Maya Public Ritual Arts

The main idea, which is being explored throughout the course of Inomata’s article, is that the functional purpose of plazas in ancient Mayan cities has been concerned with providing Maya’s rules with an opportunity to expose their subjects to public spectacles.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maya Public Ritual Arts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In their turn, these spectacles served the purpose of endowing ancient Mayans with the sense of communal belonging – hence, contributing to the formation of collectively explored self-identity, on their part, â€Å"Large-scale theatrical events gave physical reality to a community and helped to ground unstable community identities† (Inomata 818). Given a rather unconventional sounding of this idea, it is not very surprising why the publication of Inomata’s article attracted a number of critical responses. According to Aoyama, Inomataà ¢â‚¬â„¢s line of argumentation can indeed be considered as such that represents a scientifically objective value, as the analysis of plazas’ holding capacities supports the validity of a suggestion that they could have been used for staging public performances. Aoyama explores the legitimacy of his point of view, in regards to the relevant empirical data, collected by archeologists in the Mayan cities of Aguateca and Copan. Becker, however, is challenging Inomata’s assumption. According to him, there is no rationale in believing that plazas served this specific purpose. This is because the amount of plazas’ open space may in fact be reflective of polities’ wealth, which in turn cannot be discussed as such that directly relates to the size of corresponding populations.Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Becker also criticizes Inomata for his failure to consider the p ossibility that, as time went on, plazas’ ‘holding’ function might have undergone a qualitative transformation. Yet, it is specifically the fact that Inomata’s idea is based upon the assumption that Mayan polities have been unilaterally governed by ‘divine rulers’, which appears to have caused Becker to adopt a strongly critical stance towards his colleague’s line of argumentation. Mazariegos’s reaction to Inomata’s article can be referred to as being generally positive. After all, he does recognize the validity of Inomata’s idea that Mayan plazas are in fact theatrical spaces. At the same time, however, Mazariegos points out to the fact that there a number of more effective ways of endowing people with the sense of a shared identity, such as prompting them to participate in a warfare, â€Å"Opposition to outside enemies, the shared vicissitudes of military campaigns†¦ are likely to create shared identitiesâ⠂¬  (822). Nevertheless, Mazariegos does welcome Inomata’s article, as such that is being potentially capable of advancing our understanding of ancient Mayan civilization. Ruiz and Pavon’s response to Inomata’s article can also be defined as being generally positive. In it, they acknowledge that by publishing his article, Inomata was able to contribute immensely to our knowledge of ancient Mayan culture. At the same time, Ruiz and Pavon suggest that there are no good reasons to believe that the artistic depictions on stelaes are being necessarily concerned with theatrical performances.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Maya Public Ritual Arts specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Partially, the validity of this suggestion can be illustrated in regards to the specifics of steales’ location, â€Å"The (Inomata’s) analysis links the presence of stelae with the largest plazas, but this link cannot be asserted categorically† (823). This appears to be the only critical remark in Ruiz and Pavon’s response. According to Clancy, the assumption that plazas in Mayan cities served theatricality-related functions is indeed being fully legitimate, â€Å"Ancient Maya plazas were surely places for performances choreographed by royal intentions† (823). At the same time, however, Clancy does not quite subscribe to the suggestion that it was solely ancient Mayans’ exposure to public performances, which used to endow them with the sense of a communal identity. Grube’s response to Inomata’s article can be defined as being enthusiastically supportive, â€Å"I strongly concur with Inomata’s conclusions† (824). According to Grube, the reason why Inomata’s idea can be considered thoroughly legitimate is that it correlates with our knowledge of how the rulers of Mayan polity-states used to go about exercising a political aut hority. Given the fact that, due to the absence of adequate technologies, Mayan rulers could not utilize any technical means for imposing their authority upon populations, they had no choice but to rely upon purely psychological ones. In this respect, staging public performances, on the part of Mayan rulers, would prove particularly effective. Even though that, while reflecting upon Inomata’s article, Isendahl did acknowledge its high discursive value, he nevertheless expressed his concerns as to whether Inomata’s utilization of the term ‘theatricality’ is being conceptually appropriate, â€Å"Theatricality is simply not the most appropriate analogy† (825).Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, Isendahl appears rather skeptical about Inomata’s assumption as to what accounted for the actual nature of centrifugal tendencies in ancient Mayan societies. According to Stuardo, Inomata can be well congratulated for having advanced our understanding of what might have accounted for the very principle of political centralization in ancient Mayan city-states. Nevertheless, it is specifically the fact that Inomata’s article allows the conceptualization of new methodological approaches to researching subject matters, concerned with ancient Mayan civilization, which Stuardo considers the most important aspect of this article. Looper’s response to Inomata’s article can also be defined as being highly supportive. Nevertheless, this response does contain a few critical remarks. For example, Looper points out to the fact that Inomata’s line of argumentation implies ancient Mayan societies having been rather secularized. However, this point of vi ew is being inconsistent with how the majority of historians and archeologists discuss the discursive implications of the factor of religion in these societies, â€Å"Theatrical metaphors and models risks secularizing ancient Maya performance† (826). According to Looper, however, this does not affect the overall legitimacy of Inomata’s article. According to Lucero, Inomata’s line of argumentation does deserve to be taken into consideration by mayanists. At the same time, Lucero suggests that in his article, Inomata downplayed the importance of a number of down-to-earth factors for ancient Mayans (especially rural dwellers) to be committed to participating in mass-gatherings. After all, one of the possible reasons why Mayan rural dwellers used to participate in these gatherings is that they were driven to do so by purely objective circumstances , â€Å"Rulers also fulfilled (people’s) material needs—specifically, water during the annual droughtâ₠¬  (827). The foremost of aspect of Newsome’s response to Inomata’s article is that this response stresses out the discursive importance how the author went about substantiating his line of argumentation. According to Newsome, it is not only that Inomata succeeded in revealing the actual mechanics of how Mayan rulers used to ensure the societal integrity of polities, but that he also succeeded in discovering a qualitatively new dimension to the very notion of ‘theatricality’. Therefore, the reading of Inomata’s article will prove utterly beneficial to just about anyone who strives to overcome the limitations of a number of euro-centric discursive conventions. In his response to Inomata’s article, Dorado criticizes the assumption that the staging of public spectacles should be considered a universally applicable tool of maintaining the social integrity of just about every hierarchically structured state. At the same time, however, Dorado expr esses his agreement with Inomata, as to the fact that plazas in ancient Mayan cities did in fact serve the function of accommodating crowds for a number of ritualistic purposes. According to Sanchez, Inomata’s hypothesis, in regards to the functional purpose of plazas, can indeed be defined as being logically and discursively coherent. At the same time, Sanchez suggests that this hypothesis is far from being considered as such that represents an undeniable truth-value, because as of today, the concerned subject matter remains relatively unexplored. Despite the fact that Tokovinine does admit that the author did contribute to our knowledge of ancient Mayan civilization, he also points out to an essentially speculative nature of many of Inomata’s conclusions. In particular, Tokovinine suggests that there is no well-grounded rationale in believing that the theatrical activities, depicted on Mayan murals, connote publicity. While replying to the earlier outlined responses, on the part of his critics, Inomata pointed out to the fact that, even though his interpretation of what should be considered Mayan plazas’ functional significance is far from being considered unchallengeable, it does help to explain how Mayan rulers were able to exercise an administrative control over their subjects. In addition, Inomata suggests that in many cases, responses’ critical overtones appear to reflect the fact that some of his arguments have been misinterpreted. I personally consider the line of Inomata’s argumentation logically coherent but somewhat speculative. This is because; the discussion of a significance of just about any public event through the conceptual lenses of a particular ‘performance theory’ becomes invariably affected by this theory’s discursive subtleties. Given the fact that there are strongly defined euro-centric undertones to how Inomata went about elaborating on the societal implications of public performa nces in ancient Mayan city-states, it is quite doubtful whether Inomata’s conclusions could be considered ideologically neutral. Bibliography Inomata, Takeshi. â€Å"Plazas, Performers, and Spectators: Political Theaters of the Classic Maya.† Current Anthropology 47.5 (2006): 805-842. Print. This essay on Maya Public Ritual Arts was written and submitted by user Izaiah R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Purpose Is What Has Endured essays

The Purpose Is What Has Endured essays Today weve had a national tragedy. President George W. Bush spoke these words after a horrendous attack on America. As we watched bombs fly into steel and then explode, we waited to hear the advice and comfort our President would give to us. One hundred thirty-seven years ago, President Abraham Lincoln experienced a similar national tragedy for a duration of four years. Lincolns second inaugural address had to provide the United States of America with similar advice and comfort near the end of a civil war. After four years of this gory civil war, Lincoln was re-elected for the presidency of the United States. When he wrote his speech, Lincoln must have though about the past four years. The southern states had formed the Confederate States of America; a civil war had begun, and the nation had erupted in turmoil. He knew that the North wanted a harsh punishment for the southern states, but he also knew that this was one reason why the South did not like the North. As Lincolns pen starts to form the words, With malice toward none; with charity for all;...let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nations wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, his desire is to heal a broken land. Though he had signed Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln knew that, the issues at hand could not be solved by either emancipation or armistice (203). Lincoln had to change the hearts of his people, and as William H. Seward told the president, Be sure that while all your administrative conduct will be in harmony with Republican principals and policy, you cannot lose the Republican party by practicing in your advent to office the magnanimity of a victor. (75) He had to unify the country in one speech, and this was his only chance. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation su...

A Teacher Affects An Eternity

A Teacher Affects An Eternity A teacher affects an eternity: they can never tell where their influence stops. The education of a child is the root of their future; a good education increases the chances of future success. Teachers are there to inspire a future generation to be the best they can be. I believe a child’s chance of success starts in the classroom. The growth and development of any child begins with the ambition and drive of the teacher to guide them through the aspects of life either in the classroom or in the field. I am an ambitious young woman, aiming to become an excellent Secondary School Geography teacher inspiring the minds of 11-18 year olds. My passion for teaching (and in particular geography teaching) arises from my own school years. My geography teacher was an inspiring man making learning fun as well as challenging. The field courses that we attended were particularly enjoyable as the experience of learning outside the classroom creates a more interactive learning atmosphere. The positive support received by members of the geography department gave me the ambition to want to learn more about the subject and consequently made me choose to study geography at degree level at Swansea University. Departments within the school showed me that individual teachers are influential and inspiring as well as educational and how this can affect children. For example, the behavioural support unit, who offer one-to-one support for those children who may require an extra helping hand (academically or socially), does an excellent job in guiding children to be the best they can be. Taking an interest in a child’s personal development alongside their educational development establishes a secure foundation to a well-rounded future. In a report in November 2012 by the chief inspector of OFSTED stated that â€Å"Access to a good education for children and young people is far too dependent on where you happen to live†, I believe this is totally unacceptable and that every child should have the same rights to an education regardless of where they live or their socio-economic backgrounds. The success of a school is the responsibility of its staff and teachers, a good quality teacher educates a child who produces good quality exam results. I want to make a difference to the education system and I aspire to be the best teacher I can be. Geography gives an insight into different aspects of the world something that is forever increasing in modern media and allows an exploration into both human and physical impacts of everyday life. Creativity and imagination are key tools in creating a memorable and educational lesson and teaching geography at a secondary level especially at GCSE and A-level stages is overly important as these key stages in a child’s education sets them up for their future. Even if a child doesn’t remember what you said the way you made them feel about the subject will stay with them forever. Relevant Work Experience I took the initiative during my summer vacation at university to acquire real-world experience within a classroom. For the period of three weeks starting 18th June 2012 to 7th July 2012, I volunteered as a classroom observer and teaching assistant at Fitzharrys School, Abingdon. During my time at the school I took an interactive role within the geography department, in the classroom and in the field. For example, during the work experience I looked at the schemes of work for several years and devised and taught some appropriate starter activities for both year 8 and year 13. In addition to this, I also took a small group and devised an activity based upon the lesson to support the less able students, including working directly with an EAL (English as an additional language) student during their assessment period.

The Primary Function of Human Resource Management Term Paper

The Primary Function of Human Resource Management - Term Paper Example Programs such as those that rotate employees between different kinds of units within the organization and those that encourage directed learning as well as promoting inter-agency communication across the entire company are being increasingly viewed as having paramount importance. Furthermore, Human Resource department must develop a system of recognition and reward for the staff in regards to their contributions to the agency. While there is still some truth to the image of the HR department as keeping track of birthdays and other events for the betterment of the morale of the staff, HR is now developing into a much more sophisticated part of the overall business network. In fact there is bound to eventually be a complete split between the duties of the â€Å"file clerk† aspect and the duties of the director of the department. †¦the Society for HR Management (SHRM) Global Forum report on "The Maturing Profession of Human Resources Worldwide" (2004) showed that over half ( 54.8%) of HR professionals say the most frequently encountered obstacle to career advancement is HR's not being held in high esteem by the organization. One thing is certain, HR is evolving and the profession will either be driven reactively by external changes or will more proactively define its own future. (Vosburgh, 2007, p. Talent, for lack of a better term, is one of the most strategic parts that HR is playing in the current business model. â€Å"Talentship† is a term being used to describe this new paradigm in the creation.... One of the first steps in bringing HR into a more productive and strategic part of the business model is to make the same type of paradigm shift in separation of functions. While many HR professionals today still struggle to get a seat at the business table, the HR profession in the future should continue to evolve and take more responsibility for overall organizational effectiveness. To do this the HR professional will need to become better at utilizing systems thinking and systems measurement. (Jamrog, and Overholt, 2004, p. 54) Talent, for lack of a better term, is one of the most strategic parts that HR is playing in the current business model. â€Å"Talentship† is a term being used to describe this new paradigm in the creation of a more far-reaching strategy for Human Resource Planning. Similar to the roles between finance and marketing, HR is now also being asked to help companies’ research and locate another critical component, the market for talent. Using the sa me analogy, a company cannot succeed if their finance and accounting team is not successfully pared with their sales and marketing team. In fact over time there have been regulatory and best practice applications that have helped to further cement this finance-marketing relationship. However, in HR the guidelines are a little fuzzier, and in fact are usually only to be found in individual policies and procedures and certainly in some academic and business journals. â€Å"Organizational decision processes and tools employed in the talent market are far less mature and refined than those used in finance or marketing† (Boudreau, 2005, p. 18). Now more than ever companies need professional practices in place in order to align their business needs with greater

How does themed hotels affect the tourism industry Lab Report

How does themed hotels affect the tourism industry - Lab Report Example In case of the local tourists visiting the hotels for their services, the choice of themes to be used should not be of the local culture. It has to be something new since they are used to whatever is in the locality. 7 To sum up the discussion section of this research study, it should be noted that management of any business enterprise is very vital. These hotels if well managed will not only benefit the owners but also the nation in which a given hotel is found. This is through earning the nation foreign exchange, which in turn helps in sky rocketing the country’s economy. This will end up improving the living standards of the citizens. 7 Conclusion/Recommendations 8 References 10 Abstract The main purpose behind conducting this study was to investigate the effect of themed hotels on the tourism industry. The researcher mainly collected information from secondary sources to make the analyses, recommendations and conclusion of this report. The findings of the study outline how the tourism industry is influenced by the type of hotel in question. At the end of it, there are some recommendations, which if put in action, can propel the industry to rise higher and higher. Introduction A hotel can be termed as a commercial place where people, especially travelers and tourists buy meals, pay for accommodation services. A theme on the other hand, despite the various meanings the word bears, in the context of this report, it refers to the hotels having artistic decorations. These decorations can be in form of paintings on the wall that result in to a recurring pattern making the place look more attractive than in the case of ordinary hotels. Another word we need to be familiar with before proceeding with the report is tourism. The definition of the word Tourism can be that it is an activity carried out by either one person or a group of persons. This is usually as a result of people moving from one place to another. It can be from one country to another with the aim of performing a given task or just for the sake of entertainment. This report deals with the facts, discussions, conclusions and recommendations relating to the effect of themed hotels on the tourist industry. As outlined by http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com; Unusual & Unique Hotels of the World, there are various themed hotels worldwide examples being Reino Fungi Lodge and Nothofagus Hotel and Spa ( both located at the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserver), Magic Mountain Hotel situated in the midst of Chilean Patagonian Rainforest, The Pavillion – London in the United Kingdom and many others. Facts/Findings Themed hotels bearing some sort of uniqueness are slightly costly. Though some tourists shy away, a good number of them being the local tourists, the number is incomparable to those who visit the places or else it could be useless to carry on with the business. In the course of this research study, it was evident that these hotels have a notable impact on the tourism industry. Firstly, due to the unique motif they bear in their establishment starting from the decor, dining and the personnel. This is as according to www.wisegreek.com; (What is a themed Hotel?) The choice of the theme to be used should typically connote every little detail be it in the hotel where the visitors get their meals from, the rooms in which

The Melancholy In John Steinbecks Books Essay Example for Free

The Melancholy In John Steinbecks Books Essay The melancholy hussar was set in the 19th century in 1801. This was a time were woman had no lives of there own and this shows the character of Phyllis in melancholy hussar. Phylliss father treats her as an object. She is not free to do what ever she wants because she is a woman. Thomas hardy illustrates the role of woman in the melancholy hussar (1801). Woman had no role in society and women were very unimportant. Steinbeck had written his story during the American depression in the 1930. Life was very hard for men and woman because of migration, unemployment, rootlessness and instability. All these had made people very angry and this had caused racism. Crooks in of mice and men also had a very hard life because he was black. Crooks wasnt wanted near the white men, which had led to racism. On page 100, crooks says to Lennie I aint wanted in the bunkhouse and u aint wanted in my room, Lennie replied why aint you wanted in the bunk house BECAUSE IM BLACK. This had shown through text that racism was very natural. Both of these books had inequality in their texts. Curly had the most power over every one in of mice and men. In melancholy hussar Phyllis father had power over Phyllis. In melancholy hussar, the Napoleonic war was going on. The Napoleonic war was when France was at war against England. Germany were allies with England so Germany had sent some of their soldiers but the German soldiers had felt upset and lonely because they did not no English and they had no English friends to communicate with. This is what also had made them very homesick.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

THE GREAT GATSBY This novel is about the American dream or rather the dreams of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s. In the novel The Great Gastby notes on the careless and moral deteariation of the twenties. It is clear that fitzgerald has made a relation with his and Gatsby’s life. This can be seen in many different ways such as fitzgerald attended Yale college for a wile then went off to be in the army. In The Great Gatsby the character Gatsby went to Oxford then left to go to the army. Also Fitzgerald wanted to become a football player and I think that tom was another character by Fitzgerald that he wanted to be like. For tom was a big x football player who was rich. Fitzgerald as a boy dreamed of becoming a football hero. Football was also one of Fitzgerald's earliest attractions at Princeton University. Fitzgerald tried out for the Princeton freshman team but was cut within the first week. As a successful professional Fitzgerald translated his love of the game into two Saturday Evening Pos t stories. This novel is filled with multiple themes but the predominate one focuses on the death of the American Dream. This can be explained by how Gatsby came to get his fortune. Through his dealings with organized crime he didn't hold to the American Dream guidelines. Nick also suggests this with the manner in which he talks about all the rich characters in the story. The immoral people have all the money. The thought of repeating the past. Gatsby's whole being since going off to war is devoted to getting back together with Daisy and have things be the way they were before he left. That's why Gatsby got a house like the one Daisy used to live in right across the bay from where she lives. He expresses this desire by reaching towards the green light on her porch early in the book. The last paragraph, So we beat on, boats against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past reinforces this. Fitzgerald was in his twenty's when he wrote this novel and since he went to Princeton he was considered a spokesman for his generation. He wrote about the immorality that was besieging the 1920's. Organized crime ran rampant, people were partying all the time, and affairs were common play. The last of which Fitzgerald portrays well in this novel. Ernest Hemingway Fitzgerald's friend and literary rival once commented that "poor Scott Fitzgerald" was "wrecked" by his "romantic awe" of the rich.

Childhood Nostalgia Essay

Childhood memories never fade easily, and I long for the life I had as a child, as many others do. Nostalgia will always be a part of me, as my childhood was simply unforgettable and wonderful. When I was a child, I lived with my grandparents for a while, as my parents are both busy with work in their company. I still have a clear visual memory about my grandparents’ traditional Chinese house. The old wooden gate with black rings on both sides displays the typical Asian atmosphere. When I open the gate, I immediately smell the smoke of burning wood used to heat the house. The split firewood is stacked on the side wall of the house, enough for several winters. The front yard is covered in green fresh grass which turns into yellow dry grass as winter approaches. Some stones are imbedded in the grass like a bridge to the house from the gate. It was truly a view few other places can compete, and it’s a break from the concrete urban jungle I was used to in the cities. A medium-sized pomegranate tree is planted in the corner of the yard, and its sweet sour fruits are picked and eaten. These fruits are some of the most delicious I’d ever had, and I still long for them every single day. As a child, I was always amazed how the tree bore the red delicious fruit every year. It was then I realized how food always tastes better when you grow them yourself. Finally, there is a titanic rectangular building that seems simple in shape but complex in other aspects. The black tiled roof, in my opinion, is the most appealing strength of the house as those hundreds of tiles are engraved with delicate patterns, making the tiles bumpy and coarse. Under the roof, there is a tiny nest of swallows which symbolize peace and happiness in China. The morning at my grandparents’ house is welcomed everyday with the harmonic songs that the birds provide. These fine details of the house always linger in my head, persuading me to visit my grandparents, as these memories are simply timeless.

Case Study of a Cross-Cultural Organization

Organizational Behavior Final: Clayton J. Ollarvia [email  protected] com Organizational Behavior October 4, 2012 Looking into Nestle S. A and its disconnect with Cross-cultural communication and decisions Nestle SA is a Swiss Company engaged in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. It is the holding company of the Nestle Group, which comprises subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures throughout the world. It has such business units as Food and Beverage, Nestle Waters and Nestle Nutrition. It is also active in the pharmaceutical sector.It divides its products into Powdered and liquid beverages, Water, Milk products and Ice cream, Nutrition, Prepared dishes and cooking aids, Confectionery, PetCare and Pharmaceutical products. The Nestle Group is managed by geographies (Zones Europe, Americas and Asia/Oceania/Africa) for most of the food and beverage  business, with the exceptions of Nestle Waters, Nestle Nutrition, Nestle Purina Petcare, Nespresso, Nestle Profes sional and Nestle Health Science which are managed on a global basis – these we call the Globally Managed Businesses. We also have joint ventures such as Cereal Partners Worldwide and Beverage Partners Worldwide.In regards to the operations elsewhere, Nestle USA caters to cravings on this side-of-the-Atlantic, from a child's sweet tooth to a grown-up's caffeine fix. The company is a major subsidiary of Swiss food  giant  Nestle S. A. Nestle USA  produces hundreds of well-known food brands, including frozen pizza (Tombstone, DiGiorno), chocolate and candies (Baby Ruth, Goobers), beverages (Nestea, Taster's Choice,  Nesquick), juices (Juicy Juice), canned milk (Carnation), ice cream (Edy's, Haagan-Dazs), baking goods (Nestle Toll House, Libby's), and prepared  meals (Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine). http://www. hoovers. com/company/Nestl%E9_USA_Inc/cysfyi-1. html Specifically where I see Nestle could benefit from understanding some of the Organizational Behavior practices i s in the realm of (cross-cultural) decision making and in Personality Traits. Nestle needs to recognize how to make decisions based upon more than just sales goals. A common definition of  decision-making  is the process of choosing a course of action for dealing with a problem or an opportunity. Schermerhorn, John R. (11/2011).Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781118426319/id/L9-1-1 One of the biggest problems with Nestle is that it is indeed a global company. A majority of the Presidents and Vice-Presidents and senior staff all reside in Switzerland and travel inconsistently to other countries and regions. This traveling issue makes it hard for management to be able to effectively know how to 1. Communicate with others in other countries and 2. Understand the differences in cultural mores from country to country.Moreover things that affect the economy in the Eastern countries does not effect the west. However, more than likely they expect things to work in similar if not the same ways from culture to culture and economy to economy. What this problem lends itself to is a lack of cross cultural management and ability to understand the proper ways to address other cultures. Although those of the Swiss culture tend to be very manner-able and well liked, often times we would find them somewhat unrelenting and slightly rude on conference calls and communications.A large faction of what I saw was miscues from managers not being able to communicate across different ethnic and cultural lines. This was even more evident with regional managers having to disseminate information to retail operations across the border and into other geographies. After going through all of our upcoming TCO’s I would like to investigate how given an understanding of the communication process and given specific incidents of cross-cultural communication problems, I plan to develop a strategy for improving organizational performance through the improvement of cross cultural management process. Nestle should first look at adopting a very extensive guide to cross cultural awareness * All managers should be privy to cross cultural communication programs to ensure compliance with cultural guidelines At the beginning of every cross-cultural management process is an encounter between two or more members of different cultures. In this encounter both participants communicate, watch, and react to  each other’s behavior. This behavior and communication is often not interpreted in the correct way, but according to the cultural program of the observer.Because it is dif? cult to understand the other’s thinking, interpretation is often wrong and does not allow insights into the attitudes and values of  the communicators or interactions. Culture can best be described through three main concepts: values, attitudes, and behavior. All three signify culture and allow us to di fferentiate from other cultures. A survey of current literature consistently indicates that the contemporary business context is globally interdependent and interconnected.It further demonstrates that corporate leaders should provide opportunities for their managers in international assignments to learn cross-cultural business etiquette in order that they will excel in their interpersonal relationship overseas. (Sizoo, 2007, p. 84) Being that Nestle has so many plants, locations and does business in over 100 countries worldwide, one could argue that it would be essential to have multi cultural norms and ethics guidelines. Throughout my tenure, the main focus of the organization was to produce sales based upon projections from Head Quarters.This can be problematic seeing as expectations for sales is not weighted based upon the social economy. Cross-cultural misunderstandings often have some seemingly deep roots. Even if we speak with people in English and communicate directly what we intend to say, the message comes across differently than anticipated. Recognizing the need for a Nestle cultural program would be a dif? cult task. Most people are born and bred in a very particular cultural environment, they can only perceive and understand the world, their deeds, and counterparts’ reactions through their very own cultural perspective.This perspective is a strong ? lter through which most people understand, interpret, and process information in a particular way. And in most cases, these same people do not recognize this ? lter. Our own culture and way of doing business seems sovereignly logical and â€Å"normal† that we can hardly think of a better or different way of doing things and managing in ? rms. I would argue that this view is also true for managers who grew up on the other side of the world; they have their own (very logical and often very successful) ideas about how to do business.A good portion of cross cultural misunderstandings come from how people think and feel about other cultures, which I would argue is made up generally of stereotypes. Stereotypes are generalisations help us to simplify, classify and in general attempt to make sense of the world. They occur when we infer qualities about a person based on evidence of a single characteristic. For example, we may assume that because someone is Hindu that they work in the IT department. This assumption is likely to be based on our previous experience of people with Hindu people or from information we have gathered from the media or other people.The problem is of course that stereotypes do not always apply. It is certainly not the case that all Hindu people work in information technology. We are most likely to hold stereotypes about groups of people who we do not perceive to be like us and of whom we have limited experience. It is essential for a company the size and with as much reach as Nestle to be able to understand the negative aspects of both behaviors of cro ss-cultural misunderstandings and avoid stereotypes and learn how to cross-culturally manage both organizationally and or on the institutional level.I would argue that this means having enough awareness of both their host culture and their home culture to be able to make correct managerial decisions regarding its organization’s work force, its commercial markets, the community in which it operates, and the country, which is its host. A good example of Nestle’s non-understanding of cross cultural awareness is the all but forgotten Nestle Infant Nutrition scandal of the 1970’s. Here Nestle sent several of its work-force into third world countries in order to push their infant nutrition.Now at the time the formula was doing well in countless other countries and was practically flying off the shelves. However, one of the KEY necessities for the formula was for it to be added to water. Being that at the time no one in Switzerland chose to know enough about these thir d world locations to see that the water that they had access to was wildly polluted and all but poisonous to small children. If Nestle had taken steps in preparing managers for multinational assignments, they would have been abreast of cultural sensitivity, understanding the importance of maintaining business relationships, and impression management.They should be informed about the complexities in international cultures and human resources management The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of â€Å"yes† varies from â€Å"maybe, I'll consider it† to â€Å"definitely so,† with many shades in between. (http://www. pbs. org/ampu/crosscult. html) This theory alone is what makes having a viable and understandable guidelines for multi-cul tural communication.We will admit that the difficulty in crafting such a document would be not only time consuming but also, extremely tiring as in order to create such guidelines one would have to familiarize themselves with hundreds of different cultures at any given time, however I would argue that a successful guidelines would not just solely be based on the specific interactions of each country but instead be focused on a general understanding of how managers and ALL employees should seek to treat each other across local, national and especially international lines.The critical process of making decisions, reaching mutual agreements, and building consensus has taken a new dimension because of differences in business etiquette and ethical practices. Cross-cultural awareness skills and interpersonal negotiation competence are a pre-requisite to effective management of a multination workforce. (Okoro, 2012, p. 132) Cross-cultural awareness encourages the recognition of cultural di fferences while also noting similarities through which communication, understanding and relationships can be forged. The following points reflect the value of gaining a stronger sense of cross-cultural awareness:Reduces misunderstandings and enhances trust †¢ Understanding and trust can be deepened when each government is more aware of how its and the other government’s cultural background influence their perceptions, values and decisions. Aids in planning, setting goals and problem solving †¢ Each organization can plan and problem solve more effectively as they will be more attentive to what is important to them and the other party Communication, though variously defined, generally describes a process by which information is exchanged among two or more people in a given context.Ultimately, this process of exchanging information is bound by a purpose: that is, to reduce uncertainty and develop a common understanding among the participants (Kawar, 2012). Cross Cultur al communication is another area that I believe Nestle could greatly benefit from on a global scale. Not all too dissimilar to that of awareness communication allows you to take what you know via that of awareness and be able to translate those things into how you speak and interact with you clients worldwide.Success or failure in managing a diverse or multicultural workforce largely depends on the ability of managers to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds and nationalities. International business is the outgrowth of globalization, which is driven primarily by economic interdependency and advances in technology, but the success in global business ventures will be affected by the inability of international managers to understand appropriate business etiquette, customs, and values needed to conduct business among nations of the world. (Okoro, 2012, p. 132)Okoro assesses that management and communication scholars have consistently argued that the success of m anagers on international assignments depends largely on effective cross-cultural communication. Because of its importance, a number of high-growth organizations competing globally make a conscious effort to hire multi-lingual people from varied cultural backgrounds and nationalities. Here in particular is a place of great opportunity for Nestle to grow fundamentally. Having a manager in play that is already familiar with the customs and languages of the area is vitally important to the success and overall outcome of the business.Now the issue comes into play is that while Nestle does have staff all around the world in numerous countries that are indigenous to those specific areas, they still have a strong expectation and in some ways an imposing will on those people. How does that affect the communication process? Well If in any given country it is impolite to wags one finger as they speck yet that practice is customary in Switzerland, that in and about itself makes for very difficu lt deliberations. Cross- cultural communications problems may occur if all individuals within a team do not use the same language, nor norms.In these situations, for ease of communication, the team often chooses a common language that they can use for group communications. Communication differences between individuals can occur on several different levels but for the sake of consistency I will use the finger example I used in the previous paragraph: Gestures form a significant part of methods of communication. However, there are few if any universal gestures. Non-verbal behaviours or ‘body language' vary considerably from one culture to another.For example, a high level of eye contact is considered a sign of attentiveness in some cultures and a sign of rudeness in others. In some cultures individuals are encouraged to express their emotions openly, while in others openly demonstrating feelings is discouraged. These differences in body language can lead to misunderstandings bet ween people of different cultural backgrounds. Norms are culturally defined rules for determining acceptable and appropriate behavior (Okoro) They include those that govern social situations and conversational routines such as greetings, making requests, and expressing various emotions.In intercultural communication interlocutors may be tempted to transfer their cultural norms to contexts that are not appropriate In conjunction with this Sizoo states that, while some organizations recognize the importance of international business, training and development programs often deal inadequately with the potential conflicts that result from cross-cultural interactions. Too often this training addresses only the cognitive level–focusing on the dos and don’ts. When managers pursue careers in international business they must prepare for a life in a foreign cognitive, affective, and behavior context.That preparation must include learning cross-cultural considerations intellectual ly, emotionally, and experientially. I believe that Sizoo’s outline for effective communication training is as outlined. I. Cross Cultural Interview II. Handling a Cross Cultural Event With Cross Cultural interviews the gist of it is each participant interviews one foreigner who is from a culture different from his or her own, and whom he or she has never met before. This exercise provides experience and builds skills at the first two levels of cross-cultural management, self and interpersonal.This orientation into cultural norms will help management better decipher different cultures and how to break the ice. I have seen the contrary of this especially within Nestle in the early stages of my career. In two distinctly different interactions with management I was told, once that my manager had never worked with an African American man and that he needed to adjust how he communicated since there may be a barrier between us. In a different interaction another manager, while spea king with an Asian coworker said hey I love Chinese food, can you make any by yourself.Having to initiate and manage an interaction with foreign stranger addresses the emotional challenges of developing cross-cultural expertise. With handling cross-cultural events Sizoo states that, each cultural incident describes a realistic cross-cultural misunderstanding, four plausible explanations for the misunderstanding, and an evaluation of each explanation. In this activity trainees discuss and demonstrate the cross-cultural incidents. The emphasis is on having participants project themselves into the scenario so they â€Å"experience† the cultural conflict motionally as well as intellectually. This type of training could be paramount in helping managers overcome communication problems that may arise while dealing with a cross-cultural organization. I use the example of the formula debacle once again here. I would argue that although no one could have readily predicted that such a t ragedy would have occurred, if managers were trained on how to defuse problems culturally then I would argue that the explosion of public opinion would not have happened.Being amply prepared to deal with cultures is one of the key fundamental necessities of any successful business. Now while Nestle was able to eventually recover if people had been trained in this process a bit earlier than, again perhaps things would not have escalated to the points that they did. Through this process managers would learn how to accept the virtual inevitability of making some cross-cultural errors, but not to accept repeating the errors. They would also learn that errors in appropriate behavior are far worse than mere inability to speak the host country language.The participants further learn to strategically recover in such situations and soon afterwards seek out explanation of their cross-cultural error from a member of the host culture. The key take away with this exercise is that management lear ns how to develop and over time eventually master communicating cross-culturally in hostile environments. Within the cross-cultural news portion of the exercise, managers would be required to find a newspaper or magazine article that describes an American work organization adapting, or having difficulty in adapting, to the culture of a foreign country.Participants present an analysis of the cross-cultural differences to the group as a whole and explain why the American organization was successful or unsuccessful in resolving its cross-cultural differences. This allows for managers to get firsthand experience of a similar company to Nestle (ideally) and analyze some of the struggles that they are currently experiencing. This first hand ensures that managers will be able to not only potentially defuse similar situations in the future but even potentially understand the communication process in order to better facilitate a smoother transition to other cultures.In cross-cultural communi cation, anxiety and uncertainty are heightened by cultural variability. If the differences between cultures are profound, anxiety and uncertainty would increase when members of the different cultural groups engage in cross-cultural communication. In the same way that theories such as The Theory of Communicative Competence (as described by T. A. McCarthy) suggests that cross-cultural norms practices etc should be taught in schools, is the same was one could argue that cross-cultural communication should be taught by all those organizations, similar to Nestle that have offices all other across the globe.With both of these initiatives I would think that Nestle would be able to propel itself by leaps and bounds over cross-cultural boundaries. And yes to be honest Nestle has moved to rectify SOME of the issues outlined in this expose, however again I do believe that there does still exist some behavior and speech that is not conducive to the cross-cultural atmosphere. 1. Schermerhorn, Jo hn R. (11/2011). Organizational Behavior, 12th Edition [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781118426319 2. Sizoo, S. , Serrie, H. & Shapero, M. (2007). Revisiting a Theory-Supported Approach to Teaching Cross-Cultural Management Skills. Journal Of Teaching In International Business,18(2/3), 83-99. doi:10. 1300/J066v18n02_0 3. Okoro, E. (2012). Cross-Cultural Etiquette and Communication in Global Business: Toward a Strategic Framework for Managing Corporate Expansion. International Journal Of Business & Management,  7(16), 130-138. doi:10. 5539/ijbm. v7n16p130 4. Kawar, T. (2012). Cross-cultural Differences in Management. International Journal Of Business & Social Science,  3(6), 105-111.

Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons The controlling of nuclear weapons dates back to the first ineffective arms negotiations at the, â€Å"Hague Conferences which took place in 1899 and 1907,†1 as stated by Tom Bethell in his article â€Å"No Nukes America†. Many conferences such as the Hague Conference, have set a standard to the limitation of nuclear weapons throughout the world. Mr Bethell claims that, â€Å"Ever since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear warfare has declined,†1 despite the fact that at any second, any country can be destroyed with the push of a single button. Nuclear weapons are probably the biggest threat in the world today. The belief that there should be nuclear weapons in the world is supported by Tom Bethell who is a Washington correspondent for the American Spectator. Mr. Bethell basically writes about how the U.S. has practically stopped the production of nuclear weapons. He also explains that now that the U.S. has delayed production, they are behind in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons compared to other nuclear weapon countries. Mr. Bethell states the stoppage of testing by saying, â€Å"The refusal to allow further testing ensures that nuclear weapons technology will become increasingly outdated.†1 Mr. Bethell also claims that because of the shut down of the plants, the, â€Å"Weapons plants were stigmatized as contaminated sites, ‘hot spots,’ sources of hazardous waste.†1 Also, Mr. Bethell states that, â€Å"The Department of Energy has estimated that cleaning up these sites will cost $300 billion – more than the annual defense budget.†1 Mr. Bethell’s main point of the article is that because of the closing of the plants, and the stoppage of the testings of nuclear weapons, the U.S. will feel less secure because they will be so far behind the major nuclear countries (Russia, France, China) in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons. Mr. Bethell asks the question, â€Å"Will we feel more... Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Nuclear Weapons The controlling of nuclear weapons dates back to the first ineffective arms negotiations at the, â€Å"Hague Conferences which took place in 1899 and 1907,†1 as stated by Tom Bethell in his article â€Å"No Nukes America†. Many conferences such as the Hague Conference, have set a standard to the limitation of nuclear weapons throughout the world. Mr Bethell claims that, â€Å"Ever since the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear warfare has declined,†1 despite the fact that at any second, any country can be destroyed with the push of a single button. Nuclear weapons are probably the biggest threat in the world today. The belief that there should be nuclear weapons in the world is supported by Tom Bethell who is a Washington correspondent for the American Spectator. Mr. Bethell basically writes about how the U.S. has practically stopped the production of nuclear weapons. He also explains that now that the U.S. has delayed production, they are behind in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons compared to other nuclear weapon countries. Mr. Bethell states the stoppage of testing by saying, â€Å"The refusal to allow further testing ensures that nuclear weapons technology will become increasingly outdated.†1 Mr. Bethell also claims that because of the shut down of the plants, the, â€Å"Weapons plants were stigmatized as contaminated sites, ‘hot spots,’ sources of hazardous waste.†1 Also, Mr. Bethell states that, â€Å"The Department of Energy has estimated that cleaning up these sites will cost $300 billion – more than the annual defense budget.†1 Mr. Bethell’s main point of the article is that because of the closing of the plants, and the stoppage of the testings of nuclear weapons, the U.S. will feel less secure because they will be so far behind the major nuclear countries (Russia, France, China) in the technological aspect of nuclear weapons. Mr. Bethell asks the question, â€Å"Will we feel more... Free Essays on Nuclear Weapons Argument: States coexist in anarchy and the self-help principal action in an anarchic order is gained by security Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Defense equates to an ideal security since this combination presents both a strong guard in the presence of an attack while conversely equally strong prevention in terms of the effective punishment for the aggressor (anticipation of threat must be genuine). â€Å"Why fight if you can’t win much and might lose everything?†-exemplifies the authors mind frame in terms of the existence of nuclear weapons in war mentality. The concept of certainty becomes definable when using nuclear weapons in war. In conventional war an aggressor would pose war knowing that although uncertain about the outcome, destruction will be limited. With the introduction of nuclear warheads however the state and surrounding areas would be annihilated-with certainty! The knowledge of their being a severe outcome with the use of nuclear weapons, states would focus on avoidance when approaching the thought of war. Fear of nuclear weapons falling into wrong hands are unfounded due to the nature of a nuclear attack Use with â€Å"blackmail† would be a â€Å"cheap and decisive offensive force against conventional enemies† Theoretical Perspective and Why: Waltz is arguing from a realist theoretical perspective mainly because of his views on conflict. His essay is based around the use of nuclear weapons as a means to participate with other states in conflict. Where a Liberal Plurist would seek to explore cooperation and communication Waltz’s realist account sees the use of â€Å"blackmail† with nuclear weapon as an â€Å"offensive force†. Defining terminology for a realist emphasizes, â€Å"States, Power and Anarchy†. Waltz asserts that, â€Å"States coexist in a condition of anarchy†¦states must help themselves by providing for their own security†. His argument furthermore reflects the c...

Economics of Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics of Health Care - Assignment Example The statement is false because the incorporation of a subjective utility weight in the calculation of quality-adjusted life years does not affect the question of allocative efficiency. An allocative efficiency deals with the allocation of resources; on the other hand, cost-utility measures the quality of adjusted life years. The use of cost-utility will, therefore, be inappropriate when subjective utility weight is incorporated. According to Hurley (2010, 109), to address the question of allocative efficiency, it requires the use of the cost-benefit analysis. This is because the potential Pareto criterion method is required for the analysis (p.109). The result is negative. This means that the annual costs for carrying out the exercise are very expensive compared to the benefits that the university gets in terms of savings. Basing on the cost-benefit analysis, it is recommended that the university does not carry out the vaccination process. This is because of the high cost of this process. The program does not pass the cost-benefit analysis test because it gives a negative net benefit. Negative net benefit means that the implementation of the exercise would result in losses rather than gain in comparison to the effort used. The theory states that education induces greater taste for health. This means that health and education are causally related in instances where a third factor is missing. Focusing on the graph, it shows that both a better taste for more education and higher levels of learning are caused by the introduction of a third factor such as time. In this case, the lower rate of time leads to a greater investment in both variables resulting in a negatively sloping graph. For this graph, the two are not causal but have a correlation brought in by the introduction of a third factor that affects both variables. Â  

Epistemology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Epistemology - Essay Example First and foremost, this paper also deals with how theories are studied so that people may interpret and understand information, and develop them to form their own research studies. This is known as hermeneutics, and phenomenology would refer to how individuals study the philosophies of the world and what exactly it means to them. For this study, it is important to understand that without these theories, human beings would be lost when it comes to how they understand the world. Knowledge has to come from somewhere and this is illustrated in this paper through the mention of various research methodologies and approaches, dispositions and cognitive theories. As the study declares qualitative and quantitative approaches are two main approaches when it comes to research methodology. At this point it is important to first understand both qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to understand how research studies are brought about, as well as the epistemology and ontology approaches when it comes to research work. In a qualitative study, the researcher is not so interested in obtaining a set of facts, but rather is more interested in gaining insight into a perspective (Johnson, 1984). The philosophy of the qualitative approach is that knowledge and facts are subjective and that problems cannot be fully understood in isolation. In this light, should problems arise, they should be viewed as part of a complex pattern of links and relationships.