Monday, September 30, 2019

Prince Henry the Navigator and Zheng He

Prince Henry and Zheng He Comparison Throughout history, many people strived for glory by exploring new lands. They hoped to leave an impact while gaining money and success. Zheng He of China and Prince Henry of Portugal, both set out on maritime expeditions. Prince Henry is widely known and remembered while Zheng He is recognized for being a eunuch. Both used maritime travel to gain economic influence, power and success for their rulers, and to successfully gain economic dominance over the new, conquered lands. However, the two voyagers differed greatly in their reasons for exploration. Henry wanted to spread his religion and focused on gaining allies while Zheng He strived to gain knowledge, trade, and force people to acknowledge Chinese power. In addition, Zheng He actually led these voyages while Henry just funded them. Finally, Portugal largely supported Prince Henry’s expeditions while Zheng He was granted little to no support in China. The structures and values of Portugal and Spain differed greatly. This contributed to how each explorer is remembered. The Portuguese, relied heavily on foreign supplies. Portugal’s capitalist economy allowed many people to conduct and go on explorations. This made Henry’s voyages heavily supported and made expansion possible. Unlike Portugal, China did not have a high demand for foreign supplies. It was a largely self-reliant empire and many citizens believed it was higher than all others. Therefore they did not believe that exploration was necessary. In addition, Confucian scholars believed it was â€Å"demeaning† to rely on any other nations. Consequently, Zheng He’s voyages were barely supported, and he was considered to be a â€Å"servant† of the emperor with little to no independence. Moreover, China relied heavily on their land army while Portugal relied on their navy. Soon, China burnt Zheng He’s works and banned the creation of ships. Throughout Portugal, Prince Henry was highly renowned while in China Zheng He was unacknowledged. Some parts of Prince Henry and Zheng He’s voyages and accomplishments differed greatly. Economically, Zheng He was focused on trading while Henry used the newfound nations to obtain more wealth and allies for Portugal. Zheng He stressed China’s rule and strived to obtain knowledge. However, Prince Henry was more focused on gaining allies. Henry’s several attempts to gain allies can be linked with his desire to gain strength to fight the Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula. When Henry came into contact with other cultures, it was his Christian duty to spread his faith. Zheng He had no desire to spread his religion during his voyages, but he was quite tolerant of other religions. Prince Henry simply guided and controlled the voyages and expansion while Zheng He traveled and led the Chinese on explorations around the world. Though both men traded with the new lands, Zheng He traded rare goods while Prince Henry acquired humans. Zheng He and Prince Henry clearly differed in their reasons for exploration. Prince Henry and Zheng He’s ways of expanding shared several similarities. Both men set out to expand power for their rulers. China and Portugal were extremely advanced in maritime knowledge, which was uncommon, but it allowed for expansion. In addition, both wanted to help their rulers achieve the goal of global dominance, proving that the people of each society highly regarded their rulers. To achieve this goal, both developed boats and relied on their navy. Henry and Zheng He were polite and respectful to the locals, though the Chinese were less forceful than the Portuguese. They also both wanted to impose economic dominance by their homelands over each new land but neither used force. Overall, both Zheng He and Henry successfully expanded their nation’s influence while also accomplishing their exploration goals. Though the voyages of Prince Henry differed with those of Zheng He, the two still maintained many similarities. With such similar achievements, it is surprising that Prince Henry is celebrated and well known while Zheng He is forgotten and disregarded. However, their homelands differed greatly in the way they viewed travel and foreign connections. Portugal’s relied heavily on outside goods allowing for Prince Henry to be regarded as one of the first people to participate in maritime voyages during the age of exploration. However, China was strongly against interacting with the outside world so proof of Zheng He’s achievements were burned and disregarded. Over time, many historians have begun to recognize Zheng He’s expeditions and refer to him as an important voyager during the age of exploration. Without Prince Henry, Zheng He, and other explorers, people believe that the world would not have turned into what it is today.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Speech notes

Some speeches may, in fact, last those agonizing 52 minutes; however, some speeches last only moments. Remember when the dean of your college got up to Introduce the speaker? That was a speech, too. I'm sure that one was much more brief. There are three mall types of speeches that you likely see on a regular basis. Let's take a look at each of those speeches now. Informative Speeches Imagine sitting in the audience of a large lecture hall listening to your professor talk about the theory of relativity.It may sound like confusing words to many, but what he is really doing is giving an informational speech. This kind of speech is delivered mostly to convey information to the audience about something they don't already now. There are a few types of informational speeches: Speeches about objects Speeches about events Speeches about processes Speeches about concepts When a public speaker talks about things that can inspire your senses, like touch, smell or feel, it is a speech about objec ts and involves talking about things in the sensory and physical world.Maybe he is talking about the way a spider looks or the way freshly snipped herbs smell. It may even be a speech about your favorite president. Either way, the speech is written to appeal to the senses. Some speeches are written to inform people of a current or past happening. This Is a speech about an event, and it is meant to bring people up to speed on things that have, are or will be going on in the world. Upon taking the presidential oath, a newly elected president will give his Inaugural Address, where he tells the citizens of the united States his plans for his term.This speech Is done to get the nation excited about the prospect of a new president. A cooking demonstration Is a good example of a speech about processes because It instructs the audience on how to do something through a process. So, the next time you happen to pass a gourmet store and see a chef showing onlookers how to make manmade pasta, kn ow you are listening to a speech designed to show you how to do something step by step. To talk. Some are speeches about concepts, written about theoretical ideas and notions, like world peace, freedom or love.Unlike the other types of informative speeches, this type of speech is intangible. As with any of the informative speeches, they should be written as topical (or by topic), chronological (or by date) or spatial (or how things physically fit together). A writer may use a topical organization if writing about types of wines. The writer may start with a wine type, then go into region and then grape varieties. Chronological organization would most likely be used when writing about an event, such as events that led up to the Civil Rights Act.When writing about things to do in Miami Beach, a writer may break down the area to a few important sightseeing locales and then list important places of interest for each. Not all speeches are informative. For instance, persuasive speech writi ng is a little different. Persuasive Speech So, you get roped into attending a How To Get Rich in Real Estate seminar. After a few minutes, you realize that the lecture is less about real estate and more about buying he speaker's set of CDC and books on tape.Likely, this was a persuasive speech, and it is designed to change a group's thinking or behavior. This type of speech is often used in sales and advertising to get people to buy things. A persuasive speech could be an emotional appeal, where the speaker attempts to elicit sensitivity from the group, or it could be a logical appeal, where the speaker wants the audience to rely on their own reasoning to make a decision. A speech about hunger in America may pull at your heartstrings and make you quickly dial a number to send money.That is a purely emotional decision based on the persuasive talk of the speaker. Choosing a good acne cream based on product facts and before and after visuals might muster up some attention because the audience is asked to use logic to decide whether the product works. If the visuals show a clearer face after use, soundness may say the product is good. Of course, some speeches are not meant to change anything. They are mostly Just for fun, and that is when special occasion speeches are used. Special Occasion Speech So, you're the best man at your friend's wedding.That means you have to arrange the bachelor party, buy a tuxedo and worst of all -give a speech. With a lump in your throat and a shaky hand, you begin talking. What you are doing is giving a special occasion speech, and it is generally done to toast a celebration or commemorate some special event. This type of speech usually does not require major research, and there is no formal style of execution. It is done as a means of rejoicing at a fun event. The only rule to a festive get together, keep it brief, and the audience will most likely refrain from throwing things at you.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Strategic Direction of Harley Davidson

The success of Harley Davidson (HD) is due to the American motorcycle icon’s effective Strategic Management. HD’s vision, mission, goals and objectives strive to exceed the requirements of its main stakeholders. Although these needs are not always met, the company has unique relationships with is stakeholders. The company stays on course with its strategic plan, despite the economy and the decline of American manufacturing and what might be considered its dwindling U. S. consumer base. Stakeholders â€Å"represent very important constituencies or groups of individuals who are part of an organization or associated with an organization.† (Module 01, 2013)HD’s main stakeholders are its employees, customers and shareholders. Each stakeholder has its own motives for being involved with the organization. Normally these motives result in common goals and objectives.MissionAn organization’s â€Å"mission is the overachieving goal of a company, the reason w hy it operates. † (Module 01, 2013). Harley Davidson’s mission statement is â€Å"We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders† (Harley Davidson, 2012. p. 2).  This mission statement places the needs of stakeholder foremost in the company’s strategic plan.VisionA company’s vision should â€Å"set up the long term direction of the company (vision), they incorporate the goals of the main stakeholders (shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees), they express the main values of the management to be embraced by employees, and they describe the main goals† (Module 01, 2013). Harley Davidson’s vision is â€Å"We fulfill dreams inspired by the many roads of the world by providing remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences.We fuel the passion for freedom in our customers to express their own individuality† (Harley Davidson, 2012, p. 2). Harley’s vision does state a continuing corporate path; however it is on quite romanticized. A look at the company’s goals and objectives is needed to complete a picture of the organizations vision.Goals and Objectivesâ€Å"Goals and objectives divide the vision into achievable units at department levels for instance, that are further subdivided into smaller and smaller units, until they reach every employee’s desk. † (Module 01, 2013) Harley Davidson’s has identified four major goals in its Annual Statements.These goals include obtaining flexible manufacturing, creating shorter product development times; developing a premium customer experience and fulfilling dreams (Harley Davidson, 2012, p. 4). Goals should meet the SMARTER principle. That is that â€Å"Goals should be designed and worded as much as possible to be specific, measurable, acceptable to those working to achieve the goals, realistic, timely, extending the capabilities of those working to achieve the goals, and rewarding to them, as wellâ€Å" (McNamara, 2011). We will evaluate each goal to measure whether it meets this criterion and the needs of the main stakeholders.Manufacturing. One of HD’s goals is to create flexible manufacturing within its multiple facilities. In the past Harley on produced one bike per plant. If the public demand changed in that area Harley may have been left with a large supply and no demand. Harley’s objective is to enable its plants to be able to produce the right motorcycle for the needed demand in that area. The company’s tactics include incorporating the success of its York plant into all of its plant globally. In 2011, the York plant was outfitted to produce both the Tri Glide and All Touring Softail motorcycles (HARLEY Davidson, 2011, p 4).This will allow the company to move product to the correct customer at the correct time. Employees of Harley are encouraged to provide input and incorporate changes to improve products as well the production process. The goal of flexible manufacturing meets the entire criterion for the SMARTER principle. Both employees and customers benefit if this goal is realized. Product development. Harley’s goal to reduce product development times include three main facets: â€Å"1) a laser focus on the best product opportunities; 2) reduced time-to-market; and 3) increased product development capacity through efficiencies† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p.4). This goal does not meet the full criterion of the SMARTER principle. The goal is not specific. It does not quantify how much it wants to decrease the timeliness of product development. Employees benefit from this goal. The main benefit is that because HD believes in employees participating in the product development process it has created a learner centric environment. Employees stay well versed in their fields while assisting the company in developing quality products in shorter peri ods of time. This benefits the customers by providing quality products that keep up with advances in technologies and consumer desires.Retail. â€Å"The goal of this transformation at retail is quite simple: to provide a premium retail experience with every customer, every day and everywhere, while strengthening dealer profitability† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p. 5). Harley Davidson plans to work with all of its stakeholders to ensure that all of its many faces culminate in a great customer experience. This includes an in store and online experience. The SMARTER principle is also not completely met with this goal. The goal is not completely measurable. It is beneficial to all stakeholders.The strengthening of retail keeps employees employed and the improved customers can make customers feel more valued and more likely to seek out the retail experience. Dream fulfillment. â€Å"At the core, these three transformations—in manufacturing, product development and at retailâ⠂¬â€come down to one thing: we must ensure, in a world of ever-increasing customer expectations, Harley-Davidson continues to fulfill dreams through remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences far into the future† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p. 5). All of HD’s improvements end here.The improvement require all stake holder to work together to make the customer experience unique. The improvements, if effective will add to the Harley Davidson ethos.RecommendationMy recommendation to Harley executives is to remember to stay true to the brand, but to attempt to market products to find new consumer within the US. Since HD’s inception, Harley has been associated with the freedom of America, but it may be losing it American consumer while changing to a global market. â€Å"Harley-Davidson demographics has long shown its reliance on an overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged consumer base would ultimately  challenge sales in North America, where it st ill earns two-thirds of its revenue† (Kelleher, 2013).The goal that I propose is to include marketing to a younger group with a disposable income. I have been introduced to Harley; in fact, I learned to ride on a Buell in a Harley Drivers Edge Safety Course. I an African American female and have never been in the Harley advertising demographic. Harley does have a female rider’s program but it’s not advertised. All of the commercials that I have seen for Harley actual talk about the experience and financing.Although it is an American institution like a lot of older brands, it may lose it appeal a younger population. Increasing its consumer base can only be beneficial to its other stakeholders. It may potentially prevent manufacturing jobs from being transferred outside of the U. S. as Harley seeks consumers in other locations. Harley Davidson’s use of strategic management is in line with the needs of its main stakeholders. The company’s mission ackno wledges the need to meet the demands of all stakeholders for a more effective organization.Harley’s vision recognizes what HD brand means to the consumer. The organization’s goals and objectives seek to make the brand more effective in the current global market while satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. HD should be careful that it continues to gain new customers as it reliable customer base ages and are no longer able or willing to ride. Harley has continued to use strategic management to change the company’s fortunes over the years. As a result, the company has faltered but never truly failed.

Friday, September 27, 2019

2full page reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2full page reflection paper - Essay Example long to Western countries, among others); the manner of selecting art works; and whose points of views should be emphasized as focal points for conveying the meaning of these works of art; to name a few. On the other hand, Heartney’s article argued that the works of art selected for the exhibit seemed to exemplify the skills and talents of non-Western artists as bordering between traditional local and Western culture. This has also be the subject of discussion in the interview by Buchloh with Martin (Buchloh). Upon absorbing the main thrusts of the authors’ contentions, one was able to appreciate viewing the varied works of arts which were included in the exhibit. The diversity within which these art works were chosen reflect the objective of the proponents in showcasing talents of artists from all over the world. It was therefore commendable that through publishing these articles, art enthusiasts who did not have the resources to attend the exhibit at that time, and even in contemporary times, could marvel at diverse art forms in the artists’ personal interpretation of cultural underpinnings. One could affirm that the selection for the exhibit was indeed representative of different cultures from a global sphere. Much the same assertion noted by Heartney was the revelation that â€Å"the most interesting works in the show were produced by non-Western artists conversant with the subtleties of Western art and culture and interested in the interplay between these traditions and their own† (94). One strongly believes that contemporary artists, even from non-Western countries, or those identified to be cultural margins, could have been influenced by Western culture. Specifically, due to the evolving technological and communication applications, at the time that the exhibit was organized, archaic practices, as opposed to ‘primitive’ became a crucial criteria for inclusion. Therefore, emphasizing that viewers would expect diversity and unconventional art forms

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Reflection on simulation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reflection on simulation - Essay Example My colleague was to start by taking the blood pressure of the patient. She did this using a sphygmomanometer. While measuring the blood pressure of the patient, she asked him if he is hypertensive, and the patient’s reply was a no. As my colleague was taking the patients’ blood pressure, I was cleaning the instruments I would use. I also checked that they were functioning properly. When she was through it, was my turn with the patient. I applied a gel to my hands to sanitize them. I informed the patient that I was to take his temperature, respiration and pulse. I explained that this was necessary for diagnosis of his illness. He gave me his consent to proceed. This is as per the requirement of nursing and midwifery council (Delany & Molloy 2009). In the process of taking his temperature from the ears, I asked him if I could slightly pull his ear. The gentleman was cooperative, and he agreed. As I was inserting the thermometer in his ears, I accidentally pierced a plastic in the ear. This is because I was not confident enough. After completing the readings of temperature, I plotted the reading in the temperature chart. I then proceed to checking the pulse rate of the patient. I check the strength of the pulse and the rhythm from the arteries. I used the arteries on the arm to check the pulse rate. I then proceed to doing the respiratory test. In taking the respiration, I checked the rate of the patients breathing in sixty second. I then recorded the finding of these two tests in a separate fact sheet. After I was through with the patient, I cleaned my hands with water and soap. The cleaning of the hands before and after attending a patient was critical (Johns, 2009, p.25). It is for this reason that I had applied a gel on my hands before, and cleaned them after attending Mr. A. This is in compliance to nursing and midwifery council standards on control of infections. Further, the nurse does not remain with germs that he

Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 Essay

Sex and Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective 333 - Essay Example Of course there are a variety of women who fall outside of these scenarios but if a woman chooses not to be the woman society expects, she risks being ostracized. Women have always been seen from their body parts instead of their intellect mainly because advertising has made it impossible for women to be seen in any other way. In the article, "Advertisements Stereotype Women and Girls", Katherine Toland Frith and Barbara Mueller present a series of viewpoints showing exactly how women and girls are made by the society in which they life. There focus was on the United States and they showed how the media forms the identity of women and girls to create goals for beauty that are impossible for them to attain. This focus on a beauty they cannot obtain forces girls as early as 14 year old to look for solutions to change their body to make it like what it is "supposed" to look like. Plastic surgeons report that many children of this age want to use plastic surgery to reshape them into the "ideal woman". The authors quote research that shows that college students who were shown pictures of beautiful models felt that they were to look like these models. Because they did not, their self image decreased. This is good example of how women are molded, shaped and brainwashed into accepting these stereotyped images and it gives them a lesser place in society than what men experience. Another study cited showed that males and females saw attractiveness differently. For adolescent girls self-perception declined over time but the boys kept their self-perception in tact. A reason for this that the authors gave was that boys tended to see their bodies as a work in progress and were able to see a bigger picture. Girls on the other hand focused on body parts because advertising tells them this should be their focus. This attitude form

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Adapting leadership styles while organising commanies overseas Essay

Adapting leadership styles while organising commanies overseas - Essay Example (Koontz 1986:162). A managing director thus has an all-encompassing task of ensuring functionality of the organization through streamlined working of groups. The managing director must understand that while good people can make any organizational pattern work, it is essential that they know each other's role to work most effectively. (Koontz 1986:161). This essential aspect needs careful consideration when an organization is being established, in an alien environment particularly in relation to the style of leadership adopted by the managing director.There are numerous classifications of styles of leaderships given out by management thought leaders. When based on use of authority and decision-making these have been indicated as autocratic or that denoted by command authority of the leader with a benevolent authoritative being its softer version. Democratic, which has, participative and supportive as its sub types entails consulting subordinates and encouraging their participation in decisions. While a free rein style restricts a leaders role to that of aiding operations of followers. (Koontz 1986 : 400). Another study includes styles as charismatic, servant and quiet which are self-explanatory and in one form or the other follow the pattern denoted by Koontz. (Changing minds.org)

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Alfred Hitchocks Influence on the Moviemaking Essay

Alfred Hitchocks Influence on the Moviemaking - Essay Example Hitchock Alfred is one of the movie directors who have established a successful profession in the industry. He has produced a number of movies that have attracted serious popularities.His superb skills in the movie production are highly appreciated As a director, Hitchock has greatly transformed the movie making industry. He has substantially affected other film producers and his impact is evident in various present productions (Guilbaut 165). Earlier in his vocation, Hitchock worked in a German firm when the movie industry in German was promising. However, the financial challenges undermined producers from releasing quality films that could effectively challenge productions from Hollywood. To counter this condition, the producers in the Germany introduced exaggerated scenes to enhance expressions and emphasize ideas in their films (Guilbaut 195). The idea realized a positive attitude among the viewers and later this idea become very popular in Germany. This acted as the trial test f or Hitchock hence in his career at Hollywood; he sturdily believed that incorporation of the idea into American industry would be a lucrative venture. Afterward in his career, Hitchock secured a contract with the Hollywood industry. However, Hitchock’s earlier incidences in the German firm had introduced him to a style of expressionism. This style utilizes lavish sets integrating creativity, non-real and illogical scenarios which clash with the geometrical idea. This provided a cheap approach of presenting ideas in the films. These movies were irrational and horrific (Kova?cs 273). Initially, the Hollywood shows were cool and used realistic presentations. However, impacts such that propagated by Hitchock’s ideas have crept slowly into the industry and presently the industry presents a multivalent model. Hollywood producers had maintained a typical action adventure and passionate themes. However, with the influence of expressionists like Hitchock, basic themes propagate d by the group such as insanity and betrayal have navigated into the sector. Hitchock’s style has exerted a considerable impact on the movie-making industry. Extreme manifestation of the idea was so unsound hence was not encouraged by many. The viewers could dismiss the films as imaginary and illusion based productions. Therefore, the idea of extreme expressionism did not blend well with the industry’s concept and associated with rebellions. However, expressionists did not ditch the ideal instead, they minimized on exposure degrees. Incorporation of the ideas started to appear in the industry as from 1920s where minor exaggerations revisited the film industry for enhancements. Notably, Hitchock secured a contract with a London based industry in the year 1920, proving his probable influence. Hitchock background developed him a feeling that, the expressionism idea was a great mind. Therefore, at Hollywood Hitchock integrated some facets of the idea in his productions. Ac cording to Guilbaut (17), moments are identifiable where Hitchock has staged expressionist productions based on his stand and against his employer’s terms. Fortunately, Hitchock’s idea realized a welcoming response in the American market. Indeed, most of his productions that followed had some little expressionism ideas incorporated in them. A suitable example of the Director’s style is evident in the film like Psycho & Vertigo. Scenes of exaggerated shadows and irrational camera views are present in the film (Packer 173). Additionally, the film design has bases of expressionism concepts. The producer has acknowledged the incorporation of his German learnt skills in his films. The influence extended later in his productions through visual testing. For instance, his 1960s productions like The Birds, & Marnie utilizes the style extensively. Hitchock’s work has provided platform on which other directors have emerged and strongly advocated for the virtues in t he film making industry. His

Monday, September 23, 2019

Performance Assessment and Management Research Paper

Performance Assessment and Management - Research Paper Example The paper therefore recommends that McDonalds develop better strategies to enhance its human resource management in recruitment, management, and appraisal. Introduction Organizational operations, in both profit making and ‘non-profit’ making enterprises, require evaluation for reconciliation with set objectives as well as for comparison with operations with other enterprises in a similar industry. Assessment is defined as the process of evaluating a subject, which can be a process, in order to ascertain its potential or quality. Management on the other hand refers to the act or responsibility of controlling people or activities. Assessment and management are therefore critical elements in the life of an organization. This paper seeks to discuss performance assessment and management of McDonalds Company. The paper will explore the established culture of employee selection and appraisal criteria that McDonalds applies in its human resource management. The paper will, with this respect, offer an overview of McDonalds human resource practices in employee selection and appraisal initiatives and then analyze the processes. Review of employee selection and appraisal processes in McDonalds Company McDonalds is a multinational company that operates in a number of cultures across the world. Its human resource management is however converged to a uniform culture. With an overall workforce of more than thirty thousand employees, McDonalds has its personnel management strategies incorporated in its core objectives. In order to achieve its goal of being the best service provider in the food industry, the company’s ensures that it has a diversified cultural base with excellent employee management. Employee selection McDonalds has a broad based approach to selecting its employees. This includes a special consideration to disabled people who may have some specialized capacity to service delivery. Similarly, the company has a universal program for handling ol der employees, older than 55 years. Its selection criteria have also been identified to be fair and ‘non-discriminatory’. It has therefore been open to different categories of cultured workforce. In recruiting its employees, the company relies on the theory that customer utility relies on the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s employees. As a result, initiatives are always put in place to ensure that the best employees with respect to every job description are identified. Different approaches to recruiting employees have always been adopted with advertising for positions being the most preferred. Other approaches such as local job centers and professional exhibitions have also been occasionally used. Applicants are then subjected to an interview after which a selected committee reviews the applicant’s responses before identification of most suitable candidates for the job. Orientation Once employees have been selected and approved, they are welc omed to the company through a ‘well-defined’ orientation process. They are introduced to their expected roles in the organization as well as the organization’s safety procedures. Similarly, the new employees are taken through the organizations policies, structure, and the human resource system that includes training and reward criteria. Based on its employee retention objective, the company ensures thorough training of its employees to equip them with necessary skills in

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Apush Sample Frqs Essay Example for Free

Apush Sample Frqs Essay 1. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) altered the relationship between Britain and its North American colonies. Assess this change with regard to TWO of the following in the period between 1763 and 1775. Land acquisition ​Politics ​Economics 2. Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in solving the problems that confronted the new nation. 3. Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government in TWO of the following. Whiskey Rebellion, 1794 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, 1798-1799 Hartford Convention, 1814-1815 Nullification Crisis, 1832-1833 4. Analyze the contributions of TWO of the following in helping establish a stable government after the adoption of the Constitution. John Adams ​Thomas Jefferson ​George Washington (2002) 5. Analyze the extent to which TWO of the following influenced the development of democracy between 1820 and 1840. Jacksonian economic policy Changes in electoral politics Second Great Awakening Westward movement 6. The Jacksonian Period (1824-1848) has been celebrated as the era of the common man. To what extent did the period live up to its characterization? Consider TWO of the following in your response. Economic development ​Politics ​Reform movements 7. In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence TWO of the following? Abolitionism Temperance The cult of domesticity Utopian communities 8. Although Americans perceived Manifest Destiny as a benevolent movement, it was in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others. Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to American expansionism in the 1840s. 9. Analyze the effectiveness of political compromise in reducing sectional tensions in the period 1820-1861. 10. Discuss the political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South between 1864 and 1877. To what extent did these reforms survive the Compromise of 1877? 11. Analyze the impact of any TWO of the following on the American industrial worker between 1865 and 1900. Government actions ​Labor Unions ​Immigration ​Technology changes 12. Analyze the reasons for the emergence of the Populist movement in the late nineteenth century.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Community Based Tourism Tourism Essay

The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Community Based Tourism Tourism Essay The information contained within this literature provides a complete analysis of The Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Sector. It clearly outlines the importance of quality service delivery, the differences between service in the hospitality industry and service in other business, community based tourism, the advantages and disadvantages of community based tourism, diversification of Jamaica through community based tourism and the effects of technology on the tourism industry. The Travel Tourism and Hospitality Sector Definition of key terms What is hospitality? Dictionary.com, 2012.Hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors or strangers. What is Community Based Tourism? Responsibletravel.com, 2012 asserts, Community Based Tourism is tourism in which members of a community, local residents (often rural, poor and economically marginalized) invite tourists to visit their community with the provision of overnight accommodations. Pearson Education 2010 online, Community managed and owned sustainable tourism that aims to share local ways of life and the communitys natural and cultural resources with visitors. What is an advantage? Farlex, The Free Dictionary, 2012, An advantage is a beneficial factor or combination of factors. What is a disadvantage? Farlex, The Free Dictionary, 2012, A disadvantage is an unfavourable condition or circumstance. What is Service? Farlex, The Free Dictionary, 2012, Service is work done for others as an occupation or business.The Importance of Quality Service Delivery in the Hospitality Industry. As tourism plays a major role in the economic development of most countries, it is imperative that impeccable services are provided at every given opportunity. A guest or visitor needs to feel welcomed and appreciated to the point where by the end of their trip they have begun planning their return. The industry is also extremely competitive i.e. a lot of products and services offered are similar hence from the customer service perspective providing excellent service is the best option for getting ahead of the competition. A five star hotel may possess the luxurious furniture, the spas, the sporting facilities and all the trimmings that go along with it but because the verbal and physical delivery is lacking in personality and respectfulness, a guest would be willing to settle for the lesser amenities of a three star hotel in which they are made to feel welcome and appreciated as well as treated with the respect they deserve. Providing the service is one thing, however, the method of delivery is another. People tend to pick up on body language, gesticulation as well as facial expression through careful observation. It is best when providing quality hospitality services in the tourism industry to do so with a genuine and honest disposition, anything less will seem as a faà §ade and is unacceptable. Service in the hospitality and tourism sector is delivered in mostly on a one on one, verbal and or physical manner. This exposes the visitor or guest and the service provider to a range of differences in one or the other which the service provider must handle in a professional manner regardless of his or her personal preferences to secure the longevity and integrity of the business. These differences may include but are not limited to one or more of the following: Religion (Christianity versus Atheism, Islam, Buddhism etc.), Language which causes a barrier (English versus Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese etc.), preferences in entertainment (an older crowd who is more conservative versus a younger crowd who is more into the party scene), race and cultures (African American and black versus Caucasian), Cuisine and dietary preferences (Asian versus Italian). These differences must be treated with genuine respect rather than disdain as it will undoubtedly create an instant rift betwee n the parties involved and subsequently result in a decline in the return rate of visitors and affect the arrival of new comers. This occurs due to the fact that a bad experience is never forgotten and will most definitely be shared with others to warn them of the possibility of being treated in a similar manner and as individuals tend to believe what is communicated to them by a known acquaintance whether it be friend or family, the end result will mean less business being operated, loss of profit, loss of jobs and subsequently loss of the entire industry. It is widely accepted within the hospitality and customer service industry that a customers good experience will be shared with only a few close friends and family while a bad experience will be told to everyone willing to listen. This is proven on a daily basis on websites such as Trip Advisor and it has such far-reaching effect that most progressive companies in the sector have their marketing or public relations teams scouring the internet to respond to all concerns raised and to ensure their reputation remains untarnished. The Difference between Service Delivery in Hospitality and Other Businesses. Regardless of industry every business relies on hospitality and customer service to not only retain its current customer base but to also increase it through customer loyalty and positive word of mouth advertisement. Failing to fulfill the needs of a customer through effective and admirable customer service methods is the reason a lot of businesses are failing as their employees are sometimes lacking in the appropriate training, experience and patience required to ensure a satisfactory and memorable experience for the client. There are however differences in the service delivery, in the hospitality industry the service being delivered is geared towards the visitors/tourists and much emphasis is placed on the level of training it requires in order to perfect the necessary skills it takes to get the job done. Due to the fact that the Hospitality industry in Multi- culture there must be a certain level of appreciation for the vast amount culture and cultural diversity, meal preparation, entertainment, dress and rituals of Tourists. The importance of service delivery is stressed more so in the hospitality industry because of the diversity of the consumers and their varying cultural backgrounds. The services must be delivered perfectly to each and every customer in ordered for the guest to have an unmatched experience which will guarantee excellent reviews, return customers, new business opportunities and the survival of the industry which is the fuel of our economy.. The hospitality industry survives due to prompt convenient service which is value for money. In other business the service is mostly geared towards locals (Mono- cultural), who are already a part of the existing community and are familiar with the business. Though some level of customer service is involved it is not as demanding of the service provider to be as vigilant in ensuring that staff provides the best service possible at all times. This is mainly as a result of there being fewer options. For e xample a Kentucky Fried Chicken (K.F.C) being operated in the down town Montego Bay area, the customer service is extremely lacking however customers return because the location is convenient and they do need to eat, but for no other reason. Some customers do divert their business elsewhere to either Pizza Hut or Island Grill but return after a while because these other entities do not provide what it is they really want. In the hospitality industry it is not the same, there are endless options and if one location fails them, they either find another location within the same country or travel to another country. This now means a loss of business not only for that establishment but also for the country as a whole. The advantages and Disadvantages of Community Based Tourism Community tourism has both its supporters and its detractors as does every other type of business venture. Both sides bring across very important concerns which can prove to be either helpful or harmful to the environment based on the implementation methods used and the scale of operations. Advantages: Supporters will posit that community based tourism is beneficial and important in that it, transfers decision making to a community level, provides employment, infrastructural development (roads, water, electricity, telecommunications, internet, etc.), superstructure development (buildings and structures covering area),cultural preservation, foreign exchange and development of health care facilities. Disadvantages Detractors on the other hand will advance that there will be cultural destruction, environmental destruction, the host country fails to benefit as government is unable to withdraw taxes, marginal employment, low benefits, development of illegal and/ or destructive economical activities, seasonal employment, unrealistic expectations, anti-democratic collusion, land controlled by the elite, negative lifestyles as well as diverted and concentrated development. The implications of the pros and cons of Community Based Tourism on the country as a Whole. The effects of the advantages of community based tourism on the country as a whole may prove to be widely beneficial to the economy, wherein the unemployment rate is greatly reduced because as more people become exposed and educated the higher percentage will endeavor to become involved. Communities which were considered marginally poor become developed and are more appealing to visitors and other locals alike, its pushes the use and exchange of foreign currency which boosts the economy giving the local dollar more value but most importantly it educates as locals are introduced to varying cultures and are forced to learn their own history, and culture as well as that of the visitors in order to communicate effectively.That is a limitless opportunity as visitors have varying backgrounds and orientations. Locals make valiant efforts to learn their languages as well as cuisine, religion, preferences in entertainment, day to day living and rituals. This in its entirety equates to a more tourist friendly, economically stable, market aware destination which is more appealing to visitors. The result of the disadvantages of community based tourism on the country as a whole also brings to light some valid points which must be handled with much consideration in mind as it relates to the long term repercussions. The loss of culture as it pertains to age old rituals, language, art, dance, food, religion etc., through modernization, the destruction of natural habitats as a result of infrastructural and super structural changes by building roads and architecture, employment would become limited to members of the community and result in outsourcing whereas businesses would seek to employ the more educated, the question of job security arises, negative changes in the lifestyle would come about where unscrupulous characters engage in the trade of illegal drugs and endangered and exotic wildlife, drug abuse, prostitution, fraudulent practices and new found get rich quick schemes come into existence and causes young people to divert from school and higher education. Compile all t hese issues and it would result in a lack of order, an upsurge of crime and violence and finally the consequential loss of previous business with a significant decline in any interest from new customers or the hope of creating new opportunities. Diversifying the Jamaican Tourism Product Through Community Based Tourism. Communities must go through a process of empowerment and development before tourism becomes the focal point.The first area of focus is to build a sustainable wealth creating community with organized productive activities. These activities would create economic and social benefits for its members through employment and financial stability. After this has taken root, tourism can be introduced to communities, to create even greater wealth, and this will ultimately diversify the jamaican tourism product. There are many resources which may be enhanced and marketed to give Jamaica a more diverse and competitive edge over other tourist destinations. These include; culture, heritage, Cuisine, natural flora and fauna, landscapes and human resources. It is known world wide that Jamaica is very different from other countries even those located in the same region. In order for Jamaica to diversify and maintain a competitive advantage in the hospitality industry we need to capitalize on these opportunities and the best way to go is from a community level as every community possesses a different amenity which makes it unique. There are quite a number of these locations in jamaica such as; Maroon Town, Outameni Experience ,Croydon Plantation,Accompong, The Bob Marley Museum, outdoor activities i.e ( horse back riding, dune buggies, canopy tours, zipline tours, ect ), the wonderful blue Mountains and Cockpit Country ,rafting on the Martha Brae river and health spas such as Bath Fountain Hotel an d Spa in St. Thomas and Milk River Bath in Clarendon. The jamaican culture and heritage are unlike any other anywhere on earth, it is essential to get jamaicans more educated in culture and heritage as a means of being able to extend the offering of a richer quality cultural and heritage experience to adventure seekers who travel to our destination. A high percentage of travelers are more than interested to learn our language, dance, music and cuisine in their purest forms, however not many get the full on experience as there is a lack of manpower in these areas. Much more use can be made of the abundance land, sunlight and water to aid in the development of Jamaicas tourism product in the area of agricultural tourism. The Blue Mountains are currently used as a source of adventure tourism and farming ground for the infamous Blue Mountain Coffee, should this be expanded into the Cockpit Country and other products introduced it would become a more wide scale operation, in that, it would create more employment, attract more visitors and th ere would be a greater demand for those areas as tourists would seek to discover whatever new adventures there are. Another avenue that could be enhanced in order to create a greater demand of Jamaica as a tourist destination is our ancillary services in terms of transportation (comfort and luxury of vehicles and condition of roadways), banking ( the exchange rate), accommodations (the quality and value for money they receive by staying in hotels),upgrading the equipment in hospitals in order to have better healthcare facilities and render enhanced medical services to both locals and tourists, providing travel insurance at competitive rates and so forth. Should the quality of these services be improved then it would give Jamaica a more competitive edge in the tourism market. The impacts of Technology on the Tourism Industry. Technology and Transportation. Tourism is quite as old as time itself, from the earliest days when man would travel for long distances on foot, until the evolution of tools of trade and man themselves gave birth to new technological inventions that made traveling gradually easier to the point where what used to take months has been shaved down to mere hours, a day or two being the maximum for travel to the lesser percentage of destinations. Throughout the ages traveling has been developing more and more with each generation. It all began with traveling by foot; however man soon learned to domesticate animals such as mammoths, horses, donkeys, elephants, camels etc. Ever inventive man created the wheel around 3500 BC, then came the joining of the wheel and some animals to form, horse drawn carriages, chariots and wagons, which made travel easier and faster than foot but nothing close to what was coming next. Boats were the next mode of travel and the earliest type was the dug out canoe where a fire was lit on a log then put out and the burnt part was dug out leaving a hallow space for passengers. As with time they too evolved into ships which were large wooden structures built to travel long distances across oceans and seas and then there were mainly two types, the sail and the later invented steam engine, the powerful and fast railway was next to be developed in the 19th century, closely following was the invention of the first cars which were made in 1865 and 1866 respectively by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, however cars only became more common in the 1960s and 1970s after the first and second world wars as there was mass production companies which made them cheaper. The largest, most used, talked, about and technologically advanced type of travel began in the 20th century, December 17th 1903 to be exact, with the flight of the Wright brothers. This spearheaded the aviation standards which eventually led to the building of larger more elaborate types of aircrafts such as; Zeppelins, blim ps, Boeing 700 series airplanes as well as other makes and models, the air balloon, jets, rockets and other spacecraft. It is clear that technological development has greatly impacted travel and tourism in the field of travel as without these developments the industry would exist but the rate of turn over would be extremely low and slow. Travelers, regardless of net worth would be discouraged as the amount of time it took to get from one place to the next would be so great it would seem a burden and more than likely only destinations that are relatively close to the country of origin would be visited, causing it to become congested, repetitive and eventually boring and uninteresting. Thanks to the inventors and founding fathers of the different types transport, traveling has been made easy and allows for people to travel in large groups in comfort over immense distances within a tolerable time frame. This helps to increase the revenue of the economy for destinations travelled to. Technology in Research and Communication. Before anyone thought of how do I get there?They first asked, Where do I go? In order for one to have gotten an answer to this question he or she spent long periods of time mulling over all sorts of printed media ranging from, newspaper articles,maps,magazines and the like firstly to find a destination, then to garner as much knowledge about the place before deciding to embark on the journey. This was a rather tedious task, very time consuming and exasperating and this combination proved to be a natural deterrent. This was not to remain so as a slew of inventors starting with Konrad Muse and his freely programmable Z1 computer in 1936 began the invention of the computer. It continued with John Anatasoff and Clifford Berry in 1942, Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper in 1944, amongst many others up until 1985 when Microsoft windows became known globally and still is the world leader in computers and computer software. A computer by itself was just another machine. It was the invention of th e internet that revolutionized the use of the computer as a means of communication, research and advertisement.According to the Internet, unlike the light bulb and telephone the internet didnt have any one inventor. Over fifty years ago lt got its start in the United States of America as a weapon In the Cold War and for years scientists and researchers used it to communicate and share data with each other. This technological advancement has made traveling and the tourism industry significantly more developed as it makes life easier for the client and business alike. Instead of spending extended periods of time to get all the necessary information required to travel, everything is now readily available at your fingertips. It has significantly minimized the amount of time its takes for booking travel and accommodation as it offers the option of immediate pricing and confirmation as opposed to waiting for a travel agent which could take hours or even days, encourages the use of credit cards as opposed to having to visit a bank to withdraw cash, allows for simultaneous and immediate response in terms of emails and the instant messaging rather than writing letters or sending telegrams. Technology enables tourists to communicate with their family members back home via video chat, instant messaging and emails. Not only has technology benefitted tourists, it has also affected the way in which business is conducted in todays tourism industry, stakeholders utilize this medium for marketing themselves and their respective companies as well as to communicate with clients before the actual service delivery, communicate with employees and with other business owners as an avenue to conduct business meetings online through video conferencing which has proven to reduce the cost of traveling. Another technological advancement which has greatly affected the growth of the tourism industry is the telephone, an electronic device invented by Mr. Alexander Graham Bell. This device in not only beneficial for tourists for communication with family and friends but also for the tourism industry as it is a means of instant communication between the directors, shareholders and employees within organizations as well as other entities outside the tourism industry which are crucial to the operation of the business. Without both the computer and telephone, communication would be slow and it would cause decision making to be a much delayed process which affects the industry negatively. Other technological advancements which have greatly affected tourism and the tourism industry are the simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge and incline plane etc.) which have been integrated into the design of countless machines used in the building oh hotels to house tourist, roads to travel on, water filtration and plumbing for safe hydration, cooking and bathing purposes, installation of electricity used for lighting and the operation of machines and other electronic devices and in the d esign of all modes of transportation( ships, airplanes motor vehicles etc.). Without all of these, simply put the tourism industry would not be what it is today and with consistent and continuous modifications being made there is no doubt that in years to come the industry will become a more immense operation. Conclusion In conclusion the options must carefully be weighed and careful and contingent planning has to take place before any advertisement or production can manifest. This will allow for smooth and fool proof execution of procedures, hence, the guest/ visitor can have extraordinary and remarkable experiences, the community capitalizes on the opportunities afforded and the country as a whole and its economy can flourish.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Development and History of AIRASIA

Development and History of AIRASIA AIRASIA is one among the top International brand in the low cost Airline Industry. Airasia brand came into existence in 1993, it was a joint public-private sector enterprise, however in 2001 current CEO Mr. Tony Fernandes purchased it and It was under him the Airasia brand got global recognition and unimaginable growth which started right from 2002 and continues till date, AirAsia started moving up the ladder under Tonys leadership from 2002 onwards by launching new routes from its main hub the capital of Malaysia till then the national carrier of Malaysia ruled the sky in and around Malaysia. In 2007, Airasia announced the birth of Airasia X the long haul budget flights, the first AirAsia X flight was from Kuala lumpur International airport to Gold coast in Australia thus began the journey from south east Asia to capturing routes in major cities around the world. In 2007, Virgin Airline chief had 20% stake in AirAsia X and had announced code sharing between Virgin Blue and AirAsia in and around Australian subcontinent. Profile of AirAsia: AIRASIA, is Asias largest and one among the top 10 international brand in the low cost segment having physical base in three countries; Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. AirAsia has four subsidiaries: AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, ThaiAirAsia and VeitJet Airasia. The company has a strength of around 3000 staffs and It flies to around 65 destinations worldwide using the 97 aircrafts and another 125 on order will be added to its fleet and it operates over 400 domestic and International flights, The total number of passengers that flew Airasia numbered 16,000,000 per year at a rate of 51000 per day for the year 2007. STRATEGIC CORPORATE PLANNING OF AIRASIA: By September 2008, Airasia had 60 routes and was voted as Worlds best New Airline for 2008 at World low cost Airline Congress in London inspire of tough competition it faced over Asian skies by brand which had committed fan following, global recession and increased air fuel prices. Airasia managed to survive and grow against the odd solely based on their distinctive model and new strategies. AIRASIA MODEL AND STRATEGIES: To position itself as the top airline brand in the low-cost, short haul based on no frills model. Opening of new hubs at airports and new routes outside their dominated Asian zone. Expanding into the Cargo transportation market. Marketing as a Go Green brand. User being able to access bookings and Online Information on Airasia through Blackberry. Fuel efficiency which helps in the overall reduction of travel cost. The slogan of Airasia is Now Everyone Can FLY, to attract customers both old and new ones with flying on time and having attractive and competitive price and tour packages as airasia management have their own hotel division having star hotels around many destinations plus having wide range of meal option on the In-fight purchase menu. The model which AirAsia under Mr. Tony Fernandes adopted for long haul flight was to choose airport where airport charges was low hence instead of Sydney airport Gold coast airport was considered for airasia link between Malaysia and Australia. To achieve Reduction in travel fuel cost Airasia concentrated on optimizing the air fuel consumption and with majority of the asset within the fleet being new Airbus planes, its more easier said than done. Airasia management based its model around latest technology including having access to its service [online booking, online checking and e-ticketing] through computers and blackberries. Successive growth of Airasia since its re-birth in 2001 can be put on following main strategies which they adopted: Cost reduction strategy of Airasia : Airasia vision is be a leader in the low cost airline segment by targeting the 3 billions people who are still under-served with the poor connectivity facing the high fares. AirAsia managements key strategies on cost reduction are:- High point concentration on Passenger Safety and maintenance of its fleet to be in best of the condition as per the set standards of regulators and its partners. To achieve High Aircraft Utilization by trying to get the quick turnaround by 25 minutes and by increasing staff productivity. Low fare, no Frills like added facilities of baggage transfer, preference on meals and seat arrangement etc. which adds to the customer satisfaction. Streamline Operations by working with single aircraft fleet to reduce manpower and stocking of maintenance parts. Using Latest Lean Distribution System to reduce labour and material utilization like usage of E-ticket. Point to point network. Summarised in a Table format below: Cost Category Cost Item Levers for reducing costs Costs -Aircraft Utilisation. -Reduce turnaround times. -Reduce maintenance downtime Fuel Costs Route Efficiency -Weight Reduction -Shorter en-route and approach times. -High standard of fleet maintenance. -Use of fuel hedging strategy. Handling Costs Service Level In sourcing. Reduce Handling Fees Pre-cleaning activities by cabin crew Loading/unloading support from crew Global contracts with key suppliers Off-peak pricing Catering Costs Reduce unit costs Reduce volumes Simplification of meal choice. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce logistics costs for delivery. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitor passengers vs. available meals. Lean Distribution management. Ticketing Sales Channels Sales Commissions Development of E-ticketing Self-service check-ins Divert customers to on-line channels. Maintenance -Fleet. -Service Costs -Fleet harmonisation. -Reduce average fleet age. -Joint purchasing of some work. optimise maintenance activities Porters Generic Strategies: AirAsia follows Porters strategies to focus on cost leadership to allign with its business strategy and mission statement by targeting specific segment of price sensitive customers and the first time fliers looking at value for price and short haul flights. Porters Generic strategies talks of three different generic strategies that any business can focus for a overall edge over competitors, sustainability and growth as shown in above figure, the three strategies include Cost leadership, Differentiation strategy and market segmentation (Focused differentiation) (Johnson Scholes 1997). Cost leadership strategy: This strategy allows a business to become the lowest cost producer of a product within an industry by organising and managing its value- adding activities. Cost advantage may be achieved in terms of how qualitatively a product or services is designed. Differentiation strategy: This strategy is adopted by persuading customers that a product is superior to that offered by competitors (Campbell, 2002). The value added by the uniqueness of the product or services may allow the company to charge a premium price for it. However, the threat to this differentiation may include copying of the product by competitors and changes in customer tastes. Focus-differentiation strategy: is aimed at a segment of the market from a product rather than at the whole market or many markets (Campbell, 2002). The successful way using focus strategy is to tailor a broad of product or service development strengths to a relatively narrow market segment that they know very well. This strategy may also face the threat of imitation and changes in the target segments. AirAsia business strategy is built around above defined three Porters generic strategies on two of the above strategies it follows Broader approach and on focus-differentiation strategy AirAsia follows narrow approach to sustains its competitive advantage. AirAsia mission statement was to be the leader in the low cost segment and it follows the porters strategy to the book on cost leadership by providing services at a price that is simply lower than competitors price and by effective and efficient operational management. Airasia uses Porters cost leadership strategies to be on path of its motto Now everyone can fly to achieve this it markets and manages itself as airline with hassle-free, no-frills, luxury at low fare travel by efficiently managing its policy of cost reduction to the micro level in the value chain so that the saving can be passed on to the price sensitive passengers so as to be the leader in the low cost segment. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT analysis  is a  strategic planning  method used to evaluate the  Strengths,  Weaknesses,  Opportunities, and  Threats involved in a  business  venture.   SWOT analysis points to the Internal (strength and weakness) and External (opportunities and threats) factors that would affect in the growth and sustainability of a business venture in our case Airasia to sustain its top position in the low cost carrier segment. Strengths A Low cost operations which has made AirAsia brand a leader in the low cost carrier segment. Airasia management is made of fewer level which helps in faster and effective, focused and aggressive management and with management consisting of members having strong links with Government in south pacific Asia, it makes it easy for their business development with least government interference and more concessions. Airasia Staffs is made up of workforce which are Multi-skilled and efficient, Airasia follows the model of incentives for the hardworking and smart workforce, this model helps to return talent and to grow along with the company. Management strong focus on cost reduction to position AirAsia Groups as industrys lowest cost producer. Airasia group have strong balance sheet and cash flow this helps to weather short-terms unforeseen difficulties. Airasia management decision to move to a Single type fleet paid well it helps in minimising maintenance fees. IT Utilization to the maximum has enabled Airasia to increase efficiency helping it track its fleet, staffs and seat management in case of no-show customers on ASAP basis. IT also helps in promotional activities and in lean management based on e-ticketing model and online checking. Fuel Burn Emissions: Single type fleet of Airbus A320 helps Airasia stick to its efficient fuel usage police to go by their GO Green and cost reduction strategy. Airbus A320s low noise level improves operational flexibility and lowers surcharges for airports with noise constraints. Ancillary Services: In the current year from January to April, Airasia achieved ancillary income of RM45 per passenger. AirAsias ancillary service includes products and services such as baggage supersize, in-flight food and beverage, merchandising and duty-free, courier, airspace advertising and AirAsia RedTix. AirAsia RedTix is a unique Ancillary income system which is related with non-airline ticketing system focusing on tickets to events, sports and music. Ancillary income not only contributes to the airlines bottom line, but it also provides a buffer against rising fuel prices. Weakness Airasia do not have their own MRO (maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities. Being a young fleet with young staff at times makes it difficult to handle unforseen situation at both physical location and over the customer service management mainly related with change of flight and over refunds. AirAsia have faced difficulties with government interference mainly at level where Airasias main competition happens to be directly with the national carrier. Being a young brand makes it a challenge to catch the attention of frequent and first time fliers for Branding is vital for market position. Airasia depends on service based on outsourcing which at times can lead to delivery delays and hindrance of long duration on two segment IT and MRO. Young fleet at times shows lack of contingency plan on irregular situations. Opportunities AirAsis after making a mark for its brand in short haul low cost carrier sector is targeting the Long haul flight domain as an trial phase to tap share of that market as well. After having tasted success in Asia-Pacific region, AirAsia is targeting new routes and destinations on a global level. AirAsia by having tie up with other established low cost carriers on Existing, new routes and destinations untapped by AirAsia brand for example Airasia have tie up with Virgin Airline on landing rights and landing slots. AirAsia have tied with various new Airports outside of Malaysia for setting up for new AirAsia hub at these Airports. AirAsia management through its RedTix subsidiary can enhance its brand growth by having Service related Industry-wide mutual cooperation. AirAsia being in a Dominant/monopoly position in many routes in and around the Asia-Pacific zone will give them bargaining power on the pricing front. Threats Established carriers both private and national carriers if start bringing down their prices to attract the cost sensitive customers will directly affect AirAsia which is based on low cost, no frills, no hassle model. Global uncertainty on Business and Political front directly causes fuel prices to increase and High Fuel prices decreases revenue and hurts more for a low cost carrier. IT Utilization to maximum can also have a side effect on growth for heavy reliance on online sales is risky as system can breakdown anytime. New form of taxes for example Environmental taxes adds on to disruption on the cost equation. With terrorism being a global evil airline Industry is the always under threat, Accidents due to human and natural disaster is always a threat. Uncertainties on Aviation regulations and government policies. PEST ANALYSIS POLITICAL: Political Uncertainties in Asia-pacific region be it Malaysia, Indonesia and the wide unrest in Thailand. Malaysian Government Regulation played a vital role at the initial stages. There existed a heavy restriction on competition in this industry imposed by the individual countries mainly Malaysia trying to protect their national airlines. The bilateral agreement between the countries led to the deregulation of the industry. Terrorism is one of the factor which plays behind the mind of the traveler wishing to take a vacation in the Asia-pacific zone specially after Bali bombing which is one of the dominating region for AirAsia brand. ECONOMIC: The terrorist attacks, wars, epidemics like SARS, played a very crucial role in the airline industries. Uncertainty in fuel and energy costs Uncertainties on the economical Recession front can highly affect the AirAsia growth. SOCIAL: The Growth in the Middle class population in Asia where AirAsia has a dominating presence. Attractive Travel and tourism package by government initiated tourism Ministry and private tour operators attracted large number of fliers. Exclusive prices provided by AirAsia helped in the growth of its brand among price conscious fliers. TECHNOLOGICAL: Being a Young fleet, AirAsia had the Advantage to invest and use latest technology and concepts as their business model. AirAsia along with using World Wide Web for online services are internally using -Yield Management system, computer reservation system and latest Microsofts Enterprise Resource Planning System. All these have helped AirAsia to reduce operating costs and provide fast, efficient service like checking of flight schedules, booking seats, online check-in, and pre-order meals, Supersize my baggage FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS upto 2nd Quarter of 2010. Table below shows the positive growth of AirAsia brand in last 3 years with strong profit after tax performance of RM 549 million

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Doctors? Listening Skills Essay -- essays research papers fc

Doctors’ Listening Skills   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people go to the doctor’s office they want the doctor to listen. Competency and a correct diagnosis are appreciated too, but more than anything, patients value doctors’ silence (Richards, 1407). In addition, patients want â€Å"more and better information about their problem and the outcome, more openness about the side effects of treatment, relief of pain and emotional distress, and advice on what they can do for themselves† (Meryn, 1922). Doctors’ technical role is in excellent health; it is their interpersonal role that is in intensive care. If doctors are to meet the needs of their patients they must first listen with an empathic ear and practice responsive communication. Sadly, most doctors have better handwriting than communication skills. â€Å"Effective listening – empathic listening – promotes growth in the listener, the one listened to, and the relationship between them† (Nichols, 1995).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Being listened to makes you feel good. The father of listening, Ralph G. Nichols said, â€Å"The most basic of all human needs is to understand and to be understood†¦. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.† Doctors’ can only treat physical ailments when they chose not to listen to patients’ needs. Listening is the doctors’ window to what is on the inside (Bently, 56).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Susan Urba used to take a pro-active approach with her cancer patients, doing all the talking, informing them about the disease. She learned her care was better received when she focused in on her patients’ needs and fears first. â€Å"Giving patients the chance to tell us what’s right for them can be hard,† said Urba, â€Å"but how else can we know what they truly need to feel better† (Urba, 167)?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Patients’ come to the doctor because they are suffering. So, to be treated effectively, the doctor must recognize and treat the suffering not with quick advice or a bottle of pills, but by taking the time to listen to what the patient is saying. Even though doctors can never truly experience another’s distress, they can do a better job at attending to their patients’ needs by simply listening. Because medicine has often replaced an ear to the suffering, â€Å"physicians may inadvertently cause suffering or fail to relieve it when relief is possible† (Cassell, 24). Empat... ...7. Cassell, Eric J. â€Å"Recognizing Suffering.† Hastings Center Report, p24 (8), May/June 1991. Girzaitis, L. â€Å"We Listen with our Hearts.† Listening, A Response Activity, MN: St Mary's Press. Gordon, Suzanne â€Å"What Nurses Know.† Mother Jones, 40 (7), Sept/Oct-1992. Kaukas, Dick â€Å"A Woman's Touch.† Courier-Journal, H1+, 1 May 1994. Krupet, E. â€Å"A Delicate Imbalance.† Psychology Today, p22 (5), November 1986. Meryn, Siegfried â€Å"Improving Doctor-Patient Communication: Not an Option, but a Necessity.† British Medical Journal, v316 n7149 p1922 (1), 27 June 1998. Nichols, R. â€Å"Listening: Questions and Problems.† Quarterly Journal of Speech, p3383 (4). Richards, T. â€Å"Chasms in Communication.† British Medical Journal, p301 1407 (2), 1990. Urba, Susan â€Å"Sometimes the Best Thing I do is Listening.† Medical Economics, v75 n9 p167 (4), 11 May 1998. Walker, Kandi L. â€Å"Do You Ever Listen?: Discovering the Theoretical Underpinnings of Empathic Listening.† Journal of the International Listening Association. Zimmerman, R. â€Å"Physicians' and Patients' Perceptions of Actual Versus Ideal Physicians' Communications and Listening Behaviors.† Journal of the International Listening Association, vol 4 p143 (22), 1990.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Archetypes in Grendel Essays -- Grendel Essays

Consistent in literature throughout every era and culture, archetypes represent a recurring image, pattern, or motif mirroring a typical human experience.   An idea developed by Carl Jung, archetypes in literature exist as representations reflecting vital perceptions of the human psyche expressing the manner in which individuals experience the world.   Using Jung’s concept, writers of all epochs embeds archetypes in structures, characters, and images of their narratives.   John Gardner, in his novel Grendel, integrates several of Jung’s archetypes into his epic tale derived from the early story Beowulf.   Gardner associates Jung’s personas of the outcast, the shadow, and the mentor-pupil relationship through the identities of Grendel, the narrator of events, and the dragon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The outcast, an identity relating to nearly every humanistic myth or story, represents the tragic creature Grendel. A giant beast with the intellectual equivalence of a human, Grendel lives nearly half his life before realizin...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Sociology of Sport: Baseball

According to Ashley Crossman, â€Å"Sociology of sports, also referred to as sports sociology, is the study of the relationship between sports and society. It examines how culture and values influence sports, how sports influences culture and values, and the relationship between sports and media, politics, economics, religion, race, gender, youth, etc. It also looks at the relationship between sports and social inequality and social mobility† (Crossman 2012). Sports are a microcosm of real life; therefore anyone can embrace a sport, as we embrace real life. For example, in this summer Olympic Games, Olympic sports are supported by all races and genders. In the past history, women usually gravitated to gymnastics, swimming or track & field and women’s tennis. However, in 2012, the gender and race involvement and viewership disparity has closed (Statista 2012). According to Statista, a Dow Jones Company, woman and non-white Olympic Games viewership has increased by 28%. In my opinion, these stats are attributed to minorities being more involved in the games, as well as the mainstream media have realized the marketing value of minority athletes. Baseball was the first organized sport I was introduced to as a child. Although I played professional football, my first love of competition and athletics was baseball. My love for the sport of baseball was passed on to me by my step-father. The history of the sport was intriguing, even at a young age. I was into numbers and statistics and having a mentor to explain the simple parts of the game made it even more interesting, especially being American’s Pastime. However, this can be debated, as stated by baseball historians Frank Ceresi and Carol McMains, â€Å"America’s Pastime’ has been traditionally thought to have been founded by Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, NY in 1839. In truth, the game evolved over many decades, if not centuries, and its roots are, in reality, a tangled web of bat and ball games brought to this country by immigrants† (Ceresi 2012). Most players and fans of baseball have an undeniably appreciation for sports. Seeing that baseball is played on the amateur level, as well as the professional level, this sport can be enjoyed by most demographics. Baseball at times transcends both social and economic boundaries. However, being at the ballpark there seems to be social classes, as in real life, such as the wealthy fans sit in certain areas, while those with limited finances sits in less costly sections. It also imitates real life society in other ways, like those in the so-called ‘cheap’ seats seem to have more fun than those fans in the expensive seats. Even though most appreciate the sport, it seems to more of pleasure for those in the inexpensive seats, while those in the exclusive box seats treat as though it is an entitlement, instead of a privilege. On Thursday, July 26, 2012 I attended a professional minor league baseball game in San Bernardino, CA. This game pitted the San Bernardino 66er’s, a Los Angeles Angels minor league team, versus the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a Los Angeles Dodgers minor league team. This is a small cozy stadium; however it has the same field dimensions as a major league stadium. I chose this venue because I believed it would show a more diverse sociological viewpoint, in a close and friendly setting. Being an intimate setting, fans are able to interact with other fans, as well as coaches and players. This setting allows for a fun, family friendly atmosphere and doesn’t have the pressures of major league parks. Although winning is the primary goal, this is a developmental league and victory is not paramount for success. Therefore, the ball club management makes the environment conducive for a positive, enjoyable experience. The fan base was made up of all ages, from infants to senior citizens. The gender make-up was probably 60% male and 40% female. The social economic status of the fan base ranged from lower income to middle class. Minor league baseball prides itself on being economical, with many price and food specials, such as $1. 00 hot dog night, $2. 00 admission night, Friday fireworks shows, etc. These prices are a major selling point to attract individuals that normally couldn’t afford to attend a major league baseball game; therefore minor league baseball is marketed to lower income fans. The ethnicity of this fan base was mostly white and Hispanic, with a few African Americans sprinkled in. The fans seem to be moderately educated, with few exceptions. Also, because baseball is a worldwide sport, there were many immigrants attending the game, primarily Mexican and Spanish Americans. Since most players are sent to particular minor league teams for development, many don’t meet the same demographics of the fan base. However, this team’s demographics were the same as the fan base, including White, Hispanic and African American players. The coaching staff was primarily white, with one African American. Since this is a single ‘A’ minor league club, many of these players haven’t signed major league contracts, therefore most of them are in the low income bracket, as with this particular fan base. Being a friendly and personable person, I was able to interact with various fans, however I noticed many fans sat with and interacted only with their own party or nationality. It is also evident that the season ticket holders and regular fans interact with each other by first name basis, regardless of their ethnicity. Most fans seem to be generally cheerful and interested in the game. Being a minor league park, the other marketing tactic is to have interaction with the fans, such as using mascots, cheerleaders, on-field games for the kids, etc. My final observations include that baseball has its own language and most regular fans are extremely knowledgeable of the lingo. Baseball, being historically a slow sport, allows the casual fan and regular fan to learn about the idiosyncrasies of the game by listening to coaches and other fans. Some little league coaches brought their players to educate them on the game. In most cases, most of the fans showed similar behavior, such as family and fan interacting, knowledge of the game and overall enjoyment of the entertainment offered. One thing that stood out was the older fans seem to be more into the actual game and not in the special attractions. However, my children, as well as most other children seem to be more interested in the sideshows and the food. Observing sports sociology at a baseball game, with methodology research in mind, was quite interesting. It allowed me to view the game from a different perspective, such as focusing on human behavior, in lieu of just watching the game. I thought watching a baseball game from a sociology aspect would be difficult, however I realized most people view things the same way, but don’t have a clinical definition supporting it. ‘People-watching’ is a basic human instinct, though watching a game with a clinical perspective makes it very interesting. â€Å"It is only since 1970 that sports sociology has gained significant attention as a serious area of study† (Brown 2012). It is presumed that professors did not consider how sports influenced the social order nor was it very significant or fundamental to sociology. According to Brown, â€Å"Sociology of sports poses critical and controversial issues. Because sports are considered a microcosm of society, the same social issues that exist in larger society also exist in sports†. Many of the same government policies and social persecutions demonstrated on minorities and women were also implemented in the society of sports. For example, women were not permitted to participate in many sports believed to be a manly sport, like baseball or car racing. Many minorities or certain religious groups were not allowed to compete in many professional sports and in many cases were not even permitted to observe the sport, except from an isolated viewing area. Once more, the concerns and arguments that sports sociology uncovers are the same concerns that are reflected in real life society. The sociology of sport has many similarities to real life, as evident in how sports affect one’s everyday life. As a result, it is imperative for a person to critically think about how we deal with life, as inspired by our sports influence. By doing that we can see how sports can enhance our real life social skills. Many people participate or watch sports to relieve stress, get exercise or just to have fun. Businesses at times develop sport teams to build camaraderie amongst their employees, allowing them to interact outside of the workplace. Sports can satisfy the human need for competition and human interaction. Sports are a microcosm of real life, having a hierarchy, such as players, coaches, referees and spectators. In real life we have employees, bosses, human relations and customers, for example. Consequently, people gravitate to sports for different reasons; however they get the same passionate effect. Sport fans and actual sport participants have similar ambitions, whether it is winning games, winning as a team or rooting for your team to victory. Sport sociology encompasses a true spectrum of goals and inspiration, just as real life. Keeping true to one’s sociological views and embracing other’s views can definitely allow a person to see life through a basic viewpoint, as well as a broad sociological viewpoint. Sports have a place in everyone’s ife, whether it’s physical sport or mental sport, such as board games, playing cards or playing mental games with one’s significant other. Competition builds character; Competition is â€Å"the act of competing, as for profit or a prize. † (D’Angelo 2006) It is a test of skill or ability between players with the prize of some kind being victory, where one can only be achieved by out-c ompeting your competition. These sports concepts transcend to business, family, friendship, etc. Again, sports is a microcosm of real life, therefore it intertwines society’s real life sociology and sport’s sociology. In conclusion, sports have played an important part of my life, as both a participant and just having fan. Having a love for sports has allowed me to interact with people of all races and genders. Networking with individuals, while playing sports, even at the amateur level, offers venues for business opportunities, meeting new friends and cultivating existing personal relationships. Given the opportunity everyone should engage in some type of competition, as it stimulates the mind and body.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Cross Cultural Management

The purpose of this essay to demonstrate the cultural differences between the UK manager going to work as an expatriate manager in Colombia. By taking into consideration Hofstede, Bond, Trompenaars and other cross cultural management researchers to advise the UK manager about the Colombian culture, taking into consideration the differences between leadership styles, decision making, recruitment and selection, motivation, planning and team versus individual working. The reason for selecting Colombia was that according to the results by Geert Hofstede, these two countries are very opposite to one another.Therefore it will be good to compare the differences and the similarities between the countries’ culture. According to Adler (1983) Cross Cultural Management is defined as the study of the behavior of people in the organizations located in cultures and nations around the world. It focuses on the description of organizational behaviour within countries and cultures, on the compar ison of organizational behaviour across countries and cultures, and perhaps most importantly on the interactional of people from different countries working within the same organization or within the same work environment.As an advisor to a UK company opening a subsidiary and to send an expatriate Manager to work in Colombia, the best way is to enter the country with an acceptance to what is the culture of Colombia, as it is always better to accept and then expect. Hofstede defines culture as â€Å"the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another Culture, in this sense, includes values; systems of values are a core element of culture. (Mead et al, 2009) From further research on Hofstede’s culture dimension, we can state that there is a huge different between the UK and Colombian culture. (Hofstede, 2009) Power Distance is the extent to which members of a society accept the unequal distribution of power among individuals. (Ball et al 2004) On the Power Distance dimension (PDI) Colombia scored a comparatively high score of (67). Hofstede, (2011) the score reveal that Colombians are reliant on authority and have leadership that is regularly in a paternalistic approach.This is predictable by workers, they are often loyal and the assumption is that all authority and accountability is at a higher level. Here subordinates are to treat those in positions of authority with particular respect, meaning it is a society that has a very low level of tolerance for uncertainty. The manager knows everything and is all powerful. Harris et al (2004) Management here is seen as being authoritarian, the theory X managers as defined by McGregor. Netmba, (2011) In Colombia the lines of communication in organisation is vertical, subordinates will normally know whom to report to.Companies here are characterised by a less formal controls and fewer layers of management. (Mead et al, 2004) According to Geert Hofstede’s c ulture dimensions scores, UK has the score of (35) This shows that the UK has a very low power distance, which means that it society de-emphasises the differences between citizen’s power and wealth. It places more emphasis on opportunity and equality for everyone. Managers and subordinates are treated equally. Hodgetts et al, (2003). Here the management style as more of the theory Y manager, as managers are more flexible. (Netmba, 2011)Trompenaars views Individualism and Collectivism dimension as the conflict between groups and individual interest. Triandis, (1994) this reflects the underlying arrangement of society integrated, tight social arrangement involving collective responsibility. (Jhon Martin, 2005) UK has a score of (89) on the Hofstede’s finding, this score indicate that UK has a high score on individualism and a high gross national product and also a free political structure. Here the society are more individuals and are expected to look after themselves an d their immediate families only. Mcfarlin et al, 2011) On the other hand Colombia has a score of (13), this indicates the opposite of UK, meaning that Colombia is a collective society, where a favourite for a strongly tie social framework in which citizens are integrated in groups, they expect their clan, families, or other in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning reliability.Colombian’s societies are strongly from birth onwards integrated into strong groups, this is often extended family. (Hofstede and Bond, 1988) Colombian people would openly express emotions even in business circumstances, whereas the British would consider such display nprofessional. (Helen Deresky, 2003) UK managers separates work, relationships and personal issues, they compartmentalise their private lives and work, they are more direct and open, whereas in an diffused oriented cultures, such as Colombia, there is spill over from work into personal relationships. (Helen Deresky, 2003) A ccording to Edward Hall Britain is a monochronic time society. To British citizens time is precious and limited resource, it is to be scheduled, saved, and also spent with precision, for the British time is money, and the clock is at all times running.Therefore, schedules and deadlines must to be met, and when others are not on time for meetings, British may feel insulted, when meetings digress from their purpose, British tend to become impatient. (Mcfarlin et al, 2011) However in Colombia attitude toward time is â€Å"manana† meaning tomorrow. From Edward Hall research, Colombian is a polychonic time society. Despite the fact that the British frequently regards a deadline as a firm commitment, Colombians often regards deadline imposed on them as an insult. They feel that important things take long time and therefore cannot be rushed.Colombians are not known for punctuality. They may arrive at a business meeting 15 or 20 minutes late, since this is considered the norm. (Mcfar lin et al, 2011) The UK manager going to Colombia must be careful not to offend Colombians as they misunderstand the local language of time. Polychronic cultures take a more flexible view of time and this may be hard for British to understand. The procedure of relationship building is regarded with much more importance in most part of the globe. It is important for a cross culture manager to be aware of the influence of culture on decision making styles and process. Deresky, 2003) According to Harris et al, (2004) British negotiators are in general speaking objective regarding the precise issue at hand and usually would like to waste no time in getting down to business and making progress. They understand the other’s position, and are marked by tolerance and compromise. Managers here are seen as being one dimensional, mechanistic and caught in a short term transitional approach. They focus more on formal rules than relationships. According to trompenaars’ dimensions UK is seen as being a high universalism society, However Colombia is seen high on particularism.Hodgetts et al, (2003) Colombian managers would like to take sufficient time to build trust and respect as a basis for negotiating contract. In Colombia personal commitment to individuals, rather than the legal system, form the basis for the enforcement of contracts. UK manager must be aware that relationship building is in fact, the first phase of negotiations with the Colombian. Looking at Trompennars dimension of diffuse vs specific, Colombians are known to have an indirect communication style and they rely on facial expression. With the Colombians it is considered polite to keep close eye contact during conversations.With close friends, women could kiss each other on one cheek or clasp forearms. Men often hug and hit each other’s back. This particular hug is known as the â€Å"abrazo. † (Cultural taboos, 2010) Colombians will also ask numerous polite questions and go throu gh other pleasantries; UK managers should expect inquiries as to your trip, family, friend and health, when greeting Colombians you don’t not rush them, as it is considered callous and disrespect to rush greeting. The standard greeting is the handshake upon introduction and departure. Cultural taboos, 2010) In the other hand communication in the UK will be more direct and reserved; they avoid high pressure tactics and confrontational behaviour. (Harris et al, 2004) Language can also be a pitfall for a British expatriate manger going to work in Colombia. Inability to speak local language can be a challenge; therefore the British manager must learn Spanish when going to work in Colombia as this will help. In Colombia selecting a leader or a manager from a company is the most crucial decision, as they will normally want to know them personally and probably establish friendship.They make decisions on the basis of feelings, rather than experience or empirical evidence of other fac ts. Cultural taboos (2010) In Colombia before starting a meeting, there will always be a small talk, this is necessary in as its gives manager and subordinate the time to get to know each other personally. It is seen as a good way to establish relationship this is seen as a high priority than just doing business. Most time other cultures doing business with Colombian should wait for them to initiate the business discussion. (Charles, Trompenaars, 2004)At the end of the meeting, do not hurry off; wait a little longer to continue talking with the work colleague or business partners, Colombians will find it impolite and disrespectful to leave immediately following a meeting, this to them suggest that you have better things to do. Therefore a British expatriate manager should take this into consideration as mentioned above, time is not an issue for Colombians, and Meetings will last as long as they need to last, and establishing trust is very important first. (Charles, Trompenaars, 2004 )Management nowadays must make sure that they are understanding and being understood across cultural borders. As a UK manager working as an expatriate in Colombia, there are many things to take into account as the two countries are very different when it comes to cross cultural differences and in cross cultural management. Dealing with different culturally teams can be a challenge. The expatriate UK manager going to Colombia must consider and respect that Colombian’s management is totally different from the one from UK; therefore the expatriate manager must show appreciation and consideration of Colombian culture.Uk manager should show tolerance, in respecting Colombian’s cultural views, beliefs and have tolerance for their difference working practices, as mentioned above in the views from Trompenaar, Colombia is seen as a high particularism society, they focus is more on relationship than formal roles, in Colombia the business set is very formal and the expatriate man ager from UK will be more successful if he bears in mind the importance of being polite at all times. And treat people in positions of authority with respect.It is better to make an error on the side of being excessively formal rather than to jeopardize a business relationship by being too informal and appearing flippant. Cultural taboos (2010) whereas in the UK this is not the case. British society is seen as high universalism, they focus is more on formal rules than relationships, here business contract are adhered to very closely, and they believe that â€Å"a deal is a deal†. (Hodgetts et al 2003) The UK expatriate manager must also have the knowledge of the Colombian organisational culture and history, as this will help him know exactly what to expect from the Colombian working trategy, and learn who has the authority to decide on settlement and on the decision making. He must also take whatever step that is necessary to gain an in depth understanding of Colombians, and how they negotiating styles, views of process, and cultural values may come to play. Another important issue that the UK expatriate manager should consider is language, the lack of foreign language skills will put the British manager at a disadvantage, as verbal communication is important.In Colombia business is done in English and in Spanish, therefore the British manager should consider learning Spanish before taking the challenge of working in Colombia. In Conclusion a manger moving to work from one country to another, must know that it is not an easy issue but a challenging one. Cross cultural manager must learn the differences management styles between the host country and the visiting country. Taking into consideration their cultures differences, value, beliefs and norms.References Dereskey, E. (2011). International Management, 7th Edition. Prentice Hall Dereskey, E. 2003). International Management, 4TH Edition. Prentice Hall Mcfalin, D. , Sweeney, P. (2011). International Man agement, 4th Edition. New York Harris, P. Robert, T, . Moran, S, . Moran, V. (2004). Managing Cultural Differences, 6TH Edition. USA Hampden, C, T, Trompennar, F. (2004). Building Cross- Cultural Competence. UK Hodgetts, R. Luthans, F. (2003) International Management, 5TH Edition Mead, R. , Andrews T. (2009). International Management, 4th Edition Wiley Nancy J. (1983). The Academy of Management Review Cross-Cultural Management Research: The Ostrich and the Trend Cultural taboos (2010) Available at: http://www. circlesofexcellence. com/blog/? tag=cultural-taboos&paged=2 [accessed: 21 March, 2011]. Colombian culture tips Available at: http://rw-3. com/tag/colombian-culture/ [accessed: 19 March, 2011]. Intercultural Management, UK. Being a Manager in United Kingdom http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/intercultural/management/uk. html [Accessed: 20 March, 20011]. Theory X and Theory Y Available at: http://www. netmba. com/mgmt/ob/motivation/mcgregor/ [accessed: 19 March, 2011]. APENDIX G eert Hofstede Culture Dimension See: http://www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_dimensions. php? ulture1=94&culture2=19 High Context vs. Low Context Take a look how members of high and low contextual cultures see themselves and their opposites: High Context Communication †¢polite †¢respectful †¢integrates by similarities/harmony †¢not directLow Context Communication †¢open †¢true †¢integrates by authenticity †¢direct High Context claims Low Context †¢impolite †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"cannot read between the lines† †¢naive †¢no self discipline †¢too fastLow Context claims High Context †¢hiding information †¢not trustable †¢arrogant †¢too formal †¢too slow See:http://globthink. com/2009/06/24/indirect-communication-and-indirect-leadership-in-asia/ Cross Cultural Management CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Under these conditions it is obvious that corporations very often operate in different countries and deal with people from other nations. The Company that makes business outside the home country encounters some difficulties. There are significant differences among countries according to their culture and this affects their relationships between trade partners or cooperating companies. This subject very often is described by Lisbeth Clausen. She is a professor that associates with Department of Intercultural Communication and Management at Copenhagen Business School and she is also affiliated with Asia Research Center. In the International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 2007 Vol 7(3): 317-332 we can find an article titled: Corporate Comunication Challenges – A Negotiation Culture Perspective, written by Lisbeth Clausen. The article is based on her research project, which examines communication between Danish companies and their headquarters/alliances in Japan. The main interest in this research is related to communications between people in organizations with a global perspective. The author for a year and a half was part of the international news flow research team at Keio University in Japan where she was observing political decision-making processes in the newsrooms at the public service station NHK and also the commercial station TV Asahi. She has interviewed forty journalists, foreign correspondents, editors and famous anchors and the five Japanese national news producers about their production of international news and also she has compared studies of Danish and Japanese news programs. Her project is supported by the Danish Research Council (LOK). She also has interviewed fifty global managers from Denmark and Japan, paying attention to their cooperation, their cultural challenges in communication and implementation of strategies in Japan. In her article Corporate Communication and Challenges-A Negotiated Culture Perspective is the essence of her long term studies and hard work. The author’s main thesis is that business culture cannot be defined only in terms of nationality. By the examination of Danish-Japanese business relationships she tries to show that there are other factors like industry, organizational and professional knowledge that shape culture. However that does not mean that national characteristics and values are not important. The article is very well organized. It includes a little introduction to the problems. Lisbeth presents results of her research that she did while being in Japan. She applies concept of negotiated culture to empirical data at both organizational and contextual levels in intercultural encounters. Communication is viewed as a complex, multi- issued, and dynamic process in which global managers exchange meaning (Clausen, 2007). The fact that she based her article on the theories of intercultural communication and negotiated culture and after that lead readers through information obtained from managers engaged in Danish-Japanese business to get to conclusions that support stated by her thesis, strengths this article, makes it clearer and more reliable. Based on the analyses of strategic and operational communications that occur in the business relationship between Denmark headquarter and its alliance partner in Japan, Lisbeth indicates how the western view of communication processes differs from the Japanese and how many challenges are brought about by the globalization. As mentioned earlier the theoretical foundation for these studies is a theory of negotiated culture. According to Brannen and Salk (t2000): national origin is a source of values and norms for managers, but is not a determinant of communication outcomes negotiated culture appear when members from different national and organizational cultures deal together during cooperation between corporation from two different countries emerge the specific attributes of a headquarters/partners relationship cultural differences may affect task related issues in unexpected ways The fact that the author indicates all the sources from which she has obtained information presented in the article makes this articlea more valuable source of knowledge about intercultural communication. Lisbeth has collected data for her studies in April 2004 in Denmark and in September-November 2004 in Japan. She refers to the company she was examining as the Shoe Company. She conducted fifty interviews in five companies as part of a larger project on management, communication and competence. The goal of interviewed made i n both Denmark and Japan was to achieve a good understanding of the viewpoints of both the headquarters and the partner. In Denmark Lisbeth has focused on the production of new prototypes and has met people in the factory. In Japan she has visited several shoe stores and has spent some time in the showroom. She has thoroughly interviewed managers and directors from so many departments. Besides that she has also interview via telephone the managing director of Asia (Danish) stationed in Hong Kong (Clausen, 2007). It seems like Lisbeth has put so much effort in obtaining all the information that let her be as objective as possible. The article is well organized. Every problem that is discussed belongs to different paragraph, with a header to make it easier to understand. The author describes different issues step by step without mixing them together. Everything together is connected in the reasonable article and all the conclusions are drawn from all the information presented in there. It gives me an impression that Lisbeth has broad knowledge about the problem of communication according to the culture differentiation. Besides that the language that she uses even if she talks about some theories is rather always clear. Because all businesses involve communication therefore ability to communicate with people from other culture is crucial in global world of business. Communication becomes more difficult when partners come from different cultural background and speak different language (Adler, 2002). There are no doubts that managers and expatriates have big challenges dealing with their partners across the borders. Culture in certain way shapes the communication. To explain better the relationship between culture and communication the author is so precise and describes first the notion of communication, considering more than just one perspective. I think that this is one of the proofs that Lisbeth tries to be very objective. Western approach is concerned on communication as a transmission of information from sender to receiver, what is understood as a possible to control process. From the other side she also presents eastern perspective that emphasizes a role of cooperation. Besides that she also focuses on explanation of culture. She presents different theories of culture at the end she puts essence of all of them in a conclusion. She sees culture as a part of relationship rather than in predetermined structure. Lisbeth very good presents the base on which she draws her conclusions. To support her thesis about influence of cultural differentiation for business relationship she presents all the facts that she has recorded while interviewing managers in SHOE Company. That also includes the information about development of the cooperation between Denmark and Japan in the SHOE Company. Danish Company makes business with Japanese on the base of licensing. According to her interviews the author indicates as many areas that show differences in culture as possible. The culture of the SHOE Company is influenced by the founders. Headquarter director always has his vision and his own way of doing things. The Company even posses a book with 25 culture Maxims. Danish managers highlight some of them, still paying attention for role of entrepreneur. Japanese from the other side respect Danish rules and business philosophy, but they cannot incorporate everything into a Japanese business setting. Even if Danish managers made so many trips to Japan to get know better Japanese culture and customs the author emphasizes the fact that there are still big differences that force Japanese to modify Danish business philosophy. To convince readers about differences in Danish and Japanese culture Lisbeth gives so many examples from Companies life. SHOE Company has an office in Honk Kong. The managerial director (Danish) is the only person from this office that deal with Japanese. He lives in Honk Kong. He is kind of mediator between Danish managers and Japanese. He has much better abilities to communicate with Japanese than his Danish coworkers. On the base of this example, Lisbeth proofs that there are different cultures in Denmark and in Japan. The fact that managerial director in Honk Kong can better communicate with Japanese is a result of cultural learning and adaptation of the Asian managerial director. The author very good presents a base for her conclusions. She discusses variety of factors that affect her final opinion. According to organization of communication she presents Danish and Japanese perspectives. Japanese complain that they have to move toward a more western style of management in Japan. Danish asses this a little bit different. They say that Japanese are too much conservative and spend too much time making sure that everything is perfect before they launch the product. Moreover dominating there vertical hierarchy does not support empower employees. The lack of freedom, independence and personal responsibilities makes business slower and less developed that it could be. Another important issue discovered by Lisbeth during her studies was lack of agreement on distribution channel. There is intermediary system of distribution in Japan, which in Danish’s opinion makes selling prices to go up. Unfortunately the power of wholesalers is overwhelming in the Japanese market, and many department stores are depended on them. Japanese tradition of wholesalers is not possible to change. I think that this example strengths Lisbeth’s article because proofs the assumption that different markets have different cultural heritage, what definitely affect the way of doing business. To make her arguments even stronger Lisbet’h took closer look at Product, Brand and Marketing strategy in the SHOE Company. The main strategy of the Corporation is that local subsidiaries and factories around the world make as many decisions by them self as possible. However there are still many disputes. Denmark wants to promote its shoes as Danish as comfortable, which is accepted by Japan, but Japan, does not want promote slow and comfortable life that in Japanese opinion is an attribute of Danish people. This totally does not fit to the Japanese life style in a big metropolis. There are so many areas of disputes that results from different tradition, culture and lifestyle. Japan accepts and implements only 50% of Danish ideas for marketing. Similar situation appears if it comes about brand strategy. Living in the global world Danish tries to apply one global strategy to its products, however Japanese do not agree. Japan has its own history and position of its market. Japan is not so open for changes. While in Denmark change of manager usually results in the change of strategy, in Japan new managers try to learn company strategy overrules. (Clausen, 2007) Lisbeth also indicates the diversity between Japanese and Danish cultures that are very visible during the joint meetings. That is connected with different style of negotiation presented by each country. For Danish the most important are results that are based on the number of business decisions made during the meeting. They are very active, talk a lot sometimes even interrupting his coworkers. They try to discuss as many new ideas as possible. Participation is not very formal. Japanese act totally different and value other things. For them every business meeting it has a form of formal ceremony. It is extremely important for them to attend the meeting. Japanese do not talk too much, the listen. They comment only if they are asked to do it. For Danish people this is not so easy, because to be successful making business with Japanese they have to follow their ritual and be very patient. The author also indicates diversity of work culture. Japanese are always very well prepared and pay lots of attention for small details. They focus on the relationship building. Very often they meet after the business meeting to go out together for dinner. Danish are not like that. For them business is business and free time is separated from it. They do not enjoy spending their private free time for meeting people from work. Lisbeth Clausen has done a very good job collecting all this data and information from her interviewed. For me her article seems like a very good and reliable source of knowledge about the intercultural communication on the base of Danish-Japanese cooperation. Her deep research provides so many examples of diversity of cultures between these two countries. Numerous analyses of certain facts and behaviors let readers better understand stated problem. Examination of the situation that she personally experienced is a good way of delivering proof for her thesis. I think that for me as a student of businessadministration this article is very valuable. It makes me realize that culture of each country is not the same, sometimes not even similar. Differences in culture affect the way of communication. In the century of development of globalization there are many challenges in making business across the countries. Maybe one day I will work for a Company that performs global and I will have to deal with managers from different culture. Lisbeth indicates that it is important to know culture and tradition of other countries while making business with them. She introduce to reader Danish and Japanese style of negotiation. If one day I will have to deal with someone from these two countries I will already have some knowledge about their culture. I totally agree with Lisbeth thesis that culture shape communication. References: Adler, N. J. (2002) The International Dimension of Organizational Behavior, 4th edn. Canada: North-Western Brannen, Y. and Salk, J. E. (2000) â€Å"Partnering across Borders: Negotiating Organizational Culture in German-Japanese Joint Venture†, Human Relations 53(4):451-87. Cross Cultural Management CROSS CULTURAL MANAGEMENT Under these conditions it is obvious that corporations very often operate in different countries and deal with people from other nations. The Company that makes business outside the home country encounters some difficulties. There are significant differences among countries according to their culture and this affects their relationships between trade partners or cooperating companies. This subject very often is described by Lisbeth Clausen. She is a professor that associates with Department of Intercultural Communication and Management at Copenhagen Business School and she is also affiliated with Asia Research Center. In the International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 2007 Vol 7(3): 317-332 we can find an article titled: Corporate Comunication Challenges – A Negotiation Culture Perspective, written by Lisbeth Clausen. The article is based on her research project, which examines communication between Danish companies and their headquarters/alliances in Japan. The main interest in this research is related to communications between people in organizations with a global perspective. The author for a year and a half was part of the international news flow research team at Keio University in Japan where she was observing political decision-making processes in the newsrooms at the public service station NHK and also the commercial station TV Asahi. She has interviewed forty journalists, foreign correspondents, editors and famous anchors and the five Japanese national news producers about their production of international news and also she has compared studies of Danish and Japanese news programs. Her project is supported by the Danish Research Council (LOK). She also has interviewed fifty global managers from Denmark and Japan, paying attention to their cooperation, their cultural challenges in communication and implementation of strategies in Japan. In her article Corporate Communication and Challenges-A Negotiated Culture Perspective is the essence of her long term studies and hard work. The author’s main thesis is that business culture cannot be defined only in terms of nationality. By the examination of Danish-Japanese business relationships she tries to show that there are other factors like industry, organizational and professional knowledge that shape culture. However that does not mean that national characteristics and values are not important. The article is very well organized. It includes a little introduction to the problems. Lisbeth presents results of her research that she did while being in Japan. She applies concept of negotiated culture to empirical data at both organizational and contextual levels in intercultural encounters. Communication is viewed as a complex, multi- issued, and dynamic process in which global managers exchange meaning (Clausen, 2007). The fact that she based her article on the theories of intercultural communication and negotiated culture and after that lead readers through information obtained from managers engaged in Danish-Japanese business to get to conclusions that support stated by her thesis, strengths this article, makes it clearer and more reliable. Based on the analyses of strategic and operational communications that occur in the business relationship between Denmark headquarter and its alliance partner in Japan, Lisbeth indicates how the western view of communication processes differs from the Japanese and how many challenges are brought about by the globalization. As mentioned earlier the theoretical foundation for these studies is a theory of negotiated culture. According to Brannen and Salk (t2000): national origin is a source of values and norms for managers, but is not a determinant of communication outcomes negotiated culture appear when members from different national and organizational cultures deal together during cooperation between corporation from two different countries emerge the specific attributes of a headquarters/partners relationship cultural differences may affect task related issues in unexpected ways The fact that the author indicates all the sources from which she has obtained information presented in the article makes this articlea more valuable source of knowledge about intercultural communication. Lisbeth has collected data for her studies in April 2004 in Denmark and in September-November 2004 in Japan. She refers to the company she was examining as the Shoe Company. She conducted fifty interviews in five companies as part of a larger project on management, communication and competence. The goal of interviewed made i n both Denmark and Japan was to achieve a good understanding of the viewpoints of both the headquarters and the partner. In Denmark Lisbeth has focused on the production of new prototypes and has met people in the factory. In Japan she has visited several shoe stores and has spent some time in the showroom. She has thoroughly interviewed managers and directors from so many departments. Besides that she has also interview via telephone the managing director of Asia (Danish) stationed in Hong Kong (Clausen, 2007). It seems like Lisbeth has put so much effort in obtaining all the information that let her be as objective as possible. The article is well organized. Every problem that is discussed belongs to different paragraph, with a header to make it easier to understand. The author describes different issues step by step without mixing them together. Everything together is connected in the reasonable article and all the conclusions are drawn from all the information presented in there. It gives me an impression that Lisbeth has broad knowledge about the problem of communication according to the culture differentiation. Besides that the language that she uses even if she talks about some theories is rather always clear. Because all businesses involve communication therefore ability to communicate with people from other culture is crucial in global world of business. Communication becomes more difficult when partners come from different cultural background and speak different language (Adler, 2002). There are no doubts that managers and expatriates have big challenges dealing with their partners across the borders. Culture in certain way shapes the communication. To explain better the relationship between culture and communication the author is so precise and describes first the notion of communication, considering more than just one perspective. I think that this is one of the proofs that Lisbeth tries to be very objective. Western approach is concerned on communication as a transmission of information from sender to receiver, what is understood as a possible to control process. From the other side she also presents eastern perspective that emphasizes a role of cooperation. Besides that she also focuses on explanation of culture. She presents different theories of culture at the end she puts essence of all of them in a conclusion. She sees culture as a part of relationship rather than in predetermined structure. Lisbeth very good presents the base on which she draws her conclusions. To support her thesis about influence of cultural differentiation for business relationship she presents all the facts that she has recorded while interviewing managers in SHOE Company. That also includes the information about development of the cooperation between Denmark and Japan in the SHOE Company. Danish Company makes business with Japanese on the base of licensing. According to her interviews the author indicates as many areas that show differences in culture as possible. The culture of the SHOE Company is influenced by the founders. Headquarter director always has his vision and his own way of doing things. The Company even posses a book with 25 culture Maxims. Danish managers highlight some of them, still paying attention for role of entrepreneur. Japanese from the other side respect Danish rules and business philosophy, but they cannot incorporate everything into a Japanese business setting. Even if Danish managers made so many trips to Japan to get know better Japanese culture and customs the author emphasizes the fact that there are still big differences that force Japanese to modify Danish business philosophy. To convince readers about differences in Danish and Japanese culture Lisbeth gives so many examples from Companies life. SHOE Company has an office in Honk Kong. The managerial director (Danish) is the only person from this office that deal with Japanese. He lives in Honk Kong. He is kind of mediator between Danish managers and Japanese. He has much better abilities to communicate with Japanese than his Danish coworkers. On the base of this example, Lisbeth proofs that there are different cultures in Denmark and in Japan. The fact that managerial director in Honk Kong can better communicate with Japanese is a result of cultural learning and adaptation of the Asian managerial director. The author very good presents a base for her conclusions. She discusses variety of factors that affect her final opinion. According to organization of communication she presents Danish and Japanese perspectives. Japanese complain that they have to move toward a more western style of management in Japan. Danish asses this a little bit different. They say that Japanese are too much conservative and spend too much time making sure that everything is perfect before they launch the product. Moreover dominating there vertical hierarchy does not support empower employees. The lack of freedom, independence and personal responsibilities makes business slower and less developed that it could be. Another important issue discovered by Lisbeth during her studies was lack of agreement on distribution channel. There is intermediary system of distribution in Japan, which in Danish’s opinion makes selling prices to go up. Unfortunately the power of wholesalers is overwhelming in the Japanese market, and many department stores are depended on them. Japanese tradition of wholesalers is not possible to change. I think that this example strengths Lisbeth’s article because proofs the assumption that different markets have different cultural heritage, what definitely affect the way of doing business. To make her arguments even stronger Lisbet’h took closer look at Product, Brand and Marketing strategy in the SHOE Company. The main strategy of the Corporation is that local subsidiaries and factories around the world make as many decisions by them self as possible. However there are still many disputes. Denmark wants to promote its shoes as Danish as comfortable, which is accepted by Japan, but Japan, does not want promote slow and comfortable life that in Japanese opinion is an attribute of Danish people. This totally does not fit to the Japanese life style in a big metropolis. There are so many areas of disputes that results from different tradition, culture and lifestyle. Japan accepts and implements only 50% of Danish ideas for marketing. Similar situation appears if it comes about brand strategy. Living in the global world Danish tries to apply one global strategy to its products, however Japanese do not agree. Japan has its own history and position of its market. Japan is not so open for changes. While in Denmark change of manager usually results in the change of strategy, in Japan new managers try to learn company strategy overrules. (Clausen, 2007) Lisbeth also indicates the diversity between Japanese and Danish cultures that are very visible during the joint meetings. That is connected with different style of negotiation presented by each country. For Danish the most important are results that are based on the number of business decisions made during the meeting. They are very active, talk a lot sometimes even interrupting his coworkers. They try to discuss as many new ideas as possible. Participation is not very formal. Japanese act totally different and value other things. For them every business meeting it has a form of formal ceremony. It is extremely important for them to attend the meeting. Japanese do not talk too much, the listen. They comment only if they are asked to do it. For Danish people this is not so easy, because to be successful making business with Japanese they have to follow their ritual and be very patient. The author also indicates diversity of work culture. Japanese are always very well prepared and pay lots of attention for small details. They focus on the relationship building. Very often they meet after the business meeting to go out together for dinner. Danish are not like that. For them business is business and free time is separated from it. They do not enjoy spending their private free time for meeting people from work. Lisbeth Clausen has done a very good job collecting all this data and information from her interviewed. For me her article seems like a very good and reliable source of knowledge about the intercultural communication on the base of Danish-Japanese cooperation. Her deep research provides so many examples of diversity of cultures between these two countries. Numerous analyses of certain facts and behaviors let readers better understand stated problem. Examination of the situation that she personally experienced is a good way of delivering proof for her thesis. I think that for me as a student of businessadministration this article is very valuable. It makes me realize that culture of each country is not the same, sometimes not even similar. Differences in culture affect the way of communication. In the century of development of globalization there are many challenges in making business across the countries. Maybe one day I will work for a Company that performs global and I will have to deal with managers from different culture. Lisbeth indicates that it is important to know culture and tradition of other countries while making business with them. She introduce to reader Danish and Japanese style of negotiation. If one day I will have to deal with someone from these two countries I will already have some knowledge about their culture. I totally agree with Lisbeth thesis that culture shape communication. References: Adler, N. J. (2002) The International Dimension of Organizational Behavior, 4th edn. Canada: North-Western Brannen, Y. and Salk, J. E. (2000) â€Å"Partnering across Borders: Negotiating Organizational Culture in German-Japanese Joint Venture†, Human Relations 53(4):451-87.