Game Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Game Theory - Essay Example In context, Marx and his wife Anna are faced with critical decisions in their life. Given that their marriage has been on the rocks for a period, each of them separately relies on the game theory as the route towards getting preferable choices in their marriage, which is one of the top techniques to resolve marital problems (Szuchman). In addition to being a couple, the two operate separate but similar businesses, on which they have had fights because of their stiff competition. Their profiled problems start on Valentine’s Day, regarding the gifts they want to buy for each other and even proceed to resolution of their business woes, whose best propositions are determined by the game theory. The couple requires solutions that will salvage their marriage and prosper their businesses using the best strategies. Scenario 1 Marx wants to buy a comb for Anna this Valentine’s Day so that she can tend to her long hair. On the other hand, Anna would love to buy a wrist strap for her husband’s pocket watch, who has difficulties in keeping time at his place of work. Despite their perfect love for each other, neither has enough money to purchase the gift they would want to give. We may want to assume quite a different scenario, where the two lovers are in an uncertain short-term relationship and are self-centered. In this perspective, they do not care about each other, but are more concerned on the gains or losses they hope to make in the term of their relationship.

Opinion Editorial (Op Ed article) on how oil production affects the Essay

Opinion Editorial (Op Ed article) on how oil production affects the society behavoirs and manners in the producer contry - in ku - Essay Example Kuwaitis’ yearly income per individual is around $40,000 to more than $100,000, which is considered high. Citizens do not worry about taxes, employment, health care, and education. People can afford to not work and this has adverse effects on our values and behaviors. Kuwaitis expect money without working hard for it. In addition, they would rather work in public sector that can assure them high salaries with much less effort than the private sector. This weakens the private sector business in Kuwait. Mr. Mohammad Al-Sanousi, former minister of Information, said in an interview, he laid off around 600 employees who do not even come to work. He also said, they constitute a heavy burden on government’s budget. Citizens become more interested in prestigious jobs, so that Kuwait is forced to import foreign workers to fill the gap in the labor force. In the end, Kuwait will find itself with unbalanced economical situation. Certainly, there are those ambitious Kuwaitis who wo rk hard and do care about Kuwait’s economy. Their efforts are not enough if the government is not doing its part.

Cerebral Autoregulation Mechanism | Report

Cerebral Autoregulation Mechanism | Report From: Biose Ifechukwude Joachim Introduction Cerebral autoregulation (CA) is the multifactorial vascular mechanism that maintains a constant cerebral blood supply in spite of fluctuations in the cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) (Lassen, 1959; Tiecks et al., 1995). This mechanism thrives for CPP values within the range of 50-150 mmHg (Lassen, 1959; Paulson, Strandgaard and Edvinsson, 1990; Panerai, 1998) (Fig. 1). The vascular response involved in CA is rapid and so robust that hypertension (Eames et al., 2003; Serrador et al., 2005; Zhang et al., 2007) and aging (Eames et al., 2003; Fisher et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2013; Oudegeest-Sander et al., 2014) does not alter its physiological role. However, CA is compromised following pathologic conditions such as traumatic brain injury, intracerebral haemorrhage, stroke, hyper-perfusion syndrome, and subarachnoid haemorrhage (Diedler et al., 2009; Atkins et al., 2010; Budohoski et al., 2012; Saeed et al., 2013; Buczek et al., 2013). Fig. 1. Cerebral autoreglation in relation to vascular response. Within the upper and lower boundaries of the autoregulatory range (dotted lines), blood flow remains constant (blue line with beads). As Pressure falls below the lower limit, vascular smooth muscle relaxes to allow dilatation, while constriction of vessels (red circles) ensues to reduce blood flow as pressure approximates the upper limit. Adapted from Pires et al., 2013. Classification Based on factors affecting cerebral blood flow (CBF), CA can be classified into two categories, metabolic autoregulation (MA) and pressure autoregulation (PA). Mainly due to changes in brain tissue pH (Cotev and Severinghaus, 1969; Betz and Heuser, 1967; Raichle, Posner and Plum, 1970), MA is the principal regulatory mechanism of CBF according to metabolic demand. This implies that MA responds to local or global ischemia and hypoxia which increases pH by increasing CBF via vasodilatation (Ekstrom-Jodal et al., 1971; Raichle and Stone, 1971).While PA is the vascular response to maintain blood flow following changes in perfusion pressure, achieved by varying the degree of vasoconstriction or vasodilatation of the cerebral vasculature. Mechanism In adults and under normal conditions, provided CPP falls within the boundary of 50-150 mmHg, CBF is preserved at approximately 50 mL per 100 g of brain tissue per minute (McHenry et al., 1974; Strandgaard et al., 1976; Paulson, Strandgaard and Edvinsson, 1990). Outside this range of CPP, CA is impaired and CBF becomes directly dependent on mean arterial pressure (MacKenzie et al., 1976; Heistad and Kontos, 1979; Baumbach and Heistad, 1985; Paulson et al., 1990). More so, should CPP falls below the lower boundary of CA, blood flow reduces and ischemia sets in (Hossmann, 2006). The precise mechanism of CA is currently elusive; however, it is believed to be subject to the interaction of neurogenic, metabolic and myogenic factors (Czosnyka et al., 2009; Novak and Hajjar, 2010). Intrinsic innervation is touted to be directly involved in the mechanisms of CA (Goadsby and Edvinsson, 2002) and extrinsic pathway is implausible, since CA is unimpaired following sympathetic and parasympathetic denervation in experimental animals (Busija and Heistad, 1984). The perikarya within the subcortical region of the brain, precisely those from the nucleus basalis, locus ceruleus and raphe nucleus project to cortical microvessels for the control of local blood flow by release of neurotransmitters (ACH, norepinephrine and 5HT) (Hamel, 2006). These released neurotransmitter substances interact with the receptors on smooth muscle, endothelium, or astrocytes to cause constriction or dilation, thus regulating blood supply according to the metabolic demand (Iadecola, 2004; Hamel, 2006; Drake and Iadecola, 2007). Also, metabolic by-products released by the brain during CBF decrease are important for CA (Paulson, Strandgaar and Edvinsson, 1990). These substances, potassium, adenosine, and hydrogen ion triggers vasodilatation. Another important component of the CA mechanism is the myogenic response of the cerebrovascular smooth muscle in regulating vascular tone. Constriction of the cerebral vasculature due to smooth muscle contraction ensues during pressure fluctuations at the upper boundary of the autoregulatory range of CPP, thus blood flow is not excessive (Fig. 1). Conversely, fluctuations at the lower limit of CPP is followed by vasodilatation (Fig.1) (Kontos, 1978,Busija and Heistad, 1984; Mellander, 1989; Osol et al., 2002). Furthermore, the direct contact between astrocytes and the parenchymal arterioles of the brain have been shown to play a role in CA (Rennels and Nelson, 1975; Cohen, Molinatti and Hamel, 1997; Iadecola, 2004; Hamel, 2006; Drake and Iadecola, 2007; Zlokovic, 2008). Most microvessels at the subcortical level have astrocytic end-feet at the interface between them and neurons (Kulik et al., 2008), thus, under the direct influence of the vasoactive factors released by astrocytes (Murphy et al., 1994). Interestingly, the type of cerebral vasculature may also contribute to CA in an unexpected manner, with respect to their response to blood flow changes. While basilar artery dilates in response to increased blood flow, MCA constricts Koller and Toth, (2012). Under Anaesthesia Anaesthesia puts the brain in a state of reduced neuronal activity, as a result CBF decreases in light of neurovascular coupling (Attwell et al., 2010). Also, in their studies in rats, Jones et al., (2002) reported that anaesthesia reduces the CCP levels below the lower limit of CA. More importantly, anaesthetics have significant impact on CA as they affect the vasculature of the brain, directly or indirectly. Under the influence of volatile anaesthetics, calcium entry via voltage gated Ca2+ channels on vascular smooth muscle cells is reduced significantly, causing the vasculature to dilate (Bosnjak et al. 1992), thereby, directly overriding CA. Also, anaesthetics cause profound respiratory depression in spontaneously breathing animals, consequently PaCO2 increased. Given that the vasculature of the brain is highly sensitive to changes in CO2, an increase value of PaCO2 stimulates cerebral vasodilatation (Kuschinsky, 1997; Willie et al., 2014); correspondingly CBF increases (Figure 2). These effects of anaesthetics lead ultimately to the failure of CA in mammals. However, certain anaesthetics for example Ethomidate, preserves CA (Wang et al., 2010). This is mainly due to their ability to keep PaCO2 nearly constant within the nomal range without artificial ventilation (Lacombe et al. 2005; Joutel et al., 2010). Fig. 2. Cerebral blood flow with respect to arterial pressure of CO2. CBF increases as PaCO2 level increases beyond the level of 25 mmHg. However, at 80 mmHg blood vessels are maximally dilated and CBF remains constant with a further increase in PaCO2 values. Adapted from Adapted from Hill and Gwinnutt, no date. Stroke During arterial occlusion, as in the case of ischaemic stroke, local cerebral perfusion pressure falls below the normal CA range while MAP does not change. With persistent occlusion, autoregulation fails (Reinhard et al., 2008; Reinhard et al., 2012; Immink et al., 2005; Atkins et al., 2010) and regional CBF further decreases. For this reason, blood pressure changes, high or low, results in poor outcome (Castillo et al, 2004; Aslanyan et al., 2003; Sandset et al., 2012). However, this is not entirely due to the failed autoregulatory capacity of the vessels during ischemia, but perhaps their normal vasodilatory capacity has reached a maximal limit (Petersen et al., 2015). The impaired autoregulatory response following acute stroke has been observed both in the affected and contralateral hemispheres (Cupini et al., 2001; Dawson et al., 2000; Dawson, Panerai and Potter, 2003; Fieschi et al., 1988; Gelmers, 1982; Lisk et al., 1993; Hakim et al., 1989). 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Immink RV, van Montfrans GA, Stam J, Karemaker JM, Diamant M and van Lieshout JJ (2005). Dynamic cerebral autoregulation in acute lacunar and middle cerebral artery territory ischemic stroke. Stroke. 36: 2595–2600. Jones SC, Radinsky CR, Furlan AJ et al. (2002). Variability in the magnitude of the cerebral blood flow response and the shape of the cerebral blood flow pressure autoregulation curve during hypotension in normal rats [corrected]. Anesthesiology. 97: 488–96. Joutel A, Monet-Lepretre M, Gosele C, Baron-Menguy C, Hammes A, Schmidt S, Lemaire-Carrette B, Domenga V, Schedl A, Lacombe P and Hubner N (2010). Cerebrovascular dysfunction and microcirculation rarefaction precede white matter lesions in a mouse genetic model of cerebral ischemic small vessel disease. J. Clin. Invest. 120: 433–445. Koller A and Toth P (2012). Contribution of flow-dependent vasomotor mechanisms to the autoregulation of cerebral blood flow. J. Vasc. Res. 49: 375–389. 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Lisk DR, Grotta JC, Lamki LM, Tran HD, Taylor JW, Molony DA and Barron BJ (1993). Should hypertension be treated after acute stroke? A randomized controlled trial using single photon emission computed tomography. Arch. Neurol. 50:855–862. Liu J, Zhu YS, Hill C, Armstrong K, Tarumi T, Hodics T, Hynan LS and Zhang R (2013). Cerebral autoregulation of blood velocity and volumetric flow during steady-state changes in arterial pressure. Hypertension 62: 973– 979. MacKenzie ET, Strandgaard S and Graham DI et al. (1976). Effects of acutely induced hypertension in cats on pial arteriolar caliber, local cerebral blood flow, and the blood-brain barrier. Circ. Res. 39:33-41. McHenry LC, Jr., West JW, Cooper ES, Goldberg HI and Jaffe ME (1974).Cerebral autoregulation in man. Stroke. 5: 695-706. Mellander S (1989). Functional aspects of myogenic vascular control. J. Hypertens. 7(4): S21–S30. Murphy S, Rich G, Orgren KI, Moore SA and Faraci FM (1994). Astrocyte-derived lipoxygenase product evokes endothelium-dependent relaxation of the basilar artery. J. Neurosci. Res. 38: 314–318. Novak V and Hajjar I (2010). The relationship between blood pressure and cognitive function. Nature Reviews Cardiology. 7: 686–98. Osol G, Brekke JF, McElroy-Yaggy K and Gokina NI (2002). Myogenic tone, reactivity, and forced dilatation: a three-phase model of in vitro arterial myogenic behavior. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol. 283: H2260– H2267. Oudegeest-Sander MH, van Beek AH, Abbink K, Olde Rikkert MG, Hopman MT and Claassen JA (2014). Assessment of dynamic cerebral autoregulation and cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in ageing by measurements of cerebral blood flow and cortical oxygenation. Exp Physiol. 99: 586–598. Panerai RB (1998). Assessment of cerebral pressure autoregulation in humans—a review of measurement methods. Physiol. Meas. 19: 305–338. Paulson OB, Strandgaard S and Edvinsson L (1990). Cerebral autoregulation. Cerebrovasc. Brain Metab. Rev. 2: 161-192. Petersen NH, Ortega-Gutierrez S, Reccius A, Masurkar A, Huang A and Marshall RS (2015). Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation Is Transiently Impaired for One Week after Large-Vessel Acute Ischemic Stroke. Cerebrovasc. Dis. 39: 144–150. Pires PW, Dams Ramos CM, Matin N and Dorrance AM (2013). The effects of hypertension on the cerebral circulation. Am. J. Physiol. Heart. Circ. Physiol. 304: 1598–1614, Raichle ME and Stone HL (1971). Cerebral blood flow autoregulation and graded hypercapnia. Eur. Neurol. 6: 1-5. Reinhard M, Wihler C, Roth M, Harloff A, Niesen WD, Timmer J et al. (2008). Cerebral autoregulation dynamics in acute ischemic stroke after rtPA thrombolysis. Cerebrovasc. Dis. 26: 147–155. Reinhard M, Rutsch S, Lambeck J, Wihler C, Czosnyka M, Weiller C et al. (2012). Dynamic cerebral autoregulation associates with infarct size and outcome after ischemic stroke. Acta  Neurol. Scand.125: 156–162.   Rennels M and Nelson E (1975). Capillary innervation in the mammalian central nervous system: an electron microscope demonstration (1). Am. J. Anat. 144: 233–241. Saeed NP, Panerai RB and Robinson TG (2013). The carotid artery as an alternative site to the middle cerebral artery for reproducible estimates of autoregulation index. Ultrasound Med. Biol. 39: 735–741. Sandset EC, Murray GD, Bath PM, Kjeldsen SE and Berge E (2012). Scandinavian Candesartan Acute Stroke Trial (SCAST) Study Group: Relation between change in blood pressure in acute stroke and risk of early adverse events and poor outcome. Stroke. 43: 2108–2114. Serrador JM, Sorond FA, Vyas M, Gagnon M, Iloputaife ID and Lipsitz LA (2005). Cerebral pressure-flow relations in hypertensive elderly humans: transfer gain in different frequency domains. J. Appl. Physiol. 98: 151–159. Strandgaard S (1976). Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients. 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Guillivers Travels :: Essays Papers

Guillivers Travels Satire in Lilliput In Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Swift uses satire to tell a tale of Lemuel Gulliver going on voyages in strange lands and meeting a variety of different characters. Jonathan Swift’s was one of the greatest satirists of his and our time. In the first book of Gulliver’s Travels millions of young schoolchildren have grown to love this famous story and never recognize the satire hidden in the story. In his first Book he uses satire to demonstrate English politics by using the citizens of Lilliput. Gulliver’s first adventure takes place in Lilliput. Gulliver gets shipwrecked and finds himself tied down by a considerable number of little people called Lilliputians. The Lilliputians stood only six inches high. During this time Swift recognized that England was also small in stature but was dominant force and had a great influence in Europe. England, despite its small size, had the potential to defeat any nation that might try to conquer them. Swift relates this situation with the Lilliputians. They only stood six inches tall but had the power to take on the, â€Å"Man-Mountain†, Gulliver. The ability of the Lilliputians to capture someone ten times their size can be seen as reinforcing their strength as a small nation, such as England. Thus becoming and remaining a great and powerful country. Swift’s personal life surfaced when Queen Anne represented the Lilliputian Empress. She was responsible for blocking Swift’s advancement in the Church of England because she was offended by his writing. Swift in Gulliver Travels had Gulliver urinate on the Empress’ room when it caught on fire. Gulliver’s urination on the palace offended the Lilliputians and thought that they where insignificant. Even though Gulliver’s urination intends to prevent a disaster, it also gives Gulliver the ability to control the Lilliputians in any way he likes. Swift uses this sequence of problems to show a personal issue in his life. Swift’s urination scene parody’s his own life giving him a satire within a satire. By pointing this out in the story, he mocks his critics. Swift further illustrates satire by comparing English government to Lilliput. In the early eighteenth century, the English government was under the Whig’s political party. Swift represented himself as Gulliver as being a Tory, and the Lilliputians as being power-hungry Whigs. Their heels of their shoes identified these parties.

The Great Pyramids as Art

The Great Pyramids of Giza Art is the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. When looking into a piece of art there are five essential questions that should be answered for it to be fully analyzed. What purpose was this piece of art made? What does this piece of art hope to communicate? How was this Piece of art made? What is the composition of this artwork? And finally, what elements should we notice about this work of art?The Pyramids of Giza are the largest The Great Pyramid is the most significant of the three large pyramids located on the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid was also the first pyramid to be built starting in around 2550 BC. This pyramid was built for the pharaoh Khufu, who ruled Egypt from about 2547-2524 BC. Along with the Khufu’s Great Pyramid his son, Khafre had one built on the Giza Plateau that at a first glance seems larger than his fathers, and Menkaure, Khufu’s grandson, also had one built on the Giza Plateau. The first question asked when looking at these ancient works of art is what purpose was it made for?In this very early time period Egyptians wanted to preserve the bodies of the dead, and for the better-known tombs were built. The tombs were often a place where offerings could be left to people that had gone home to the gods. These larger pyramids were not only built to prevent robbery, but they also resembled the rays of the suns rays descending to Earth. This relates it to the religious beliefs connected to the cult with the sun god Re. Ancient Egyptians believed that the sun died each night in the West and was re-born the next morning in the East.This is why the Pyramids are built on the West side of the Nile so that the bodies of the deceased can travel with the sun god through the night and be reborn with him the next morning in the East. The Great Pyramid was built to hold the body and belongings of th e pharaoh Khufu, and the one farther South was built for his son, and the one built farthest South was built for his grandson, Menkaure. The main purpose of these three structures was to hold their earthly remains, and to leave a place for them to be worshiped.The next question we should ask ourselves is what does this piece of art communicate? The Pyramids of Giza communicate many different things. They communicate religious beliefs about life after death, how wealthy and well known the person inside was, and how intelligent and resourceful people of that time were. As we mentioned earlier Ancient Egyptians believed that if they were buried on the West side of the Nile when the sun died to the West they would travel with it, and then be reborn into their eternal life when it rose in the East.These massive monumental tombs were built on the West side of the Nile so that this could happen. Many belongings were also left in the tombs with the body of the dead so that those items may a lso be taken to the afterlife with them. The pyramids were not an easy project and took thousands of men to build. The size of these pyramids communicate how wealthy and respectful the people inside them were. Slaves did not build the pyramids; workers did during the time of the year that crops were not being grown so they were out of work.To feed and dress this many people for months of the year over a long period of time shows how wealthy the person going into the pyramid was. You also had to be very well respected for people to join you in building this piece of art. These three pyramids that sit upon the Giza Plateau communicate to its observers that Khufu’s family was well respected, rich, and took many luxurious things to the after life with them. The Pyramids of Giza also communicate how intelligent and resourceful the Ancient Egyptians were. The Great Pyramid was built of an estimated two million stone blocks weighing up to two and a half tons apiece.Khufu’s py ramid stood at four hundred and eighty one feet tall, and held the world record for the tallest structure for over three thousand and eight hundred years. Without machines and heavy equipment architecture in this time was very difficult for most parts of the world. For the Ancient Egyptians it was not impossible. Some people today choose to believe that extraterrestrials had to participate in building them, because there is no possible way the Egyptians could have. The size and complexity of these magnificent monuments communicates how intellectual and resourceful the Ancient Egyptians must have been.After looking at what the purpose of the piece of art is and what it communicates, you should look into how the piece of art was made? No one knows exactly how the Pyramids of Giza were built, but there are many theories that have been put forth starting with the Greek historian Herodotus theory. Herodotus visited Egypt in around 450 B. C. when the pyramids were already two thousand yea rs old. In this theory Herodotus mentions machines, such as cranes were used to lift the huge stones up. This theory was quickly torn down when Diodorus proposed a theory years later.Close to three hundred years later Diodorus exclaimed that mounds (ramps) were used to slide the pyramids up one block at a time. Diodorus’s theory is much more respected because the crane had not been invented at the time the pyramids were being built, and if it had there would be remains of it somewhere. In his theory the ramps ran circles going up around the pyramid, and the block were slide up farther and father and put into place each time. The ramp could be no larger than eight percent or the men would not be able to move the blocks upward. Like all other theories of how the pyramids were built Diodorus’s is very faulty to.For the ramp to have corkscrewed up the pyramid would mean that the corners would have to be finished last. If the corners were finished last how would they plan t o keep the pyramid perfectly square. In today’s day and time most people tend to lean towards the theory that extraterrestrials must have aided the Ancient Egyptians in building this work of art. We may not know much of how the great Pyramids of Giza were built, but we do know what they are composed of. The Pyramids of Giza were composed of building blocks, an outer shell, and an inner shell.The building blocks were made of both limestone and granite, and they were quarried locally. The outsides of the pyramids were made almost entirely of limestone. This limestone gave the pyramid an incredibly bright shine and made it seem that much more magnificent. The inner shells of the pyramids were mainly composed of granite, but not just one type of granite. The important chambers for the queens and pharaohs in the pyramids were usually built with a special type of granite know as pink granite. When looking into this work of art the final question we should ask is, what elements shou ld be noticed about this work?When looking at the Pyramids of Giza we should notice several different elements. We should look into the formal, symbolic, and social elements of it. The formal elements of this artwork are sometimes overlooked. When looking at this piece of artwork compared to a painting, sculpture, or another type of art some people forget that it even is art. This structure didn’t take one person a few hours to complete it took thousands of people many years to complete. Heavy stone was moved long distances without the use of machinery just to have a burial site for a few beings.The symbolic elements of the Pyramids of Giza are the most significant. The Pyramid is a sign that a very well known, respected individual has been sent onward to the after life, but his presence will never be forgotten. The pyramid is a symbol of the suns rays shining down to Earth letting Khufu’s people know he is still with them. Last but not least the social elements of the pyramids should be noticed. At this point in time in Ancient Egypt bodies were placed in tombs where the spirit of the body went to the afterlife, but the actual body had a place to rest from that point on.Although the Pyramids of Giza are much larger than others tombs, they are still simply a socially accepted place to be put to rest. All tombs are art because they have to be created, but the Pyramids of Giza are a much larger and complex piece of art. The time put into them, complexity of there structure, and the intellectual people that were put to the test to build this structure give it the elements of art that make it so magnificent. Works Cited Brier, Bob. â€Å"How To Build A Pyramid. (Cover Story). † Archaeology 60. 3 (2007): 22-27. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Carrol, Colleen. Clip & Save Art Notes. † Art & Activities 140. 5 (2007): 33-35. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Ikram, SalimaKamrin, Janice. â€Å"Marks The Spot!. † Calliope (2012) : 3-6. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Ikram, SalimaKamrin, Janice. â€Å"The Majestic Three. † Calliope (2012): 24-26. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Lesko, Leonard H. â€Å"Preparing For The Afterlife. † Calliope (2012): 7-11. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013. Schiff, Bennett. â€Å"Out Of Egypt: Art In The Age Of The Pyramids. (Cover Story). † Smithsonian 30. 6 (1999): 108. MasterFILE Elite. Web. 1 April 2013.

Globalization Argumentation Essay

(1, Premise) Globalization effects on economy, administrative, and geographical system of the nations in an effective manner. In today’s more challenging and competitive business era, globalization is one of the most important factors that have a direct or indirect effect on the economic, administrative, and geographical system of the nations in an effective and proper manner. There are rapid changes in the economics of the nations, due to globalization. In addition, different kinds of issues are developed or created by the globalization to the countries. Also, these are effecting the nations directly or indirectly. For example. High risk investment in other countries is considered a significant issue. (1, Conclusion) â€Å"After the globalization of the worldwide market, foreign investors faced the high risk to invest in the other nation due to the differences in administrative, geographic, economic, culture and demographic condition of the countries.†(Lynch & Gemini, 2010) (2, Premise) Globalization contributes to the improvement of technology that helped national companies. There are various technological improvements that create effective contribution in the globalization of markets and production. It is identified that the use of computers help the companies to adopt globalization and improve its market share in the global market. In computers, the use of the internet helps companies go global and add extra features to their production and operation activities. (2, Conclusion) â€Å"Through international technology, companies are also able to achieve competitive advantages over national and international competitors in an effective way.† (Mobius, 2012) (3, Premise) Globalization provides options of companies to improve their business through enter in the new country market. One improvement in technology related to change in the transportation technology helped the companies make globalization of markets  and production. The development of commercial jet aircraft and super fighters and development of ship transportation help companies simplify the trans-shipment from one mode of transport to another. (3, Conclusion) â€Å"Globalization helps companies to improve its market presence in the global market and introduce new production plants in different countries of the world to provide the right product to the right customers at the right time with the lowest cost† (Peng, 2009). (4, Premise) Globalization provides options of the companies to improve their position to attract or reach the new market and more customers. Technology is helpful for companies to generate global opportunities through attracting global customers for products and services. Changes in the telecommunication and introduction of the World Wide Web help companies connect with the global customers in an effective way and develop the opportunities in order to improve the market. There are various global marketing trends a global company needs to fulfill. The changing demand of customers, changes in advertising media and attraction for global customers are all important. In order to reach this target, global marketers need to target global advertising in order to attract global customers in an effective way. (4, Conclusion) â€Å"Through the targeting global advertising for the products and services, companies can also increase its customer base in the international market and can achieve competitive advantages over competitors in national and international market† (Shan, 2012). The first premise is an example of inductive reasoning as it is intended only to be so strong that, if the conclusion is different with premises. First premise: globalization impacts on countries economy, administrative, and geographical system, but the conclusion states differences that after the globalization, foreign investors face the high risk of investment in other countries due to the differences in countries’ administrative, geographic, economic, culture and demographic condition (Swenson, 2005). In addition, deductive argument is thought to be completely guaranteed of the premises truth, which means the conclusion is similar to the premise. Premise 2 is the example of the deductive argument as the premises and conclusion is the same, which the globalization or internationalization contributes into the improvement of technology as international technology reached of the companies that helped companies to achieve competitive advantages. References Lynch, M. & Gemini,C. (2010). Wealth: How the World’s High-Net-Worth Grow, Sustain, and Manage Their Fortunes. USA: John Wiley & Sons. Mobius, M. (2012). Passport to Profits: Why the Next Investment Windfalls Will be Found Abroad and How to Grab Your Share. USA: John Wiley & Sons. Peng, M.W. (2009). Global Business 2009. USA: Cengage Learning. Shan, W. (2012). The Legal Protection of Foreign Investment: A Comparative Study. USA: Hart Publishing Limited. Swensen, D.F. (2005). Unconventional Success: A Fundamental Approach to Personal Investment. USA: Simon and Schuster.

Becoming a Waitor essays

Becoming a Waitor essays Becoming a waiter is quite difficult. Becoming a good waiter is even a lot harder. Customers are the name of the game, but they are also the downfall. You have good ones that treat you nice and tip well all the way to the bossy ones that want something for free then stiff you. Turning out to be that good waitress requires mastering your daily chores, dealing with customers, and accomplishing multiple tasks at one time. Your main goal is to gain the customers respect. A career as a waiter has its benefits: You can mane tons of money on tips, your schedules can be flexible, allowing you to attack other projects, and you get the chance to talk to people all day long. Landing all of these benefits is not easy. To get the job, the flexible schedules, and the high tips, you need to be good at it, and being a good waiter can be incredibly tough. So before tying those aprons, you might want to look into some tips and listen to some stories to help for your journey into the hospitality industry. Not only does a career as a waiter have its perks, but it also has its downfalls. Being a waiter is work. You will be on your feet for hours, carrying heavy items, and managing many requests at once. While doing all of this, you need to have a smile on your face as if you are happy doing it. This is not a good job for people with high-strung personalities. You have to be able to multi-task. As you walk down as aisle of tables, people will be calling out for more coffee, a clean spoon, pepper, ketchup, a toothpick, and the tail of a Brazilian Mooney bird. You have to be able to remember and accomplish these tiny things without getting panicked or stressed out. You may have to memorize the menu and prices too, as well as daily specials. You should master your list of daily chores as soon as possible for two reasons. The first reason is that your chores will be relatively easy to do - albeit gros ...

An Online MBA Helps Business Owners Essay Example

An Online MBA Helps Business Owners Essay Example An Online MBA Helps Business Owners Essay An Online MBA Helps Business Owners Essay The world of business is a competitive environment to be sure; and any advantage that businesses and business owners can take to stay ahead of the competition can give them an edge in achieving success. To this end, many business owners understand that a higher education can give them that edge that they desire. By obtaining a higher degree they have the opportunity to learn about modern advancements in their particular industry, as well as general business techniques that can give them a leg up on the competition. The most advantageous degree in this capacity is a Master’s of Business Administration or MBA. Earning an MBA can be an arduous task but well worth the effort, as it can open up a new world for business owners looking for more modern techniques for running their business successfully. Of course, earning an MBA is easier said than done, especially for those students who are already engaged in running their own business. With time being of the utmost concern, many students look for the option of earning an online MBA. An online MBA program is offered by many accredited colleges and universities; some which offer only online programs and some that offer a combination of online classes and on-campus classes. For those choosing to pursue an online MBA the benefits are clear; they can fit their class work and assigned readings into times that are appropriate for them and still run their business. While the workload is the same, students of an online MBA program save the time and inconvenience associated with driving to campus and sitting through traditional classes.

Aligning Business Strategies and Project Management

Aligning Business Strategies and Project Management Project management has become very important topic all over the world. Literature shows that more than 30 companies fail to accomplish its project with success due to misalignment between business strategies and project management. Many companies face this problem of missing link of business strategies and project management. Alignment is necessary for getting competitive advantage and goals of its business. Top management also play important role in alignment of business strategies and Project management. Keywords: Business strategies, project management, alignment, project portfolio management Introduction: Project management has become very important and also serves as core function in many organizations. Projects are any temporary activities that have starting and finish point, it has performance parameters. Projects face triple constrains (1) time (2) budget and (3) performance. It was assumed that for attainment of organizational goals one has to meet triple constraints of tim e, budget and performance. Project management plays a vital role in achieving organizational goals and considered as backbone of organization. Project management is knowledge that meets the requirements of projects. Project management plays important role in accomplishing strategies, business goals and desired outcomes. Organizations link their projects with business strategies to achieve the goals and objectives. Strategies are activities that guide and direct the use of the resources to accomplish the organization’s vision and goals and sustainable competitive advantage. Mostly these components comprising the strategies of the business like internal analysis, organizational structures, control systems have strong links to project management processes and activities. Project management includes project portfolio management (PPM). PPM is about how organizations controls its projects and align them with business strategies. Many organizations are working on numerous projects a nd they are conscious to get maximum return of their business. PPM also includes the maximization profit which is main objective of all organization. Basically projects are bases of any organization to build up business strategy and project management relation. When organizations link their projects to their business strategy, they are better able to accomplish their organizational goals. Companies should align their business strategy with the project management action to implement the strategies in the projects. Such alignments are difficult because the objectives of business strategy are sometime not clear and well-communicated with project management. Misalignment may cause an organization to missing goals, communication gap and missing link of business strategy and project management. The lack of alignment of business strategy to the project management leads to the project failure and has adverse effects on organization performance as well. . There is need of systemic approach t o align the projects with business strategy. So important in managerial challenges involved that aligning project management and business strategy and encouraging individuals to participate in using emerging strategies to create new ideas and renew existing strategies. Literature indicates that some factors that helps in creating link between business strategy and project management if there is any gap between the bridge of business strategy and project management that should be filled to achieve high returns and competitive advantages. As literature shows that SPL elements such as spirit, strategy, organization, tools and processes that elements should be align between business strategies and project management and in depth understanding of factors that are missing and relationship of these factors with business strategies and project management. Portfolio management play important role in project management and business strategy linking. Implementation of strategies with formulati on, receive less attention than formulation so there should be proper emphasis on the implementation as well as.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Essay Example Public companies are demanded to set internal control structures to guarantee the quality and accuracy of financial reports in order to enable investors make informed decisions on which investments decisions they should undertake. Public companies are therefore needed to have independent board of directors to provide oversight and develop and assess internal controls systems. Secondly, the act has stipulated the standards and manner in which auditors should carry their mandate by ensuring that their independence is not impaired and that members of the audit engagements do not have conflict of interests (Pain & Karmakar, 2007). It further restricted audit firms from providing non audit services that are likely to interfere with their objectivity. In addition, the act has placed the responsibility of ensuring accurate and complete financial reports on senior management. The act specifies the responsibility of senior management on the validity and accuracy of the financial reports and outlines the interaction between board audit committees and the external auditors. Moreover, Sarbanes Oxley highlights the enhanced financial disclosure requirements for the financial results (Pain & Karmakar, 2007). Public companies are required to disclose off balance sheet transactions and beef their reporting. Significant changes in the assumptions and conditions should further be disclosed. Likewise, the act mandates security analysts, directors and auditors to declare their conflict of interest before accepting to provide financial services to public companies. Equally stipulated in the act are the penalties preferred for destruction, manipulation and alteration of financial records with an objective of misleading the public in order to make financial gains. It recommends sentencing and incorporates failure to certify financial reports as an

Kuiper Leda Problem Solution and Defense Case Study

Kuiper Leda Problem Solution and Defense - Case Study Example For increasing profit company has to focus on sales figure. Kuiper Leda built a strong reputation with its clients / customer due to right quality, right quantity & right price. Kuiper's customers are having faith on kuiper's capability. Kuiper decide to launch a new product knows as Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID). Initially kuiper's started with a very small setup for this device. And Kuiper is facing a problem in managing inventory for this new setup. The inventory cost is on the higher side. So Kuiper decide to decrease in inventory cost using effective operation management. Decrease in inventory cost will definitely increase the revenue of the company and its share holder / stock holder. Increasing the revenue of the company, automatically ensure the future growth of the company. Kuiper Leda management team should need to focus on the adequate forecasting of inventory, so that the production process can be run smoothly, without increasing the inventory holding cost. This Effect the future growth of Kuiper Leda. For achieving decrease inventory cost Kuiper Leda instruct the operation Management team to keep track of the production process. During the inspection of production process, team was asked to keep track on inventory also. This team has to focus on the production process & inventory, & need to found how much inventory is required for a specific order. Kuiper Leda asked its team to decrease in over heads in various department like in production, in quality, in inventory, in transportation. Issue and Opportunity Identification Issue Opportunity Reference to Specific Course Concept (Include citation) Concept Kuiper Leda's main issues are the future growth of the company, & future growth of the company is depends on production, inventory, resources & order completion in time To keep the cost down proper inventory management & increased in production is required. This process include to make a raw material store near to the company to keep transportation cost low, & material is available at the time of production process. Removal of Extra production capacity means that only required material or process should be used in production. Capacity of Raw material store should be adequate to handle incoming raw material. Right forecasting of inventory for just-in-time to maintain effective inventory controls (Aquilano, Chase & Jacobs, 2005, ch 8, pp. 60) Inadequate inventory management Need to make a effective Inventory management program Forecasting of inventory for just-in-time to maintain effective inventory controls Aquilano, Chase & Jacobs, 2005, ch 8, pp. 60) Number of suppliers are too large Need to develop a distribution centre Increase communication with suppliers to prevent delays in product to increase production. (Chase, Jacob, and Aquilano, 2006, ch 8, pp. 25). Logistic Control Need to develop logistic Management System Logistic will keep track on cost of delivery of finished goods (Aquilano, Chase & Jacobs, 2006, ch 1, pp. 5) Timeliness delivery of product Need to develop a team who keep track on supply chain Management Team will check each & every process

The Prostitution Problem (responses) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Prostitution Problem (responses) - Assignment Example I therefore concur with the response that a double standard exist over the prostitution problem and that the society has forced women into prostitution by establishing them as weaker people who are vulnerable to men’s manipulations. The response is comprehensive and its inference to the contemporary environment is valid because literature shows that despite numerous sources of power that women can use, especially in domestic set ups against male dominion, women still find themselves vulnerable. Men retain financial responsibility in families and their higher economic potential creates power over their married partners and other women who may be desperate for financial support. Factors such as religious and cultural values also undermine possible sources of power that women could use counter male influence. Consequently, women remain tools for manipulation by men and their best alternative is to take capitalistic advantage of men’s sexual needs. This establishes the basis of prostitution even in the contemporary despite better economic environment for women (Ghanim

RFID Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RFID - Coursework Example One of the Companies that provide that Radio Frequency Identification Device services is ODIN; it is considered to be one of the leading international companies that offer RFID software. This software is currently highly applied in large business companies that intend to track their services or products. Moreover, ODIN has also facilitated the provision of RFID software that is currently applied in tracking of vehicles and passengers in planes. One of the risks associated with RFID technology is ascribed to privacy of information; experts have argued that improper application of this technology may lead to jeopardy of the privacy of information transferred. On the other hand, increased cost of operations is another risk associated with the implementation of this technology. This technology has also been associated with enhanced processes of operations; that is, it has reduced the amount of time needed to handle certain aspects of business operations. Technology experts have also asserted that the use of Radio Frequency Identification Technology has also been associated with enhanced security i.e. in the transport sector. The risks associated with the use of Radio Frequency Identification Technology can be reduced through implementation of proper security measures i.e. use of passwords to access information transferred from RFID gadgets installed in vehicle and

Dishonesty in the law of crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dishonesty in the law of crime - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present dishonesty in the law of crime. a defendant can be deemed to have acted dishonestly if he knows that his doing is dishonest from the perspective of ordinary people. The use of this criterion, whereby honesty is determined by the standards of honest and reasonable people, can be criticised since it can lead to inconsistency given that various juries can reach different decisions on similar cases. Williams states that given the low levels of self-discipline that is prevailing in the society, he advises that the query of dishonesty should not be left to the jury. Therefore, the ghosh test has its basis on the assumption that there is a single standard of honesty that is universal and members of the society that are thinking right are the ones who hold it. This standard is seen to be so high that it can place a line between what is honest and what is unlawful (dishonest). The satisfactory and workable test about dishonesty should specify when co nduct is to be viewed as dishonest. Conduct should be viewed as dishonest if the one finding facts decides that reasonable and ordinary people would view the conduct as dishonest. This test is a fully objective assessment of dishonesty that is criminal and it contradicts the ghosh test to some extent, but it retains a little reference to the ordinary standards of the community. An individual is guilty of theft if he appropriates another person’s property dishonestly and intends to keep it away from him or her permanently. (Clarkson 87). It is not material whether this appropriation takes place for the gain of the thief. This act does not give the definition of dishonesty; instead, it only gives some specific situations where an individual is considered as not dishonest (Williams and Waller 157). The Ghosh Test of Dishonesty This is the current test for dishonesty, it is a test brought forward by the court of appeal, and is a two-stage objective/substantive test (Molan 17). Th is test is somewhat good because the decision as to whether the accused is guilty or not is left for the jury. The ghosh test has a number of criticisms because in this world there is no single standard of honesty held by the reasonable people of the society. Justices Toohey and Gaudron also criticised Ghosh as having practical problems. They also felt that, not all offences involving dishonesty were similar (Haplin 97). Subsequently, there is a need for the judge conducting the trial to stipulate the clear explicit meaning of dishonest to the jury. This is a peculiar test for dishonest

Principles of Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Principles of Accounting - Essay Example In simple terms accounting can be also referred to as â€Å"the language of business† because of its role that helped in recording and processing the financial information that the firm requires for management purpose (Mukherjee & Hanif, 2003; Galanza, 1995). The main purpose of accounting is to provide financial information that is required by an economic unit to enhance the efficiency of its operations. The tern economic entity not only signifies a business unit but also the entities that are operating without the purpose of profit-making like the public charities, clubs, churches and government bodies. The accounting information helps in decision making in the organization. For instance decision like availability of cash while going for purchasing of new equipments or whether the business is running in profit requires the knowledge of accounting information. This accounting information for a business unit is recorded by the accountant (Nobles, et al., 2012). Book keeping Me thod Book-keeping is referred to as the science and arts of recording business transactions and other financial transactions that are related to any institution, firm and associations of person or company. It is recorded in certain books at regular interval following certain definite rules. It is called as science because it represents certain systemized knowledge that are based on certain set of principles, which are followed throughout the process to ensure that the reason for recording the transaction can be explained carefully. On the other hand it is called arts since it involves the human ability and skill for recording the business transaction as per the principles (Kumar & Prasad, 1999). Scope The process of Book keeping involves two significant steps. Firstly the process involves recording of all the transaction in a book called journal. Secondly transferring all the transactions that were previously recorded into another book called as ledger. In order to know the net effe ct of all the transactions the various accounts that are recorded into the ledger are balanced. The main theme of book keeping is to prepare and maintain the records till the stage of preparation of Trial Balance (Rao, 2005). Importance Book-keeping serves as the foundation of the entire financial reporting and accounting process. The responsibility of book-keeper is to analyze and record all the financial transaction occurring in an organization. The sum total of all the transaction forms the basis of everything that includes grant proposals, cash forecast, budget, tax return and financial reports. The employees and other staff of an organization must understand the goal and mission of a non-profitable organization, in order to perform their jobs in an effective and professional way. This is particularly true for the accounting system. Each transaction that is being recorded while book-keeping is significant for the volunteers, donors, board members, management, community and emplo yees of the organization. Accurate information delivered in timely manner provides the stakeholders of the organization with the comment regarding the financial health of the organization.  

Dishonesty in the law of crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dishonesty in the law of crime - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present dishonesty in the law of crime. a defendant can be deemed to have acted dishonestly if he knows that his doing is dishonest from the perspective of ordinary people. The use of this criterion, whereby honesty is determined by the standards of honest and reasonable people, can be criticised since it can lead to inconsistency given that various juries can reach different decisions on similar cases. Williams states that given the low levels of self-discipline that is prevailing in the society, he advises that the query of dishonesty should not be left to the jury. Therefore, the ghosh test has its basis on the assumption that there is a single standard of honesty that is universal and members of the society that are thinking right are the ones who hold it. This standard is seen to be so high that it can place a line between what is honest and what is unlawful (dishonest). The satisfactory and workable test about dishonesty should specify when co nduct is to be viewed as dishonest. Conduct should be viewed as dishonest if the one finding facts decides that reasonable and ordinary people would view the conduct as dishonest. This test is a fully objective assessment of dishonesty that is criminal and it contradicts the ghosh test to some extent, but it retains a little reference to the ordinary standards of the community. An individual is guilty of theft if he appropriates another person’s property dishonestly and intends to keep it away from him or her permanently. (Clarkson 87). It is not material whether this appropriation takes place for the gain of the thief. This act does not give the definition of dishonesty; instead, it only gives some specific situations where an individual is considered as not dishonest (Williams and Waller 157). The Ghosh Test of Dishonesty This is the current test for dishonesty, it is a test brought forward by the court of appeal, and is a two-stage objective/substantive test (Molan 17). Th is test is somewhat good because the decision as to whether the accused is guilty or not is left for the jury. The ghosh test has a number of criticisms because in this world there is no single standard of honesty held by the reasonable people of the society. Justices Toohey and Gaudron also criticised Ghosh as having practical problems. They also felt that, not all offences involving dishonesty were similar (Haplin 97). Subsequently, there is a need for the judge conducting the trial to stipulate the clear explicit meaning of dishonest to the jury. This is a peculiar test for dishonest

The Effectiveness of Online Writing Courses Essay Example for Free

The Effectiveness of Online Writing Courses Essay Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are one of the revolutionary trends in education across the world. Many controversies surround it with some education stakeholders viewing it as very costly but of little value. In addition, other critics consider it a cheaper model of teaching especially in higher education (Vimeo, 2014). Cheaper in the sense many students can be reached wherever they are with no travel needed, by a single instructor, but of little value in the sense that there is no face to face interaction between the student and the instructor. For instance, Dr. Karen Head and Thomas Friedman hold divergent opinions and views on the same issue; however, they tend to agree on other significant views concerning the debate this may be in order to attain a neutral understanding. The revolution in the education sector across the world, which is created by massive use of the internet, is acknowledged by both Head and Friedman. The duos are acknowledging that many students across the world can be reached and access education online. However, there is a feeling that many students especially those from financially challenged backgrounds may be left out (Head, 2013, para. 1). Friedman is arguing that, â€Å"massive open online courses can present a scenario of inequalities in education provision.† He further asserts that, â€Å"children and students from affluent families will use online courses to augment teaching on campus while their counterparts from the less fortunate families will resort to the use of automated online instruction with little personal guidance (Head, 2013, Para. 2).† This is something that Head shares closely with Friedman as she also raises the concern that many students across the world that she instructs using massive open online courses have little access to the internet. Nevertheless, the content that the model is  able to deliver to the students is also a matter of controversy. Friedman is worried of the number of students that can be handled with the use of MOOCs (Head, 2013, para. 4). His other worry is the creation of a â€Å"super professor† that can handle such huge numbers while the rest of the lecturers are left with nothing to handle. Head, however, praises the model as she reports that besides reaching many students in almost all continents of the world, the students have also formed forums where they discuss contents and technology and helps one another with questions. She is also admitting that the most exciting part of all is the weekly â€Å"hangout† sessions, which are enabled by the use of Google air (Head, 2013, para. 5). Friedman and Dr. Head still possess different understanding about the use of MOOCs. For instance, Dr. Head is focusing on the Massive open online courses as an instructional means of disseminating information to the students. However, Friedman sees it as a supplementary to the traditional courses and programs. He contends that, â€Å"MOOCs is an example of what colleges have been offering as a remedial aid to students (Friedman, 2013, para. 1) .† Dr. Head, on the other hand, presents MOOCs as comprehensive ways of instruction to the students. For instance, whenever there is a problem the students are always emailed. She adds that the students are kind especially when they become transparent. In this case, the two authors differ on their take on the MOOCs (Friedman, 2013, Para. 2). While Friedman is questioning the authentic nature of the MOOCs, Head, on the other hand, is keen on this issue. She acknowledges the huge number as a challenge with regards to the assessment of the students (Friedman, 2013, Para. 3). However, she is keen to demystify any doubt about the authentic nature of their assessment as she puts it that, â€Å"students are first trained on peer review and peer assessment.† The students are also supposed to have a look at the previous essays and see how they were awarded and graded. While Thomas is concerned with the content retention of the MOOCs, he is also concerned about the level of plagiarism that is associated with such a method (Friedman, 2013, Para. 4). Despite the usefulness of the method as it saves time when reaching out students with information, the time involved in the preparation is enormous, a fact that is shared by both Friedman and Head. For instance, Friedman doubts how possible it is easy to assess and reach enormous large number of students within a short period. However, Head, while defending how assessment and  reaching the students is done, admits time as a challenge with open online massive courses (Head, 2013, Para. 1). For instance, she puts it that it takes awhile to prepare, and this is a procedure, which involves many things like rehearsing and recording videos among other things. As if this is not enough, after recording, the recorded script is then taken for editing something that lasts for another ten days before getting the approval of the Cousera. Indeed the process for the MOOCs takes a long time something that the two authors agree on (Head, 2013, Para. 2). In terms of financial cost, it is expensive for both the student and even the university to run and use. Higher education is perceived to be free or affordable and that all students should access it, across the world. However, both Head and Friedman are in agreement on this issue. For instance, Friedman argues that due to its expensive nature the students from rich families are the only people that can comfortably enjoy it against those from poor economic backgrounds. Head, on the other hand, perceives its expensive nature in the form of the stages it undergoes. She says that before one can use the MOOCs, it has to take one many stages like rehearsal, recording and edition before getting the approval to present (Head, 2013, Para. 3). In the light of all the arguments, one can conclude that the two authors, Friedman and. Head, have varying opinions on the use of the MOOCs to teach. In some instances, they tend to agree on certain issues and in some cases; they differ on their stands on certain issues. For instance, Head while admitting the challenge of a huge number of students that the method handles, she suggests strategies on how they are handling such challenges (Head, 2013, Para. 4). Friedman is in doubt whether the model is good enough to handle the big number of students comfortably. The two authors also express the divergent opinion on the use of open online massive courses. For instance, Friedman views the model as a supplement that should take the form of remedial while Dr. Karen perceives it as a comprehensive whole model (Head, 2013, Para. 5). References Friedman L. Thomas. (2013). The Opinion pages: Revolution Hits the Universities. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/friedman-revolution-hits-the-universities.html?_r=2 Head, Karen. (2013). Lessons Learned from a

Differences Between Good And Bad Leaders

Differences Between Good And Bad Leaders A leader is a person from a group of people who is prominent because of his/her skills and personality and these qualities of make others follow him. Great leaders are visionary as they can predict about the future changes in accordance to that particular goal or objective. A major sign of a leader is that he/she has ability and skills of motivating a group of people to achieve a common goal. In business the leaders have the same job to perform. They have to interlink companys goals by merging the peoples wishes because a group of people cannot achieve anything unless or until they have a common objective. In order to fulfill those objectives they would be requiring someone to motivate them and boost their energy level. A common direction has to be set by the leader for other to follow. He has to be organized and provide justice to his employees. Even organizations/companies are likely to fall apart in seek of its goals or objectives without a sufficient help of a leader. Infect role of a leader is one of the most important roles in the organization. He bears heavy responsibility to keep the company on track in terms of its objectives. Employees of certain level always want to follow someones footsteps in order to achieve their goals. A great leader can provide them this opportunity by setting an example by him. A good visionary leader can be very beneficial for the company as he/she can warn the company for upcoming hazards. He can also build a strategy against the upcoming challenges since he has sensed them ahead of time. It would allow company to have enough time to rethink on the strategy and prepare them for the hard times. If we refer to the previous history of the World, we will see the examples of a few of Good Leaders and a lot of Bad Leaders. A few Good Leaders because we are declining rapidly to over fall due to our overall Human Behavior in the Society and we do not have such qualities to deliver Good Leader to in abundant, to the World A lot of bad Leaders because greed of men and low tolerance with others in this rapidly falling Society in our overall Human Behavior is bound to produce Bad Leaders. But still we are manage to produce one or two or may be dozen good Leaders in the last century. Lets see why they were good leaders and why millions of us followed them in terms of their exceptional Leadership qualities Effective Leader A good leader is a person who has an exemplary character. It is of utmost importance that a leader is trustworthy to lead others. A leader needs to be trusted and be known to live their life with honestly and integrity. A good leader walks the talk and in doing so earns the right to have responsibility for others. True authority is born from respect for the good character and trustworthiness of the person who leads. Like the Prophets, they were a true symbol of exemplary character. Life before the claim was neat and spotless because they spend their lives according to the rules of purity, honesty and Truthfulness. Moreover Good leaders are tolerant of ambiguity and remain calm, composed and steadfast to the main purpose. Storms, emotions, and crises come and go and a good leader takes these as part of the journey and keeps a cool head and in the times when nations pass through difficult hours, these exceptional leadership qualities helps the nation pass that difficult time with great courage, steadfastness calmness. There are three main things that make a good leader. The first is that a leader must practice what he preaches. The second is that he has to look after and protect those around him. The third is that he must be able to develop other good leaders. I will go into more detail about how to implement all three of these characteristics, so that you too can become a good leader. A good leader is excellent at practicing what he preaches. I love the quote that states, Your actions speak so loud that I cant hear what you are saying. The greatest leader of all time was Jesus Christ and he was the best at practicing what he preached. This goes back to the old proverb that says, Live by the sword, die by the sword. This is the same with leadership and how much a leader abides by what he says. As a good leader, how can you expect people do what you say, when you dont even do what you say? Personal example My personal example for good leader is my Dad. He owns a hardware store in Toronto and I had learned a lot from him. He is always very organized, patience and a good example for me. He is open hearted in its action and always response in kind to difficult situation. He is very reasonable for his employees and this why I learned a lot from him Poor Leader This society has been very generous in producing bad leaders in abundant if we see the examples of our current political so called leader. Their negative approach to pass through the time of crises and their destructive thinking has brought this world at the brink of destruction. It is with their blessings that we as in a state of war for the last Hundred years. At this point, there rise a lot of questions that why they become bad leaders and why they have brought us at the state of War. Here are a few point which can solve all our questions that come into our vary minds. Very much the opposite of a good Leader, a bad leader is a person who does not possess the quality and guts to grab the hand of his nation in the time crises. And bad leaders do not have such vision and qualities to take the nation through difficult times because they lack in their innovative and analytical thinking to solve the problem their nation face at the time of crises. They spend their kingly life as they do not care about the needs and problem of their nation. At the times when a nation falls due to economic crises, they do not lower their standards of daily life and they do not care about the nation. A bad leader does not share the bad time with his nation and he continues to live comfortable life. Nothing makes him special, because he is not known for his virtues and good abilities. He is always known as a notorious person who does not care for the Needs of his nation. Unfortunately for us all, bad leaders occupy positions of power in business and government. There are seven major traits of bad leader. And leaders fully loaded with such traits can make the life of their nation a living Hell and these traits with little definitions are as follows:- Incompetent Leaders: Someone who is not competent to take effective action. Rigid Leaders: The leader and at least some followers are stiff and unyielding Intemperate Leaders: The leaders who cannot stand the theology of his neighbor and want to impose his own thoughts by force. Callous Leaders: A callous Leader is the one who is indifferent to the suffering of others. Corrupt Leaders: Leaders who misuse the power and position and utilize the resources and wealth in his possession in an ugly manner. Insular Leaders: The Insular Leaders do not have knowledge and awareness of his surroundings. He is unaware of the happenings around the world. Like he is living in the cave for centuries. Evil Leaders: Evil Leaders use their thinking in an Evil manner; they possess destructive thinking, and utilize the powers and resources in criminal activities. Personal example Bad leader was my boss Mr Anthoney. He was very lazy. He use to steal pizzas from work place and thats what created a bad example for rest of employees and this also cost company too much money even he wasnt a good example for a company because he never thinks about the whole team or a company he just think about himself. Who is the best leader from articles and why? I would like to choose Mr. Jim Goodnight as the best CEO through all the articles we studied because he was a great leader with great vision for the company. His strategies were extremely positive and influential for employees. He wanted to create an environment where employees would like to work and be more productive for the company. He was very motivated and supportive to his employees. According to him When I joined SAS, I wanted to be in and help grow a company that was as much fun for the employees as it was for the ownership (Pfeffer 1998) and this is the perfect example of great CEO. He wanted to make SAS instuite a perfect place to work. He uses to believe in intrinsic motivation of employees. He treats his employees with respect because he knew that they are the future of the company. Even for his employees he introduced so many benefits such as provided onsite medical facility for employees so they dont have to go and search for doctors. Even doctor fee was covered till fi rst dollar by the company or onsite child care centre for employee children so they can see them during their lunch breaks. Even junior high school onsite so they can drop of their children to work easily. Theses all facilities were very essential because beside them he also provided onsite gym and many other facilities. For employees it was more like fun place to work they use to bring their family during weekends to SAS ground for BBQ and stuff. Even he uses to motivate his employees. He wanted them to work at their best and this is why SAS employees turnover rate was lower than 4%. He wanted to create more convenient work environment for employees such he eliminated commission based culture for SAS because he wanted his employees to be more customer oriented then just making numbers. This is he inspired me so much. There were many other good leaders as well such as Jack Welch from General Electric who introduces strategies to eliminated bureaucratic strategies to make his employe es more productive or Wolfgang Schmitt from Rubber Maid article who created an positive structure so company and be more efficient but they all worked majorly to increased the revenue of the company and solely My Jim Goodnight was the one who worked for his employees. What changes was he able to affect at GE? Jack Welch was the CEO of General Electric for almost two decades. In 1981 when he came on board the company was struggling through many issues but with his calm and steady nature he was able to save General Electric and uphold it to the position where the company is at now. He was one of the great leaders like Charli Eitel at Simmons Corporation, a leader who supports his company and adopts strategies to save company from any difficult situation. He adopted many strategies to bring change as General Electric. Structural Changes His focus was to come up with strategies to save the company and the best strategies he can adopt was first changing the organizational structure. There were about 10 groups of sub companies with 46 divisions, and 190 departments with 43 strategic business units. This structure was creating massive work load for Welch therefore he decided to introduce more effective structure like Rubber Maid company did in 1980s. He removed barriers between CEO and business by eliminating Sector position from SBU Structure. According to him there should be more direct communication between corporate executives and business. He didnt want to create a huge distance between management and employees unlike Nut Island where employers had no connection with employees. Welch wanted to eliminate all the sectors so he can be more close to the business. Cultural Changes Cultural changes were the second most import changes what Welch bought in General Electric. He tried to introduce cultural change where there was more freedom for employees so they can express their opinion and be more productive for the company. Therefore the first thing he did was eliminated bureaucracy in the organization. He wanted to create flexible rules for employees like SAS Institute had for their employees. Their employees were working in an open environment where every employee is allowed to make a suggestions and management will value their opinion. Even according to Welch he wanted to create a culture of a small company a place where all felt engaged and everyone had voice (Levy, Wonzy, 2005). This was a positive approach to the benefit the company for long term. HOW did he make those changes? Welch made numerous changes once he came to a board to work for General Electric. First 1981 to next five years he worked on organizing the organizational structure and for that he lay off almost half of the companys employees because he wanted to cut the size of employees so he can give company a proper direction. Due to his extensive employee lay off magazine names him a Neutron Jack, (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) which means that wherever he goes his employees were vanished from there in a large quantity. After being done with creating a proper structure he started to work on development of the company. Establishing a sense of importance He developed sense of urgencys for employees. Make them realize that this is the requirement of business and without them they wont be able to survive in the business. Such their first priority is restructuring of General Electric. He wanted his each business to be the number 1 competitor in industry or if they cant make it then they will sell that business. Forming effective leadership team: In late 1980s during the second stage of the Rocket, Welch convinced his employees to become better leader so they can be productive for the company. He initiated `Software called Work-Out and Best Practices. Work out: It was introducing a forum so employees and employers can input their opinion in that website so they can avoid unusual bureaucratic issues. Welch invited managers and employees into New England town meetings for three days where employees from can come up with particular analyses and recommendations regarding their department and then their bosses have to make instant responses. This process was introduce to clean up General Electric and, to make workers more productive by avoiding unusual bureaucratic style. Regarding his this approach Bloomberg article mentioned that Jack put his time and energy into developing people (Levy, Wonzy, 2005). Best practice: This was his second method of learning from other companies so General Electric managers can learn how to achieving higher productivity growth. He wanted to create an environment of small collaborative teams so that employers can focus on developing effective strategies rather than controlling individual activity. Besides they can also focus on treating suppliers as partner so they both can perform well also emphasize on constant development to increase their productivity. These two were important steps to overcome the existing bureaucratic style and adopt new productive ways to be successful in a business. Create a vision of what the organization will become Welch changed a company structure and culture by going global. He introduced how global market can influence the culture. Going Global: Going global was a major decision that took place in era of Welch because once they had solid base at home they really moved forwarded into competing with world market. This was changing of culture and adapting of new market structure. They decided to use same strategies for international market as they used for local such as either #1 or #2 competitor or disengaged. Developing Leadership: Leadership also had a huge influence on cultural structure of a company. He is the one who had to lead the company along with 290,000 employees. It is his job to maintain the smooth transitions at work. Usually Leaders working in a huge corporation does really work hard because it comes with a job security of lifetime. This is why its their duty to create an environment where people can perform their best. According to Welch leadership can be characterized in 4 ways, first who perform their duties- fulfill financial obligations and share values of the company. Second who does not fulfill their duties and does not share our values. Third who forget about commitments but does share values of a company. Fourth who does fulfill their duties, give significant profit to the company but never share values and they are the most difficult one but since they do perform very well its hard to find them. They also work on 360Â ° feedback process from employees and accordin g to Welch people are removed for having the wrong values, (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) he insisted. We dont even talk about the numbers. (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) He explains what he is looking for is productive managers not people who just value numbers. Creating a vision Boundary less Behavior: According to Welch he wanted to create a vision for the company a vision that state in the 1990s: The Third Wave of General Electric. Over here he initiated a boundary less behavior vision for his employees. He wanted to introduce open, anti-parochial environment. (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) This is basically having an open environment where every employee without regards to their salary or position can share their ideas. They want to be comfortable doing business all over the world such as they explained in the article. They want to be as comfortable doing business in Budapest as they do in Louisville USA. Stretch: This is basically striving to achieve impossible. Over here manager are liable to set higher and unrealistic goals for their department and then try to achieve them. If they fail to react they wont be accountable for it although if they meet that extra ordinary goal then they will be rewarded. Service Businesses: Welch really prioritizes this issue in 1980,s he showed interest in service related companies. Before that they were the last priority of the company. Once he showed some interest and invested money in it they came up with the software called In Site for CT scanners and MRI equipment. It was basically a sensor installed in those equipments so they can maintain the service standard of that product. This whole investment on GE turned the whole pyramid upside down. Empower other to take action This process is to communicate and improve the vision on the company so they can make it a better place to work and this procedure started in the last decade of Welch employment. Six Sigma Strategies: This strategy was used to empower employees so they can work up the standards of the company. This happened in 1994 when employees were facing problems due to poor quality of its products and processes so Welch introduced this strategy from Motorola Corporation. It was a performance scale which is used to eliminate the unnecessary actions from the working process. According to Grey Rainer, Vice president of Development process this happened to be (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) the biggest opportunity for growth, increased profitability, and individual employee satisfaction in the history of our company. (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) It was a well developed plan which helped General electric in eliminating operating at error of rates 10,000 times the 6 Sigma level. Inspire and celebrate small wins Once the company performing better and according to the requirement of Welch, he was pleased to see their performance and felt that he had assembled a first class of leaders. Keep interest and effort on further improvement This effort was for the continuous improvement of the company because he still wanted to progress more because he wanted to set standards for future employees and the employees who dont meet the standards so far. He introduced a scale for them a term called A player with 4 Es. According to him a player is someone who had a great vision of leadership, great energy to motivate employee and implement strategies and courage to change the culture. Four Es Four Es consist the following: Energy: Encourage new ideas and apply strategy to implement them Energize: Motivate others by his overwhelming enthusiasm to believe in new idea. Edge: it is basically making through all the difficulties Execution: it is a consistent ability to turn idea into results. Institutionalize changes; reduce leader dependencies As he was leaving the organization he made the final changes. Before leaving he introduced the e-business so that company can adopt this new business technology as well. This was his finally effort to change the culture because he believes in continuity and he knew it takes a decade to make any new strategy actually work. Was he successful or unsuccessful (or both) at making these changes-and why do you say that He was extremely successful in changing the organizational culture and structure of General Electric because he gave the company a whole new direction to work on. The company generated 23% annual profit and this shows he was a great leader. Changes he made for the company shows he was successful in making and implementing all his goals and strategies which he promised a decade ago with his employees. How did Welch change and leverage culture at GE to achieve his objectives while CEO? He introduced new cultures which eliminated the bureaucracy from the system so employees can work accordingly. He introduced Workout and Best Practice strategies so he can eliminate the distances between management and employers. This gave employees opportunity to argue on any fact especially if they can make any difference and this action saved millions of dollars of the company. He really supported his employees SAS Institute where he tried his best to come up with strategies to make the company more pleasant place to work. He even created a broader vision for a company by going global this way he gave his employees opportunity to compete with other nations and make work more challenging for them. Then he enforced his employees in developing appropriate leadership skills to be successful in business environment. It was his job to create a positive vision for the company and that is what he did. He worked all by his honesty and integrity to save the company by changing organizationa l culture and structure. He even introduce a Boundary less behaviors strategy and this was the key point of his success because it gave his employees opportunity to share ideas all across the company without the limitation or without distinct of origin. Everyone was free to participate in company decisions and that was a truly success of changing of environmental culture. Also he adopts Stretch Strategy to give his employees a new vision of success so they can think beyond the boundaries of facts and actual figures and try to achieve them. He adopted sig sigma and four Es strategies to show his employees how to improve themselves if they ever lose track and this all results in enormous success of the company. Citation: Nut Island: Levy, P.F. (2001). The nut island effect. When Good Teams Go Wrong, General Electric; (Levy, Wonzy, 2005) Levy, P.F, Wonzy, M. (2005). GEs two decade transformation: jack Welchs leadership. Hardware Business School, Hurley, R.F. (2006). Decision to trust. Harvard Business School, Eight ways to built collaborative teams Grattan, Erickson, 2007) Grattan, Erickson, 2007 Grattan, L, Erickson, T.J. (2007). Eight ways to build collaborative teams Harvard Business Review, SAS: ( Pfeiffer, 1998) Pfeiffer, J. (1998). SAS institute: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS,

Montags Metamorphosis in Fahrenheit 451 :: Fahrenheit 451 Essays

Montag's Metamorphosis in Fahrenheit 451 It is once in a while in the history of one's literary experience that a book comes a long which is so poignant in its message, so "frightening in its implications" [New York Times], and so ironically simplistic in its word choice. One of these treasures of 20th century literature sits on my desk in front of me as I type-Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the novel devoted to denouncing the adage, "Ignorance is bliss". This novel provides a glance into a bleak world similar to our own (almost too similar) where war is common, feelings are shunned, family is non-existent, and thought is no longer an individual's query. To facilitate this last criterion of Mr. Bradbury's world, books have been banned, condemned to be burned on sight along with their possessors. (Incidentally, I am sure that Mr. Bradbury was aware of the high irony of writing this down in a book when he conceived of the idea.) And who should be the policemen of this world of ignorance? The "firemen." Not unlike the fir emen in our world today, they dress alike, drive big trucks, and wail their loud sirens. There is one fundamental difference, however-these firemen start fires; they cleanse the evil books of their sin. And who should personify the heartless, unfeeling, cold-warm fireman but Guy Montag. His father was a fireman, and his father in turn, so what other job could there be for a man like him? Well, as you, the reader, will see, Montag will soon have trouble answering that question himself. As I have mentioned, Montag is like all the others at the commencement of the novel: loving his job, never questioning an authority that has never given him any reason to obey. This all changes though when, while walking home from work, he encounters a young girl named Clarisse, who, through her innocence and oblivion to the world around her, shows him that society is crumbling around him and that he can be a part of the solution, not as everyone else is-the problem. For the first time in his life, he questions what he sees around him: his wife overdosing on pills, Clarisse getting hit by a speeding car and killed, and even the book burning which he does every night for money. Or was it amusement? Either way, curiosity gets the better of him as he "steals" a book from a raging fire during one of his raids.

Essay on Frail Ophelia of Hamlet -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Frail Ophelia of Hamlet      Ã‚   Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare makes it evident that Ophelia is very unstable. She continuously changes her mind about the way she feels. Laertes and Polonius command her to do things that she does not agree with, but she does them with no argument. Afraid to stand up for herself, she stands back and watches everyone else control her life. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Ophelia is treated as a marionette with her strings in the hands of the people around her; however, Kenneth Branagh portrays her as independent and innocent, ignoring Shakespeare's representation of her as feeble-minded through complete male dominance in her thoughts and actions, her indecisiveness, and digression into madness.    It is obvious throughout the play Ophelia is ordered around by Laertes and Polonius, and obeys them without a moment's thought. They act like she has no mind of her own, but she listens and does as they wish, so it seems she cannot think for herself. Polonius and Laertes treat her as though she is worthless. Laertes urges Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet ...

Hong Kong vs Uk Business Norms Essay

This paper will introduce the audience to the historical background of Hong Kong; business dos and don’ts comparing Hong Kong to the UK; financial, economic, political and social climate of Hong Kong. The aim is to provide fundamental data to assist a professional when conducting business in Hong Kong effectively but also respectfully. Hong Kong Background Hong Kong can be found on China’s south coast region bordered by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea. Geographically, Hong Kong has a total area of 1,104 square kilometres which include 262 outlying islands (GovHK, 2012). The population is over 7 million, with the majority speaking Cantonese though English is still widely used. Hong Kong was acquired by the British Empire from the Qing Dynasty during the first opium war from 1839-1842 (Kan, 2010). After 150 years of British colonial rule, in 1997 China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong (U.S. Department of State, 2012). Hong Kong is under Chinese rule and the Chinese government is responsible for Hong Kong’s security and foreign relations. Hong Kong, however, is recognized as Special Administration Region of the People’s Republic of China. This ensures that Hong Kong’s customs territory and economic entity are separate from the rest of China. This allows Hong Kong to enter into international agre ements on its own behalf in commercial and economic matters (U.S. Department of State, 2012). Government/ Politics The government of Hong Kong is noted to be economically liberal. Hong Kong is an autonomous special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. The current government executed under Hong Kong’s basic law is secured in this autonomy for 50 years (GovHK, 2012). The governmental structure is directed by a chief executive and an executive council, accompanied with a two-tier system of a representative government and an independent judiciary. Economic & Financial Climate Based on rule of law, limited government, regulator efficiency, and open markets ranked by the Heritage foundation with a score of 89.3, Hong Kong is ranked as the freest global economy in 2012 and has successively kept this title for the past 19 years (Heritage Foundation, 2012). Hong Kong â€Å"is a Freeport with no barriers to trade; has simple procedures for starting enterprises, free entry of foreign capital and repatriation of earnings, and transparency; and operates under the rule of law (Heritage Foundation, 2012).† Hong Kong switched from an industrialized manufacturing economy to a service based economy in the 1980s (economywatch.com). Hong Kong’s free market economy is built on the harbour, investments and trade (Sociology for Change, 2007). Hong Kong is dependent on international trade and finance. 92.3% to the GDP in 2009 which was contributed from the service sector (economywatch.com). The major industries in Hong Kong are textile/garment, banking/financial services and tourism. Hong Kong is the third largest distributer of garments in the world. In 2008 Hong Kong exported $40 billion US dollars’ worth of textiles and garments which is 11% of the territory’s total exports (economywatch.com). In the financial sector, Hong Kong has the world’s 10th largest security exchange, with a market cap of $2.7 trillion (GovHK, 2012). At the end of 2012 there were 1,533 companies listed as trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange (SEHK). In 2009, 2010 and 2011 Hong Kong was listed as the highest ranking market for IPO’s (GovHK, 2012). Looking at Hong Kong’s banking industry at the end of 2012, there were 154 licensed banks, 20 restricted licence banks and 25 deposit-taking companies. These banks come from 34 countries and include 69 out of the 100 world’s largest banks (GovHK, 2012). Conducting Business Hong Kong vs. United Kingdom Introduction This section will inform the reader on both Hong Kong and the United Kingdom’s etiquette and protocol relating to business practices. I will concentrate on how business meetings are conducted, how business decisions are made and how negotiations are conducted in the business realm while integrating Hofstede’s cultural theory. I will conclude with possible challenges and pitfalls that should be considered if the â€Å"dos and don’ts† fall short or turn out to be limited. Hong Kong Pre-departure Info Working Practices Prior to flying over on a business trip to Hong Kong, it is suggested that one ought to understand the common business practices. Confucianism is entrenched within Chinese philosophy and plays a strong influence on the importance of social relations that Hong Kong’s people are known for. So when we look at â€Å"the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members,† which defines the Individualism dimension, it’s not shocking to see Hong Kong as a collectivist culture, where people tend to think of the groups interests rather than their own personal objectives. In Hong Kong a large number of businesses are family owned and it’s normal for family members to work for the same companies (cummunicaid.com). Hong Kong’s daily business hours are from 9am to 5pm with a lunch break from 12noon to 2pm (communicaid.com). When scheduling a business trip to Hong Kong you should avoid the holidays. Vacations are usually scheduled around the weeks surrounding Christmas, Easter and the Chinese New Year; most business are typically closed during these periods (cummunicaid.com). After you plan your business trip in accordance to that criterion, it’s best to schedule appointments in accordance to their customs, noting that punctuality is important and that tardiness could be considered disrespectful. Taking that further, reputation also known as â€Å"concept of face† explained as the adherence to proper honourable ethical and social norms of a society in all situations and times is also something the Hong Kong society considers highly during business practices (cummunicaid.com).When making appointments they should be scheduled in advance to your arrival and in some cases one to two months’ notice is a courteous (cummunicaid.com). Organizational Hierarchy in Hong Kong Companies Hong Kong is a high power distance culture and we can point out that hierarchy is ingrained in the business culture. In Hong Kong, companies clearly define the line of authority with the distance between superiors and subordinates which are constantly maintained (cummunicaid.com). Men still dominate the workforce although in the recent years women are becoming more active. Some say this is because of the Western influence of equality (cummunicaid.com). In Hong Kong it’s imperative to maintain harmony and avoid conflict in a group atmosphere. In the public atmosphere of Hong Kong, the people always keep calm, show no emotion and refrain from criticising out in the open. This compliments Hong Kong’s slightly male dominated society. Hong Kong is a success oriented and driven society, where it is not uncommon for people to spend many hours at work. Conducting Business Standard business attire for men would be dark colored suits and for women dark colored suits with trousers or skirts (cummunicaid.com). When greetings take place, it’s traditional to both give a Chinese bow and a Western handshake. Keep in mind that you address them with their title and last name, if you’re in a group setting the most senior person should be greeted first (cummunicaid.com). Hong Kong people are keen on building relationships, so small talk should be expected and if you are offered an invitation to a social event you should never reject that opportunity (cummunicaid.com). Moving forward to the exchanging of business cards, one is expected to exchange business cards with two hands and accepting it also with two hands. It’s courtesy to examine the card for a few moments reading it to familiarize yourself with the name and the title, before placing the card in your pocket (cummunicaid.com). When negotiations take place one must expect for the deals to move at a slow pace and must avoid losing composure for this will damage ones reputation also known as â€Å"losing face† (kan, 2000). It’s not uncommon for an astrologer or a feng shui practitioner to determine a singing date if a contract is on the table (kan, 2000). Fred Kan also highlights that if a colleague sucks air through their teeth while you’re speaking, this signifies they are unhappy and its best to try and reiterate or adjust your position. After the business deal has been presented the decision usually arrives from a group consensus, but leaving the top of the company having the last to say (cummunicaid.com). Table Etiquette In Hong Kong it’s common for business transactions to take place or end up at the dinner table. If invited to dinner expect alcohol to be present. If your host decides to make a toast it’s customary for you to follow up with your own toast which should consist of good health and prosperity (cummunicaid.com). Meals are often served family-style and you are encouraged to try everything, but don’t take the last piece as this can be seen as selfish gesture. United Kingdom Pre-departure Info Working Practices Distinguished for its constitutional monarchy, rich history of the colonial empire and deeply ingrained traditions, the British Empire now known as the United Kingdom is a culturally and ethnically diverse nation that is made up of four countries. Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England comprise the United Kingdom. The UK is a member of the European Union and currently is ranked fourth in trading within Europe. British culture is known for its indirectness, â€Å"stiff upper lip† and dry humour. It’s a common communication style in the UK that direct questions are often answered with indirect answers filled with ambiguous subtleties which forces one to pay close attention to tone of voice and facial expression to fully understand the response given (communicaid.com). Displays of emotion, positive or negative should be avoided in public space. The term â€Å"stiff upper lip† describes the British portrayal of reserve and restraint when faced with difficult s ituations (communicaid.com). Humour a key component to the culture of the British life style and is commonly used as a defence mechanism (communicaid.com). Organizational Hierarchy in British Companies In the work environment, the British are known to be formal. In the past, the British preferred to work with colleagues and companies they knew of, however the younger generation of business professionals do not require any form of relationship in order to begin business. Networking and building strategic relationships are the fundamental to long-term success in the UK. Superiority is respected, although colleagues gravitate to people at their own level to work with directly. This hierarchy can be notated as â€Å"flat† where the principal divide is between managers and other ranks (communicaid.com). The board of directors are the key decision making group and managers are understood to be the coaches creating a supportive working environment (communicaid.com). Conducting Business In the professional atmosphere men should be dressed in a dark colored suit and women should wear either a business suit or a conservative dress (communicaid.com). Upon the initial meeting it is common to shake hands with everyone upon arrival and maintain steady eye contact during the greeting. I must highlight that one should wait until given permission to move onto a first name basis. Under special circumstances if you’re in the presence of someone who have been knighted then they are to be called â€Å"Sir† followed by their first and surnames (communicaid.com). Also during the initial greeting it’s common for professionals to exchange business cards and may be placed into the pocket after having just a moment’s glance. There are no rituals when exchanging business cards in the UK. When a meeting is conducted, depending of the level and status of the people attending, it will dictate how the meeting will commence. A free flow meeting usually occurs when everyone is at the same level, if there is a senior ranking person in the room, then they will do most of the speaking. Meetings are usually formal with a set agenda identifying the purpose. In British culture it is suggested that, when presenting to a group, one must make sure to be prepared with facts; relying on facts is more stable than emotions (communicaid.com). After concluding the meeting it is customary to send a printed summary containing the next steps which are to be taken in a letter to the attendees. The British are known to follow established rules and practices which make the decision process a slow systematic one (communicaid.com). When dealing with the British in business negotiations patience will be required. Communication will also be one area to focus on. The British communicate in a controlled fashion and only rarely raise their voices to make a point (kats, 2008). The level of directness depends on the strength of the relationship, education and status. Vague statements that may be difficult to understand are common when communicating with the British. Lothar Kats explains it best when identifying the â€Å"British are masters of understatement and often use subtle irony† Contrast: Hong Kong vs. UK After reviewing both Hong Kong and UK there are a few similarities and a few differences. In Hong Kong traditional values of respect to hierarchy, the exchange of business cards and developing a personal relationship are cornerstones within their society. Whereas in the United Kingdom building personal relationships was once a tendency that no longer exists; the younger generations move forward and start the business process. When dealing with the British in business one must pay close attention to the conversation. The tone, eye contact, and understated response can commonly lead to a misunderstanding if one is not paying close attention. It is therefore best to not underestimate the importance of humour in the British business environment (communicaid.com). The hierarchy in Hong Kong is clearly defined with ample distinction between subordinates and superiors. Contrastingly, the UK is known for a â€Å"flat† structure where most business is usually dealt with by colleagues of the same level. Taking a glance into the integration of women in the work place we see the UK with comparable numbers men to women while in Hong Kong the introduction to women in the work place is a recent occurrence. Comparing the two nations in regards to how a professional is to book a business appointment we see in Hong Kong it’s common to make an appointment one to two months in advance unlike the United Kingdom its common for just giving several days’ notice. In conclusion, we can see that it is vital for one to do background research on the business norms prior to jumping on a plane to conduct business internationally. Cultural Intelligence Elisabeth Plum defines cultural intelligence as the ability to act in an appropriate way in multicultural situations coupled with the ability to have an open mind which admits new information and is curious about diversity. Cross-national work is an example of cultural intelligence, and when an organization needs to join forces and partner with other businesses in other countries to keep business efficient it important to prevent conflicts. As discussed earlier in this paper it’s important to understand the culture that you’re doing business with. In order to have successful negotiations in the international market place the smallest misunderstanding could have a negative outcome. Looking to Hong Kong, if a professional arrives dressed in white or in blue colors to a meeting and speaks out of turn that could essentially dissolve any hope of a business deal, as the Hong Kong society associates white and blue with mourning and speaking out of turn shows disrespect for the power structure.