Saturday, August 31, 2019

Child Labor-Research Paper Essay

Children are the most important people in this world. Not only are they innocent and premature, but they also provide the future for this world. Every great leader or world changing man or women was once a bay. That baby grew up and became something great. Because that bay was raised the right way they were able to achieve men’s greatest achievements. If people like George Washington were raised differently then where would America be? We could still be under British Rule. We could be one of the governments that keep getting into civil wars because they have no strong leaders to lead them in the right direction. One child can rearrange how the world is today. Children are like a ball of clay. Children must be cared for in order to be shaped into a beautiful masterpiece. What masterpiece can you make with cracked clay? Ask any artist or sculptor you can’t work with cracked clay. It crumbles and falls apart in your hand. How can we make this world a masterpiece if the structure isn’t supportive? Child labor is the harsh dry climate that can dry and crack the future masterpiece that is our world. We need educated, healthy, and able children to run our future world and make it the utopia we wish it could be. Putting Child Labor on the front of Time Magazine can really help with this problem. Having this topic on the front of such a popular magazine can really help with the publicity this topic needs. There can be a lot more done to help this on going problem. We need to educate the world on what is happening to these poor children that this has to happen too. Child labor is a very important problem and needs to be stopped as soon as possible. Child Labor should be on the cover of Time Magazine because it is a growing problem, it can destroy countries, and children are the future for this world. Keeping in mind all this aspects I believe that child labor is completely cowardly act of the cruel people and should be banned. The history of child labor is very extensive. Not only has it been around since the beginning of time it’s also been a technique used in every single country in the world. As a matter of fact Child labor is still around today. It may not be as extensively used as it used to be but it is still around. During the 1700’s child labor was a big part of the industrial revolution. Kids were hired to do tasks that required their attributes. They were ordered to crawl under working machines and check things out. Surprisingly Children were given the most dangerous jobs. Many children died, lost limbs, or were seriously injured. As the problem grew it was introduced to more immature countries. These countries used children for many things including work. They would have them work on farms, factories, or other laboring jobs. Rebel armies in 3rd world countries are especially big fans of Child Labor. They use children for everything for the fact that they are easy to brainwash. They use children to distribute guns, as soldiers, or as servants. The main use of Child Labor now is mostly 3rd world countries. These countries have been depending on these children for many things. They need these children so much because they are very new countries. These countries might have become independent not very long ago and struggle very much to remain stable†(Galbi Douglas). Because these countries are so young thy are way to busy trying to figure out problems like who is in charge and dealing with rebel armies that this problem is almost nothing to them. Believe or not some governments use child labor. These 3rd world countries believe that putting a child to work is fine. As I said before the history of Child Labor is very extensive and there is probably some things that experts don’t even know about this topic. Child Labor has been a growing problem ever since the beginning of time. According to the history of Child Labor not very much has been done to prevent Child Labor. Certain countries have created laws preventing Child Labor but most of the world still has Children working. Most of these countries are 3rd world countries. There are many reasons why 3rd world countries have Child Labor. It provides family’s with one more paycheck to help with bills. You may notice the many 3rd world families have a lot of members. That is because if you have more children you have more paychecks coming in. Another reason is because people believe it might balance out there economy. Politics in these countries might believe that increasing the working class will increase the amount of products able to export therefore increasing trade and wealth. Also the main purpose that countries have Child Labor because it is the cheapest form of labor. Kids are able to work relatively cheap because there are easy to manipulate and convince that certain things are fair. This is an easy way to increase the work effort and increase profit too. These countries believe that Child Labor is a good way to increase their wealth and hopefully get them out of the economic slump they are in. Because these countries are very young they don’t see this as being wrong. Also they don’t see that Child Labor is actually destroying them also. Child Labor does the exact opposite of help. That’s why it is such an important growing problem. We have to figure out some how to convince countries that Child Labor isn’t good. Countries don’t believe anything is wrong because we keep on buying their products. There are several large companies that use Child Labor as a form of cheap labor so they are able to make much more profit. One of these big name product that use Child Labor in their factories is Nike. Nike is one of the biggest companies around in the U. S and they use Children in their factories. This shows how much it actually is around us. It is because of companies like this that are the reason the Child labor is still around. (Why children work) Child Labor is a main reason why 3rd world countries are the way they are today. Child labor devastates countries and families all around the world. Not only does Child Labor include the labor of several children but it also is a main topic in the tragedy of child trafficking. Children are sold as slaves to several people that are involved in Child trafficking. These Children are forced to work and do certain jobs fir no pay and little food. This also usually happens in 3rd world countries. These children are usually kidnapped of the streets then sold. Another reason why Child labor is destroying countries is because these 3rd world countries that need a strong leader now have no educated children that can soon be their leader. To have a good leader he must be well educated. All of the great leaders of the world were once young children. As children they were pushed to get the best education they possibly can get. Now they were able to change the world into a better place. Without educated children, who will be the future leaders of these 3rd world countries? It is because there are no children that are educated that these countries are in such a slump. (Child Labor) Children are the future larders of this world. Name any person that has accomplished so many great things for this world and no matter what that person would always have a child hood. Our President for example, he was once a child. He used to play with toys and play tag. What he had different then Children in labor are the opportunity. That is what we need to provide for these children. We have to give these children an opportunity to help their country, to help their families, to help the world. If we are able to give these children opportunity they can help these countries. They can bring these countries out of the slumps they are in. They can even fix many of our problems that we have today. We should fight to end this struggle. We should fight to win this war against Child Labor. Many people think that child labor only existed in the early twentieth century but that is wrong. Child labor still exists in our world today and even though we do not hear or read about it, it is still prominent in the world today. Many companies based in the United States are also involved in child labor. Many of the companies that are involved in child labor are not involved directly. Just because child labor has a negative connotation does not mean that all the results of child labor are negative. There are many negative outcomes of child labor and people should not encourage child labor but it is still very much alive in our world today. Many people wonder what child labor is, or how many children are actually affected by it, or even where it take place. To define child labor, someone could say it is any work that could harm, abuse, or misuse children. It is also important to know that child labor is a major problem throughout the world. Just about two hundred and fifty million children around the world are considered child laborers. Child laborers are found all over the world. Child labor is not just limited to one or two regions in the world, it is a global problem that must be controlled. Many studies have been conducted in recent times to further understand how prevalent child labor is in our world today. It is known around the world that child laborers are mainly recruited from poor or undeveloped countries. Many child laborers are promised money, a better life style, housing and all the amenities they would ever need, but it is a lie. Employers tell these lies to the parents of children. The parents are hoping that the employer would give a better type of life for their child than they would if they stayed with them. In addition to child labor not being limited to one region of the world not only one age group is limited to being taken as child laborers. Some kids are taken from their homes to become child laborers at the age of four. Many of the children that are taken to be child laborers are tricked and scammed into becoming child laborers. A recent study on child labor showed the Asian continent possessed the most child laborers. The study showed that of all the children laborers in the world Asia had just above sixty percent of all the children laborers. Following Asia with the second most child laborers was the continent of Africa with just above thirty percent of world’s children laborers. Latin America held just below ten percent of the world’s children laborers. The rest of the children laborers are found in the United States, Canada, or prospering nations on the European continent. About one fifth of all the workers in Asia are children. Also in Latin America just about one fifth of all the workers are children. A study conducted by the UNICEF organization concluded that about thirty-three percent of children in Africa were working. The same study showed that twenty percent of children in Latin America were at work. â€Å"Out of the two hundred and fifty million child laborers in the world about eight and a half million child laborers are forced to work in conditions that sexually exploit them or in conditions that force them to use weapons†(Yuban Hilda). Many people also wonder can child labor really exist in the United States of America today. It may be hard to believe but child labor does occur in the United States of America today. In the year 1996 a study showed that just fewer than two hundred thousand child laborers were in the United States of America. In the same study about sixty thousand of the two hundred thousand child laborers in America were under the age of fourteen. With all this knowledge many people wonder what is being done, and what can be done in the future. The government of the United States of America has passed many laws and restrictions to fight child labor but it has not been enforced to a great extent. It is evident that child labor is widely impacting our world; destroying our countries and preventing the children that are the future for this world to do great things. Looking at all of these aspects, it shows how big of a problem this issue is, and putting it on the cover of time magazine would help inform people on such large levels. The only way that people will know about how serious the conditions are for these children is if the word is spread, and Time Magazine will show everyone that they must help. Imagine if the United States provided these types of conditions to our children. Is that the type of society that you would want your children, your children’s children, and the future generations to live in? With that being said, how could the people in countries like America not do anything to help? We must help. We can no longer allow this issue to spread in third world countries. If we want these countries to strive and become stable countries, it must start with the children; they need help and they shouldn’t have to deal with these types of conditions any longer. Child labor should be on the cover of time magazine because it is a rapidly growing problem, is will leave countries in ruins, and children are the future of this planet.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Silent Night

The night was silent. The half moon gazed down benevolently on the city, alone in a starless stretch of black sky. The streets were empty, and all that reached out into the shadowy darkness were the street lamps, placed so methodically and evenly it made them seem more significant than they really were. Near one of these lamps, on a bench, was an ancient man, his hair grey, his face was warped with deep wrinkles, a pair of round rimmed spectacles perched on his nose. His dull eyes, seeming to be staring into nothingness, peered sadly through the lenses.He slowly unlatched the case on his lap and reverently lifted the saxophone from its place, and is it opened, the weak yet mystifying golden glow emerged from it, only visible from the slight glimmer of the street lamps. The man pressed the mouth piece to his lips, and in a moment, music filled the night. The smooth, deep resonating tones of the saxophone echoed through the stillness. Its strong voice sang a melancholic requiem. The in strument was singing of times long past, of memories half forgotten, love once had, life at its peak and decline.The sounds resonated through the empty streets, reaching out in vain. The man stood as the song reached the climax, and as he did, the emotions that were resonating so beautifully seemed only to be amplified, this was pure expression from the soul; unprepared, and unrestrained. The man closed his eyes and arched backwards as the saxophone bellowed its elegy. Untainted emotions, pure and true, resounded from the notes, a defiant dirge amidst the sadness and grief of loss and solitude. Then the night was silent again.His performance was applauded by the silence and the dark, and it was deafening. The elderly man breathed heavily, perspiration dampening his dull grey hair. He fell back on the bench and before long, began absently polishing the saxophone. His audience, the darkness, seemed to evaporate into the night, and he was left more alone than before. He heaved a sigh a nd reached for the case. Suddenly, sound had blessed the night. The rich sound of a saxophone reverberated from the darkness. The man started and rose from the bench, the rich melody wafting towards him like an old friend.He twisted and swivelled, his eyes brightened as he searched for the player. By a street lamp, was a silhouette of a person with a saxophone, the musician sitting by the lamp, not close enough to be illuminated and not far enough to be hidden, but there was no reason for the mysterious figure to be identified. The man immediately recognised the musician’s skill, but there was a sense of incompletion in the tune, and although the tune itself sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recognise it. Read also  Summary : Love Is Never SilentIt was when the piece reached the first chorus that he finally did, and understood. He smiled warmly, his eyes glittered, and he raised his mouthpiece to his lips again. He accepted the invitation, and the music was complete. It was a song of fulfilment, contentment, of joy and harmony, the instruments’ eulogy of shared emotion and elation. The man revelled in the performance, and he knew silence would not meet him at the end of this one. The rich voices of the saxophones intertwined and coalesced. It was a glorious anthem that purged the night of silence.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

The Persuasive Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Persuasive - Research Paper Example Females in Islamism). In either case, the ultimate result is an unnecessary disturbance in public life. So, it seems to me that it is highly necessary in this modern world to ban all religious dress codes and set a specific dress code for the nation. The first point in favor of the argument is that most of the time, discrimination and hate crimes are propelled by different physical appearance which enables the perpetrators to identify the religion, ethnicity or nationality of the victim. To illustrate, American psychological Association website points out that hate crimes are crimes â€Å"committed because of real or perceived differences in race, religion, ethnicity or national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender† (public Interest Government Relations Office Staff). A perfect example of hate crimes based on dress and physical appearance is the recent attacks on Sikhs in the U.S. Sikhism has its origin in India and is known for its different outfits which resembl e Islamism, and even more complicated. They wear a headgear and never cut their hair, sport a beard, and even have a sword-like weapon as a part of their religious dress code. Obviously, this religion is peace-loving and has nothing to do with terrorism as is evident from their teachings (Introduction to Sikhism). However, these people fall prey to the hate crimes because of their dress code. Thus, the first obvious benefit is that a uniform dress code will reduce discrimination and hate crimes. Yet another vital benefit is that this can considerably improve public safety and reduce complexity at important public places where screening is required. The efforts being made by Transportation Security Administration to resolve disputes regarding passenger screening will prove that satisfying the dress-needs of various religious groups gives the agency more headache than dealing with Al-Qaeda and Taliban. The mere fact to be remembered at this juncture is that government cannot, and shou ld not, put public safety and money at stake to quench the unfounded demands of any religious group. Most people are aware of the fact that terrorists often use dress as a way to hide weapons and it is vey common for them to masquerade. No one can deny the fact that it is more important for the government to ensure a safe life for the common citizens than to allow dress codes which can play spoilsport. When nations around the world are spending sleepless nights devising ways to deter terrorism and billions of dollars developing new technologies, government should not leave this important stone unturned. The fourth point in support of this argument is that it is highly necessary to ensure proper practice of secularism because a moderate response to such religious demands only exacerbates religious fanaticism. Richard Dawkins argues that religious moderates are, to a great extent, the reason behind violence in the name of religion in the world because they create such a situation wher e religious violence cannot be strictly suppressed (Dawkins 341). This claim is all the more true about secular governments too. Evidently, secular governments create such a situation where religious practices are accommodated. However, problem arises when governments fail to clearly demarcate between what is harmful to public safety and what is not harmful. In addition, religious groups come out with allegations of

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Compare and contrast the republican forms of democracy Essay

Compare and contrast the republican forms of democracy - Essay Example Concerning this need, the personalities wanted for the American citizens’ access to better services in all the spheres of life. The common belief and the aspiration in this regard were that the achievement of the dream was only possible through the establishment of a representative democracy. Therefore, the bottom line is that all the three individuals championed for representative democracy. Another similarity is that despite John Adams being a former monarchist with Alexander Hamilton, he together with T. Jefferson and T. Paine were during the duration 1770-1780 strongly opposed to the hereditary monarchical rule. They all argued that the monarchical and aristocratic rule established a basis of power independent of the people. In this regard, all the three were indeed in agreement that the people must be the center of focus of the constitution. In the spirit of fighting to eliminate every element of monarchy, all the three were in agreement and indeed despised the idea of seeking the royal and the republican loans. They argued this was a vital ingredient toward the establishment of the monarchical and the aristocratic rule in America. The three argued that, in the height of a popular corrupt, some very desperate persons would be tempted to re-establish and initiate some hereditary offices in the land. The three were also in agreement concerning the rule of law. There was no doubt as to their commitment to have a nation governed by a system of rules that govern everyday life of the people. They derived this understanding from the literal and ever true meaning of a republic, now that they were republicans. The meaning as espoused then was that; â€Å" Republic being an empire of laws and not men, must establish a government in which all men, rich and poor, magistrates and subjects, the officers and people, masters and serva nts, the first citizen and the last one are equally subject to the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Impacts of Latest Advances in Technology on Recruitment and Selection Essay

Impacts of Latest Advances in Technology on Recruitment and Selection Process - Essay Example The intrusion of internet related technologies is visible in every segment of human life at present. Human life is rapidly entering a digital world in which all our activities are controlled by digital technologies. Communication facilities have been increased a lot as a result of the development of new technologies. It is possible for a person to communicate effectively with anybody in the world instantly with the help of modern communication technologies such as instant video chat, video calling, emails etc. Mobile phone technologies and global positioning technologies have improved a lot so that it is possible to locate a person instantly with the help of GPS tracking. Apart from mobile phone technologies, the development of modern technologies such as social networks, web 2.0 and e-methods have impacted businesses and organizations in one way or other. These technologies are used extensively in sales, marketing, advertising, recruitment etc by organizations. â€Å"Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It is crucial to organisational performance† (Recruitment: an overview, 2012). ... Social networks and other modern internet related technologies have changed the entire concept of recruitment in many ways. This paper analyses the technology oriented recruitment process in general and the advantages and disadvantages of such recruitment methods specifically. Technology oriented recruitment process (Gogari, 2011) â€Å"The buzzword and the latest trends in recruitment is the â€Å"E-Recruitment†. Also known as â€Å"Online recruitment†, it is the use of technology or the web based tools to assist the recruitment process† (E-Recruitment, 2007). Social networks and web 2.0 are used extensively as the major tools in e-recruitment. The popularity of social networks in daily life is growing day by day. In fact nobody-even the founders of social networks- anticipated such a huge success to these networks when they introduced it in the internet world. It should be noted that even Google and Microsoft like big companies failed to anticipate the challeng es raised by social networks like Facebook now. Facebook addiction is growing everywhere now and people started to use it for everything now. Organizations and business groups identified the potentials of social networks in doing business and they started to communicate with people in different ways using social networks. â€Å"On some of the sites such as Facebook, a person’s age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, religion, and political affiliation are frequently available† (Dr. Dodaro, n. d). It is easy for the employers to go through the profiles of millions of profiles created in social networks to decide whether a candidate is suitable for their job requirements or not. If found suitable recruiters can contact job seekers instantly, with the help of the contact details provided

Monday, August 26, 2019

The Nature of Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Nature of Organizational Change - Essay Example ystem make profit margins of over 5%.He hopes to build a switching system and engines for trains and aims at selling water purification systems ,power plants, build steel mills in Russia ,build a cement processing plant and in Pakistan they hope to put up a desalination plant. He wants to see the that he boost his sales revenue through acquisitions as he did in the acquisition of Australian Engineering and CTI molecular firm who have assisted in acquiring of CT and MRI systems that assist in diagnosing of diseases. He has since underpinned all underperforming businesses such as the telecommunication business and made the companies structure simpler. When most people thought that he would put the underperforming business under a joint venture, he went ahead to sell the poor selling handset business unit to Taiwan BenQ Corp. The Chief Executive officer (CEO) is a transformational kind of leader who intends to change the culture of the organization and has led the organization to become one of the leading companies in the world. Since he took over the company, he has been able to push over the 400,000 employees to make decisions that are quick and to focus more on customers as they do in technology. Most of those who have worked with him say that he is very easy to work with. According to Jack Bergen, he describes him as a good communicator and a person who is able to build consensus. Therefore, he is a team player, a person who is able to consult widely and a go getter (Edersheim and Drucker 117). The company has eleven main entities that operate distinct and separate entities with their own board members and therefore communicating any change for the Chief Executive officer (CEO) is a big problem. He faced a very huge task of trying to change the mind set of his senior managers and employees so that they could keep up with the changes that were taking place in the global economy and technology. He also faced a lot of resistance from those who perceived him to be

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Literature Jarhead, Anthony Swafford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature Jarhead, Anthony Swafford - Essay Example Men are smart and men are animals, in that they don't want to die so simply for so little" (Jarhead 199). Being a fighter and a combatant, there would be some desire to fight and to kill. But striving to live in the battle is stronger and more urgent. They enter in the academy knowing that their lives are very much in danger. Being a soldier they know the consequences of their lives. They are the one who choose where to spend their lives. As a man of armor, their lives are important to us, the people whom they are protecting. They are the one who choose their purpose in life. They die in serving the nation. They die as a hero. Being a patriotic, a heroine man. Soldiers are parents too; they choose it just to give the best life that they can give to their love ones. As a parent who chooses by God to dwell a life they also feel the pain of being apart to their love ones. For my opinion, I disagree to the statement of Swofford. Being a human I also respect lives. I also treasure ones life. Money can be change, even other material things can be change. But our only one life that God given. It cannot be paid by money. This is for sure, we have only one life. We must live our lives to the fullest. Because a time that we are in need to face the Lord we cannot found a second chance. A point of view here is being a soldier is not an easy task. We need to sacrifice many things but what are they. It is depend to the person who chooses to be a soldier, maybe they want to serve. But we can serve without sacrificing one thing. But anything that need to go through in to our lives we must realize that apart from GOD we can do nothing. Apart from GOD we are nothing. We must face any consequences into our lives. Everything that we choose we must be ready and alert, face any tasks and responsibilities. We need to move on. To go for what we want to go. But always be ready for what it takes make sure that it will not going to be a consequences to other. We must stay in the word, of our commandant saying. Be always ready to listen. Make sure that you are willing to obey. Before we go t o our destiny we must acknowledge the power of the Supreme Being who strengthens to us. Be alert, always ready.Marine who never really gets fulfill his mission. Jarhead help us to see the real meaning of work of a soldier Their lives has been jeopardized & sometimes it has been deteriorated, horribly, & incredibly killed. This story, is a is a story of a man who designated his life to the battle field. Being a soldier, they have a principle in life; to obey what is told to do, and to protect who is need of protection. Soldiers are always on call, always alert, always ready. They intend to protect and to be command. In the point of view of a story; jarhead is a story of a soldier who has a purpose in obeying what is told to do. In significance to human experiences, we are also a soldier. We have also our own battle field. We are calling it in many ways. Sometimes we call it problem, sometimes we call it a test, sometimes we call it a test. But the real one is we are calling it a spir itual warfare. Into our lives, we are facing many problems, temptations, deceptions, test, and accusations. We have also our own enemies. Sometimes they are our friends, relatives, classmates, and even we. But the question here is how we going to face our

Compare and contrast between Polish and American Christmas Holiday Essay

Compare and contrast between Polish and American Christmas Holiday - Essay Example The date of Christmas may have been earlier chosen to match with either the day exactly nine months after it is believed that Jesus was conceived, the date of the Roman winter solstice, or any one of the ancient winter festivals. The Christmas holiday was especially a Christian holiday celebrated by most Christians but in recent times it has seen a shift such that many non-Christians also celebrate or engage in the Christmas festivities. This day is also celebrated in different ways by different people, cultures and may involve gift giving, church celebrations, special meals and tree decorations. In other areas it is taken as a time to meet with family and neighbors and forgive each other of the past. Christmas is celebrated differently in different countries with traditions and customs that follow it. Christmas in the in the United States is a huge phenomenon. It begins in November and ends in January. It is not a single day but a long period that culminates with the New Year celebr ations. The entire period is associated with huge spending and festivities that most Americans engage into before the day of Christmas. During this time Americans decorate both the interior and the exterior of their homes. As significant decoration that is popular with the Americans is the Christmas tree. These trees are cultivated before the Christmas holiday and families and businesses including the white house order these trees that are then placed centrally in the home. It is then decorated with ornaments, tinsel and light with a star placed at the very top of the tree. This star symbolizes the star of Bethlehem that is believed to have guided the wise men in locating Jesus (USIA). The Christmas Eve, which is the day before Christmas, experiences so many activities. The day is associated with Santa Claus or Father Christmas whom it is believed that he visits homes while children are sleeping. Father Christmas is believed to fill stockings that are hung on the mantelpiece with gi fts for the children. It is a tradition for children in the United States to leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies for Father Christmas as they go to sleep. This day is also important as people buy gifts, wrap them and place them near the tree. These presents received from parents, friends and relatives are not opened until the Christmas morning. During this day too, there is a special church service called the midnight mass, that is held during the night and people spend in the church. For families with small children candle light services are held for them and these symbolize the nativity of Christ (USIA). During the Christmas day, families open their gifts in the morning before they head for the morning service that is held to bear witness to the birth of Jesus. The whole day is usually filled with celebrations with parents and relatives spending time together. The evening is marked by a special Christmas diner where lots of a food variety is served. For most American fami lies’ sweet pastry, eggnog that is sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg are served. Other popular dishes served include casseroles; the deserts are usually prepared with a family recipe that is usually kept a secret. Some of the snacks that are enjoyed during this time include nuts, cheeses and chocolates. Christmas holiday in polish resembles most of the aspects found in the American Christmas holiday; however there are few exceptions for as it will be seen in the discussion. The

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Corporate governance and social responsibility investment Essay

Corporate governance and social responsibility investment - Essay Example It is conceivably foreseeable that crises lead to calls for improved regulation of business actors, such as the debate over the world economic predicament. Nevertheless, such methodical crises are unusual. On the other hand, company failure following a wrongdoing is a more frequent occurrence. For illustration, Maxwell and BCCI in the UK, WorldCom and Enron in the United States and Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank of Germany are examples of corporations that have collapsed as a result of wrongdoing. Such corporate scandals have resulted in the establishment and improvement of company governance codes, which are put in place to monitor corporate conduct generally, and act of corporate directors in specificity (London stock exchange, 2012). The codes are either wholly voluntary such as the financial reporting council of 2008 in the United Kingdom, or a mixture of legal and voluntary elements like the 2008 German code. As thus, they may be taken as apparatus of flexible law or a mixture of soft and inflexible law. Within the code elements, individual rules might be flexible or rigid. Advocates of flexible law of explanation assert that it has fundamental flexibility, which is not present in rigid laws and the aspiration to conform to societal norms yields indisputable observance. Flexible laws are the rules of conduct that have no lawful obligatory force, which may have practical upshots. Though corporations and their directors may opt to conform or not match flexible law, a generally held supposition is that actions are more likely to be consistent with codified regulation and declarations of best practice. Since flexible law is not lawfully obligatory, its execution has to solely rest on the goodwill of those agreeing to and affected by it. Apparently, where such goodwill is not present, flexible law may result in flexible observance. Where benevolence and the aspiration to conform subsist, conformance may not be the most practicable alternative for corporations and their directors. They may set out that the doctrine supporting a specific regulation on bets practice will be best served by non-conforming. In addition, they might be safeguarded from conforming for reasons beyond their control (The European voice of directors, 2012; Australian council of super investors, 2010). The use of prudence to establish conformance or non-conformance may be helpful to both regulators and the regulatees. Comply or explain may assume several forms. Compliance means severe observance to every detail of the rule or to the primary rule, or both. Germany advocates the formation of an audit committee to act as the oversight of the entire audit process in a large company. Non conformance is commonly warranted by the resort to firm-or industry level specifics, or against the judgment of definite code terms. The flexibility of the laws, that is, â€Å"explain† might lead to corporate scandal and eventual collapse. For illustration, the yearly report by th e Hypoereinsbank (Germany) vindicated its non-conformance (explain) with the certain rules necessitating that directors’ and officers’ responsibility insurance has a deductible with the plain statement: â€Å"responsible act is an understood obligations of the members, no deductible is needed for that. In the same

Friday, August 23, 2019

Prepare an analysis of ethics in the 21st Century Essay

Prepare an analysis of ethics in the 21st Century - Essay Example It has been viewed that majority of the organizations value ethics for the purpose of attaining several significant benefits. The benefits may include enhancing the procedure of decision-making, improving profitability in the long-run, generating credibility and most importantly accomplishing a superior competitive position (Mahdavi, n.d.). In this discussion, the perception of ethics as well as its importance in the competitive financial market will be taken into concern. Additionally, a fundamental analysis of ethics in relation to 21st century will also be described in the discussion. Role of Ethics in 21st Century Ethics is known to play a decisive part in every business organization. It can be stated that an organizational structure related to the learning of business ethics is given increased importance. This is due to the reason that different roles as well as job descriptions which exist in a particular business organization might trigger some sorts of unethical behavior. It has been viewed that ethics broadly contributes to the organizations by assisting them to make effectual decisions which in turn enhances their productivity as well as profitability by a substantial level. By considering this factor, it can be stated that ethical behavior in organizations is majorly found to be occupying a central position in this era of 21st century. It not only affects the procedure of decision-making but also aids to develop the prevailing culture of organizations (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2009). It has been observed that the aspect of ethics has become a topmost priority for the business organizations in the era of 21st century. The organizations strongly believe that their technological advancements, organizational strategies as well as goals and values are considerably related to ethics. Moreover, the interrelation between the business leaders, customers, vendors and clients are supposed to get duly affected by ethics. In this regard it can be mentioned t hat the main intention of forming an ethical organizational background relates to the actuality of incessantly developing the relationships to avail significant benefits such as increased market share, business reputation and profitability. The organizations prioritize ethics because they realize that it is quite necessary for them to safeguard their business reputation and evade any sort of unfavorable media coverage. In the recent era i.e. in the 21st century, ethics is offered prime significance as it is regarded as a â€Å"values-based culture†. It has been observed that ethics is neither considered to be an alternative nor a comfort. It is simply an approach which emphasizes upon the competencies, intelligences and experiences of the members at all levels of an organization. According to various researches, it has been noted that there exists certain vital factors which contributes towards generating a values-based culture. The important factors include shared values, mo ral courage, commitment and common language (Brimmer, 2007). In relation to the factor of shared values, there are certain core values which can be observed in all the global cultures. The core values comprise honesty, compassion, accountability, fairness and respect. These vital core values act as a driving force which ultimately supports the organizations to formulate

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Boston Lyric Opera Essay Example for Free

Boston Lyric Opera Essay 1. BLO’s eight customer objectives The first objective is to gain generous contributions. The amount per donator, ration between new donators and new contacts (collection rate) and the total amount of the donators and contributions are ways to measure how this aspect is doing. Incentives for the staff should also be incorporated into these objectives, especially ones that steer the process towards multi-year support programs. To measure the board involvement and recruitment, it is important that the reputation of the new board member is blameless and since operating in Boston, a local person with strong ties to the community would be better. To measure involvement the easiest way is to look the member’s activity, how many times they’ve been in meetings and how they’ve acted to build strategy. For example number of new initiatives. Also hours spent educating the board members about strategy and vision could be one measurement. Building an artistic reputation is hard and so is measuring it. Reviews on papers give a sight how the opera is doing, but the best way to know is to make a consumer survey for example once a month. Also comparing the growth in visitors between BLO and other operas gives an idea. Rating different aspects is another way to measure the artistic view. Giving value for example to the lead singer or the orchestra will help to understand how the opera is doing on its main field. These measures aren’t very proactive though, but helpful anyway. One objective is to launch a residency program. Its success can be measured by the amount of acceptances to invites and by comparing the audience amounts to normal. Like when measuring artistic reputation, the best way to measure how exciting and diverse opera’s repertories are is to see reviews and audience amounts. The grading system works when the given grades are compared to the rivals’ same grades and the shows are compared. These are of course not proactive measures. BLO wants to collaborate with other major artistic institutions like museums and theatres. Also other operas and specially talents working in them are important. One way to measure collaboration is the amount of tickets to opera that our associates sell. How many per cent of the total amount of sold tickets is it and have these collaborations brought new visitors to BLO. Community support and focus on community programs can be measured with the amount of local donators and specially the amount of new supporters. Has the PR-campaign been affective? Have local companies supported the opera? This can be measured with the amount of companies. Measurements that measure processes in line with the strategy are not always easy to find and it usually takes a lot of time to find the right ways to use them. Often they need to be adjusted or reset to fit the strategy. The main challenge is to find measures that are pro-active and directive instead of controlling. 2. Boston Lyric Opera had not really measured their organizational performance before. This had ultimately caused lack of focus and limited accountability. Boston Lyric Opera was mainly led by qualitative values as quantitative measures and financials were not the topmost factors in decision making. The new general director Janice Del Sesto and BLO’s board acknowledged that there was a history of expensive opera productions and large losses in Boston’s opera scene and they had to adapt a new business philosophy in order to operate fiscally. Non-profit organizations often have a lack of focus and their strategy concentrates to too many things at the same time. Ken Freed, a BLO board member, acknowledged that a more formal strategic planning process was essential for BLO in order to avoid mistakes that several arts organizations had made in the past. They decided to adapt the Balanced Scorecard to focus their strategic planning process. Using the Balanced Scorecard, BLO and its employees could see their day-to-day activities within a bigger and more strategic context. They started the change by defining BLO’s mission, strategy, competitive advantages, and distinguishing characteristics that would make it unique. The biggest change here was BLO reshaping its strategy. They acknowledged that their most important â€Å"customers† in this situation are the people who resourced their organization. BLO received nearly 70 percent of their operating budget from sources other than ticket sales, mostly from donors and supporters. BLO decided to place donors and supporters as their main interest group in the Balanced Scorecard. They were the body that enabled BLO to carry out their mission and strategy. Even though Boston Lyric Opera is a non-profit organization and its output is intangible, its organizational performance can be measured by quantitative measures. The Balanced Scorecard would bring quantitative measures alongside the qualitative measures. The Balanced Scorecard required BLO to quantify their activities. BLO acknowledged that and they for example created a database where they linked quantifiable donor data to qualitative information about donor meetings etc. Basically, the Balanced Scorecard required BLO to be managed like a business. 3. Lyric Opera had a new question ahead of them. They had to figure out what they wanted to become. BLO’s existing strategy was not valid anymore as their operating expenses rose and revenues from ticket sales were limited. BLO decided to adapt the Balance Scorecard in order to set new strategic objectives and measure their performance against those objectives in order to overcome to challenges they were facing. Adapting the Balanced Scorecard, BLO was able to compose a clear and precise strategy. Actually, the strategy itself was quite complex and multidimensional but the Balanced Scorecard gave it a framework that presented the new strategy clearly. BLO set three strategic themes that they felt were important in reaching their goals and they had objectives and measures of success for all of the themes. Using the Balanced Scorecard and the strategy map, BLO was also able to communicate the new strategy clearly to their staff, stakeholders, and other associates. The fact that BLO now had sufficient information of their organization and operations, it could draw new donors to them. By using the Balanced Scorecard, BLO recognized their key success drivers and they started to focus on the activities that had the greatest impact on their goals. They all had a clear common goal and BLO’s staff worked cross-departmentally, motivationally to reach the goal of providing unique, uality opera in Boston. However Jessica Del Sesto and Sue Dahling-Sullivan faced some difficult challenges and barriers to capture the above-mentioned benefits. There was some opposition from a few board-members of changing the organization’s governance structure, adapting the Balance Scorecard and managing an art organization by quantitative measures. These â€Å"old school† members did not under stand that BLO could not compete with the great opera houses and they could not standout from the crow without differentiating in some way. Del Sesto and Dahling-Sullivan were still able to carry out the new strategy and capture the benefits to make BLO a highly successful arts organization. One of the most crucial parts of the adapting a new strategy was to communicate the strategy clearly to their staff, board members and other stakeholders. It is an unconditional requirement that people understand the new strategy and its benefits in order it to succeed. Del Sesto and Dahling-Sullivan used the strategy map in communicating the new strategy and it clearly presented the reasons and benefits of the new strategy and it lighten opposition substantially. . The departmental managers and the employees of BLO are more empowered after the BSC but the artistic leaders are less. The managers are now more empowered because every department now gets to plan its own scorecard, and describe the ways how the department would meet the high level strategic goals. The employees are with the scorecard more empowered, as they can see the w ork in a more strategic context and therefore set priorities more effectively themselves. However the artistic leaders felt that the scorecard and specially the repertory planning template could limit their opportunities in designing productions. . Del Sesto uses the BSC as a managerial system. The BSC purely concentrates on the big picture; everything is based to support strategy. Del Sesto believes that the BSC helps her to steer board members’ attention to proper tasks. Also, she thanks BSC for helping employees to think more strategically, and with greater clarity towards their objectives. All in all, Del Sesto is clearly more interested on the management aspect of the BSC. One explanation to this is that BLO is a nonprofit organization. Its reason to exist is not to make profit to its owners but to offer culture to the community. All the objectives connected to the three main points are easier to measure with controlling measurements. 6. Kaplan and Norton have studied the success of BSC implementations in different organizations. They have concluded five principals that contribute greatly to the success. These principals can also be found on BLO’s BSC implementation. The process started with planning. Group consisting members from all functions thought in several meeting how the BSC should be made and what BLO is now and what it wants to be. All possible views were brought to conversations and the members were challenged to use their imagination. As a result the group made three strategic themes which determined the main points to BLO’s future strategy. These three big themes were divided to smaller parts and brought to a form that is clear to everyone in the organization. This is similar to Kaplan’s and Norton’s principal 1, where the strategy is translated in to operational terms. The BSC was completed by determining the actions to be made so that the strategy can be fulfilled. After this all parts of the organization got to make scorecards of their own and were so committed to the strategy. The whole organization was aligned to meet the strategy (Principle 2). The project succeeded because BLO was able to find the crucial processes and finish them through. The personnel were part of the developing strongly. During the process of creating the BSC, the role of the entire staff in overall success was emphasized. This made them easier to adapt the new way of doing things and easier to understand the strategy and how it can be fulfilled (Principle 3). Often when BSC implementation fails it is because the scorecard is considered to be only management’s project, just a top-level adjustment. As always with large scale organizational changes, also this project faced some resistance. Some board members and artistic staff were unsure about the motives for changing the old customs. This problem however was solved, as the need for change was successfully communicated through various levels of the organization (Principle 5). Other crucial point which was done well was the targeting. The mission was announced clearly and the goals were easy to understand. The three major themes were chosen wisely and chopped in to smaller pieces well.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

An analysis of the Hindu caste system

An analysis of the Hindu caste system The caste system is one of the oldest forms of social stratification and even though it may be prohibited by the law, the political divisions continue to exist in the minds of the people leaving many oppressed. Before the caste system, India had four groups or divisions already established: the Negrito, Mongoloid, Austroloid and Dravidian. It was during the Aryan invasion around 1500 BCE when the caste system was created. The word caste derives from the Portuguese word casta , meaning breed, race, or kind. In this system, the citizens are divided into categories or castes. Varna, the Sanskrit word for color, refers to large divisions that include various castes; the other terms include castes and subdivisions of castes sometimes called subcastes. Among the Indian terms that are sometimes translated as caste are jati, jat, biradri, and samaj. There are thousands of castes and subcastes in India. It follows a basic precept: All men are created unequal. Each category or jat has a specia l role to play in the society as well as a unique function: this structure is a means of creating and organizing an effective society. The caste system in India is primarily associated with Hinduism but also exists among other Indian religious groups. Castes are ranked and named. Membership is achieved by birth. Castes are also endogamous groups. Marriages and relationships between members of different castes, while not actually prohibited, face strong social disapproval and the threat of ostracism or even violence. To illustrate, in a notorious case in August 2001, a Brahmin boy and a lower-caste girl were publicly hanged by members of their families in Uttar Pradesh, India for refusing to end their inter-caste relationship. The first of the four basic Vedic books, which are considered the source of Indian wisdom, is the Rig Veda- a collection of over 1,000 hymns containing the basic mythology of the Aryan gods. The Rig Veda contains one of the most famous sections in ancient Indian literature in which the first man created, Purusa, is sacrificed in order to give rise to the four varnas. The varna of Brahmans emerged from the mouth. They are the priests and teachers, and look after the intellectual and spiritual needs of the community. They preside over knowledge and education. The varna of Kshatriyas emerged from the arms. Their responsibility is to rule and to protect members of the community. They are associated with rulers and warriors including property owners. The varna of Vaishyas emerged from the thighs. They are the merchants and traders and those who look after commerce and agriculture. The varna of Sudras emerged from the feet. They are the laborers. Castes or subcastes besides the four mentioned include such groups as the Bhumihar or landowners and the Kayastha or scribes. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the Garudi snake charmers or the Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. Each caste is believed by devout Hindus to have its own dharma, or divinely ordained code of proper conduct. Brahmans are usually expected to be nonviolent and spiritual, according to their traditional roles as vegetarian teetotaler priests. Kshatriyas are supposed to be strong, as fighters and rulers should be, with a taste for aggression, eating meat, and drinking alcohol. Vaishyas are stereotyped as adept businessmen, in accord with their traditional activities in commerce. Shudras are often described by others as tolerably pleasant. The existence of rigid ranking is supernaturally validated through the idea of rebirth according to a persons karma, the sum of an individuals deeds in this life and in past lives. After death, a persons life is judged by divine forces, and rebirth is assigned in a high or a low place, depending upon what is deserved. This supernatural sanction can never be neglected, because it brings a person to his or her position in the caste hierarchy, relevant to every transaction involving food or drink, speaking, or touching. The Rig Veda mentions how the four varnas were created but it does not mention the concept of untouchability. The idea of an Untouchable caste à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is not in the Vedas or the law books, which list only four varnas. It is a part of the system that has been created by society itself. Untouchables are the fifth group. They are considered unworthy that they fall outside of the caste system. In 1950, the term Untouchable was eradicated under Indias constitution, and untouchables are now formally referred to as the Scheduled Castes. Gandhi referred to untouchables as Harijan, which means people of God. Politically active untouchables feel that this term Harijan might evoke pity rather than respect, and prefer the term Dalits, which means, oppressed. Dalits are descendants of the ancient Dravidians of India who lost their language and were subjugated due to the linguistic and socio-cultural oppression by the perpetrators of the caste system. While Dalits in Tamil Nadu speak Tamil, their brethren in other parts of India speak different Dravidian or tribal dialects or languages that arose due to mixtures of Tamil, Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic, such as Hindustani (Hindi). As an Indian is born into the caste system, they are supposed to stay with that caste until death. What a person in each of these varnas can and cant do, is prescribed in detail in the laws of Manu, written by Brahman priests at least 2,000 years ago. The laws of Manu are inscribed in Indian culture. Umashankar Tripathy, a Brahman priest, says, Manu is engraved in every Hindu Untouchables or Dalits obviously live also by a certain set of rules. The occupations of people in caste systems are hereditary and dalits perform jobs that cause them to be considered impure and thus untouchable and for little or no pay at all. They are restricted to occupations such as landless farm workers and peasants, and forced into washing clothes, beating drums, cutting hair, cleaning latrines and sewers, working as a leatherworker (they work with animal skin which makes them unclean), street cleaners, and manual scavengers. Manual scavenging refers to disposal of human waste by hand, using only the most basic tools, typically a brush, a tin plate and a wicker basket. Scavengers also dispose of dead animals. Millions of Dalits work even as slaves. They mostly have no opportunities for better employment. Dalits live in the most congested and cramped slums in villages, towns and urban areas consisting of huts or ghettos which are damp and cramped. They live in the most insanitary conditions with no access to public health and sanitation amongst open sewers and open air toilets. There are no state sponsored public housing rights or public health rights in India. Most Dalits are forced to live in isolated areas. Even after death, grave sites are segregated. The best housing is reserved for the upper castes; the government provides separate amenities for each neighborhood, which are segregated on caste lines. Dalits are usually left with the worse of the amenities or none at all. Over 85% of Indian Dalits own no land and are dependent on landlords for work or land to rent; those that do own land may find it difficult or impossible to enforce their rights; workers rarely receive the statutory minimum wage. Furthermore, in past decades, Dalits in certain areas (especially in parts of the south) had to display extreme deference to high-status people, physically keeping their distancelest their touch or even their shadow pollute otherswearing neither shoes nor any upper body covering (even for women) in the presence of the upper castes. In northern India for example, untouchables had to use drums to let others know of their arrival. Even their shadows were considered polluted. In the south, some Brahmins ordered Untouchables to keep at least 65 feet away from them. Untouchables are shunned, insulted, banned from temples and higher caste homes, made to eat and drink from separate utensils in public places. The higher-caste people do not accept food or water from the untouchable because it would transmit the pollution permanent and inherent in the person of the untouchable. Thus, untouchables are not allowed to drink from the same wells, wear shoes in the presence of an upper caste, or drink from the same cups in tea stalls. They are not allowed to touch people from the four varnas or caste groups. They are not allowed to enter houses of the higher varnas especially in which the chula (the small earthen stove) is located. In public occasions, they were compelled to sit at a distance from the four varnas. They are also denied education, freedom of expression, and many other rights the higher classes have. Dalit children do not have access to education due to the lack of mandatory and universal primary and secondary education in India. Even in rural areas where there may be schools, Dalit children are ostracized, oppressed and stigmatized from attending school. Thus, few Dalit children progress beyond primary education and they are often made to sit at the back of the class. Nearly 90 percent of all the poor Indians and 95 percent of all the illiterate Indians are Dalits, according to the International Dalit Conference. Dalit Children are also subjected to atrocities such as sexual abuse in rural areas, physical abuse and murder just as adult Dalits are. They have a high level of malnutrition and ill health. Some are ordained into temple prostitution as a part of religious rituals for exploitation by non-Dalit men of the village or town. Dalit women do all the back breaking work society expects Dalits to do, such as manual scavenging, farm labour, stone breaking, etc., and in addition they have to bear domestic responsibilities as mothers and wives. Dalit women suffer double discrimination as Dalits and as women. They are exposed to sexual abuse at the hands of the so called caste Hindu men and also men who work or state authorities such as the police. They are frequently raped, gang-raped, beaten and tortured or forced to walk through the streets naked as punishment as an act of reprisal against male relatives who have committed some act worthy of upper-caste vengeance. Atrocities such as rape of Dalit women in police custody, bonded labour and physical abuse are common in India. The chastity of women is strongly related to caste status. Generally, the higher ranking the caste, the more sexual control its women are expected to exhibit. Brahman brides should be virginal, faithful to one husband and celibate in widowhood. By contrast, a sweeper bride may or may not be a virgin, extramarital affair may be tolerated, and, if widowed or divorced, the woman is encouraged to remarry. For the higher castes, such control of female sexuality helps ensure purity of lineageof crucial importance to maintenance of high status. Among Muslims, too, high status is strongly correlated with female chastity. Many thousands of Dalit girls are forced into marriage to temples or local deities in south India, often before puberty, sometimes in payment of a debt. They are married to temples under the guise of the religious practice Devadasis, meaning female servant of god. They are then unable to marry and become unwilling prostitutes for upper-caste men, many eventually being sold into brothels. The Badi Jat is regarded as a prostitution subcaste. Women and girls are routinely trafficked into brothels. Perversely, and hypocritically, untouchability does not seem to apply to prostitution and customers are mainly men from the upper castes. If, because of any reason, there was a contact between an untouchable and a member of the Varnas, the Varna member became defiled and had to immerse or wash himself with water to be purified. In strict societies, especially among the Twice Born (the three top Varnas) the touched Twice Born also had to pass through some religious ceremonies to purify himself from the pollution. If the untouchable entered a house and touched things of a Varna member, the Varna members used to wash or clean the places where the untouchable touched and stepped. A twice born Hindu is a male member of one of the three upper castes who has completed the thread ceremony. The thread ceremony is a Hindu initiation ceremony, similar to a Christian confirmation or a Jewish Bar Mitzvah. A thread is given to the boy and it is thereafter worn over the left shoulder or around the waist. The thread has three strands, representing the three gunas (qualities): satya (truth); rajas (action); and tamas(inertia). Sudras a nd Dalits are excluded from the thread ceremony and cannot become twice-born. Horrific and unbearable are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of the abuse towards Dalits. More than 160 million people in India are considered achuta or untouchable. Human rights violation against these people known as Dalits is extremely prevalent although obviously illegal. Laws have been passed to prevent the abuse of the Dalits and NGO groups have been established to protect these people. However, that doesnt limit the crimes. The enforcement of laws on both local and nationwide scale designed to protect the Dalits is lax if not nonexistent in many regions in India. Often times, especially in rural areas, where the practice of untouchability is the strongest, police officers even join in the abuse of the Dalits. Nearly 50 years later, another event gave rise to a mass of conversions by the untouchables. A man from their class became educated, and then dared to try and watch a festival that the upper class men took part in. The untouchable was soon discovered and called a dirty untouchable and then killed. When the dead mans family tried to report the murder to the police, the police turned them away because they were untouchables. Eventually the police gave in and investigated the murder, later convicting a young man, but that did not satisfy the people. They were tired of being treated so poorly, and soon decided to abandon the Hindu religion and chose a new one. Other headlines about crimes victimizing the Dalits are as follows: Dalit boy beaten to death for plucking flowers; Dalit tortured by cops for three days; Dalit witch paraded naked in Bihar; Dalit killed in lock-up at Kurnool; 7 Dalits burnt alive in caste clash; 5 Dalits lynched in Haryana; Dalit woman gang-raped, paraded naked; Police egged on mob to lynch Dalits. Fear of public humiliation, beatings, and rape keep Indias Untouchables in their place. Statistics from Indias National Crime Records Bureau indicate that in 2000 25,455 crimes were committed against Dalits. Every hour two Dalits were assaulted; every day three Dalit women raped, two Dalits murdered, and two Dalit homes torched. Majority of crimes go unregistered, because the police, village councils, and government officials often support the caste system, which is based on the teachings of Hinduism. Many crimes go unreported due to fear of reprisal, intimidation by police, inability to pay bribes, or simply because people know that the police will do nothing. There will be no punishment for the criminals; no justice for the victimized. Amnesty estimated that only about 5 percent of attacks are registered Hundreds of thousands of Dalits have already renounced Hinduism, generally by conversion to Buddhism or Christianity, sometimes in mass ceremonies. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, a Dalit leader, lawyer, and politician, famously led several hundred thousand Dalits in converting to Buddhism, saying I was born a Hindu, but I will not die one. Conversion is not a panacea, however, and converts to other religions, especially Christianity and Islam, have suffered continued discrimination. Some converts have lost reserved occupations on the grounds that they are no longer members of scheduled castes and converts are not counted as Dalits in the Indian census. Amidst the oppression and hardships, Dalits still have social life which is expressed through dance and music. Theyre dance and music are full of fiery spirit, spontaneity and humour without the inhibitions and rigid classical structure that characterizes Hindu music and arts. Dalit songs celebrates life but laments their life conditions, while frankly exposing the realities of life, in a style full of humour and sensual zest, by using simple instruments and vocals. In modern times, Dalit poetry and writing by social and political activists have taken centre-stage amongst the educated activist community. Despite the harsh treatment that the untouchables are receiving, there have been certain attempts to help them. The elimination of untouchability became one of the main planks of the platform of all social reform movements of India. Reform movements and humanitarian acts such as those started by Buddha, Ramanuja, Ramanand, Chaitanya, Kabir, Nanak, Tukaram and others were established but they hardly had any effect on the peoples treatment on the untouchables. The Hindu state also enacted laws to punish those who rebelled against their intolerable conditions. The social oppression of the untouchables had religious sanctions. The British listed the poorest (principally Dalit) subcastes in 1935, creating detailed lists of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The 1948 Indian constitution, thanks to its architect Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, reinforced this classification, for a system of affirmative action called reservation. The concept was that these measures would help the poorest to escape poverty and oppression. Reservation is an attempt by the Indian national government to redress past discrimination. The constitution reserves 22.5% of national government jobs, state legislature seats, seats in the lower house of the national parliament and higher education places for members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Unfortunately, this policy has not been implemented in full. Less than half the national government quota had been filled in total in 1998 and less than 15% of reserved public sector jobs. An unspoken policy discriminates in favor of upper castes, particularly Brahmins. Dalit representation in university teaching posts is less than 1%. New economic forces, education and nationalist movements had different impacts on the treatment of the people on untouchables. Because of new economic forces, railways and buses were introduced, thus, bringing touchables and untouchables together. Modern industries established in India recruited their labor supply and labor market from both touchables and untouchables, who further worked at the machines in physical proximity to one another. The workers also fought together during labor strikes. Because of education, whether liberal or technical, their economic conditions somewhat improved and different sections following different occupations began to merge, on class basis, with groups of other castes following similar occupations. The new bonds were based not on caste but on common occupation and class. This very slowly began to dissolve the mass of the untouchables into groups such as factory workers, teachers, clerks, merchants, mechanics, or manufacturers. New economic bonds betw een the touchables and untouchables following the same economic activity started weakening the prejudice of untouchability. Finally, nationalist movements also contributed to the benefits received by the untouchables. For example, the Swaraj struggle demanded the democratic alliance of all castes and communities in India whose vital interests lay in the political independence of the country. The nationalist movement contributed towards the dissolution of old distinctions. The social reformers were moved by humanitarian and national considerations when they crusaded against purely social evils. The Untouchables is a topic that touches on many sensitive issues relevant to every society; not only to the Indian society. One prevalent issue that the Untouchables have driven out is that of being an outcast. Perhaps many of us, if not all, can relate to the feeling of being unable to belong and just longing to fit in. Perhaps in high school, we tried out many roles and sought the group we most felt at home in. For the Dalits, life is high school taken to the worse extremes. From birth, they are ostracized. They are placed outside of society; and seen as less than human. They are given roles that they must play, and follow a certain set of rules for the rest of their lives, or suffer the consequences. In our society, to be treated as an outcast in this manner is simply unimaginable. It would seem as though one would go through life apart from society; apart from people. It would be as though one isnt a person at all; that one would be less than a person; less than even an animal. This sense of inequality was seen many times over history, in many different societies, and many are still relevant in todays society. Divisions were brought about by differences in gender, creed, and race, to name a few. Wars have been waged; rallies have been set into motion; and lives have been lost, with regard to all these issues. With all that has happened in our worlds history, Indias society learned nothing to deter from inequalities problems. The Dalits are maltreated and discriminated against. The maltreatment for Dalit women are even harder hit. Their people experience the never-ending cycle of poverty. The caste system was built and based on the idea that each caste or jat has a special role to play in the society but shouldnt an individual have the right to choose what role he/she will play in the society? Is the caste system the best way to achieve an organized and effective society? It is understandable that breaking away from the caste system would be difficult or something very hard to get used to. India has lived through all these years with the mentality that all men are unequal and there will always be untouchables or Dalits. It has become a part of their lives and is embedded in them. There is very little pressure for change, especially within India: it is said that the majority has an interest in perpetuating caste discrimination. Protests by Dalits themselves are rare: for many Dalits, day-to-day survival may be a higher priority. To quote Human Rights Watch: The solution lies in concerted international attention to assist national governments in this important and long overdue work. If you take a look at our society, even without the caste system, you will see that this never-ending cycle of poverty is also a major problem in the Philippines, and one question still stands, that is, How can one break free from poverty? Poverty is a problem, because those experiencing it, the poor, are marginalized. They can barely afford or sometimes cannot afford basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. Yes, in India, as well as the Philippines, there have been programs, laws to aid and support these people. However, it is in the implementation of these laws that fail to solve the problem. For most Western people, the single action that has the best chance of making a difference would be to raise awareness of the problem, repeatedly bringing it to the attention of individuals, politicians, media, diplomats and above all the Indian government. The lack of will to change and unity among people (in India, as well as the Philippines) is one important problem in breaking away from poverty and making a change. Therefore, the caste system or these political divisions continue to live in the minds of many, leaving millions of untouchables or Dalits trapped in a world of oppression and poverty. Change is something much called for in the Indian society, in our society, and in many others around our world today. We can study the oppressive Dalit cases time and time again. We can feel disgusted, depressed, and down reading about them, and we can wonder, can their lives ever change? It isnt enough to read and wonder, in order for change, action is a must. In retrospect, there isnt much radical action one can take for the Dalits when still in second year college in the Philippines. However, we believe there is much we can do in the future, for our society, as well as others. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, be the change you want to see in the world.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Factors Affecting Global Advertising Strategies

Factors Affecting Global Advertising Strategies CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This project will analyse how global advertising is affected by numerous problems and what global advertising strategies can be undertaken by multi-national companies. The project will start with an introduction to global advertising and related literature, theories which present the basis of the review. Then, the methods of collecting data and sources will take place such as how the data was gathered and evaluated. Furthermore, with analysis of all relevant outcomes, a conclusion will be drawn. The reason why Kinetic, Turkey, was chosen as a case study is because it has been operating as an advertising company in different countries under different names. In addition, advertising is facing many issues in Turkey and this will provide a better insight to the problems of international advertising such as how the company copes with these issues. Background In the global advertising phenomena, most businesses are keen to expand their brand of products into a market place that is becoming increasingly competitive, an unstoppable debate over the effectiveness of global advertising of products is still continuing. The idea began towards the late twentieth century and gained immense popularity among business communities as the sound of global recognition is a music to anyones ears. It does have some challenges for business men all over the world. Among them is the issue of language, culture to name a few (Andros, 2000). Global advertising involves distribution of a commercial message to target customers in other countries. Individuals differ from country to country which affects the way of how they recognize symbols, react to emotional appeals by considering the intensity of literacy and languages spoken. The structure of advertising function also shows difference. For instance, on the one hand, advertising decisions and budgets are centralized, and specific numbers of worldwide agencies are used by international organisations. On the other hand, organisations can decentralize the decisions and budgets and use the local advertising agencies. Therefore,global advertising is a communication process as a result of existing in different cultures that have different values, communication styles, and consumption patterns. Global advertising can be also seen as a business practice with advertisers and the advertising agencies which generate advertisements and buy media in other states Douglas Craig, (1995) . It is difficult to communicate to a target audience in global markets as communication process passes through in numerous contexts and it varies because of language, literacy, and other cultural influences. Douglas Craig, (2002) propose that there are three different stages are taken place in the process of the communication in global markets. First of all, the advertiser determines the appropriate message for the target audience. Then, to understand the message in different cultural contexts, it is encoded. Finally, the message is ready to be sent through the media channels to the customers who then interpret and respond to the message. However cultural factors can create barriers in these steps in the process of message and communication breaks may occur. Efficiency of message is affected by the cultural context. The context where information is implanted is significant in the collectivist cultures such as Japan and China (Hall, (1976). Conversely, the information is embedded in verbal messages in low context cultures such as Western societies where they only expect whether information relating to the product or service is enough to meet with their expectations for content (De Mooij, 1998). However, image and mood appeals affect individuals easily in high context cultures where they depend on personal networks for information and content. To provide effective communication, it is important to understand these differences in communication techniques. Global advertising can be also considered as business progress when a company introduce its product or services to customers in other countries. An appropriate message is determined by an advertising agency, which also build the media placement. While deciding global advertising strategy, awareness of developing an international or local ad campaign, or tailor communication to differences in home markets (Peebles and Ryans 1984). A standardized international campaign is often preferred to build a strong corporate or global image. Local campaigns are chosen if the purpose is to release a new product or build a new brand, or to differentiate the product or brand from competitors. In 2006, Coca-Cola Company failed when the company launched the campaign of Coke Side of Life, and it only provided simple messages with universal appeal. Coca-Cola used more regional approach rather than using a global marketing campaign (Summerfield, 2002). After this failure the organisation started to use its global resources to run a multi-media and multi-cultural strategy in worldwide markets. The firm has a better understanding of its local connections in which they market their products (Coca-Cola Company News Release, 2006). Altstie and Grow (2006) believes that there are many advantages of standardization. One of the main advantages of standardization is local marketplace. As a brand takes a part in the process of decision-making especially supported by local professionals then it will help to increase the level of local acceptance easily. Having looked at the advantages of standardization, the other effect of it can be observed as off-target advertisements always provide support when there meets an increase related to cultural approach. Moreover, Altstie and Grow (2006) mention it is clear to say that culturally respectful and strategically bound advertising can often be highly successful. Another advantage of standardization is abating the rate of making cultural blunders. When choosing an advertising firm to take care of global promotional needs, companies should consider: the available budget; the promotional message; the complexity of the product or service; market size and location; distribution channels; life cycle and competition (Proctor 2000, pp.227-228). It is vital to use an advertising agency which specializes in that type of campaign as the company operating global. McAllister (1997, p. 39) explains why it is more prudent to use global campaigns. There are many advantages of an international campaign such as building a strong and consistent global image for the company or its products and services across world markets and building awareness by using the same image in other countries. Moreover, utilization of a single campaign reduces the costs and productions in copy development. On the other hand, use of various regional campaigns may create repetition and lead to incoherent brand images and bewilderment in target audiences over the globe. To start with, it is essential to identify the term of global advertising, which has been used for advertising universal brands, such as Marlboro cigarettes, Coca-Cola, Sony home electronics and Gucci accessories. For instance, Jones (2000) argues that if a brand is exactly the same in every way in the countries where it is represented, then this term can be called as global. However there are numerous brands are available; the numbers of truly brands are not that many. For example, Coca-Cola and Pepsi frequently do with some a few changes to contain local norms, tastes, and preferences, but Levis jeans that are very much a global upon the country. In the current economic scenario, many economists as well as media people are predicting that a competition among businesses might resemble the initial stages of E-Commerce when it was not well known. There are pieces of research that have addressed the question of price rivalry on the Internet. Examine price patterns with the competition and their pros and cons for the customer segment, where do they excel and where do they lack in traditional bricks and mortar retail settings (Frasier, 2002) According to Keegan and Green, 2008, United States was the country where advertising industry spent $250 billion whereas they spent half a billion dollars for the world in 2003. In addition to this information, in total over a trillion dollars was spent for various kinds of promotions. The existing literature shows that General Motors spent only %2 of its sales for advertising while Unilever spent %3.2. However, 2 percent of total sales of General Motors which was equal to 3.7 billion dollars were more than double of Unilever expense. $1.6 billion spent for advertising by Unilever. As a whole, in 2003, nearly $100 billion was spent for advertising by the market leaders. However the following statistics shows that global advertising expenditures highly declined as a result of economic crisis. According to Zenith forecasts of 2006, the credit crunch has a negative effect on consumers and organisations in North America and Western Europe from 4.4% to 3.8%, however there is a growth in the rest of the world from 10.9% to 11.1%. TNS Media Intelligence states that U.S. total measured advertising spending dropped 14.3 percent vs. in the first six months of 2009 to $60.87 billion and advertising expenditures during the second quarter of 2009 which was less than last year. The only media increase was internet in the first half of 2009. Zenith forecasts (2006) showed that the top companies such as Verizon Communication, Procter Gamble, ATT, Sprint Nextel, Johnson Johnson, General Motors, General Electric, News Corp., Time Warner and Walt Disney in the first six months of 2009 spent combined total of $7,866.4 million, spending decreased by 3.5 percent compare to last year. As creating the multinational advertising campaigns, not only political and legal forces, but also economic factor needs to be taken into account. Definition of Problem With a better understanding of the adaptation of global advertisements to local environments, the factors which have influence on global advertisements and the strategies can be generated by global companies against to these barriers will be addressed. Aims and Objectives The project will analyse how global advertising is affected by language, culture, colours, numbers and images, religion, education, country image, political and legal forces, production and cost limitations, and global advertising strategies undertaken by multi-national companies. To come to the main point, one ad needs to apply to everyone and their understanding concurrently. The ultimate goal is the adaptation of a global advert which attracts customers attention to the highest point to generate the purchase process. In this study, the analysis of how effectively global advertising can be adopted by different and changing backgrounds in Turkey has been examined. Furthermore, how successfully advertising firms do research as well as market their product and services within other countries to expand globally will be taken into account. Structure of Study The research consists of five different chapters: Chapter 1 presents the background global advertising, and indicates aims, objectives and the structure of the study. This chapter also includes some relevant examples and judgments to the literature review. Chapter 2 provides review of relevant literature describing the challenges of global advertising with theoretical concepts and various examples of many organisations from books and journal articles. Chapter 3 contains the research and data collection methods in detail including both primary and secondary data as well as analysis of data and sampling methods. Besides, reasons of selected research methods and how they were used are explained. Chapter 4 gives a critical evaluation of data gathered from interviews with relevant justification, discussions and judgements. The aims and objectives set in the introduction have been addressed. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the main findings with conclusions and recommendations from both literature review and interview. Additionally, directions for the future study are indicated in this chapter. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Globalisation During the last decade, organisations have been launched internationally to expand the size of the business and survive in the competitive environment as a result of global competition and to gain global demand for their products. Globalisation has been defined as the homogenization of peoples wants and demands around the globe thanks to easy access of different products (Hammond, Grosse, 2003, p. 288). Organisations have expanded into different markets with the development of communication technology and the communication among countries has become easier for mass media via internet and satellite television broadcast. With high technology, managers can directly access the firms and solve any problem that might exist in other countries (Johansson, 2006). The usage of television increased during the entire world as governments discontinued attempting to prevent TV access from their population in many states; the images publicized in this medium have really introduced existing cultures around the globe such as the public in Japan, Argentina, and Canada. Moreover, the Internet has driven the globalisation of products by removing the barriers which formerly preventing products from gaining more recognition around the world. The physical limitations separating countries are breached as a result of Internet. However it has extended the worldwide scope of products, the global branding strategy should actually be a local plan for each component market, as to apply a standard approach worldwide without considering local preferences and cultural differences is doomed to failure (Dennis Harris 2002, p.142). Global organisations need to consider such as the available budget, the promotional message, the complexity of the product or service, market size and location, distribution channels, life cycle and competition when selecting an agency to heed on global promotional needs (Proctor 2000, p.227-228). It is prudent to select the advertising company which specialized in that type of promotion when the organisation is operating globally McAllister (1997, p. 39). Global Advertising Global advertising challenges with a difficult task. An appropriate communication needs to be for any local market as campaigns also must be organized and controlling of expenses must be provided across the world. As a result of varying media, there will be a change in the possible channels of advertising (Hammond, Grosse, 2003). For business expansion, corporations have to consider many factors. Among these factors, the top most are language, culture, education, politics as well as economic environment (William and Cummins, 2008). Corporations that have been successful in implementing their business have done a great deal of homework in this regard as we see on their websites which are available in many languages, they also analyze the appropriate market for their product and look at the political stability of that particular country in order to make sure that their business is conducted properly (Boris, 2001). This has specially been observed in telecom and computer sector where we can now see just how successfully that have implemented their strategies to cross all the above mentioned hurdles. The product must be within the reach of a common man and they must spend an appropriate amount on advertising as to get the masses interested. Hype must be created to grab even more attention and the price/performanc e ratio of the final product must be in equilibrium (James Badger, 2004). On the other hand they do adjust rather poorly in organizations that need to change. Compensations must only be based on performance and the size of job in hand that must be focused on more promotion and in future striving to get an even bigger job (Murphy et al., 2005). The above mentioned can only be extracted when the company management decides to make a great relationship with the workforce. They must make them feel so comfortable as if they are dealing not just with workers but their own family members. Just like we all work for the benefits of our very own families, similarly they must motivate employees to such an extent that they are able to handle virtually any challenge that lies in the way of their organization (Parker, 2002). But in order to achieve this, they will have to give additional benefits and rewards coupled with bonuses to their employees at regular intervals. As discussed above a factor that unfortunately even today is under use of many organizations, is the seniority factor where they encourage their employees on the basis of seniority rather than performance. Organizations have already begun the transition from relatively simple spreadsheets to the IT based database technology as this process has advanced along with the technology (Vein Heflin, 2008). They can also use their brand name if it is well known to consolidate the quality and customer satisfaction by increased funding on re-structuring the pricing policies as well as present some significant discounts and combine them with a proactive marketing campaign (Vein Heflin, 2008). Although in many countries global advertising can be considered homogenous or not, media tools provide an easy access to a part of the world. While social and cultural differences can pose problems, a simple image of the products can remain in individuals mind; they gradually begin to participate in the global market. The aims of advertising in each country have to be identified by the advertisers. Global advertising management should begin with the evaluation of the position of advertising in each market and the accessibility of the other advertising media. Similarities in Advertising Harris Attour (2003, p. 160) expounded that International advertising standardisation refers to using a common approach (for example common advertising message) to promote the same product across national boundaries. The similarities in advertising can be justified by the following: consistent image and identity throughout the world, single coordination of the marketing mix, and cost-savings; Consistent Positioning Worldwide By having similar advertising, organisations are able to show their consistency and maintain their brand image worldwide. Doing so prevents confusion and distortion of the way frequent travellers perceive brands In other words, the company gain in consistency because it carries the same image everywhere. Smirnoff launched its pure thrill campaign showing distorted images becoming clear when viewed through the Smirnoff bottle; however the specific scenes change from one country to another to appeal to consumers with different assumption about what is thrilling. (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 105) Writing instrument common theme stresses Parker and Pen as synonymous. Personalisation of the advertisement can be made at the local level but always with a common theme (Advertising Age, 1984, p. 74). Levis in the early 1980s opted for a pattern advertising strategy, where the broad outlines of the campaign are given but the details not (Chase Bacot, 1981, p. 34). Cost Savings Achieved Through Standardisation The potential for economy of scale achieved through standardization is enormous. Many companies have made huge savings thanks to standardization. In fact, by having one company to design the international advertising strategy, companies not only have a tighter coordination amongst brands but also achieve huge savings. Many companies have benefited from the cost savings potential of uniform advertising campaigns. Coca Cola saved $90 million over 20 years by using McCann-Erickson to produce its worldwide commercials (De Mooij, 1997, p. 15). Challenges in International Advertising It is true that advertising seems to be consistent worldwide, however As Omar (2009, p. 374) noted:Although advertising principles do not vary from country to country, the objectives and methods employed may differ in different markets. As Anholt (2000, p. 8) predicted, it is important for international brands to act locally: International brands succeed when consumers in each market believe they are being spoken to by somebody who understands them, somebody who knows their needs and who talks and feels just as they do . His words give rise to a lot of questions, chief amongst them are: The kind of advertising which would work best in each market environment, the kind of advertisement to be avoided (Zandpour et al, 1994, p. 50). Kotler (1997, p. 309) pointed out that international advertising present challenges at four levels: What to say (message content), how to say it logically (message structure), how to say it symbolically (message format), and who should say it (message source) ? The following paragraphs discuss them in turn. Language These days, organisations are paying great attention on product names and slogans to use in other languages. Language is the foundation to cross cultural advertising. Language must be carefully checked for cultural feasibility as many companies have made big blunders in advertisements of their products. (Payne, 2007). The message needs to be expressed in one language. International advertising often means that, companies are advertising a product which has a name from a different language. Many companies have had difficulties marketing these products mainly because once translated it does not convey the same impression. Firms therefore have skilled interpreters and translators to remove the communication difficulties. Direct translations into other foreign languages often lose meaning and do not put forward the important points originally predicted. Colgate launched toothpaste named CUE; they introduced the product in France and it was a disaster because the word CUE in French is a slang expression for derriere. (De Mooij, 1997, p. 160) Baby food producer Gerber does not make the right impact in France since the word literally means to spew (De Mooij, 1997, p. 145). Mitsubishi failed to advertise their Pajero model in Spain because the word Pajero means masturbator in Spanish: definitely not the right impression. (Haig, 2003, p. 45) IBM had some difficulties in Argentina with its global slogan: Solutions for a small planet and had to fine-tune it to Solutions for a small world because the word Planet lacked the desired conceptual thrust (Haig, 2003, p. 105). Values Culture might be linked to ethnics, national groups, and an age group or to a country. Every individual gains their knowledge about their culture from the society or the group they belong to. Every country has it is own culture, eating, dressing habits change between countries men and women are not treated same everywhere. Culture varies between different levels, so when talking about it, it is important to be clear about the level to avoid confusion. An approach that is true at one level does not mean it is going to be right on another level. Pivotal to the issues faced by international promoters, is the problem of culture: advertising is more than words, it is made of culture (Anholt, 2000, p. 5). In other words, the content of the message should have a local touch. Culture is the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought characteristic of a community or population. Culture is also learned behaviour. It depends on the environment, not heredity; it is not biologically transmitted. (Keillor et al.2007, p.109) In 1997, De Mooij (p. 7) wrote that, Ideally effective advertising means that the values in the message match the values of the receiver. It is the culture of the consumer that should be reflected in advertising. This excerpt puts a lot of emphasis on the values of the targeted nation. Before launching an advertisement it is important to see whether the message conveyed will match with the values of the nation. In other words, culture is a very complex phenomenon and a challenge to firms that wish to market internationally. How does the firms product or service fit in with the foreign markets culture? How must it be adapted to fit? Every firm must take its own adjustment and adaptation to satisfy customer foreign customers. (Keillor et al., 2007 p. 109) Culture plays an important role in international market. It is complex, challenging and always a problem for companies which operate internationally. When a new product is launched, it is the responsibility of the firm to make sure that the product fits in the international market. If there are changes required to increase customer satisfaction, the firm must take the reasonable steps. Advertising reflects these wider systems of meaning: it reflects the way people think, what moves them, how they relate to each other, how they live, eat, relax, and enjoy themselves. All manifestations of culture, at different levels, are reflected in advertising. In order to analyze advertising as a manifestation of culture at the broader level, it must be understood that culture is expressed in several ways. The Sony Walkman is often thought to be unique because one can listen to music without being disturbed by others. However this contrasts with Akio Morita Ibuka co-founder of Sony Corporation: He wanted to listen to music without disturbing others (Morita et al., 1987, p. 89). This subtlety makes a huge difference in the formulation of the campaign. Muller sparked a lot of controversy with its self-centred campaign showing a mum depriving its child of the yoghurt with the caption: there is motherly love, and there is Muller love. (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 68). Haagen-Dazs was lambasted because of its advertisement which related ice cream to sex and presented it as a product for personal pleasure. It offended the Chinese who share all the good things (Kiefer Carter, 2005, p. 68). Values bear hugely on buyer behaviour especially at the problem recognition stage. People in different cultures have different motives to buy a good and it should be reflected in the message of the campaign. When companies advertise, they must consider a wider system of meaning because it reflects people in many ways for example the way they eat, move or think. Advertising reflects to all cultural expressions at different stages. It is important to understand that the culture can be expressed in more than a few ways to analyze advertising as a manifestation of culture. Hofstede (1980, p. 57) proposed four dimensions of national culture: Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and masculinity. The model can be used in global marketing strategy. If culture has a large effect on customer behaviour, then firms need tools and techniques that analyze cultural differences, so that the firms can avoid the mistake of applying a policy which is not appropriate. Power distance is essentially used to categorise levels of inequality in organisations (Mullins, 2002, p. 25). High power distance countries are autocratic and in such countries, the employees are reduced to a mere condition of doers. Conversely, low power distance is favourable to a participative management. Uncertainty avoidance however, related to the tendency to minimise risks or ambiguous situations. Countries that score high in this area are risk-adverse, and they tend to follow proved methods and rely usually on bureaucracy. Individualism mirrors the extent to which individuals fitted in a group (Brewster, Sparrow, Vernon, 2007, p. 23). In other words, the cohesiveness amongst group members; countries with a high score can be branded egoistic and Nations with low levels of individualism are known for their social dimension. Masculinity is linked to the behaviour and patterns that prevail into a particular culture. In fact, a masculine oriented nation shines by aggressiveness, assertiveness, drive for succeed at all cost while a feminine orientation requires a much less nurturing approach. Later, an additional dimension, Confucian Dynamism (Bond, 1988, p. 8), was put forward. This dimension reflects the length of planning e.g. The Japanese plan for the long-term and this is the basis of their economic growth over the last few years. Conversely, the USA is short-term focused and the bottom line is generally the quarterly meeting. Hofstedes surveys which were carried around the world in 1980 with IBM employees was rather a methodical assessment of different cultures around the globe. Even though there has been changes in the world from the events that occurred in Eastern Europe and Russia cultural roots are much stronger. Hofstedes analysis has proved that countries can be explained in four different categories. The first one is individualism versus collectivism, in individualism cultures individual tend to look after themselves and close family members only in collectivism cultures individuals care more about the group. High and low power distance would be the second dimension the difference is countries with high power distance are less democratic and countries with low level of power distance are more democratic. Masculine and famine is the third on Hofstedes list which refers to equality between males and females in a society. Uncertainty avoidance which relates to self-assurance between individuals in a society is the last demission on Hofstedes list. If the society do not feel threatened from uncertainty avoidance, then that society is does not have any doubt about the future. The Role of Culture in Multinational Business Economic and physical environment are important to international firms but not as much as the cultural environment that has an exceptional importance in business. Because every country has a different culture they require a different approach. A strategy that is successful for a region might not be in another, to avoid failure right techniques and tools should be used. A company would be successful if they can manage the cultural environment and international organizations. So what kinds of problems arise from cultural diversity? The main problem seems to be the lack of knowledge about different cultures between individuals. Many companies are not clear about the cultures around the globe (Miroshnik, 2002). Cultural diversity causes problems, because firms usually over generalize techniques and strategies. Employees think that successful marketing strategies can be applied to more than one country, but this often results in failure. If a product has a naked image on the package, it may not be a problem in the western countries, but it will be highly criticized in Muslim world. It does not matter if it is a well-known art work or the companys logo, therefore firms must adapt well into local markets if they want to be successful (Miroshnik, 2002). Structure of the Message The structure of the message should be consistent with the culture. Hall (1976) argued that communication could take place in a high/low context. According to him, in low context communication there is the necessity to come up with all the background information. Conversely, high context cultures require a straight approach because everyone has all the background information. Because of the differences of context, Gudykunst Ting-Toomey (1988, p. 103) argued that there are fou