Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Foreshadowing of Tragedy in the First Five Chapters

A reader who is skimming through the novel ?The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald might consider a happy ending by the end of the fifth chapter, however at a slightly more detailed look there are clear signs that indicate that a tragic and miserable ending is the only possible one. This essay will be looking at how Fitzgerald foreshadows tragedy, and how he presents tragedy in the lives of the novel's characters.One of the indicators for Gatsby failure is the unstableness of the harassers he is depending on. This begins with the woman he loves, Daisy Buchannan. Daisy's life is a tragedy in its own, because she married the wrong man, who is cheating on her, as she was too weak to follow her conscience and wait for Gatsby to return from the war. Nick, the narrator of the novel and her second cousin once removed, expects her to â€Å"rush out, child in arms† (chapter 1), but she stays in her unhappy marriage.Thus it is clear that Daisy is rather shallow, and without enough con fidence to contravene social conventions. Having this in mind, one cannot e sure if she would resolve to go with Gatsby, once it comes to a conflict with her husband Tom. This conflict is easily predictable with the knowledge about Tom Buchannan character. He is an aggressive, â€Å"unrest† (chapter 1) man, bursting with potency and confidence, but already behind his zenith, as his best years were those in college. He would never tolerate a rival, even though he has an affair himself.The way he and his wife are living contains signs of tragedy as well: they both are eternally restless, chasing after pleasure and trying to fulfill themselves with enormous spending of money. Fitzgerald criticizes the high-society vulgar pursuit of material happiness of his time with these characters. He uses zephyr, blowing wind, to symbolism the Buchannan chaotic lifestyle. Already in his first appearance, Jay Gatsby carries indications of a tragic character. In this Nick sees him staring at t he water: â€Å"He stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, as far as I was from him I could have sworn he was trembling.Involuntarily I glanced seaward – and distinguished nothing except a single green light C†¦ † (chapter 1). Later it becomes clear that the green light comes from Daisy Buchannan dock, it is a symbol of Gatsby desire to win her back. His unquestioning love for Daisy made him follow her for five years and buy a huge mansion next to her. It is the contrast between the two that indicates a tragedy: whereas Gatsby would do anything to fulfill his dream, Daisy is more likely to stay in the safe live she is – and it is clear that Gatsby would not be able to live without her.Besides, Nick describes him being â€Å"pale as death† (chapter 5) when he waits for Daisy to arrive. This foreshadows the bad influence Daisy will have on him. In chapter four Nick describes Gatsby party guests. Although he does not say it, it is clear that he sees them as superficial, materialistic and immoral: â€Å"they were never quite the same ones in physical person, been there before†. These people always use the situation for their profit and they gossip about Gatsby history at his own party. None of them can be regarded as a friend who would support Gatsby in case of a conflict.In Fitzgerald view, America's white high-society is tragic, because it postulates morality, but is false and superficial. Fitzgerald ironically uses a line of the song â€Å"Mint we got fun† to emphasize his criticism: â€Å"One things sure and nothings surer/ The rich get richer and the poor get – children† (chapter 5). In the Greek belief, tragedy is always caused by chaos. Regarding the flighty, erratic lifestyle of most of the characters in the novel, there must appear a conflict, a tragic moment at some point.The catastrophe is foreshadowed by the car breaking a wheel n the ditch after an excessive and chaoti c night. And although Gatsby doesn't want to â€Å"do anything out of the way' (chapter 5), he is involved in illegal activities (shown by his connection to the known criminal Wolfishly and his calls to Chicago). His lax handling of legality is a form of chaos that is likely to become his undoing. Thus, in conclusion, chaos is an important key to the tragedy in the end because it has been obvious that the more unstable and unreliable the characters and their actions are, the easier an event ends into a catastrophe.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Investor Activism

With the trend toward higher investor activism, it's more important than ever to find effective ways to engage investors. Direct engagement, which involves the company pro-actively determining the priorities and concerns of investors and addressing them directly, is becoming more widespread across the business world (Ernst and Young, 2014). Though still in its early stages, according to the Conference Board, direct engagement â€Å"is likely to become a permanent, although less formal, part of the governance of US public companies† (Conference Board, 2014).Direct engagement means social entrepreneurships begin the conversation with investors, rather than waiting for them to bring up issues of concern. This offers a way to communicate the social mission goals and link those goals to financial performance in a way that keeps investors committed to the broader vision of profit with purpose. Performance Monitoring for Mission Financial monitoring processes are a ubiquitous part of conventional business practice. All for-profit businesses establish more formal systems for monitoring financial performance as they grow. Social entrepreneurships also need to develop systems and processes for monitoring mission performance and financial performance. Common in the non-profit sector, mission monitoring is still a relatively new undertaking for the governing bodies of for-profit businesses. Despite advances in the field, such as the development of systems including IRIS and SASB, directors' efforts to monitor mission remain hampered by a lack of standard metrics, equivalent to those available in finance (Impact Measurement Working Group, 2014). Delivering impact performance isn't only a question of having reliable metrics, however. It is important to remember that metrics alone won't protect mission or prevent mission drift. To have any power, raw metric information must be incorporated into the oversight and decision-making processes of the organization.Mission monitoring is the means by which organizations make the connection between impact metrics and leadership and direction. Robust mission performance monitoring systems have been shown to help impact funds deliver on mission goals (Clark, Emerson & Thornley 2014). Innovative social enterprises are using mission monitoring to efficiently prevent both mission drift and mission abandonment (Alnoor, Battilana & Mair). There is no one-size-fits-all model for mission monitoring. Research indicates that different kinds social entrepreneurships need to monitor different things in different ways (Alnoor, Battilana & Mair, 2014). Thus, it is no surprise that the monitoring systems used by managers and boards vary according to organization size, type, location, legal form, governance structure, and the nature of the social or environmental mission aims. Despite this complexity, effective mission monitoring systems do have shared characteristics (Epstein & Yuthas, 2014):They originate at the highest strategic level, with the governing board and top management.They align with business and organizational strategy.They are clear about desired performance results.They identify performance indicators that can be meaningfully measured or evaluated.They are supported by organizational systems and processes that track performance and produce verifiable information.These are costed and backed with adequate organizational resources.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Ford Develops a Strategy for Competitive Advantage Case Study

Ford Develops a Strategy for Competitive Advantage - Case Study Example The plan created a series of moves and tactics that reduce the costs of the company, while at the same time preparing a path that would ensure medium and long term growth by emphasizing in emerging economies. Key Marketing Issues Lower sales – Since the company lost nearly a quarter of its sales in 2008 the firm has to achieve continuous growth for several years just to recover the ground it lost in 2008. Global products – the organization wants to shift its company to emphasize in economical compact cars that will be accepted by customers worldwide Marketing campaign standardization – The firm seeks to make universal commercials, but factors such as culture can affect the buying decisions in customers from different parts of the world. Customer retention rate: The organization seeks to expand into other international markets and obtain similar customer loyalty as in its domestic market. Personal Case Analysis It is my opinion that The Way Forward strategy was a success because the company eliminated waste that was draining the resources of the company. By shutting down its least profitable plants the cost structure of the organization was reduced. Ford is the most powerful automaker in America. The reputation of the company improved when Ford did not take money from the governmental bailout package. The Ford Figa was an incredible product that increased the sales volume of Ford in India by more than three times. Other cheap model like the Figa must be designed to further exploit many emerging economies. Case Questions (1-3) Introduction questions Ford Corporation is one of the Big Three automakers in the United States of America. The company has historically achieved tremendous sales growth and profit for decades. The firm in the late 1990’s was considered the most profitable companies in America. This all changed in 2008 when Ford as well as thousands of companies in the United States and abroad faced the global recession. The car industry was devastated during this recession. General Motors and Chrysler nearly went bankrupt prior to the governmental auto bailout. In January 2009 the Obama administration injected $24.9 billion of the $700 billion bailout money in the dying U.S automobile industry (Amadeo). Ford Motors was the lone company that did not take the government handouts, but the firm suffered dearly losing over 23% of its sales between 2008 and 2009. 1. During the 2008 global recession Ford Motors decided to implement a new strategy called â€Å"The Way Forward† in order to boost the firm’s sales and restructure the company. The organization knew that the only way to stay profitable during recessionary times is to decrease costs in order to offset the effect of lower sales numbers. The organization realized that this could only be achieved by decreasing both fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs refers to costs that recurring each month whose amount are fixed such as building rents, ma nagerial salaries, and business loans. Variable costs are periodic costs that vary in step with the output or the sales revenues of the company (Businessdictionary). An example of variable costs is direct labor. The Way Forward strategy included cost cutting initiatives such as closing down 16 factories and downsizing Ford’s workforce by 30,000 employees. The plan included a philosophical change in the managerial approach in order to focus more on the customer by designing cars that served their needs. The company realized that in a bad economy people are looking for gas savings. Despite the fact the company lost nearly 23% of its revenues, certain brands that were targeted as part of The Way Forward initiative had higher sales figure. The Ford Focus is

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How has the fund fared Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How has the fund fared - Essay Example Furthermore, a company cannot be able to pay dividends if it is not making profits. Supposing a company is going through financial difficulties, such as high cost and declining sales that lead to losses, it becomes very difficult to afford funds to pay dividends to its shareholders. In such a situation, the company is forced to cut the dividends paid to its shareholders in order to conserve cash so the company can continue existing. It is for this reason that we shall assume that the dividends paid by the three companies will depend on their returns. Therefore, as shown in the table above, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE) will be able to pay the highest level of dividends followed by General Electric (NYSE) and finally Microsoft (NASDAQ). Considering dividends payout as the factor determining the performance of the fund, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE) will be the most attractive whilst Microsoft (NASDAQ) will be the least attractive. What where your biggest mistakes and successes? To evaluate ho w well or bad our fund has performed, it is important to reflect on different ways that are used in measuring stock performance. What is more important in doing this depends on the current type of investment and the exact information that we are seeking. For example, considering that we intend to sell our stocks in the short-term, with the aim of making profit, then the most important consideration will be assessing whether the market price of our stock is souring, declining, or if it has reached a plateau. With this in consideration, it will appear like we made a mistake by investing in Microsoft (NASDAQ) because its price is declining. Alternatively, if we assume a buy-and-hold kind of investment, then we shall be more concerned about the value of the stock many years to come, in which case the most important factor to consider is whether each stock has a pattern of earnings growth, which yields future expansion (Ryan and Deci, 2004). The other important aspects to consider when i nvesting include reward and risk. Measuring stock risk can be a bit difficult and that is why it was easy to make a mistake when investing in this fund. However, it is very easy to measure how the individual stocks performed from the financial statements - this measure could have been successfully used because the profitability performance reflects how the shares faired, at-least in the short-run. In other words, the profitability of these companies reflected their share price appreciation. In view of this, investment in Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE) was a very successful decision, but investment in Microsoft (NASDAQ), whose share price performed poorly, was a bad investment. Despite the fact that investment in a company such as Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE) was a success because the company’s profitability as well shares performance was remarkable, the aspect of risk, which is more difficult to measure, can turn an investment that was preserved successful in the short-run unsuccessf ul in the long-run. Actually the issue of risk becomes even more difficult because different individuals have different perspectives of what risk entails. Some individual may perceive that a risky stock is the one that is not worthy its price, and that a stock is less risky when the price that was paid to purchase it is considerably below the company’

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Water Supply Jacksonville Florida Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water Supply Jacksonville Florida - Essay Example In the year 2014, the Florida department of environmental protection performed a detailed assessment of the water system for potential contaminants (Jacksonville Electric Authority, 2014). The potential contaminants are the major grid with 49 sources and the Ponce de Leon grid with three sources. However, further studies on the potential pollutants portrayed a lower to moderate rate of susceptibility. The water in the region is hard water. The question is what is hard water? Affirmatively water can be described as hard water if it contains high levels of minerals that are dissolved. The minerals are such as magnesium and calcium. However, hard water does not pose a health risk, on the contrary, calcium and magnesium is important to human health (Jacksonville Electric Authority, 2014). Most individuals use the magnesium as antacids or common supplements. Hard water may leave spots on utensils; however, this can be removed by use of vinegar. Conclusively the water supply in Florida is safe for the health of the residents. Considerably the hard water in the region does not pose any health implications. Nevertheless, the spots it leaves on utensils can be removed by use of vinegar.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Woman and Social Oppression Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Woman and Social Oppression - Essay Example Even with laws to prevent this sort of treatment of women, we suffer from this deep-rooted system that allows for men to hold a dominant position. The God of Small Things also explores the oppression of women, but it is present in a much more flagrant manner in this novel. Ammu is not even given a chance to succeed in life, as she is not permitted to pursue an education and her only realistic goal in life is to marry someone and do what he wants. When Ammu divorces, she becomes an outcast and she spends the rest of her life waiting to die. These works show that women are oppressed in a variety of ways in different cultures and that gender constructs are causing this oppression. The essay â€Å"Oppression†, by Marilyn Frye, examines how women are oppressed in society. Often times, this oppression is not flagrant, but is rather a series of small privileges that are taken away from women in order to benefit other social groups. The author makes the claim that women live within a birdcage, where each of the individual wires is meaningless but when they are all put together, it is impossible for the bird to escape. The oppression of women has two main features, according to Frye. First of all, they are place in positions of power where they hold a great deal of responsibility, but they are not given enough power to effectively use this position. Also, women know that they are limited in these positions of power, so they make sure that they do not exceed the limits that society has placed upon them. The system is in place, according to Frye, to privilege men and oppress women. In Judith Lorber’s essay, entitled â€Å"The Social Construction of Gender†, the author agrees that the roles of each gender are defined by society and there is very little that can be done to alleviate these constructs. Lorber traces these constructs back to

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Taxation of Melisk Ltd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Taxation of Melisk Ltd - Essay Example Melissa Kean is the MD of Melisk Ltd a cycling business operating in London, selling new and second hand bicycles and a range of cycling accessories. Customers include commuters, as well as local cycling enthusiasts and children. Melissa lives in a flat above the business premises which she also uses as her office.Melisk Ltd, has prepared the accounts as listed below for the period of account from 1st August 2011 to 31st January 2013The Income Statement showed the business made a net profit before tax of  £41,873 after taking into account the following information:Additional income from investments and property which was included in the Income Statement as shown below:1.  Depreciation was calculated on a reducing balance method and amounted to  £12,9002.  Melissa sold a car and the loss on sale was  £895.   This was included as an expense in the income statement.   You do not need to factor this into Capital Allowance calculations.CAPITAL ALLOWANCES3.  The value of wr itten down values for the main pool capital allowances as at 1 August 2011 wasCapital loss on sale of shares  4,370Business rates for shop and workshop  1,200Rent of warehouse space  5,000Council tax   1,400Repairs to warehouse floor  950Repairs to flat above shop  550Customer entertainment  1,700Motor Expenses (includes the cost of running the company car which is also used by Melissa privately for approximately 20% of the time)  1,200Subscription to magazine, ‘Cycling Monthly’  110General Provision for Doubtful debts  250

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Sexual Harassment, Arbitrators and Vacated Awards Essay

Sexual Harassment, Arbitrators and Vacated Awards - Essay Example Such awards reinstating the accused are likely to be vacated if a company has an express sexual harassment policy or on the basis of legal and social norms. In Stroehmann Bakeries, Inc. v. Local 7761, the accused was discharged by Stroehmann for violating the rule prohibiting immoral conduct after the employee of a customer alleged that he had touched her breast, pushed himself against her and made sexually explicit remarks. The arbitrator ruled that the company's investigation into this incident was insufficient. The 3rd Circuit Court vacated the award, stating that "[t]here is a well-defined and dominant public policy concerning sexual harassment in the workplace which can be ascertained by reference to law and legal precedent." The court also pointed out that the arbitration award would have affected the employer's ability to prevent sexual harassment2. Although the courts upheld termination of employment where sexual harassment was claimed, these decisions do not require employers to terminate an accused harasser in all instances. The employer must determine whether the harassment occurred and then its response must be calculated to prevent further harassment, given the particular facts and circumstances at the time. If the termination results in a grievance, the arbitrator has to determine whether the termination is supported by just cause. Part of these considerations is to determine the relief, if any, in a case. The public policy exception to enforcement of labor arbitration awards arises when an award reinstates a previously discharged individual. The usual standard for discipline and discharge in labor cases is just cause, which does not have a precise meaning and the arbitrator has to decide on a case to case basis. Therefore, it seems inappropriate for a court to set aside an arbitral decision reinstating a grievant merely on the grounds that it does not agree with the arbitrator's assessment that just cause was lacking. On the other hand, the Supreme Court has recognized the public policy exception; hence courts have a right to apply it under appropriate circumstances. Although the Supreme Court has not specified as to what kind of award violates public policy, it has said that public policy is to be ascertained by reference to laws and legal precedents. Further, it has acknowledged that the public policy exception is narrow and therefore for an order to be vacated on these grounds, the award must violate a specific law or court decision and the occurrence of such a violation is to be determined only by the courts. Clearly, arbitrators possess no independent powers beyond what the parties confer on them through their contracts and the Courts in general, have allowed arbitrators to make crucial inferences regarding the possible future conduct of grievants when they determine their awards. The court's assessment of whether public policy was violated by an arbitration award has at times been based on these inferences. The Labor law policy favors disputes going to arbitration and the Collective Bargaining Agreement or CBAs usually authorize arbitrators to reinstate employees. The courts, in general, have held that a public policy collision occurs only if positive law explicitly prevents reinstatement. However, the Supreme Cour

By outlining in some detail a piece of structural contingency Essay

By outlining in some detail a piece of structural contingency research, evaluate the contributions of this general approach to s - Essay Example The report will discuss the theory in detail and how it affects the performance of an organisation. The report will also discuss the change on the organisation due to the various contingency variables. The contingency cycle, which changes an organisation from fit to misfit, and then again brings it back to fit though organisation structuring, is explained with examples. Discussion Till the late 1950s, school of classical management dominated the organisational structure. According to this school of thought, one single organisational strategy was effective for all kinds of organisational structure. It was categorised by high degree of planning and decision making. There was a strict hierarchy in this structure and the job responsibilities were well detailed to the lower level staff in advance, by the senior management. From 1930 onwards, this school of thought was challenged extensively by the new school of thought, known as school of human relations. According to this approach, indiv idual employees possessed social and psychological needs. Bottom-up approach was followed here and the lower level departments were increasingly motivated to participate in the decision making processes of the organisation. Many researchers and theorists such as J. W. Lorsch and P.R. Lawrence, (1978) suggested that firms which operated in less stable environments were found to be operating more effectively. Less formalization of the organisation leads to more reliance on mutual agreement between the various departments of the organisation. On the other hand, in case of companies operating in a certain and more stable environment, effective functioning was recognised only when the firm was more formalized, decision making was centralised and there was less reliance on the mutual agreement between different departments. There are many theories of contingency approached. But the most accepted and popular ones are those which are related to leadership, management or organisational struc ture (Tuai, 2011). According to the overall approach of this, whatever happens in a firm depends upon particular circumstances or factors. In general, when whole or parts of an organisation fits together, they are referred to as organisational structure. More specifically, structures include factors such as complexity, formalization and centralisation (Martinez-Leon and Martinez-Garcia, 2011). The dimensions of complexity can be categorised as, spatial, vertical and horizontal. In case of formalisation, the options for individuals are little. There is a higher vertical differentiation where a manager’s work is defined by other senior manager and the senior manager’s work is defined by other managers. This results in division of labour and decrease in discretion. It is different than spatial differentiation because in spatial differentiation, there are organisation wide procedures that limit the discretion. Examples of higher formalisation are bank call centres, superma rkets. Examples for lower formalisation include lawyers, doctors, academics and that formalisation which are associated with skill. Centralisation refers to the extent of decision making, authority and power. Centralisation is inversely correlated with complexity because increase in complexity reduces the central power by distributing these powers through hierarchies and functions. Centralization is weakly correlated to

Friday, August 23, 2019

Writing Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Writing Skills - Essay Example When in doubt, take a look at models written by experts† (Hacker, 1996, p. 23). Although some areas of the course were difficult for me, I value these the most, because I learned the most from them. Some areas of the course were easy for me, too, which gave me some amount of confidence. The most difficult part of the course for me was learning to arrange my ideas in a way that showed structure. When I wrote before this course, I tended to go from one random idea to another. I would start a school paper on tax policy, and wind up talking about the Iraq War, so that by the end of the paper, no one could tell what it was about. I learned that it is possible, with the help of the course, to organize my ideas better, and get a strong idea about my writing before I start it. This way, I am not just going off on tangents: now I keep outlines and follow them. This was also the most difficult part of the course for me, as mentioned, because even now, I am tempted to launch into a new idea, without organizing it first. However, I think that this area of the course was one of great progress for me. One of the easiest parts of the course for me was the actual mechanics of writing. I know that I am no grammar expert, and my punctuation can sometimes use a lot of work. I am also prone to writing run-on sentences. However, when I started to compare my writing and talk to some of the other students, I found that I was having a lot less trouble with grammar and spelling than they were. I never really had a problem with this area in school, and in fact, some of my earliest teachers were very keen on students diagramming sentences in a seemingly endless manner. Even though I did not enjoy this as it was happening, I think it gave me a solid foundation of grammar, and the ability to string a sentence together. Overall,

Thursday, August 22, 2019

The scheduling of photography Essay Example for Free

The scheduling of photography Essay Photography, whether that being out sourced or in house, is an important aspect in advertising for any business. These options contain both pros and cons when discussing the financial and beneficial aspects in regards to the company effectively reaching target audience. The convenience of the in house photography and that of scheduling out sourced professional photographers will prove interesting and vital in detail. Also, the idea of the many uses of this imagery and accessibility can be a factor in the merchandising, advertising and business fortitude. The convenience associated with that of having complete access to the utilization of developing an in house photography staff is far superior to that of any other option. The fact is that the company can offer any schedule constraint to the imagery team and allow that task to be completed within the time sensitive request. Employees are more likely to understand the needs of the company when given the task of providing merchandising imagery. The company also has access to these images because the photographs are the sole property of the company. Alternatively, out sourced photography also has many beneficial aspects in regards to advertising. This is especially true when discussing the professionalism associated with the character, products, and services provided by a person with their own reputation at stake. A professional photographer will use various contracts, which are designed to ensure quality work in a timely manner. So that the company can rest assured that the services will be of high quality which in turn will benefit the company and reach consumers. The scheduling of photography sessions may cause some problems when accessibility is important, but impossible due to versatility. Some opportunities in which new photographs would benefit the company in advertising campaigns may include every new crop season throughout the year, special events, grand re-openings, before and after company renovations, new employee hire, promotions, etc.,. In house photography staff would have better access to locations before, during and after hours of operation. This opportunity depends greatly on the imagery necessary for that specific advertising campaign. While out sourced photography may find these times difficult to adhere to if his or her business is compiled of numerous clients and contracted services in various locations. Usage of the company’s stored imagery can be made useful in many areas of advertising, marketing and employee morale. For instance, displaying enlarged images of the store’s employee of the month near the front of the store tends to lift the spirits of the employees. This program is usually based on good customer relations, positive work ethics and great personal attributes. All of these aspects having been used to benefit the company’s reputation in the public’s view. Other employees will also strive to be rewarded for their efforts at work. Employees tend to show more pride in their work when the company displays graditude and appreciation of good work ethics. As far as advertising and marketing goes, showcasing products in magazine ads, commercial brochures, billboards, web page templates, so on and so forth the opportunities are endless, or so it may seem. Even when posting employment ads for new openings, the use of employee images of happy coworkers can inspire people to apply for the available position. Images of products can be displayed throughout the store to entice consumers while shopping. The same images can be used in training new employees to recognize the benefits of buying and upselling merchandise. This will also benefit employees in setting up displays that will better showcase the products available. Out sourcing and in house photography would work in either scenario. These types of images can be taken at any time throughout the year. Seasonal products, special events and holiday promotions would be the more stressful objectives to complete because they contain major time constraints. Thus, making the project more difficult for the out sourced photographer because of the scheduling issues with other clients. In house photography seems to benefit the company more because of the accessibility, being less of a financial burden than out sourced photography and training in what the company actually needs. The photographs can be used in an array of advertising arenas, including that of marketing and even training. The benefits of in house photography far outweigh that of hiring a professional photographer that is out sourced and less accessible.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Macro and Micro Economic Drivers

Macro and Micro Economic Drivers Management in a Complex World A View on Macro and Micro Economic Drivers At a macro level, the complexity of global corporate management can be better understood by studying the Business Cycle Fluctuations. However, the complexity is further intensified with the existence of micro economic forces, which we will be studying using Michael Porters Five Forces model. MACRO-ECONOMIC FORCES Business cycle fluctuations are a key driver of multinationals’ profits. An accurate understanding of the length and depth of business-cycle fluctuations is therefore an important element in successful planning of firms’ investments as well as in forming the appropriate strategies. During the last fifty years there have been a decline in frequency and depth of recessions in a large majority of countries in what is known as the Great Moderation. However, the Great Recession that began at the end of 2007 brought this pattern to an end. Understanding the causes of the Great Moderation is critical as it helps in understanding the future patterns of the macroeconomic environment. Two important aspects of recessions are tightening of credit conditions and increased unemployment. However, these conditions significantly differed across countries. While in Germany or Denmark the unemployment rate did not increase much, in Spain it has increased from 8% to over 20%. The Great Recession should be seen as a wakeup call for the risks of globalisation. Increased trade volumes that have come with globalisation is the international amplification of downturns in large developed economies such as the U.S., Japan and the EU. Increased financial integration paralysed developing countries from counteracting the global effects of these shocks. As a result, domestic recessions in developed economies contribute with a significant destabilizing force towards developing countries. This new reality was hard to anticipate 10 years ago when the consensus was that openness to international capital was the main destabilizing factor of developing economies. However, China did not experience any currency crisis in the 1990s and became the largest holder of foreign exchange reserves, together with effective capital controls, China maintained an artificially low RMB that helped it grow its export markets. Despite China’s productivity miracle had many factors, one of the most important was the acceleration at which Chinese companies mastered increasingly sophisticated technologies. A large academic literature tried to understand the causes of business cycle fluctuations and their effects on the economy. Some of the literature propositions include shocks to government spending, taxes, money supply and demand, input prices such as energy or capital, news about future technology, wage and price mark-ups, volatility and frictions in credit markets. 2.1UNEMPLOYMENT A key aspect of business cycles is the fluctuations in the unemployment rate. The academic literature has studied this in the context of the search and matching models (Mortensen and Pissarides, 1994). These models recognise that it is costly for workers to search for jobs and for companies to post vacancies. In equilibrium, these search and matching frictions generate both unemployed workers and unfilled vacancies. The search and matching models have been used to study how different regulations such as firing costs, hiring cost, minimum wages, and collective bargaining agreements affect the unemployment rate and the average duration of unemployment phases. 2.2BUSINESS CYCLES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES In addition to analysing the time variation of fluctuations, the literature also studied the geographical variation in business cycles. In particular, a body of research tried to understand how and why business cycles are different in developed and developing countries. Comin et al. (2009) explore the effect that shocks to developed economies have on developing countries. They found that disturbances that originate in developed economies are a key driver of business cycles in developing countries. This is not only the case because they contract the demand for exports to the developed economies but also because they affect the flow on new technologies to developing countries. 2.3GLOBAL IMBALANCES Though the literature on global imbalances has taken a U.S. theme, global imbalances are as much about Chinese trade surpluses as U.S. trade deficits. Some of the proposed explanations of the global imbalances are: Lack of investment opportunities in developing countries. Savings glut (Rajan, 2006). Increased in U.S. wealth (Backus et al., 2009). Excess consumption by the U.S. Decline (increase) in relative competitiveness of U.S. (Asian countries). Undervaluation of the RMB (Dooley et al., 2003). More efficient financial intermediation by the U.S (Eichengreen, 2004). Asian reserves are a collateral for U.S. FDI in Asia (Dooley et al., 2004). 2.4INFLATION Empirical evidence suggests that high inflation is damaging to an economy because of its distortionary effects on investment and savings decisions. High inflation encourages people to spend and discourages saving, thereby reducing the funds available for deployment to the most efficient uses in the economy. So, in the long run, overspending and reduced savings could result in an underperforming economy and ultimately lead to slower economic growth. Perhaps more condemning is that high inflation is often highly variable. Because investment decisions are based on forward-looking expectations of real (inflation-adjusted) interest rates, inflation that is highly variable is damaging as it amplifies uncertainty and ambiguity. 2.5EXCHANGE RATES Businesses that trade internationally, are under the mercy of global exchange rate fluxes. Changes in currency conversion rates can increase or wipe out profit gains. When a firm has profits in millions, this can make a significant impact on profits and losses. For instance, McDonalds saw sales increase in Europe during 2011, but the annual profits went down as a result of a weakness in euro. The rapidly changing exchange rates can have the potential to make businesses reluctant to set firm figures in contracts early before a deal takes place. Therefore, organisations need to embrace and understand the risks of doing business internationally. MICRO-ECONOMIC FORCES The micro economic forces are best understood by considering Porter’s Five Force model, which consists of: Suppliers Bargaining Power, Buyer Bargaining Power, Threats from New Entrants, Threats from Substitutes, and Degree of Rivalry. For better understanding the author will use the automotive industry in the UK as a base for discussion. 2.1BUYER POWER Main buyers within the automotive manufacturing industry are dealerships. They are highly dependent on manufacturers which undermines their buyer power. There is a large number of buyers within the automotive manufacturing industry which, along a relatively high level of product differentiation, weakening the buyer power. Dealers are forced to sell car models of preference to customers, which also tends to reduce their buyer power further. Overall, buyer power is relatively weak in this industry. 2.2SUPPLIER POWER Key raw materials needed by automotive manufacturers are commodity items, such as metals. Which are usually manufactured by other firms. With the fairly low differentiation in raw materials, causing less differentiation on the supplied side, subsequently reducing supplier power. However, the critical importance of quality raw materials and components to automotive manufacturers (especially safety-wise) can enhance supplier power. Taking a macro perspective, there has been fluctuation in the prices of primary raw materials, which places pressure on manufacturers margins. Typical suppliers are more likely to sell to a variety of different sectors, with the automotive industry being forming a small part of their customer base. Which strengthens the position of suppliers. Overall, supplier power is moderate 2.3NEW ENTRANTS In markets where there is little protection or barriers to entry from government regulations, customers having little brand loyalty, start-up costs are low, products in the existing market are not unique, production process is simple and access to inputs are relatively easy, risks of new entrants are significantly higher. Putting this into context, the automotive manufacturing industry in the UK has a low new entrants threat level. For new entrants, setting up a production facility is an endeavour that involves the need of large start-up capital thus forming a strong entry barrier enhanced with the high fixed cost too. Which is further amplified with the existing car manufacturers who command strong brand equity and the tighter emission regulations. Taking a macro perspective, the global economic downturn has had a negative impact on car sales as consumers have avoided making expensive purchases. This has resulted in a fall in demand, which reduces the likelihood of new entrants. This shows the importance of considering the macro as well as the micro factors in the approach to corporate management. Overall, the threat of new entrants is assessed as weak. 2.4THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES Numerous other forms of transportation are available, but none provide the convenience and independence of automobiles. However, the main substitute threatening players in this industry is used vehicles. Taking a macro perspective, during the global economic downturn as consumers avoid making big purchases, this amplifies the threat of cheaper substitutes such as used cars or public transport. The threat of substitutes is fairly moderate. 2.5DEGREE OF RIVALRY Highly competitive industries generally yield low returns because the competition costs are high. The automotive industry for instance, is considered to be an oligopoly globally, which helps minimising the effects of price based competition. Automakers understand that price based competition does not necessarily increase the size of the marketplace but will rather put pressure on their profit margins. There is some degree of diversification amongst manufacturers. Honda, for example, uses diversification to reduce dependence upon the automotive industry to an extent, and consequently eases rivalry The presence of strong, multinational incumbents such as Honda and Nissan intensifies rivalry and makes it difficult for smaller players to compete. The degree of rivalry in the automotive industry is further increased by high fixed costs related with manufacturing and the low switching costs for customer when buying. Both macro and micro forces play indicative role for global corporate management. A detailed analysis of both macro and micro is essential in order for businesses to consider entering a foreign or local market.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

The influence of leadership styles

The influence of leadership styles 1.1 Background of the Study The study is on the influence of leadership styles, mediated by corporate culture that leads to employee reactions based on their perceptions. The study of leadership is not a recent phenomenon. Various literatures pertaining to styles in leadership indicated that it could be perceived as effective when those styles were able to adjust accordingly depending on the situation as being confronted by the individual leader (Bruno and Lay, 2008). According to Byrme and Bradley (2007) and Koene, Vogelaar and Soeters (2002), prior studies have underscored that effective styles in leadership has been a set of process in promoting competitive advantage and as an important element to the followers (Cassiday, 2005), a recognition through the importance of effectiveness in communication as a mixture of various factors (Church, Katigbak, Reyes, Salanga, Miramontes and Adam, 2008), rather than a single variable in defining a perplexing concept (Ligon, Hunter and Mumford, 2008; Mello, 1999). Leadership is an ongoing process of interaction between organisational leaders and their subordinates whereby a leader often attempts to influence the behaviour of their subordinates to obtain goals as set by the organisation (Yukl, 2005). Earlier, leadership was identified as the basic preference of being influential (Krause, 2004). Thus, leadership is a systematic series of action by which an individual influences the ideas, feelings, and actions of others. Leaders have to provide guidance, to facilitate in foreseeing upcoming event; to facilitate in recalling achievements; to motivate and to inspire their people. The acts of leadership drive us toward the same direction and equipped our efforts in common. Leadership is the capacity to take hold of other to perform significant task that they may decline. It is the process of supporting others toward goal-attainment. On the flip side of the coin, with the absence of leadership, a group of individuals shall engage into contention and disagreement due to matters are seen differently and to incline in different process of solving problems. This means that the level of importance for individual or organisational leaders to positively transform the societies and the business world is crucial. For example, according to Kouzes and Posner (2002) prior studies found U.S. businesses made claimed that leadership has not been realised to be a necessity tool until today. In order to face the era of ever demanding and evolving business condition, organisations need to be led by leaders who are capable enough to manage the unpredictable conditions. Therefore, the aspect of leadership is often demanded leaders to engage to walk the talk, to reduce the gap between adopted values and their actual behaviours. This is where leadership oblige an individual to inquire favourable options in enabling others to engage in an unpleasant frustration in reality (Heifetz and Linsky, 2004). Leaders will not be able to address issues as dictated by the modern business world except under the circumstances that they are capable to aid in such abilities allowing them to lead effectively in a complex and unpredictable business climate as most organisational leaders lead through their personal values and beliefs. Leaders must also realise that leadership is a responsibility and not to be treated as personal gratification in organisations top hierarchy. As Naisbitt and Aburdene (1990 in Winston and Patterson, 2006) stated that leaders are in position to demonstrate strong commitment and always highly motivated by becoming role models who owns valuable traits such as consistency, open-mindedness, and high disciplined. Through these traits it would generate more strength and confidence that shall inspire their subordinates. Meanwhile, House, Hanges, Javidan, Dorfman and Gupta (2004) stressed that an instance of seeking the righteous definition term for effective leadership has been extended over a considerable time as indication of significance worth topic of debate. Effective leadership are now crucial to inspire others to work effectively toward various goals as set by organisation and to enhance job performance and organisational success. Thus, to promote effective leadership, it is essentially important for organisational leaders to have influence over their superiors, peers and subordinates to guide and to sustain their proposals, ideas and induce them in performing their own decisions (Blickle, 2003; Drouillard and Kleiner, 1999). It has been a necessity in understanding the relationship between leadership and leader effectiveness in order to identify ways to increase employee motivation level pertaining to achievement in organisational performance (Silverthorne, 2000). As Moorhead and Griffin (1995 in Barbuto Jr., 2000) stated performance behaviour reflects as a set of work-related behaviour that an individual should demonstrate in organisation. However, when this topic discussed across different cultural condition it tends to set forth limitations in the level of knowledge and the insight (Drost and Von Glinow, 1998 in Pellegrini and Scandura, 2008). Leadership exists in various societies and is essential to the functioning of organisations within societies. The attributes that are seen as characteristics for leaders may vary across cultures (Den Hartog, House and Hanges, 1999). Several different cultures most often exist within an organisation, but there is also a predominant corporate culture, expressing central values that are shared by the majority (Abrahamsson and Andersen, 1996). According to Hofstede (1994) corporate culture is a phenomenon that differs from national culture, perhaps most evidently because employees are free to leave the corporation. The organisation is described as a social system, in which the employees are involved only during working hours. The corporate culture may however also influence the leisure time of employees. Schein (1992) analysed culture regarding its degree of visibility and describes three different levels. Basic underlying assumptions constitute the least visible level, which includes unconscious perceptions, thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Espoused values include strategies, goals and philosophies and artefacts all visible organisational structures and procedures. For instance, a survey by Fortune of most admired companies has highlighted CEO respondents belief that organisation culture was their most important tool in order to enhance their key capabilities. Given that the importance of organisational culture and its effects on employees job performance and satisfaction and organisational commitment outcomes and it is considered as one of the sensational business topics in both academic field of research and popular articles. Judge, Bono, Ilies and Gerhardt (2002) found that based upon the previous studies on the great man theory, the organisational conditions act as a main determinant of leadership; and that leaders act differently in various situation (Yukl, 2002). Therefore, Bass (1985 in Kavanagh and Ashkanasy, 2006) recommended that leaders must actively promote positive transformation in their organisation by directing clear objective; also through strong persuasive personal characteristics and actions in transforming internal forms of organisational culture and substance ([Bass and Avolio, 1994 in Gardner, Avolio, Luthans, May and Wolumbwa (2005); Hatch, 1993 in Awbrey (2005); Porras and Robertson, 1992 in Caldwell (2003]). Schein (1992 in Twati and Gammack, 2006) acknowledged that leaders in organisations serve as a key influential of organisational culture; and since organisational condition and culture reflect on collective social development over which leaders have total control and influence (Mumford, Scott, Gaddis and Strange, 2002). Organisational culture is known to have a significant effect on how employees view their organisational responsibilities and their commitment. Hence, in the same vein, styles in leadership and organisation cultural categories, together with its effects on employees reaction such as job performance, job satisfaction, job commitment and trust in management are part of the significant elements in determining the effectiveness, competitiveness and success of organisations in facing todays challenges. Of course, organisational effectiveness, competitiveness and success shall definitely have its usefulness implications upon managers and employees and ultimately enhancing better performance of both components in any organisational set ups. In this condition, leaders need to determine the best set of actions that are achievable within the ability of their organisations. 1.2 Problem Statement As one of a developing country in South East Asia, Malaysia sees leadership effectiveness is highly significant in Government-linked-companies (GLC) to shift toward exceptionally outstanding level of performance. The Government-linked-companies (GLC) transformation programme for instance, was initiated and treated as part of current strategy of Malaysian government to enhance development and stimulate the economy growth as producers, service providers, employers and capital market constituents in the near future. Respectively, Government-linked companies (GLC) serves as an important asset in the economic structure of the nation since it is worth for approximately RM 260 billion in market capitalisation of 36% and 54% of the market capitalisation in Bursa Malaysia and as a benchmark in Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (www.treasury.gov.my). It also contributes in 5% of the national workforce and it remains as the main service providers to the nation in key strategic utilities and services including electricity, telecommunications, postal services, airlines, airports, public transport, water and sewerage, banking and financial services. Therefore, of the major concern for Malaysian organisation especially in the Government-linked companies (GLC) is to stimulate better job satisfaction, organisational commitment and trust in management among its employees. This urgency was due to the management in GLC was labelled as underperformed in terms of its operations and financial indicators since 1990. Thylefors (1991) argues that leadership style or attitudes emanate from leaders personality, in a wider definition. Techniques are important but are inferior to the leaders attitudes. The underlying values and motives of the leaders are the factors that determine whether a leader is successful and appreciated by their subordinates or not. Therefore, there can be effective and appreciated leaders exhibiting different leadership styles. In this particular concern, Eid, Johnsen, Bartone and Nissestad (2008) debated that even though the leadership styles such as transformational and transactional leadership has been researched for the last 15 years, theres still a small amount of studies pertaining to how these styles of leadership been investigated in different culture and work setting. Thus, the problem statement of this research is represented by a main question such as follows: How can the perceptions in leadership styles differences, through the corporate culture help to improve on organisational outcomes and reactions? Despite various attempts of research on leadership traits, characteristics, styles, contingency factors and perception of leader performance and effectiveness, organisational leaders were also summoned to actively interact with and influence others in leading their organisations. It has been realised that less discussion in applying these concepts on Government-linked-companies (GLC) in the context of Malaysia. The general perception by the general public is that private organisations perform better compared to the government owned organisations (Cochran, Mayer, Carr and Cayer, 2003). This applies to current situation in Malaysia as (Azman, 2004; PCG, 2006a) stressed that most observers commented Government-linked companies (GLC) are multi-national status but sustain damages due to arising problems related to internal control, lack of strategic direction which results in destitute on their value in capital and shareholder, low number in production, elevated toward gearing ratio, inefficient in procurement process, and ineffective systems of performance management. This application concept in Government-linked companies (GLC) has also come into another highlight with the selection of its senior managers. The Malaysian government as the main shareholder in the GLC have taken great pains to nominate candidates on the basis of the best candidate fits for the job (Abdullah, 2004; Yakcop, 2004). This is due to situational pressure was put into various levels of GLC in Malaysia to reform its managerial exercises and to change the organisation in order to meet the new realities in accordance to GLC Transformation Programme introduced in 2004. Therefore, these challenges suits well for charismatic or transformational leadership with hope to perform excellently in the organisation. Based on how leaders are valued, appreciated and respected in the working environment, subordinates or employees at various levels create an impression on their leaders (Altman, 2002; Roberts, 2001). Organisational research on leadership indicated that there was no one perfect style of leadership based on the different types of organisational conditions (Kouzes and Posner, 1997). More importantly, leadership style as being practiced in public sectors is considered as transactional exchange since political support and encouragement was much favoured; for example, typical Government-linked-companies (GLC) are run by government nominated individuals. These nominated candidates will be held responsible in the organisations daily operations. As such, important decisions in the economic sector of the government are left to appointed individuals. The appointed individual for the top management position in the Government-linked-companies (GLC) may have been exposed to various management styles; however, the primary responsibilities and decision making processes were placed on these individuals, who may or may not have various exposures to management styles and theories. As Yakcop (2004 in www.treasury.gov.my ) says, The point to be made is that there are no artificial barriers with respect to age or gender, whether from internal or external sources, and whether from financial or non-financial background. Javidan and Waldman (2003) contend that there have been little references pertaining to charismatic leadership in the public sector based on literature review although this subject of study has been around for ten years. Many charismatic leaders are skilled in formulating strategy that would improve on the current situation. While there has been less discussion on leadership in the public sector, fewer studies indicate whether or not leaders who practiced transformational leadership could expect improvement in their subordinates (Burke, Stagl, Klein, Goodwin, Salas and Halpin, 2006; Prati, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter and Buckley, 2003; Wofford, Whitington and Goodwin, 2001). According to Parry and Proctor-Thompson (2003) a study of leadership in a federal government had revealed that the transformational leadership approach would result in a higher level of productivity and improved employee satisfaction and job performance. Transformational supervision was defined by Bass (1985) in terms of leaders motivational effect on followers. They feel loyalty, trust, admiration and respect toward the transformational leader. The followers are motivated to serve and achieve more than they were originally expected to. They are inspired to achieve higher-order needs and are made more aware of the organisations needs for their unique skills and talents. Further, leaders who truly show charismatic leadership and exercise the transformational approach are those who view their array of vision as certain and have high confidence in their abilities and skills. According to Conger, Kanungo and Menon (2000), the higher the level of self-confidence showed by a leader, the higher their followers will reduce on uncertainties. A charismatic and transformational leader has extended a great amount of effort in their current attempt to achieve their future goals. This study is worthy of consideration because it applies a validated means of measurement, specifically the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), the most accepted instrument to evaluate transformational theory (Kirkbride, 2006) and considered the best validated measurement for both transformational and transactional leadership (Ozaralli, 2003).Therefore, this study shifts the traditional paradigm in leadership studies of business organisations where it explores the leadership in the Government-linked-companies (GLC) settings, its organisational culture dimensions and employees reaction or response. Van De Berg and Wilderom (2004) concurred that styles in leadership and organisational culture are both closely related. Most of the published literatures in organisational culture prove indistinctiveness between these two components. As Van De Berg and Wilderom (2004, p.578) highlighted there are two important distinction between the two components as mentioned (1) leadership denotes behaviour displayed by one or only few individuals, while culture is a collective behavioural phenomenon, and (2) leadership involves a potentially one-sided dependency relationship. The current issue that to be addressed in this study is despite several desirable outcomes by adapting the transformational leadership concept; there is some lack of research in adopting leadership styles in the Government-linked companies (GLC). The outcomes of the transformational leadership approach are such as the employees reactions or responses on their level of performance, organisational commitment and job satisfaction have not been realised in transactional leadership condition. In order to obtain significant data, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ, 5x) developed by Bass and Avolio (1997) was applied to measure how those factors of leadership styles are linked to the perceived organisational culture in the Government-linked-companies (GLC), particularly in the Malaysian perspective. The problem as presented is to seek and to differentiate the results derived from transactional, transformational and laissez-faire situation and to see whether transformational situation is highly correlated to six variables of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ, 5x) developed by Bass and Avolio (1997) namely; (1) charisma or inspirational, (2) intellectual stimulation, (3) individual consideration, (4) contingent rewards, (5) active management by exception and (6) passive avoidant was used to measure how those factors of transformational change are related to organisational culture in Government-linked-companies (GLC) in Malaysia. Based on Bass and Avolios (1994; 2004) definitions, the specific variables are such as follows: Charisma/inspirational motivation (IM) The way that organisational leaders behave that energises and inspires others by providing meaning and challenge toward their task. Intellectual stimulation (IS) The way organisational leaders behave that promotes subordinates efforts in becoming creative and innovative through analysing assumptions, reframing problems, and remodelling old systems into new systems. Individualised consideration (IC) The way organisational leaders focus on understanding the needs of each individual and how leaders act as a coach and mentor to individuals to further achieve and grow. Contingent reward (CR) This style of leadership consists of communication levels between organisational leaders and their subordinates that stresses on exchange, where the leaders provide appropriate rewards when subordinates achieved the target goals. Active management- by- exception (AMBE) Leaders focus on monitoring task execution for any errors that might arise and correct those problems so as to maintain a standard of high performance. Passive avoidant (PA) Leaders tends to react passively only after problems, mistakes and errors have become serious and later take corrective action and may avoid making any decisions at all. These six variables were considered and compared to the results of employees reactions and outcomes such as their overall job performance, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and trust in management. In addition, other variable such as organizational culture was also examined to study the relationship and correlation of the leadership styles. 1.3 Research Questions According to Zikmund (2000), research question is a set of specific query which addressed by the researcher who sets the parameters of the study and suggests appropriate methods to be used for data gathering and analysis purposes. In general, researchers were urged to develop questions that may assist to search for answers and provide any possible solutions to the research problem being studied. Therefore, in this study, attempts to answer those questionnaires are actually to solve the research problem which has been identified. Specifically, the research questions were developed for this study examines the relationship of individual leadership styles and organisations cultural traits as perceived by their subordinates by examining the differentiation in leaders leadership styles. Based on the research objectives, the following questions were developed as follows: Does the elements of transformational style in leadership is significantly positive with the cultural traits in Government-linked companies perceived by their employees? Does the elements of transactional style in leadership is significantly positive with the cultural traits in Government-linked companies perceived by their employees? Does the listed elements of laissez-faire style in leadership is significantly positive toward organisational culture in GLCs? Does the listed elements of laissez-faire style in leadership is significantly positive with the cultural traits in Government-linked companies perceived by their employees? Do the cultural traits positively mediate the relationship between the leadership styles with employees job satisfaction, organisational commitment and trust in management? Do the cultural traits positively determine on the employees level of job satisfaction, organisational commitment and trust in their management? Do the styles in leadership practised by organisational leaders positively influence on the organisational members job satisfaction, organisational commitment and trust in their management? 1.3.1 Definition of Operational Terms In this section, the terms utilised in this study was stated and the numbering of those terms measured in Multifactor Leadership Questionnaires (MLQ) questions are indicated as follows: Contingent Rewards was defined as an incentives or gifts to organisational members who have attained excellent level of performance (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Bass, Avolio, Jung and Berson, 2003). It was measured in Q1, Q11, Q16 and Q35 in Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Dependent Variables in this study list the leaders individual skills, experiences, attitudes and level of adaptability that were defined and measured in the job performance questionnaires. Subordinates refers to followers who are directly involved in the process of task completion and socio-emotional acceptance of leadership (Bass and Avolio, 1994 in McColl-Kennedy and Anderson, 2002). Idealised Influence refers to the attribution and behaviour that result in the subordinates level of admiration, respect and trust, which discounts their resistance to change and develops a sense of charismatic leadership (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006). This element was included in transformational measurement and was part of the independent variable in attribution Q10, Q18, Q21 and Q25 and behaviour Q6, Q14, Q23 and Q34 in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Individualised Consideration refers to a behaviour that promotes personal attention to organisational members needs and trusts in order to assist them in the learning process (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006). It is measured as an independent variable (transformational) in Q15, Q19, Q29 and Q31 in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Inspirational Motivation is a kind of behaviour that displays meaning and challenges to subordinates task and inspiration, arouses and excites the organisational leader to promote vision (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006) and it is measured in Q9, Q13, Q26 and Q36 in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Intellectual stimulation is a type of behaviour that encourages new styles of approaches to perform organisational tasks and to generate a direction of potential ideas that challenge subordinates and encourage them to look into new ways of idea generation (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006). It was measured as transformational in the independent variables in Q2, Q8, Q30 and Q32 in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Job satisfaction is referred to as an individuals behaviour or behaviour in their current job (Moorhead and Griffin, 1995 in Kassabgy, Boraie and Schmidt, 2001). Therefore, it is the situation where subordinates believe in their level of happiness among one another (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006). Laissez-Faire promotes the condition of leadership avoidance or absence (Bass and Avolio, 1995 in Piccolo and Colquitt, 2006) and measured in independent variables in Q5, Q7, Q28 and Q33 in the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). Leaders are those who are nominated as head of a group, team or even an organisation. They are the people who have charisma in their leadership and have the capability in making decisions and inspire others to derive achievement through a common goal (OLeary, 2000). Leadership is defined as an individual ability to influence others (Stahl, 1995 in Irechukwu, 2010); to shape and embed values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours consistent with employee commitment in the process of accomplishing specific goals. A style of Leadership is an individual character that includes transactional, transformational and laissez-faire. Management is defined as the development and continuous improvement on an organisations system and when applied by any organisational employees could lead towards an increased value in products and services for stakeholders (Stahl, 1995 in Irechukwu, 2010). Management by exception (active and passive) according to Bass and Avolio (1995 in Barling, Slater and Kelloway, 2000; Bass, Avolio, Jung and Berson, 2003) is an action or steps employed by organisational leaders when things are not according to plan. This term is treated as transactional independent variable and is measured through Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) active: Q4, Q22, Q24 and Q27, and passive: Q3, Q12, Q17 and Q20. Organisational Outcomes in this study is referred to the employees responses in the Government-linked-companies (GLC) through survey questionnaire and all of those measures were all based on their perceptions. Perception is defined as a set of processes where an individual receives and translates data pertaining to their observation and condition (den Brok, Bergen, Stahl and Brekelmans, 2004). Performance Behaviour is the overall ratings on task-related behaviours that would result through the actions or effort displayed by organisational members (Moorhead and Griffin, 1989 in Garg and Rastogi, 2006). Transactional Leadership is a type of leadership that acknowledges subordinates needs and identifies how those needs can be fulfilled in exchange for the subordinates satisfactory effort and performance. It is composed of contingency reward and management-by-exception either active or passive (Bass, Avolio and Jung, 1995 in Judge and Piccolo, 2004). Transformational Leadership is another type of leadership which comprises of set abilities that permits a leader to identify the need for organisational change; and to promote a clear vision as guidance towards change through effective process (Moorhead and Griffin, 1995 in Kassabgy, Boraie and Schmidt, 2001). Organisational Culture is referred to the shared set of beliefs, expectations, values, norms, and work routines that influence the ways in which individuals, groups, and teams interact with one another and cooperate to achieve organisational goals (Jones and George, 2009; Daft, 2005). 1.4 Research Objectives Intensive studies have been conducted on leadership particularly on its traits, individual characterisation, its styles and contingency factors (Lord and Smith, 1999). Throughout the years, most of these leadership studies and organisational culture were researched in Western developed countries (e.g. Lok and Crawford, 2003; Ogbonna and Harris, 2000; Kuchinke, 1999; Yousef, 1998). For instance, the pioneering work of Deal and Kennedy (1982) incited the interest of researchers and consultants to the concept of corporate culture, and how these values and philosophy guide the employees behaviour in the organisation towards greater success. Leaders affect their subordinates both directly through their interactions and also through the organisations culture (Li, 2004). As Amabile (1998 in McLean, 2005) suggested that by influencing on the work condition and organisational culture, leaders are able to impact on the organisational members behaviour as related to task and motivation. Here, the challenge is to employ a set of actions that are practical within the capacity of the organisation to acquire change and manage organisations resources. Leadership has been a significant topic in organisational studies because leaders are exemplar figures in enhancing their group performances (Mehra, Dixon, Brass and Robertson, 2006). Studies have found that several theories resulting from the early leadership traits, behaviours and situational approaches proceed on the explanation of leaders attribution, charisma and transformational perspectives between leadership and group performance relations. Hence, leaders are required to react more flexibly and manage effectively into this ambiguity and change (Blass and Ferris, 2007; Dickson, Resick and Hanges, 2006; Dickson, Hartog and Mitchelson, 2003). According to Bass (1990) more than 7500 research studies on leadership was performed since early of the last century. Leadership styles were largely studied and the findings were documented accordingly in leadership literature focussing on individual leaders characteristics in leading others in performing their tasks (Moore and Rudd, 2006). Leaders have an opportunity to obtain organisational power and it depends on their motives and available resources to influence their subordinates. Further, Elloy, Everett and Flynn (1987 in Mester, Visser, Roodt and Kellerman, 2003) affirmed that organisational leaders behaviour are closely associated to their level of performance and leadership styles as determinants tool of their effectiveness in an organisation. In relation to this, styles of leadership are seen as the main component to sustain organisational effectiveness toward business performance (Howell and Avolio, 1993 in Hallinger, 2003). Thus, if stakeholders start to direct more attention on

Monday, August 19, 2019

Presence of Desire in Three Short Stories Essay -- Literary Analysis

Human beings behave the way they do due to inherent urges that give them the impetus and the drive to do so. A person without these urges which have been commonly referred to as ambitions, goals and aspiration in life is in most cases considered to be a social liability lacking in both direction and purpose in life. This is a life that is worthless and insignificant. It is the direction in life, the burning aspirations, dreams and desires that push individuals to pursue their goals oblivious of the dangers, challenges and setbacks that swarm in pursuit of their desires. Some will even stop at nothing in order to satisfy this burning desire. This could possibly lead people to become violent, contemptuous, and be involved in activities that they would otherwise not participate in. This paper seeks to discuss the notion of desire through the lenses of three short stories: â€Å"The Swimmer† (desire of youth), â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Desire for Beauty) and â€Å"W here Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† (Desire for Lust and Looks). Desire is something that you cannot control, and the nature of desire can lead to one's ultimate fate. In "The Swimmer, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", and "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" we see character's desires lead to a costly price. Desire Desire is the motivation that catapults every mental script into action. It is the energy and the power that makes movement possible. It fires in men and women alike, the need to make incredible efforts in order to achieve their ultimate goal. It is a force that has shackled many a people in slavery due to its immense power and allure. Most people find it hard to reign in their desires which continue to rule over their minds, action and lives. Desi... ...s lust hunger urges satisfied. Desire also knows no class or status in the society, and can even lead the â€Å"high and mighty† folk to do things that do not benefit their status. This is observed by the actions of the queen in the story â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs†. It is imperative to note that desire matures into an obsession that blinds the individual from the reality of life into doing things that one would consider immoral and unethical. Work Cited Cheever, John. The Swimmer. The Art of the Short Story.1976. 123-131. Grim, Jacob, and Grim, Wilhelm. "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs." Web. 5 June 2012. . Oats, Joyce. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? The Art of the Short Story. 664- 675. William, Irvine. On Desire:Why We Want What We Want. New York : Oxford University Press, 2006. 11-55.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Macbeths White Knight Banquo :: Free Essay Writer

Macbeth's White Knight Banquo       Shakespeare's tragic drama Macbeth features a man who is a Christian fighter. His life stands in contrast with that of the Macbeths. It is this Banquo about whom this essay will revolve.    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye explains the rationale behind Banquo's ghost in this play:    Except for the episode of Hercules leaving Antony, where mysterious music is heard again, there is nothing really supernatural in Shakespeare's tragedies that is not connected with the murder of the order-figures. In Macbeth we have Banquo's ghost instead of Duncan's, partly because of the emphasis on the repose that Duncan has gained by getting murdered, and partly because the line of the reigning monarch descends from Banquo. (24)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson says that the ghost of murdered Banquo has the greatest emotional impact on Macbeth of any adverse experience:    He is confident enough, even after the commission of the crime, to put his faith in the Senecan maxim, per scelera semper sceleribus tutum est iter, "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill." After he has been shaken by the appearance of the ghost of Banquo, he reflects,    For mine own good All causes must give way. I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er;    and this is as near as he ever comes to repentance. (71)    Fanny Kemble in "Lady Macbeth" contests the opinion that the ghost of Banquo is seen at the same time by Lady Macbeth:      Taking the view I do of Lay Macbeth's character, I cannot accept the idea (held, I believe, by her great representative, Mrs. Siddons) that in the banquet scene the ghost of Banquo, which appears to Macbeth, is seen at the same time by his wife, but that, in consequence of her greater command over herself, she not only exhibits no sign of perceiving the apparition, but can, with its hideous form and gesture within a few fee of her, rail at Macbeth in that language of scathing irony . . . (117)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare comment that Banquo is a force of good in the play, set in opposition to Macbeth: Macbeth's White Knight Banquo :: Free Essay Writer Macbeth's White Knight Banquo       Shakespeare's tragic drama Macbeth features a man who is a Christian fighter. His life stands in contrast with that of the Macbeths. It is this Banquo about whom this essay will revolve.    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye explains the rationale behind Banquo's ghost in this play:    Except for the episode of Hercules leaving Antony, where mysterious music is heard again, there is nothing really supernatural in Shakespeare's tragedies that is not connected with the murder of the order-figures. In Macbeth we have Banquo's ghost instead of Duncan's, partly because of the emphasis on the repose that Duncan has gained by getting murdered, and partly because the line of the reigning monarch descends from Banquo. (24)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson says that the ghost of murdered Banquo has the greatest emotional impact on Macbeth of any adverse experience:    He is confident enough, even after the commission of the crime, to put his faith in the Senecan maxim, per scelera semper sceleribus tutum est iter, "Things bad begun make strong themselves by ill." After he has been shaken by the appearance of the ghost of Banquo, he reflects,    For mine own good All causes must give way. I am in blood Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er;    and this is as near as he ever comes to repentance. (71)    Fanny Kemble in "Lady Macbeth" contests the opinion that the ghost of Banquo is seen at the same time by Lady Macbeth:      Taking the view I do of Lay Macbeth's character, I cannot accept the idea (held, I believe, by her great representative, Mrs. Siddons) that in the banquet scene the ghost of Banquo, which appears to Macbeth, is seen at the same time by his wife, but that, in consequence of her greater command over herself, she not only exhibits no sign of perceiving the apparition, but can, with its hideous form and gesture within a few fee of her, rail at Macbeth in that language of scathing irony . . . (117)    Clark and Wright in their Introduction to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare comment that Banquo is a force of good in the play, set in opposition to Macbeth:

Coal, Strip Mining, and its Environmental Effects Essay -- Essays Pape

Coal, Strip Mining, and its Environmental Effects Going to a school like Penn State entitles you to many advantages that smaller schools don’t have, such as diversity, world renowned professors, and several different majors to choose from. All of these things I knew before going to Penn State. However, one thing I was not aware of was the enormous amount of coal that the state of Pennsylvania has, and the power that its coal gives to the rest of the United States. Northeastern Pennsylvania, after all, has the only commercial deposits of anthracite coal, the premium coal for domestic use (Lecture 2/11/02). With all of coal found in Pennsylvania, there has to be ways to extract it from the hard ground in which it resides. The two ways we learned about in class were strip mining and underground mining (2/13/02). Strip mining is the coal mining procedure that I found most interesting. Strip mining, for example, has the highest productivity out of all the ways to mine coal; it extracts thirty to forty tons of coal per worker per day (2/13/02). Also,...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

A Reflection on Plan Evaluation

Topic: PLAN EVALUATION REFLECTION In this topic plan evaluation, I now understand why we always have visitors from the division, region and even from the central office visiting our school to evaluate and observe how things are being carried out. In my three years of service in the government, there was no school year that there was no evaluation. Seeing them holding some checklists made us tremble while asking us things and observing our classes.Being new in the system I wondered and ask myself, is it proper that after evaluation they will have feed backing so that we will be able to know what areas we need to improve and what are their suggestions for the betterment of our school and children. That is one thing that I had observed that after evaluation, results of the observation were not discussed for improvement sake. As I go over with my topic in plan evaluation I was enlightened why they regularly conduct evaluation and why we were not informed about the results of the evaluati on.It was then that the results were for the policy makers, program directors and direct program staff consumption only. If given a chance in the future to plan for an evaluation, I would suggest that any corrections or any part of the program that need some improvement, during the onset of evaluation, feed baking should took place right after the evaluation so that the implementers of the program (teachers) will be able to know where they need some polishing that will be congruent with the objectives of the program.During the design of the evaluation process it would be better if local persons and all those who are involved in the implementation of the program will be present during the discussion period so that opinions are expressed and be validated, for everybody has its part to the success of the program. All evaluation plans should identify both participants and stakeholders, and should include the relevant items developed in the evaluation process.In the monitoring aspect, I would go with the combination of performance evaluation and evaluation done on a continuing program because this will measure the impact of the program on the society or on the people. This is done to improve continuously the performance of the program period after period and in the same way this will enable planners identify shortcomings and can devise remedial actions while the plan/program is still in progress.Thorough studies should be done on what evaluation design will be best applicable to a program and I would recommend applying it or testing first the evaluation design on small population prior to the piloting. Through this, monitoring and evaluation will be manageable and any unexpected occurrences in the program will be observed right away and be given solution.Revisions of the program can be done as early as this stage. Lastly, ensure that the evaluation will be as fair, accurate, and effective as possible. The use of specific tools can help in the success of the project like annual reports, quarterly or monthly reports from the monitoring system, and anything else should equally agreed between the organization and the evaluation team.

Friday, August 16, 2019

American and Chinese Business Cultures

The American and Chinese business cultures have vast differences that interfere with the way business is carried out. The business people in the two regions have certain practices and values that are considered as norm. The differences in the two business cultures have led to some viable and successful business ventures to be turned down due to a misunderstandings or conflicts that were experienced based on the business cultural differences. There are various similarities found between the two business cultures and one similarity is the strict adherence to schedules and time management.The two business cultures value their time and they ensure that it is spent wisely. Failure to manage time in both cultures is seen as an insulting gesture and a sign of disrespect. Moreover, another similarity is the art of appreciation that is highly regarded and the respect given to the senior business men in meetings when they are being addressed. There are several outstanding differences that clea rly exist between the two business cultures and they influence the manner in which business is carried out in these countries.For instance in the Chinese business culture, businesses are owned and managed within the family regardless of their qualifications and experience. Information regarding the performance of the businesses is treated as confidential and when they need funds for their businesses they search for it from their friends and family or within the private sector. Americans on the other hand, seek funds from both the private and public sectors to finance their business. They also reveal all the information about their companies making it public for the public to scrutinize and analyze it.In addition, their businesses are run by qualified professionals. 1. 0 Introduction Culture is a complex way of living that is developed by many people all over the world. It is passed on from one generation to the next over the years for it to be maintained. It is worth noting that cul ture is entails the values and norms followed by a group of people in a society and it describes the way those people should behave and treat each other as they live together harmoniously (Bucknall, 2000). It equally defines the nature of the people in that society and how they relate to the rest of the world.The culture of a particular people characterizes how they can relate to another group with a culture that is quite different. The more the differences that exist between the two cultures the more difficult it is for the two societies to live together and interact. On the same note, the chances of misunderstandings increase when two cultures differ greatly in their values, norms and other characteristics. Additionally, conflicts also increase exponentially when the two societies have not had any interactions among them (Gertmenian, n. d).The American and the Chinese business cultures are a good example of cultures that are different and that continually interact with many challe nges and misunderstandings facing them. Business people who have been trying to venture into the two economies have been faced with several challenges. Some of these business people have gone into business ventures with little or no information about the cultural differences between the two business cultures (Chen, 2003). Their business ideas and ventures have failed despite their capabilities and promise of success and profitability.The reasons that have been cited for the failure of such profitable ventures are the lack of understanding of the differences in the culture between the Americans and the Chinese. Business opportunities continue to increase in the Chinese region and this is attracting a lot of Americans to take up these opportunities. This business people need to understand the different aspects that lie between the two cultures and the business etiquette that is required from them once they are in China.It bears noting that the Chinese community also needs to understan d the American culture with regard to the business practices in order to minimize the chances of misunderstandings and disagreements. Knowledge of the two different cultures is very important to the success of the business. In light of this view this paper will objectively discuss four similarities and four differences between the American and Chinese business cultures. 2. 0 Similarities between the American and the Chinese Business Culture The American and Chinese business culture though depicted in two different countries, share some similarities in the way they operate.These similarities are shared through their strategies and focus that they both have in carrying out business successfully. The similarities that they share are independent and are not influenced by the behavior or culture of the each other. These similarities are however grounded in the way their other cultural practices that they have developed and maintained over the years. a) Business Meetings This is one of th e similar features in the sense that the two business cultures hold business meetings to discuss business relationships between the companies.The business meetings may take the form of lunches or dinners or they may sometimes be carried out in the offices. The meetings are usually arranged in advance and they sometimes require some form of literature that is forwarded to each of the invited guests (Kwintessential, n. d). The meetings are usually arranged on normal working days to avoid inconveniencing the different parties attending and the dress code is usually implied by different factors but in most cases it is formal. The right relationship is first made in both cultures to allow for the development of the business deal.It is worth mentioning that in both cultures business meetings usually involve the shaking of hands when they are being introduced to each other and it shows that they are in agreement. The shaking of hands is taken to be a sign of respect between the two parties . Business cards are exchanged during the meeting either at the start or end of the meeting. It is viewed as a polite gesture in both cultures to take a minute and view the business card before putting it away. When business is being carried out between the two cultures it is important that the business cards are made bi-lingual to ensure that the recipients are able to read them.Refreshments are also offered during the business meetings. In the Chinese culture green tea is usually offered in most of the meeting though some of the international companies also offer coffee as refreshment. In the American culture refreshments usually consist mostly of coffee or tea. During the meeting exclusive sitting arrangements in both cultures are made and each person who attends the meetings has to sit at a precise position allocated to them. There is usually a host in the meetings who ensures that the meeting goes on smoothly and that the guests are well hosted (CBBC, n.d). b) Managing Time In both business cultures time is of the essence case in point. Among the Chinese business meetings start on time and they take the scheduled time needed to ensure that the purpose of the meeting is achieved. Time is not wasted during the meetings and they remain focused to the agenda of the meeting. Punctuality is emphasizes and considered to be very important in both cultures and the attendants are actually encouraged to arrive early. Besides, in the Chinese business community arriving late to any business meeting is seen as an insult to the other members.When the meeting is a Chinese banquet, the guests are advised to arrive at least 15 minutes before the banquet starts (Chinese Business Culture, n. d). The Americans on the other hand usually work with tight schedules and they equally value their time. They do not take it kindly when the guests who are supposed to be in the meeting arrive late. It is a common practice to be asked to wait after arriving early for a meeting in the Ame rican culture as the host finishes preparing for the meeting. In both cultures business meeting are carried out within normal working hours that are between 8 am and 5pm (â€Å"Chinese Business Culture,† n.d) and is mostly for the meetings carried out within the offices. Other meetings that take place in the evenings like the dinner meetings are not extended late into the night. c) Protocol In both cultures the seniority levels are strictly followed. The most senior person is introduced first and is usually referred to by their surnames and their positions such as Mr. or Director (CBBC, n. d). This is usually very important and is regarded as a sign of respect for them. Their position may be given when they are being introduced and each person in the meeting is expected to address them according to their titles and position.Protocol is also expected to be maintained in the seating arrangements with the senior person given the front seat. The host normally takes the seat that is placed in the middle of the table and faces the door. The most senior person in the meeting seats on the left side of the host at the middle seat. The rest of people in the meeting get their seating positions according to their status in a descending manner. Seniority in the Chinese business culture is very important especially when the meeting involves state or government officials. When the introductions are being made the senior person is introduced first then the rest follow.When business cards or gifts are being offered, it is polite in both cultures to offer the senior person in the meeting first (Saxon, 2007). In the American culture the same is expected of the government and state officials. They need to be addressed according to their title and their positions. They also get introduced first in the meetings and accorded the respect that they deserve. d) Appreciation Both cultures have a way of appreciating the other parties especially after a successful business deal. Th e appreciation method normally takes place at the end of the meeting when the deal has been finalized.In the Chinese business culture the business people take a lot of time and effort in appreciating their business partners and their clients as a way of supporting and developing their business relationships. They normally give them gifts as a sign of appreciation for the business, celebrating the success of a business deal, a way to encourage future business and to strengthen the relationship between them (Thompson, 2007). In the Chinese business culture the business people may decide to ask the other business people what they would like as a gift. The giving of gifts is usually carried out with a certain intended purpose.When it is given in the absence of a good reason it is usually construed differently. The recipient of the gift in most cases is expected to reciprocate since the gift is seen as a debt. The choice of the gift is usually considered wisely and cash is never accepted as a gift in the Chinese culture (CBBC, n. d). In the American business culture appreciation is a common practice within companies doing business together. The art of giving gifts is however restricted by some of the business companies. Most of these businesses normally prefer giving a note that is gracious and which is very appropriate and acceptable among the companies.For the companies that offer gifts, the gift is given in such a way that it does not appear to be a bribe to the receiving company. In most companies an invitation to a meal is the most common method used among business people. 3. 0 Differences between the American and the Chinese Business Culture There are vast differences that exist between the American and Chinese business cultures that continually affect the way business is carried out. Both countries have had different backgrounds that have led to these differences.These differences are clearly established when it comes to the communication level between the t wo sides duet to the language barrier. Consequently, these differences have led to the failure of successful business ventures between the two countries and the loss of a lot of money. a) Relationships in Business This is a major difference because in the Chinese business community, a lot of emphasis is put on establishing and maintaining relationships. Moreover, the main objective put in most business meetings is the development of business relationships between the parties involved.The relationship in the Chinese culture is seen to be more of cooperation other than just business relationships. For them to do any business, the parties involved need to be friends. They exchange gifts during meetings and host each other in various places to establish their relationships. Most of their business meetings are carried out during meals such as dinners or lunch as they talk about life in general. Such encounters are seen to strengthen their business relationships and develop trust among th em (Chinese Business Culture, n. d). In America however the purpose of business meetings is to close a deal.There is little or no emphasis in maintaining relationships. The American’s keep a certain attitude that business is business and hence there is no need for them to be friends or even remain friends after the business deal is closed. The business meetings are carried out in formal environments and are characterized by concepts and features that are focused on business. The talk in these business meetings also focuses on business and the deal that is supposed to be made with the party that is proposing the deal highlighting gains that the other party will acquire once they accept the deal (Saxon, 2007).b) Availability of Information Another difference that exists between the Chinese and the Americans lays in the way they handle information about their business and the performance. It is considered rude and inappropriate among the Chinese for one to ask about the performa nce of another’s business. The Chinese only reveal this kind of information to their close friends and families and other people that are very close to them. The information is also not publicly available and they do not discuss the performance of their companies. They never volunteer their business information to other people (CBBC, n.d). The business plan is also considered to be an inappropriate document and is not used in the Chinese business world. They do not make such documents since they are considered to portray distrust among them. They prefer to believe each other when doing business and not ask for documents or information that will show the performance of the company or business. Many of the Chinese business people have been known to enter into business opportunities that are worth millions when they know very little about the other company. They rely on trust and they sign these deals by a mere handshake (Thompson, 2007).American business people on the other han d require a lot of detailed information about the companies that are involved in the business. They normally require a detailed company profile and other information that is essential in proving the performance of a company before they even start negotiating a business deal. This information may include the financial statements, the sales figures, marketing strategies and even business plans. For them to make decisions about any business opportunity they need to gather facts and data that will help them support the decisions that they make.Their business information is also made publicly available as they produce quarterly and annual reports that are availed and openly discussed. c) Business Ownership According to the Chinese culture, the businesses are normally family owned and they practice a lot of nepotism. Also, the businesses are controlled and operated by the family members and this is the norm in the country. The business is inherited within the family members despite their qualifications and their job experience and as such it is one of the strongest cultural practices in the business world among the Chinese.The businesses are usually carried out based on the family obligations rather than the pursuit of riches (Thompson, 2007). The owner of the business who is mostly the head of the family carefully makes decisions regarding the business and how it is operated. This individual hires new employees and executes changes that are needed. Besides, the individual in question selects the family member that will take over the critical role of running the business. Other family members and even some close family friends are given other top roles in the business.This practice is usually carried out because of distrust and social status among the Chinese people. The practice tends to lead to them overlooking the qualifications that are needed for the top positions held. In America however the business is usually carried out from a totally different perspective. Nepotism in the American business environment is considered illegal and highly discouraged within the business environment. When one is suspected or found guilty of having practiced it by hiring or favoring a family member in the business rather than a qualified a stranger or an employee of the company, serious legal charges are made.Further, one may end up in the middle of very serious legal charges that may lead to high compensations and legal damage fees arising from the act. Businesses tend to therefore hire employees in terms of merit and qualifications. Decisions are made by the management of the business rather than the family members. They tend to do what is right for the business rather than what might be appropriate for the family (Saxon, 2007). In the American business culture the purpose of the business is to make money rather than to provide for the company.The businesses normally have a purpose that they follow and strive to achieve. They also have a purpose and a cle ar and organized chain of command within the business. The protocol has to be followed in the businesses especially when issues are being raised and during the decision making process. For example middle level managers are not allowed to question the authority at the top. They must follow protocol at all times and direct their issues to the other managers above them before they can get the issue to the top management. d) Future of the BusinessBusiness in the Chinese culture is normally centered on the long term profitability and investments rather than the short term (Thompson, 2007). The business also strives to increase the family honor as status is an important element in the business environment in the culture. The family honor is measured according to the status that the family is given in the community. The higher the respect and status, the more the family honors. The family needs to have the ability to command respect and trust from the society. It is equally notable that th e future of the business is usually focused on ensuring that the family honor is maintained.Each transaction of the business is carefully considered and implemented in a way that invests into the future of the company. Relationships are also maintained and kept for the long term benefits. When acquiring finances to start the business or expand the business to facilitate its growth, the Chinese businesses normally search for funds among the family members. The businesses are largely financed by the family members. They also use family connections to acquire loans from their friends and sometimes use the family investments to act as collateral for these loans.It is very rare for the Chinese businesses to look for methods of finances from the public sources. They restrict themselves to the private sources since they prefer the confidentiality that the method brings (Gertmenian, n. d). They also use these methods since they operate on a trust basis to carry out their business and this m ethod does not require them to provide any documents regarding the performance of the business. When developing their businesses, the Chinese people use the family connections and their friends to make and increase the sales of their businesses.They develop personal connections with all their customers and clients and to ensure that these relationships maintained even in the long run. To maintain these relationships they go to great lengths and incur huge expenses as they stay connected to the customers and the business people who are influential and who make huge decisions. They give tokens of appreciation for services that are offered to them and to their customers (Chen, 2003). It is not unusual for the large Chinese corporations to incur extensive costs in international travel when they have clients from overseas.The American culture of carrying out business normally focuses on the profits that the business makes and achieving the targets and goals made. They take little concern on the relationships that are needed to ensure the future of the business. They rely on several methods to increase the profitability of the business and its future. A lot of marketing and advertising is carried out as they concentrate more on the monetary gains and having the most effective practices that will contribute to the goals of the company in the future.They take sales and marketing activities seriously to boost the company’s performance in the short term and also in the long run. When seeking finances to expand their business or even start off the Americans are used to seeking public sources of finances and selling securities (Thompson, 2007). They prefer such methods as they are able to cater for the financial needs and targets. Most of the companies and corporations are usually publicly owned and therefore they provide their financial information to the public. They are also publicly scrutinized for every decision that they make.4. 0 Conclusion It is true that t he American and Chinese business cultures are different and they interfere with the business development. Most of the failure of the ventures in business in the region is attributable to the neglect by the multi-national companies to understand the cultural differences that exist between the two business environments. It is worth noting that there is need for these companies to understand these cultures to ensure that they are able to successfully develop business opportunities that are continually emerging. Word Count: 3400 Reference ListBucknall, K. (2000). Chinese Business Etiquette and Culture. California: C&M Online Media, Inc. CBBC. (n. d). China Guide. Retrieved July 14, 2010, from China Britain Business Council: http://www. cbbc. org/china_guide/b_culture. html Chen, M. -J. (2003). Inside Chinese Business: A Guide for Managers Worldwide. Massachusetts: Harvard Business Press. Chinese Business Culture. (n. d). Retrieved July 14, 2010, from Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center: http://chinese-school. netfirms. com/business. html Gertmenian, L. W. (n. d). Cultural Insights on Doing Business in China .Retrieved July 14, 2010, from Pepperdine University: http://gbr. pepperdine. edu/982/china. html Kwintessential. (n. d). Doing Business in China. Retrieved July 14, 2010, from Kwintessential: http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/etiquette/doing-business-china. html Saxon, M. (2007). An American's guide to doing business in China:. Massachusetts: Adams Media. Thompson, S. (2007, October 29). American Vs. Chinese Business Culture: In the Family. Retrieved July 14, 2010, from Associated Content: http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/421642/american_vs_chinese_business_culture. html