Is Kate Minola tamed by the end of “Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare Essay

IntroductionThe Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeares most popular plays. Its wit and comedy revolves around Kate Minola, a strong-willed woman who is seen as a shrew due to her unwillingness to conform to the unwritten rules of lady-hood and Pertruchio who is convinced he was born to tame [Kate]. The most obvious and major question would then be, was Katherine tamed by the end of the play? To be tamed, one would have to be forcibly changed into submissive obedience. A tamed being would obey there master unquestionably in order to obtain a reward or avoid a punishment. I believe, although Kate has changed by the end of the play, she was not tamed but liberated. Although she acts just as Pertruchio demands, she is not submissive but in fact, has objectives of her own. BodyI would like to start by answering the questions as to why Kate is stark mad or wonderful forward to begin with. Kate has grown up being the loser in a competition with her sister in terms of suitors and the respect of there father. Baptista cherishes Bianca while not even defending Kate on the streets when people insulted, calling her too rough or fiend of hell. At the beginning of Act 2, it can be seen that Kate is jealous of Bianca. On top of that, Baptista automatically assumes that the fight was Kates fault and This combination of her frustration to the fact that that Bianca has an army of suitors while she seemingly will end up alone and the neglect, humiliation and lack of respect from her father can and did undoubtedly pushed her to become the angry person she is. Her isolation and anger is a cycle. Her strong-will and violence pushes people the people around her away, causing her to be more frustrated and angry which furthers her alienation. I believe Pertruchio was not successful in taming her but was successful freeing her of the cycle and showing her all the benefits of a better behavior. Her anger towards herself and others due to loneliness is broken by Pertruchios will to match Kates ferocity and compliment her. This has never happened to her before and I believe it gave her the attention she has always longer for. In the beginning the attention was quite obnoxious especially when it came to Pertruchio and his servants. He was angry and violent towards them much like the way Kate acted before and you can tell that she saw the horror of that behavior. Pertruchio did many things like keep her up and not feed her and after that, she most likely longed for a more peaceful environment and perhaps, if she conformed, she is able to receive better love, love that her father never gave her. I think Pertruchio also showed her that she no longer has to be mad at herself. She has a husband who loves her and therefore, the cycle is broken. Before Kate was focused on challenging the status quo and feeling sorry for herself. Petruccio took both those thoughts from her head and threw them out the window. He taught her that as long as she was happy, she shouldnt care what other people think of her. Like how he showed up at the wedding dressed like a fool. With that she is able to finally fit society show it off for all the people who had no faith in or time for her. Kates true identity is finally revealed and able to shine brightly with Pertruchio by her side. Before Pertruchio, Kate was able to get her way by being violent. However, Pertruchio strong-willed personality will not bend under her old weapon of emotional and physical lashing. I think she realizes this. The situation has already happened and cannot be reversed. She did not get tamed but learned to adapt and fight through other means. Switching up the technique and attacking from the inside. Perhaps, this is what Pertruchio wanted to show her. That by listening to him and being ACTING tamed, she can control the direction of her path. For example, by kiss him, they could stay at the party, by agreeing with the moon, she could go. In the beginning, Kate was refused a cap because she wasnt gentle and when she finally was, she was offered it. Listening to Pertruchio and sacrificing a little bit, she was able to gain a lot. By compromising, she would have the respect of Pertruchio who she could then use to obtain her desires, such as the nice gown and cap. With a strong husband, she could hold more power than she could even dream of under the title of the shrew. To a much larger extent, she can be happy. ConclusionIt is clear that by the end of the play, Kate has changed to a whole new person. But was Pertruchio successful in taming her? I believe he wasnt, however, he was able to show her the advantages of the other side. Pertruchios abusive techniques did not turn her to be submissive and obedient but liberated her of a false personality of unloveliness and violence spawned from her past. By compromising, Kate realized that she is not only able to achieve her materialistic goals like going to her fathers house or a nice gown and cap, but also respect, power and happiness way beyond what she was able to achieve before with anger. All these personal gains lead to conclude that Kate was not tamed but simply changed herself to achieve her own goals. Pertruchio opens her eyes to a life where she does not have to be mean and shrewish. He gave her the opportunity to be her true self without extinguishing her inner spirit and fire. Editors, SparkNotes. The Taming of the Shrew (No Fear Shakespeare) (No Fear Shakespeare). New York: SparkNotes, 2004. Shakespeare, William. The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare, Signet Classic). New York: Signet Classics, 1998. â€Å"SparkNotes: The Taming of the Shrew. † SparkNotes: Most Popular Study Guides. 31 Mar. 2009 .

Globalisation VS regionalisation Essay

Discuss with the Introduction to part III (pp. 289-293) and Chapter 20 in Stubbs & Underhill as a starting point the relationship between globalisation and regionalisation. Characterise in continuation of this the differences between regional integration in Europe and The Far East. For instance, you may reflect upon whether the recent financial crisis has set a new agenda for regional integration (Stubbs & Underhill, Chapters 21 and 24) In the past decades, numerous trading blocs have been created throughout the world, playing a significant role in the world economy and trade. However, as regionalization became of an increasing interest, there has been much discussion on its effects on globalisation and their relationship, as it is the other important trend in the world economy development next to regionalization. Discussion on the relationship between these two trends has been filled with ambiguity and will be clarified through the following pages. Furthermore I will take a look at differences between regional integration in Europe and Far East in regards to globalization. Additionally the impact of the recent financial crisis on regional integration will be discussed incorporating my own understanding of the subjects. Historically, before 1980, globalization was perceived rather negatively, leading to efforts of governments to protect their markets from the global competition by encouraging regional developments. Accordingly, regionalism was their response to the need for stressing their independence from global economy, caused by the growing force of globalization. 1 After the end of Cold War, globalization started to be perceived not as the ? enemy? , but more as a phenomenon of the age that has the capacity to bring advantages of a significant scale to those who can keep up with the flow and adapt to the changing enviroment, shifting the emphasis of the philosophy of regionalism into „ positioning a region so as to strenghten its participation in the global economy in terms both trade and capital flows. â€Å" 2 Furthermore the economic globalization affects the state also in political terms, creating a need for transformation of nation-state into competition-state as the nation-state can no longer protect its market in the same way as before, due to political globalization. Due to increasing global competition changes are made. These changes affect the states in a way that reduces their domestic political effectiveness and autonomy in order to enhance international competiveness. 3 In that sense, one of the crucial factors that triggered expansion of regionalism after 1980 was the political globalization. More specifically, the speeding globalization has led to increase in sense of regional identity, resulting in greater perception of common economic political and cultural interests of neighbouring countries that distingiush them from the rest of the world, enabling these countries to realize the benefits emerging from being a part of a region,4 and consequently the fast development of the European Union encouraged the need to counteract its increasing collective economic power. 5 „ The comparative advantage of the regional project is that it may be more effective in governing globalization than the nation-state while at the same time potentially offering more legitimacy and collective identity than globalization itself. â€Å" 6 Throughout the literature, scholars argue that the trends of regionalization and globalization reflect counterproductive relationship, as they stand in opposition to one another. Such tighter connections, as provided by regionalization, can lead to greater preference for trade with countries within the region, rather than in a global scale, which can be perceived as a concerning fact in relation to globalization. However, as I perceive it , these two trends do not compete, on the contrary, they complement each other. Regional developments strive to put states on fair trading terms, resulting in stronger regional economies. Stronger regional economies enable states to participate in world trade more effectively and therefore, regionalization contributes to the overall expansion of globalization. Similarly, in order to diminish the growing regional competition, states will form regional trading blocs and therefore, globalization contributes to the deepened regional trade. „New regionalism†¦ rather than being constructed in opposition to globalisation, it is, on the contrary, buttressed by a growing enmeshment while at the same time creating an institutional and political capacity to ? modify the conditions of globalisation. â€Å" 7 Regional integration of European Union (UN) has a comparatively longer and more intensive tradition compared to East Asia. Europe was the first one to realize, after WW2, the interdependence between its own welfare and stability of the region they were located in, expanding the European regional organizations, which they managed to reboost after the end of Cold War. After the period of euro-scepticism and euro-sclerosis, the goal of relaunching of Europe became of an increasing importance. This was intented to be managed through the unification of european market. Deepening globalization led to strenghtening neo-liberal forces, which meant the commitment to global free trade, i. e. internal and external market globalisation, with the aim „ to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. â€Å"8 Different reasons for the formation of regional groupings reflect different circumstances surrounding the actors. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), for instance, represents smaller or economically weaker countries that may seek for the regional integration in order to resist the emergence of a regionally dominant state. Conversely, as with the candidates for EU, they may choose to link themselves as closely as possible with the regional leaders. In case of EU, the regionalization is a result of political, institutional, and cultural factors as well as those related to transformation in corporate organization. This can be explained through the link between the region and the identity, that is most advanced in Europe. Inspite of representing the most advanced form of integration, the member states of the EU, especially the larger ones, do not appear ready to give up the role that they play individually in the regional and global settings, but still, to a large extent are involved in â€Å"steering† both regionalization and globalization collectively, that is, through the EU and its institutions. The East Asian crises emerging in 1997-98 had two main implications for the political economy of the region. Firstly, the increase in discussions about regional integration as a more intensive regional co-operation became desirable, leading to expansion of ASEAN by the participation of China, Japan and South Korea. 9 Secondly, the crisis enhanced the prospects for the continued development of an â€Å"East Asian† , as opposed to a â€Å"Pacific†, understanding of the region. 10 At the same time, two significant trends arised including the growing interest in monetary co-operation and bilateralism. Regarding the monetary integration, in contrast to EU, East Asia has failed to attempt to establish an Asian Monetary Fund, continuing in search for new monetary regionalism. Secondly, the growth in bilateral trading agreements can be partially explained through the growth in interregional agreements, such as between EU and MERCOSUR. EU gaining competitive advantage in the field of political agreements on market access in other regions leaves other actors in position of cathcing up with EU in this circle of bilateral competition : „ The more Europe and other regions integrate, the more will East Asia, not the least China, turn from its traditional bilateralism towards increased emphasis on regional co-opertain as a political instrument. â€Å" 11

Tort Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Tort Law - Coursework Example Before this case, if a professional person made a statement to another, and the other person relied upon this statement, the only remedy for this would be a remedy in contract, not in tort.2 Hedley Byrne changed this basic rule, and now parties may recover for purely economic loss, even if there is not a contractual relationship. The facts in Hedley are similar to the case at bar. In Hedley, Hedley Byrne was a firm of advertising agents with a customer, Easipower Ltd., who put in a large order. Hedley carried out this large order, but not before it got a report from the Heller & Partners Ltd. Bank regarding Easipower’s creditworthiness. The bank replied that Easipower was creditworthy, Hedley relied upon this statement, gave Easipower its orders, Easipower went out of business, and Hedley Byrne lost  £17,000 on the deal. Hedley Byrne sued Heller & Partners for their statement. Heller replied that there was not a duty of care, and that liability was excluded. What the Hedley court found was that there was a special relationship between the parties, and the court found that the special relationship was formed because the defendant reasonably should have known that the plaintiff would rely upon the statements that they gave to them. This foreseeable reliance creates a special relationship. Since the decision in Hedley, the UK courts have expanded upon the definition of special relationship and what would give rise to an action in negligence, with regards to people who are professionals. For instance, 3expanded upon the Hedley principle, and stated that if something is common practice, then it is not unreasonable to rely upon the word of that professional, as opposed to being expected to get a second opinion. Moreover, the Smith case expanded the Hedley principle to third parties. However, the Hedley principle is not absolute. For instance, in Caparo Industries plc. V. Dickman4 , a company who was pursuing a takeover relied upon an auditor’s statements

The causes and affects on bullied students in American high scools Research Paper

The causes and affects on bullied students in American high scools - Research Paper Example On the other hand, social factors should also not be overlooked. Family problems, such as lack of communication and family violence, can produce depressed and violent adolescents that are prone to being bullies. The absence of school and teacher involvement, as well as media factors, can also result to wider bullying practices. Bullying, furthermore, impacts bullies, victims, and bystanders. Bullies and victims can both suffer from depression, suicidal intentions, and school problems. Victims also have higher truancy and delinquency problems than non-victims. Bystanders also experience anxiety and helplessness. These effects can be extended along the adult lives of these subgroups and impact their health and happiness in the long-run. It is important for schools, teachers, and other stakeholders to collaborate in resolving bullying behavior. They should understand its causes and find immediate and long-term solutions, so as to adequately deal with and preventing bullying incidence. C auses and Effects of Bullying in American High Schools: The Bully, The Victim, and The Witnesses Bullying in American high schools has taken a larger proportion of the media and researcher attention, especially for the last thirty years and after the Columbine tragedy. Despite this growing interest in studying and stopping bullying, it sadly continues to be a mainstay for American schools, including its high schools. Gastic mentions studies from DeVoe and Kaffenberger and Dinkes et al. that stated that from 2003 to 2004, more than one fourth of American public schools reported that bullying happened every week, where 21 percent of high school students experienced and witnessed bullying (391). Bullying is an alarming phenomenon, because it underlies social and individual issues and further contribute to diverse social and psychological problems for bullies, victims, and bystanders alike. This paper explores the causes and effects of bullying in American high schools. It argues that b ullying is a product of individual and social factors and that if schools and concerned stakeholders will not do anything about it, this will contribute to consequences of violence, suicide, and other health and well-being problems. For the purpose of defining bullying in this paper, bullying or harassment takes place, when one or more students are â€Å"unfriendly or unpleasant towards a student who cannot defend him/herself very easily† (Roland 57). This can include a wide range of bullying behaviors, such as kicking, hitting, or pushing another student, or teasing and ostracizing victims, either at school or online (Roland 57). Cyberbullying is a recent phenomenon that includes teasing people online or spreading rumors about them in various social networks. Bullying can also be categorized as indirect, such as being ostracized or bullied online, or direct, such as being hit or kicked. Bullies are seen as impulsive and physically aggressive individuals, who find it rewardin g to intimidate others, who cannot defend themselves (Bradshaw, O'Brennan, and Sawyer 10). Why are there bullies? Some of the causes of bullying can be rooted to the individual characteristics of the bullies. In 2011, Roland and Idsoe provided empirical evidence that bullies scored high in â€Å"proactive aggressiveness,† which pertains to the tendency to conduct negative behaviors, in order to achieve social rewards, such as witnessing fear and submission from victims (qtd. in Roland 56). Some people theorize that

Charles Goodyear Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Charles Goodyear - Research Paper Example In truth, his story is an inspirational application of scientific principles to economic reality, with Goodyear’s frequent and often futile attempts to secure capital to apply his ideas to abundance in everyday life. However, only after his death would rubber become an everyday product and a massive industry of production. In 1898, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company took Goodyear’s name in commemoration of his achievement. Thus, even though Goodyear never applied his invention to the mass market as other great inventors did in 19th century America, it is still fair to say that Goodyear lived the American dream of experimenting with science to better mankind. Goodyear was born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 29, 1800 to a well-respected, upper-class family. In 1814, the teenage Goodyear left for Philadelphia to learn about industry; returning in 1821, Goodyear entered into a partnership in his father’s business producing various metal-based products. Three years later, Goodyear married Clarissa Beecher and together they moved to Philadelphia where Goodyear, having left his father’s business, opened a general hardware store. He sold agricultural products imported from England. Within a few years, his business was thriving, and by 1829, he had amassed quite a bit of wealth. In 1829, however, his health declined due to a case of dyspepsia, a disease that attacks the digestive system and causes chronic pain in the upper abdomen. Around this time, his business failed as well; eventually, he was forced to close a number of stores. After his health returned, Goodyear undertook a project that would form the basis of his lifeà ¢â‚¬â„¢s work: the vulcanization process of rubber (Peirce). In 1831, Goodyear began researching gum elastic. He experimented with the best method to make rubber; he produced tubes to show to the Roxbury Rubber

Biotechnology Final Assignment Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Biotechnology Final Assignment - Case Study Example It has offered people a better way to benefit from other organisms while being environmentally friendly. The modification of genes has enabled there to be different breeds of certain animals. This has led to the creation of a different breed altogether with certain characteristics (Sutton 29). This paper will review the way biotechnology has been crucial in the evolution of the environment through time. How the topic relates to the class Biotechnology has led to the improvement of the preservation of the environment. Throughout history, it was vital that people protect and preserve the environment. The problem with this came with the little knowledge they had to dispose of certain waste products (Sutton 35). These waste products may have come from anywhere take for instance the animals, and people. The waste would often be left unattended, and this led to the degradation of the environment. However, people found out alternative methods of ridding the environment of this waste by conv erting it into something useful. Animal waste found use in farms as a way of offering fertility to the soil. This is since the decomposition that occurred provided the necessary elements for the growth of healthy plants, and crops. Biotechnology has improved the manner in which people relate to the environment. In prehistoric times, it was easy to see how biotechnology was used to carry out day to day activities (Sutton 39). An example would be the fermentation of fruit drinks to make wine. Personal thoughts on the topic It is vital to note the significance biotechnology has brought forth. Many fields in the world are coming up as a result of biotechnology. There have been many things that have become possible due to biotechnology. This is with improvement in technology over time. However, it is clear that biotechnology is not something that is accepted globally. Some believe that it has led to the creation of things that go against God’s design. The manipulation of DNA in di fferent animals has been condemned by many (Sutton 45). The use of herbicides over long periods has received criticism from different quarters. This criticism is becoming more of a hindrance to the use of biotechnology to clean up contaminated environments (Sutton 48). Marine life depends on biotechnology to take care of the growing number of accidents in the sea. Oil spills require techniques that are incorporated by biotechnology to clean up. The ceasing of such techniques would mean that these fields would be rendered useless over a certain period. Biotechnology has found ways to get rid of waste from the environment while having little negative impact on the said environment. The biological processes that biotechnology offers are seen to play a key role in the promotion of a sustainable environment (Sutton 59). Some of the things that it does to benefit the environment are immense. They seem to outweigh the things that it has done that seem to impact the environment negatively. Reason for choosing the topic One of the reasons for choosing this topic is to bring to the attention of many people the benefits brought on by biotechnology. Biotechnology should be embraced for the betterment of the whole global village. This is since the benefits can be seen and felt around the world (Sutton 69). The advancement has contributed to the production of medicine that has eradicated many diseases that would, otherwise, still exist. Not only has biotechnology improved the lives of many, it has prevented the

Law and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law and Ethics - Essay Example This leads to prevalence in property crime in poverty stricken areas. Generally, children who are brought up in poverty have a high propensity to commit crime which is further accelerated by population factors (Siegel & Worrall, 2011). A child from a poor background is more likely to involve in criminal activities than one from a well off background. In addition, populations that are majorly composed of young generation below 25 years and jobless at the same time, results in higher crime rates than a scenario old poor generation people. Moreover, the poor face more frustrations in life and are therefore more predisposed to mental illnesses than the rich and the affluent (Siegel & Worrall, 2011). The mental stresses and instabilities may lead individuals to commit violent acts, robbery and theft. At the same time, poverty causes the youth to view education with less prestige since they feel it does not warrant access to good jobs. Most poor youths do not have a connection with mentors and role models due to perceived or actual inferior education. The feeling will facilitate their forming groups and gangs which are a leeway to crime. Homicide Before making a decision on the fate of the woman, I would solicit to know the reason for her conduct towards her husband given that she knew that the husband was drunk. The husband is considered as not being of a stable mental state in his drunkenness (Siegel & Worrall, 2011). I would also establish the woman’s true intent for loading the gun as well as how long the argument had taken to warrant application of self defense. Based on the already stated actions, I feel the woman had an aforethought to kill the husband, that is why she went up the first floor and loaded the gun. She did not show any interest to withdraw from the fight. On coming back with the loaded gun, she found her husband holding a kitchen knife. However, she is not clear on the reaction of the husband when he saw her with a gun. Her argument that h er husband wanted to stub her is a hoax, she had a criminal intent to kill even before she saw the knife. As the prosecutor I would charge the woman with a first degree criminal homicide/murder. This is because the murder had been premeditated, was deliberate and was accompanied with malice on the woman’s side. This is further strengthened by her insistence that she was only defending herself from harm by the drunken husband. Although the woman claimed to have been provoked into action by the husband, there is no evidence that she did not have tie to cool off. The Ethics the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) using Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) Forcing arrestees to provide DNA samples irrespective of the charges that have been placed on them and the possibility of conviction is unethical. This is so because the results empower the police officers to provide intimate results and evidences to the government; these have the ability to lead to investigative arrests (Siegel & Worrall, 2011). This phenomenon is opposed to the desired procedures where the juries and judges ought to be the custodians of such information. Although DNA sequencing produces reliable results, it presents ethical, legal and social shortcomings. It has raised questions on privacy matters (Siegel & Worrall, 2011). Unlike fingerprints that are used for identification only, DNA provides insight into several intimate and personal aspects of individuals such as susceptibility to some diseases, predisposed to

(Film adaptation)should be named in accordance with the thesis Research Paper

(Film adaptation)should be named in accordance with the thesis statement - Research Paper Example s who were graced with the opportunity of reading Mark O’Brien’s insightful and thought provoking article upon its initial publication in 1990 must have been touched by the profoundness of the story and the raw streak of honesty which prevails in the author’s recollection of a journey which triggered and fulfilled the exploration of his sexuality. Yet, it is the 2012 adaptation of O’Brien’s article under the name of The Sessions starring John Hawkes as Mark O’Brien and Helen Hunt as sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene that delves into a greater comprehension of the psychological elements of disability, which is a state that for the most part has always been associated with physical consequences rather than accepting the emotional characteristics which are linked with it. The elements that transform the article â€Å"On Seeing a Sex Surrogate† into the motion picture The Sessions are rooted in O’Brien’s discussion of his life’s intimate details openly with the priest, the development of a bond of love between himself and Cheryl and his discovery of a life partner in Susan. These factors reemphasize and restate the idea that the positive molding of an individual’s psychological state through love, acceptance and understanding can trigger a profound change in one’s self-image. While, this phenomenon is gradually observed by the audience throughout the course of the film it is eventually witnessed and reaffirmed when the emotional outburst of the three most important women in his life – his nurse, Cheryl and his life partner in the last phase of his existence is projected at Mark’s funeral. Therefore, The Sessions is an insight into the life of disabled individuals who have to fight through life de aling with psychological issues that are prompted by the negative attitude of society and religious construct towards invalids’ sexuality and how these issues can be resolved through the application of positive psychology including the transformation

Research Proposal Draft Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Research Proposal Draft - Essay Example There are also few studies that indicate the way in which these youngsters can be motivated to adopt a positive lifestyle in terms of being physically active and eating the proper diet that will help them to avoid obesity. There exists a desperate need to identify a connection between the benefits that come with weight loss. There is also a need to make sure that people, especially the young people are not only aware of the health benefits of losing excess weight but that they are motivated to lose the excess weight through positive lifestyle and the proper eating habits. The significance of the current research study is to measure how a quantitative weight loss program will affect those who will be involved in the study. The study will involve 50 participants of ages between 8 and 18, from both the genders. All the participants have to have a body mass index of over the 95th percentile which is a clear indication that they are obese and overweight. The study will be done in a period of twelve weeks. The study will monitor food intake, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels of the participants. Will there be increased positive health benefits such as, improved oxygen circulation, healthy blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose and cholesterol levels, in the participants who will be children age 8 to 18 with a BMI above the 95th percentile? The hypothesis for this research is that there will be clear indication of the positive health outcomes that will be achieved by the 50 participants who will be involved in this controlled medical study for weight loss. Needles to say, age is an important factor when weight related health issues are being considered. The way an 8 year old child can be affected by overweight may not be the same way s an 18 year old will be affected. At the same time, the way an older patient may be able to stay in course in a controlled weight loss progress is not the same way a young

Training and Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development - Research Paper Example gic resources that can provide rare competitive advantages to organizations, while the human capital theory argues that the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of human resources are essential factors of economic-value production in firms (Hamid, 2013, p. 187). Garcà ­a (2005) studied the relationship between training policies and business performance for a sample of Spanish organizations across different industries. She proposed that training policies have inherent features of durability, transmission possibility, and replication and transparency potential that can affect stakeholder satisfaction and firm productivity (Garcà ­a, 2005, pp. 1694-1695). Garcà ­a (2005) followed the universalist approach in testing her four hypotheses. This approach is already widely used and is appropriate to her analysis of multiple firms in diverse industries. The questionnaire on training policy determined the following: (1) functions of the training services; (2) training policy objectives; (3) nature of training (proactive versus reactive); and (4) training evaluation (Garcà ­a, 2005, pp. 1699-1700). The four hypotheses of the study were the following: These hypotheses determine the relationships between training and worker satisfaction, client satisfaction, shareholder satisfaction, and firm productivity. While other studies focus on training-productivity relationships (Dearden, Reed, & Van Reenen, 2006), this study underscores the importance of other dependent variables in measuring training success. This article used a survey research design that targeted the population of Spanish firms with at least 100 employees. Garcà ­a (2005) conducted a multi-sectoral study and used the services industry as a control group because its large population may skew the results of the survey (p. 1699). A postal survey was mailed to human resource managers of 420 firms in 1998, wherein 78 provided valid responses, which means that the study had a response rate of 18.57%. For data

Rhinoceros Poaching Essay Example for Free

Rhinoceros Poaching Essay Despite of the protective measure, prosecution of this animal continues with the exceptionally high and illegal price on the rhino horn in clandestine market. In Kaziranga National Park, 69 rhinos were poached during the period of 1988 to 1991 (Bhattacharya 1993). In Nepal, data shows that intensity of rhino poaching is depend on the action taken by the management authority. During 1976 to 1983 poaching was completely stopped due to the Army involvement in the conservation of rhinoceros. Since 1984, poachers restarted poaching and reached maximum at 1992, about 18 rhinoceros were killed in this year. The Anti-Poaching Units (APU) was established to control the situation and this measure did work and minimized the poaching and was virtually stopped by 1995. However, from 1996, poaching was started again, out of 98 rhinoceros died during the period of May 1996 to July 2000, 28 were from poaching (DNPWC 2000a). It shows that slack in protection due to the political instability, transfer of APU staff and the merging of Gainda Gasti (Rhino Patrol Unit) to the forest guard enhanced the rhino poaching in Chitwan Valley (Fig 1. ]. Fig 1. Rhino poaching trend in Royal Chit wan National Park Data Source: DNPWC 2000 Heavy poaching in Africa and Asia (Williams 1993, ARSG 1999) is mainly for the high priced rhino horn and it has been proved that better protection is the only successful means so far to protect this animal from extinction. Thus, to decrease incentive to poach rhino, management should either increase the opportunity cost of crime through imposed wage elsewhere or increase the probability and severity of the punishment or decrease the actual profit from the crime (Williams 1993). Rhinoceros in Nepal In Nepal, rhinoceros population was estimated at about 1000 animals until 1950 in Chitwan Valley. Rhinoceros populations were dropped down to less than 100 individuals during late 1960s (DNPWC 2000a). After a successful effort of His majesty’s Government of Nepal by creating Royal Chitwan National Park in 1973, disappearing population of rhinoceros started to increase gradually and reached 270-310 individuals by 1975 (Laurie 1978). By 1988, the park was supporting a viable population of 358 rhinos (Diner stein and Price 1991). In 1994, 466 individuals were recorded, like wise in rhino count 2000 the number increases to 544 in Chitwan and 67 in Royal Bardia National Park (DNPWC 2000a) (Fig 2). Fig 2. Population trend of Greater one horned Rhinoceros in Nepal. Rhino Conversation in Nepal Community mobilization Army Information and awareness. Conclusion In adequate large chunk of habitat due to the human interference along with the rampant poaching are the major causes for the depletion of the rhino population in the past. Once depleting population of greater one horn rhinoceros can be recover by the intensive protection measure. However, increasing habitat fragmentation due to the human population growth and confined population of rhino may lead to the loss of genetic variability. Inadequate habitat and the small population can be managed through developing different sub-populations of the animal in a met population concept. Which not only assure the genetic variability but also save from the various natural calamities? Assuring genetic variability only may not enough to safeguard this animal for long term. Externalities like poaching and the hostile nature of the local inhabitants may conflict with the conservation goal. Thus, building social capital of the local people towards the conservation is very much essential. Fulfillment of daily need forest resource and economic incentive to the local people may bring the awareness for the conservation among the local people. Initiation has been begun in Nepal to conserve rhinoceros in the holistic way. Successful translocation activities, satisfactory increment of the host and sink population and encouraging supports from the local people shown that there is great potentiality and hopes to conserve greater one horn rhinoceros. However, the long-term success of this effort will be determined by the regional and international cooperation. 1. strict law establishment: First consider whether the supply or demand curve shifts. Secondly consider the direction of shift and lastly see how the shift affects the equilibrium price and quantity. Its direct impact is on the sellers rather than the buyers. When government able to stop some Rhino poachers or arrest more poachers, it raises the cost of selling that product (Rhino) and therefore, reduces the quantity of product supplied at any given price. Such law was successful during early 70s and 90s due to establishment of Anti-Poaching Units (APU) but later fail due to political instability and centralized management approach. So in this way we can show the economic figure (demand and supply curves) of Rhino horn on black market. Fig: demand and supply curves on black market economy when implementing strict laws. As demand for Rhino Horns are inelastic, the decrease in supply of raises the price of drugs proportionately more than it reduces poaching act. It raises total amount of money that Buyers pay for Rhino horns. Thus implementing harsh law does not always reduce the poaching crimes because Nepal government cant spend or allocate such huge money on conservation alone.

Reviewing Waiting Time and Customer Satisfaction in a Service Process

Reviewing Waiting Time and Customer Satisfaction in a Service Process Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review that highlights major findings from empirical research examining the impact of waiting time on customer satisfaction within various service settings. Design/Methodology/Approach The paper examines the results of past studies that have manipulated specific service settings (layout, fillers, surroundings, resources) and attempts to identify variables that cause less dissatisfaction in a service process. Findings A large number of studies reveal negative influence of waiting time on customer satisfaction. Future research proposals seek to identify the degree of satisfaction in a service delivery process. Originality/Value The review highlights a range of implications drawn from the studies that will be of value to service organization managers who face high customer dissatisfaction and low repeat customers. Keywords Service delivery process, Customer service quality, Customer satisfaction, Waiting time Paper type Literature review Introduction The performance of a service delivery system is inversely proportional to the degree of customers contact (Chase, 1982). The more the customer close to the service system, the longer the customer waiting times in the service delivery system. This cost of longer waiting times in the system can be attributed to (i) the customer walking away from the system and join somewhere else(ii) the customers decision not to come back again in the future and(iii) the customer passing negative experiences to near and dear ones like family and friends. Many studies emphasize the relationship between customer satisfaction in a service process and their loyalty (Anderson, 1994; Dick and Basu, 1994; Fornell et al., 1996; Selness, 2001; Mittal and Kamakura, 2001; Olsen, 2002). The cost of these behaviors by the customer is very difficult to calculate but definitely the sales will go down with each unhappy customer as the cost of retaining a satisfied customer is less than a newly acquired customer (Reic hheld, 1996). According to Lovelock and Gummesson (2004) time plays the central role in most of the services processes and they recommend giving more attention to improving the customers understanding of how they perceive, budget, consume and value time. Many studies focus on the relationship between waiting time and customer satisfaction in a service process (Hui and Tse, 1996; Pruyn and Smidts, 1998). Thus the customers satisfaction can be regarded as the bridge between operational performance of the service firm and subsequent impact on the behavior of the customer towards the service firm. In this study we are trying to understand the factors responsible for dissatisfied customer in a service environment and how it can be minimized through proper and timely allocation of resources in the service process system. Literature Review Waiting Time Time has commonly been regarded as a significant component of the total cost of a transaction, making customers aware that their time is most valuable (Anderson and Shugan, 1991; Jacoby et al., 1976; Kellaris and Kent, 1992). Past research has suggested various dimensions of time that include: pace, urgency, sequencing, separation, scheduling, duration, punctuality, flexibility, linearity, synchronization and present and future time perspectives (Ballard and Seibold, 2004; Owen, 1991; Moore, 1963, Lauer, 1981). The waiting time problem has become an important part of service providers priorities as todays customers are becoming intolerance to waiting time in a service process. Further, consumers do not evaluate service quality solely on the outcome of service, but they evaluate it on the basis of service delivery process and time is the most important factor for evaluating customer satisfaction in a service process (Davis and Vollmann, 1990; Friedman and Friedman, 1997). Additionally waiting tine is the deciding factor for service evaluations for many consumers as they value time more than ever. It is also important to notice in which stage the customer is feeling dissatisfaction in a service encounter. According to Dube-Rioux et al. (1989), the service encounter has three phases: pre- process, in- process and post- process. Research has shown that there is causal effect of service stage, as mentioned by Dube-Rioux (1989), and service delays on consumers reaction to waiting (Hui et al., 199 8; Dube et al., 1991; Dube-Rioux et al., 1989). Dube-Rioux et al. (1989) argue that service delays were less unpleasant than service entry or service exit waits as Hansen and Danaher (1999) showed that service exit exerts a significant effect on consumers perception of service quality and post purchase behavior. Waiting is considered a negative experience from both the economic as well as psychological perspective. Further waiting time is often used as a substitute for cost. The waiting time is an important component of customers overall evaluation of the service (Peritz, 1993). Also the amount of time they spend while checkout from a store influences the overall satisfaction level of the customer (Katz, Larsen, Blaire and Larsen, 1991). Further, research has shown that long waits have a negative effect on customer satisfaction (Chebat and Filiatrault, 1993). Waiting time is often regarded as a waste of time (Leclerc, Schmitt and Dube, 1995; Schwartz, 1975; Rafaeli, 1989; Hui and Tse, 1996; Sheu et al., 2003) and has been described as frustrating boring and irritating (Hui and Tse, 1996; Katz et al., 1991). According to McDonnell (2007), anger and frustration are more likely to happen at bank branches and financial institutions than many other service contact points. Further, research has shown that many consumers dislike waiting in a queue which results in a negative service quality evaluation (Krentler, 1988; Kumar et al., 1997; Houston et al., 1998; Ho and Zheng, 2004). The consumers waiting experience has the direct influence on the perception of service quality (Soloman, Bamossy and Askeggard, 1999). For, wait is considered as a wait prior to being served. Apart from income and price, time is considered as a constraint in consumer purchasing choice (Becker, 1965; Umesh et al., 1989). Many researchers have tried to solve waiting time by providing various strategies like waiting time fillers such as increase of front line employees, video display, news updates or waiting time guarantees (Kumar, Kalwani and Dada, 1997), but failed to eliminate the waiting time dissatisfaction completely. Music can play an important role in reducing dissatisfaction levels for consumers waiting in line (Steve and Oakes, 2008). A waiting time has four dimensions: Objective, subjective, cognitive and effective: Davis and Vollman, 1990;Katz et al., 1991; Taylor, 1994) advocate that objective waiting time is the elapsed time as measured by a stop watch by the customer before being served. The subjective waiting time is the perceived waiting time by the customer (Hui and Tse, 1996; Pruyn and Smidts, 1998). The cognitive waiting time is the customers evaluation of the wait as short versus long (Pruyn and Smidts, 1998), being (or not being) acceptable, reasonable and tolerable (Durrande- Mpreau, 1999). The affective aspect of the waiting time is the emotional response to waiting like irritation, boredom, frustration, pleasure, stress, happiness etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Taylor, 1994; Hui and Tse, 1996; Pruyn and Smidts, 1998). However the perceived waiting time is different from objective waiting time (Barnett and Saponaro, 1985; Hirsch, Bilger and Heatherage, 1950; Hornik, 1984). The effect of waiting time on customers perceptions of customer satisfaction relates positively to the wait to the customer and moderated by the reason for the wait (Nicole and Tony, 2006). Also the perception of waiting time is affected by anxiety level and queue length (Hornik, 1984; Maister, 1984). The wait dissatisfaction in a service process can be lowered if the overall service meets the customers expectations. Customers are willing to wait if they anticipate benefits through the consumption of a service (Zeithaml et al., 1993). Customer Satisfaction Customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to the service providers and scholars (Babin and Griffin, 1998; Oliver, 1999) in todays highly competitive business environment. Customer satisfaction is conceived to be part of an overall model of customer behavior (Bearden and Teele, 1983). One such model presented by Oliver (1980) is shown in the figure below (Figure 1). The Role of Satisfaction in a Customer Behavior Model Expectations à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Performance à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Disconfirmations à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" SATISFACTION à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Attitudes à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Intentions à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬Å" Future Behavior Figure 1 Sasser et al. (1978) identify three different models by which customers evaluate overall satisfaction with a service. These are: One overpowering attribute A single attribute with threshold minimums for other attributes A weighted average of attributes According to the expectancy disconfirmation model, satisfaction/ dissatisfaction is a function of expectations and disconfirmations of the consumer (Oliver, 1980; Oliver and DeSabro, 1988). According to Davis and Heineke (1998), customers reaction to waiting in line can color his/her perception of the service delivery process. Further, customer satisfaction is affected not just by waiting time but also by the customers expectations or attribution or determination of the causes for the waiting(Bitner, 1990; Churchill and Suprenant, 1982; Folkes , 1984; Folkes, Koletsky and Graham, 1987; Maister, 1985; Oliver, 1980; Shostack, 1985; Taylor, 1994; Tom and Lucey, 1995; Tse and Wilton, 1988). Also in a service delays, the stage in which a delay occurs within a service encounter affects customer evaluations of the service quality (Dube et al., 1989;, Hui et al., 1998). The overestimating of waiting time by the consumers (Hornik, 1984; Katz, Larson and Larson, 1991) leads to more dissatisfaction as customers perception of waiting time increases, the satisfaction tends to decrease (Katz et al., 1991). Customer satisfaction is inversely related to waiting time (Davis and Maggard, 1990); that is the longer a customer waits, the less satisfied or more dissatisfied he/she becomes with the service process. In their study on two stage service process, they found that customer satisfaction is more affected by the initial wait of the customer prior to entering the service process, than it is by subsequent waits in the process. Their study was supported by Sasser, Olsen and Wyckoff (1978) and Maister (1985).Davis and Maggard (1990) suggest management to devote extra time and resources toward initial stage of the wait. This priority is necessary because a dissatisfied restaurant customer tells fifty other people about his/her dissatisfaction (Lyth and Johnson, 1998). Parasuraman et als (1985) study on relationship between waiting time and perceived service quality has been widely accepted by the research and industry communities. The gap between the perception and expectation for waiting experience determines the customer satisfaction with waiting (Maister, 1985). Davis and Vollman(1990) argue that in most of the service operations, customer expectations and satisfaction with respect to waiting time are dependent on many factors including: The customers prior experience, the number of customers in the service facility, criticality of time to the customer and other distractions, intended or otherwise. According to Hornik (1984) consumers often inclined to overestimate time spent on waiting and the delay can influence affective reactions (Dube-Rioux et al., 1989; Hui and Tse, 1996; Taylor, 1994). Prior research suggests that crowding at the service process also affects the customers satisfaction (Eroglu et al., 2005; Michon et al., 2005). That means a perception of extremely un -crowded and extremely crowded environments at the service area lead to lower customer satisfaction. This means the service managers should allocate human resources wisely when the crowd is low. Conversely, more number of service personals should be devoted when the crowd is very high. Taylor (1994) argues that customers anger and their evaluation of punctuality affect the overall performance of a service process. The customers satisfaction with wait is also influenced by customers perception of service providers social justice(Larson, 1987) that is whether the provider is adhering to first come first serve basis or not. Piyush et al. (1997) argue that the customer satisfaction in wait is also influenced by the waiting time guarantee provided by the service providers. Customer satisfaction in a retail setting has been linked to a number of important outcomes, including sales performance, customer retention and loyalty (Darian et al., 2001; Wong and Sohal, 2003; Gomez et al., 2004; Anselsson, 2006; Martenson, 2007). Apart from retail, the customer satisfaction is a prerequisite for other customer service outcomes including customer retention and customer loyalty, sales/profitability and market share for many organizations (Hackl and Westlund, 2000; Reichheld, 1996) as losing a customer result in the cost associated with replacement of that customer (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990). According to Anderson et al. (1994) the customer satisfaction is positively related to the profit of the service provider. Additionally, the role of service satisfaction is believed to directly shape a customers long term relation with the service provider (Gronroos, 1984). The waiting time can be distracted with the help of television sets, newspapers, magazines, wall posters etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as filled time appears to pass more quickly than empty time (McGrath and Kelly, 1986). This can be applied to reduce the waiting dissatisfaction but not to enhance the customer satisfaction as superior waiting experiences will, in turn, enhance customers overall satisfaction with the service provider. Information provided in case of delay (Hui and Tse, 1996; Antonides et al., 2002) and the characteristics of waiting environment (Pruyn and Smidts, 1998) determine the customers waiting time satisfaction. According to Maister (1985) any information regarding delay can reduce the uncertainty of wait and reduce the overall stress level of the customer. As mentioned by Baker and Cameron (1996) the service environment influences the affective aspect of the waiting times. Also Pruyn and Smidts (1998) show that perceived attractiveness of the environment positively influences the affective response to the wait and service satisfaction in addition to the appraisal of the wait. But satisfaction with the information provided in case of delays influence waiting time satisfaction more than waiting environment satisfaction (Frederic and Nathalie, 2007). The customers waiting time can be influenced by making the service environment comfortable as possible (Baker and Cameron, 1996). Future directions for research Since the current study focuses on the influence of waiting time on customer satisfaction at various stages of the service transformation process, the exact degree of satisfaction is unclear from the study. Davis and Maggard (1990) argue that in a two stage service process, stage one requires priority where customer waits before being served. Future research is required to assess the degree of priority in the various stages of service process.

Primary Education In The UK Education Essay

Primary Education In The UK Education Essay Primary Education is an important topic to be discussed and analysed, since it is the basis of our societys formation, being thus decisive for our childrens future. This essay is entitled Primary Education in the U.K. and Spain: a comparison and it focuses on explaining some of the main matters concerning both systems. It is first of all focused on explaining some topics related to primary education in the United Kingdom including two paragraphs. The first one a historical background, proves to be the base of todays structure which may help us clarify todays structure, which the topic of the second paragraph. This is followed by two clone paragraphs applied to Spanish primary education. The last two paragraphs concentrate on the use and importance of ICT in primary education in both systems. The essay is concluded establishing an overall comparison between both systems. According to Denis Haye in his book Primary Education: the Key Concepts, British primary education and its structure find its roots deep in history, in the middle ages. It has been stated by some historians that English education began in AD 597 with the establishment of the cathedral of Canterbury by St Augustine. In the end of the seventeenth century education belonged to the church which promoted Christian knowledge, by creating its own schools. At the same time there were pioneers such as Robert Raikes, Charles Gordon and the welsh Charles of Bala, who believed in a connection between social action and education. The first publicly funded schools appeared in the mid-nineteenth century and aimed to offer Christian education to poor children. From this time on, the control of education starts switching little by little from the church to the state. Furthermore, between 1846 and 1848 in Wales, the Welsh Education Committee and the Cambrian Society both evolving into national schools , were formed. In the nineteenth century it is important to highlight the education act of 1872, since it lead to many advances in primary education, not only affecting the labouring classes as was happening in other parts of the country. The 1944s education act was decisive because from this time on, education was free of charge and relied on voluntary provision. It is known by the introduction of three kinds of schools: grammar schools, modern schools and Technical schools. The year 1988, saw the introduction of the nation curriculum including a selection of subjects such as maths, science English and religious education. From 2010, teaching foreign languages is also a compulsory part of the curriculum. In order to explain the base of todays primary education in the UK, it is necessary to go back to the twentieth century, when there were many important changes in primary education. Among these, stands out the introduction of the national curriculum in English mainstream schools. In this author words, during the twentieth century, it was also thought to be decisive an agreement about the need for a general education for children up to the age of 11, this being followed by a subject-specific teaching up to the age of 16 and a selection of specialist subjects thereafter. Due to the national curriculum, from the beginning of the 21st century most primary schools in the UK currently accept children from 5 to 11 years old. As Denis states, there is also a tiny number of schools designated deemed middle (ages 8 to 12 or 9 to 13) and first when they educate children from 5 to 8 or 9. To explain todays structure it is also important to focus on the types of schools that can currently be found in the UK. As the Department of Education reports, they can be divided into 3 main groups: mainstream state schools, specialist schools, state schools with particular characteristics and independent schools. To the first group belong Community schools, which are often run by a local authority and aim to develop strong links with the local community, providing services  like childcare and adult learning classes. Trust schools as well as Voluntary-controlled and voluntary-aided schools are owed by a charitable foundation, which employs the staff and sets the admissions criteria. Academies, faith schools, city technology colleges, community and foundation special schools, grammar schools and maintained boarding schools can be found in the second group. The third group is formed by Independent schools which have their own admission policies and curriculum. Spanish primary education, as the rest of the developed nations, it finds its roots in the XIX century. Many factors can be identified as those which influenced the rise during this century of specifically educative establishments aiming to reach a growing proportion of the population. The Apparition of the national states is indeed the most notorious factor, since it puts the Old Regime to an end while at the same time instruction is seen as a mean reinforcing its unity. Thus, education is considered to be from this time on, a public affair that has to be organised and controlled by the state which regulates its legal and administrative processes. To understand the current Spanish primary education, it is important to focus on three relevant education laws, well-known for their impact on the system. The commonly referred as the Moyano Law was decreed in 1857 in a context of socio-economic crisis, This law consisted on a legislative initiative carried out by the politician Carlos Moy ano whose main aim was to improve the deplorable condition of education at that time, decreasing thus the analphabetism average in the country. Education was divided in two stages: elementary (6-12 years old) and superior (9-12). Primary education was compulsory until the age of 12 and free of charge for those who could not afford it. According to the web page State Univeristy.com, it also marked the foundation of privet schools in Spain at that time owned by the Catholic Church. Just one year after the 1944s British education act, the 1945s law was decreed in the historical context of post-war and in the ideological context of national Catholicism. Its main objective was to orientate the student in accordance with their aptitudes to the working life. Born in the context of democracy, the 1990s law of education aimed to impart an equal instruction in order to allow pupils to acquire basic cultural elements, to wit: oral expression, reading, writing and arithmetic calculi. It divided education into tree periods: the first stage (from6 to 8 years old), second (8-10) and third (10-12). To explain the structure of todays primary education in Spain, it is important to go back to the year 2006, when the fundamental law of education also known as LOE or Ley Organica de Educacià ³n was decreed. This law established a compulsory education from 6 to 16 year-old children. While in the UK children start their primary education at the age of 5, Spanish children start going to school at the age of 6. Also it is important to mention that most pupils attend pre-schools from 3 to 5 years of age. Most of these nursery schools in most cases belong to the same centre of education. According to the famous online encyclopedia known as Wikipedia, primary education in Spain can be divided into three cycles: the first cycle includes pupils from 6 to 7 years of age, the second 8-9 and the third 10 to 11. Focusing on the Spanish national curriculum, compulsory subjects are: Spanish language and Literature, Art, Mathematics, Physical Education, Natural and social sciences both included in a subject called Conocimiento Del Medio and English or French. Many state schools have an agreement with the British Council making the study of English compulsory from the age of 6. Although in the United Kingdom there a several types of schools, in Spain most of them can be grosso modo divided into three groups: public or state schools, privet schools or semi-privet schools also referred in Spanish as concertado schools. As happens in the UK, state schools are funded by the government and therefore they are free for those living in the country. These cannot be freely selected, as the children are allocated the closest school to their home. According to Maurice Hamlin in his web page practicalspain.com, semi-privet or concertado schools are similar to the Britishs grant maintained schools since they receive subsidies by the government being education thus, provided free of charge. Most of them are run by a religious order e.g. the Salesians of Don Bosco, and pupils usually wear un iforms. Privet and International schools in Spain are becoming more popular. According to the Article Living and Working in Spain they provide a more relaxed environment offering a wider range of subjects and an international approach. Another important aspect to be analysed, is the use of the information and communication technologies in British and Spanish Schools. According to the British Department of Education, information and communication technologies (ICT) in schools can improve the quality of teaching, learning and management in schools and so help raise standards. In order to evaluate the use of ITC in primary schools The Education and Training inspectorate published in 2002 a report in which some of the main strengths of the use of new technologies are highlighted. As this report states, integrating the ICT in the national curriculum supports both teaching and learning. The quality of planning for ICT is proved to be satisfactory or better in 70 % of the schools inspected and in most schools the quality of teaching and pupils experiences are proved to be satisfactory, including a wide range of ICT applications among which stands out the use of word processing. Learning to use Microsoft Words spell check, digital cameras, create an maintain a web page, sending a forwarding e-mails, burning a cd, as well as learning how to control multi-media and database software are indeed but a few other applications in schools. As this study proves, ICT has also a very positive reaction on children by increasing their motivation towards learning in general; as the report states children have high levels of interest and enthusiasm in their work in ICT being motivated by the inclusion of ICT in their lessons. It is a fact that there are an increasing number of schools that are incorporating ICT not only as a subject in the national curriculum but as a way to make the other lessons lighter and more amusing to children. According to an article written by Sophie Borland and published in the newspaper The Daily Mail there are even some schools in the UK who have decided to turn a P.E. lesson into a Wii class in order to motivate and boost their enthusiasm for sport. To do this, Borland says, the newly approved by Department of Health Wifit Plus is used in the class involving a variety of fineness activities. Even though this article received very positive reviews there are some people like the spokesman of the Department of Children, Schools and Families who states there is always a place for innovative exercises if they do not replace traditional ones. Another school in the UK, according to the education editor Graeme Paton, is to include the use of the so-called social network Twitter as pa rt of their curriculum. All children, the author states, will be taught how to use webcams, podcasts as well as blogs. Pupils in this school will be expected develop an understanding of different ways to communicate online. Improving keyboard skills, using websites such as the online dictionary Wikipedia and learning how to employ spell-checkers will also form part of the biggest overhaul of lessons for 20 years. As happens in the United Kingdom, Spanish new generation of children are marked by the information and communication technologies which are gaining each year a greater importance in the education policy. The inclusion of the ICT in Spanish education system finds its roots in the European initiative e-Europe which motivated the creation of the Special committee of study for the Development of the Information Society in Spain (CDSI) by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Some of the conclusion of the CDSI can be applied to education. According to this committee the use of the new technologies should be present in all subjects as part of the national curriculum and in the relationship between teachers and pupils and all the members of the educative community. The presence of ICT in Spanish primary schools can be clearly perceived in the autonomous community Extremadura which is considered to be a pioneer in this field. According to the secretary of ICT in the education polity of the autonomous government of Extremadura Junta de Extremadura, this region started the project of including the information and communication technologies in education in the year 1999, when the Strategic Plan for the development of technology in society was presented and the educational sector was considered to be the main pillar of that development. This moment marks the appearance of ICT in Extremaduran classrooms. What is probably the most outstanding fact is that, this region decided to develop free software equally configurable and adaptable. A new operative system called gnu/LinEx which would offer an enormous variety of applications in order to fulfill the necessities of all kind of users and a great diversity of tools for its use inside the classroom. Furthermore, in the academic year 2002/2003, an initiative was carried out in all Extremaduran high schools which consisted on transforming regular classrooms into technological classrooms by introducing a computer for each two s tudents. Also, todays schools in the region have at least one electronic blackboard, together with a projector, a computer and an interactive pad. The creation of the specific operative system LinEx must be adapted to a didactic and pedagogical extent. This is why a new variation of this operative system has been installed in all the schools of Extremadura. According to the autonomous communitys government LinEx Schools as it is called, offers the pupil an friendly and motivating environment adapted to their intellectual development. Together with LinEx, it is important to highlight the development of the educative platform Rayuela. As if it was a social network, this platform is an advanced system of information that allows a real-time communication between teachers and parents by using the Internet. It also has a database with allows all Extremenian students to have a single Digital Academic Record until they finish high school. Thus, teachers are able to access all the informatio n about the educative course of their pupils (calcifications, assistance and observances) in order to offer them an individualized treatment. To conclude this essay, I must say that as both educational systems belong to a globalised world and concretely to the European Union, they share indeed some similitudes and the two last paragraphs are an example of this statement. Among other minor differences British primary education probably differs from the Spanish one in what in my opinion, is its main strength: the diversity of schools offered which allows parents to have a greater choice. 2.500 words.

Technology and its Impact on American Culture :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Technology and its Impact on American Culture As an amateur reporter for the school newspaper, I have had the opportunity to interview quite a variety of people on many different topics. One of my favorite questions to ask is, "What do you think has had the most influence on American culture?" Why do I like asking this particular question? The answer is simple: the variety and range of responses. While some answers are more interesting than others, I must say that I've learned quite a bit from all of them. For example, I once posed my 'famous question' to a teenager while waiting in line outside a movie theater. At first, she just stared at me with a look that clearly said, "Who are you and why are you asking me this?" I stood silently with one eyebrow slightly raised, waiting to see if she would come up with an answer. She seemed to consider for a moment and replied, "If we have culture, it comes from TV." I had to agree with her. Television, whether we like it or not, plays a huge role in how our society functions and how our culture has been shaped since its invention. Up until 1935, televisions were not electric as they are today. They were mechanical, powered by a small motor with a spinning disc and a neon lamp. The picture projected was very small, sometimes half the size of a business card, and only showed shades of orange and red. From 1935 up until World War II, the electric television was perfected and made ready for public distribution. The electric television provided a much larger, clearer screen with a full range of colors. In 1948-1949, during the post-WWII spending craze, the television became a must-have item for every American family, bringing a world of information and entertainment into living rooms across the country and changing the way Americans viewed many things. One effect TV has had on how we view things is in the area of advertisement. A few weeks ago in English, my class had quite a discussion on the subject of commercials. A person can tell what type of society they live in by simply watching the commercials during any TV program. One example, in America, is the numerous ads for various types of medication. From this, it is easy to see that our society cares a lot about health care and making sure that they feel healthy. Technology and its Impact on American Culture :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers Technology and its Impact on American Culture As an amateur reporter for the school newspaper, I have had the opportunity to interview quite a variety of people on many different topics. One of my favorite questions to ask is, "What do you think has had the most influence on American culture?" Why do I like asking this particular question? The answer is simple: the variety and range of responses. While some answers are more interesting than others, I must say that I've learned quite a bit from all of them. For example, I once posed my 'famous question' to a teenager while waiting in line outside a movie theater. At first, she just stared at me with a look that clearly said, "Who are you and why are you asking me this?" I stood silently with one eyebrow slightly raised, waiting to see if she would come up with an answer. She seemed to consider for a moment and replied, "If we have culture, it comes from TV." I had to agree with her. Television, whether we like it or not, plays a huge role in how our society functions and how our culture has been shaped since its invention. Up until 1935, televisions were not electric as they are today. They were mechanical, powered by a small motor with a spinning disc and a neon lamp. The picture projected was very small, sometimes half the size of a business card, and only showed shades of orange and red. From 1935 up until World War II, the electric television was perfected and made ready for public distribution. The electric television provided a much larger, clearer screen with a full range of colors. In 1948-1949, during the post-WWII spending craze, the television became a must-have item for every American family, bringing a world of information and entertainment into living rooms across the country and changing the way Americans viewed many things. One effect TV has had on how we view things is in the area of advertisement. A few weeks ago in English, my class had quite a discussion on the subject of commercials. A person can tell what type of society they live in by simply watching the commercials during any TV program. One example, in America, is the numerous ads for various types of medication. From this, it is easy to see that our society cares a lot about health care and making sure that they feel healthy.

Exiles :: essays papers

Exiles Exiles Response In the essay "Exiles," Carolyn Steedman uses different voices throughout the story. Steedman uses her mom, dad, and grandma's voice to speak her essay to the reader. She does this by either using someone else's memories of the instant by referring to what their mom did, told by the father or grandmother. She also uses memories or voices that her mom or dad said. An example of this would be the telling of Steedman mom's story, which was told by her father at the time "in bits and pieces throughout the fifties". Her father says about Steedman's mother, "Your mother drank gin once," contradicting what Steedman heard when she was young from her mom that "she didn't go out dancing or drinking." Showing that this secret was revealed "years later, with nostalgic regret by her father". Knowing that her mom, at the time, she remembers, was a good mother and later in life to be lied to and deceived for her own good. The author uses voices in the essay while remembering what her mom and dad we re saying to her about memories of each other. So in other words, the author remembers what her parents said to her about each other and includes their voices in the essay. She also includes what she remembers exactly from her parents. "If it wasn't for you two, my mother told us, I could be off somewhere else". The quote obviously shows that this is what she remembers her mom saying. The author puts voices in the essay by using memories of her past. Steedman uses voices in her essay so that the reader can get a background and see perceptions or feelings. "She was a good weaver; six looms under her by the time she was sixteen". This paragraph of a story was told about her great-grandmother and as an eleven-year-old and how she was exploited. The author uses this as a voice because it tells how her mother also used her hands at her jobs. The author also shows where she received her traits in house cleaning from her mom. The author feels that "I sometimes find myself thinking that if worst comes to the worst, I can always earn a living with my hands". "If you want something, you have to go out and work for it. Nobody gives you anything; nothing comes free in this world".

Should the Quest for Knowledge be Boundless? Essay -- Exploratory Essa

  Ã‚   Victor Frankenstein suffered from a lack of foresight. He only planned to reanimate a human being; he did not consider the consequences of such an action, and he did not build protections for unexpected, detrimental effects. Real-life scientists suffer from the same problem. Today we are reminded with every issue of "Time" that scientists in one modern field, nuclear technology, and emerging field genome mapping/genetic engineering wield considerable power. Shelley raises the question whether the quest for scientific knowledge should be bound. The quest for knowledge should never be bound because injunctions against originality would lead to the oppression of mankind's most important resource, our thinkers. But scientists themselves should be bound by foresight. At the inception of a new idea or process, bodies of scientists should review the question before the new methods have been applied. They should try to foresee possible ill effects and seek to minimize these beforeha nd, and contain them afterwards. This would have come in handy for Victor Frankenstein.    The emergence of agriculture at the dawn of civilization was also the emergence of genetic engineering. Everyday varieties of horses and wheat that we know today were crossbred into current, recognizable states from earlier, wild plants and animals well before history began to be recorded. "Crossbreeding is a relatively slow and clumsy method of 'improving' animal and plant species" *1* compared to modern times, when gene manipulation means tests tubes and petri dishes, not dirt or husbandry. While prohibitively expensive (for the time being) DNA manipulation and fertility techniques will become simpler, cheaper, and more accurate. Soon, any hack scientist with... ... 1991. Andrea A Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz, The Presence of Others: Voices and Images that Call for Response Mary Shelly, Frankenstein. Bedford/St.Martins, Boston MA, 2000. 1 Van Doren p.398 2 Van Doren p.293 3 quoted in McGowan p.82 4 quoted in McGowan p.82 5 Van Doren p.398 6 McGowan Ch.12 7 http://www.doug-long.com/einstein.html 8 http://www.wakeamerica.com/past/books/manhattan/manhattan/manhattanmanhattan11.html 9 http://www.prop1.org/prop1/histnuke.html 10 http://www.cbsnews.com/now/story/0,1597,158208-412,00.shtml 11 http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/adrastea.html 12 http://www.cadu.org.uk/ 13 McGowan p.191 14 http://www.chernobyl.co.uk/ 15 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/three/ 16 http://www.sierraclub.org/nuclearwaste/ 17 http://www.un.org 18 Shelley p.232 19 Shelley p.232

If I Can Change the World

If I could change the world, money, the axis of evil, will not be the center of everything. It will just be a part of life, not the criterion of man's success in life. People will stop killing each other for money; people will stop defrauding others of their money. If I could change the world, money will stop its reign as king over man's soul. In Saudi Arabia, Women, dressed in black from head to toe with only their eyes sticking out, were moving about busily.If I could change the world, women will be given the same rights as men. Why do these men think that they are the gods of this land? Women in other countries have proved that they could emulate men; don't these women have the same potential? If I could change the world, these women will definitely be free to show off all their talents for this country's own benefit. â€Å"To Israel, please,† I replied, remembering the suicide attacks I've heard of so many times.We were greeted by a gunshot which miraculously passed throug h us but hit a man behind us who immediately fell to the ground, which was already wet with fresh blood. If I could change the world, there will be no wars. Look at that man over there,† I said, pointing to someone who was frantically holding the dying man who was shot upon our arrival. â€Å"He can tell you about the helpless feeling of holding a dying friend in his arms, feeling the life flowing out and not being able to do anything about it.What will happen to that dying man's family? If he is the breadwinner of the family, how will the rest of his family survive? If he is the only son of an old mother, how many sleepless nights will the mother spend weeping for her lost son? If I could change the world, nations will learn to forgive and forget each other's mistakes. Nations will learn to respect each other's religion, culture and perspectives. Leaders of nations will not hunt for reasons to harm and to attack, but will search for ways to help and to cooperate for a better world

Case Study One- Rio Tinto: Redesigning HR Essay

1. Synopsis Rio Tinto, an international London based mining and mineral company was severely impacted by the global recession in 2008. Such an impact forced unprecedented workforce reductions worldwide and decentralized HR management had to be brought in under a single umbrella to insure an orderly and efficient system that would support the organization’s future productivity. This new proactive approach to management, utilization of technology, and preparation of the employees proved to help save the company and set the stage for continued future operations. 2. Answer the Questions Q1. How did Rio Tinto’s revamping of HR help with minimizing the potential problems with the reduction in force? The entirety of management to engage in strategic human resource planning is what had been revamped in the Rio Tinto organization. Engaging in centralized global planning, maintaining effectiveness, awareness in serving the best interests of the entire organization, and not carrying out decentralized single focused HR at all sixty individual business sites was a positive, yet necessary culture shift leading to increased efficiency. The intention to control issues and serve the best company interests were to maintain integrity, hold down costs (which could have been in legal fights and time), sensitivity to those affected persons and business units, and establish a data management system that handles international staffing and succession planning. What role would an HRIS have to play in managing a RIF? The role of Human Resource Information System(s) in any organization is to give employee asset visibility to enable management decisions and planning easier. In a perfect world, all employee records from hire to decision time would give a more complete picture on all employees past, present, and future value to the organization. The comprehensiveness of a database with all the intricacies loaded in to handle future plans, regional requirements,  training and education, critical skills, performance data, and succession planning allows managers the ability to see exactly where to eliminate positions and personnel that do not add to organizational productivity. Q2. Without a consistent philosophy, policies, and approaches to reduction in force (or any other disruptions in the future) what would the likely reactions from employees be? The first collective employee reaction management will see, whether the entire reduction in force plan is revealed, would be that of the union(s) being up in arms that there will be any employees getting the pink slip. The on the job efficiencies and reduction in productiveness could occur if employees become disenfranchised and are left wondering on whether they have a job tomorrow. Managers and employees who generally have a minor trust issue normally will withdraw from each other, which will result in work team dysfunctional behaviors and creativity will stalemate. If left to its own devices, strikes, walkouts, or employee sabotage could become the extreme results of poorly constructed philosophy, policies, and management approaches. 3. Describe a Similar Personal Experience During the mid-to-end of the 1990s, during my career in the US Army, we had a reduction in force (RIF) that was conducted very poorly. The perceived best interests (Washington politics) for the organization and centralized decisions were implemented without regard for the work units spread across the globe. There was no real use of a common sense approach to succession planning and ultimately we lost an unacceptable amount of mid-level managers that caused a knowledge gap that took nearly ten years to correct. At the time, the HRIS was not fully in place with management understanding the capability of the tools possible in making decisions. Changes since that time have improved in teaching management to leaders and in the near future, a RIF is on the way with the drawdown after we get our forces back here from the Middle East. We should watch and evaluate the historical lessons of the past.

Huaneng Essay

Per capita beer consumption of Peru assumed to triple over 10 year time and matching global standards of 72 litres by terminal year. Income elasticity (0.498) incorporated into model as a lever of GDP Growth ( proxy for beer growth potential) This is multiplied with assumed increase of 3x in per capita beer intake to arrive at a macro economic proxy of 7.49% We subtract the given value with CPI Index ( inflation metric) factoring in assumed 5% price growth in beer * Negetive Price Elasticity( -1.676) arriving at net macro economic proxy= 6.89% CASH FLOW GROWTH RATE-II Cash flow growth taken as function of both fast growing macro economic factors + company specific performance Company Specific Growth Rate Historic EBITDA growth rate given in case =52.4% ( 50.4 mn USD(02) 31.69 mn USD(01) The rate is normalized and reduced gradually with power of 5% decrease to arrive at terminal value growth rate of 2.39% ( To account for rising estimated competition locally and South American Brewery industry and unfavourable govt policy) Terminal Value Growth Rate = Function of long term Peru growth rate* Industry Beta Cash flow growth rate arrived for first 10 years 6.89%( Macro-economic proxy)+ 21.6% ( Company specific revenue growth) The arrived growth rate is accounted for a inflation of 2.5% assumed. Final cash flow growth rate used in DCF Model= 25.5% DISCOUNTED CASH FLOW MODEL ( All figures in USD Mln) QUESTION 1(b) Can you think of an alternative way to value Backus based on the information of the case? Explain how you would do it, what the value would be and how it would differ from the DCF results. RELATIVE VALUATION -I ( Data Source-Exhibit 16)- All figures in USD Mln Approach-1 > Price/Sales Method †¢ First we get the comparable south American targets and compute the average P/Sales multiple. ( 2.12) †¢ We multiply average P/S multiple with Company Sales (137.19) to arrive at market determined Firm Value ( 290.82 USD Mln) †¢ Dividing by number of open class A shares(87.2 mln), we finally arrive at a Share price of 3.35 USD RELATIVE VALUATION-II ( Data Source-Exhibit 16) All figures in USD Mln Approach-2 > EV/EBITDA Method †¢ First we get the comparable south American targets and compute the average EV/Ebitda multiple. ( 11.8) †¢ We multiply average EV/EBITDA multiple with Company EBITDA (50.47) to arrive at market determined Firm Value ( 596.81 USD Mln) †¢ Dividing by number of open class A shares(87.2 mln), we finally arrive at a Share price of 6.84 USD RELATIVE VALUATION- A RECAP ï  µ We find our classic RV approach using (EV/EBITDA) & (P/S) Method returning a firm value less than that of DCF Method. FIRM VALUE

Australia vs. Netherlands Essay

Assignment 1: Cross-Cultural Dimensions Describe the effect of the cross-cultural dimensions of both Hofstede and Trompenaars on two subjects for both your home country as the country of your internship Trompenaars Australia 1. Universalism vs. particularism 2. Individualism vs. collectivism 3. Neutral vs. emotional 4. Specific vs. diffuse 5. Achievement vs. ascription 6. Sequential vs. synchronic 7. Internal vs. external control Leadership Leadership in Australia is very much based on rules. Therefore, clear instructions are given to the employees at all time, so that every single employee knows what he or she has to do. Because of the individualism, people all work for themselves. Together, however, they make sure the organisation’s result is positive. Group work is not really integrated in the Australian culture. Australians have the perception, because of their neutral character, that people can work together perfectly, without bonding in their personal lives. All of the above leads to a straight leadership. A manager talks to his or her employees to tell them what they have to do individually. No groups have to be monitored, so the manager can really concentrate on his own task and organise the workforce per individual. Organisational culture The organisational culture in Australia is also based on this individualism. As mentioned under ‘leadership’, Australian people mainly work individually. They believe that people should take their own decisions and must be self-reliant within a business and not dependent on managers or colleagues. Furthermore, the organisation is very strict. It is a loose and indirect organisation up to a certain extent. The communication between people within the organisation is very informal and direct. At the same time, the whole organisation is based on rules. Rules are more important than relationships according to the Australian culture. Netherlands 1. Universalism vs. particularism 2. Individualism vs. collectivism 3. Neutral vs. emotional 4. Specific vs. diffuse 5. Achievement vs. ascription 6. Sequential vs. synchronic 7. Internal vs. external control Leadership The Dutch leadership is based on the universalism, in other words on strict rules. Everything is determined with rules. However, the atmosphere at the working place is not strict. The communication from manager to employees is direct and formal. Employees know exactly what they are up to and can work on their work individually. Leaders trust their employees in this, they count on their employees to be self-reliant and independent in their work. Furthermore, Dutch managers work with strict deadlines. The Dutch culture is very much based on punctuality. They eat at 6 o’clock, they go to sleep at 11 o’clock. The same counts in the business-life. When a task is given to you, you are to make sure it is finished before the deadline set. Whenever possible, leaders give their employees reassurance that they are doing a good job. Employees also need this positive feedback to boost their self-confidence, which gives them a positive ‘get-up-and-go’ attitude. Good perf ormance is appreciated and rewarded. Organisational culture The organisational culture is mainly individual. The Dutch people want every single person to be happy. Therefore, they tend to give feedback all the time to boost self-confidence, they let everybody do their say in a discussion, etc. Furthermore, everybody is expected to have their work done before the set deadline. Dutch people are very punctual and therefore do not like people who show up late at meetings or who hand in their work too late. Next to these strict deadlines, almost everything is based on rules. Even to such an extent that rules come before relationships. Dutch people work together individually, which means that by all doing their work in the right way, they deliver a good organisation-wide result. Conclusion According to the cultural dimensions of Trompenaars, the Australian and the Dutch culture are very much alike. They only differ in one category, namely the internal vs. external control, where the Australian focus more on internal control, whereas the Netherlands concentrates more on external control. The other factors are all the same. Some are to a lesser extent, such as the achievement, which is far higher in Australia. However, it can be concluded that the Australian and the Dutch business culture are quite the same, certainly in the areas of leadership and organisational culture. Hofstede Australia 1. Power distance – 36 2. Individualism – 90 3. Masculinity – 61 4. Uncertainty Avoidance -51 5. Long-term Orientation-31 Leadership The hierarchical structure in Australia is nearly flat. To use Hofstede’s words: The power distance in Australia is relatively low. Managers are always easily accessible by employees and ask employees for their opinions. This kind of mutual information sharing leads to the best results for the workforce as a whole. If someone bosses the others around, a negative atmosphere arises and therefore the productivity might also suffer under these circumstances. This is not the case when information is shared on a regular basis, so that everybody knows what the company is up to and what is expected of him or her individually. This way, people can all work individually on what is expected of them and therefore, at the same time, deliver a good ‘group result’, because everybody does his own thing, so that everything is done eventually. People are not working closely together, because of the highly individualistic Australian culture, in which self-reliance is expected of the employees. Organisational culture The organisational culture is, as mentioned above, highly individualistic. There is some kind of cooperation, but this is not cooperation as we know it. Together, they make sure all the work is done, but this is not by really working together. The organisational culture is very transparent. Because of this transparency, every individual knows what is going on in the company and therefore knows what he or she is ought to do. Eventually, good individual work in all different departments adds up to a positive result in the organisation as a whole. This result is reviewed every quarter, because of the short-term-oriented Australian culture This individuality is because of the masculine character of Australian people. All people want to be the very best. They want to reach whatever their capacity allows them to achieve. And preferably as quickly as possible. Therefore, they mainly work for themselves and mainly care about their own well-being and the organisation is of secondary importance. Still, this characteristic is seen as an asset by many companies. People are hired on the basis of their winners mentality. This can, of course, be a good characteristic, but it should not be exaggerated, because then it can go at the cost of the organisation as a whole, which is of course not the intention. Netherlands 1. Power distance – 38 2. Individualism – 80 3. Masculinity – 14 4. Uncertainty Avoidance – 53 5. Long-term Orientation – 44 Leadership The power distance in the Dutch organisations is quite low. The hierarchical structure is quite flat. This, together with the feminine culture means that employees can communicate with their managers properly and managers also communicate with their staff. Therefore, the atmosphere in Dutch companies is generally good. The managers do not boss people around and they even ask their employees for their expertise and feedback. From an employee point of view, they can talk to the manager to ask for feedback, but only up to a certain extent. The individualistic culture of the Dutch organisations means that employees should be self-reliant and take initiatives. Organisational culture The Dutch organisational culture is one of punctuality, long discussions and impatience. First of all, the punctuality. The Dutch organisation is based on rules, punctuality and certainty. They want to avoid risk as much as possible and therefore try to make rules for everything, so that as little as possible can go wrong. The Dutch femininity means that they want the best for everyone. Therefore, discussions are mainly solved by compromises, which usually takes quite some time. In masculine cultures, decisions are made without looking at the preferences of certain groups, but because the Dutch believe in solidarity and equality, they want everybody to have their say, which leads to long discussions with compromises as end results. The Dutch impatience can be seen in their goal-mindedness. They want results to be achieved as quickly as possible. Furthermore, they want to keep up with the competition at every single moment. Therefore long-term plans are seldom made. Strategies are often adapted to that of their competitors, which makes it impossible to set a long-term organisational strategy. Conclusion Summarizing all of the above, the Australian culture and the Dutch culture do not differ that much. The only big difference is that the Dutch are feminine and the Australian are masculine, which makes the Australian organisational culture even more individualistic than the already individualistic Dutch culture. The Australians are more self-minded, whereas the Dutch want everybody to be equal and therefore do not take decisions themselves very often. When looking at the graph below, one can see that the two cultures do not differ all that much. Source: http://geert-hofstede.com/netherlands.html Assignment 2: Theoretical Models Relate to theoretical models to describe the above mentioned effect. Flat organisational structure. The model that can be found in both countries, Australia and the Netherlands, is the flat organisational structure. This means that managers do have a higher function, but do not act like they have a higher function. The flat organisational structure is the opposite of a highly hierarchical structure as described in Max Weber’s ‘bureaucratic organisation’ 1. In hierarchical structures, the organogram has several layers from top to bottom, whereas the flat organisational structure has one layer, in which the managers are besides the employees that work in lower functions. This means that managers and employees in lower functions work closely together. The employees can easily go to their managers to talk about business-related cases and the manager trusts on his or her employees’ expertise in the problem-solving of the organisation. This way, as Argyris also describes in his theory of adult personality2, a great mutual understanding and respect is created between managers and their employees. This mutual understanding and respect leads to a more positive attitude of all employees, which leads to better results for the organisation as a whole. Maslow’s theory of human needs A big difference can be found, when looking at Maslow’s theory of human needs. Maslow’s theory is based on two underlying principles, namely the ‘deficit principle’ and the ‘progression principle’. Mainly in the ‘progression principle’, there is a difference between Australia and the Netherlands. First of all, which are the human needs Maslow is talking about? In the ‘progression principle’, Maslow says that a need at any level is activated only when the next-lower-level need is satisfied3. In this definition, there is of course no difference. However, in the hierarchy of these needs, there is a difference. Because of the competitive character of Australian business people, as a result from their masculine background, the self-actualisation need in Australia is far higher than in the Netherlands, where people often still work together. Self-actualisation is the 5th need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Based on t his higher self-actualisation in Australia, however, one can wonder if this is the fifth need in Australia as well. 1. Assignment 3: Cross-Cultural Differences Find out what the most important work related cross cultural differences are between your home country and the country of your internship. Explain them based on the cross cultural dimensions. Masculinity vs. femininity One of the biggest differences between the Australian and the Dutch business is the masculinity of Australia versus the femininity of the Netherlands. Australian masculinity is expressed in the urge of Australian people to be the best they can be and to reach the optimal allocation of their own strengths. Australian managers also pay attention to what people have achieved in the past, when hiring people. This makes the Australian market much more competitive than the Dutch market, because the Australian market is goal-oriented. This results in employees taking their own decisions, without consulting others. Contrary to this quick and efficient decision making, the Dutch tend to discuss problems with everyone until a compromise is reached. This is a highly feminine characteristic. Dutch people want to reach a consensus, before they take decisions. Internal vs. external control Another big difference between the two business cultures is the internal control versus the external control from Trompenaars, in which both countries differ. The internal control in the business culture of Australia is mainly recognisable in the behaviour of Australian managers. They tell their employees what to do and they trust that the work will be done before the determined deadline. They do not support their employees along the way or give them feedback on the work they are doing. The external control in the business culture of the Netherlands is mainly recognisable in the supportive behaviour of Dutch managers. They provide people with the right resources to do their job properly and afterwards give them feedback several times along the way. The Dutch employees are more ‘dependent’ on the help and constructive feedback of their managers/leaders. This gives them the self-confidence to do their work with a positive attitude. Wages The wages in the Netherlands are more fixed than the wages in Australia. In most Dutch businesses, people get a fixed salary, whereas in Australia, the salary is a low basis salary with on top commissions, which are linked to your performance. In some Dutch businesses, the strategy of incentives, bonuses or commissions is used as well, but in Australia, this wage strategy is quite common. Therefore, the Australian market is more competitive than the Dutch market. Australians have to sell products to get high wages, whereas Dutch business people know that whatever they sell, they will get the same salary, which provides much more security than the strategy the Australians tend to use. Do’s Be selfish; work by yourself and in this process, try to be the best you can be. This can lead to a higher salary because of commissions as well. When you do not grab chances, others will. Clearly state your qualifications; make a clear CV, in which you state everything you have done in the past that could be in any way relevant for that specific job. Be decisive; expect less monitoring than you would get in the Netherlands, so sometimes you have to take your own decisions. Be self-confident; Australian managers, as opposed to Dutch managers, expect that you can perform a task from start to finish without feedback along the way. Don’ts Expect extensive support; Australian managers do not give feedback along the way, whereas in the Netherlands this is usual. Try to reach a consensus; in the Netherlands, decisions are mostly reached by consensus, do not try this in Australia, where decisions are mainly made individually, quick and efficiently. Expect fixed wages; wages consist of a basis salary and bonuses or commissions, that are granted for good performance. Assignment 4: Questions/Hypotheses Clearly define at least two challenging business oriented questions/hypotheses which you want to have answered during your stay abroad. Hand in a clearly defined ‘ Plan of Action’ how you will come with the answers. Does the flat organisational structure also count for international interns? In other words, is an international intern also trusted for his or her expertise by people in higher functions? The best way to find this out is by going there and experiencing it. I want to go on an internship to really learn something, which is relevant for my future career in the business life. I am not going to Australia because of the nice weather and the white beaches. I am going to Australia to obtain relevant experience, which will be of great value for my career in business. Therefore, I want to get as important as possible within the company where my internship will be. That is why I wonder how important they allow me to be. Do they really involve me in decision-making? In other words, am I treated as an equal or not? To find this out, I will interview an intern that has already been to Australia to discuss the organisational differences and which qualities are appreciated most in Australia. Afterwards, I will make up for myself, together with a colleague, an employer and a co-student, whether I have these qualities and how I can use these the best in a company where I start as a stranger. Lastly, I will of course try to get involved as much as possible and in this process, I will find out if they really give me the chance of becoming important. Can I function the same when I am 17000 km from home? I am not only going to Australia to obtain working experience. I am also going there to grow responsibility and to obtain further social experience. I have lived with my parents for my whole life now and my stay in Marseille from September to December will me my first experience living on my own. However, from Marseille to the Netherlands is just 1100 kilometres, so if I need anything, I have the possibility to go home in the meantime. However, when I am 17000 kilometres from home, this is not a possibility anymore, so I really have to cope by myself. Another difference is that I am going to Marseille with two class mates. To Australia, I will be going alone, which makes is even more nerve-wracking. My stay in Australia will be my first experience completely on my own, far, far away from home. So for me, it is, next to an incredible working experience, also a real life experience. I am going to grow responsibility and maturity, which will change me as a person. I am curious whether this will have its effect on my behaviour on the work floor as well and if this situation allows me to function the same as I would do here. This question, I plan to answer by setting up a list of competences, which I will let one of my current employers, one co-student and one colleague fill in. After my stay in Australia, I will give the same list of competences to my internship coordinator and a colleague in Australia. By comparing the results of these lists, I can find out whether there are many differences and whether they are in my advantage or in my disadvantage. Besides, I will, of course, experience it myself and describe the process of my self-development on a personal level as well as on a business level in a process report. Bibliography Websites Austrade. (2012, March 23). Doing Business in the Netherlands. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from Austrade: http://www.austrade.gov.au/Doing-business-in-the-Netherlands/default.aspx Itim. (n.d.). Geert Hofstede. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from Geert Hofstede: http://geert-hofstede.com/ John Daly, S. S. (2004). Nursing Leadership. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from Google Books: http://books.google.nl/books?id=TrN3ZS0CNQcC&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=Trompenaars+Australia&source=bl&ots=mrfFE84Iuj&sig=Tqy2bx–eE6UhcfvYTqI7uKuNFc&hl=nl&sa=X&ei=O267T7XBEoWP-wbvpqjUDA&ved=0CGIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Trompenaars%20Australia&f=false Meehan, C. L. (2012). Flat Vs. Hierarchical Organizational Structure. Retrieved May 22, 2012, from Small Business: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/flat-vs-hierarchical-organizational-structure-724.html Mindtools. (n.d.). The Seven Dimensions of Culture. Retrieved May 21, 2012, from Mindtools: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/seven-dimensions.htm Sagepub. (2006, July 13). Dimens ions of Culture. Retrieved May 22, 2012, from Sagepub : http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/11711_Chapter7.pdf Books Schemerhorn, J. R. (2010). Introduction to Management 10th edition. View as multi-pages