Personal background Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal background - Essay Example Choosing to seek a career in business was a mistake. I have always found great satisfaction in helping, supporting and caring for others. I also am very curios about the medical field and have a desire to gain medical knowledge. After finishing my studies, I could see that a career in Business would not provide this but a career in Nursing would. Although I was aware that I did not want to pursue a career in Business, I did not want to end my studies as I am a very committed to finish in whatever I have started. This is why I finished school with a Business degree. Prior to studying Business, I gained four years of care experience in a nursing home for the elderly. This is where my love for caring and looking after vulnerable people developed. My people skills have significantly improved throughout my years working as a carer. I have gained excellent skills that help me communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and with people who have hearing or mental health disabilities. I have also gained experience in dealing with emotionally and physically demanding patients. A key skill in this process is observing behaviour change in patients. I believe I can transfer my experiences and skills in this area towards my Adult Nursing study. My role as a healthcare worker involved caring for people with ageing related illnesses such as neurodegenerative diseases, inflammatory diseases, joint illnesses and cancer. I was assigned to observe five service users as a nurse and key worker as well. I worked closely with health care professionals such as district nurses, general practitioners and social workers. My duties included writing out care plans, recording changes in needed care and interacting with the family members of the service user. These duties have given me essential skills in promoting privacy and dignity whilst enhancing independence for the service receiver. Giving excellent person-centered care has always been one of my highest priorities. Through my work , I have managed to obtain a NVQ 2 in health and social care and other certificates such as Recorded and Administered Medication, four day training in Dementia Care and five day training for End of Life Care. I have obtained these certificates while working as a carer and studying for my HND business degree at the same. I found this challenging to combine my study with full time work, however, it has made me realize that I am a determined individual who is keen to work hard in order to achieve my goals. I truly enjoy working as a carer and working with people. I believe that I will have the same affection when I become a nurse. I believe nursing is a form self-enrichment and inherently rewarding work. The reason why I want to progress further from health care worker to Nurse is because during my work, I always felt the need to take on more responsibilities and showed curiosity in gaining in-depth medical/healthcare knowledge. I am excited to begin studying in an Adult Nursing course and I will most definitely enjoy applying the theory learned in class. I have chosen the Adult Nursing BSc because I have the option to specialize in many different areas of healthcare, thus giving me a variety of choices when the course is completed. Adult Nursing is the ideal career choice for me as it enables me to study something that I am not only interested in but passionate about, ensuring that day in, day out, I will know that I have a career in which I can truly make a

Unemployment Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Unemployment - Coursework Example Unemployment This denotes that comparisons may end up misleading and giving inaccurate count, as well as a count that does not mirror the actual count (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). This misrepresentation of data could be the reason why the Claimant count emerged with a 1 million count of unemployed persons less than what the ILO Count got (Turner 2012) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). The reason why the ILO Count was more than that of the Claimant count is because the ILO count measure takes into account all persons with no jobs unlike the Claimant count measure, which does not take into account persons who are unqualified for benefits (Turner 2012), (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). In other words, the Claimant Count measure does not include in their measures persons who have a significant other being paid beyond the benefits level for the family, students employed for part-time jobs, persons un der the age of eighteen and reluctant to go in for a youth-training centre as well as persons who have departed their profession voluntarily. The ILO count measure obtains the real actual count of unemployed persons because it collects the actual facts of unemployed persons. It gives the actual number of all unemployed persons who wish to get jobs but are not qualified for benefits unlike the Claimant count measure. Additionally, ILO count measure collects data that is current unlike Claimant count measure that depends on administrative records that may be out of date, incorrect and misrepresented (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006) as well as (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). ... Additionally, ILO count measure collects data that is current unlike Claimant count measure that depends on administrative records that may be out of date, incorrect and misrepresented (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006) as well as (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). However, the ILO count may not be able to cover all the necessary facts in its surveys during data collection because people may not provide accurate facts. For the two measures, namely; ILO count measure and Claimant count measure, ILO count measure is likely to be inaccurate because it relies on people to answer queries accurately and truthfully, which may not be the case (Turner 2012) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). People do not always tell the truth especially when it comes to personal information such as their employment status (Turner 2012) and (Department for Children, Schools and Families 2008). Likewise, the Claimant count measure is likely to be inaccu rate as well because it depends on administrative records to calculate its count for unemployed persons (Turner 2012) and (Office for National Statistics 2013). The reason why this may result in inaccurate number of unemployed persons is because most of these administrative records could be misrepresented, incorrect, falsified or altered over time, thereby giving inaccurate information at the of the day (Office for National Statistics 2013) and (Dustmann, Glitz & Vogel 2006). The fact that there are numerous vacancies, yet the rate of unemployment is still high in UK, can be explored with respect to available human skills, lack of knowhow, lack of fresh recruits to replace the retired ones as well as the forcing of young persons by their parents

USA Today Online Essay Example for Free

USA Today Online Essay FoxNews Online CNN headline News (TV) USA Today Online American news sources, compared to those based in other countries, have some unique characteristics. One of the most obvious is the lack of headlines regarding places outside America. When stories are related that center on foreign events, they are often framed in the context of how they might or have affected Americans. In non-American sources, such as the BBC, there is not a parallel nationalistic spin placed on the coverage of events, especially those in Western Europe. Al Jazeera’s news is focused on the Muslim world. Its front page features no story that does not directly deal with some aspect of Islam and Islamic nations. While both the BBC and Al Jazeera had either the Blackwater Guards or the Guilty Plea of 9-11 hijackers as the top story, Fox news ran a feature about drug charge sentencing in America. USA Today, which is a news agency which caters to a less sophisticated audience, has as a lead headline a story about a study liking children’s health to industrial pollution. It also seems that news that is relevant outside of America breaks more quickly on the foreign press sites than it does in the U. S. Sites. For example, the piece about the surrender of the Blackwater guards, which is a story about a US firm acting in Iraq, was posted on both BBC and Al Jazeera before being listed as a â€Å"breaking story† on Fox. While the news sources all seem to treat news stories without significant bias, the framing of headlines in certain cases tends to show the leanings of the editors in certain cases. For example, Fox News’ headline regarding the guilty plea of 9-11 suspects reads: â€Å"Accused 9-11 Plotters Seek ‘Martyrdom’ in Guilty Pleas†. In contrast to the foreign news agencies, whose headline reports only the fact of the pleas, Fox’s headline contains the alleged motivation expressed with quotation marks in a manner that suggests contempt. Fox also presents news about the Democratic Political party in a negative light. They headline one story â€Å"Iran rejects Obama’s Carrot and Stick Policy†. The story is a single paragraph recounting a minor Iranian official decrying a policy that hurts his own country. Rather than merely reporting the fact, Fox frames this a a foreign policy failure of a President who has yet to be sworn into office. Interestingly, both the American News agencies and the BBC embed opinion pieces without identifying them as such. Of the news agencies reviewed, only Al Jazeera makes clear in every instance whether a piece is to be considered factual, or editorial. The editorial slant presented in the foreign news agencies tends to be more subtle. Both Al Jazeera and BBC reported the Pakistani raid on the organization thought to have engineered the recent attacks on Mumbai, India. Al Jazeera claims that the camp that was raided was home to a charity group. The BBC claims that the group had been outlawed in 2002, and that it was â€Å"thought to be† a front for the terrorist organization being sought. One must be careful in reading any news source to determine how much of what is reported is fact, versus how much is opinion, speculation or un-sourced material. It is in these ways that opinions are subtly infused throughout all news coverage. A wise reader should be able to discern fact from opinion.

Global Business And Culture Analysis Of Croatia Cultural Studies Essay

Global Business And Culture Analysis Of Croatia Cultural Studies Essay The analysis of the cultural perspectives of doing business in this paper is concentrated on the outline of the culture of graduate students taking Business Administration in Croatia an U.S as this group is the one that will gradually assume the leading role in the Croatian and American economy and business community. The research gives comprehensive understanding of dimensions and elements of culture in Croatia and America, how these elements and dimensions are integrated by locals conducting business and lastly the implications of US businesses that wish to conduct business in Croatia. In order be unbiased in the generalization of the findings, simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for this study. Comparison of cultures has been done through measuring their magnitude (Hofstede, 2001). Nevertheless, the magnitudes used to weigh against cultures are usually not physical dimensions but, rather are dealings of the attitudes and values that dissimilar cultures contain. Some of the dimensions of culture were those developed by Ali Alshawi (2005) which include: (1) Uncertainty avoidance (2) Power Distance (3) Masculinity/femininity (4) Individualism/collectivism (5) Confucian Dynamism (6) Universalism- Particularism, (7) Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations(8) Achievement vs. Ascription (9) Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy (10) Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian (11) Harmony vs. Mastery (13) Communal Sharing Relationships (14) Authority Ranking Relationships (15) Equality Matching Relationships (16) Market Pricing Relationships. Investigation was conducted to establish the measurement of the customs which resulted in momentous level of sway in the viewpoints of conducting trade. The report of graduate scholars who are enrolled in Business Administration might not necessarily signify a real picture of the typical or universal outline of the business customs in Croatia, hence becoming a constraint to the study. The paper concludes by proposing the right moves in business that can be made in order to make a successful transaction. Key words Culture, cultural dimensions, business environment Introduction Culture can be defined as the way of life of people including language, sciences and art, their interaction, spirituality as well as their social activity, convections, protocols and their negotiations (Shahla, 2002). In order to make sure that people work together proficiently and together towards business objectives in a positive and motivating environment, they need to be aware of the existence and importance of both a corporate culture and international culture. In foreign countries, getting everybody to work together might not be very easy. Apart from language issues, different countries have different approaches to work. Some cultures take offense of certain comments. A Christmas party might not be seen too keen by non-Christian religions. Cultural sets of beliefs and differences cannot be easily changed or overcome (Hofstede, 1991). But it is important for any business owner or manager to be aware of them and how they impact their business. This will help to adjust to them and improve efficiency, profitability and success of business. Problem statement Culture is defined as the standards and manners of a group of people or community. Culture also determines how a country does business that. Understanding the difference in cultures of different county is a step in succeeding business in a foreign country. This research paper was aimed at establishing different cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. Objective The main objective of the research was to ascertain the cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. This objective was achieved through the following specific research objectives. To determine the major elements of dimensions of culture in Croatia. To ascertain how dimensions of culture are integrated by locals in business. To assess the difference in Croatian and US culture and Business. To determine the implication of US business wishing to be conducted in Croatia. Significance of the study The study provided an understanding of Croatian culture which is indispensable when it comes to successfully running business in Croatia. Limitation of the study As far as this study is concerned the challenge presented here in is that the profile of the scholars may not give a real scenario of the business as far as culture is concerned in America and Croatia (Hofstede, 2001). Financial constraints led to selection of a small sample size which might not be an entire representation of the entire population. Literature review Culture defined From the perspective of a humanist, the one Mathew Arnold used the word culture to pass on to an ideal of individual human refinement, of the finest that has been thought and said in the world.  This idea of culture is comparable to the  German concept of  building: According to an anthropologist Kroeber and Kluckhohn culture can be defined as: Consisting or else being made up of implicit as well as explicit patterns, and behavior transmitted and acquired through symbols with different achievements from groups of human beings (McCoy, 2003).   As a replacement for defining culture as a kind of knowledge, McGrew suggests that Culture can be looked into as a number of steps which may include the following (i) a novel prototype of performance is made-up, or else one which is already existing is modified. (ii) Modernizer transforms this prototype to another one. (iii) A kind of the prototype is steady across and within players, conceivably even in terms of identifiable features considered stylistic. (iv) One who obtains the prototype keeps the capability to do it long post acquiring it. (v) The prototype extends across units which constitute a population e.g. troops, clans, or bands just to mention but a few. (vi) The prototype bears transversely generations There exist three kinds of culture which are of great significance according to Ali Alshawi (2004a). They include; national culture which includes several core values meant to shape the individuals behavior and the entire society not forgetting organizational culture (Adler 1997; Bagchi and Cerveny 2003). Finally, there exist a level of individual culture according to Dorfman and Howell (1988). Their study shows the impact of national civilization on the behavior of an individual. The business civilization of a particular country is as a result of a number causes from its present and past which are so abnormal such that they can never be finally and fully explained or understood. Overview of Croatian culture Croatia became a constituent republic of the Federative Popular Republic of Yugoslavia after the Second World War, which inherited the ex-Yugoslav kingdom with art governed by the canon of socialist realism and science and education governed by the canon of dialectic and historical materialism. Self-management system was introduced in 1950s. Cultural and other public domains were decentralized and regulated on the level of the six constituent republics. Modernization and the global openness of the country brought various cultural influences. Ideological control over culture loosened, followed by a national movement in which cultural and educational institutions played a visible role. Despite the ensuing political repression the public policies led to greater autonomy of the republics in the federation. The current government was appointed in 2009, after the political shifts caused by resignation of the former prime minister (2004-2009). Greek, Roman and Byzantine are the blends of Croatia, the majority of the population is Croats. Minorities include Serbs, Hungarians and Gypsies. Although Croatia is a sovereign nation, it has a unique culture that has been driven numerous civilizations and empires. It is well known for the rich culture it has, natural beauty, and many national parks and successful tourism industry. Ethics Ethics is the common agreed upon practice of different moral principles or values. It concentrates on the general nature of morals and the specific moral choice an individual makes in relationship to others. It represents the rules and/or standards governing the conduct of the member of a profession. The context of this inquiry will be ethics applied to business. Business ethics in Croatia is perceived as good. In business operation, the regulations are not violated massively, especially in transactions with domestic partners. As far as the accomplishment of contract obligations are concerned, the impression is good. Religion Croatians are mainly Roman Catholic, with small percentages of Uniates (Eastern Orthodox Christians, recognizing the pope), Protestants, and Muslims. Some pre-Christian essentials have been included into Christian practices and beliefs. Other influences on Croatian religious beliefs and practices have come from European and Near Eastern cultures, from rural and urban traditions alike, resulting in an amalgam of different heritages. Sacred and religious aspects of traditional culture were neglected during the Socialist period because religion was relegated solely to the private sphere of life. Catholic Church has a role to play as far as Croatian society is concerned. The pastor participates significantly in the countrys culture as well as education education. Croatians are particularly loyal to Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. There exist asylums all over the nation state put up in her honor. Every town and village has a supporter saint and that saints feast day is distinguished with a ch urch and parade rite. Some of the rural communities still do have a conventional beacon on their supporter saints day. Many specialized persons also do have their own supporter saint. Religious conviction is a key in uniting the culture of Croatian, greater part of the Croatians is subscribed to Roman Catholic. During a Roman Catholic holiday, commercial activities close. Patrons of each and every town and city in Croatia lead the celebration of saints holiday. The Catholic Church has for ages aided the development of Croatias history and culture, it carrys on to be seen in everyday Croatian life. National Pride Croatians love their heritage and country and when criticized they take it very personally. Hence, Croatians at one time can be seen as being proud, pretentious and may seem haughty to foreigners. Nationalists Croats can be considered as extremely self-important of their custom and ethnicity and hence are considered to be staunch nationalists. Croats refer their nation as Our Beautiful Homeland (Lijepa naÃ…Â ¡a).This emerges that it is the same title as that one of the national anthem of their country. The intellect of patriotism emerges both from their extended and wealthy civilization as well as a inheritance of foreign control and invasion. Folklore plays an important part in culture preservation. Life understanding is transformed into poetic songs, verse, fairy tales, melodies, symbolic rituals, costumes, dance, music as well as jewellery just to mention but a few. Poems and Folksongs frequently show to the feeling and consider between members of the family. Social structure In as far as this society is concerned; the family still remains to be the basic unit of the society. Extended family is also recognized in this society and the members remains very close to each other. Basic commodities as well as security to some extent, is provided by the family to its members. Weekends are well thought-out as time meant to be spent by the members of the family together. This society values family to an extent that they will not allow business matters to interfere with their family lives. Dimensions of culture According to McCoy (2003), the highly considered concept of culture is the dimensions of culture by Hofstede. An all-encompassing dimensions of culture were projected by Alshawi and Ali (2005) using a normative review of literature in the field of culture. These dimensions are labeled: (1) Uncertainty avoidance (2) Power Distance (3) Masculinity/femininity (4) Individualism/collectivism (5) Confucian Dynamism (6) Universalism- Particularism, (7) Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations(8) Achievement vs. Ascription (9) Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy (10) Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian (11) Harmony vs. Mastery (13) Communal Sharing Relationships (14) Authority Ranking Relationships (15) Equality Matching Relationships (16) Market Pricing Relationships. Hofstede identified four dimensions: Uncertainty avoidance (UA) Vagueness evasion echoes or rather shows a cultures acceptance of vagueness and reception of menace. Degree to which community in a nation state prefers prearranged over formless situations: from relatively flexible to extremely rigid. Power Distance (PD) Power distance refers to the sharing of power within a society. Extent of disparity in the midst of people, which the inhabitants of a nation state do consider as normal: from relatively equal to extremely unequal. Masculinity/femininity (MF) The masculinity femininity measurement does explain the extent to which cultures overriding values are nurturing or assertive. Individualism/collectivism (IC) Extend to which persons in nation gain knowledge of acting as an individual instead of collective members of a cluster, moving to individualist from collectivist. Referred in this dimension is how individuals identify and relate with others. Individual attention compared to group interests dominates in an individualistic culture. It is therefore evident that the links in between are very tight. Communities ensure that they do take care of entire community. That is the elderly and the young. Masakazu (1994) defines modern individualism as a vision of humankind that gives good reason for internal unilateral self-assertion and beliefs, as well as antagonism based on these. In a communalist society, the considerations of the group triumph upon the attention of the personality. People are incorporated into strong and cohesive in-groups that carry on throughout a life span to defend in exchange for unthinking loyalty. Variation is displayed in who is considered when goals are set. In nonco nformist societies, goals are set with negligible deliberation given to groups other than possibly your direct family. In communalist societies, other crowds are taken into consideration seriously when goals are set. Individualist societies are freely incorporated; communalist societies are strongly incorporated (McGrew, 1998). One tends to define people by what they have done, their accomplishments, what kind of car they have. The question is do we function in a group or as individuals? Cultures of communitarism stress common goals and collective work (teamwork), while cultures of individualism value more individual success and creativity. Confucian Dynamism The fifth dimension of culture was acknowledged by Bond and Hofstede (1984). It is also tagged as long term vs. short term life orientations. This dimension portrays cultures that vary from values that have a short duration in relation to customs and reciprocity in relations in the society to values that are persistent and order a relationship on the criteria. The extent to which, communities or rather citizens promote collective harmony and welfare, resulting in psychological collectivism. Trompenaars (1993) defines the following dimensions: Universalism-Particularism The extent to which, communities or rather citizens weigh against generalist rules about what is right with more situation-specific relationship obligations and unique circumstances. In the context of business, what is of importance is regarded to be individuals behavior Particularism is the lower level in this type of dimension which implies giving inclination to an approach that is flexible for each specific problem Whereas universalism is the higher level of this dimension, it has the meaning of being strict in observing rules and other set standards. Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations The extent to which, communities or rather citizens weigh against objective and detached interactions with interactions where emotions is more readily expressed. In the neutral concept, emotions are barred from being displayed or shown. Where as in the effective concept, displaying emotions in a business relationship is acceptable Specific vs. Diffuse Orientations The extent to which communities in are engaged in a business relation and encounters are marked and set apart both in private and work. What matters is the acceptance of specific responsibilities assigned. The higher level of this dimension is diffuse where various relations interwoven compared to the lower level specific in which there is little intermixing of private relations Achievement vs. Ascription The extent to which, communities or rather citizens consider individual achievements as a measure with those where an individual is give specific status on the basis of membership to a group or birth grounds etc In the concept of achievement, status is got when an individual shows competence unlike in ascription where its achieved though a recognized status in title, gender, age, hierarchy, etc Schwartz (1994), defined the following dimensions: Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy It is the extent to which citizen insist on maintaining the initial status (conservatism) or intellectual autonomy gaining pleasure and a life that is exiting Culture Dimension Definition Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian It is the extent to which individuals consider equality and freedom as a distress to others (Egalitarian), vs. Hierarchy This emphasizes on the genuineness of flat resources and responsibilities Harmony vs. Mastery It is the extent to which citizen concerned with conquering impediments in a societal setup mastery versus the distressful point of view regarding unity with the natural set up and harmoniously being fit in the environment These dimensions were emphasized by Fiske (1992): Communal Sharing Relationships This perception is related to Hofstedes opinion of collectivism. It is the extent to which citizen see the members of a given cluster as equal and at times are quite unreceptive to those coming from outside of the cluster. Authority Ranking Relationships It is the extent to which citizen involve linearity in relationship ordering with higher ranking individuals who have the rights to make decisions, enjoys privilege and are responsible for individuals at the bottom in the hierarchy. According to Schwartz (1994), this idea does not correspond with Hofstadters conception of power distance Equality Matching Relationships It is the extent to which citizens emphasize on social equalities in relations. The community has knowledge of the inequalities. Market Pricing Relationships It is the extent to which individuals have their mentality fixed to investments and Perception of dominant business culture It was examined with Trompenaars replica of four different cultures. This included a framework built on two dimensions i.e. (1) Task orientation versus person and (2) Centralization or hierarchy versus decentralization or egalitarian implying power, role, project and fulfillment orientations Research Problem Following the Trompenaars model of four diversity cultures this study aimed to ascertain the cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. Research Methodology Probability sampling approach was used as the research method. This method had the advantage of non biasness in generalization of findings. The research used simple random sampling; the instruments for data capture were open ended questionnaires formulated using interpretive approach to look at cultural occurrences through Trompenaars model. Research Questions The research questions were how and in what ways might the cultural dimensions, and their elements of Croatian locals affect their perspectives of doing business and the implications of US businesses wishing to be conducted in Croatia. Research hypothesis Instead of developing a hypothesis, the research was underpinned to determine different perspectives of culture in the Croatian community in relation to doing business, Research sample To define the case, the research unit of analysis was the cultural perspectives of doing business in graduate students taking Business Administration from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana in Croatia and Stanford Graduate school of Business Sample size University Sample Size Percentage University of Ljubljana 68 61.81% Stanford Graduate school of Business 42 38.19% Total 110 100% Answer to research Questions Question 1: what are the major elements and Dimensions of Culture in Croatia? For Universalism versus Particularism dimension: Croatians are individualistic, a practice that results in lack of understanding when relating in an organization and dealing with clients. Also, Croatians are used to television and other forms of media than reading magazines and the internet; this is as a result of their system of education. In the dimension Individualism vs. Communitarism, The cultural dimension affects the organizational staffing (organizations) more than people in the society. For Uncertainty avoidance dimension: Croatians have a need to work hard, provision of rules and regulations and observe punctuality For Power Distance dimension: the Croatian community have a view that is more power with those at senior most management levels ; although the organizational culture would have a view different from the insight of power distance This affect how clients are having their issues resolved since the rely on individuals high ranking in an organization as they are considered to be powerful For Masculinity/femininity dimension, Croatians are inclined to having very affectionate relationship which cultivates a tight association with family members and acquaintances which from time to time make them reliant on each other in making decisions. It has got the advantage or remaining in contact for a long time. For Confucian Dynamism Dimension: The Confucian work dynamism is now refereed to as long term orientation versus short term orientation to life. This dimension encompasses such principles as frugality, perseverance, having a sense of embarrassment, and an ordered relationship. Confucian work dynamism attributes to committed, aggravated, accountable, and knowledgeable people with a sense of dedication and organizational uniqueness and fidelity. Example of countries where long term orientation supports prudence, reservations, perseverance in achieving results and being willing to lessen oneself for a reason are South Korea, Japan, and Singapore On the other hand a short term orientation is in line with the expenditure to uphold the pressure from the society, less reservations, preferring immediate results and apprehension with a face Croatians build on the welfare of their family unit and that is the strongest affiliation according to their perception (Yin, 1994). Croatians in a working environment are inclined to have a high turn over, particularly in the private sector of the economy, since there is deficiency in competent staff. As a result it rises the cost incurred in staff training. For the Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations dimension: this dimension mostly influences the satisfaction of customers Croatians are inclined to be more emotional, and allow some space for mastery so that they can be contented when they feel happy and get concerned for; this is more connected to the treatment and at what time they feel that they are special to the organization. For the Specific vs. Diffuse Orientations dimension: Since Croatia is switching from an economy based on public sector to more private organizations, which have an effect on how Croatians perceive and their expectation regarding the quality or service. For the Achievement vs. Ascription dimension, Croatians have a propensity to try to get to a superior societal level as the traditions and norms give people more esteem according to which societal class they are from or have attained. For the Market Pricing Relationships dimension: Croatians are vigilant to prices and to them it is most important thing while considering a product being produced or services being offered For Structured or organized vs. unstructured or unorganized behavior: Croatians have a propensity to have a formless approach in their every day life; they like to adjust all the time even when it is coming to regulations and procedures in a working environment Regarding candidness to Others cultures, they show an open approach to acceptance of other peoples cultures and other principles and traditions. For the Internal vs. External (locus of control) dimension, Croatians have a strong attitude that they can have control over their destiny, which is without doubt consistent with the high levels of masculinism present in their culture Question 2: How are dimensions and elements of culture integrated by locals conducting business in Croatia? In doing business, Croatians integrate their culture in the following ways: They have long meetings which do not follow specific agenda Relationships are build only after negotiating business matters Chatting and any other form of small talks only surface after all negotiations in a meeting. Personal relationships in business is not encouraged hence an appropriate relationship that incorporates professionalism must be maintained. Education, experience that comes with status, knowledge and confidence are respected by Croatians. Superiors which are authoritative are highly valued. Success and major decisions an be made by an individual. No single person accepts the responsibility that is accompanied by failure. Decisions can be made without appropriate consultations. Flexible deadlines. Managers do not need to account for how and why decisions were reached. Question 3: What is the Comparison between the Croatian and US business Culture? The following differences arise between the Croatian and American cultures. In American culture: Meeting are short and with specific agenda Democratic leaders are valued Individuals accept responsibility of failure Consultation must be done before decision making Managers are accountable for decisions made Deadlines are strict In both cultures: Relationships are build only after negotiating business matters. Chatting and any other form of small talks only surface after all negotiations in a meeting. Personal relationships in business is not encouraged hence an appropriate relationship that incorporates professionalism must be maintained. Education, experience that comes with status, knowledge and confidence are respected. Question 4: What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in that region? In order to successfully do business in Croatia: Show respect to everybody. In addressing a colleague use the title and the first name. Avoid talks about money and problems as it depicts weak behaviors. Allow personal space. Speak directly and authoritatively. Do not criticize a Croatian but you can make suggestions. Religion war and ethnicity is never discussed. In summary cultural values are relatively stable in Croatia, for a foreigner in Croatia, the first impression is conveyed starting with courtesies and the first greeting. Frustration is avoided by knowing how and when decisions are made; acquainting one self with the outcomes of a meeting and understanding how women are engaged in into the business framework. Of importance is networking and Personal contacts in Croatian business culture than formal marketing techniques.

Draculas Death in Bran Strokers Novel Dracula Essay examples -- Drac

Dracula's Death in Bram Stroker's Novel Dracula In Bram Stroker's infamous novel, Dracula, he tries to explain the life of the undead, then continues to explain how to kill these creatures of the night. We find out that you must stab a vampire in the heart with a wooden stake, and then slash off their head. This is the only way that we are led to believe that you may be able to kill these undead. We learn this through Stoker's vampire expert Van Helsing, he seems to be the most educated on the subject of the undead and creatures of the night, otherwise known as vampires. He explains to the rest of the posse, which consists of; Harker, Quincy, Dr. Seaward, and the Van Helsing, on how this feat must be done. But later, in one of the most mysterious parts of the novel, Dracula's "death", you are supposed to see another way to kill a creature if the night. Did Stoker make a mistake, or was this intentional? Due to these details I believe that Dracula merely shape shifted his way out of this predicament. This elite group is now s earching to destroy Dracula. They first start with ...

Hirohitos Japanese Surrender Essay -- essays research papers

Hirohito and The Japanese Surrender The world was hectic in the 20th century. The first plane was flown, World War I took place (1914-1918), communists took over Russia and China (1917), penicillin was discovered (1928), the U.S. stock market crashed (1929), and the DNA’s structure was discovered (. However, on the eastern side of the world, the most notable occurrences were probably Hitler’s rise as chancellor and his launching of the Kristallnacht, the German invasion of Poland, Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Holocaust. Further east, specifically Japan, its 124th Emperor had just inherited his father’s place, right before entering World War II. Throughout Hirohito’s years of leadership, he made several decisions for the country. One of his best moves being his announcement of Japan’s unconditional surrender on August 15th, 1945 during World War II. If Hirohito had not administered this military surrender, Japan would not have been able to develop and flourish in such a way that it has in order to reach such a point of success and progress – such as becoming the world’s 14th richest country. If Hirohito hadn’t surrendered Japan, his place in Japan’s government would’ve been abolished. Because of this admitted defeat, he thus showed his affection for his people by ending their suffering by ending their side of the war and in return, Japan’s economy and the country’s income thrived, the people remained loyal to their Emperor. Hirohito was born in the Aoyama Palace in Tokyo, Japan, on April 29th, 1901 to the name of Prince Michi No Miya. As a child he was tutored by Kimmochi Saionju, the former prime minister, in the areas of mathematics, history, science, and governmental management and r... ...954. However, once Japan began to flourish, it has now become the world’s 14th richest country – having a GDP per capita of $32,640 (2006). Despite a major stock market crash in 1990, from which the country is recovering gradually, Japan remains a global economic power today and is now bidding for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. Had it not been for Hirohito’s decision to surrender Japan to its allies during World War II in 1945, Japan would have been given the opportunity to thrive both economically and socially as it has to this very day. Hirohito put his people as his foremost priority, and this undivided care led him to make the best decisions for Japan. His military tactics and thought process brought Japan to its success and it is thus why Japan is now one of the most recognized and distinguished countries of the modern-day.

Budget and Budgeting Techniques Essay

Answer- 1: Answer- 1 India was a closed economy in the beginning. Policy banning imports. The Liberalization of India’s Government in 1991. New Industrial Policy. Strict policies regarding the entry of foreign brands. Trade rules & regulations simplified. Foreign investment increased. Pepsi enters in 1986. Coca-Cola follows in 1993. Contd †¦ Slide 14: Unlawful to market under their Western name in India Pepsi became â€Å"Lehar Pepsi†. Coca-Cola merged with Parle and became â€Å"Coca-Cola India†. Different Laws for Pepsi and Coke Coca-Cola agreed to sell off 49% of its stock as a condition of entering and buying out an Indian company. Pepsi entered earlier, and was not subject to this. Contd †¦ Slide 15: India forced Coke to sell 49% of its equity to Indian investors in 2002. Coke asked for a second extension that would delay it until 2007 which was denied. Pepsi was held to this since they entered India in a different year. Coke asked the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to block the votes of the Indian shareholders who would control 49% of Coke. Change in oversight of the FIPB: Past lobbying efforts made useless. Contd †¦ Slide 16: Could these problems have been forecasted prior to market entry? Probably not Inconsistent, and changing government. How could these developments in the political arena have been handled differently? Coke could of agreed to start new bottling plants instead of buying out Parle, and thus wouldn’t of had to agree to sell 49% of their equity. Answer-2: Answer-2 Coca-Cola’s Pros & Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market: Coca-Cola’s P ros & Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market Benefits Parle offered its bottling plants in 4 major cities. Made its return to India with Britannia Industries India Ltd. Disadvantages Rigid Rules and Regulations. Buying of bottling plants leads to 49% disinvestment. Local demand of carbonated drinks is as very low. Harder to establish themselves. Pepsi’s Pros & Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market: Pepsi’s Pros &  Cons of Timing of Entry in the Indian Market Benefits Own set up green filled bottling plants. Advantage of coming before Coca Cola. Government policies favored the company. Joint venture with Volta’s and Punjab Agro. Gained 26% share by 1993. Disadvantages Pepsi approached Parle but it was rejected. Launched 7up and there is stiff competition in the market for lemon drinks. Answer-3 Responses to India’s Enormity : Answer-3 Responses to India’s Enormity Pepsi and coca-cola responded in many ways to the enormity of India in terms of it population and geography. Conti .. Cont..: Cont.. Product Policies: Catering to Indian tastes Entering with products close to those already available in India such as colas, fruit drinks, carbonated waters Waiting to introduce American type drinks Coca-Cola introducing Sprite recently Introducing new products Bottled water Conti .. Cont.. : Cont.. Promotional Activities: Both advertise and use promotional material at Navratri . Pepsi gives away premium rice and candy with Pepsi Coca-Cola offers free passes, Coke giveaways as well as vacations Use of different campaigns for different areas of India â€Å" India A† campaigns try to appeal to young urbanites â€Å" India B† campaigns try to appeal to rural areas Cont†¦: Cont†¦ Pricing Policies: Pepsi started out with an aggressive pricing policy to try to get immediate market share from Indian competitors Coca-Cola cut its prices by 15-25% in 2003 Attempt to encourage consumption to try to compete with Pepsi and gain market share Contd ..: Contd .. Distribution Arrangements: Production plants and bottling centers placed in large cities all around India More added as demand grew and as new products were added Answer-4 Coke and Pepsi’s â€Å"Glocalization Strategies†: Answer-4 Coke and Pepsi’s â€Å" Glocalization Strategies† What is â€Å" Glocalization †? Global + Localization = Glocalization By taking a product global, a firm will have  more success if they adapt it specifically to the location and culture that they are trying to market it in. Both companies have successfully implemented glocalization Pepsi’s Glocalization: Pepsi’s Glocalization Pepsi forms joint venture when first entering India with two local partners, Voltas and Punjab Agro, forming â€Å"Pepsi Foods Ltd †. In 1990, Pepsi Foods Ltd. changed the name of their product to â€Å"Lehar Pepsi† to conform with foreign collaboration rules . In keeping with local tastes, Pepsi launched its Lehar 7UP in the clear lemon category. Pepsi’s Glocalization: Pepsi’s Glocalization Advertising is done during the cultural festival of Navrtri , a traditional festival held in the town of Gujarat which lasts for nine days. Pepsi’s most effective glocalization strategy has been sponsoring world famous Indian athletes, such as cricket and soccer players. Coca-Cola’s Glocalization: Coca-Cola’s Glocalization First joined forces with the local snack food producer Britannia Industries India Ltd. in the early 90’s. Formed a joint venture with the market leader Parle in 1993. For the festival of Navratri , Coca-Cola issued free passes to the celebration in each of its â€Å"Thumps Up† bottles. Also ran special promotions where people could win free vacations to Goa, a resort state in western India. Coca-Cola’s Glocalization: Coca-Cola’s Glocalization Coca-Cola also hired several famous â€Å"Bollywood† actors to endorse their products. Who could forget†¦ Answer-5: Answer-5 Yes, we agree that Coca-Cola India made mistakes in planning and managing its return to India. They wrongly forecasted Indian political environment due to which they had to dilute their stakes later (49% disinvestment). They rejected the plan to put up green fields bottling plants as they took over Parle’s existing bottling plants. Coca cola tried to get extensions twice. Answer -6: Answer -6 Pepsi and Coke can confront the issue of water use in the manufacturing of their products by the use of canal irrigation & rainwater harvesting. Then they can also put water recycling plant to treat the discharged water from their factories and then they can provide that water to farmers for their agricultural use. This way the ground water problem can also be solved and managed. Cont..: Cont.. Coke can further defuse boycotts or demonstrations against their products in California by doing Ad-campaigns in which they can ask the experts from the ministry of health to convey the message to the public that their products are safe and healthy. They can also hire celebrities to do the Ads for their products because the public follows them. Coke should address the group directly because their company was not wrong and they should justify themselves. Answer-7: Pepsi Better marketing and advertising strategies Widely accepted More preferable More market share Less Political conflicts Coke Government conflicts Trailing Pepsi in market share Pepsi will fare better in the long run Answer-7 Answer-8 Pepsi’s Lessons Learned: Answer-8 Pepsi’s Lessons Learned Beneficial to keep with local tastes Beneficial to pay attention to market trends Celebrity appeal makes for exceptional advertising It pays to keep up with emerging trends in the market Coca-Cola’s Lesson’s Learned: Coca-Cola’s Lesson’s Learned Pay specific attention to deals made with the government Establish a good business relationship with the government Investment in quality products Advertising is crucial