occupied by the men. Money is important, men like to show their status with cars for example but leisure time and spending time with their families is also important. You cannot really define if it is more masculine or more feminine. It is more feminine than in India but still more masculine than in the Netherlands. The State The community is important, Italy has solidarity. They care about the weak people in the population and aid also a lot of financially help to poor countries. The country is a community and they represent it to the outside. Uncertainty Avoidance What Is Uncertainty Avoidance? The term uncertainty avoidance denotes how members of a culture deal with unknown or ambiguous situations. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance try to avoid such uncertainties. Members of other cultures maybe experience equal situations as uncertain or chaotic as well, but respond more relaxed and unstressed. Each country has got own rituals and values how they deal with punctuality, formalities and religious affairs. Cultures with a high certainty avoidance index (UAI) are more prepared to evade risks than cultures with a low UAI. The higher the score of the UAI is, the higher the need of people to have laws and regulations which give them a guideline and a feeling of private and public security. High uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized as â€Å"What is different is dangerous.† However, the weakest uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized on the contrary as â€Å"What is different is curious.† In Italy the uncertainty avoidance and individualism/ collectivism are the highest scores, adequate the four dimensions of Geert Hofstede with a value of 75 on the index. It is clear to see that Italy has one of the highest scores at all. On the other hand there are the Netherlands with a relative low UAI amount of 53 which is almost the mean of 39 countries. Uncertainty Avoidance Italy And Netherlands Family Life Because of the high score Italy has achieved, one can see that the family life seems to be as more stressful as in the Netherlands. In the early stages Italian children learn the difference between dirty and clean and between safe and dangerous. They make more experiences with law and rules and know soon what they are allowed to do and what not. Italian mothers and nannies would never allow to see their children in dirt or danger. It is common that family has a very great significance in Italy. In contrast to Italian families Dutch families are quite different. They are more relaxed about that and let their children make experiences on their own. Dutch dont care about their health as the Italian do. Example: Dutch people dont ask for a doctor or a medical certification if they are ill. Often they are already satisfied with the view of a nurse. Religion plays a pretty important role in the Italian family life. 90% of all Italian inhabitants are Roman Catholic. This huge number shows one that they have great Christianity. Religion gives them some sort of security, confidence and for several people a guideline. Health and keeping good are also important things Italian care about. Unlike Italy Holland is not that religious. Nearly half of all Dutch people are atheists. School / Education In Italy there is high uncertainty avoidance. In such countries it is pretty important for the students to believe in that a teacher knows almost everything. The students want to know right answers in detail and the teachers are supposed to have all the answers. In the Netherlands it is quite different. Teachers are rather considered as advisers. The students just want to have good conversation and discussion with the teacher and they dont have problems if a teacher says â€Å"I dont know†. Italians are almost the same as the German and favored a structured and detailed assignments. Work / Business In work life one can see that Italian employees and managers look for long-term employment. In contrast to Italy the Dutch people are short-term orientated and more flexible. If they are dissatisfied with their job they have no problem with looking for another job. Besides the Italian employees and managers favor a well structured and organized work process that they would not confronted with any problems. Many Italian prefer to do business they already know. Example: Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with the person on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call. The State One reason why Italy is scared of the unknown is because it is a very old cultural country that has survived many economical changes, wars and political upheavals. These facts might have bred in Italians a greater anxiety of the unknown. In Italy a mass of laws and rules are the result of uncertainty avoidance. It gives a feeling of security and also it can be seen as a guideline. In Holland there are not that much laws and rules. They think that laws and rules should be established just in case of necessity. Furthermore they believe that many problems can be solved without any laws. The Netherlands have just a few laws and rules to avoid the uncertainty, although the government and the regulation system is very well developed. If there is a law that is not working, the Dutch government would change or withdraw it easily and quickly. The fact that Italy has so many laws and regulations is that many people are not interested in politics. In contrast the Dutch people are very intereste d in politics, because there not many laws, so they are not overloaded by them. For example, Dutch people ask, why there is a change in ordinance. Uncertainty Avoidance India And Netherlands Family life Based on Hofstedes scale Indias UAI is the lowest of the three countries we have to compare. India scores a 40 on the index. This value makes clear that the inhabitants have the least fear of the uncertain. But its quite hard to generalize, because there are many variations in the different patterns of life. One reason for this fact may be that a large part of the inhabitants grow up under the poverty line. Indian are born in the caste system which forms their guideline, therefore they have another way of feeling of losing a job. Mostly they live with a large amount of family members in one house. Their religion, beliefs and rituals are important attempts to avoid uncertainty in the present and in the oncoming life. Approximately 80% of all Indian inhabitants are Hindu. But in Holland it is very different. In Holland religion is not that import as in India or in Italy because there are almost 45% atheists. School / Education Indians who live under the poverty line probably dont fear to have no school education because the most of them grow up without education at all. But for middle class parents it is important that their children get an academic achievement, because its a direct step to achieve prestige and a better status. Another point is that the dutch pupils dont mind what credits they get. They are just interested in whether they passed or not. Work / Business In countries like India people only work hard if there is a need for it, but they also love to relax. So time is not an ever-present concern for them. Furthermore they live day to day, so one can see that they are very similar to the Dutch because they are both short-term orientated. Day to day can also mean that they fight to survive day after day. The State Indian politics are nearly the same as the British. Since its a bicameral system there are multiple parties. A big difference between the British and Indian system is that in India there are political parties that address, only certain groups in the caste system. And with that they create a certain kind of certainty for the people in the caste. Conclusion After our detailed investigation, about how the four dimensions of Hofstede affect the different countries, we can give some marketing and general advices for doing business in India, Italy and the Netherlands. In contrast to The Netherlands, India and Italy are both masculine countries. For example someone wants to publish a new product especially for woman like a magazine. In the Netherlands it wouldnt be difficult to bring such product on the market because its a feminine society. Nobody would have a problem with the content mentioned in the magazine. In India or Italy it might be more problematic. In India the men would object against magazines like this because the society is directed to males being the higher authority. The men have a big influence on decisions being made. The society status is very important for the family. In The Netherlands it doesnt matter who makes the decisions mainly its good for the family. Generally you have to invest a lot of time and effort in order to build up serious and long-term business relationships in Italy but even more in India. Therefore you (as a business man from abroad) should never try to talk about business straight from the beginning. But rather focus on building a relationship, in most cultures on the world people need to trust each other first before they can do business with each other. Work on that relationship and you will have a good business partner who will always prefer you over the loud screaming cheaper company. In the end, the failure to communicate on the intercultural market will result in the failure of your business as an international company. Always take cultural differences into account. Sources Cultural and Organizations – Software of the Mind http://www.globalvolunteers.org/italy/italy_people1.asp http://www.geert-hofstede.com http://www.wikipedia.org/ clearlycultural.com http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/italy.htm Uncertainty avoidance table Caste System india Hofstedes Dimensions for each country

Explain the importance of business planning to the survival and growth

Explain the importance of business planning to the survival and growth of organisations. A business plan should always for a business start up, the use of the business plan should not stop there, and businesses should be planning constantly in order to run their business effectively and efficiently. Businesses have to think about how they are going to plan for survival or growth, therefore they need to do business planning, to help the business survive and to grow. Business planning means the stages the business would need to build up the business. Business planning is a written document which is used by various many types of people such as financial advisors such as banks, etc, it shows that the business has taken the time and discipline to think about where the business is and where the business wants to go. This is called a Business Plan. Business planning is essentially about taking a more in depth approach to thinking strategically about the future of the business whilst taking the businesses present situation into account, when planning Businesses think about two basic goals, it would be the description of the over view of the business idea and provide financial data, to show that the business is making good money for future developments, this record can be used in future to show financial institutions for example: if the business needs money for a new project in order to grow the business and goes to a bank for some finance, it means if the business can show that the business is doing well then the business will be eligible for this finance, it essentially allows the business to asses the businesses current situation so that they can plan for the future or make predictions as to what might happen, etc. Many Businesses invest in the time and energy into business planning for example by planning for a business it can save a lot of money. Should plans go wrong, where if it were planned business would have a back up plan to correct this situation, it automatically saves money and time. The most common reason is to obtain financial support from lenders to operate or expand the business for example in other cases where a business might be experiencing trading difficulties, business planning is a well process for any business undergoing significant changes for example if company wants to develop new products, new mark... ...prepared, the profit and loss and cash flow forecasts, These 2 documents help the business significantly and help the business to make decisions in order to grow and to survive. If the business needs to borrow money, and as a result will have a debt to service, the Profit and Loss forecast will show whether the business can afford to do this. If, as with the majority of start-ups, the business will run at a loss for a period of time, the P&L forecast will also indicate how long this is likely to be (based upon achieving the stated sales expectations) and at what point in its development the business will breakeven. Having drawn this up, if a P&L forecast shows that the new business is not likely to breakeven until month 20, Then at least the business will be in informed of there position and will judge the risk of committing the business life’s savings to the venture. Having prepared a business plan, which includes customer and market research, a sales forecast, a promotional strategy, a breakeven analysis and budgets and financial forecasts, there should then be indications as to how viable the business will be, and the likely returns on any investment made.

Compare and Contrast of 3 Sociology Theories Essay

Sociology is the study of society. Through the centuries, sociologists have tried to provide an explanation as to why and how humans interact with each other on a social basis. Sociologists have divided sociology into two levels, microsociology and macrosociology (Sociology). The level of microsociology studies is on a smaller perspective, as macrosociology is the study of society on a larger analysis. Today, sociology has three major theories: symbolic interactionism, functionalism and conflict. Symbolic interaction refers to the patterns of communication, interpretation and adjustment between individuals,† (Baird and Kaufmann) humans will interpret different meanings in everyday life, from having a conversation or using their conscience. This theory is based on microsociology because it can be based upon individual interaction or a single person using symbolism with an object. For example, a person can interpret a white dove as a sign of love and peace, while another person can view it as just an animal. Symbolic interaction is unlike the two other theories, mostly because it is on a micro-sociological scale and focuses on just one aspect of society. It is believed that this theory’s origins are developed from Max Weber who believed a person acts based of their interpretation of the world. However, an American sociologist by the name of George H. Mead introduced the theory to American sociology in the 1920’s (Sociology). The second theory is functionalism which is defined as, â€Å"the doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a particular type does not depend on its internal constitution, but rather on the way it functions, or the role it plays, in the system of which it is a part. (Functionalism)† This theory is based upon different aspects of society, working interdependently together, creating a sound environment. The best example of this theory would involve a family and their government working together to create an ideal environment. As the family works to pay off taxes to the government, the government will supply the children with education and a future (Sociology). It has similar fundamentals as a lifecycle, and if all goes well, will continue in a similarly sound society. Functionalist, Emile Durkheim, believed it could be broken down into two types of social consensus: mechanical and organic solidarity (Sociology). Mechanical solidarity is a community sharing similar beliefs and work. An example of this is an Amish community (Sociology). Organic solidarity is most common, especially in America, and it refers to a society functioning with different ideas and work. Robert Merton divided functionalism between latent and manifest functions. Manifest function would be â€Å"intentional and obvious†, as latent is unintentional and discrete (Sociology). What differentiates this theory from the other two is that this theory does not require social change. This can be problematic because it does not consider aspects like divorce or bankruptcy. Symbolic interaction and functionalism are alike in the fact that they both require social interaction. Emile Durkheim was a main tenant in creating this theory (Baird and Kaufmann). Conflict perspective is the third theory. â€Å"Of the classical founders of social science, conflict theory is most commonly associated with Karl Marx (1818–1883). Based on a dialectical materialist account of history, Marxism posited that capitalism, like previous socioeconomic systems, would inevitably produce internal tensions leading to its own destruction,† according to the book From Plato to Derrida (Baird and Kaufmann). This perspective is different from the other two theories because it focuses on the negative aspects on society. Unlike functionalism, it focuses on the on society’s change and empowering social structure. Although it is on a macro-level scale like functionalism, it primarily is focused upon the change of society. It explains social phenomena because it demonstrates the aspect of a food chain, and that it is â€Å"survival of the fittest† in society. From social structure, people will learn where they belong in everyday life. Obviously a person of poor status would not be engaging with someone of a rich status. The more rich side of the population will gain more benefits from education and the business, providing the wants and needs to their dependents, creating a stronger backbone for their future. I believe, as an American, the theory that best explains our society would be functionalism. Our country solely depends on an infrastructure constructed by different branches of society working together to create a greater picture. We, as adults, pay for taxes that will supply our children with schooling, so one day they too can have a paying job to help out their children through school. The United States of America is quality example of functionalism, especially in the more massive cities like Manhattan or Chicago. Cities are dependent on the interdependent functions of society to keep their society on a sound level. Another aspect of functionalism is the organic solidarity which is most common in America because of the nation’s vast difference in ideals in everyday life which proves to keep the government and society in the middle, or never changing. In any case, if bankruptcy happens to a significant company, the impact will be felt through society and the economy. This shows the flaws upon the theory because it does not consist with the concern of divorce or bankruptcy. As society has proven, we adapt and an independent role takes over, once again providing stable government. The three main theories of sociology are symbolic interaction, functionalism and conflict. Symbolic interaction is the only theory that is on a micro-level, focusing on the cause and reaction between two variables. Functionalism and conflict are on a macro-level and view society on a larger scale as a whole. Conflict theory is the only theory that reflects a negative input, as symbolic and functionalism focuses on the positive aspects of society. I believe, as an American, functionalism is most logical answer for our reality of a society. It embraces the way our government has adapted over hundreds of years, proving the best fit in my opinion. I believe it focuses on the economic infrastructure and capitalism of the United States of America. All the theories are alike in that they each have interaction, even if it on different levels.

Project Scope and Charter Essay

The first phase of any project is the initiation phase. This phase commences when some type of business issue or opportunity is identified bringing about a proposal project to solve or address the issue or opportunity. The main deliverable of this phase is the project charter, which contains a broad view of what the project is about, who is involved, why the project is being conducted and how & when the project will be carried out. (Hughes Lecture, 2013) Once the charter is approved the project can move into the planning phase, which is where the charter is used to identify the scope of the project. This paper will examine the relationship between project scope and charter and highlight the benefits of each. Project Charter The project charter is a short document that serves as an informal contract between the project team and the sponsor of the project. (Kloppenberg, 2012, pg 84) This document contains only enough detail to get the project approved so it can move into the planning phase. Project Management Professional, Ritchie Hughes describes the charter as a representation of the â€Å"view from 3000 meters†. The project charter is usually drawn up by the Project Manager and team, or, in instances where a Project Manager has not yet been assigned, the project sponsor will complete the charter. Hughes explains that the functions of the â€Å"why† section of the charter are to ensure: the correct individuals will be consulted (e.g. stakeholders and governance), projects that are linked or dependent on the project in question are identified, the organization has enough resources (internally or externally) to complete the project, a business case for the organization is conveyed and that all the information is provided to support the executive team. (Hughes Lecture, 2013) Approval of the charter grants authority to the project manager to go through with the project and utilize the allotted budget or resources for the project activity. As the charter approval is the â€Å"Go/No Go† decision for the project, a non-approval means termination of the project. (Hughes Lecture, 2013) Scope Approval of the project charter signifies the transition into the planning phase of the project. A critical part of the planning phase is identifying the scope of the project. Project scope is defined as â€Å"the work that must be performed to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.† (Kloppenberg, 2012, pg. 142) Ritchie Hughes explained that scope can also mean â€Å"the sum of products, services and results to be provided as a project.† The benefits of scope are that the work to be performed is clarified, listed and any work not to be completed (outside the project’s scope) is identified. Scope is also a useful tool in managing expectations and avoiding assumptions among stakeholders and the project team. (Hughes Lecture, 2013) Scope Creep A common issue when managing a project’s scope is dealing with scope creep. Scope creep can be defined as â€Å"the extra deliverables that can creep into a project.† (Collegiate Projects, 2013, pg. 1) These â€Å"project improvements† can be very hard to avoid but may have a major effect on the project’s budget, timing or quality. Projects that may be susceptible to scope creep should have a scope change management plan that contains: a definition of scope change for the project, a process for submitting and reviewing scope changes, documentation needed for the change process and a tool to track change requests and their resolutions. (Collegiate Projects, 2013, pg. 2,3) An understanding by both parties (project team and sponsor) of scope creep and its effects on the project, and an organized management plan will help avoid scope creep that may negatively affect the project’s success. Conclusion In the early stages of project management, two very important aspects are the project charter and scope of the project. Not all projects need a charter but understanding and managing the scope of a project will help the project team effectively complete the project in time and budget without â€Å"Gold Plating†. References Kloppenborg, T. J. (2012). Contemporary project management: organize, plan, perform (2nd ed.). Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. (2013). Managing Scope Creep. Collegiate Project Services, 1, 1-3. Hughes, R. (Director) (2013, January 31). Project Initiation: Scope & Charters. Bus 427. Lecture conducted from Tom Rippon, Victoria.

People Management, the Mantra for success

Human resource management deals with the overall relationship of the employee with the organization (Cullen, 2011, p. 437). International human resources deal with the same settings but on an international scale. When organizations take on international business they face many challenges and barriers. Setting the bar and being prepared for the negative or having a back up plan enables businesses to function wholeheartedly. Adapting to the cultures nationally, professionally and socially creates aspects issues that need to be addressed when it comes to reaching success.The case at hand with Ravi Singhania and Manju Mohotra shares aspects of business and human resource management that they both took part in to ensure the success of the business: Singhania and Partners. Case Strategy Ravi Singhania is the founder and managing partner of Singhania and Partners. This was one of the largest full service National law firms in India (p 509). Singhania knew that he was going to be a lawyer an d his own firm since a young age. His most important reasons for success in business were the approach that the customer is king and the employees are the biggest assets (p.  510).He capitalized on the demand for legal services created by the liberalization of the Indian economy. In the beginning, a sizable amount of his clients came from overseas clients. This made an impact where he felt that in order to effectively serve clients and gain a competitive advantage, it would be valuable to establish an overseas office thus came the New York City location. With the conscious effort to create and adapt to the lifestyle and customs of America, Singhania interacted with various constituents.Through his interactions with other law firms, he became conversant with the Western style of legal services management, which also had a significant impact on his very own management style (p. 510). He became an expatriate employee in American and gained skills that broaden his own horizons and tho ughts for the betterment of his own company. The case doesn’t make reference to any compensation or family issues that Singhania may have encountered during this time; however the atmosphere of his organization was favorable in both family life and compensation.After being exposed to a different style of management and skills that he could replicate himself, Singhania then opened an office with Mohotra as partner with the assistance and support of his father. This office he opened in New Delhi, India where they didn’t have many competitors. With the partnership, Singhania and Mohotra took on separate and also equal duties to make the partnership work. Their partnership mostly resembled shared management structure and split control management. In the shared management structure, both partners contribute approximately the same number of managers to positions and functional areas (p.  356).In this case, there were only two. The split control structure is similar to the shared management structure in that the partners usually share in strategic decision-making (p. 356). However at a functional level, partners make decisions independently (p. 356). Singhania managed the company legal services aspects while Mohotra took responsibility in managing the overall business and assignment of personnel to various projects based on their competencies and availability. They both handled the marketing activities. Commitment and trust between the two to make the alliance work was great synergy.They both were committed to seeing this thru, consulting one another and ensuring that their employees and customers were happy along the way. The strategy of Singhania and Partners was to foster and create an atmosphere that was healthy and vibrant for employees who would spill this over to clients whom in return would spread to others in form of referrals. Since during this time advertising in India as strictly remanded to the Yellow pages, word of mouth referrals played a big part in their business success. India was a prime spot for outsourcing which opened new avenues for Indian legal professionals.Taking part in legal process outsourcing and focusing on high quality legal workforce helped expand and open doors for the organization. Their growth strategy for the most part was to begin with low value services and gradually move up the value chain by acquiring and exhibiting domain expertise. In doing so, they hired a litigation lawyer in preparation to enter the litigation arena one day, which came soon with Daewoo as a client. This made it possible for the company to move to a larger office and also setup 3 additional offices.They formed affiliations with counsels across several Indian states in order to meet its’ clients needs to interact with one for legal services across the country. This strategy helped the company to grow from 2 lawyers to over 50 lawyers with 8 of them who made partners. IHRM PRACTICES Indian legal services industry had been booming since the countries economic liberalization in the 1990s’ (p. 509). The exponential growth of this industry was accompanied by an acute talent crunch, the ability to hire and retain talent, which became the source of competitive advantage, a mantra for success (p.  509).Law firms’ key capability was the skill, knowledge and capacity of their employees (p. 509). Effective Human Resource management was essential for law firms due to the increasingly competitive labor market required to develop creative approaches to the recruitment and reward of employees. International Human resource Management practices take form in recruitment and selection, training for cross-cultural adaptation, management development effects of international assignments, evaluation and compensation.Singhania and Partners made shire that their organization was a place that had all these principles in order when it came to their employees. Compensation was above average at the com pany for employees. When it came to other firms in the area, their pay scale ranked high. Not only was pay considered, but also company funded events like annual retreat for the employees. Evaluation of the employees brought on growth in their career. They believed in promoting form within according to Merit based system.If someone had the skills and knowledge and displayed them they would be able to benefit when the time was right. Management development effects of international assignments can pose many challenges for managers. In polycentric and regiocentric multinationals, they place hoe country nationals in top-level management or technical positions (p. 463). These home country managers are used to control overseas operations or to transfer technology to host country production sites (p. 463). Singhania displayed this when he opened an office in New York City, New Delhi, and then three additional cities.This shows signs of growth and stability for the company. Training for cro ss-cultural adaptation took place when Singhania went to New York and opened office. During this time he had to gain knowledge of how to adapt and deal with other cultures and nationalities that he was use to. This enabled him to have a broader vision as a global businessman. Mostly Mohotra alone handled the recruitment and selection process. However in order to be able to benefit from the great compensation plan and stress free environment, one had to have extensive knowledge and expertise.Singhania and partners strived to employ and have nothing but the best. They were very selective because their reputation was all they had that would keep them vibrant. One bad experience could ruin them for sure. Retaining employees by keeping them in an intellectually stimulated environment was key. The organization displayed and encouraged motivation, great opportunity to learn, build confidence, and grow within the organization. IMPROVEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Companies can always use room f or growth, change and improvements in all areas.Singhania and Mohotra discussed that as they reviewed the business and its progress in all areas. Like all alliances the partners must be able to sit down and review, and resolve any issues or conflicts while evaluate if the partnership is still vibrant for both parties. In this aspect thus far, even with the risk of outsourcing at a risky time, they still seemed to be doing well. One area that I would suggest be improved on is the management development. I think the employees would benefit by being offered more training skills, communication and legal courses and on the job training.The areas that are being outsourced can be additional revenue for the company if they had individuals within that were able to handle them. This would cut cost and some liability. Not only would that benefit the company and the employees but also the clients. They have already built a bond with the organization and its personnel, so why have to shuffle off portions of the work to somewhere or someone else that may not have the same theories on customer service as Singhania and Partners.Since bulk of the business comes from referrals and yellow pages, I think having in-house  employees for outsourced jobs would be beneficial to all involved. This is how I feel the change will also impact the industry and the organization. Management is able to successfully improve the current strategy but focusing on the goals of the clients, society and technological changes that may arise. As clients grew and needed a larger variety of services, Singhania and partners offered more expertise. To also meet the stress free environment, which makes for happier employees, they often overstaff projects so that employees are not overworked and have time for family.Focusing on growth strategies for the organization as far as clients, while retaining the employees they have will be key. Making other liaisons across other countries like America, China, or e ven South America would also be useful. Branching off into other societies and cultures, not only would be moving for the organization but also for the employees. It would give some expatriate employees a chance to return home, some a chance to learn and experience something new while climbing the ladder of success.

Sustainable Development and Agenda 21 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainable Development and Agenda 21 - Essay Example The paper below will focus on the various elements of sustainability that were discussed in Agenda 21 and their application via a country profiling. The global commission on the environment was introduced by the United Nations so as to provide a global agenda for change in terms of sustainable development. It was vital to address this issue as this has significant implications for the future of the world. Prevention of poverty and safeguarding the environment is part of the review. Two concepts can be gathered pertaining to sustainable development. These are the concept of needs and the concept of policymaking regarding the environment’s capacity to address the future and current needs. The needs in question are the needs to comprehend political, social, technological and cultural components of the global system (Sitarz, 2004). Several crucial areas can be picked from the proceedings of the Agenda. An important area that is covered in the Agenda is sustainable human settlement development. This is discussed in chapter seven of the Agenda. It is concerned with ensuring adequate shelter for all despite increasing rate of development. There is also focus on the need for reviving growth so as to cater for food and water, in addition to energy needs, to cater for the increase in human settlement. Another key area that is addressed is the need for improved and sustainable sanitation in terms of pollution minimization and the promotion of environmental infrastructure. Re-orientation of technology is also a paramount issue when it comes to sustainable development. So as to offset all this, there is a need for collaboration between economic and environmental decisions (Sitarz, 2008). The report points out how the future of the world can be secured through sustainable developments in various key fields. The report points out that the world cannot exist without development. However, these developments need to have the elements of sustainability  so as to preserve the integrity of the planet.