Saturday, August 31, 2019
Communication between countries
Communication between countries has become one of the most important things for country leaders to consider. However, some people think that regular communication can lead to a mixture of culture that may cause culture collapse. Actually, communication between countries cannot be avoided in modern society. Also, culture will always disappear when time passes as young people are less concern about culture. Besides, communication can create new culture that can lead the world to a more platonic place that all people can live together without much culture differences Firstly, we need communication and diversity between countries.Different countries have different culture. Without communication, the country is over closed that may cause huge disaster. Just like China during King Dynasty: when the empire decided to close the gate of trade, she actually closed a most convenient way to develop and gain power. Finally, the whole country was almost defeated by the foreign enemies. From the le sson taught by Chinese people's blood, we cannot stop communicating between countries. Secondly, culture collapse is not mainly caused by communication. When ages pass, all old things will eventually disappear s these are not what young people interested in.Therefore, when more old people have gone, less people are familiar with it; even it Is their own culture, until finally when they realize it. At that time, those people actually need other similar culture to complete their lost part. From time to time, the thing that some called culture collapse occurs, but it is Just a way for people to maintain their culture. Last but not least, it is true that many cultures have huge differences that a little action may cause huge misunderstanding. For example, the same gesture made In China means K means money in Japan and also means affront In Brazil.As a result, because traveling has become one of the most Important entertainments, so we need to accept different culture from communicating between countries. Although there are many religions In the world, their mall purpose Is the same which Is to give people belief, to prevent them giving up when meeting difficulties as they believe gods are helping them, and to lead them In the right way with appreciation. In that case, even countries have a variety of culture; the mixture of culture can actually Improve the ultra and make It better.In conclusion, communication between countries cannot be stopped as not only countries need It, culture needs It, too. It may cause culture change Its original, but It Is no doubted that the communication Is helping the culture and lower the speed of culture collapse. Communication between countries By Rose-Wang have gone, less people are familiar with it; even it is their own culture, until finally huge misunderstanding. For example, the same gesture made in China means K means money in Japan and also means affront in Brazil.As a result, because revealing has become one of the most impo rtant entertainments, so we need to many religions in the world, their main purpose is the same which is to give people helping them, and to lead them in the right way with appreciation. In that case, even countries have a variety of culture; the mixture of culture can actually improve the culture and make it better. In conclusion, communication between countries cannot be stopped as not only countries need it, culture needs it, too. It may cause culture change its original, but it is no doubted that the communication is helping the
Friday, August 30, 2019
Discuss ways in which Ort tries to make sense of his existence
Throughout the novel, Ort indeed tries to make sense of his existence in many ways. It is also true to say that his relationship with Henry Warburton helps him with this discovery. Their relationship, although time-taking to discover, is beneficial towards Ort's understanding of his existence, and his character in particular is greatly benefited. Ort's quest to make sense of his existence is brought on by the car crash in which Sam, his father, is put into a coma. From this moment on, the whole family in fact tries to make sense of their existence, and Warburton is a useful influence towards the whole family in this sense, not just Ort. Before discussing the ways in which Warburton is useful influence in the process of identifying Ort's existence, it needs to seen in which ways he tries to make sense of his existence; After the car crash, which left the father, Sam, out of the picture for the family, Ort has been given the responsibility of the father figure. Of course, for this to happen to a twelve year old boy, it leaves him lost, and obviously misled towards what exactly has just happened. One important thing that Ort considers during this period of discovery is about his own form of religion, or some sort of deity like figure to look up to. It is seen by the audience that the only thing that Ort can look up to and get any help from is that newly formed deity figure apparent in the sky. He uses this deity in the sky to hopefully save him from non existence and subsequently help him discover his current existence. Henry Warburton is then brought into the discussion, as he has a positive effect on Ort's outlook on life, and existence. He helps Ort understand his place in life, and is almost the deity for Ort, providing assistance and support, and also helping with Ort's self discovery. Even Henry Warburton claims that he is a god, and that he has come to help Ort, promoting himself as a god like figure. Warburton provides the positive influence for Ort's discovery of his existence, as he provides help surrounding certain paths of life. Warburton has the ability to see and believe things that no one else in the family, including Ort, does, therefore providing assistance in Ort's self discovery. In many scenes throughout the novel, Henry Warburton's influential figure is scene, which brings support for Ort's understanding. He acts as a father like figure to Ort, even providing discipline to other members of the family on occasions, and supporting Ort's actions and ways of thinking. Despite these obvious ââ¬Ëperks' on Warburton's behalf to help Ort's understanding, some less positive aspects about Warburton's influence are apparent, when deeper aspects of the novel are analysed. Warburton's character inevitably appears flawed to the family, through a number of faults such as the fact that he has a glass eye and a speech impediment. ââ¬ËGeez, he's got troubles'. Coinciding with this realisation by the family, Warburton decreases his rhetoric, and shows the audience that Ort has become quite dependant by this stage in the novel. Throughout the novel, Ort experiences things which would normally never be experienced by a boy that age. With all the crises he goes through, Henry Warburton, a strange but loving preacher who shows up on the doorstep, shows Ort the way to understanding, and self realisation, and is therefore a useful influence towards Ort's understandings.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Essay
A Canadian-American sociologist/writer named Erving Goffman, proposed the dramaturgical perspective or the theory of ââ¬Å"dramaturgyâ⬠in his book: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, in order to explain the behavior of people. The book catered the interest of many readers as it was published initially in 1956. Not only mentioning the successful integration of the dramaturgical approach as a major contribution in Sociology, Goffman, was also criticized for the detraction of such authentic-written style of research he used as compared to the conventional researches that was used by many researchers and proponents of some theories. Goffman, as a competent and keen observant, combined different theories related to support and create his new theory of dramaturgy (Sannicolas, 1997). Moreover, the focus of this paper then, is to discuss the relevance of dramaturgy in everyday scenario of a manââ¬â¢s real life. Body Dramaturgy is a term popularized by sociologist, Erving Goffman, pertaining to the study of mechanisms of manââ¬â¢s social interactions by means of communication and ââ¬Å"face-to faceâ⬠encounters. Dramaturgy emphasizes the creation or projection of ââ¬Å"rolesâ⬠attempting to be congruent and accepted in the norms of society where a particular man or ââ¬Å"actorâ⬠belongs in order to avoid ostracism and harmful discrimination of the majority group at their backs (an example of backstage behavior). It also functions for man to rehearse and practice oneââ¬â¢s ideal goals for the purpose of portraying those roles into the ââ¬Å"stageâ⬠or real world (frontstage behavior), and to be viewed by perceived viewers or onlookers (audience). The dramaturgy or dramaturgical perspective can be best understood by showing an example in some personal and professional situations. For instance, in a particular scenario, a play, an act or a drama occurs; perhaps, a person encountering an acquaintance or friend, may be ââ¬Å"forcedâ⬠in the situation to greet the person coming nearby and may therefore reveal a phony or a fake smile in order for the other person not to think negatively about the person who is expected to greet. The second person on the other hand, would and might as well return the greetings back because of the perceived ââ¬Å"rightnessâ⬠of the act as implied by the social norms and equity rules. Moreover, these two different persons may perform and engage in a talk and communicate through non-verbal gestures and of course, verbal language; these persons then, may use or show a facial mask or a facade we call in psychology, the ââ¬Å"personaâ⬠. In a professional situation however, a good example may be the HR interviewer and the applicant (interviewee): both would have to perform their assigned and implied roles as for the HR interviewer, has to appear intimidating, serious, and straightforward with less smiles, and for the applicantââ¬â¢s part, one has to act as the confident but not so arrogant and aggressive projected image to impress the interviewer and has to act that one knows what one is doing and the position applying for (Sannicolas, 1997). Conclusion Further, it is concluded that the theory of dramaturgy explains the tendency of people to project rehearsed roles for the purpose of perfecting their interpersonal social skills. Sincere or not, obsequious or assertive, manââ¬â¢s mechanism is explained as such dominated by those internal ideal roles that is projected and performed outwards by persons in social situations (Sannicolas, 1997). References Sannicolas, N. (1997). Erving Goffman, dramaturgy, and on-line relationships. Retrieved October 31, 2008, from, http://www. dinicola. it/sit/Cybersoc%20Issue%201%20-%20Erving%20Goffman,Dramaturgy,and%20On-Line%20Relationships. htm
Controversy Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Controversy Analysis - Research Paper Example This is a contentious subject since it grants an individual user unrestricted freedom in terms of quantity and mode of marijuana usage. Arizona currently enjoys the license for medicinal purposes. It is arguable that legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes is feasible in Arizona. There are notable social costs of marijuana prohibition. For instance, FBI reports indicate that 658, 000 arrests, in 2012, occurred due to marijuana use as compared to 256, 000 for heroine and related drugs (The New York Times 1). This is coupled with a jammed judicial system that cannot manage the many cases reported daily. In addition, jailing of marijuana users impose huge costs on state governments. Many reports indicate that such arrests are racially inclined as they fall disproportionately on the black and Latino population. A social crisis sets in such populations as young people spend their productive time in jails. This limits their chances at later economic success thereby creating a generation of low-income earners. Scientists have uncovered mild problems with marijuana in terms of addiction and dependence thereby proving as less harmful as alcohol. In addition, research has found out that there is limited correlation between violent crime and marijuana usage. This is un like the popular opinion that marijuana usage increases the risk of harmful activities such as marriage violence (Costa 1). It is crucial to underscore the fact that marijuana usage is common in the American states in spite of the typical government detestation of the drug. The animosity towards cannabis sativa has always existed alongside its common use in the US. For instance, the glorification of marijuana in American music videos attests to the fact that in spite of an abhorrent government, marijuana usage remains a common feature of the American landscape. Legalization of marijuana in
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
INTERNATIONAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
INTERNATIONAL LAW - Essay Example Article 51 of the UN Charter of 1945 recognizes that members of the UN have ââ¬Å"inherent rightsâ⬠to ââ¬Å"individual and collective defenceâ⬠during an armed attack but measures taken by member nations in the exercise of self-defence are required to be immediately reported to the UN Security Council. At the same time, Article 51 of the UN Charter clearly says that the measure taken by member states of the United Nations will not in any way affect the ââ¬Å"authority and responsibilityâ⬠of the UN Security Council provided for under the UN Charter to take action to maintain or restore international peace and security. Article 51 of the UN Charter, however, bestow authority to the UN Security Council to take action for maintaining or restoring international peace and security, as the UN Security Council deems necessary and at any time. Thus, while nations and collectives of nations have inherent right to self-defence, Article 24 of the UN Charter clearly assigns to the UN Security Council the ââ¬Å"primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and securityâ⬠. In other words, while member nations may have the right to individual defense, it can be viably argued that under the UN Charter, the primary responsibility for ââ¬Å"international peace and securityâ⬠remains with the UN through the UN Security Council. It follows that the extent to which a nation can exercise action based on self-defence can be effectively constrained by the UN Security Council. Similarly, it can be credibly and viably be asserted that the preamble of the UN charter requires that all nations observe the rule that ââ¬Å"armed force shall not be used, save in the common interestâ⬠. Under Article 39 of the UN Charter, however, other than the UN Security Council, the UN granted no other party the right to ââ¬Å"determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall make recommendations, or decide
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Multiple Topics to Choose from Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Multiple Topics to Choose from - Essay Example Violence and powerful resistance were not uncommon; however, non-violent sources of opposition to slavery were always more efficient than a physical attack. In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Blassingameââ¬â¢s The Slave Community, cultural efforts, education, folk songs, beliefs, and ceremonies exemplify the most efficient instrument of resisting slavery, creating ââ¬Å"selfâ⬠and developing an ââ¬Å"underground cultureâ⬠. That slaves continuously oppressed and tried to improve their position in the American society cannot be denied. The instruments they used to withstand the pressure of slavery were numerous and varied. Slaves were not willing to tolerate violence, humiliation, and abuse. They were not willing to accept their inferior position in the society. In her Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Ann Jacobs describes her childhood and adolescence. She witnessed how different slaves fought with slavery ââ¬â at times, their decisions went beyond the boundaries of reason, e.g., murdering a slave master (Jacobs 182). Jacobs herself rarely engaged in active opposition but chose to tolerate her masterââ¬â¢s abuse silently (183). Once she observed ââ¬Å"a woman rush wildly by, pursued by two men. She was a slave the wet nurse of her mistressââ¬â¢s children. For some trifling offence her mistress ordered her to be stripped and whipped. To escape the degradation and torture, she rushed to the river, jumped in and ended her wrongs in deathâ⬠(Jacobs 184). However, not all slaves had sufficient courage to sacrifice their lives for the sake of avoiding penalties and physical violence. Nor did all slaved had instruments and resources needed to openly fight against the oppression. Culture and songs became the principal way of resisting slavery, which created a collective picture of social oppression in the American society. Folk songs, ceremonies, and beliefs were among the key elements of resisting
Monday, August 26, 2019
The Playlist of Classical Music with Details Essay
The Playlist of Classical Music with Details - Essay Example The Toccata was a fixture in Baroque music meant to demonstrate a player's dexterity on the keyboard. Bach's Toccata in D minor opens with single-voice ornaments played in the upper ranges of the keyboard. (Druckenbrod) A motif doubled at the octave, is reiterated throughout the parallel major section of the piece. This toccata is strewn with finger-taxing ornaments and flourishes so typical of the Baroque era. The fugue was also the form of choice during the Baroque era and Bach is touted as one of the best fugue writers. A fugue is contrapuntal with room for free counterpoint within the framework (Libbey, 247). Bach's Fugue in D minor exemplifies his brilliance in scoring multiple voices, interweaving melodies made up of 16th notes above an implied pedal point. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor are on this playlist because they are outstanding examples of two forms particularly important to the Baroque era, illustrate the development of tonality in this era with Bach's use of key s, particularly in the fugue, and demonstrate the emotional and dynamic range available to the Baroque composers. Bach had an indelible effect on the development of music and definitely deserves to be included in the time capsule. Vivaldi: Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, Spring: Allegro (1725). Antonio Vivaldi's (1678-1741) The Four Seasons is one of the earliest examples of program music. The Four Seasons is a group of concertos for solo violin, string quartet and basso continuo ââ¬â typical of the Baroque era. Inspired by a set of four sonnets, these works demonstrate virtuosity in all players but especially the soloist. The first movement Allegro from the Spring concerto is perhaps the most famous movement and one of the most demanding scores for the players (Gengaro). The first movement of Spring makes immediate use of the terraced dynamics typical of Baroque; a loud opening sequence followed by a quieter passage and then again a louder one with clear dynamic divisions. Th e melodic lines, particularly in the solo violin, are ornamented with trills and mordents typical of the Baroque era's indulgence in ornamentation. The solo violin triplet flourishes above the agitated 32nd notes of the quartet require virtuosity while also depicting the mounting anticipation as spring becomes summer, as the world shakes off winter in the programmatic style typical of later eras. This work, while still exemplary of the Baroque era, also hints at the future of music, moving away from the Baroque absolute to the new and programmatic thus making this piece by Vivaldi a necessary inclusion in the time capsule. Handel (1685-1759) composed this orchestral suite for the entertainment of George I played from a barge on the river Thames. The 50 piece ensemble included the first use of French horns in English music (Libbey, 953). The second suite in D major consists of 5 movements. By tradition, Baroque suites consist of various dance movements, each in the same key. The seco nd dance from suite no. 2, also known as Alla Hornpipe, is the movement chosen for time capsule inclusion.Ã
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Analysis of Whole Foods Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Analysis of Whole Foods Inc - Essay Example Analyses used in this study are Five Forces, Life Cycle Assessment, Value Chain Analysis, SWOT, PEST, and 7S. Buyer power- Whole Foods faces a weak buyer power because buyers are fragmented and do not have the particular influence on product or price. Organic food is sold in different 14,500 supermarkets in the States, so buyers do not have a single power to be able to dictate their price on the retailers. But if we consider Whole Foods to be the buyer, then we can consider this company to have a very strong buyer power because it can purchase and command a price from direct suppliers, and can buy out the competition.Ã A threat of new entrants. The threat of new entrants to the industry is low because of the big amount of investment needed to compete in the industry. The average capital cost of opening a food market site amounted to $15.1 million in 2007, plus the inventory cost of $ 850,000. Whole Foods Market pre-opening expenses averaged $2.6 million for the 21 stores they have opened. It is doubtful whether the products of the small manufacturers can reach the same shelves as with Whole Foods.Ã A threat of substitutes. There is a low threat of substitute because of the growing concern of people on wellness products. Whole Foods succeeded in building a competitive advantage. Their prices are comparatively higher than conventional foods, but they have established a niche in the industry because of the perceived needs of costumers.Ã A threat of rivalry - There is a high degree of rivalry in the industry because of the emergence of competitors in the industry. The rivalry is intense because competitors like Fresh & Easy Neighborhood, Sunflower Farmers Market. Traders Joe and Fresh Market offered several competitive moves. Competitors applied innovations, features, and lower pricing, For instance, Fresh Market developed small markets with the feel and atmosphere of an open European style market.Ã
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Creativity and Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words
Creativity and Play - Essay Example Creativity likewise has many denotations and connotations in the English language. Creativity is hallmarked by intrinsic motivation, intention, adaptiveness and originality. It is what the person does, either the creative act or something aesthetically brand new and purposeful to the individual child. Original means it is not habitual and shies from routine. Creative has the implication of unconventional and intrinsically motivated. Intentional actions are not governed by conventions or extrinsic rewards (Sternberg, 1999). This essay will reflect on the importance of play in developing creativity. It seeks to analyze the different theories that are posited to reference childhood play and offer an evaluation of creativity across the early childhood curriculumââ¬â¢s in the United Kingdom (UK) namely; the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Curriculum (NC). Reference will be made to personal experience underpinned by relevant theory. It will begin with theoretical descriptions of creativity and play while exploring each construct separately and in relation to each other. The discussion will then follow early childhood education theories. Furthermore, the roles of teachers and parents in relation to creativity and play will be identified. Creativity is defined as a process involving the production of remote associations through thinking outside the box while possessing divergent or unusual, if not, original ideas. In creative play children develop their practical skills through imagining, designing and creating. Educational experts have developed standards defining what children should know and be able to do by certain grade levels. The content children learn in the creative curriculum is guided by these standards. The creative curriculum explains how to teach content in ways that respect the developmental stages of children. (James C. Kaufman, 2006) Teachers
Friday, August 23, 2019
Research Proposal (Political Psychology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words
Research Proposal (Political Psychology) - Essay Example This research project intends to analyze the failed diplomacy efforts of former UN Weapons Inspector Hanz Blix that precipitated the excessive levels of distortion surrounding his official testimony and related exchanges that took place after 9/11. To that end, political psychology can help to demystify these failed efforts at international diplomacy demonstrated in his efforts to diffuse an extremely tense and volatile international crisis. Although Blix fulfilled his ideologically-neutral role as a UN Weapons Inspector throughout the debacle, his middle road diplomatic style can be summarized, in retrospect, as an unmitigated disaster. In the shadow of an imminent invasion of Iraq by the US, neither US nor EU hegemonic superpowers scrutinizing his inspection efforts were satisfied with his reports. To explore these failed diplomatic efforts, the current research project intends to compare and contrast the historical and psychological forces at play that wedged Blix between two disp arate styles of international superpower diplomacy in operation at the time of his analysis, discuss the possible justifications for his middle road approach that failed to diffuse these tense international interactions, and describe how his inability to directly negotiate or otherwise influence US or EU officials exacerbated his failed diplomacy; all factors of failed diplomacy expediting the subsequent invasion of Iraq. The working hypothesis therefore, suggests that both the US and the EU have very different styles of diplomacy, that as an allegedly neutral operative of a neutral international peace-keeping committee associated with the United Nations he was prohibited from formally demonstrating an orientation toward either a US or the EU diplomatic style, and that in his desire to objectively and rationally approach the question of WMD in Iraq, he chose the middle road diplomacy approach which failed to endear his team to either US officials
Thursday, August 22, 2019
The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers Essay Example for Free
The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report describes the findings of a qualitative research project, The Experience of Ethnic Minority and Migrant Workers in the Hotel and Catering Industry: Routes to Support and Advice on Workplace Problems, funded by the European Social Fund and Acas and carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute at London Metropolitan University. The research provides evidence of the conditions faced by ethnic minority and migrant workers in the hotel and restaurant sector, an industry already known for its harsh working environment. In-depth interviews with 50 ethnic minority and migrant workers in London, the West Midlands and the South West were carried out between May 2005 and May 2006. In addition, interviews were held with key informants to provide contextual information on features and trends within the sector. The key findings of the research are summarised here. Working conditions in hotels and restaurants â⬠¢ Cash-in-hand, undeclared or under-declared, and illegal working was found among the ethnic minority and migrant restaurant workers interviewed, and affected both employment conditions and rates of pay. This was prevalent in small, ethnic minority-owned restaurants, usually employing members of the same ethnic group. The National Minimum Wage (NMW) was the rate commonly paid to basic grade staff, including bar and restaurant staff, hotel porters and housekeeping staff, particularly outside of London. The research also found a high incidence of flat rate payments per shift or per week, regardless of hours worked, below the NMW, often paid cash-in-hand. Long hours working was a further feature. Full-time workers did a minimum 40-hour week, with 50 to 60 hours a week being common, particularly in restaurants. Late night working, or until the last customer left, was often expected without extra pay. Some felt that they had no life outside work due to the long hours demanded by the job. In some instances, individuals had several jobs to earn money to support family or send back home. There was low awareness of holiday and leave entitlements. Very few workers received more than the statutory entitlement to four weeksââ¬â¢ holiday. Some reported getting no paid holidays or receiving less than the legal minimum, and there was generally low awareness of holiday entitlement. In small restaurants there was sometimes an informal policy of two weeksââ¬â¢ leave. It was common for workers to have received no written statements of particulars or contracts. This was found among both informally and legitimately employed workers, and was a source of anxiety for several. â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ 1 â⬠¢ There were poor perceptions of job security in the sector. Few workers felt secure in their employment, often feeling they could be sacked on the spot, particularly those working informally. Some longer-term workers in regular employment were aware that increasing use of casual and agency staff meant that their jobs were not secure. Training available to migrant workers, particularly in restaurants, was minimal, usually only in basic health and safety, hygiene or fire procedures. In some hotels, however, managers had recognised the neglect of training in the past and were offering staff the chance to pursue National Vocational Qualifications. â⬠¢ Problems at work â⬠¢ There was a high degree of acceptance of the poor working conditions in the sector among interviewees, with issues such as low pay, long hours, unpaid overtime and poor health and safety standards often not perceived as particular ââ¬Å"problemsâ⬠but rather viewed as the nature of work in the sector. Where problems were identified these related to: pay; long working hours; workload; getting time off; bullying and verbal abuse, including racial harassment; problems getting on with colleagues; English language skills; and theft of property from work. Bullying and verbal abuse was common, particularly in kitchens where chefs were often known as bullies, but this was accepted by some as ââ¬Å"just the mentality of the kitchenâ⬠. Sometimes the abuse had a racial element, with ââ¬Å"bloody foreignerâ⬠used as a term of abuse. Racist abuse from restaurant customers was also regularly suffered by some waiters. In one hotel, several staff had experienced bullying from a manager, resulting in time off sick with stress. Staff believed there was an ulterior motive of trying to get rid of long-serving employees and replacing them with cheaper casual staff. Opportunities for promotion were felt by several interviewees to be inhibited by discrimination on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality or age, as well as the limitations imposed by work permit or visa rules. Some long-term workers felt they had been overlooked for promotion, with their age then compounding the problem as employers looked for younger staff to promote and develop. Where employees saw that they had opportunities to progress, this was due to the support of a manager. Opportunities were further limited by employer presumptions about the suitability of staff for ââ¬Å"front-of-houseâ⬠jobs, such as reception or waiter positions, based on ethnicity, gender and age. Some employers expressed preferences for white staff, or a ââ¬Å"balanceâ⬠of white and non-white front-ofà house staff, on the grounds that it was what their customers wanted. The research found that such racial stereotyping was expressed openly in this sector in a way that may not be acceptable in other sectors. â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ 2 â⬠¢ In the main, interviewees did not raise health and safety concerns when discussing problems at work, reflecting an acceptance of the hazards of this type of work. However many issues did arise during the course of interviews, which included: burns and working in hot kitchens; working in a confined space; back and shoulder pains; and tiredness from long working hours and heavy workload. Often, responsibility for health and safety, such as avoiding burns, was seen as primarily belonging to the employee and not the employer. Most workers believed that little could be done to tackle the problems that they were having at work, or felt that the only solution was to leave the job. A handful of workers had taken action to resolve their problems at work, either by raising concerns with their manager, or seeking outside support or advice. â⬠¢ Support, advice and awareness of rights â⬠¢ Workers felt poorly informed about employment rights in the UK, and had little idea of where to get information if they needed it. Many also were unsure about aspects of their own particular terms and conditions of employment, which was related to a lack of written information. As might be expected, those who had been in the UK for a longer time, and the small number who were members of a trade union, felt better informed about their rights at work. Trade unions had been a valuable source of support for a small number of interviewees, but for most workers, unions simply did not feature in their experience of work. But despite the difficulties of organising in the sector, including high staff turnover, no culture of trade unionism and employers that are hostile to trade unions, union membership was growing in one London hotel and catering branch. This was the result of recruitment campaigns that included information in several languages. Some interviewees either had, or would, seek support from community organisations about problems at work. However, there was a variation in the level of community support available in the three regions, with London and the West Midlands having established organisations representing a variety of ethnic groups, but such structures were much less well developed in the South West. Seeking support and advice through community organisations can also be a double-edged sword for those who work for employers within the same ethnic community, with some fearing that if they sought advice, word would get around and they would have problems getting work in future. Of the small number of workers who had sought support for problems at work, Citizenââ¬â¢s Advice, Acas and a specific project for service workers (no longer in existence) had been used. While a small number were aware of Citizenââ¬â¢s Advice, a couple thought that the service excluded them because of its name, which implied to them that it was for British citizens only. â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ 3 Conclusions and recommendations â⬠¢ While many of the working conditions and problems highlighted in this report are common to workers in the sector, the research found several features that serve to differentiate the experience of ethnic minority and migrant workers: immigration status; working in the informal sector; discrimination in the labour market and employment; and low expectations which increase tolerance of poor working conditions. For ethnic minority and migrant workers the difficulties in raising and resolving problems relate both to their own individual vulnerability and characteristics of work in the sector. Recent migrant workers may have limited English language skills and little or no knowledge of UK employment rights and support structures, factors that compound the difficulties of addressing problems in the sector. These include: the perception that there is a ready supply of labour to replace workers who complain; a lack of union organisation; a culture of poor personnel practice, such as minimal training and provision of information; and the informal nature of much employment obtained by ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector. There appeared also to be a lack of monitoring or enforcement of employersââ¬â¢ compliance with employment legislation in this sector. To understand the different experiences and motivations for ethnic minority and migrant workers working in hotels and restaurants, the research developed a typology of strategies that highlights at one end how some individuals feel they are acting strategically in relation to their work choices, whereas at the other, economic factors and limitations play a greater role in determining their choices. The strategies move from Career progression through Broadening opportunities and Stepping stone to Pragmatic acceptance and No alternative. The research makes a number of recommendations about how the position of this vulnerable group of workers can be improved through better access to employment rights and information, improvements in working conditions and career opportunities, and improved provision of support and advice. â⬠¢ â⬠¢ â⬠¢ 4 1. INTRODUCTION This project, The Experience of Ethnic Minority Workers in the Hotel and Catering Industry: Routes to Support and Advice on Workplace Problems, was funded by the European Social Fund and Acas and carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute, London Metropolitan University between May 2004 and July 2006. The project used qualitative research methods to explore the experiences and problems at work of ethnic minority and migrant workers in hotels and restaurants, with the aim of both identifying the range of experiences and problems encountered, and gaining a greater understanding of access to and use of support and advice to resolve these problems. The research therefore provides evidence of the conditions faced by ethnic minority and migrant workers, which is an area relatively neglected by research so far. Its objective is to inform policy in order to improve good practice in relation to the employment of ethnic minority and migrant workers, to prevent problems from arising, and to improve the support and advice mechanisms available. The key target groups for these research findings and policy objectives are thus employers, statutory bodies, the voluntary sector, trade unions and community groups. 1. 1 Background to the project At the start of the project a working paper (Wright and Pollert, 2005) was prepared to establish the extent of ethnic minority and migrant working in the hotel and restaurant sector, as well as pinpointing the main issues for workers in the sector identified by the existing literature. The working paper is available on the project website1. The paper showed that ethnic minority and migrant workers make up a significant part of the hotel and restaurant workforce ââ¬â almost threefifths (59%) of workers in the sector in London described themselves as other than White British in the 2001 census (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27). Outside of London the picture reflects the differences in the concentration of the ethnic minority population across the UK. In the West Midlands, where 84% of the hotel and restaurant workforce were White British in 2001, the largest other groups were White other (2. 9%), Bangladeshi (2. 3%) and Indian (2. 2%). The sector is a particularly important source of employment for some groups, with 52% of male Bangladeshi workers employed in restaurants, compared to only 1% of white males (Holgate, 2004: 21). In London, migrant workers (those born outside the UK) account for 60% of those employed in the hotel and restaurant sector (GLA, 2005: 68), compared to 31% of all London workers who were born outside the UK. However there have been important changes in the composition of the hotel and restaurant workforce since the 2001 census, with employers filling vacancies in the sector by employing significant numbers of workers from the East European countries that acceded to the EU in 2004 (known as the A8 countries). The government requires nationals of the A8 countries who wish to work in the UK to register with the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS), and Home Office figures show that of the 375,000 workers registered between May 2004 and March 2006, 22% were working in hospitality and catering (80,570 workers) (Home Office, 1 http://www. workinglives. org/HotelCatering. html 5 2006a). There has, however, been a decline in the proportion of WRS applicants in Hospitality and Catering from 31% in the second quarter of 2004, to 18% in the first quarter of 2006, with Administration, Business and Management now employing greater numbers. The highest proportion of all applicants under the scheme were Polish (61%), followed by Lithuanian (12%) and Slovak (10%). The figures also show a movement of registered workers to other parts of the UK than London, with the percentage applying to London falling from 25% in the second quarter of 2004, to 11% in the first quarter of 2006 (Home Office, 2006a). While working conditions in the industry have been well documented as consisting of low pay, low status, exploitation of employees and lack of unionisation (e. g. Gabriel, 1988; Price, 1994; Head and Lucas, 2004; LPC 2005), little has been written in the UK about the actual experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers, with much of the existing literature focusing on management behaviour and strategy (Wright and Pollert, 2005). Some recent exceptions include a study of low pay in London (Evans et al, 2005), which included the hotel and catering industry. This study of 341 randomly selected low paid workers contained 90% who were migrants. Of their sample of hotel and hospitality workers, the largest group (two-fifths) were non-British whites, mainly from Eastern Europe, followed by Africans (24%). It found the lowest rates of pay to be in the hotel and catering sector, below contract cleaning, home care and the food industry. Other recent research has considered the experience of Central and East European migrants in low paid employment in the UK in the context of the A8 countries joining the EU, and covers hospitality, along with construction, agriculture and au pairs (Anderson et al, 2006). It is some 15 years since the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) undertook a formal investigation into recruitment and selection in hotels (CRE, 1991) in response to concern that the sector was failing to consider equal opportunities in employment practices. It found that ethnic minority staff were disproportionately concentrated in unskilled jobs, and found only one ethnic minority manager out of 117 hotels investigated. It made a number of recommendations about how hotels should improve their practices in relation to recruitment, monitoring, positive action and training taking account of equal opportunities issues. However, we have been unable to find evidence of any monitoring or evaluation of whether these recommendations have been heeded or implemented by hotel employers. While knowledge of employment rights among all workers in the UK is poor, it has been shown that vulnerable groups know even less (Pollert, 2005). A random survey of peopleââ¬â¢s awareness of employment rights in the West Midlands found that women, ethnic minorities, young people and the low paid were least likely to be aware of their rights (WMLPU, 2001). The research was undertaken in the context of considerable public debate on migration policy, and at a time when the government was intending to phase out low skilled migration schemes, such as the Sectors Based Scheme, which granted work permits to certain numbers of workers in skills shortage sectors such as hospitality, in the light of new labour available from the European Union (Home Office,2005). At the same time there is increasing concern for ââ¬Å"vulnerableâ⬠workers, and the government has recently published a policy statement on protecting vulnerable workers, defined as ââ¬Å"someone working in an environment where the risk of being denied employment rights is high and who does not have the capacity or means to protect themselves from that abuseâ⬠(DTI, 2006: 25). 6 1. 2 Research aims The research set out to address the following key questions: 1. What are the working conditions of ethnic minority and migrant workers in hotels and restaurants? 2. How are working conditions seen and what are perceived as ââ¬Ëproblemsââ¬â¢, and how does this impact on acceptance of poor working conditions? 3. What type of problems do ethnic minority and migrant workers have working in hotels and restaurants? 4. How do these compare to the problems generally affecting workers in the sector and to what extent are they associated with particular labourmarket niches within the sector to which these workers are confined? If this is so, to what extent is the insecurity of migrant status relevant, or is racial discrimination relevant? 5. How much do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector know about their rights at work, and to what extent do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector attempt to enforce their legal rights at work, or instead try to find ways to achieve a sufficient income and manageable working conditions, even if this means colluding with illegal employment practices? 6. How much do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector know about where to get advice and support for problems at work? And who do they turn to for advice and support? To what extent do ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector use statutory (i.e. Acas, CRE), voluntary (CABx, local advice agencies), trade union, community (groups or informal contacts through ethnic networks) or informal (friends, family) sources of support and advice? 7. What are the experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers in this sector of using all these sources of support and advice and what barriers do they face in accessing support and advice for workplace problems? 1. 3 Structure of the report The report describes the research methodology and access routes, together with the characteristics of the interviewees in section 2. The working conditions experienced by interviewees are described in section 3, confirming evidence from much of the existing literature on the sector, but also highlighting where the experience of ethnic minority and migrant workers may be particular. Section 4 describes the problems encountered by interviewees in their jobs in hotels and restaurants, but also considers the attitude of these workers to defining ââ¬Å"problemsâ⬠at work, as well as their approaches to resolving problems and barriers to resolution. The information, support and advice available to and used by the ethnic minority and migrant workers interviewed is explored in section 5, together with their awareness of employment rights in the UK. 7 In section 6 conclusions are drawn about the specific experiences of ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector, the problems that they face and their need for support and advice, suggesting that changes need to be made to practice within the sector, as well as in improved provision of support to ethnic minority and migrant workers. 8 2. METHODOLOGY The project employed qualitative research methods to gather in-depth accounts of the experiences of 50 ethnic minority and migrant workers. Interviews were carried out between May 2005 and May 2006. In addition, interviews and face-toà face and telephone conversations were held with key informants to provide contextual information on features and trends within the sector affecting ethnic minority and migrant workers. The strengths of using qualitative methods are that they can not only identify tangible issues (the problems themselves, for example), but also more elusive, subjective issues, such as motivation, perceptions of opportunities and of rights, sense of inclusion, integration and fairness ââ¬â or their opposites ââ¬â sense of frustration, alienation and barriers to obtaining support and fairness at work. 2. 1 Regional scope The research project was confined to England within the terms of reference set by the European Social Fund. Three English regions were selected in order to provide a comparison of experiences of migrant and ethnic minority workers: London, the West Midlands and the South West. London and the West Midlands have considerably larger non-white and migrant populations than other parts of the country, with significant numbers of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis working in the hotel and restaurant sector in the West Midlands (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27à 28). In contrast, the South West is the English region with the smallest non-white population, but is experiencing a growth in migrant workers. The problems facing ethnic minority and migrant populations here have been less well documented, but where studies have been done, isolation from ethnic minority communities and support structures emerges as an issue (BMG Research, 2003; Gaine and Lamley, 2003; SWTUC, 2004). Tourism also accounts for 10% of total employment in the South West, with the greatest proportion of these (70%) employed in the hospitality sector ââ¬â accommodation, restaurants, pubs etc. (Tourism Skills Network South West, 2002). In the South West it was decided to focus the research on two towns with a large tourist population and therefore a high demand for a hotel and restaurant workforce: Bournemouth and Plymouth. The Human Resources manager of a Bournemouth hotel group, interviewed for this research, said that only 32% of their workforce was British, indicating a high reliance on foreign-born workers. 2. 2 Definitions of ethnic minority and migrant workers The research includes both ââ¬Å"ethnic minorityâ⬠and ââ¬Å"migrantâ⬠workers, categories which, in real life, are complex, changing and overlapping. Some ethnic minorities (using the Labour Force Survey definitions) will also be migrants. Migrants (defined here as all those who were born outside the UK, Home Office, 2002) may or may not be defined as ethnic minorities, and may or may not be discriminated against. White Australian or Canadian migrant workers, for example, would not be. But Kosovan people may be regarded as ethnic minorities, and suffer racism and discrimination, and Czech or Polish people may or may not be discriminated against, and while they may not be ââ¬Å"visibleâ⬠in terms of skin colour, in the way black and Asian people are, they are ââ¬Å"visibleâ⬠in terms of language, cultural characteristics, and discrimination. As many ââ¬Å"whiteâ⬠Eastern Europeans are now 9 working in the hotel and restaurant sector, particularly since the EU enlargement in May 2004, it was felt to be important to include their experiences in the study. 2. 3 Access to research participants In order to include the experience of a broad range of interviewees from different ethnic groups and backgrounds, including both recent and more settled ethnic minorities, it was decided to use multiple routes to access interviewees. Therefore a range of bodies were contacted, many with a twofold purpose of: a) providing contextual information about the sector and/or the experiences of particular ethnic groups; and b) helping gain access to research participants. Organisations contacted included trade unions, community and worker organisations, sector bodies, employers and statutory and advice agencies (see Appendix 2). In the South West, where there are fewer organised community groups than in the two other regions, we spoke to officers at Bournemouth Borough Council, who gave us informal contacts within the main local ethnic minority communities, as well as putting us in contact with several community interpreters who spoke the main languages of the local ethnic minority groups: Portuguese, Korean, Turkish, Bengali and Spanish. These routes proved very useful in helping to access research participants and in providing interpretation for interviews. However, in the end, Turkish and Bangladeshi workers were reluctant to come forward to be interviewed, which the interpreters said was because they were fearful of speaking out about their employers, despite reassurances of confidentiality. In all three areas we used fieldworkers who were able to use their language skills to carry out interviews in workersââ¬â¢ native languages, namely Bengali, Spanish, Polish, Lithuanian and Mandarin. The fieldworkers were also able to provide access to workers who may not have come forward otherwise, being people who were known and trusted among their own ethnic communities, or who were able to provide sufficient reassurance of confidentiality. Training was provided in using the interview guide to all fieldworkers to ensure a common approach was used in interviews and that fieldworkers understood the aims and objectives of the research. While the approach used provided access to workers in a wide range of establishments,from large hotel groups to small independent restaurants, including several working ââ¬Ëillegallyââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëinformallyââ¬â¢, we acknowledge that using such routes could not access the most hard-to-reach illegal migrant and ethnic minority workers, who may constitute a considerable proportion of workers in the sector. The research may not fully represent the worst conditions found in the ââ¬Ëunderbellyââ¬â¢ of the sector as suffered by many ââ¬Ëillegalââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëundocumentedââ¬â¢ migrants, as portrayed, for example, in Steven Frearââ¬â¢s 2002 film about a London hotel, Dirty Pretty Things. It was decided not only to seek out interviewees who perceived themselves as having had a ââ¬Å"problemâ⬠at work, but a range of people in different jobs in the sector, in order to explore their typical work experiences and their attitudes towards ââ¬Å"problemsâ⬠and conditions in the sector. 10 2. 4 Key informants In addition to the worker interviews, at least 20 key informants (see Appendix 2) provided further context on the hotel and restaurant sector, including regional knowledge. These included employers and employer representative bodies, trade union officials and branch members, community organisations, representatives of sector bodies and statutory and voluntary organisations. In some cases in-depth interviews were carried out, and in others more informal conversations were held either face-to-face or on the telephone. 2. 5 Worker interviews A total of 50 in-depth qualitative interviews were carried out in the three regions, with a greater number in London due to the huge range of ethnic minority and migrant workers in the sector in the capital. The breakdown was as follows: Table 1: Worker interviews by region Region London South West West Midlands Total % 46% 24% 30% 100% No. of worker interviews 23 12 15 50 during the interviews, which and a half. Participants were of both themselves and their participation with a ? 10 shop A semi-structured interview schedule was used generally lasted between 45 minutes to an hour assured of confidentiality, and of the anonymity employer. They were thanked for their time and voucher. At the start of the interview, participants were asked to complete a two-page questionnaire giving basic demographic and employment details, data from which is provided in the following section. 2. 5. 1 Ethnicity Respondents were asked to describe their ethnicity, according to the classification used in the 2001 Census. The results are grouped together in table 2. Table 2: Ethnicity of the sample Ethnicity White Bangladeshi and Pakistani Chinese and Other Asian Black Mixed % 36% 26% 20% 16% 2% No. of interviewees 18 13 10 8 1 11 2. 5. 2 Country of birth Table 3 shows the range of countries from which interviewees came. It was notable that only one participant was born in the UK, despite attempts to find British-born ethnic minority workers in the sector. Both fieldworkers and interviewees themselves commented that many British-born people do not wish to work in a sector that is known for low pay and long hours, including the children of migrants interviewed, as they seek better alternative employment opportunities (some young British-born workers do work in the sector while they are students, but tend to do so for only a short time). Table 3: Country of birth Country of birth Bangladesh China Colombia France Ghana Holland Indonesia Ivory coast Korea Lithuania Philippines Poland Portugal Slovakia Somalia Spain Sudan Turkey UK Ukraine 2. 5. 3 Gender Women are under-represented in the sample (38% of interviewees) compared to their presence in the sector as a whole, but this reflects the fact that the sample includes a substantial number of Bangladeshi workers, who represent a significant group in the sector in the West Midlands, and most of these workers are male (Wright and Pollert, 2005: 27-28). 2. 5. 4 Age Only one interviewee was under 21 years old. Almost two-fifths (38%) were aged 21 to 30 years old, and the same proportion were between 31 and 40 years old. Six interviewees (12%) were aged 41 to 50, and five (10%) were between 51 to 60. None of the interviewees were aged over 60. 2. 5. 5 Education Overall the sample was fairly highly educated, with 36% having a first stage or higher degree. Another 10% had post-secondary non-tertiary level education, and 36% had received education up to secondary level, while 12% had received. % 24% 10% 6% 2% 4% 2% 2% 2% 6% 8% 2% 4% 4% 6% 6% 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% No. of interviewees 12 5 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 4 1 2 2 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 12 primary level education or less. A further 6% had other qualifications or the details of their education were not known. 2. 5. 6 Employment The majority (62%) of the interviewees worked in restaurants, while 30% worked in hotels. The remaining 8% either worked in both hotels and restaurants, as agency workers, or in catering services. More than half of respondents (54%) said there were 10 or fewer employees where they worked. A further 22% said there were between 11 and 25 people where they worked. Only 6% worked for employers with between 26 to 49 people and 10% said there were 50 or more employees where they worked. However these figures should be treated with caution, and may underestimate the number working for larger employers, as respondents may have interpreted the questions as referring to the workplace or department of the hotel where they worked, rather than the employer as a whole. Almost half the interviewees (48%) worked as waiters or waitresses, either in hotels or restaurants. Another 20% were chefs or cooks, and a further 4% worked in kitchens as general assistants. 12% said they were supervisors or managers and 4% described themselves as cashiers. Another 10% worked in other jobs in hotels as receptionist, general assistant or porter/bar worker. The majority of workers were full-time (70%), while 14% said they worked parttime, and 14% were casual workers. Working hours were long. The largest proportion (40%) worked over 40 hours per week ââ¬â 10% worked between 41 and 48 hours, while almost a third (30%) said they worked over 48 hours a week. Just over a third (36%) worked between 21 and 40 hours a week. Only 6% did less than 20 hours a week. The majority (82%) had only one job at the time of the interview, with 18% having two or more jobs. However, some of those currently working in only one jo.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay Example for Free
How Social Networks and Social Media Create and Support a Learning Organization Essay A Learning Organization is a culture that nurtures learning. As such, processes encourage interaction. The entire infrastructure is one that prioritizes interaction that facilities learning. Creativity and problem solving techniques are inherent in learning organization and the appropriate skills and motivation are available for the learning organization to strive (Background Information, Module 3). When we consider social networks and social media, we can be left wondering if communication can truly be at the optimal level through social networks and social media. The reality is that technology and the communication that is embedded in it is growing exponentially. The concept of social learning has roots in a social constructivist approach, where learning is a self-directed, problem-based, and collaborative process (Bang and Dalsgaard, 2006). Through involvement in activities, learners must attempt to solve a problem according to their own process. Now, this may seem simple if learners were physically amongst each other to share the processes. However, the social networks and social media do allow for a very supporting learning environment. One thing that should be understood is that although there is a plethora of technological resources available, individuals must be able to tap into these resources in order to make use of social networks and social media to then, support a learning environment. Resources are information assets: media, people, places, or ideas. However, such resources are not learning materials until learners actively use them (Hannafin, Land, and Oliver 1999, p. 119). The internet, as a technological platform is a prime example of collaboration at itsââ¬â¢ best. In his Techlearning blog of March 5, 2008, Steve Hargadon identified trends spurred on by the ââ¬Å"two-wayâ⬠nature of the Internet. These are trends that have significant impact on learning and education. According to Hargadon, there is a ââ¬Å"new publishing revolutionâ⬠arising from a shift in content creation for the Internet. At first, the Internet was a one-directional presentation medium where users received and read passively. Now the Internet is becoming an interactive platform, also known as Web 2. 0, based on contribution and collaboration. Blogs, wikis, file sharing, social networking, and other forms are revolutionizing how we create online content. In his blog entry, Hargadon discussed how he replies to questions that people ask about content overload. His response reflects how social networking and social learning flow into one another naturally, as social constructivism suggests they will. He said, ââ¬Å"It is in the act of our becoming a creator that our relationship with content changes, and we become more engaged and more capable at the same time. â⬠In other words, by participating we learn to become. Touro University boasts the Threaded Discussion Forum, which allows at onesââ¬â¢ fingertips the ability to communicate in the convenience of oneââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ own time and place, as well as the response of back and forth communication of their classmates and professors. Students can then ââ¬Å"blogâ⬠or communicate through other platforms like Skype. ââ¬Å"Virtuallyâ⬠the only missing ingredient in all of the communication forums technology has to offer is the personal face to face where we are physically there to communicate with one another. One can argue that such spatial communication really do not add anything unique to what can be facilitated virtually. Other companies are likewise making strides in this direction. Microsoft offers its Office-based sharing technology, SharePoint. IBM implemented the use of blogs (26,000 registered), wikis (100,000 users), social bookmarking (DogEar), and social networking tools in their organization. IBM even owns 50 islands on Second Life for use in orientations, classes, and meetings! Change is inevitable. We see that technology continues to evolve, along with how people connect and contribute to the creation of content within virtual communities. We either adapt, or fall behind. In his January, 2008 paper, David Wilkins explores the importance of supporting social networks in the workplace, or ââ¬Å"Workplace Communities. â⬠Wilkins reviews social learning on the job in terms of improving employee development, performance, and growth, as well as its effect on workplace innovation. Wilkins shows a number of ways in which workplace communities support employee development, performance, and growth. They provide a mechanism for apprenticeship models, connecting less-skilled workers with their more experienced colleagues through social networking technologies. Communities can add an ââ¬Å"Ask an Expertâ⬠feature to their network, to make it possible to leverage the expertise of individuals or groups. This forum echoes the Touro experience as professors respond to our Threaded Discussions, never in an evaluative manner, but in a way in which a professional and friendly dialogue is encouraged. Communities foster ownership of learning, according to Wilkins. The social aspect of communities can facilitate the ââ¬Å"meetingâ⬠of content consumers with content producers through social networking. This social aspect of content provides an avenue for additional social networking and mentoring opportunities, and further empowers the workforce by providing opportunities for them [the consumers] to contribute, resulting in significant increases in the volume of content. This has the dual benefit of helping with both retention and productivity, while also moving the organization toward a deeper, more ingrained use of learning and knowledge. â⬠(Wilkins, p. 6) Communities allow for the generation of a range of content types that appeal to different learning styles, levels, and objectives. Online resources include blogs and wikis, audio, and video. They may also include traditional learning courses and materials, and typical Office documents. Through sharing information, the workplace community provides access to immediate, relevant, and appropriate content suited to the needs of the individual. An extension of traditional training and development modes, communities offer a fluid way to support employee performance development and efficiency. Success requires free flow of ideas, and support by stakeholders, for communication between networks. It takes time to establish these conditions, and a carefully thought-out plan is essential. Indeed, a learning organization can thrive with the utilization of social networks and social media. These are convenient for everyone and are conducted in ways that are perhaps even more powerful, productive, positive, and as simple than face to face platforms. Certainly, the convenience and quality I have received within the on-line learning organization is top-notch, and great enough for me to dismiss any idea of traditional places of learning. Without the technology, individuals will truly be left behind as the technological race pushes forward. Reference http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html
Railroad Westward Expansion from 1860 to 1890
Railroad Westward Expansion from 1860 to 1890 The history of America is grounded in the concepts of immigration, expansion, and economic empowerment. European settlers along the East Coast developed a new doctrine called the manifest destiny that would guide their path. This ideology posited that the United States was destined to expand across the continent, displacing the indigenous communities. The project to join the East and West Coast was pursued on different fronts. Development of the railroad network spearheaded the process as it opened up new lands, connected major cities, and also enabled agricultural and economic growth (Borneman 14). The railroad not only served as a means of transport but also marked the route for the dissemination of inventions, culture, and knowledge gained over the years. Although the railroad is mainly recognized for enabling agriculture, transport, and industrialization, it also played a significant role in facilitating administration. The settlers often faced violent resistance from the natives (Wolmar 18). In fact, several Red Indian communities openly attacked and even sabotaged settler activities to scatter the expansion. Thus, there was a need to set down rules of engagement (Wilhelm 40). The railroad played its role by opening up transportation into the interior allowing for the colonizers to establish administrative frameworks. Mapping out the rail routes also required collaboration with the native tribes. Therefore, settlers negotiated and signed treaties with native chiefs in their respective territories. For instance, the native tribes of Osage, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Pawnee occupied the plains of Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska. The government negotiated a battery of treaties largely dealing with the transfer of land either of settlement o r rail tracks. Famous ones include the Sturges Osage (1868) and Drum Creek Treaties among others (Wilhelm 46). After signing the agreements, administrative posts would be established mainly along the railroads. With time, the posts turned into settlements and small towns. These small rural towns served by the railroad attracted increasingly larger populations that transformed them into cultural hotspots and centers of learning (Hagger 29). Around the 1870s, Cincinnati and St. Louis had attracted a significant population including workers and farmers (PBS Map). Individuals from different cultural backgrounds mingled and interacted to form a unique culture. Various types of food, music, folklore, literature, language, dressing, farming, buildings, and relationships all combined to create the American identity. By 1890, over ten cities with populations of over 100, 000 people had emerged on the westward expansion route along the railway tracks (PBS Map). Cities also served by waterways experienced more rapid growth economically and population-wise (Borneman 191). With time, these cities and rail transport became core elements of the American identity. The westward expansion also tallied with increased agricultural and industrial inventions. Some of the key discoveries in the century included the reaper (invented 1831), the combine harvester (1834), and the steel plow (1837). These implements were essential to agriculture and allowed the expansion of the railroad to spread and disseminate the technology. For instance, the McCormicks reaper was bulky and required to be transported from Virginia where it was manually assembled into the farmlands located further westward in the states of Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Ohio (Borneman 119). Railroads offered the best method to transport them. Increased agricultural output resulting from the enhanced technology further increased transportation needs. Laying rail tracks was considerably cheaper than digging out roads and or water canals (Wolmar 14). As such, inventions and railroads had a mutual relationship in that the new creations distributed by the railroad further increase d demand for transportation. Furthermore, increased agricultural production spurred invention of more efficient industrial processes to serve the growing masses. This necessitated the railroad to connect not only major farming areas that supplied raw materials but also industrial cities. Many industries in the food processing sector would emerge driven by inventions in that direction. The mass production of steel, glass and other products stimulated other industries. For instance, availability of steel allowed for new approaches in architectural designs, more so, in multi-story buildings. Buildings such as the Trinity Church in Boston and the Philadelphia City Hall were designed and constructed in the 1870s. The railroads allowed for convenient transportations of construction materials such as steel and bricks. Consequently, inventions in the architectural industry and building and construction would follow the rail tracks westward. Although New York introduced the skyscrapers, the invention would be mastered in Chicago in the 1880s and 90s led by pioneer architects such as William L. Jenney (1832-1907) and Daniel H. Burnham (1846-1912) at the Chicago College of Architecture and the Arts (Hagger 101). As the rail extended further westward, so did the skyscraper design. By 1890s, other cities such as St Louis and San Francisco had their skyscrapers as the railroad connected the East and West Coasts. To summarize, one can say that the railroad has played an integral part in the growth of America. Specifically, between 1869 and 1890, it hastened the westward expansion that allowed the creation of more settlements in the Midwestern plains all through to the West Coast. The rail route also served a significant role in designating administrative posts and even urban settlements that later evolved into the major cities. The majority of the factors that make America what it is today including technology, democracy, and a vibrant culture can all be linked to the railroad network created by the westward expansion policy. Word count: 870 Works Cited Borneman, Walter, Iron Horses: Americas Race to Bring the Railroads West. Newà York: Little Borneman. 2014. Print. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=R0oeAwAAQBAJlpg=PP1dq=Americas%20Race%20to%20Bring%20the%20Railroads%20Westpg=PT20#v=onepageqf=false Hagger, Nicholas, The Secret American Dream: The Creation of a New World Order with theà Power to Abolish War, Poverty, and Disease. New York: Duncan Baird. 2013. Print.à PBS Map, Westward Expansion 1860-1890. WGBH Educational Foundation. 2010.à https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/akh10_int_expansion/. Accessed.à 23 Feb. 2017. Wilhelm, Robert, The Bloody Century: True Tales of Murder in 19th Century America. Nightà Stick Press. 2014. Print. Wolmar, Christian, The Great Railroad Revolution: The History of Trains in America. Newà York: Public Affairs. 2013. Print.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
The Life and Times of Johannes Kepler :: Essays Papers
The Life and Times of Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler, was a German astronomer and natural philosopher, noted for formulating and verifying the three laws of planetary motion. These laws are now known as Kepler's laws. Johannes Kepler was born in Weil der Stadt in Swabia, in southwest Germany. From 1574 to 1576 Johannes lived with his grandparents; in 1576 his parents moved to nearby Leonberg, where Johannes entered the Latin school. In 1584 he entered the Protestant seminary at Adelberg, and in 1589 he began his university education at the Protestant university of Tà ¼bingen. Here he studied theology and read widely. He passed the M.A. examination in 1591 and continued his studies as a graduate student. There he was influenced by a mathematics professor, Michael Maestlin, an adherent of the heliocentric theory of planetary motion first developed by the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. Kepler accepted Copernican theory immediately, believing that the simplicity of Copernican planetary ordering must have been God's plan. In 1594 Kepler accepted an appointment as professor of mathematics at the Protestant seminary in Graz in the Austrian province of Styria. He was also appointed district mathematician and calendar maker. For six years, Kepler taught, geometry, Virgil, arithmetic, and rhetoric. There he worked out a complex geometric hypothesis to account for distances between the planetary orbits-orbits that he mistakenly assumed were circular. Kepler then proposed that the sun emits a force that diminishes inversely with distance and pushes the planets around in their orbits. Kepler published his account in a thesis entitled Mysterium Cosmographicum (ââ¬Å"Cosmographic Myster yâ⬠) in 1596. This work is significant because it presented the first comprehensive and logical account of the geometrical advantages of Copernican theory. Kepler held the chair of astronomy and mathematics at Graz University from 1594 until 1600. Because of his talent as a mathematician, displayed in his thesis, Kepler was invited by Tycho Brahe to Prague to become his assistant and calculate new orbits for the planets from Tycho's observations. Kepler moved to Prague in 1600. Kepler served as Tycho Brahe's assistant until the Braheââ¬â¢s death. On the death of Brahe in 1601, Kepler assumed his position as imperial mathematician and court astronomer to Rudolf II, Holy Roman emperor. In 1609 his Astronomia Nova (ââ¬Å"New Astronomyâ⬠) appeared, which contained his first two laws: planets move in elliptical orbits with the sun as one of the laws, and a planet sweeps out equal areas in equal times.
Monday, August 19, 2019
A Theological Response to Natural Suffering :: Earthquake Religion Suffering God Papers
A Theological Response to Natural Suffering In his book, The Sacred Canopy, Peter Berger asserts that ``Religion has played a strategic part in the human enterprise of world building,`` and `` implies the farthest reach of his ( man`s) infusion of reality with his own meaning.`` (Berger, 1967, 27) Thus, theology, another term for religion, is the foundation of human sense of the meaning of life and closely related to our daily life. The 921 earthquake occured on September 21, 1999 that caused the most serious damage in Taiwan since 1935. Besides the 921 earthquake, there have been many other earthquakes and typhoons in Taiwan that have caused a great deal of loss of lives and properties. How do these people sense the meaning of the suffering in their lives? How does theology give them the appropriate answers to help them to deal with their suffering? These issues are the ministry of theology. The purpose of this project is to examine natural suffering through the understanding of the earthquake and the various perspectives of the suffering and its relationship with the Ultimate Reality, God. The goal is to identify an appropriate explanation of natural suffering and to help those suffering to heal, undergo personal transformation, and start new lives. The September 21, 1999 Earthquake Basic facts about the 921 earthquake At 1:47 on the morning of September 21,1999, Dr. Tsai, the president of Puli Christian hospital, drove on the road back to Puli. Twenty seconds after he passed a tunnel, he felt the vibration of the highway. When he turned his head, he found the tunnel he had just passed had collapse, and the crack of the road before almost made him loose control of his car. It was a strong earthquake that slammed the central area of Taiwan. The earthquake was measured 7.3 on the Richter scale. During the earthquake, the people of the entire island felt the shaking of earth beneath them and the building for a few minutes. In Nanto, the area of the epicenter, almost all of the buildings collapsed. In Taichung, a close metropolis, many buildings collapsed or bent. For the rest of the night, all the people in Taiwan were in the terror from numerous aftershocks. According to one citizen`s description, although the building she lived in was not damaged, her family slept in their car all night for fear that their home would collapse in the next aftershock.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Celeron or Pentium II? :: Research Papers
Celeron or Pentium II? The computer industry is flourishing because of the advent of new, powerful processors. Recently, Intel Corp. released its Pentium II-450 MHz chip: the fastest processor on the planet. But because the chip is overpriced, Intel is also marketing the downgraded version of a PII, the inexpensive Celeron-333 which has a 128K cache compared to the PIIââ¬â¢s 512K cache. To potential computer buyers, this situation presents a dilemma because they must decide whether to opt for price (i.e. buy the Celeron) or speed (i.e. buy the PII-450). In an attempt to answer this question, Lincoln Spector of PC World and Christopher Yates of PC Week analyze the two chips in their articles entitled "Double Feature" and "Intel Celeron Cache in With New Power," published in October and August of 1998 respectively. In this paper, a rhetorical and discourse analysis will be performed on the two articles to examine the similar and different strategies used by Spector and Yates in presenting their argum ents. The strategies will determine which article is more convincing. Since the articles are present in magazines that pertain to the genre of computer and computer writing, it is first also necessary to analyze the genre. Comparing and contrasting the magazines can obtain an introduction to the way material is presented and organized. The criteria for the analysis include the types of articles present in the magazines. In addition, analyzing the sources of evidence used to support the claims can provide crucial information to the kinds of appeals (i.e. logos, ethos, or pathos) used by the authors writing in the genre of computer writing. Other similar factors such as article length, ads, and the advertisers can also be examined. But the demographic data of the magazines is of utmost importance because it describes the audience and thus, defines the way authors write for their audience. PC World and PC Week have a circulation of 1,125,000 and 305,443 respectively. The former is published monthly and the latter is printed weekly. Eighty-eight percent of the audience of PC World is male and the remainder is female, with ages ranging from 25 to 54 years. Thirteen percent of both magazines' readers are employed by the computer industry, while 59% of PC World's compared to 13% of PC Week's readers work in some sort of management (SRDS 445). Celeron or Pentium II? :: Research Papers Celeron or Pentium II? The computer industry is flourishing because of the advent of new, powerful processors. Recently, Intel Corp. released its Pentium II-450 MHz chip: the fastest processor on the planet. But because the chip is overpriced, Intel is also marketing the downgraded version of a PII, the inexpensive Celeron-333 which has a 128K cache compared to the PIIââ¬â¢s 512K cache. To potential computer buyers, this situation presents a dilemma because they must decide whether to opt for price (i.e. buy the Celeron) or speed (i.e. buy the PII-450). In an attempt to answer this question, Lincoln Spector of PC World and Christopher Yates of PC Week analyze the two chips in their articles entitled "Double Feature" and "Intel Celeron Cache in With New Power," published in October and August of 1998 respectively. In this paper, a rhetorical and discourse analysis will be performed on the two articles to examine the similar and different strategies used by Spector and Yates in presenting their argum ents. The strategies will determine which article is more convincing. Since the articles are present in magazines that pertain to the genre of computer and computer writing, it is first also necessary to analyze the genre. Comparing and contrasting the magazines can obtain an introduction to the way material is presented and organized. The criteria for the analysis include the types of articles present in the magazines. In addition, analyzing the sources of evidence used to support the claims can provide crucial information to the kinds of appeals (i.e. logos, ethos, or pathos) used by the authors writing in the genre of computer writing. Other similar factors such as article length, ads, and the advertisers can also be examined. But the demographic data of the magazines is of utmost importance because it describes the audience and thus, defines the way authors write for their audience. PC World and PC Week have a circulation of 1,125,000 and 305,443 respectively. The former is published monthly and the latter is printed weekly. Eighty-eight percent of the audience of PC World is male and the remainder is female, with ages ranging from 25 to 54 years. Thirteen percent of both magazines' readers are employed by the computer industry, while 59% of PC World's compared to 13% of PC Week's readers work in some sort of management (SRDS 445).
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Hunting laws essay Essay
Why are people likely to break hunting laws, whereas the people with the license are the ones that suffer? Over the years people have violated hunting laws. There has been little research for motivations for poaching. Illegal taking of wildlife is a serious problem in todayââ¬â¢s society. Questions such as these prompted are discussed in the two following articles: ââ¬Å"Illegal Hunting and Angling the Neutralization of Wildlife,â⬠by Stephen L. Eliason, and an article by Bob Hood ââ¬Å"Rules of the Game. â⬠At first it may appear that only way these two writers might meet inà common ground would be in a head on collision. Nevertheless after reading their articles more carefully, one can realize that Eliason and Hood are actually saying two different things. Initially, these articles seem to be very little in common. Although their titles, for example, convey the same image: Eliasons aggressive ââ¬Å"Illegal Hunting and Angling the Neutralization of Wildlifeâ⬠versus Hoods passive ââ¬Å"Rules of the Game. â⬠Their subject matters and these authors reasons for writing make them very dissimilar, Eliason states how the very impactà of poaching has affected our society by contrast Hood is merely stating the facts of our local Texas game laws. Between Eliasons use of his method of trying to inform the reader what poaching can do and Hoods general statements on how to follow Texas game warden laws, readers have difficulty recognizing a neutral meeting ground between these persistent writers. Villasenor 2 This strong insistence by each writer that hunting laws should be followed, however, helps the readers see the two differences between these two articles. For both authors, the proposition that ââ¬Å"hunting laws should be followedâ⬠is their way of trying to reach out to the general public. For instance Hood states local Texas hunting laws and gives you basic information on how they should be followed. Eliason however is stating on how poaching affects the country as a whole and has enough data and facts to prove his cause. Regarding the similar topic though, we find Hood and Eliason expressing very different views. According to Hood he is stating the dos and donââ¬â¢ts every hunter should know beforeà hinting predators and non-game animals. Eliason cites a much more informative article stating the affects of the ecological impact of poaching and much more evidence to support his view point. Although Eliason and Hood write about the differences in hunting laws, readers can not see a common ground. Upon close analysis, their articles reveal more then several points of dissimilarity. Both writers have two totally different viewpoints about hunting laws. Readers can recognize that Eliasons and Hoods statements prove to be different.
Friday, August 16, 2019
The Mexican & American Economy
Growth has slowed considerably in early 2001 in response to the hard downturn in the US economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2001 is forecast to slow to 2%, from 6.9% in 2000. A rebound of growth in 2002 will depend on an upturn in the U.S. economy and continued conventional economic management. A tightening of monetary policy should enable inflation to fall to under 7% by the end of 2001. With hopes in 2002 of a further reduction in inflation, provided the peso depreciates gradually. The first year of the Fox administration, combined both the fiscal and monetary tightening that will characterize the administration, this will limit GDP growth to only 2% in 2001. A pick-up in growth to 4.5% can be forecast for 2002 as private consumption and export-oriented industrial output rebound with the beginning of a turnaround in the US economy. A sharper slowdown than currently forecast is possible if the US economy goes into recession. A slowing domestic economy, combined with tight monetary and fiscal policy, will ensure that inflation continues to fall in 2001-02, although not as quickly as officials have targeted. With inflation already at single-digit levels and the peso likely to depreciate during the next year, further large reductions in inflation will be difficult to achieve. To reach its inflation target of 6.5% for 2001, Banxico will have to tighten monetary policy again following several tightening moves over the past 12 months. Even considering a relatively tight fiscal deficit target ceiling of 0.6% of GDP, year-end inflation will probably be around 7.5% in 2001 and about 5% in 2002. Positive investor sentiment towards Mexico, fuelled by expectations of an investment upgrade, has resulted in a strengthening of the peso in 2001. However, with the trade deficit widening on the back of the US slowdown and a possible cooling of sentiment towards Mexico, the peso seems bound for depreciation against the US dollar of more than 10% in total during 2001-02. The depreciation would be more severe except for rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (the US central bank), which began in January and are likely to continue during the year in reaction to a slowing US economy. Both exports and imports will grow at a much slower rate in 2001-02 than in the previous two years, reflecting a slowdown in the US economy as well as in domestic demand. Mexican exporters are facing an unfavorable environment for their products for the first time since the beginning of NAFTA in 1994. In 2000 growth in the import bill outstripped export earnings growth, a trend that will continue into the next year. Were the peso to depreciate more suddenly than currently forecast, export earnings growth could trend higher than import growth, resulting in a downward revision of the forecast for the current-account deficit. If the peso depreciates as expected, the current-account deficit will widen in 2001 and will further expand in 2002.
Coca Cola in India
Cultural Impact on Business: A Case Study on Coca Colaââ¬â¢s Cultural Issues in India admin August 20, 2012 Blog No comments Socio Cultural barriers faced by coca cola in India Coca ââ¬â cola, the worldââ¬â¢s largest selling soft drink company had established its strong presence in the world since 1886. Coca-Cola is the first international soft drink brand to enter the Indian market in the early 1970ââ¬â¢s. Till 1977 Coca-Cola was the leading brand in India; later, due to FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act), they left India and didnââ¬â¢t return till 1993.Coca-Cola had to face many issues regarding its quality, resource exploitation and market exploitation along with price-quality trade-offs. People all over India are challenging Coca-Cola for its abuse of water resource. Coca-Cola had affected both quality and quantity of ground water. Due to its waste extracts, Coca-Cola was criticized for polluting the nearby fresh water and ground water and soil; because of thi s issue, farmers are suffering from water scarcity. Despite all these social and cultural issues, customers are using Coca-Cola due to its strong brand reputation all over the world.This is because Indians are now using more soft drinks and the youngsters are more in this category. However, with many studies and policy changes, Coca-Cola will be able to establish its brand reputation and increase its market share in the near future. This report is prepared from an organizational point of view. The point here is to prepare a report from a consultant point of view, as Coca-Cola has hired us to do a market study and analysis on the cultural factors the company is envisaged to face in the Indian Market.Read further to gain better understanding about the impact of culture on business processes and activities, and also on the business performance. 2. TERMS OF REFERENCE? Our company is the leading consultant in India which focuses on Indian market studies. We conduct market surveys on comp anies and their products. We do market survey based on the present and future market situations. We help our client to have a proper stand in Indian market against their competitors, and help them with strategies to enter the market, market segmentation, product segmentation and sales techniques.It is possible by analyzing the past and present conditions of the company, and by learning their past actions in the society and the economy.? Our client is of United States origin which is a leading soft drink company in entire world. Coca-Cola has got a strong brand image through out the world. Our client is the first company which introduced soft drinks in the world. Public has already accepted its taste and quality all over the world.? Our client would like to know about the present condition of Indian market so tat they can start their business according to that.They also want to know about the culture of the Indian people to know about their consuming nature. The client needs to know whether they can survive in Indian market and what are the drawbacks that they may envisage during their operations in India and that they should consider before starting up the business in India. 3. CURRENT SCENARIO? There has been a great competition between refreshment drinks in Indian market. Coca-Cola is the worldââ¬â¢s largest and first soft drink manufacturer. As part of the Globalization program, India has made it easy for multinational companies to enter the Indian market.Globalization has made the whole world into one market by reducing the trade barriers and minimizing the risk. It is noticeable that many multinational companies had failed in Indian market. This failure is mainly due to improper knowledge about the country and the national culture. It is very important to know about the people and their consuming behavior. Culture plays an important role in consuming behavior. Coca-Cola is mainly associated to the issues related to the brand, reputation and Corporate S ocial Responsibility (CSR).?Present situation of the country is favorable for multinational companies to start their business in India. As we had already seen that Coca-Cola is the largest selling soft drink in the world, they do have direct opportunities in the Indian market. Even though it is facing some social problem in India, Coca-Cola has got good market in India. The main target customers are youth who has already accepted the taste of the drink.? Coca-Cola should give more importance for the culture of the people because culture is a major element which decides the consumer behavior and purchasing patterns.India is a country where people are keener towards the culture. Considering Geert Hofstedââ¬â¢s cultural dimensions here in this case, it is clear that, uncertainty avoidance India is less and people are not so flexible to adopt the sudden changes. In India uncertainty avoidance is indexed at 50, which shows that people are sensitive and emotional towards exploitation a nd invasions from other people or culture; so that before entering to the Indian market, it would be a good strategy to avoid such issues by planning the re-entry as a step by step process.According to Geert Hofstede (2001), ââ¬Å"culture is the collective programming of human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values. â⬠It is quite understood from the bellow given chart that the US and Indian culture had got vast difference. So it is not easy to cop up with the Indian market. Therefore, it is important to have a detailed analysis on Indian market so that they can initiate a fail proof and systematic market entry.Source: Geert Hofstedeââ¬â¢s Cultural Dimensions? 4. ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION? The present situation can be analyzed by SWOT analysis which clearly shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats which the client is envisaged to meet. India is a country wh ere the cultural diversity and linguistic differences make it difficult to identify how the company is going to be traded while they enter the Indian market. Indians are those who give more value to trust , value, quality and so on.Therefore, it is very important that they should give importance for Price, Quality and Quantity; which means, Indian consumers have more purchasing power for products like high level of quality with less price; therefore, it is clearly states that the company should not entertain any price quality trade-offs in Indian market.? The below section explains the SWOT analysis of the company. The analysis shows where the company is more powerful in the market compared to its competitors and where it is week and how to improvise them to get more market share in present market.? 4. 1. STRENGTH? â⬠¢ Reputed brand? Global brand recognition? â⬠¢ Bottling system? â⬠¢ Technological advancement? â⬠¢ Efficient management system? â⬠¢ Good marketing k nowledge 4. 2. WEEKNESS? â⬠¢ Lack of knowledge about Indian culture in detail? â⬠¢ Uncertainty avoidance? â⬠¢ Lack of marketing expertise in the Indian conditions? â⬠¢ Hazardous by products and health issues? â⬠¢ Facing issues with water exploitation and resource exploitation all over the world 4. 3. OPPORTUNITIES? â⬠¢ Huge market? â⬠¢ Advancement in technology? â⬠¢ Growing Indian market? â⬠¢ Good brand name? â⬠¢ International trade barriers has been reduced? â⬠¢ Youngstersââ¬â¢ tendency to adapt to the western culture 4. . THREATS? â⬠¢ Threat of substitutes? â⬠¢ Health consciousness of Indian consumers? â⬠¢ Cultural habits? â⬠¢ Price war? â⬠¢ Unstable political condition? â⬠¢ Uncertainty avoidance? â⬠¢ Difference in management styles? â⬠¢ Indian tendency to avoid foreign products The above mentioned are the strengths, weaknesses, Opportunities and threats of Coca-Colaââ¬â¢s operations in India. It is very clear from this SWOT analysis that there is good opportunity for Coca-Cola in Indian market because most Indians have accepted the taste, so that it is very easy to penetrate the market and to earn more market share in the Indian market.However, this needs to have clear cut ideas about promotion techniques and public relation activities since the competitors have strong grounds in India market and needs to overcome the pressure raised by socio-cultural barriers.? 5. SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS? Coca-Cola need to concentrate in many aspects so that they can grab more market share and earn respect from the community members. The companyââ¬â¢s brand reputation and brand recognition is not enough for them to grow in the Indian soil. Indians take business so seriously and their approach is entirely different when it comes to purchasing patterns and habits.Therefore, Coca-Cola has to adopt alternate branding and promotion strategies to develop its fan base in India.? 5. 1. PUBLI C RELATIONS? The main and foremost solution is that to communicate openly with the key constituents; including the public, media, employees, trade channels, state and national government and suppliers. They should do an open and honest communication to resolve the problems so that issues can be identified and resolved. An honest and open approach is always appreciated in the Indian society. Communication is the best method through which consumers can have proper and clear picture about the company and its product.Efficient public relation is very much equivalent to a smart and efficient promotion, which eventually make the consumers to buy our products. Communication has its roots in a personââ¬â¢s behavioral aspects. Behavior is directly linked with culture. As Smith et al. , (2002), states, a personââ¬â¢s behavior, cultural values and personality can directly affect a business and the managerial behavior. Therefore it is important to communicate with the customers in accorda nce with their cultural status and values. Without proper public elations and communication there are chances that public may not get good knowledge about products and they may be left unnoticed.? 5. 2. ENHANCE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT? In India, it is widely known that the government systems and procedure lack transparency in its operations. Therefore it is very important to have very close relation with the government. This can be done by actively participating in Government driven charity operations and government initiated infrastructure development. Indian people and government always appreciate any true effort towards the development of the country.This also helps in building reputation among the people. India is a country, where reputation and relationships are valued to the core. They believe in qualitative elements than quantitative elements. (Lothar Katz, 2008). Therefore it is important to keep good relationship with the government. Ethical issues like water resource exploitation etc. are believed to be hyped by the media and not the general public. However, it is important for the company to generate and implement a corporate social responsibility system in India, and operate within the guidelines of that system, which will prevent any such unwanted situations.? . 3. LAUNCH MARKETING CAMPAIGNS? Marketing campaigns are the best way to push a product into Indian market. This will create awareness among the general public which makes the sales easy. Indians would like to have more details on everything they choose; let it be soap, or even a television, they would like to know more about the product. If the product is of optimum value in terms of price and quality, they would definitely go for it.? 5. 4. LISTEN TO THE CUSTOMERS? Consumer behavior is an important part in any business. In order to find the differences and their demands, it is very imp0ortant to listen to the consumers.This can be done by initiating a survey or a feedback system. List ening means, the identification of areas and aspects where the company is lagging. If the company can make the customers feel that they are valued and considered, then they would come back to those particular products. Therefore, it is very important to listen to their comments, make necessary adjustments on service and products and creating a strong customer base. 5. 5. MANAGING STYLE? Management style and its efficiency decide the quality of management in a particular country.Multinational companies are believed to have many managing styles and organizational culture. However, t is important to have a management style tailored to the hosting countryââ¬â¢s cultural and social value. Having an alien management style may create issues with the domestic employees in the long run. Also, developing a country specific management style will help in delivering quality and on demand services to consumers and general public; which will eventually help the company in the future. This will also make the employees feel that they are considered and their opinions are welcomed.? 5. 6.PULL BACK PRICE- QUALITY TRADE ââ¬âOFF PLANS? Indians are those who give more importance for quality and trust. It is practiced in India for many long years. Indians rely more upon quality of the product with lower prices. So India is not a place to follow up with Price ââ¬â Quality Trade ââ¬â Off. Even if the prices are higher, Indians may consider this product due to its quality. Indian society and the culture are very much vulnerable to quality tradeoffs.? The above mentioned are the important solutions and suggestions that company should concentrate more in Indian market in order to sustaining in this competitive market.It is too important for a company to have a long life in market; so to attain this they should study the market at first in detail and the culture and purchasing power of the public. 6. SUGGESTIONS? According to Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H Schmidt ââ¬Å"ma nagement styles are characteristic ways of making decision and relation to subordinatesâ⬠. Different management styles can be applied based on the nature and culture of business, the nature of task, the nature of work force and skills of the leader. This definition is given to understand management style in general.Every country has got its own style of management. It is necessary that they should have a correct view about the management style of particular country. As seen in definition, management varies from business and their task; so it is very important to understand the task and the business at the most and then decide the appropriate method of management. As Elenkov and Manev (2005) suggests, it is the responsibility of top managers to coordinate with the subordinate and innovate in management styles and thereby improving the efficiency of the system.?India is the country where people give more importance to culture. Based on Geert Hofstedeââ¬â¢s cultural dimension i n India uncertainty avoidance and long ââ¬â term orientation is more. Uncertainty avoidance means Indians are too slow in accepting the sudden changes and they follow up with traditional styles so it is more important for the company to do a proper analysis on the consumer behavior and product requirement. Another important factor which should be taken into consideration is Long- Term Orientation. India is the place where this is followed more because Indians are more towards tradition and their customs.It is not easy to make them accept the sudden changes. So there should properly take consideration of long ââ¬â term orientation also (Geert Hofstede, 2001).? They should also give more importance for Price ââ¬â Quality Trade- Off issues. Indians are those give more value for trust, value and quality. They are keener towards more quality with fewer prices. They give more value for quality rather price. So it is more important for the company to give more importance for th e quality and their pricing strategy which need to be favorable for their business too.?In business it is not enough to keep present condition safe to have a long life and they need to study the market properly in every moment because the nature of market changes as new competitors come in. So to overcome these fluctuating conditions, they should always keep an open eye on how the market goes in next moment. For this the company needs to establish a market analysis team who can conduct on demand analysis of the market or outsource the task to us.? These are all the solutions and recommendations for the company which should be followed.It is not easy for a company to run business smoothly without considering the issues, especially if the company is of foreign origin. Therefore they need to understand the market and key trends in order to sustain in the market.? 7. FORECASTS AND PREDICTIONS? The company can definitely establish their presence in Indian market once again, because it ha s already got a strong good brand image for long years. As Indians are those who give more importance for trust and quality, this brand image from past will help for its sustainability in Indian market. As Indiaââ¬â¢s population is high, they can get a good customer base.Apart from this, in Indian customers include large number of youngsters who is adopting the modern cultural values and supporting westernization. Thus, it is easy for the company to make them as target customers. Due to globalization, many multinational companies had entered Indian market and Indians had accepted many of those companies which clearly say Coca-Cola still have large potential and scope in the Indian market. As India is in the stage of modernization and economic reform, the consumption of soft drinks has been increased so it is a good opportunity for Coca-Cola to make a proper stand in Indian market.After considering the above mentioned solutions and recommendations it is sure that the company can m ake a proper stand in Indian market and re-establish their operations for ever. 8. CONCLUSION? Conclusion is the important part of a case study. After doing a detailed study on socio-cultural barriers of Coca-Cola in India, the most noticeable factor is the company is not following and considering the social and cultural trend and factors. The main drawback which Coca-Cola is facing is it is going against environment or exploiting environment.The company is using fresh water in such a large quantity where there is a crisis for fresh drinking water; apart from that, due to its waste discharge they have been spoiling the water and soil. Therefore farmers are facing numerous problems with their crops. Because of these reasons Coca-Cola is facing problems in India. These problems are indirectly affecting the life of the people staying near by to the manufacturing plant. Apart from this culture is the most important factor which company should keep in mind for further development.?From t he above given recommendation, suggestions and analysis, it is clear that the cultural and economic conditions in India is stable and favorable for the company, but the environmental problems are making g issues among the public and government. Therefore, as suggested, the company should employ an efficient corporate social responsibility team to monitor their operations in the Indian sub-continent and make policies to overcome any such instances. With the help of these suggestions, Coca-Cola can make a brilliant come back to the market. . REFERENCES? 1. Robert Tannenbaum and Warren H. Schmidt, The continuum of Leadership Behavior. [online] Available at: http://www. stewart-associates. co. uk/leadership-models. aspx Accessed on 11th January 2011? 2. PETER B. SMITH, MARK F. PETERSON and SHALOM H. SCHWARTZ, 2002. CULTURAL VALUES, SOURCES OF GUIDANCE, AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MANAGERIAL BEHAVIOR ââ¬â A 47-Nation Study. JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 188-208? 3. Lothar Katz, 2008. Negotiating International Business ââ¬â India. [online] Available at: http://www. lobalnegotiationresources. com/cou/India. pdf Accessed on: 11th January 2011? 4. Detelin S. Elenkov and Ivan M. Manev, 2005. Top Management Leadership and Influence on Innovation: The Role of Sociocultural Context. Journal of Management, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 381-402? 5. Hofstede, G. , 2001. Cultureââ¬â¢s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.? 6. Geert Hofstede, Cultural Dimensions of India, [online] Available at: http://www. geert-hofstede. com/hofstede_india. html Accessed on 11th January 2011? 7. Casestudy. co. in, New Coke: A Classic Brand Failure, [online] Available at: http://casestudy. co. in/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Classic_Failure_Coke. pdf Accessed on: 10th January 2011? 8. SWAMINATHAN S ANKLESARIA AIYAR, 2001. What makes MNCs quit India. The Times of India, Published on: 4th November 20 01, [online] Available at: http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/business/india-business/What-makes-MNCs-quit-India/articleshow/1602986123. cms Accessed on: 11th January 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)