UNC Conboy

An International trade theory, grounded In the work of Adam Smith and David Richard, that focuses on the Importance of comparative advantage obtained through differences in natural or acquired economic advantages is referred to as: a. Classical trade theory b. Factor proportion theory c. Product life cycle theory d. Competitive advantage theory 2. Paul German's â€Å"realist† perspective embraces which of the following conclusions: a. Countries compete with each other much like companies compete with each other ND must therefore engage in similar strategic behaviors b.Government intervention in the market Is often essential due to imperfections that allow for the formation of monopolies and oligopolies In lucrative Industry segments c. Economic growth In one country must come at the expense of economic growth in another, therefore countries must protect domestic Industry in many instances d. Market imperfections due in fact exist, but the prospects for improving the situation through strategic trade policy is overstated by those in favor of government intervention 3.Cluster theory suggests that companies obtain resources as a result of geographic proximity to other related and supportive Industries primarily as a result of: a. Information spillovers b. Lower shipping costs c. Region specific subsidies d. Access to a common labor pools 4. A theory of Internationalization, observed In the wine Industry In the assigned readings, that focuses on the development of relationships between producers, suppliers, competitors, and government to obtain information and resources necessary to complete globally is referred to as: a. Pascal model b. Network model .Innovation model d. Leverage model 5. Michael Porters Diamond Model focuses on all of the following, EXCEPT: a. The Importance of International competition to drive technological Innovation b. C. Sophisticated domestic demand that encourages new product and service development d. The presence of related and su pportive industries in the domestic market 6. Mercantilism refers to policies and practices designed to: a. Encourage international trade through the creation of innovative products and services b. Remove regulatory and economic barriers to international competition c.Create a trade surplus by subsidizing domestic firms and limiting foreign competition d. Discourage all international trade to promote national independence and self- sufficiency 7. An international trade theory, grounded in the work of Wassail Limonite, that focuses on trade cycles emerging from production initially by a parent company, then by a foreign subsidiary, and ultimately by foreign competitors is referred to as: a. Classical trade theory d. Competitive advantage theory 8. Advocates of Porter's Diamond Model believe governments should support mommies industries by engaging in which of the following activities: a.Subordination of industries of national importance to improve their competitive position b. Imposi tion of barriers to prevent foreign competitors from entering domestic markets c. Provision of supportive public infrastructure and education needed to support emerging industries d. The government should play no role in supporting or developing domestic industries 9. Cluster theory focuses primarily on the creation of competitive advantage through: a. Ongoing investment in research and development to encourage innovation b.Intense price competition designed to bring down the cost of products and services c. Transportation costs associated with bringing goods and services to market d. Interactions between geographic concentrations of interconnected companies 10. The case study of wine clusters indicates that firms in this industry located in both Brazil and France have effectively leveraged which of the following cluster resources to facilitate the internationalization process: a. Affordable input costs b. Regional reputation and culture c. Manufacturing expertise d. Labor spillover s

Love’s Pain Is Its Own Redemption Essay

â€Å"What is love?† According to Joseph Rey F. Celestino, M.A, this is a question that excites and stirs a thousand fold of other questions in our minds. That’s a verbatim of what he had said in an article he made, called Love’s Pain is It’s Own Redemption. It is an article that opened my eyes to the reality of love. It’s an article that never seizes to amaze me, to amuse me, to make me question my beliefs, and change my views and opinions (in a good way), no matter how many times I read it. It continues to serve as an instrument of wonder, challenging me to go out, explore, and experience the magic, the marvel, and the astounding beauty of love. It’s an article about the enticing world something that we all know of, but only get a glimpse of its true form. I have never viewed love in a way that’s even just a tiny bit close to the way I see it now. I gained a deeper understanding of how love moves and works, but I know that I still have a long way to go before I figure out what love really is, or who knows? Maybe I’ll never find the right words to define what it is. Maybe I’ll never know what love means. The possibilities are endless. But this article is my guide, so that I won’t get lost, as I start my quest on finding clues that might lead me to the answers I’ve been looking for, to questions I never thought I would ever ask, about things I never thought I‘d be curious about. According to the author, â€Å"What is love?† is a question that knows no barriers, knows no bounds, and knows no age and generation. He also made a statement which I find very agreeable. He said that â€Å"love is the most celebrated theme of human existence (†¦)† I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. No matter who you are, where you’re from, how old you are, or what gender you are, you absolutely, positively have something to say about something is related to love, or when love itself is being talked about. We each have our own views and opinions regarding love. These may be brought about by mere experiences, or our beliefs, or other factors that may affect or form our ideas and judgments. He further stated that the untangled web of mystery of love is what binds us all. He said that â€Å"As we are drawn to the nearness of its answer, the more that we find ourselves confused and puzzled.† Pertaining to the question being discussed. He explained how love or the question of what it is, is in fact too close to being a paradoxical phenomena. Maybe that’s why people try so hard to find a definition for love. Maybe that’s why people try to put love in words. Because people do not want things and questions left unanswered and undefined. Being curious is in our nature. We hunger and thirst for answers to things we do not even fully understand. We find it hard to â€Å"let things be†. Because we exist questioningly. And we do not easily let things go. That’s why, each of us, whether we say it or not, has our own definition of love. We on our own try to define it, or share our ideas about it to find common things with others’ ideas, and formulate a concrete explanation or definition of love. For what reasons, there may be a lot. But the point is, the mere presence of love in a conversation, or discussion, or anything, really, we automatically get excited and pay attention, because we want to know what it is. The author, through the article, further explained thing about love that might deepen, or cut our curiosity about it. He explained that the on-going controversy about the definition of love is not new to the world. He said that that controversy went even way, way back before some of us existed. He said that Philosophy has been trying to reckon prominent questions, such as â€Å"Is love and unanswerable question, or an unquestionable answer?†, and â€Å"Why is there love, rather than no love at all?†. As I said earlier, according to the author, Philosophy has been trying to reckon these questions for more than two and a half millennia of its existence. This means that Philosophy has been trying to approach these problems for over 2,000 years. He further stated that Socrates and Plato, on the one hand, and the poetic movement led by Homer, on the other hand, opened their respective conversation tables on the subjects of love and intimacy in that ancient far away. He also said that scholars of the present day, still linger on the ideas left by these past masters. Countless books have already been published, (and still publishing), of millions of films have already been produced, just to give us an inch of hope or a glimpse of the definition, or the answers to the questions about love. It’s taking so long, for people to find love’s meaning. And yet, we never get tired. With each experience we gain, we get bits and pieces of ideas of how we can define love. But still, despite all efforts given by our ancestors, and us, people in the present, we only see a blur, of loves true form. Maybe it’s about time we stop trying to define love, and just let it be. Let love be love. Maybe, we should start experiencing it, and enjoying it, instead of stressing ourselves trying to find meaning to something this mysterious, this big, this amazing. Yes, maybe we should do that. But there’s something about trying to define love, that gives us this sense of satisfaction, because that more we try to find meaning for it, the more we get to experience it. Our hearts burst with so much happiness when we know that we are in the presence of love. Mr. Celestino, got into a deeper explanation of tons more interesting topics, like, the myths created by society, about love, about Aristophanes’ narrative that concerns human relationship, and a lot more, Part of this â€Å"a lot more† topics included on of my favorite arguments ever. Love at first sight. I have never been a believer of love at first sight. This may sound offensive to those who believe, but, I think the idea is pretty unrealistic. Yes, it’s a really good idea. I mean, wouldn’t it be nice to see someone and automatically know that that person is â€Å"the one†? Isn’t that what happens in most romantic movies? Two people just happens to be in the same place,, at the same time, and look at each other at the same moment. They look into each other’s eyes, and poof! They’re in love. It would be nice. I really would. But as I said earlier, that’s what happens in most movies. That’s what happens in most r omantic books or novels, even. These are made to tickle our systems and trick us into believing that these things could actually happen in to us real life. Truthfully speaking, nothing that perfectly constructed, and well-made could happen in real life. We exist in reality. We don’t live in some 2-hour-or-so film that is so beautifully made, it may be close to perfection. That’s not how life works. That’s not reality is all about. On the contrary, in reality, nothing happens the way we imagine it would, let alone like what would happen in films or books. That’s exactly why people make films and movies. They make things that they imagine come to life. They make their imaginations seem real, by putting them into films or books. This is where people get the concept of love at first sight. And upon reading through the article, I just found more proof to what I believe in. Mr Celestino said that there is no such thing as love at first sight. In verbatim, he said â€Å"Love does not bite on a first sight.† He explained that â€Å"The presence of the other that is brought to one’s sight appears as an assembly of physical qualities and in turn, the one beholding such sight finds himself or herself being caught in a feeling that is simply stated as attraction.† This statement sums up my thoughts, and puts them into words. As I most commonly say it, â€Å"Love takes time. Baka infatuation lang yan.† He further explained that the attraction brought about or formed by meeting or seeing someone particularly attractive, may breathe two things. Infatuation and affection. He said that infatuation is a shadow of love’s true form. He said that infatuation is confined as mere liking of corporeal qualities that are usually pleasing aesthetically to one’s sight for a short-lived time. Affection, on the other hand is love in its potential state. Affection is something that may grow to be love. Love is neither infatuation, nor is it affection. Although affection may grow to be love, it is not love. At least, not yet. These two are commonly mistaken to be love. But as I always say, â€Å"love takes time.† It doesn’t happen in a blink of an eye. He explained other topics, like the famous clichà ©s, â€Å"Love is blind†, â€Å"First love never dies†, what love is in the Philippines, and another one of my favorite topics, rejection. According to the article, â€Å"Rejection is painful but it is liberating in the sense that the self that is being refused is set free to reclaim himself/herself in order to heal the wounded soul and to love again when the right time comes.† Yes, love is liberating, it may take some time to make all the pain go away, because nothing hurts more than the refusal of one to receive the self that is being offered. It traps the soul of the lover into a world of agony and pain, and sometimes, the lover finds no other meaning in life, since he and his love had been rejected. This is why rejection is crucial in a lover’s life. Simply because the pain inflicted to that person, may cost him his very life. The author also explained what pain is, and what it’s all about, selfishness, and divorce and separation, how God’s love for humanity, and Christ’s crucifixion is the concretion of love in an ultimate sense. And he ended this beautiful article with a just conclusion, he said, â€Å"To love, therefore, is to face even what is uncalled for and to manifest unselfish goodwill towards the other. It could be painful in the process but love will find a way to surpass it. That is why there is resurrection in every instance of death.† I was left with no words, as I reached the last page of the article. It was beautiful, breathtaking, and heart stopping. It spoke from a view that is totally different from others. And it may still not contain answers to my question, but it made me hunger for more, thirst for answers, and crave for the experience of love in it’s fullest. For me, to earn a symbiotic and intact relationship, there are a lot of values needed. Love, as there core, with others such as trust, understanding, disciple, respect, etc. In spite of all these, I think a symbiotic relationships would not exist without respect. Because, well, love and respect would not be right without one another. If you love someone, you are going to respect him/her. And the everything else will follow. Respect comes with trust, and understanding. If you respect a person, you will trust him, that he/she’s doing things for the better. You would come to a deeper understanding because you respect each other, and each other’s opinions. You will be discipline, because you respect your loved one, and if you respect them, you won’t do anything that would bring them harm. All, in all, I think respect is an essential in a mutual loving relationship. After reading the article, honestly, I was left with no words. I was too breathless, too astonished, too bewildered to even speak. I had to process my thoughts, and get the thoughts of the author in synced with my own. I had to clear my head and catch my breath. I’m not saying that the article gave me too much to handle. All I’m trying to say is that the article is something different from all others that I have read. And now that it’s been a while since I last read the article, I can finally confide with my thoughts and put them into words. After reading this article, I have learned so much, and I can easily say that I have more knowledge about love than I could ever imagine. I never thought I’d see myself writing this essay about love, (which isn’t really my specialty), yet here I am, close to my fourth page. I never knew I had so much to say about love until now. I never knew the impact and effect that article had on me. And all my thoughts, put into a statement after reading Love’s Pain is Its Own Redemption is found in the very first sentence of this entire essay. It seems to me like I just went back to where I started, and let me state (or ask) it again. â€Å"What is love?† I learned that no matter how hard we try to define love, it’s just too big of a paradox to start with. It’s too broad of an idea to put in just a few words in the dictionary. It’s too extraordinary to try and figure out. It’s to magical, to be given any scientific explanation. So I want to end my essay the way I started it. After reading the article written by Joseph Rey Celestino, M.A., I’m left with only one question (and a gazillion more underneath it). What is love?

Conflicts in the Great Gatsby

1. Individual vs. societyGatsby vs. the American society in 1920sFrom Nick’s perspective, Gatsby might have made vast fortune by illegal means and is capable of behaving like an aristocrat, he is still not respected as the ‘old money’ from East Egg; Gatsby’s mansion, his shimmering parties, fancy clothes and cars, cannot erase his past as a low-born farmer’s son after all. He dreams to be recognized as one of the upper-class people, but is frequently looked down by people like Tom Buchanan and the Sloanes who was born noble and is accustomed to live a luxurious life.Gatsby’s struggle to be among a higher social class is conflict with what he really is; therefore he cannot be seen and treated equally. His tragedy is an evidence of himself being an victim of the society he lived in, where social classes were considered more valuable than one’s inner spirit and materialism was concerned way more than humanity.2. Characters vs. characterGat sby vs. TomFirst of all, Gatsby represents the new money and Tom represents the old money. While Gatsby acquired his money by doing illegal businesses, Tom only inherited his money without putting efforts. Nevertheless, Tom still feel privileged over Gatsby due to his favorable family background. This is the first conflict. Second, Gatsby and Tom compete with each other for winning Daisy’s love. While Gatsby represents the past of Daisy – the more innocent and perhaps the ideal of Daisy, Tom represents the reality of her – the cynicism and materialism inside of her.Nick vs. JordanWhile Nick’s character stands for the idea of justice and honesty, Jordan’s character is just the opposite. Her cynicism, carelessness and dishonesty is shown clearly through the conversation she had with Nick about driving a car, where Nick describes Jordan as a careless, ‘rotten’ driver’ (‘It takes two to make an accident.’ Said Jordan. à ¢â‚¬ËœSuppose you met somebody just as careless as yourself.’ Said Nick. ‘I hope I never will.† Said Jordan) and the fact that she has very likely cheated her first gold tournament.Tom vs. George WilsonWhile Tom represents the power of the ‘old money’ and the aristocratic quality of East Egg, George Wilson represents the poor, working class people and the spiritless characteristic of the Valley of Ashes.Myrtle vs. DaisyAlthough this two characters have never met each other in face, but the qualities and ideas they convey respectively are highly contradictory. Daisy: Dressed in white, affected, insubstantialMyrtle: Dressed in red, straightforward, fleshy, almost coarse3. Individual vs. circumstances (fate)Gatsby vs. his upbringingGatsby, as the protagonist in the novel, is a living example of ‘rags to riches’; he was born poor and his parents were ‘shiftless and unsuccessful farm people’. It seemed that Gatsby was doomed to li ve a poor and pathetic life where he has to work in the farm everyday in order to earn a living. Nevertheless, Gatsby’s fantasy about himself was contrary to his real circumstances. He believed that he was a Son of God; therefore he must be about his father’s business. Gatsby was motivated by his imaginations so much so he saw the light of hope and decided to grab the opportunity in front of him immediately when he saw Dan Cody’s yacht drop anchor over the most insidious flat on Lake Superior. He changed his fate with his own hands and overcame the conflicts.4. The individual vs. himself/herselfGatsby vs. himselfAlthough Gatsby has made most of his dreams become reality, he is not able to face the part of reality that he cannot change. He cannot admit the fact that Daisy is not as perfect as he imagined to be and he firmly believe that he can repeat the past. He is always blind by his illusions and idealism – so much so he is not able to move on. Everythi ng he has done is in pursuing of his self-made illusions – something he can only imagine but will never achieve or even find out in the reality. This quality of Gatsby is harmful to him and ultimately leads to his death.Nick vs. himselfNick has internal conflicts as he perceives the decadent life in New York. On the one hand, Nick is sick of the cynical, careless attitude that most of the wealthy people around him hold, and their lavish, materialism lifestyle. On the other hand, Nick also feels curious and attracted to the seemingly sophistication of those aristocratic people, despite their dishonesty – this is shown by Nick’s developing romance with Jordan Baker.

Are there fundamental differences between western mathematics and Essay

Are there fundamental differences between western mathematics and tranditional chinese mathematics - Essay Example Instead back then they utilized alphabets so as to represent numbers. This reflects that mathematical terminologies are in use since the ancient times. However, in the present days rapid development has been witnessed in the field of mathematics. Mathematics originated simultaneously with other human production activities of the older times. The Ancient Chinese call mathematics as one of the six arts and it has been also treated as the preliminary point of philosophy by the Ancient Greeks. After thousands of years of developmental phase, mathematics has undergone various theoretical and practical changes. In the present times it is defined as the branch of science which deals with skillful operations. The rules and concepts of Mathematics are primarily developed for the purpose of conducting dexterous procedures. The basic emphasis of the subject has always been upon the development of new concepts. The concepts of basic mathematics, especially elementary geometry, were designed in order to define the units which are directly used in the real world (Wigner 1960). Chinese civilization is as ancient as Babylonian and Egyptian civilization. Somewhere in 1200 BC, during the times of Shang Dynasty, Chinese used to do mathematical calculations with the help of markings on tortoise shells and animal bones. This reflects that they were more inclined towards the numeric calculations rather than inventing new mathematical concepts. Similarly the ancient Chinese mathematics books have a vast collection of practical problems, giving the problems first and followed by their solutions. In this modern age Chinese still use the same pattern for teaching purposes. However, contrary to the Chinese mechanical algorithm, western mathematics focuses on the proof and derivation so as to develop new concepts in the field of mathematics (Boyer and Merzbach 2011, p. 7). The basic purpose of Chinese mathematics is to utilize the mathematical concepts in

Different Types of Data in Criminal Justice Assignment

Different Types of Data in Criminal Justice - Assignment Example 2. The age issue could lead to confusing findings in substance abuse research. This is because most countries have laws that prescribe the legal drinking age. For instance the legal drinking age in United States is 21 while in United Kingdom it is 18 (Bamforth, 2009). As a result, youths who are below the drinking age may give wrong age for fear that legal action may be taken against them. Therefore, giving such information may be difficult to the respondents. This is a powerful graph used to show the proportion or relative sizes of data. For this survey the percentage of males and females involved in substance abuse could be better presented using pie chart. Each gender would be represented by each segment of the pie chart. A bar graph consists of vertical and horizontal bars whose lengths indicate the magnitude of the data. In this research, the bar graph would be appropriate in representing the amount of substance abused or the popularity of the substance. The frequency or the amount of substance would be placed on the vertical axis while the type of substance would be on the horizontal axis. The trend of change between the drinking age and the years could be well captured in by line graph. This would be done by plotting the average age against the year. By doing so, the relationship between age the year would be

HRM- Individual Report 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HRM- Individual Report 1 - Essay Example However, the practice of the effective leadership process also involves the intervention of the learning method by the leader along with the evaluation of the organisational development (Collins, 2002). Likewise, Leadership and Management Development (LMD) have been witnessed as widely practiced by contemporary organisations to stimulate operational efficiency through enhanced use of the human resources. Hereby, the report tends to develop a critical understanding about the fundamental concept of LMD along with the objectives and purposes within an organisation. Moreover, the report also details the strategic process of LMD and explores its relationship with organisational performance from a critical perspective. The concept of LMD can be simply elaborated as a planned and integrated approach, which enables managers and leaders of a particular organisation to increase their operational controlling and management efficiencies. In relation to the rapidly developing business environment, the definition of LMD can be termed as an effective learning approach for the leaders and/or managers to develop their competency level in response to the changing opportunities and trends in the respective business industry (CIPD, 2010). The primary objective of LMD may consist of numerous practices that not only improves controlling and managing capabilities of the organisation, but also helps managers and leaders to strengthen their decision-making processes. The objectives of LMD can be observed to characterise few major aspects that can enable leaders and managers to improve their performances within an organisation (CIPD, 2010). Cropping or fertilising knowledge and managerial capabilities of the leaders is further ascertained as one of the major objectives of LMD. Moreover, enabling leaders to gain adequate managing capability of the organisational inheritance can

Cost Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cost Accounting - Essay Example The budget is not only the widely used instrument for managements planning but is also the fundamental accounting model of management control. The development of the budget requires the participation of many individual who are made responsible for the control of their planned costs within a company. The ever increasing use of standard cost provides a necessary measure of what cost should be. These standard costs permit an early preparations and presentation of short run cost reports to operating management and summary statements to executive and middle management, highlighting the deviations from planned goals. Standard cost should ideally be the integral part of budget in its preparation as well as its use as a control device. Cost accounting can assist management's levels in planning and control duties by providing information via analytical tools that express more vividly and forcefully multidimensional aspects of managerial problems. Break even analysis offers another method that permits managements to judge the over all plan on a pragmatic and convenient bases. The budget is one method of securing reliable and prompt information regarding the operation and control of an enterprise. When manufacturing are based on standard for material labor and overhead, a strong team of possible control and reduction of costs is created.

Awards for Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Awards for Excellence - Essay Example This was just a sign of things to come. Expect more from us in the future because new talent gets discovered on a regular basis in our department. Coming to the teaching awards, Mr. Angel Garralda and Ms. Ming Cheung are both accomplished educators with a similar 'learning is a continuous, two-way process', view. They have a refreshingly new approach to teaching, 'a pro-active role for the student in the learning process.' The awards will only add responsibility and enhance their already popular teaching methods. These are given ONLY to people who have made outstanding contributions in their respective teaching disciplines over a period of time. The awards are a proof of the teaching efficiency levels at the EN department. As more and more students from all over the world, show keen interest, to be a part of our culture, we'd expect the students to be ready for an environment that provides both fun and serious learning simultaneously. The range of courses offered by the department ca ters to all the needs across all walks of life. This is the most exciting part of this unique community.

HCM427-0801A-01 Human Resource Management in Health Care - Phase 4 Essay

HCM427-0801A-01 Human Resource Management in Health Care - Phase 4 Individual Project - Essay Example The checklist includes passport type photograph, payment of nonrefundable fee of $100.00, Criminal History Background Check, official transcript of records and NBCOT. Aside from this, the applicant for occupational therapy should have completed 24 weeks of supervisory role while 12 weeks are required for occupational therapy assistants. Physical therapy aims to improve a person’s productivity and usefulness in spite of any physical dysfunction. On a personal note, physical therapy is beneficial for people who underwent surgery, stroke or any other medical disorders and would want to be able to do their activities of daily living with minimal supervision and maximum adaptation to their current condition. The requirements for licensure are similar to the requirements in Occupational Therapy namely payment of application fees, submission of official transcript of records, completed application form, Criminal History Background Check and licensure examinations. To apply for licensure it is necessary to pass documentations such as an endorsement letter written by New Jersey Board of Nursing, payment of application fee worth $75 and licensing fee of $65 and submission of licensure verification from the state or country where he or she is currently licensed. Application for license to work as a dentist in New Jersey, official transcript of records must be submitted to American Dental Association as well as CHBC wherein the results may take awhile. It is highly advisable to starting securing these permits and records first. There are two fees to be paid, application fee of $125 and a registration fee later

Animal Cruelty Essay Example for Free

Animal Cruelty Essay Today I am going to talk to you about innocent animals who have been uncared for, neglected and most of all subjected to cruelty. If you didn’t know already, the RSPCA stands for The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This is the world’s oldest animal welfare organization; originally set up just to look after farm animals, later expanding to include all animals. A group leader founded this organisation in 1824 by the name of Richard Martin who was an MP. But in reality his name doesn’t compare to what I’m going to tell you. First of all let’s start off with the reality. Despite British people being known as animal lovers these figures will shock you. The RSPCA receive approximately one phone call every 25 seconds each year – most sharing animal cruelty stories and asking for help. Every year roughly 140,000 animal cruelty complaints are investigated and out of that number 3000 were found guilty. More statistics include, 143,000 animals are rescued and collected, 214,000 are treated and helped and 70,000 animals were found new homes. After all the RSPCA have files upon files of stories so sad that I would be surprised if anyone could remain unaffected by them. The exact details of the 200 starving dogs remain unclear but the main facts wre uncovered by the RSPCA and police. Inspectors from the RSPCA found 204 starving dogs crammed in a filthy shed after an elderly woman had died. The Yorkshire terriers were in complete darkness, dripping in urine and piled in plastic travel boxes so full excrement the dogs had to crouch 3 inches from the top of the box. Six pups had died and one had been half eaten by littermates. What am I supposed to add to this? Well, some lost eyes because of infections, others couldn’t stand up properly because they were used to such terrible conditions. The pet charity that found them said that â€Å"the stench was unbearable, dead pups had melted into the floor, some had tumours like footballs, most hadn’t seen daylight†. The windowless 60ft shed was in the back garden of an elderly woman who shockingly lived in Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex. Rescuers said it showed years of neglect and suffering of these poor innocent puppies. As soon as they were discovered the RSPCA spent weeks trying to re-home the dogs. This shows that the RSPCA are a well worth charity Rescuers said it showed years of neglect. But one of Mrs Stevens’s three sons, Chris, said: â€Å"She loved the animals. † Charities are trying to rehome the dogs. How on earth can this womans son say she loved animals? It makes me sick to my stomach that people can treat any animal in this way. There should be stronger punishments for people that neglect or cause harm to any animal there are no excuses! I only hope that all of the dogs find warm loving homes. Neglect and abandonment are the most common forms of companion animal abuse in the United States. Just imagine that 1 in 3 animals are uncared for, if you look around here in this room that could be you. Just recently you may have seen in the news a women was caught picking up a cat and dumping it into a council bin. Why would anyone want to do that!

Greasy lake by T. Coraghessan Boyle

Greasy lake by T. Coraghessan Boyle Greasy Lake by T. Coraghessan Boyle and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates are two works that have the generalized theme of death in them. They may differ in contextual ways, but the deeper theme they share is present. The more in depth comparisons are about teenagers trying to find their way through life as portrayed through their looks and actions, and the thought of how you perceive yourself can get you into trouble. Greasy Lake contains teenage bad boys trying to find their self identity, and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been surrounds a girl who doesnt know the power of attention she attracts, until its too late. In Greasy Lake the main characters call themselves bad characters. They are putting on a faade of leather jackets, mischief and rock and roll. These main characters were Digby, Jeff and the narrator, who really didnt know what they were getting into late one night at Greasy Lake. What started out as a joke led to a string of unfortunate events, and how the three boys in the end realized that they were indeed, not bad characters anymore; hence the teenage self exploration. From a fight, to attempted rape, to the smashing of the narrators mothers car, one night was all it took for those boys to see that they werent who they thought they were. This all ties in with the theme because of the things that are going through the narrators head as he leads the readers through the events. The whole scene is dark to begin with. Its late at night when the boys arrive at the lake, they end up in trouble with a big greasy character, as they call him, and the whole lake is surrounded by death and decay. This can be an immediate connection to death. Another way to show discovery is how at the end of the story it reads as this, when the boys are ready to drive home: I just looked at her. I thought I was going to cry. (403) I believe at this point the narrator realizes that there will always be someone out there that will be tougher than you, and that will get you in the end. He realizes that sure, they were big and bad to themselves, until they met their match. This shows change in the characters which is a big indication of theme. Another indication would be the title, because greasy is generally something that is used in a bad way, so it doesnt in any way reflect life. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? is also, like stated before, about teenage perception and how it can or will get you into trouble. There is a girl, named Connie, who thinks that she is so pretty and is a completely vain character. She believes that she can get any guy she wants, and wants any guy she can get, until she attracts unwanted attention. This is a story in part created through a serial killer. Being about a serial killer alone shows darkness and death, but there are other examples of this theme. One would be how Connie would always sneak out with her friends to the burger joint across the street. This is an act of defying parents. She defies her parents because they treat her as if they dont care about her at all. This is also something that is negative and could relate to death. Connie ends up being so nave about who she may be showing off too, that she becomes trapped, alone, in her own home with a man outside, coming to kidnap her. This is another similarity to Boyles story, because there is a change in the character here as well. Connie changes because she goes from getting any guy she wants, and thinking that shes invincible, to be completely vulnerable in her own home. An example of how full of herself she is, is right in the first couple of sentences: She was fifteen and she had a quick nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to look into mirrors, or checking other peoples faces to make sure her own was alright. (427) This alone shows how all she cares about are looks. An example of confidence and then vulnerability comes when the kidnapper, Arnold Friend, comes to her house to get her. At first she is excited and plays it cool, thinking she can handle any situation. The feeling quickly changes though, when she realizes this is one situation she cant get herself out of, becoming vulnerable. Therefore, both Greasy Lake and Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? have a shared theme, being that how you perceive yourself can get you into trouble. The boys from Greasy Lake met their match and learned that they really werent bad characters and Connie from Where Are You Going had a more unfortunate demise when she realized being too confident can get you into a bad situation. The stories also had recurring instances of death, from the decaying lake to Arnold Friend being a dark and scary character to Connie. All in all, even though the plots may have been different, the theme of death and teenage self exploration are present in these works.

General Components of an EHR System

General Components of an EHR System Electronic health records and presents the advantages and benefits that will provide for hospitals and health institutions. Doctors, physicians, and nursing become an important factor of the EHR; Barbara A. Gabriel did a research to see whether electronic medical records made the doctors and the patient outcome better. Also Jeffrey Linder, an internist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School asked these questions: Does having an EMR really help you? Are patients more likely to get the tests they need, timely diagnoses, and proper treatments? Do you code more accurately now that your EMR is a part of your daily work flow? Does this result in higher reimbursements? And for Doctors he asked in brief Are you a better doctor both clinically and operationally with an EMR than you were without one?These questions were asked by Jeffrey to improve his study that was about the relationship between electronic medical record usage and quality care. A recognized supporter for electronic medical record implementation, he got the impression that made him strongly sure the answer to all these questions would be a resounding yes. 1.1 Definition of EHR: EHR stand for Electronic Health Record according to the policy journal of health sphere. It accumulates patient health files in a computer database more willingly than with physical paper. The data that is accumulated in the computer is producing by several users in any care delivery institutions. The data contains patient demographics, past health history, diseases, progress notes, very important signs, vaccinations, laboratory data and radiology repots. One of the elements of the Electronic Health Record is that it can generate a complete record of a clinical patient user consisting of quality management, outcomes reporting, and evidence-based decision. It is essential to state that an EHR is developed and maintained within organizations, like hospitals, integrated delivery network, clinics, or medical doctor offices. History of EHRs: In the fifth century B.C the earliest health record was produced by Hippocrates. He put two main objectives: A medical record should accurately reflect the course of disease. A medical record should indicate the probable cause of diseases These objectives are still proper, but the latest technology that identified as electronic medical record adds functionality, such as interactive flow sheets, interactive alerts to clinicians, and every feature that can not be made with manual system. In 1960s: a problem-oriented medical record was planned by Dr. Lawrence weed which is a kind of EHRs. His aim was to provide better health care by integrated the medical data of patient from special doctors. According to his idea, in 1970s the first Electronic Medical Record system established at the Vermont University. Its structure was uncomplicated, as it worked with touch-screen technology offered at the period to record procedures and various kind of pharmaceuticals used throughout those procedures. In 1967: a premature Electronic Medical Record system was implemented and applied at the Latter Day Saints Hospital in Utah, this project was developed by (HELP) the Health Evaluation through Logical Processing. In 1968: the Multiphasic Health Testing System (MHTS) and Computer-Stored Ambulatory Record (COSTAR) were produced Until 1973: the MHTS was applied at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco Until 1980s: the COSTAR was applied at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston In 1973: the Regenstrief Electronic Medical Record program was applying in Indiana, and is yet in progress today. 2.2 Development: In 1969: the initial main shift of manage patient information was completed with the Problem-Oriented Medical Record, making use of the so-called SOAP structure that included knowledge about the topic, the health goals, evaluation and a plan for the patient. 2.3 Technology: In that time while a large amount of medical offices continue to accumulate patient data on paper using manual system in huge Chart Libraries where the system was used the alphabetical order, and some technological developments have made by medical imaging. The LanVision system catalogs logical images that have the ability to move without difficulty from one office to another on the system. The most important components of Electronic Medical Record applied in hospitals contain patient billing, pathology, radiology, admission, laboratory, scheduling, discharge and transfer, intensive care and Emergency Room units, pharmacology records, and the master Patient Index (MPI). 2.4 Governments Role: The federal government decides to set a time limit for computerized patient record system for 1999, but that time limit was neglected when groups disagreed with computerization on patient-privacy grounds. The group also mentioned the inability of programs to integrate images, texts and numbers, but all of these factors had definitely incorporated by latest computer programs. Benefits of EMR: Electronic Medical Record systems are much more fitting, important, and efficient than manual medical records, says the Mayo Clinic. Several Doctors have the ability to update patient record at the same time. Furthermore, Electronic Medical Record does not need huge capacity of space and manual work to record and accumulate data. Organization The most important benefit of EMR is the way that a patients records can be managed and arranged. Paper records or files can simply be misplaced in a file room at the clinic, but an electronic medical record is accumulated on a network that is available throughout the service. Also IT professional are searching for the best way that connects the specialists with a network that give them the ability to treat the patient that are sent from another city. 2- Access Physicians can access quickly to patient file using electronic medical record system. In each of the patients room and practice rooms there are computers that are provided with the facilities that are prepared with this technology. The patients record can be log on from any computers to update conditions, medications and procedures that have been performed on the patient. 3- Decision Support Improved health decisions can be prepared for the patient, when his EMR is accessible by more than one physician. Repeatedly a patient is sent from physician to another when health problem appear to be dangerous or need to be diagnosed. These physicians may not have the ability to communicate or transmit the patients medical records to every facility. In this case, the patient can be subjected to repetitive or unwarranted actions because of the lack of transmission. 4- Standardization Electronic medical record system will also provide better standardization once it takes place to keeping patient records throughout the health care system. Several medical services apply various terminologies for the similar procedures. Other services apply structures that are totally dissimilar from another facilitys. Electronic medical record system will make it easier for physicians and nurses to get the information they want for every patient by providing a standard way of filling out data on patients file. 5- Patients A few Electronic medical record systems give the Patients the ability to log on their test results and other vital information from their health record through a protected site on the internet. This help patients better understand their health-care choice. Also the patients with restricted access to their personal Electronic medical record systems will be better notified and can be feasible with the decision that they require to generate. Key Components of Electronic Health Records Nearly all the commercial Electronic Health record system are made to merge data from the huge ancillary services, such as radiology, laboratory, and pharmacy with diverse health care components (for example medication administration records [MAR], nursing plans, and physician orders). The Electronic Health record possibly will bring in information from the ancillary system throughout a tradition interface or may provide interface for clinicians in order to log on the silo system through a portal. Administrative System Components The main components of electronic health record are registration, admissions, discharge, and transfer (RADT) data. These data contain essential information for correct patient classification and evaluation, also it include name, demographics, next to skin, employer information, patient disposition, chief complaint, etc. the section of registration in electronic health record system has a unique patient identifier which generally consisting of numeric or alphanumeric order that is unidentifiable external the company or institution in which it serve. The medical data of the patient will be collected for use in medical analysis and research while use the RADT. All medical observations, tests, procedures, criticisms, assessments, and diagnosis to patient will be linked by the patient ID because it is the core of the electronic health record. The ID is sometimes known as medical record number or master patient index (MPI). Nowadays in computerized information systems the master patient index enterprise has applied extensively in the organizations or institutions, called enterprise-wide master patient indices. Laboratory System Components Laboratory systems are interfaced to electronic health record systems which commonly are independent systems. Also there are (LIS) that stands for laboratory information system that are applied as centers or hubs to combined orders, schedules, billing, results from laboratory tools and other administrative data. Rarely laboratory information is integrated completely with the electronic health record. Lots of technologies and analyzers are applied in the diagnostic laboratory procedure when laboratory information system is prepared by the similar vendor as the electronic health record which is not simply integrated with electronic health record, such as the Cerner laboratory information system interface with more than 400 various laboratory tools. Cerner, a very important vendor of both systems the (laboratory information system) (electronic health record system), stated that 60 percent of laboratory information system installations were not included with electronic health record sys tem, and electronic health record system are implemented in federal form, which lets the user to log on the laboratory information system from a link within the electronic health record system interface. 6.3 Record keeping and mobility Electronic health record systems gain a unique trait which is the benefit of being capable to connect to various EHR systems. Patients are shopping for their procedures, in the recent global medical environment. Also patients can easily check in their files whether they have been admitted to such a health center or if they contain any kind of allergies since they have been admitted before. Other Advantages of Electronic Medical Records Software Chart Room. By converting a paper chart digital, a procedure can change the physical place of a chart room into workplaces, or extra rooms for exams, procedures, imaging equipment, labs, or other income generating spaces. Managing Paper. A lot of procedures waste numerous hours of workers time searching for, moving, and organizing paper charts. By computerizing the health record, this procedure is rationalized and costs are eliminated. Other cost savings are achieved by the elimination of the paper, printers, toner, and other physical costs of the paper world. Archived Records. Health practices are needed to remain patients health record for 7 years in nearly all countries. Accumulated an inactive patients chart offsite is a shared procedures. This cost is eliminated by accumulating the reports electronically. There are more advantages of an entire EHR, which both Chart Logic EMR and Chart Logic iAchieve electronic medical record consist of: Best Practices. By integrated a model based health office software; a medical procedures may ensure that all providers are achieving the needed goals of documentation and process. Increased Reimbursement. The EM coding tool can also indicate methods to properly up-code your document to a higher level, rising reimbursement. Efficient Charting. Using templates lets the physician to finish documentation rapidly. By tinplating shared words or phrases, the documentation is quick, reliable, correct, and complete. Cost and return on investment It is not easy to measure the return of investment (ROI) of information technology systems for any commerce. Nearly all research has been alert on how to calculate the return of investment for medical information technology systems such as electronic health record systems. The cost of implementing the EHRs will differ considerably; depending on what systems are now in place and what is being implemented. Fundamentally, in order to smooth integration and make customer commitment the vendors add the electronic health record capabilities at a favorable rate. However, there are installations that can be very expensive, e.g. Across the whole Kaiser Permanente network the roll out of an Electronic Medical Record was reported to cost over $1 billion. A new American Hospital Association analysis and survey noticed that the median yearly funds investment on information technology was greater that $700,000 and stand for 15 percent of all fund expenses. And above $1.7 million were the Operating expenses, or 2 percent of all operating expenses. Barriers to using EMR Technical Barriers It is expensive to implement an Electronic Medical Record system in a physicians office, mainly for minor practices. Moreover, install such a system in minor hospital institutions require external industrial support. Cultural Barriers According to For the Record Magazine the patients and doctors could feel unsafe risking patient MRs to possible electronic theft. Furthermore, an Electronic Medical Record will extensively change a physicians flow and potentially decrease the quality of service the doctor provides by giving him more patients, however, before physicians expected a specific amount of work flow, because they were spending time filling out paperwork. Significance According to Robert H Miller and Ida Sim of the Policy Journal of health Sphere In 2004 just 13 percent of physicians stated that using an Electronic Medical Record and 32 percent said they would consider as using an electronic filing system. EHRs keep your health information safe and private: You can choose and decide who gets to see your information: EHRs are locked. Nobody can access your account except you because there is a special password that will keep your health information private. EHRs have many security settings. The only ones that can access to your information and can see them your health provider, and the office staff can only see your name, address and birth date. Whether or not your health care provider uses EHRs, you sign a consent form if you want to share your information. Ask your doctor for a copy of your consent and explanation of what it means Private notes can be made in EHRs that only your health care provider can view. The patient can ask his doctor to see his information and tell him dont let anyone else see them and keep them in secure that only you can read. Electronic Software People go to hospitals to better their state; they rely on hospitals and physicians to practice the most advanced standards. The staff that works at the hospital faces many challenges at the day. They need highly efficient software and instrument to work properly and to finish their jobs requirements. Electronic software helps them meet the demands of the hospitals setting. In order to make sure that the health practice takes care of its operations in a prepared and well-coordinated manner Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Software is essential. The cost is around $850 dollars for setup and about $2500 for annual maintenance but is worth it for the reason that they save time and run the operations using the best defense mechanisms against liabilities electronic medical record software is used to manage and maintain EMR systems, patient or insurance billing, patient information management, multi-provider scheduling, electronic faxing, instructions and lab management, document management , and custom report templates. And an example of that software is a Visionary Dream EHRs Dream EHR Workflow When converting from a paper-based organization to a nearly paperless organization planning, preparation, training and a person within the office to make easy the change is an essential. A process that relies on an electronic health record, the visual signs are on the desktop computer or tablet PC screen rather than placed on the wall or taking up space in the records room. Shifting from a paper-based practice to an electronic health record provides the process with the opportunity to assess its workflow for an electronic environment. Several administrative and operational steps may be considerably simplified. The workflow steps in an electronic health record can be decreased significantly. The workflow in the health office has two main categories: administrative and clinical. Lets have a look at some administrative and clinical workflow procedures so you can evaluate how the work flows in a paper-based environment and what that similar workflow procedure looks like in an electronic environment. Paper-based Environment Electronic-based Environment Patient comes, signs in Patient comes and enters new data into electronic health record desktop Patients name be seen Administrative employee is gave notice that patient has came and patients MR are got over from the procedure management scheduler and prepared for the days appointments. Receptionist confirm for scheduled appointment Receptionist greets patient, checks updates and sends record electronically to nurses in-box. Receptionist asks for updated personal and insurance information Patients record is into nurses in-box. Patient returns data form with updates Nurse calls patient into examination room, release patient records, takes and check in family history, medications, vitals, presenting symptoms, and makes a face sheet on the Tablet PC. Medical records clerk drags chart and insert updated data. Once done, nurse sends MR electronically into physicians in-box. Clerk gives chart to nurse Patients file is in physicians in-box. The doctor can look at this file before to entering the examination room. Chart is located in nurses review stack Physician enters the examination room and visits with patient. Nurse checks chart and calls patient Nurse captures crucial signs and files show symptoms on face sheet. Nurse places medical chart out of examination room door. Doctor looks into medical chart on door, knows that patient is waiting and checks information on face sheet. physician enters and visits with patient Features and Software Screens Point-and-Click Chart Entry Rapidly capture and produce chart notes with pre-defined medical templates. It presents hundreds of specialty templates to lessen the operation time. Check chart notes, allergies, medications, procedures, diagnoses and further in one simple to navigate screen. Customizable, user-definable chart areas. Easy to Use Files with electronic handwriting stylus pen, pre-defined or user defined templates, macros and / or voice dictation. View or edit patient information from a desktop or tablet PC. Simple direction-finding menu is planned to raise usage speed while streamlining the information recording process. Point-of-Care Decision Making Manage your reports with quick chart access and file patient documentation at the point-of-care. One-click retrieval of patient notes, medications and very important documentation to assure the greatest medical decision. Managing Orders / Lab Tracking Check and get back test results, makes orders, doctor consultations or surgical procedures immediately from the patients chart. Track past due lab tests and procedures as well as inform users through e-mail. Lab results review reports feature side-by-side history of results and permits inter office lab result communications. Differential Diagnosis Simply file one or more differentials associated with a diagnosis. This module can in addition be used to rapidly replace with a specific diagnosis for a non-billable or non-specific code. Furthermore diagnosis connected practical codes, prescriptions and lab orders can be selected while seeing that diagnosis. Coding Assistance

History of Stem Cells Essay -- Medicine

History of Stem Cells Abstract This paper will be discussing the history of stem cells. There are many different ways to collect stem cells. Stem cells can be used for either right or wrong reasons. People can either use them to cure or to cause harm. Most people use stem cells to cure fatal illnesses. The one researcher that put stem cells out in the science world so people could understand it better was Leroy Stevens. His first encounter with stem cells was with a mouse that had a teratoma. Most people don’t understand the need for stem cells. There are many reasons why we research stem cells. Stem cells can be collected form a wide variety of places. The studies of stem cells have been around for many years. There were many people researching stem cells during the early 1900s, but Leroy Stevens had the greatest impact on the future study of stem cells. The people of ancient civilization were curious about the study of stem cells. Hindus from the thirteen and fourteen centuries BC knew that the result of the fetus would come from mixing two seeds of the parents (Kelly 16). They weren't the only people who wondered about the studies of stem cells. Greek philosopher named Aristotle was also interested in the study of stem cells so he discovered two very important theories. The two theories were Perfomation and Epigenesis (Kelly 16). According to the theory of Peromation, the fetus grows over time (Kelly 16). In contrast, Epigenesis means tat the fetus begins as a generic mass and then different parts are added to the fetus (Kelly 16). - 2 - Researching on mice was began in a Laboratory in Bar Harbor in Maine. In the year of 1953, researcher Leroy Stevens began on an experiment with cancerous mice. This laboratory was awa... ... been beneficial to humans by improving the lives of those who have potentially fatal diseases. In the future of stem cells research more and more fatal diseases will be cured because of the technology gained from stem cells research. That’s why we need to keep on researching stem cells. - 5 - Work cited page 1. Kelly , Evelyn. Stem cells . connecticut : greenwood press , 2007. 2. "What are stem cells and what are they used for?." 24 April 2001. HowStuffWorks.com. 22 July 2008. 3. n.d. The University of Utah, Genetic Science Learning Center. 26 July 2008 . 4. n.d. Tiantan Puhua Stem Cell Center. 26 July 2008 . 5. n.d. Tiantan Puhua Stem Cell Center. 27 July 2008 .

Hidden Curriculum Essay -- essays research papers

Hidden Curriculum   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education is designed to serve many purposes towards the youths of today. It teaches the youth how to be better people and it prepares them for life. Education teaches its pupils knowledge in more that one way, by looking at life in different directions. There is a curriculum that is taught by the teachers and the textbooks, and in addition to the standard schooling there is also a â€Å"hidden curriculum.† Gatto and Rose each have their own style of teaching and learning and their articles explain their unique styles. In college, high school, and even previous schooling, lessons are taught that enforce hidden instruction, but the students that succeed are the ones that recognize this and learn from it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the article â€Å"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher,† written by the teacher John Taylor Gatto, he sarcastically talks about how he secretly teaches his students lessons in life without their knowing. His messages teach important things in life such as patience and organization. Gatto’s lessons like these are important for people to learn in school, but they cannot be taught out of a book or in a lesson. He believes these types of lessons must be taught to children within hidden messages to make it easier to learn. Gatto is speaking the truth when he says that the lesson plans of teachers contain much hidden curriculum. For example, Gatto jokingly says that he teaches confusion as one of these mysterious le...

Business Communication Essay

Q 1. Describe any situation that you experienced where the communication went wrong because the listening was faulty. Analyze the situation by explaining the type of listening barrier. . How could this barrier be overcome? (10 marks). The following example illustrates an organizational barrier to communication. By the time the message is passed down from the Chief to the lower level Executives, it is distorted completely, so much so that the original message is interpreted differently by each level in the organization. Memo from CEO to Manager: Today at 11 o’clock there will be a total eclipse of the sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for 2 minutes. As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made available at a small cost. Memo from Manager to Department Head: Today at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park. This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear for 2 minutes. For a moderate cost, they will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some information. This is not something that can be seen everyday. Memo from the Department Head to Floor Manager: The CEO will today deliver a speech to make the sun disappear for 2 minutes in the form of an eclipse. This is something that cannot be seen everyday so staff will meet in the car  park at ten or eleven. This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost. Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor: Ten or eleven staff are to go to the car park, where the CEO will eclipse the sun for 2 minutes. This does not happen everyday. It will be safe, and as usual it will cost you. Memo from Supervisor to Staff: Some staff will go to the car park today to see the CEO disappear. It is a pity this doesn’t happen everyday. Communication was filtered or misinterpreted because of the following barriers: Organizational Barriers – In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple â€Å"layers†, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender. Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or communication between them. This barrier could be overcome by the following methods: 1. Encourage Feedback – Organizations should try to improve the communication system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not. 2. Create a Climate of Openness – A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized. 3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication – Organizations should encourage the use of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels of communication. The types of channels will be discussed in detail later, in a separate unit. Q 2. Select a business article from any business publication. Evaluate it in terms of : a) Appropriate level of readability b) Use of jargon, slang and metaphors c) Use of simple vs. complex words. Is it well or poorly written, in your opinion? Attach a copy of the article with your response. (10 marks) World Markets Rise As Double-Dip Fears Ease: World stock markets advanced modestly Monday as investors rode momentum from Friday, when an upbeat U.S. jobs report eased fears that the global economy could slip back into recession. With Wall Street closed for a holiday, however, trading was expected to remain light. Markets took heart after official data last week showed private employers in the U.S. added 67,000 jobs in August, more than analysts expected. The figure bolstered optimism that the U.S. will maintain a slow but steady recovery from last year’s recession and avoid another economic contraction later this year. By mid-afternoon in Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 index was up 0.3 percent at 5,446.17, Germany’s DAX was 0.3 percent higher at 6,153.31 and France’s CAC-40 was up 0.3 percent at 3,684.20. Asian indexes closed higher and trading on Wall Street was to remain shut for Labor Day weekend after closing higher on Friday. With most major governments reining in economic stimulus measures and many pushing through austerity spending cuts to reduce deficits, investors worry the global economy would be pushed into a double dip recession, particularly  as the U.S. slows down quickly. Because the U.S. economy is the world’s largest and consumer spending there accounts for a fifth of global economic activity, the stronger-than-expected jobs data on Friday helped calm investors’ frayed nerves after weeks of worrying indicators. â€Å"The renewed flight to safety we have witnessed over the past month is overdone and risks an equally large reversal when the worries over a double dip subside,† analysts from Rabobank said in a report. â€Å"As the unexciting, steady and below-trend global recovery continues, it’s important not to confuse it with a double dip recession.† Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index climbed 2.1 percent, or 187.19, to 9,301.32 and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.7 percent to 1,792.42. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 1.8 percent to 21,355.77. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.8 percent at 4,575.50. Markets in mainland China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Singapore were also higher. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped 1.2 percent to close at 10,447.93 on Friday. The broader Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 1.3 percent to 1,104.51. Shares in the U.S. ended the week in the positive, the first time that has happened in a month. The early gains in September mark a stark turnaround from August trade, when shares fell on doubts about the global economic recovery. The dollar fell to 84.24 yen from 84.27 yen on Friday. The euro was slightly lower at $1.2880 from $1.2895. Benchmark oil for October delivery was down 40 cents at $74.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 42 cents to settle at $74.60 on Friday. Jargon refers to technical terms or specialized vocabulary. Some of the  technical terms mentioned above are â€Å"rode momentum, Kospi, FTSE, CAC, DAX, calm investors’ frayed nerves, etc.† More complex words and phrases are written in the above article and this reduces the level of readability when read by a common man. The above article is well written, however, the reader of the article should have a certain amount of knowledge in the field of stock trading and world financial markets. Q 3 List out and briefly explain five â€Å"do†s and â€Å"don’t’s† for each of participants and chairperson of a meeting. (10 marks). Before the Meeting As pointed out earlier, meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Before any planning can be done however, a basic question to be asked is whether to hold a meeting at all. The answers to the following questions would help to decide whether a meeting is necessary in the first place – -Can the matter be decided or discussed over the telephone? -Can the matter be expressed in writing, in the form of a memo, or an email message? -Are key people available to attend the meeting and are they prepared? -Is the time allotted for the meeting sufficient? If the answers to the first two questions are yes and the answers to the other two questions are no, there is no purpose in calling a meeting. Once the need for a meeting has been determined, the next step is to start planning the meeting. First of all, the type and number of participants should be decided. A problem solving meeting should include representatives from all departments, since the decision would otherwise be incomplete. Shareholders, who are the owners of the company, should also be included. In terms of numbers, the size of the group could be anywhere between seven and eleven members. An exception to this is an information sharing meeting, where the numbers could be larger, so that a maximum number of people benefit from the information. The second and most important step in planning a meeting is to indicate the purpose or agenda of the meeting to the participants in advance. An agenda  is essentially a list of topics that will be discussed during a meeting. In the words of Adler and Elmhorst, â€Å"A meeting without an agenda is like a ship at sea without a destination or compass: no one aboard knows where it is or where it is headed.† An agenda is prepared by the Chairperson of the meeting, or the person who calls the meeting. During the Meeting: The task of conducting and moderating the meeting rests with the chairperson. He or she must be well versed with the procedures for opening the meeting, encouraging balanced participation, and solving problems creatively, concluding the meeting and managing time efficiently. We shall discuss each of these procedures in detail. 1. Opening the Meeting – The manner in which the meeting is opened is important, since a good opening will ensure that the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. There are different ways of opening a meeting. Generally, it is best to sum up what has been stated in the agenda – including the goals, background information and expectations of the participants. It is also a good idea to provide an outline of how the meeting will proceed, as well as a time budget. 2. Encouraging Balanced Participation – It is also the responsibility of the chairperson to encourage silent members to contribute to the meeting and to moderate the dominant members, so that they do not â€Å"hijack† the meeting. There are several techniques to encourage participation –  · Encourage Participation in the Reverse Order of Seniority – This means getting the junior members to speak or air their opinions first. If the senior people speak first, they may feel suppressed or be afraid to disagree with their superiors.  · Nominal Group Technique – In this method, the meeting participants are encouraged to work and contribute their ideas independently 3. Managing Time – There is no prescribed length for a meeting. The duration of a meeting will depend on the type and purpose of the meeting. Generally, problem-solving meetings will take longer than other routine meetings. In any case, the chairperson should set a time budget for the meeting, depending on the agenda and ensure adherence to the time limit. 4. Keeping the Meeting Focused – Often, a lot of time is wasted during meetings by going off track and by discussing topics that are irrelevant. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the chairperson, or the person moderating the discussion to make sure that the discussion remains focused on the topics mentioned in the agenda. 5. Ensuring â€Å"Convergence† – Convergence means hearing the points of view of all the members and then arriving at a decision. It is again the responsibility of the chairperson to bring the meeting to a point where an opinion emerges on each item of the agenda. 6. Summing Up – This means summing up the different points of view, the decisions and the actions to be taken. This should be done by the chairperson, identifying the role of each person on each item of the agenda, along with a specified deadline. Example – Chris will take the responsibility of contacting the media and sending material for advertisements and press releases by March 13th. 7. Concluding the Meeting – The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence the follow-up action taken on decisions made during the meeting. The chairperson should know when and how to conclude the meeting. The meeting should normally be concluded at the scheduled closing time, unless important issues still remain to be discussed and members are willing to extend the meeting. Sometimes meetings may be concluded before the closing time, when key decision makers are not present, or when important information such as cost figures are not available. 8. Keeping â€Å"Minutes† of the Meeting – Since meetings are called to take important decisions concerning the organization, it is important to maintain a permanent written record of the proceedings, which can be referred to at a later stage, or serve as a guide for action. Such a record is known as â€Å"minutes† of the meeting and may be done in an informal or formal manner, depending on the type of meeting.

Unit 204 Nvq Business and Admin

Unit 204 – Communicate in a business environment-Nvq level 2 in Business and Administration Why do you need to know the purpose of any communication you are sending and its Intended audience (1. 1, 1. 2) In what way does this affect the language you might use when producing written communication or information? (2. 3) The purpose of communication is for human us to be able to understand each other for different reasons. So if we develop our communicative skills we can use this skill as a tool to help me learn or explain something to someone or both.We also communicate to help one another, listen to each others' problems, and solve difficulties we face in life, find solutions to obstacles that may come into our lives. If we know the audience, we can more effectively communicate with and persuade that audience. My motivation is to get satisfaction from expressing my ideas and getting recognition from the audience. Colloquial, casual, and formal writing are three common styles th at carry their own particular sets of expectations. Style also depends on the purpose of the document and its audience. Colloquial language is an informal, conversational style of writing.Casual language involves everyday words and expressions in a familiar group context such as conversations with family or close friends. Formal language is communication that focuses on professional expression with attention to roles, protocol, and appearance. It is characterized by its vocabulary and syntax or the grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence. Describe different methods of communication and when you would use them? (1. 3,1. 4) Different methods of communication that I would use in a business environment are:  ® Written communication by exchange of letters, emails or faxes.I would use every day to communicate with customer, colleagues at work and with my supervisors  ® Verbal communication when I use the phone or I talk with someone face to face. I would use this when talking w ith customers by phone and when I talk with my work colleagues and managers face to face or by phone. Communication can be informal, like face to face communication that occurs in general in a daily situation, or formal and It follows proper order, and procedures, and can be recorded to store the outcomes. What are some of the key information sources you may need to refer to when preparing written communication and information? 2,1) The Key information sources I may need to refer to when preparing written communication and information and that can guard me against inaccuracies can be guidelines, policies, procedures, records, meeting notes, specifications, handbooks, directories, service plans, organisation charts and the organisation intranet and I could speak with colleagues or managers. If I am responding to a customer or to a manager I would read them through carefully to check I have addressed all the relevant points. When using email what are some of the key principles you sho uld follow? (2. ) The key principles I should follow when using email are:  ® Start the email with a proper greeting as Mr, Mrs. If is acceptable within the organisation we could ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’.  ® We must explain the purpose of the message in a concise manner in the subject line.  ® Get to the point of the message as soon as possible.  ® Don’t write in capital letters.  ® Be careful of sending out email to a large number of people because some people don’t want their email address to be known by estrangers.  ® Don’t open an attachment or click in a link in an email from someone I don know as it could end up infecting the computer with a virus. It is not acceptable to use emoticons and abbreviations (like the ones used in mobile text messages). I could look very unprofessional.  ® Never use email to discuss confidential information and follow the Data Protection legislation.  ® Don’t use work email account to sen d personal emails. What should you do to ensure that your written communications are organised, structured and well presented to meet the needs of the intended audience? (2. 4) To ensure that my written communications are organised, structured and well presented to meet the need of the intended audience we should start by identifying who will read the message.We need to think about what they need to know and the vocabulary we need to use. We must think about the tone of the message as well. We should create an outline that will help to identify which steps to take in which order and use simple language. The structure of the document should be â€Å"reader friendly†. What are the main ways you can check the accuracy of any written communication you produce? (2. 5) Any written content or communication has to be free of spelling and grammatical errors. It also has to be in the right and professional format. We need to check the points written down: Whatever we write has to be ac curate, otherwise it will have disastrous effects and can even ruin the reputation of the organisation, and the organisation can itself get into trouble.  ® We need to do a spell check and grammar check. Spell-check is an option available to easily correct typo errors. Sometimes it will not be 100% accurate, because if you had typed a word instead of another, then spell check will not be able to trace it. So it is always best to even read through the document twice before finalising.  ® We could use a template.Every organisation has a different style for documents they produce. As an organisation, documents have to be produce in a standard and professional format.  ® We could have our document read by another reader. Sometimes when we read or own work error can be hard to detect What is meant by plain English and why is it used? (2. 7) Plain English sometimes referred to more broadly as plain language is a generic term for communication styles that emphasise clarity and the av oidance of technical language – particularly in relation to official government communication, including laws.The intention is to write in a manner that is easily understood by everyone and is appropriate to their reading skills and knowledge, clear and direct, free of cliche and unnecessary jargon. Plain English is simple, straightforward, easily understood English, in other words the opposite of the English used by lawyers which uses long words, out-of-date words, technical words and Latin words. Why is it important to ensure that spelling, grammar and punctuation are accurate? (2. 6) The main purpose in the correct use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is ensuring the receiver of the information reads it accurately.Addition to this when given a task to do, your employer expects you to do it perfectly. When a document has inaccuracies, readers tend to distrust everything, including the statistics, opinions, and facts. This would be relayed back to my employer who would t hemselves lose confidence in our ability. For progression in my company I need to ensure I carry out all tasks to a certain standard. Why is it necessary to proof read and check written work? (2. 8) Any work that is written has to be proofread and checked because the content that we write is important.The way a paper or any information looks affects the way others judge it. We all put in so much effort to develop a document and put in all the ideas and skills we have to create a document. So it has to be error free, else it will create a bad impression to the reader, which affects the name of the organisation. So it is always best to create the correct document and make a good impression. As they say, â€Å"The first impression is the best impression†. I should proofread virtually any written piece, from emails to minutes.Just proofreading will have a great effect on the quality of my material, and I am sure that way, I will earn more compliments from people. How do you disti nguish between work which is important and that which is urgent? (2. 9) Important communications those that can provide significant value to the organisation This could be reports to managers, partners, emails and letters to staff about developments or changes within the organisation. Urgent communications are those which have deadlines. Urgent task are not necessarily complicated but are usually linked to the organisation targets for response times.What are the procedures you need to follow for saving and filing written communications in your organisation? (2. 10) The procedures I need to follow for saving filling written communications in my organisation are when I file records, I organise files or records with similar information together. Important documents that need accessing by other departments or member of staff are saved in the shared drive. Any confidential information are kept in personal folders or encrypted with a password. Records may be kept as paper files, or electr onically in shared drives, databases, or document management systems.When speaking with people face to face and over the telephone, what can you do to ensure you are presenting information and ideas clearly and are contributing effectively to discussions? (3. 1, 3. 2) To ensure I am presenting information and ideas clearly when speaking with people face to face or over the phone I should think about what I am going to say before start talking so when I present information and ideas they will be much more concise. Knowing the subject matter by reading about it, doing some research or asking colleagues or managers will help as well.It is a good idea to write it down so we can organise our thoughts and then express them clearly. We can ask questions to get some feed back and make the other person participate in the conversation. How do you show people you are actively listening to them? (3. 3) To show people that I am actively listening face to face or over the phone I need to use appr opriate phrases like I see, I understand, mmmm and ask questions to check my understanding. In face to face communication I can see as well facial expressions of the person I am talking to and they can see mine.Not being sincere or not showing interest in the other person when talking to them can be notice from our facial expressions and our gestures We should make eye contact with the person we are talking to and show that we are actively listening by nodding our head or saying ‘yes’ or ‘I see’. When talking to people face to face or over the telephone, what are the key reasons you would summarise your conversations with them? (3. 4) When talking to people face to face or over the phone they reasons I should summarise my conversation with them is to reflect back what I have heard and because is not helpful to make assumptions.It always better to check if we are not sure of something and ask the other person to give us further information. Summarising can i mprove the quality and accuracy of our conversation. What are the main ways you can get feedback on whether communications with others have been effective and how can that feedback be used to develop your communication skills? (4. 1,4. 2) The main ways I can get feedback on whether communications with others have been effective are asking questions and making sure they understood fully. We should ask colleagues and mangers to give us feed back on how we are communicating with others.During face to face conversations you can watch the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of the person you're communicating with and from this determine their level of interest and agreement with your message. I should observe more experience colleagues and ask them what I do well and areas where I can improve. I could collect examples of well constructed email and letters and use them as a reference. I will have to set the example for the team and create an environment of trust that makes it okay t o share feedback. I should provide my team with a balance of positive feedback and feedback for improvement and receive them too.

American foreign policy Essay

Foreign policy refers to the strategies that governments employ to guide their actions towards other countries. The U. S. foreign policy is founded on the principles of democracy and tenets liberalization (Goldstein, 2003). The U. S. foreign policy takes into account issues of human rights, economic growth and development, terrorism and environmental degradation and addresses them as challenges that can best be addressed through democracy in countries and institutions throughout the world (Goldstein, 2003). The U. S. foreign policy has undergone significant transitions that match different historical periods in the world that include the World War I, the World War II, the Cold War, the post Cold War period and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The United Nations and the United States are arguably the most influential players in the international system as well as in the global political economics as a whole. Having been formed with the main objective of promoting and achieving sustainable peace in the world, the United Nations remains the most dominant and most influential International Governmental Organization in the world (Roberts & Kingsbury 1994). In theoretical terms, the fundamental significance of the United Nations as well as the operational challenges faced by the institution are illustrated in the theory of realism which states that â€Å"there is no world government, or political authority above the state, a situation that ultimately reduces the international system to absolute anarchy with the absence of any overarching political body with the capacity to enforce law and order among its members or nation states† (Roberts & Kingsbury 1994). The realism theory stresses on the centrality of the state, or nation state as the ultimate political authority in the politics of the international system. As such, the overriding motive of all states is self-preservation through maximization of power, a characteristic that effectively transforms the international system of a war of all against all (Goldstein, 2003). The realism theory further argues that stability is best achieved in the balance of power which can be achieved through increased interactions among states, with the most powerful country playing the role of a balancer (Goldstein, 2003). Today, the U. S. is the most powerful country in the world and has effectively assumed the role of a balancer in the international system, with the United Nations serving as the overarching political body with capacity to enforce law and order among its member states. Domestic Public Attitudes toward Foreign Policy in the United States At the domestic level, the U. S. foreign policy enjoys a lot of support among the citizenry. According to a report by World Public Opinion. org, a strong majority of U. S. citizens support of the U. S. involvement in the world. However, the number of U. S. citizens who feel disgruntled by the country’ foreign policies is growing steadily. The World Public Opinion. org has established that Americans overwhelmingly support the continued leadership role that the U. S. plays in the world. These findings were based on a 2006 GMF poll which indicated that 84 percent of those polled saying it was desirable for the U. S to exert strong leadership affairs, with 43 percent having been quoted as expressing a US global influence as being very desirable, and only 14 percent expressing their concerns about the U. S. global influence. However, the overwhelming support of the U. S foreign policy by its citizenry does support the role of the U. S. in global affairs as a hegemony, but rather supports the idea of shared leadership roles with other players in the international system. A significant segment of the U. S population believes that the U. S security has been threatened by the way the U. S. has been using the threats of military force as leverage in the international system. In a poll conducted by the World Public Opinion. org, 63 percent of the respondents were of the view that the U. S. military threats prompt other countries to be protective by developing and acquiring weapons of mass destruction. In another survey that was carried out in 2003 by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, majority of the U. S. citizens faulted the war in Iraq, with 66 percent of the respondents believing that the war has had negative effects on the relations between the U. S. and the Muslim world. According to the survey, 64 percent of the respondents expressed concerns that the war will not promote democracy in the Middle East while a further 61percent expressed fears that the war will not reduce the threat of terrorism. International Public Attitudes toward Foreign Policy in the United States There has been a growing disdain for the U. S. foreign policy in many countries throughout the world. The September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent U. S. war on terror are seen as having particularly caused dramatic shifts in U. S. foreign policy (Grant, 2004). The military operations in Afghanistan that have been ongoing since October 2001 to date and the U. S. invasion of Iraq have taken toll on the image of the United States with people from around the world and those in the Muslim countries in particular showing the lowest ratings for the U. S foreign policy. According to the Pew Global Attitudes Project that is run by the Washington DC based Pew Research Centre, America’s image relative to the country’s foreign policy has dropped immensely over the years. According to the report of the project, the United States is trailing many countries in favorability ratings. Countries such as France, Germany, China and Japan are more popular than the U. S in the European Union countries and Muslim countries. The study showed that while the ratings of the U. S were highest in Asian countries such as India, the favorability ratings of the country dropped by 15 percent in India between 2005 and 2006. The study further indicated that levels of negative attitudes that the populations of Western Europe have towards America are even higher than they were in 2002 before the Iraq invasion. The Pew Global Attitudes Project report also showed low ratings for President George Bush both domestically and internationally, with the confidence in bush to make the right decisions in international affairs having dropped in seven of the eleven countries in 2005 as provided by the data that tracked the trends. The report further indicates a steady slump of rating for George Bush in European countries and among predominantly Muslim populations. George Bush registered the largest slump of ratings in the U. S. from 62 percent in 2005 to 50 percent in 2006. In regard to the War on Terror, the Pew Global Attitudes Project reported an overwhelming decrease in international public support for the U. S led war on terrorism. With Muslim countries having obviously registered the highest levels of criticisms against the war on terror, Spain and Japan also registered almost virtual collapse of support for the counter-terrorism war. As of 2006, the support for war on terror in Spain had reduced to 19 percent from 63 percent in 2003 while Japan registered public support of 26 percent from 61 percent in 2002, according to information provided by the Pew Global Attitudes Project.

Cross Cultural Training Essay

Globalization of business has led to cross border flows of physical, financial and human resources. It has resulted in both a large number of people working abroad, as well as an increasingly multi cultural domestic work environment. To face the ever growing competition, organizations are expanding their businesses, outsourcing and even establishing offices overseas. Organizations are not only searching the world for opportunities to sell or source but also to find intellectual capital- the world’s best talent and ideas. This brings new employees of different origin, language and national culture thus adding complexities to the culture of domestic organizations. Effective use of cross cultural teams can provide a source of experience and innovative thinking to enhance the competitive position of organizations. However, cultural differences often lead to misunderstandings, frustrations, cultural shock etc. These have to be tackled effectively if the benefits of a diverse and talented workforce are to be realized. Another dynamic factor that brings about a cultural change within organizations is cross border acquisitions. Many domestic companies are entering foreign markets and signing merger deals. Other companies such as the ones in the IT sector have businesses which depend heavily upon foreign markets. This has necessitated the development of competent â€Å"global managers† who would be able to work in new environments efficiently and will act as a bridge between the parent company and its subsidiaries. Working effectively in cross-cultural context is becoming of vital competence for aspiring managers. Organizational research has shown that cross- cultural training mitigates or proactively guards against the frustrations, misunderstandings and culture shock often resulting from cross-cultural interactions that lead to poor adjustment and job performance. (Harris and Kumra 2000). This paper attempts to define the possible sources of cross-cultural differences and illustrate a failed cross cultural merger through a case study. It then goes on to highlight the cross cultural challenges and issues to be considered in designing cross cultural training. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: 1. To understand the influential factors that lead to cross-cultural differences. 2. To identify the key cross cultural challenges. 3. To identify issues to be considered while designing cross cultural training. METHODOLOGY: A literature survey was conducted to study the issue and its various implications. Information was gathered from various articles about cross cultural training. An opinion survey was conducted regarding key issues in cross-cultural training. A total of 10 professionals from large multinational organizations both in India and abroad responded to the survey between 1st and 30th November 2009. The responses were collected through interviews and telephonic conversations. This was a preliminary study, and the small size of the sample means that definitive conclusions cannot be drawn, but rather an indicative trend can be observed. Sample 1. 10 respondents from 10 different companies responded to the survey. 2. Positions held within the organizations: Senior Management level 3. Organizations: Financial Services, Consumer Business, Construction, Manufacturing, Import and Export, Telecoms, Media and Technology 4. Size of Organizations: more than 1000 employees Culture is a powerful force which plays an important role in how businesses are run and managerial decisions are made. Professionals in today’s multicultural global business community frequently encounter cultural differences which can at times interfere with the organizational working. The nature of international collaborations is such that professionals need to be aware of differing perspectives and cultures. Working across significant differences in culture is a complex process involving intellectual and emotional challenges. It takes learning and exposure to accurately interpret the vagaries of cross-cultural issues. Sensitivity to other global views- managing in a different culture and new business environment presents challenges for the individuals, their team and the organization. To understand these challenges, one must first understand the definition of culture. Culture can be defined as, â€Å"A perceptual structure of human activities that include, behaviors, values, arts, beliefs, languages, custom, dress, rituals, manners, religion, laws, morality, & code of honors. † It basically refers to a group of people with whom we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as gender, race, or national origin. It can also include groups that we join and become part of. For example, we can acquire a new culture by moving to a new region and even by a change in our economic status. In an organization, culture defines, decision-making practices, communication styles, working styles and influences how we act and respond in the working world. Cultures differ distinctively in the ways they seek to resolve universal problems. These differences can create obstacles to smooth collaborations. When people from different cultural groups take on the challenge of managing international businesses by working together with the global community, cultural values sometimes conflict. One can misunderstand another, and react in ways that can hinder what are otherwise promising partnerships. There are several frameworks which have been developed in making comparisons across cultures. One of the most widely used frameworks in managerial settings, is that of Geert Hofstede. Dr. Geert Hofstede conducted perhaps the most comprehensive study of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. From 1967 to 1973, while working at IBM as a psychologist, he collected and analyzed data from over 100,000 individuals from forty countries. From those results, and later additions, Hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to differentiate cultures. He later added a fifth dimension, Long-term Orientation. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions: 1. Power Distance Index (PDI) focuses on the degree of equality, or inequality, between people in the country’s society. A High Power Distance ranking indicates that inequalities of power and wealth have been allowed to grow within the society. These societies are more likely to follow a caste system that does not allow significant upward mobility of its citizens. A Low Power Distance ranking indicates the society de-emphasizes the differences between citizen’s power and wealth. In these societies equality and opportunity for everyone is stressed. 2. Individualism (IDV) focuses on the degree the society reinforces individual or collective, achievement and interpersonal relationships. A High Individualism ranking indicates that individuality and individual rights are paramount within the society. Individuals in these societies may tend to form a larger number of looser relationships. A Low Individualism ranking typifies societies of a more collectivist nature with close ties between individuals. These cultures reinforce extended families and collectives where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. 3. Masculinity (MAS) focuses on the degree the society reinforces, or does not reinforce, the traditional masculine work role model of male achievement, control, and power. A High Masculinity ranking indicates the country experiences a high degree of gender differentiation. In these cultures, males dominate a significant portion of the society and power structure, with females being controlled by male domination. A Low Masculinity ranking indicates the country has a low level of differentiation and discrimination between genders. In these cultures, females are treated equally to males in all aspects of the society. 4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society – i. e. unstructured situations. A High Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. This creates a rule-oriented society that institutes laws, rules, regulations, and controls in order to reduce the amount of uncertainty. A Low Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the country has less concern about ambiguity and uncertainty and has more tolerance for a variety of opinions. This is reflected in a society that is less rule-oriented, more readily accepts change, and takes more and greater risks. Geert Hofstede added the following fifth (5th) dimension after conducting an additional international study using a survey instrument developed with Chinese employees and managers. That survey resulted in addition of the Confucian dynamism. Subsequently, Hofstede described that dimension as a culture’s long-term Orientation. 5. Long-Term Orientation (LTO) focuses on the degree to which the society embraces, or does not embrace, long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values. High Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the country prescribes to the values of long-term commitments and respect for tradition. This is thought to support a strong work ethic where long-term rewards are expected as a result of today’s hard work. However, business may take longer to develop in this society, particularly for an â€Å"outsider†. A Low Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the country does not reinforce the concept of long-term, traditional orientation. In this culture, change can occur more rapidly as long-term traditions and commitments do not become impediments to change. India’s ranking on the five cultural dimensions of Hofstede: [pic] India has Power Distance (PDI) as the highest Hofstede Dimension for the culture, with a ranking of 77 compared to a world average of 56. 5. This Power Distance score for India indicates a high level of inequality of power and wealth within the society. This condition is not necessarily subverted upon the population, but rather accepted by the population as a cultural norm. India’s Long Term Orientation (LTO) Dimension rank is 61, with the world average at 48. A higher LTO score can be indicative of a culture that is perseverant and parsimonious . India has Masculinity as the third highest ranking Hofstede Dimension at 56, with the world average just slightly lower at 51. The higher the country ranks in this Dimension, the greater the gap between values of men and women. It may also generate a more competitive and assertive female population, although still less than the male population. India’s lowest ranking Dimension is Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) at 40, compared to the world average of 65. On the lower end of this ranking, the culture may be more open to unstructured ideas and situations. The population may have fewer rules and regulations with which to attempt control of every unknown and unexpected event or situation, as is the case in high Uncertainty Avoidance countries. Defining Cross Cultural Training: Cross-cultural training in general can be defined as â€Å"Any intervention aimed at increasing an individual’s capability to cope with and work in foreign environment† (Tung, 1981, in Zakaria, 2000). Hence cross-cultural training involves all the methods like lectures, simulation etc. used to make the person familiar with a different culture. It involves interacting with and/ or comparing two or more cultures, & understanding their values, beliefs, & norms. The term cross-cultural training hence is broad enough to include differences in areas like language abilities, business etiquettes, beliefs and values, social system, negotiating styles etc. f any culture. Cross-cultural training has also been defined as â€Å"Formal methods to prepare people for more effective interpersonal relations and job success when they interact extensively with individuals from cultures other than their own† (Brislin and Yoshida, 1994). The advantages from cross-cultural training hav e been listed as following (Zakaria, 2000: 2): 1. A means for constant switching from an automatic, home culture international management mode to a culturally adaptable and acceptable one 2. An aid to improve coping with unexpected events and cultural shock in a new culture 3. A means to reduce uncertainty of interactions with foreign nationals 4. A means for enhancing expatriates coping abilities Design of cross-cultural training: Organizations are required to choose between culture specific or culture general training, which areas of the culture to focus upon and what are the personal requirements of the person who might have to deal with a situation like this or who is shifting to a different culture for work. The study by Hun and Jenkins (1998) mentions following issues for the cross-cultural training: 1. Different aspects of time like punctuality- The time factor here involve two dimensions that are punctuality and relationship dimension. While in some cultures like USA starting and ending on time are very important in others like South American countries that may be considered exceptional. Some cultures prefer to take time for relationship building, which may not be acceptable at all in others. Hence cross-cultural barriers related to time need to be taken care of. 2. Linguistic barriers- English is being used for most transactions but then usage of English tends to change with the country contexts. For example the pronunciation in India is significantly different from the American way. Secondly certain terms may have different meaning in different languages; hence context also plays an important role. In case of countries with different languages the expatriates must be trained in opening dialogues and discussions with the help of translators. 3. Different business practices- Like conduct in meeting and unstructured and open discussion. Hofstede’s (2001) dimensions like power distance can play an important role in situations like conduct during the meetings. In cultures with lower power distance the employees may tend to call their bosses with their first names while this may be impossible in cultures with higher power distances. Hence developing a first hand knowledge about the practices is very important. 4. Cultural stress (ambiguity and difference of perceptions)- The training should also involve methods to counter stress and to interpret situations. The expatriates will have to understand the situations on their own and then form perceptions. The training should avoid any kind of stereotyping where trainees may be lead to believe certain things about any culture. The culture may broadly explain value system of a community or country but every individual is different. Hence any individual with a pre-formed notion about the culture will be shocked to see people different from his beliefs leading to lot of confusion and stress. 5. Body language and greetings- The way emotions are expressed in the various cultures may differ, for example the face expressions and hand gestures may convey different meanings in different cultures. Cross-cultural training should have components related to both general orientation and specific skill development (Harrison, 1994). The component of general orientation here consists of self assessment (dealing with change, stress management and identifying attributes) and cultural awareness (general dimensions, national values and work place incidents). The specific development on the other hand consists of knowledge acquisition (area studies, language studies and host attitudes) and skills training (case studies, area simulation and behavior modeling). Hence the training should focus on providing trainee the knowledge about national cultures and attitudes in the host country in the first phase while in second phase the trainee should be made to go through a rigorous process of handling the situations in a simulated environment. This will help the trainee to acquire hands-on experience. The paper by Nicola (1993) suggests following issues for cross-cultural training: †¢Feed back †¢Getting beyond culturally determined stereotypes †¢How to raise and deal with cultural stereotype How to counsel employees †¢Coaching and team building †¢Resolving conflicts (those including various ethnic groups at work place) †¢Counseling so as to go beyond all kinds of stereotypes and perceptions. After the internet revolution things have vastly changed for various organizations. For example many firms use internet as a medium to coordinate between different employees working in different locations as a team like one of the team members would be in India, other one might be in Europe and third one in South America. The group dynamics in these situations becomes very important; hence the employees must also be trained at handling people from diverse cultures at the same time ensuring equal treatment and opportunities for all. One of the most important factors that is often forgotten while designing the training programs is the requirement of the employees. The design of training program should be made keeping in mind the length of stay in the host country, type of function he/she will have to perform, degree of socialization required by the employee and the personal characteristics of the employees (like interpersonal skills). Hence cross-cultural training program should be customized for each employee to a certain extent. It’s not only the employee who needs to be trained; the family of employee should also be trained on certain issues like cultural differences. Many firms have started giving due importance to the training of spouse because the socialization of expatriate and job success to a large extent will depend upon socialization of his family Key Cross Cultural Challenges: Cultural dissimilarities affect the ability to be effective in a foreign market. Some of the root causes for the problems arising in International businesses result from differences in communication styles, decision-making styles and working styles. †¢ Communication Style – The way people communicate varies widely between and even within cultures. Recognizing the impact of culture on communication style is essential to the success of cross-cultural business communication. †¢ Decision making- Decision- making processes differ from culture to culture. Some cultures emphasize individual autonomy and responsibility while others focus more on group participation. †¢ Working styles- The working styles may differ on the basis of elements such as leadership, conflict management, level of co-operation, competition among colleagues, teamwork, autonomy, etc. Case Study: Daimler Chrysler- A Cultural Mismatch? Synopsis: An example of a cross-cultural failure has been that of DaimlerChrysler. Both sides in the partnership set out to show that intercultural hurdles would and could be overcome in their global merger. Articles in the Wall Street Journal and Business Week suggested however that Daimler Chrysler underestimated the influence of culture, and due to culture clash, almost two years later was still struggling to become a unified global organization. In the period leading up to the Daimler-Chrysler merger, both firms were performing quite well (Chrysler was the most profitable American automaker), and there was widespread expectation that the merger would be successful (Cook 1998). People in both organizations expected that their merger of equals† would allow each unit to benefit from the other’s strengths and capabilities. Stockholders in both companies overwhelmingly approved the merger and the stock prices and analyst predictions reflected this optimism.