Essay on African American Academic Discipline Studies

The Origin, Development, and Purpose of Africana Studies as an Academic Discipline Thesis African American Studies is a change agent for the ideology of Black Americans. Black studies as an academic discipline serves to reorient the perspective of African Americans in an effort to regain a sense of pride and cultural identity stolen by white society. Abstract Ever since the Europeans forcefully brought Africans west, black people have struggled with a loss of their true culture and identity. The vulnerability of a displaced and victimized race subjected them to view conformity and assimilation as a panacea for racism, discrimination, and oppression. It wasnt until the 1960s that students began to realize and protest the†¦show more content†¦Black Power, the idea of â€Å"†¦African Americans controlling the social, political, and economic institutions in their community,†3 coined by Stokely Carmichael, harvested the support of blacks across America as they saw that â€Å"integration is the illusion of inclusion.†4 The idea of â€Å"Black Power† was meant â€Å"†¦to start bringing black people together under a slogan that everyone understood.†5 â€Å"Students began to challenge the meaning and purpose of education and forced colleges and universities to reexamine their role and function in Ame rican Society†¦ (They) demonstrated that education should and did serve to enlighten a people relative to their civil rights and social justice.â€Å"6 The birth of first department for Africana Studies took place on the campus of San Francisco State College on February 1, 1968 during a â€Å"five-month strike by a campus-wide, multiracial coalition of thousands of students and faculty members.†7 Dr. Nathan Hare was called in by college president, S. I.Hayakawa, to write a proposal and become the first coordinator of the new Black studies program. Prior to Dr. Hare’s acceptance of Hayakawa’s offer, he had been a professor at Howard University. At Howard, he joined with â€Å"militant† student leaders to create a Black University Manifesto, which said, â€Å"†¦the Negro University†¦should be overhauled andShow MoreRelatedEssay on Development of African American Studies1148 Words   |  5 PagesDevelopment of African American Studies Scholars have dedicated their time and attention to furthering the discipline of African American Studies and can define the field with many different definitions. Through looking at the origins and development in the study we can see how it became a legitimate academic field. As we study the writings of the African American intellect, it will fully explain the importance of the discipline. Their work will justify the study of cultural and historical experiencesRead MoreBlack Studies As An Academic Discipline932 Words   |  4 Pages Thesis: Even with the creation of Black Studies as an academic discipline, the culture and influence of white dependency still seem to block people of color’s mental potential, and inherently their ability to progress as a group. Abstract: Since the Transatlantic Slave Trade, African Americans have been dependent upon those of fairer complexions to educate them about the culture and history of their own people. Unfortunately, the trip over to the Americas caused them to lose touch with severalRead MoreRacial Stereotypes Of African American Youth1109 Words   |  5 Pagesonly decrease in their academic achievement but also decrease in their real world social development. African Americans are amongst one ethnicity group to experience bias. In the context of school discipline, race and gender stereotypes particularly function to criminalize African American youth and to reinforce cultural beliefs about perceived inherent behavioral deficiencies and African American cultural norms in need of â€Å"social correction† (George, 2014). African Americans are placed in the stereotypicalRead MoreAfricana Studies Should Not Be Limited To Studying The1750 Words   |  7 PagesAfricana Studies should not be limi ted to studying the oppression blacks and the struggle they’ve experienced though that is an important component and the only component usually seen by others. Black studies can be about blacks learning the necessary skills to be constructive members of society, such as financing, business, computer studies, labor laws and the judiciary systems. There are all field that can help the programs once students have mastered them. Having students doing financing can helpRead MoreThe Article Controversial Blackness : The Historical Development Future Trajectory Of African American Studies1462 Words   |  6 Pagesarticle â€Å"Controversial Blackness: The Historical Development Future Trajectory of African American Studies,† was written by Martha Biondi, a European Associate Professor of African American Studies and History at Northwestern University. Martha Biondi (2011), discusses the trajectory, development, growth, training, history, of African American studies, and the expansion of doctoral programs of African American studies necessary for the future trajectory in that field. The article further examinesRead MoreParenting Styles and Culture1378 Words   |  6 Pageschildren. Recent research point to the theory that the best parenting style is dictated by the culture in which it is practiced. A study by Whaley (2000) states that although a positive correlation between the use of physical discipline (i.e., spanking) and disruptive disorders in children is found in studies of European American families, research on African American families has found a negative association or none at all. Moreover, a review of the literature indicates that the positive associationRead MoreFairness of Disciplinary Actions in Schools1881 Words   |  7 Pagesactions taking place in their schools. Most recently, area Wichita schools have presented data that shows that African American children, who make up only a fraction of students compared to Caucasian children who hold the majority, are disproportionately more likely to be punished for both minor and severe infractions. Southeast High School is the best example of this. African American students only make up 29% of their student body, but they make up about 82% of in school suspensions and 46% ofRead MoreRacial Disparities Of Black Studen ts1542 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (2014) study revealed that black students were three times more likely to be suspend and 3.5 times more likely than their white peers to be expelled. In the studies conducted, racial gaps in suspension rates are persistently found and still remains a significant unknown when using different analytical strategies and methodologies (Wright et al. 2014). It is important to note that no studies have yet been able to account for the different variablesRead MoreAmerican Educational System1220 Words   |  5 PagesFall, 2005 Your Name: Monroe, C.R., Obidah, J.E. (2004). The influence of cultural synchronization on a teacher’s perceptions of disruption. A case study of an African American middle- school classroom. Journal of Teacher Education, 55, 256-268. I. Statement of the Problem a. Ressearch Topic The topic is how to discipline students. The authors state, â€Å"student responses to teachers’ disciplinary techniques can be unpredictable and require quick reactions on the part of the teacherRead MoreRacial Inequality And The And Out Of The Classroom1519 Words   |  7 Pagesthat is populated with minority groups. In contrast, studies have shown that public schools in residential areas, where the white majority populates the area, usually have more resources than their inner city counterparts (Lewis-McCoy). The combination of factors leads to further implications in a student’s life on a social and mental level. Despite state intervention and efforts such as civil cases, racial inequity causes an imbalance in the American school system because not all students are able to

Catcher in the Rye Abstract Essay - 1364 Words

Caleigh Beverly Mrs. Lehman AP English, 1A 1 October 2012 Novel Abstract: Catcher in the Rye Novel Title and Author: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Author’s Background: J.D. Salinger was born on January 1, 1919, in New York City, New York. Jerome David Salinger was born to Sol Salinger and his wife Miriam (J.D. Salinger). Though he was a bright young man, when he attended McBurney School, he ended up flunking out and was soon after sent to Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania (J.D. Salinger). After graduating Valley Forge, a couple years later, Salinger finally found the right school, Columbia University, where he met Whit Burnett, who helped him take off in his writing career (J.D. Salinger). After returning to†¦show more content†¦Significance of Title: The significance of the title is easily found within the book. It is most obvious when Holden is having a conversation with his sister, Phoebe, and he tells her what he wants to do, which is to become a catcher in the rye. By this he means that in order to protect innocent children from falling over a cliff into the corruptness of the adult or à ¢â‚¬Å"phony† world, he must catch them and save them from this stained fate. This idea that he has is crazy, and until this conversation, he did not realize the ridiculousness of his â€Å"plan.† It is not until later in the book does he realize that this ambition that he has chased for so long is impossible to reach and that it’s inevitable to protect the youth from being introduced to impurity from society. Theme: One of the main themes that is found in the book is that by using introversion, one can protect oneself, yet can also hurt themselves in the process. Throughout the entire novel, Holden exemplifies this theme because even while trying to be social, Holden seems to shy away from becoming to close to any one person, including his family members. For example, at one point in the book, Phoebe hugged Holden, and he complained that she shows her affection too much. Even from the beginning of the book, it began with Holden’s alienation: while everyoneShow MoreRelatedSummary Of Weeping Shades Of Cozened Indigo By J. D. Salinger1449 Words   |  6 PagesSchizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness that is a culmination of many symptoms related to mental illnesses, there is no cure. Holden is seen as an outsider but not entirely a pariah, but he appears to be off in his behavior. In the novel â€Å"The Catcher in the Rye† by J. D. Salinger,Holden appears to have sympt oms of schizophrenia such as delusions, lack of pleasure or interest in life, and disorganized speech. Ideas can be creative, they can be revolutionary, and sometimes they can be delusionsRead MoreCatcher in the Rye4413 Words   |  18 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye â€Å"Is The Catcher in the Rye, as a work of literature still relevant for today’s youth?† Name: Sara Sigurdson Course: English A1 Supervisor: Mr. Peter Steadman Word count: 3851 Candidate number: 00136022 Table of Contents Content Page Number Abstract 3 Introduction 4 The Actual Catcher in the Rye 4 The Sexual Matter 5 The Caulfield Family 6 Narrator and Protagonist 8 Role Model 9 Mr. Antolini 10 Targeted Audience 10 Guidance 12 Read MoreThe Modernist Movement And Its Influence On Art1688 Words   |  7 Pagesmovement was the use of abstract art.  Abstract art is artwork that reshapes the natural world for expressive purposes.  Georgia O’Keeffe is one artist who uses abstract art in her works.  Abstract art is seen in her painting titled Abstraction White Rose.  This painting clearly shows the characteristic of abstract art.  This painting shows what looks like a close-up of a white rose.  This white rose is reshaped for expressive purposes.  Another painting by O’Keeffe that shows abstract is titled Blue II.  TheRead MoreRomantic Essay, The Streetcar Named Desire: The Catcher In The Juliet1899 Words   |  8 Pagesof my portfolio are the Catcher in the Rye essay, the American rebels powerpoint, the Streetcar Named Desire essay and the Catcher In The Rye fishbowl. I chose to include the Catcher in the Rye essay because it showcased my ability to explain in detail quotes from the book and expand on one idea. I also chose this essay because I got an 82% which I believe is a good grade for a hard essay topic such as the symbolism of the ducks. In addition, I chose the Catcher In The Rye fishbowl because it showedRead MoreCatcher in the Rye Songs2572 Words   |  11 Pagesfor the meaningful connection he once had with Jane Gallagher, but he is too frightened to make any real effort to contact her. He depends upon his alienation, but it destroys him. The Painfulness of Growing Up According to most analyses, The Catcher in the Rye is a bildungsroman, a novel about a young character’s growth into maturity. While it is appropriate to discuss the novel in such terms, Holden Caulfield is an unusual protagonist for a bildungsroman because his central goal is to resist theRead MoreLanguage Catcher in the Rye4730 Words   |  19 PagesThe American Dialect Society The Language of The Catcher in the Rye Author(s): Donald P. Costello Source: American Speech, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Oct., 1959), pp. 172-181 Published by: Duke University Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/454038 . Accessed: 30/01/2011 11:19 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTORs Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTORs Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in partRead MoreAnalyzing Novels Short Stories1166 Words   |  5 Pagescharacter in a story, the one with whom the reader is meant to identify. The person is not necessarily good, but is the person whom the reader is most invested in. ------------------------------------------------- E.g. Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye ------------------------------------------------- Antagonist ------------------------------------------------- Counterpart to the main character/protagonist and source of a storys main conflict. It may not even be a person. ------------------------------------------------- Read MoreAnalysis Of The Of The Bible 1045 Words   |  5 Pagesthe basis for operating in the world by taking into account what is practical and acceptable† (Nevid 470). Moreover, this is relevant to Holden’s self-reliance on what he truly believes rather than what society demands.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Furthermore, Holden’s abstract personality reveals his lack of reality. As Ernest Hartmann exemplifies, â€Å"The connections in dreaming are not random. They are guided by the dominant emotions of the dreamer† (Hartmann). Throughout the novel, Holden’s psyche has become so compromisedRead MoreThe Importance of the Act of Reading† by Paulo Freire essay1318 Words   |  6 Pagesreading about the Indian wedding letter, and vise versa when the Indians read about the American wedding and Indian wedding. The conclusion of this study is that reading is not just a linguistic skill, but involves transliguistic knowledge beyond the abstract sense of words (Hirsh 294-295). Americans had an easier time reading about the American wedding because the topic was familiar to them especially since it was within their culture. However, when it came to reading about the Indian wedding, the accuracyRead MoreLiterary Theories And Literary Criticism1318 Words   |   6 Pagesâ€Å"Language is a system of signs, and words only have meaning because of the contrast between these signs†. Ferdinand de Saussure. †¢ Critical analysis of philosophical as well as literary language that emphasizes the core mechanisms of language and abstract systems, interpersonal quality of meaning and the expectations contained in forms of expression. †¢ Represents the meaning of a text by exposing the imaginary contradictions as well as internal oppositions – showing that these foundations are complex

The Works of Tyler Perry and Spike Lee Essay Example For Students

The Works of Tyler Perry and Spike Lee Essay Despite any biased opinions, there really is no denying that both Spike Lee and Tyler Perry make great movies. Their fame and popularity of their continual movie success is enough to know that both men are talented in their line of work. Both of these film-makers create movies that dominate more toward the black culture of Americans. Thats not to say that caucasian or any other race doesnt watch or enjoy their movies. In terms of representing blackness and black people in general, I believe Tyler Perrys body of work does a better job than Spike Lee. Even though Spike Lees work is similar in the sense of Perrys work, in that he focuses towards black audiences, I just prefer Perrys style over Lees. Throughout the paper I will touch on secondary opinions of criticisms against the two film-makers and why those particular sources conceived their opinion. After the readings and audio for this week, I never knew about the rivalry between Perry and Lee. It was obvious that both of their work was aimed more toward black audiences, but Im now aware that they each have different styles and opinions in how they portray their work. A big impact of Perrys work is the character of Madea that he has developed through so many of his films. Madea is Perry dressed in drag as an older-aged black woman. Madea is meant to be the character of a strong and independent black woman, but the audience still perceives her as funny and entertaining. Lees movies, while still deeming toward a black audience, dont have a particular character involved throughout, but I would infer that the theme of a majority of his movies steer towards having a black man against all odds. Unfortunately, it wouldnt be entertainment without drama throughout the industry. Both Perry and Lee have some harsh feelings towards one anothers work. Lee once referred to Perrys work as buffoonery. ? Lee doesnt hold his feelings in towards Perrys films and the Madea character and the stereotypes he feels Perry wrongly depicts in his films towards blacks. Perry responds to Lees criticisms with disbelief and profanity towards Lees comments of his work. As I have stated before, in a broad sense, both Perrys and Lees work is aimed towards black audiences. In a deeper sense though, I believe both are aimed towards a more specific type of black audience. After watching countless Tyler Perry movies, where Madea was the main theme, I would infer that his movies are aimed more toward black women. Since Madea is meant to be a strong and independent black woman, more women can relate to her character compared to men. The greatest criticism that secondary material has for Madeas character is that she is represented as the stereotypical black mamie. These critics believe that that stereotype negatively reflects peoples judgement on the race. Tyler Perry movies as a whole though play more towards black families and people of all ages, including more teenaged young-adults. Maybe its just the humor in Perrys movies, but when I think of a Tyler Perry movie, I think of families watching it together. I trust that Perry knows what sells in terms of entertainment, and if hes able to make those people who support his films to keep coming back with the comedy of his work, then he is accomplishing something decent towards representing a success of celebrating blackness. Spike Lee movies on the other hand, play more towards black males. One movie in particular that I can use as an example, is Lees movie Malcom X, which is a biographical drama about the famous African-American human rights activist, Malcom X. I realize that black women may be interested in Lees movie just as much black men, but in general, black men are more intrigued as the audience. Spike Lee movies are also meant for a more independent and an adult black audience compared to Perry films. I say this because I think of Lees movies to be more mature and deeper in context with his screenwriting. In general, Perry creates movies that are comedies, whereas Lee creates movies that are dramas. As the audicene of the movie, its important to remember that a movie is more than just sitting down and watching it for a couple hours, but rather that the film-makers (Perry and Lee), have purpose behind the films that theyve created and also that theyre attempting to accomplish something within their work. Both film-makers are attempting to celebrate blackness within their films. I say this because both Perry and Lee make films that are aimed toward black culture and the influence that the black race can watch and relate with. Movie Overview - Collateral EssayAnother topic we discussed on Lees film was the issue of sexism in the movie and the opinions of if it were demonstrated throughout the story. Being a woman myself, I believe sexism was an underlying topic in this particular film. The movie seemed that the male was the dominant force and that the young-women were the accessory to the young men. An example of where it was obvious was after the boys party, one of the female characters asked if they should clean up the house just like they always do for the males. It brought me back to the past discussion of feminism and how women are assumed to being beneath a male. Cobb and Jackson criticized Lee in Fight the Power! The Spike Lee Reader, by calling Lee an auteur. Auteur: a film director whose personal influence and artistic control over his films are so great that he may be regarded as their author ? (Cobb and Jackson). Another criticism that Cobb and Jackson had against Lee was that his films are recognized for their explicit sexuality and sexism ? (Cobb and Jackson). An example from School Daze was the particular scene where the female character licked down the male characters hair; which demonstrated branding within the greek-life and sexism against women. Another critic, Lubiano, had in his article: Compared to What was Lees presence can overshadow, or make difficult other kinds of politically engaged work. Which I later read that it was particularly a concern of the black cultural production in film-making. Another criticism I liked that Lubiano mentioned was Lee sees his cultural mission as being a voice for the real ? (Lubiano). I inferred that Lubiano meant exactly what I was thinking as I was criticizing Lees films myself. What I mean by that is how I feel that Lee has a very arrogant complex when creating his movies because he feels that there is only his opinion of blackness, which is to be powerful, deep, and almost masculine. What I believe Lees idealogical stance is after viewing School Daze is that audiences of both genders and all races need to wake up to the larger issue and push away from their own ignorance to be conscious of social justice in the African-American culture. Through critical analysis of these two film-makers, Perry and Lee undoubtedly create influential African-American based films. With Lee creating films that introduce a distinct, historicized, African-American point of view that reference actual historic or contemporary events. Whereas, Perrys films introduce a more comedic and family approach toward an African-American point of view. I stated that I personally enjoy Perrys approach toward film-making more than Lee, but I do also respect Lees approach towards bringing out real-life themes in the black culture. The criticism that I take away from Lees style is the way in which he lets the male characters dominate, and how lack of womens power or influence is depicted. Even though Perrys films seem to stereotype the culture of African-Americans, I believe it still depicts the strength that the race possesses in real life. Madeas character represents someone who is independent, with wisdom, genuine love, and a strong backbone of beliefs that is capable of depicting the race as a whole. I dont believe that Madea only represented the women in the African-American culture, but the males as well. What I believe makes both Perry and Lees visions so different is the background of their upbringings. I believe they were each inspired by their own personal experiences when creating the ideas in their films. Thats not to say that one or the other is right or wrong in the way they represented blackness within their work, but its important to realize the issues and influence theyre attempting to accomplish out to the audience. Works Cited: Als, Hilton. Mamas Gun: The World of Tyler Perry.   The New Yorker, April 26, 2010. Cobb, Jasmine Nichole and John L. Jackson. They Hate Me: Spike Lee, Documentary Filmmaking, and Hollywoods ËÅ"Savage Plot.   In Fight the Power! The Spike Lee Reader, edited by Janice D. Hamlet and Robin R. Means Coleman, 251-72. New York: Peter Lang, 2009. Lubiano, Wahneema. But Compared to What? Reading Realism, Representation, and Essentialism in School Daze, Do the Right Thing, and the Spike Lee Discourse.   In The Spike Lee Reader, edited by Paula J. Massood, 30-57. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2008

Novotel Back Ground Essay Example Essay Example

Novotel Back Ground Essay Example Paper Novotel Back Ground Essay Introduction Novotel Hotel Background Novotel Novotel is one of a number of hotel chains owned by the French hotel group Accor. Novotel hotels are found throughout the world. Novotel has taken comprehensive steps to prove its commitment to the environment. In July 2007 it signed a partnership agreement with EC3 Global, to provide Green Globe certification. Novotel: the brand that respects the environment. Since its creation 40 years ago, the chain has evolved, anticipated its clients’ expectations, and introduced innovations regarding well-being, comfort and sustainable development. Concern for the environment is part of Novotel’s DNA. The brand is pursuing its long-range commitment within the framework of the Accor Group’s Earth Guest program. It is focusing on three areas of endeavor: establishing construction standards, ensuring that staff and employees practice sustainable development on a daily basis, and getting hotels guests to feel concerned and involved. To affirm it s operational commitment, Novotel signed a partnership agreement in July 2007 with Green Globe, the international environmental certification program for responsible travel and tourism. Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square The Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square is a 4 star hotel in the vibrant centre of Bangkok. With 429 well appointed rooms, this is the perfect destination for both business trips and holidays. Market Share Guests can relax by pool, in one of our 5 bars, or be tempted by the delicious choices available in our 3 restaurants, while our conference facilities are perfect for meetings and functions. Close to transport, entertainment and shopping, the hotel is ideally located [pic] What is Your Hotel’s Market Share and Market Penetration? Novotel Back Ground Essay Body Paragraphs First there was Occupancy Percentage (Total Rooms Occupied divided by Total Rooms Available for Rent) and Average Daily Rate (Total Rooms Revenue divided by Total Rooms Occupied) as the hotel’s base measurements of success. Then along came RevPar (Total Rooms Revenue divided by Total Rooms Available for Rent). Now that we have grasped the importance of this measurement, we have Market Share and Market Penetration also as a tool to gauge our hotel’s Marketing success. What is Market Share? Market Share is the number of rooms in our hotel as a percentage of the rooms in our hotel’s competitive market set. Market Set is the total number of rooms we are in direct competition with, within our area’s market and/or segment. Assume:We are a full-service, 200-room Holiday Inn. Our Market Set is other full-service hotels that we are in direct competition with–i. e. , Ramada Inn, Hilton Inn, etc. Not included in the market set would be high-end–Hyatt an d Marriott–or the lower end of the market segment of limited-service, such as Super 8 or Motel 6. A survey of the area reveals the total rooms of our competitive Market Set are 1,000. Our Holiday Inn (200 rooms) divided by Total Market Set (1,000) equals our Market Share of 20%. As upper mid-priced, full-service hotels are added or leave our Market Set, or our room count is adjusted, our Market Share percentage will change. The larger the Market Share percentage, the bigger player we are in the market. What is Market Penetration? Market Penetration is the percentage of demand for rooms actually accruing to our Holiday Inn. It is calculated as the ratio between the Total Rooms Occupied in our hotel against the Total Rooms Occupied collectively attributed to our hotel’s Market Set. Assume: |1. Research of our competitive Market Set of |Step One: |1,000 rooms revealed an average aggregate Market|Total Market Set of rooms = 1,000 | |Occupancy of 70%. |Market Occupancy = 70 % | | |365 days = Total Rooms Occupied | | |of the Market Set 255,500 our Market Share = 20% | | |= our goal of Rooms Occupied we should be achieving | | |51,000 | |2. Our Holiday Inn is experiencing|Step Two: | |occupancy of 65%. |Convert our actual occupancy of 65% into | | |47,450 Rooms Occupied. Divide our actual | | |number of 47,450 Rooms Occupied by our goal of| | |51,000 Room Occupied, thus our Market | | |Penetration is 93%. | Not good. We must strive to be equal to or better than our competitors. Market Penetration must be at least 100%, and to be the leader in the Market Set, well over 100%. What is wrong? Location, fixed – no solution, signage may help. Wrong franchise–possible. Wrong data in determining the primary guest market. Lack of marketing dollars to reach that primary market. Lack of management sales effort. Lack of sales tools. Wrong room mix. Old decor. Wrong amenity mix. Unfortunate reputation. The list can go on. However, when certain key wrong s are corrected and the property achieves an occupancy of 82%, the Market Penetration will be 117. 4%, and possibly the leader of the pack! There are hotel management companies requiring a Market Penetration percentage each week from their otels as a measurement of the hotel’s total marketing success. However, month-end monitoring seems reasonable, and we can even enroll in the Smith Travel Accommodations Report (STAR program), which will calculate and track our hotel’s Market Share and Market Penetration each month. To enroll in the STAR program, contact Smith Travel Research, 615/824-8664 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting615/824-8664end_of_the_skype_highlighting, who will need from you: 1. Our list of competitive hotels in our Market Set (STR will obtain the occupancy of these competitive hotels from their parent chains); and 2. Our Total Rooms Available for Rent and Total Rooms Occupied. Star Travel Research will only report the aggregate occupancy of our Market Set. They never release or divulge information on an individual property or chain. If we wish to calculate Market Penetration for ourselves, the key is obtaining our Market Set competitors’ occupancy. In certain cities, the Convention and Visitors Bureau collects the individual property data and disseminates the occupancy in requested Market Sets (not by individual hotels). In other locations, hotels share their occupancy percentages on a nightly and weekly basis. And in other areas, the hotels are fierce competitors and share nothing. If that is our case, then count our competitors’ cars within our Market Set. We used to count closed windows draperies, but with room energy savings techniques, this is no longer accurate. Fellow AAHOA member Tek Chand of Augusta, Georgia, has car-counting down to a science within his portfolio of hotels. He has either the Night Auditor count the competitors’ cars at 10:30 p. m. or the Evening Desk Clerk at the end of the previous shif t. Then the car count (bus = 20 rooms) along with weather and special events, is recorded in his computer. His accuracy and confidence is well documented in that he will retain retired persons to count cars at hotels in various locations for up to a year prior to the building a new hotel and lenders have inquired to him as to hotel market conditions in specific locations. After we have obtained the occupancy data of our competitive Market Set, then we can complete the calculations. Market Penetration graphically tells us how we measure up to our competition regardless of market conditions. SWOT Analysis |S |W |As Novotel belongs to the Accor company , which is a worldwide |Its main source of customers is fixed, most are businessman,high | |organization and has more than 40 years history ,it has an |price result in low flexibility of customers. | |extremely strong brand with lots of loyalty customers and |Its high cost causes limited quantity which means fixed location | |advertising . |that will affect its market share. | |Developing partnerships with major firms ,provide more convience | It’s managed by ACCOR,so sometimes there are conflicts about its | |to the customers. management which affected by Thai policies. | |The reciuitment systerm has been well developted by Accor , it’s | | |more easier to get human resource. | | |The Novotel is supported by Accor which will provided a good | | |financing environment to help Novotel with the economic crisis. | |O |T | |1. Demand between the national and the inbound tourists can be |1, Highly competition. | |easily managed due to difference in the period of holidays. For |In the last three decades, the number of hotel rooms has nearly | |international tourists the peak season for arrival is between |tripled! Thailand also will have to deal with stronger competition | |November to May. |from its neighbors. |2. Take advantage of emerging markets, especially with business |2. Increased staff costs. | |cla ss and mid-priced markets |It’s no wonder that employees represent the biggest portion of a | |3 In the long-term the hotel industry in Thailand has latent |hotel’s operating expenses. | |potential for growth. This is because Thailand is an ideal |3. Political issue | |destination for tourists country |Political unstable make societal turmoil. | | |4. Financial Crisis | | |The financial crisis of 2007 to the present was triggered by a | | |liquidity shortfall in the United States banking system. t. People | | |willing to stay home | | |rather than go travel. | Why we choose to do perceived value of Novotel hotel resorts. We choose Novotel hotel because is the one of the famous hotel in Thailand and Novotel hotel have many chain of hotel within Accor group. Tourists and business travelers is well know about Novotel hotel. Novotel have 395 hotel resorts in 60 countries with 71,872 rooms and employs over 30,000 employees. Novotel hotel involved in the worldwide environm ental and societal certification program Green Globe. Novotel have specious modular services, accommodation and facilities. For example – Free accommodation and breakfast for two children under the age of 16 sharing a room with their parents or grandparents. 50% reduction on a second room to accommodate children aged between 8 and 16, in more than 250 hotels around the world (depending on availability). Welcome gifts, baby equipment available free of charge, play areas, healthy children’s menus, green spaces, swimming pools. References =http://www.watg.com/ data-wpel-link=external rel=nofollow>http://www. watg. com We will write a custom essay sample on Novotel Back Ground Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Novotel Back Ground Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Novotel Back Ground Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

To Kill A Mockingbird Essays (144 words) - To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill A Mockingbird Jeff Finn To Kill A Mockingbird Poem (Jems Pants) Pint-sized Dill, Jem, and Scout All decided to take a new route Through the Radleys backyard they crept In their mouths they're voices were kept Quietly they slithered through the gate Trying not to make a loud mistake Had a creek in the gate been heard It wouldn't have sounded like a mockingbird Spit as they could On a gate made of wood They got rid of that awful sound But they had already been found Without them knowing A strange shadow was growing On the side of the house It crept like a mouse After it was seen All three fled the scene Even with the situation dire Jem's pants got caught on wire Scout ran back to help While Jem loudly yelped When his body was freed His pants were no longer of need As they sat somewhere The three culprits were quite scared So Jem bolted back to the yard Getting his pants wasn't very hard Poetry and Poets

Give A Brief Definition Of Nursing Research And Evidenced-based

Give A Brief Definition Of Nursing Research And Evidenced-based Give A Brief Definition Of Nursing Research And Evidenced Nursing Research and Evidence Based Research Nursing Research and Evidence Based Research Evidence based research in nursing involves the use of already available evidence to establish the knowledge on a certain issue. It is mainly applied to link the past with the present which is crucial in addressing the issues arising in any health set up. This can include getting the data in a certain hospital and check for the prevalence of a certain disease and how it has been possible or impossible to handle it with the available resources. Nursing research involves going to the field and collecting data which is then processed before coming to a certain conclusion. For instance in addressing the prevalence of a disease like pneumonia in a locality one can go to various hospitals and homesteads getting the information from the parents and doctors and then using the information one can be come up with a conclusion that can be used to better the way a certain problem is being addressed. It also involves visiting the literature in that field to see has been done already and show the relevance of your research (Health Leaders Media, n.d). The two approaches have a similarity in that they are both aimed at improving the way the problems in the nursing set up are addressed. This could be a certain disease or the challenges the nurses are facing while executing their duties. Another similarity is that both rely on the already present information to set a strong argument or a foundation of the research (Health Leaders Media, n.d). This involves a look on the literature available and the information present in hospitals to come up with a factual argument. They also borrow a lot from each other and they are usually used as one. The major difference lies in the way each of them addresses the problem as lies in their definition. ReferenceHealth Leaders Media. (n.d). Evidence Based Practice and Nursing Research: Avoid Confusion. Available at.

Maritime piracy along Malacca straits 800-1830 Research Paper

Maritime piracy along Malacca straits 800-1830 - Research Paper Example Privateering under the Dutch was initially started in the 1600s as a weapon of war in the Malay Peninsula against the Iberian army which was perceived to be threatening the Dutch’s strategic frontlines and may potentially cripple the Dutch’s trade in the region. Privateering was considered legitimate according to the laws of war at that time since privateers operate with company licenses or a letter from a marque stating privateers can only attack and seize enemy ships. This paper investigates how the Dutch, other European countries and native Sultans employed privateering as a legitimate operation in war. Therefore, privateering activities along the Malay Peninsula in the 19th century, was instrumental in the development of piracy activities, mainly motivated by trade activities between the Europe and the Asian, and which were responsible for promoting piracy activities along he Malay Peninsula. This paper also investigates the effects of piracy activities on both the Europeans and natives, and how both parties viewed such piracy activities which are often in contrary to each other, resulting in tensions between them. Privateering is a concept closely linked to just war, and was designed to work from a legal perspective in the high seas.4 Since the 17th century, Europeans had made their way in the Malaysian Peninsula and developed sets of rules that explained how, and under which conditions such privateering activities were to be carried out; the Dutch were the main European powers behind privateering. To ensure adherence to legal limits, privateers had only to operate under a letter of marque and reprisal, which was only issued if such groups showed evidence of loss suffered as a result of their enemies.5 These groups were therefore allowed to seize such enemy vessels along the peninsula, and covert such goods as a ransom for

Social Psychology and Ethics . What are attributions and why are they Essay

Social Psychology and Ethics . What are attributions and why are they so important for understanding human behaviour - Essay Example either to their internal dispositions or to their external situations.† There are actually two kinds of attribution: the dispositional attribution and the situational attribution. An example given is a teacher who wonders whether a child’s hostility either reflects an aggressive personality which is the dispositional attribution or the child is reacting to stress or abuse which is the situational attribution. There are instances where a person, perhaps a girl named Ana does not say much in class while a boy named Jose always talks nonstop (Myers, 1995:613). According to their dispositional attribution, Ana is shy while Jose is outgoing. These attributions are valid for people usually have stable personality traits. But this is not always the case for sometimes Ana could be an outgoing person in a party while Jose is as quiet as Ana when she’s in class. This act of overestimating the influence of personality and underestimating the situation is called the fundamental attribution error. To prove the theory, there is an experiment conducted by David Napolitan and George Goethals with Williams College students and a young woman (Myers, 1995:613). The young woman interacted with the students whom responded differently to her. Beforehand, the students were told that the woman’s behaviour would be spontaneous. Then the students were told that the woman was also told to act friendly or unfriendly. But the students ignored the information. They created different inferences about the woman. If the woman acted friendly, they thought she was a warm person. If the woman acted unfriendly, they thought she was a cold person. In simpler words, the students make their inferences or attributed her behaviour based on the personal disposition even when they were told that the woman’s behaviour was situational, meaning she was just acting that way for the experimental purposes. People often make the same fundamental attribution error (Myers, 1995:614). Having knowledge of

Marketing Specialist Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Specialist - Research Paper Example They assist in measuring current strategies aimed at understanding the best ways to market products and make money for the given company (Goldstein & Lee, 213). Marketing specialists is also known as research analysts. They should monitor what is sold across the country, help in analyzing demographic data, analyzing buying and shopping habits, looking at a relevant competition in the field and their pricing, creating and administering surveys, questionnaires and other information gathered, assist in measuring and evaluating current strategies and other responsibilities. All this is done all in an effort to help in understanding the best ways of marketing products and make the company a lot of money. As a marketing professional, I am tasked with the responsibility of examining and analyzing the promotional and marketing potential of an individual entity. It is also the role of a marketing specialist to design and create marketing and promotional tools. These tools enable an organization to make efforts into the target market. Marketing specialists play many roles among them overseeing and implementation of crucial areas of the marketing plan, which is always designed for a specific firm for establishment (George, Kress, Taryn &John Snyder 72). As an entry-level specialist, one must possess a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising or communication. In most cases, most employers look for graduates with experience in marketing or advertising firms but as a fresh graduate, I will have to expose my skills and attributes to secure an entry-level position aimed at growing my career as a professional marketer as well as serving the interests of the employer. For an entry-level position, one must demonstrate the skill and ability to market, promote and advertise efficiently and effectively the sectors given such as

Value of Knowledge Produced with Difficulty

Value of Knowledge Produced with Difficulty It is only knowledge produced with difficulty that we truly value. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Introduction Across different knowledge areas, from the natural sciences to the arts, defining knowledge produced with difficulty is difficult.   Truly, interpretations are subject specific. In the sciences, rigorously following the scientific method and developing a sophisticated, valid theory or model requires a high level of reasoning and experimentation, which is arguably always a difficult process. In the arts, it is far more challenging to define knowledge as being produced easily or with difficulty. In this essay, knowledge in the arts is specified to its production. Determining the degree of difficulty involved is subjective, and largely depends on which aspects of knowledge are involved in the production of the visual arts: does the production of the work involve technical skill, procedural, and conceptual knowledge? To what extent are reason, emotion, and sense perception involved? In this essay, I aim to show that knowledge produced with difficulty is valued to a lesser extent in the natural sciences. In the arts, it is both knowledge produced with ease and difficulty which is accepted by consensus and valued. Hence, one cannot state that only knowledge produced with difficulty is valued. To what extent is knowledge produced with difficulty valued in the natural sciences? Knowledge produced with a lack of difficulty is valued in the scientific community. There is no greater supporter of this claim than physicist Richard Feynman, a keen populariser of a simple approach to physics. Feynmans widely used pictorial representation, known as Feynman diagrams, visualise the abstract formula of quantum electrodynamics in a simple, mathematical manner. Feynman first introduced the diagrams as a bookkeeping device for simplifying lengthy calculations (Kaiser 4). Using stick-figure lines, Feynman brought back Newtons fundamental approach to the problem, without the complicated knowledge based on new technological advances. The mathematical nature of Feynmans diagrams approaches the complexity of quantum physics with simple logic. An axiomatic system can be expressed in the simplest of terms, yet remains valid, sophisticated, and with a high level of reasoning. The success of Feynman diagrams lie in their simplicity: they are fundamental to our understanding of th e complexity of the natural world, whilst not being produced with great difficulty. However, is it possible that Feynmans rare genius renders him an exception? Arguably, intuition and a natural ability to see simple patterns in complex problems led him to produce this model. Regardless, the natural sciences are based on mathematics. Successful mathematical knowledge represents a pattern in its simplest form. Scientific models aim to accurately represent the natural world in an understandable manner. Therefore, Feynman diagrams, which are based on mathematical, simplistic knowledge are a valued model. Hence, knowledge produced with simplicity is valued in the sciences as well. Yet, simplicity in the natural sciences may also lead to knowledge which is discarded. An example of this are superseded, simple scientific theories, such as the Fleischmann-Pons experiment in the 1980s, which lead to the apparent discovery of cold fusion. Involving electrolysis, it was a dream discovery: a simple experiment with results that reshape our understanding (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 1). Unlike Feynmans diagrams, the experiment was heavily faulted in almost all stages of the scientific method. Fleischmann-Pons results were unable to be replicated and hence not verified. The scientists were criticised to have a lack of knowledge of physics and refused to collaborate with experts, limiting their access to shared and past knowledge on fusion (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 5). Furthermore, in a rush to publish, they did not conduct simple and obvious experiments which would have provided key evidence to support or undermine their hyp othesis, and there was a lack of repeatability (Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior 7). Hence, the Fleischmann-Pons experiment was simple, yet invalid, as in their simplicity, the scientists did not rigorously follow the scientific method. But, was the root of their problems solely the simplicity of their experiment? The experiment was influenced by extraneous variables such as flaws in reasoning, peer review, and observation. Faults in the scientific method effect both simple and difficult experiments. Therefore, my claim remains valid: predominantly, knowledge in the natural sciences is valued due to its logical simplicity, leading to applicability, but is usually the result of a detailed, systematic effort that could be seen as difficult. To what extent is knowledge produced with difficulty valued in the arts? Knowledge in the arts is valued regardless and perhaps because of, its lack of difficulty. As Degas said, painting is easy when you dont know how, and arguably, Jackson Pollocks action paintings have a lack of naturalistic, formal qualities, and composition which previously defined painting (Edgar Degas. 1). Pollock defied consensus through his cathartic process in which he lay a canvas on the floor and splattered paint with hardened brushes. Pollock relied on emotion, intuition, and a lack of reason, as he states, when Im painting, Im not aware of what Im doing (Jackson Pollock Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. 1). Furthermore, Pollock produced procedural, conceptual, theoretical, and cultural knowledge, as he is seen as a key figure of abstract expressionism. However, is this solely due to his artistic skill and knowledge thereof? In the case of Pollock, the role of circumstance could be considered. Peggy Guggenheim, who acted as his patron, contributed heavily to his success (How Peggy Guggenheim Made Jackson Pollock. 1). Furthermore, Pollock successfully read the art scene at that specific time. His understanding of the need to break consensus in the arts post-war demonstrates strong cultural knowledge. Hence, Pollock should not be treated as an exception. Defying consensus by implementing a lack of difficulty praised by old-masters in terms of reason, technical and procedural knowledge, has often characterised greatness in the arts. It is the nature of art to redefine itself. As the viewer, we ache for the new and exciting, whereas the artist yearns to stand out from others. Therefore, this claims supports my thesis. However, a counterclaim to this idea is that there are certain, rigid qualities that define a truly great artwork, being that it is only knowledge produced with great difficulty in the arts that we value. An example of this Thà ©odore Gà ©ricaults 1819 Raft of the Medusa, an impressive oil painting depicting the aftermath of a shipwreck. Gà ©ricaults interviewed survivors, visited morgues [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] and filled his flat with body parts, including a severed head (Peregrine 1), and reconstructed the original raft itself (Puchko 1). The project took a total of eighteen months. Arguably, the famous status of the work is reliant on Gà ©ricaults research, being a combination of sense perception and emotion, as he yearned to paint the dramatic, intense event as the Old Masters might have done, leaving nothing to chance or fantasy (Christiansen 1), indicating the involvement of reason, too. The accuracy of the work required great technical skill and procedural knowledge, as well as a stroke of rare genius. Today, the work is regarded as an icon of Romanticism (Laborie 1) due to Gà ©ricaults undoubtedly difficult process of knowledge production. However, initially, the painting failed to bring him the [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] public success he craved (Christiansen 1). Therefore, can one truly say the work was always valued by consensus? The original Medusa remained a politically sensitive matter, and its image was far too disconcerting and repulsive to popularise Gà ©ricault (Christiansen 1). Therefore, in Gà ©ricaults and the communitys eyes, the work originally failed and was not always valued, despite the difficulty of producing the work. It is reductionist to state that it is only knowledge produced with difficulty that is valued. Hence, this counterclaim does not undermine my thesis. Conclusion Overall, it is not only knowledge produced with difficulty that is valued. In the arts, both works produced with ease and difficulty are valid, whereas in the sciences, it is often the simplest theories are often valued the most. Logical induction and valid reasoning is central to knowledge in the natural sciences. Commonly, the simplest theories and experiments can provide this, as they stress fundamental, valid principles and facts which cannot be disproven, such as mathematical knowledge. Even experiments undermining my thesis, such as Fleischmann-Pons, contribute to science through their simplicity. According to Karl Poppers theorem of falsifiability, disproving a hypothesis is central to the natural sciences. Valuable lessons can be learnt from Fleischmann-Pons, such as the importance of the scientific method. Hence, regardless of its validity, knowledge produced with simplicity is valued in the sciences. Contrarily, in the arts, the production of knowledge is difficult to pinpo int as difficult or simple. Arguably, one could state than any creation of an artwork involves a difficult technique, high reasoning, or specialist sense perception in their eyes. Subsequently, it is both knowledge produced with ease and difficulty that is valued in the arts. However, does this make all art a masterpiece? If I say the creation of an artwork was difficult for me, does this make me an old-master, and put me on the same level as Gà ©ricault? The implications of my thesis in terms of the natural sciences is that if knowledge produced with difficulty is valued to a lesser extent, does this diminish knowledge produced with difficulty? Arguably, invalid knowledge produced with difficulty is valued: we learn from mistakes in their extensive, rigorous reasoning or methodology and produce valid knowledge from these improvements. Therefore, even invalid knowledge produced with difficulty should not be entirely discarded. In the arts, stating that both knowledge produced with or without difficulty is valued leaves us with a very broad and inclusive definition of what makes art great. This minimises the role of gatekeepers of knowledge, and leads us to question consensus in the arts. Yet, if ways of knowing- in Pollocks case intuition, in Gà ©ricaults sense perception- determine the value of art, this implies that art is a way of thinking rather than a form of expression. Furthermore, if, as in Pollocks case, art is valued due to it breaking previous consensus, this severely undermines the role of consensus. This leads me to wonder if we should question the value of art at all, and if we should instead simply create art for arts sake. Word Count: 1599 Works Cited Edgar Degas. BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 17 December 2016. How Peggy Guggenheim Made Jackson Pollock. Phaidon. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Jackson Pollock Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works. The Art Story. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Christiansen, Rupert. The Victorian Visitors: Culture Shock in Nineteenth-Century Britain. New York Times Books, 2000. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Cold Fusion: A Case Study for Scientific Behavior. N.p.: The University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley, and the Regents of the University of California, 2012. PDF. Kaiser, David. Drawing Theories Apart: The Dispersion of Feynman Diagrams in Postwar Physics. N.p.: U of Chicago, 2005. Google Books. Web. 16 Dec. 2016. Laborie, Sà ©verine. The Raft of the Medusa. The Raft of the Medusa | Louvre Museum | Paris. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. Peregrine, Anthony. Raft of the Medusa: A Grisly Tale of Incompetence and Cannibalism. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 12 July 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.

Moral Doubt in Hamlets Soliloquy - To be or not to be... Essays

The Moral Question in Hamlet's Soliloquy - To be or not to be... "The major question in 'To be or not to be' cannot be suicide. If it were, as many have noted, it would be dramatically irrelevant. Hamlet is no longer sunk in the depths of melancholy, as he was in his first soliloquy. He has been roused to action and has just discovered how to test the Ghost's words. When we last saw him, only five minutes before, he was anticipating the night's performance, and in only a few moments we shall see him eagerly instructing the players and excitedly telling Horatio of his plan. To have him enter at this point debating whether or not to kill himself would be completely inconsistent with both the character and the movement of the plot. The metaphors all suggest that Hamlet's choice is betw...

The Realization of My Advantages

Each individual is unique—this is one of the very cliche lines which most people hear all too often. However, the reality is that this line is something that we must learn to remember. Being an individual means that we are different from other people and that we have different things to offer for various situations. Every person specializes in a skill or talent where he or she can excel, no matter how insignificant that skill or talent may be for others. Thus, I personally believe that it is important for us to seek our own interests to fully realize our capabilities while enjoying the things that we must do. I view that this is crucial whenever a person reflects on the advantages that he or she possesses. Even during my younger years, I have already been interested in colors and shapes. My parents used to buy coloring books and materials for me when I was a kid, and before I knew it, I was fascinated with colors. I tried various colors to match another color by mixing them in the corners of the plain drawing. As a child, I was developed a fascination for building things with my own hands. However, with my limited dexterity at that time, I was not able to build anything successfully. Although my mother often appreciated the small things that I created, such as boxes I made out of recycled materials, I always felt that I could do it better Thus, as I grew older, I became very keen on details, most especially with the things that I design. I started looking at magazines and was able to distinguish the designs that I like. Sometimes, I draw what I think or directly create things from scratch. Although this activity is very time consuming, I believe that this will hone my skills and will directly address my issues in being a perfectionist. I do think that in order to be the best in my craft, I also need to critique myself constructively. It is essential to be aware of my weaknesses so that I could improve as an artist. My training at Parsons, The New School of Design that offers a world-class education, is something that I have always been very proud of. As the said school is used in a popular reality show as a training ground for many fashion designers, being granted with the opportunity to attend training here would definitely have a great impact in my future career as a designer. Parson has a great faculty and staff members who provide top-of-the-line training for their students. By passing the training at Parson, I gain the impression and image that I am capable of making designs that the world can acknowledge as exceptional. In addition, the training which I have received as well as the design perspectives made me feel confident with myself. Thus, I believe that my training at Parsons provided me a competitive edge. Considering my personal assessment of myself, I believe that I am very unique from the other design students in terms of my willingness and devotion to this field. From the time that I was young up to this very day, I do think that my trivial interest developed into a strong passion for creating designs to make life more beautiful comfortable for people in different walks of life. Hence, my advantage is my passion to work which could be a trademark that would be remembered by others. By making a simple design that is captivating to the eyes of the viewers as well as convenient for those who would use it daily is one of the most important values that I have as a designer. This attitude is one of my competitive advantages that I possess that aid me in creating a name for myself to be acknowledged just like the other renowned artists in the world. For me, advantages are only a plus to the natural abilities and the talents which are bestowed upon us. Nevertheless, my education, personality, perspective, and my passion are the best advantages that I have. These competitive advantages will stand as my weapons to prosper and be noticed as an artist in my own genre and be appreciated by those who also believe in the mixture of beauty and comfort.

The Fight Against Terrorism by Christian and Islam Leaders

The Fight Against Terrorism by Christian and Islam Leaders Religion is a powerful tool in restoring, as well as maintaining peace in the society. Many people perceive the Muslim community as dangerous thus capable of enhancing terrorist attacks. It is imperative to note that a synergistic effort from Muslim religion can immensely tame the spread of terror attacks.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Fight Against Terrorism by Christian and Islam Leaders specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Apparently, leaders from Islamic community have exuded interest in reducing the killings of innocent individuals. Additionally, several organizations champion for elimination of terrorism and related issues. Following the article from Earth Times, Pope Benedict XVI engaged Muslim principals in an effort to diminish terrorism. He was speaking to German Muslim leaders; however, the information was targeting the entire world. It is remarkable that during the summit in Cologne, Pope urged the Musl im leaders to intensify the war shunning terrorism. This was to reduce the incidences, which endangered the lives of innocent individuals. There is a need to inculcate optimism, as well as hope amidst all people instead of panic and pessimism. This is factual since it encourages peaceful coexistence, as well as calling all the leaders to take action against terrorism interrelated attacks. According to Pope, he was echoing his own reflections as a spiritual leader, and did not have any political attachment. Although Muslims commit most terrorist attacks, Pope’s speech did not touch on Islam. This was a show of respect, as well as setting a harmonious path for solving the problem. Most opinionated leaders have been at the forefront in blaming Muslim leaders for the recurring terrorist activities across the globe. It is imperative to declare that the Muslim leaders who were in the meeting responded positively to curtail the act. Not only does terrorism occur in Christian world, but it also prevalent in Islamic communities. This shows that it is a problem that he whole world share, and thus requires a synergistic effort from every fragment of the population. This is why Pope who is a faith leader urges the Islamic leaders to take action to reduce terrorism. â€Å"Interfaith dialogue is a necessity at every level: international, regional, and local; working groups on different levels should be established with emphasis on issues such as education, peace building and the promotion of solidarity and understanding among different communities and cultures† (Smock Huda 3). This quote is significant since it supports the reading; furthermore, it suggests means of curbing terrorism. Ending terrorism is possible through dialogue amid concerned parties.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is notable that another solution to this vice is throug h comprehending each other’s religion and culture. This move will reduce hostility, as well as clearing blame amongst people, while amplifying cordial coexistence. Confirmation from the Turkish Islam Union, that studying religion and customs is critical in the reduction of terrorism incidences. This shows that the leader was positive towards Pope’s utterances. This shows the importance of the article since it relates with the reading, as well as depicting out the theme of the topic. â€Å"Islam, as a religion of peace, rejects terror and promotes peace and harmony. We urge Muslim organizations and institutions to exercise their Islamic duty to correct and dispel misinterpretations of our faith† (Smock Huda 2). This quote is significant since it shows willingness of all Muslim leaders in curtailing ungodly deeds like the killing of innocent citizens. In conclusion, both Christian and Islam leaders have devised several means of controlling terrorism. The late dev elopments, especially interfaith movement against bombing activities have played critical role in shunning terrorism. It is noteworthy that the article concerning Pope’s call on Muslim leaders to join the fight against terrorism is relevant to the reading. Work Cited Smock, David, Huda, Qamar-ul. Islamic Peacemaking since 9- 11. New York, NY: United states Institute of peace. 2009. Web.

Chemistry Diatomic Molecules Cheat Sheet Essays

Chemistry Diatomic Molecules Cheat Sheet Essays Chemistry Diatomic Molecules Cheat Sheet Paper Chemistry Diatomic Molecules Cheat Sheet Paper Procedure for Negatively Charged Ions (CHIC-) Use the same procedure as outlined above, then as a last step add one electron per negative charge to fill octets. Carbonate ion has a 2- charge, so we have two electrons available to fill octets. Using the procedure above, we arrive a this structure: The two singly-bonded oxygen atoms each have an open octet, so we add one electron to each so as to fill these octets. The added electrons are shown with arrows. Dont forget to assign formal charges as well! The final Lewis structure for carbonate ion is: Procedure for Positively Charged Ions (NH+) Use the same procedure as outlined above, then remove one electron per positive charge as needed to avoid expanded octets. When using this procedure for positively charged ions, it may be necessary to have some atoms with expanded octets (nitrogen in this example). For each unit of positive charge on the ion remove on electron from these expanded octets. If done correctly, your final structure should have no first or second period elements with expanded octets. Using the basic procedure outlined above, we arrive at a structure in which nitrogen has nine valence electrons. (Electrons supplied by hydrogen are red; electrons supplied by nitrogen are black. ) Removal of one of these valence electrons to account for the 1+ charge of ammonium ion solves this octet rule violation. Slathers Rules: All other electrons in the same group as the electron of interest shield to an extent of 0. 35 nuclear charge units except Is group, where the other electron contributes only . 30. ) Write the electron configuration for the atom using the following design;(ls) (ad) (as,up) (ad) (if) (as,up) 2) Any electrons to the right of the electron of interest contributes no shielding. (Approximately correct statement. ) 3) All other electrons in the same group as the electron of interest shield to an extent of 0. 35 nuclear charge units 4) If the electron of interest is an s or p electron: All electrons with one less value of the principal quantum number shield to an extent of 0. 85 units of nuclear charge. All electrons with two less values of the principal quantum umber shield to an extent of 1. 0 units. 5) If the electron of interest is an d or f electron: All electrons to the left shield to an extent of 1. 00 units of nuclear charge. 6) Sum the shielding amounts from steps 2 through 5 and subtract from the nuclear charge value to obtain the effective nuclear charge. Examples: Calculate Z* for a valence electron in fluorine. Rule 2 does not apply; 0. 35 6+0. 85 2 = 3. 8 Z* = 9 3. 8 = 5. 2 for a valence electron. Calculate Z* for a as electron in Platinum. (1 (Dodd) (ass,app) (Dodd) (puff) (zaps) (add) (ass) Rule 2 does

Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Television - Essay Example The CBC had been charged with setting up a public service television system following the study carried out by a wide-ranging royal commission on the arts, letters and sciences, which reported in 1951. As the twenties came to a close, Canadian political elite became increasingly concerned that the commercial messages and entertainment-driven values from American radio stations that freely drifted across the border were eroding Canadian culture. The most popular radio show in Canada was the American produced situation comedy Amos n' Andy. In 1929 the Liberal government of Mackenzie King commissioned three men to study and report on the state of broadcasting in the country, beginning a relationship between the state and the media that has not weakened since. The three were Sir John Aird, a banker, Charles Bowman, a journalist with the Ottawa Citizen, and Augustin Frigon, an engineer at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Montral. The commissioners studied virtually every form of radio broadcasting in existence during the year of the investigation. By the time Aird delivered his report, the Liberals were out of office and a new Conservative Prime Minister, R. B. Bennett was in control. It was up to Bennett to decide which form broadcasting would take in Canada. Like King, Bennett was deeply concerned that American influence, especially its views on liberalism and republicanism, would soon dominate Canadian thinking.

Case Study 1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

1 - Case Study Example 2. In order to fulfil the above mentioned mission for Kaiser, its operational strategy to reach a sustainable competitive advantage should be based on the notion of quick response (flexible or responsive). As noted, this is not-for-profit health maintenance organization serving 8.1 million people. The number is just high so it is imperative for the organization to adopt a flexible operational strategy which can allow it to quickly respond to the needs of different people it serves. This will help to show its total commitment to the cause of providing health care services to the people with special needs in the communities it operates in. The goal of the organization is to uplift the welfare of different people in the communities in which it operates. Therefore, it is imperative for the organization to implement strategies that are meant to ensure that the targeted people get the services they may require as when they may require them. This will help to create trust between the organization and the targeted people such that they will look no further than it for any service related to health care they may require. What is only important in this case is to offer satisfactory services to the targeted people so that they can come back again for the same services. When an organization is not operating for profit like Kaiser, then it should appeal to the interests of the targeted people so that they can develop positive identity with it. Goods and service design: Kaiser ought to define the goods and services it offers to the targeted people in different areas it operates. For instance, it should make it clear that it is not for profit organization and it offers freely health care related services to different people who belong to less privileged groups. It also ought to make it clear that it is committed to train other people so that they can also play a part in uplifting the welfare of the people in different communities. Quality: quality is a virtue in as far as

User generated content Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

User generated content - Coursework Example User Generated Content has affected the hotel industry in a big way. With the advent of social media and various travel websites, the consumers and the viewers can easily post their feedbacks or review about a particular Hotel. The major impact in this case for the Hotel industry has been in the form of online reputation that is created by the reviews of the travelers across the world. Concerning negative online reviews, the larger part in the hospitality industry has a somewhat uplifting disposition. Negative UGC about ones lodging is seen as a chance for further enhancing administrations or figuring out all the more about requirements and wishes of clients. With respect to which are considered after negative UGC showed up Schmallegger & Carson (2008) contend that amending unfavorable presumptions specifically on the stage would be less satisfactory. As the consequences of a research demonstrate that a dominant part of the lodgings would cooperate with the author of the remark and attempt to determination it firsthand. Only a few of them would ignore it and let it go for legal actions. The user generated review helps the hotels in improving their service towards their consumers. Another impact of these reviews which cannot be neglected is the effect of ranking of the hotels on the basis of the review in the various travel websites. Generally, we have seen that, t he ratings of the reviews provided by the customers decide on the positioning of the hotel in a travel websites. An alternate intriguing conclusion produced by a study is that once a purchaser has stood up with great reviews and appraisals, lower estimating no more recommends lower quality. On the off chance that the review is great, the lodging is great. This understanding gives inn income chiefs the chance to play with valuing to create fleeting interest without adversely effecting

Peace Cultures in Action Today Essay Example for Free

Peace Cultures in Action Today Essay In â€Å"Peace Cultures in Action Today†, the author argues that some small isolated societies manage to create a culture of peace that often ends or is severely modified when they begin interacting with outside cultures. The argument then is that the greater society of the world is less peaceful than these small isolated societies. This theory warrants further study, especially in the area of how these societies react when confronted with societies that do not have the same values. For example, when the Zuni and Inuit are confronted by the larger populace of the United States, do they become more competitive? The interesting question here then is, â€Å"Is competititiveness and aggression a learned behavior? † In the piece, â€Å"To Construct Peace† , Elise and Kenneth Boulding too argue that peaceable existence is a learned behavior and that it can be taught. Elise was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for this theory, but it does not seem particularly sound. Even their own pacifist leanings led to conflict. Though the conflict was in the court systems over the right to become a citizen without an oath to bear arms for the country and a battle over their refusal to sign anti-Communist statements during the McCarthy era, it was still a conflict based on their moral standing. Therefore, it is safe to believe that even in people who believe in and are taught to live in peace, conflict may be inevitable when dealing with the real world. Later the same peace cites Thomas Merton and his poetry and meditations against war and his disappointment that the church could support a â€Å"just war† theory. This again is an interesting position that requires more exploration. Should society allow tragic events to continue because of a belief in peace or should war become a tool of peace? The moral and social ambiguities are clear. If a person is being oppressed and his pacificits nature is being used to subjugate or eradicate him, isn’t there some point at which man must fight for his own survival? This is the point that all of the essayists seem to miss. Peace for peace’s sake is a good thing and being taught to attempt peaceful coexistence before immediately turning to aggressive behaviors may be appropriate. However, if the species is to survive, at some point base instincts overcome learning and the fight for survival becomes more powerful that the desire for peace.

Wal-Marts Positive Influence on American Businesses Essay -- Business

Wal-Mart's Positive Influence on American Businesses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer..." Adam Smith. Wal-Mart is a producer who has the sole purpose of promoting consumption of the consumer. Wal-Mart and its quest for capital improvement are playing a major and vital role in the evolution of economic life. Wal-Mart brings positive change to towns in the U.S. They increase competition between retailers, stimulating the economy, and they also bring more capital and tax revenue to at town, some of which desperately need a positive change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'I think it's just the natural evolution of growth,' says Cynthia Lin, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mat in California. Wal-Mart's expansion and growth, like that of many other large retailers such as K-Mart, Buy Mart and Fred Meyer, is part of a bigger picture involving the evolution of the economy and the way businesses conduct themselves. Evolution, defined as the gradual process in which something changes into a different and unusually more complex or better form, is thoroughly distributed in all aspects of life. From biological, social, cultural, to economic, it can?t be denied that there are evolutionary processes taking place constantly. But it would be impossible to take a small piece of time out of our history, study it, and then conclude what is exactly evolving. The evolution processes take place simultaneously and can only be seen from the larger picture. That is why it is necessary to take a collective look at our history, from one point in time until anothe r, to effectively see the process of evolution work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The industrial revolution began with one or two ideas for a better means of mass-production, and it became the driving force that turned the manufacturing world into what it is today. It was just 1 turning point of the evolution that took place in the 20th century (still affecting and changing lives today). Cars, houses, appliances and life?s everyday activities became more affordable and convenient for the average person. If you look at the pattern of the human race for as far back as possible, the general goal has been to increase the quality of life. Whatever it might be; health and medicine, living conditions, or food, people have... ...?t find what they needed there, so they came downtown to shop,? Jubitz said. ? I don?t think we?ve lost any businesses except for a small drugstore that was on its way out anyway because a Payless moved in at the same time as Wal-Mart.? The city of Grants Pass, Oregon had a similar situation with an arrival of a Wal-Mart in 1992. ?Today the downtown corridor consists of specialty and antique shops,? says Barton Brierley, and associate planner for Grants Pass. ?Wal-Mart helped ensure a change in the character of downtown,? he said. Laura Richardson who is a retail analyst with Pacific Crest Securities is all for a competitive change involving smaller retailers. ?It?s a big store. It carries a broad selection. There?s no depth,? Richardson said. ?That?s where the local shops can compete. They need to figure out what Wal-Mart doesn?t do, be flexible and do it.? The expansion of Wal-Mart throughout the U.S. is a positive change for towns, cities and the economy. It brings prosperity, healthy competition and it is part of the inevitable evolution that sweeps through the country on a daily basis. Wal-Mart should be greeted with open arms and with a positive outlook for the future.

Great Improvements Could Come From Mandatory Service

Mandatory military service for all 18-year-old citizens would improve patriotism and discipline within the United States. Furthermore, by mandating military service the country could virtually assure that it would no longer have issues of insufficient troops for conflicts around the world. A mandatory term of military service would also help create a sense of national identity that the United States is lacking. Mandatory military service would also probably contribute to the health of the nation. Finally, mandatory military service would delay the entry of young adults into college, perhaps reducing the number of people who begin college and immediately drop out because they are unclear about their career options. Since the end of the Vietnam conflict, the United States has had mandatory selective service registration for men, but has never instituted registration for women. One of the keys to effectively implementing this program is to make certain that it is applied equally to both sexes. Strangely, this might do more to establish equal rights than the Equal Rights Amendment or pro-women’s movement ever did. Many men seem to resent the idea that women want equal rights in the workplace, but are unwilling to demand equal responsibility for the nation’s safety.   Many men and women feel that if people are going to claim equality than they should face equal lifestyles, so the most important factor of mandatory military service would be that it be for all citizens. Another way to avoid conflict over the mandatory military service idea would be for the service to be mandatory for all citizens. There could not be National Guard exemptions or exemptions for education or any other reason. If any hint of favoritism marred the program, it would lose much of its effectiveness. Obviously, not all people would be fit for combat duty, but everyone would have to be assigned duties according to their abilities. Less physically able soldiers might be assigned to kitchen duty or translating or stateside duties, but everyone should have to serve. Perhaps, given the sheer numbers of recruits that would suddenly be available, people assigned to combat regions could be given shorter terms of service than those who for health reasons or skill reasons could not serve in a combat zone. Finally, once the particulars of the program were ironed out, mandatory military service for every 18-year-old would improve patriotism and discipline within the United States. Currently, many 18-year-olds do not have the discipline necessary to survive a semester of college without parental supervision. Many take for granted the freedoms that have been fought for and won by veterans of previous wars. By making military service mandatory, citizens would be forced to learn to appreciate the way those freedoms came to be. Generally, people appreciate something more if they have to fight to get it. And, the discipline taught in boot camp would help get many people passed the pseudo-weakness currently inherent in American society.   Because of the fear of injury, zero tolerance policies and even anti-bullying propaganda across the country, many American citizens do not have any clue how to be competitive or disciplined. In short, they have allowed to become soft. Putting them all through boot camp would make them stronger individuals and better citizens. One of the drawbacks of the all volunteer military has been the lack of recruits. Several times during the Iraq War the Pentagon has extended the tours of duty of certain soldiers because there were not sufficient replacements available to send in to take their place. With a steady stream of 18-year-olds forced to enter the military, the military could allow all soldiers to serve shorter tours in combat zones and allow the professional military to do their jobs without worrying about the number of soldiers that they have to do the job. In addition, more people might discover that they like military service as a career option. It would allow high school graduates to put aside money for college with a good-paying job, or begin training for a better career. In some ways, the military could replace vocational schools and persons seeking a career in fields traditionally learned in vocational colleges could get on the job training, saving the country on student loans and creating a new, highly trained workforce. One of the most recent factors facing the United States has been the lack of a national identity. Persons from New York often have little in common with people from southern California and there is little shared national identity.   The problem with being a melting pot is that each individual has a person heritage that is not necessarily the same as their neighbor’s. Mandatory military service might help to alleviate this problem without destroying cultural diversity. People would still have their own state or cultural identity, but an entire generation of American citizens would share the experience of military service. Strangers would at least have their military service in common, creating a bond between all citizens of the country. In addition, mandatory military service would probably improve the overall health of the nation.   Instead of a generally obese nation, the youth of the country would at least be required to get in shape long enough to pass basic training. And, if military service was mandatory and there were no exceptions, one of the drawbacks of not passing basic training the first time around could be an extension of their service. For example, if a young smoker could not give up the addiction long enough to pass the running and stamina requirements of basic training, instead of being sent home as a â€Å"wash out†, he would receive remedial training which did not count towards his service commitment. In fact, the service commitment would not begin until basic training was completed, so a person could spend years getting into shape if necessary, but would know that the cost was the delay in getting on with their lives. Finally, mandatory military service would delay the college entrance age, perhaps leading to students who are more prepared for the college experience before investing the time and money in their education. Generally, it is accepted that non-traditional students are more committed to getting their education than the average 18-year-old. If students were forced to have even a two-year mandatory military service, they would be forced to become adults before going to college. As it is, many students entering college are not ready to be on their own. A transition period between living under their parents’ roof and sudden and complete freedom might help students be more prepared for the responsibility of college. In addition, many 18-year-olds entering college for the first time have absolutely no clue what they wasn’t to do with their lives. Many flounder in their first attempt at college and because they are so unprepared for the new lifestyle. Mandatory military service might help people to reach the proper maturity level before going on to college to know what they want to do with their lives. It is likely also to help deal with some of the issues facing college campuses across the country, including alcohol use. By requiring mandatory military service, the overall median age of college students would increase and students might be less attracted to the thrill of underage drinking. It seems unlikely that mandatory military service would be adopted in the United States.   Politicians would not have the gumption to make the changes necessary to the military to make the program work, nor would they be willing to risk political suicide by considering such a thing. Opponents of the draft, including conscientious objectors who fled to other countries when the country last had mandatory military service would not be willing to force people into service. Historians would argue that the country was won by volunteer fighters and that conscription was one of the things Revolutionary War veterans were fighting against. Pacifists would argue that military service somehow contrary to the beliefs of some citizens and the politically correct crowd would try to argue that not everyone should have to serve. Mandatory military service would create the final equality that American citizens have been clamoring for and would improve the health of the nation. Boot camp would help fight the nation’s obesity problems and equal opportunity service would help fight the economic disparity growing in the United States.   The unifying factors of common service would help establish a national identity and increase the patriotism of the average American. Spoiled brat teenagers would learn to appreciate the things that they have been allowed to take for granted and college campuses would become more civil, adult places where students could study and learn instead of simply enjoying drunken parties. Colleges would be filled with students who were ready and eager to learn and military vocational training could lead to an overall improvement in the job skills of the nation. However, the plan generally goes against every belief in freedom the country was founded on and will never happen.

Development of Multinational Personnel Selection

S w 9B07C041 Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTINATIONAL PERSONNEL SELECTION SYSTEM Professors Diana E. Krause and Reiner Piske wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail [email  protected] uwo. ca. Copyright  © 2007, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2007-12-11On Monday morning at 8:30 a. m. , Dr. Thomas Koch was leaving his luxury condominium on the 28th floor of a building specifically constructed for expatriates and Hong Kong’s wealthier citizens. He was going down to Causeway Bay, towards his office in Hong Kong’s central business district. On the way, Koch listened to the voice mail messages on his cell phone, one of which was from the assistant of the firm’s owner, Peter Koenig. The message stated that Koch was expected to call back before his meeting with the human resources (HR) team that he was leading.The human resources team meeting was scheduled in order to bring together German and Chinese human resource experts to form a crossfunctional project team. In the context of global restructuring, the company, ComInTec AG & Co (ComInTec), had introduced a new region al management level. As a result, 25 middle management positions were expected to be filled in the Asian-Pacific-region (APAC) (e. g. regional head of purchasing, regional head of supply chain management, national chief executive officers (CEOs), national head of finance and accounting, and national head of operations).A new personnel selection system was expected to fill these positions with qualified employees. ComInTec’s own recruitment channels, as well as â€Å"head hunters,† would be hired for the recruitment process. The overall responsibility for implementing the new personnel selection process was the responsibility of the project team. According to the company’s inhouse global localization policy, 90 per cent of the new management positions were filled by individuals who originated from the country they would be working in.The affected areas included sales and marketing, purchasing, supply chain management, and finance and accounting, at locations in H ong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney and Shanghai. The managers’ annual salary ranges between â‚ ¬40,000 and â‚ ¬150,000, depending on the location. The new personnel selection system for APAC was part of the company’s new objective to standardize all human resource instruments for selection purposes around the globe. This new personnel selection system had to be developed internally. Page 2 9B07C041 BACKGROUNDFor several years now, Koch had been finding faults in the design of the individual assessment centres. According to Koch’s opinion, there was only very limited opportunity to influence possible modifications because the individual assessment centres were conducted by external consulting firms. Additionally, Koch questioned the validity of the information obtained from the centres, as well as the personnel selection system as a whole. ComInTec had little interest in empirically evaluating the validity of the assessment centres and statistically analyzing the outcomes of such personnel selection procedures.Koch also felt the need to improve the contents of the structured interviews that were based on the candidate’s current situation, as opposed to the candidate’s previous work experience. Koch firmly believed that what happened in the past was likely to be repeated in the future, and therefore had very little appreciation for selective interviews that did not consider the candidate’s past. Overall, efforts to improve the current selection systems had only rarely been undertaken due to limited time and the budget allotted for personnel affairs — a memorable fact that Koch had already pointed out to the management several times.The development of a new multinational personnel selection system now posed a huge challenge for Koch and his project team. There was one fact, however, which he noticed with relief: there were no expatriates in the new selection system because the selecte d managers were required to be living in APAC. Currently, ComIncTec simply sent those candidates abroad that had the necessary technical skills and experience, regardless of intercultural competencies.Koch remembered how difficult it was at times to find someone willing to move his or her centre of life, including family, to a different country. He also knew from his own emigration experience that no training (e. g. language or cultural norms) was offered to prepare him. With this in mind, he hired staff for his project team that would globally represent the countries involved: a Chinese research assistant who completed a bachelor in HR management, another trainee from China, and a German intern who had completed four semesters in psychology.The team, which also included additional HR managers from the headquarters office, had already been working on the development of the new personnel selection system for four months. Over the past few weeks numerous meetings had been held, yet no significant progress had been made. One reason could be attributed to the fact that there was obvious heterogeneity between the German and Asian team members’ opinions regarding the new personnel selection system. This created an ambiance that was tense and dissent with respect to sharing the workload.For today’s meeting, the goal was to come to a consensus on several important issues: (1) what individual modules the new personnel selection system should contain, (2) whether country-specific adaptations were necessary and feasible for each module, and (3) the implementation process of the new personnel instrument at each APAC location. The APAC-situated plants were the company’s top-selling ones; therefore, any wrong decisions with respect to HR (e. g. personnel selection) were extremely cost-Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. When Ko ch first heard about the above changes, it immediately occurred to him that this would not be easy. He knew that personnel selection procedures currently varied significantly between countries. He also knew that the existing selection instruments were by no means flawless in any specific country. After the application documents were analyzed, structured interviews with the candidates were conducted by a department representative and an HR specialist.If both interviewers came to a positive conclusion on the candidates’ qualifications, the top candidate completed an individual assessment centre in order to point out his/her interpersonal competences rather than his/her professional competencies. The individual assessment centres consisted of biographical questions, case studies on leadership in an international context and participation in a leaderless group discussion. Ultimately, additional references were obtained for each candidate, although different procedures existed in different countries.For example, references gathered in Asia only confirmed a candidate’s previous function and duration of employment according to common employment law. After reference checks were completed, each candidate received written feedback and a report was generated and added to the successful candidate’s personnel file. Page 3 9B07C041 intense. The personnel selection system in APAC, as a whole, would have large-scale consequences affecting the entire company. As Koch was walking in the crowded Causeway Bay area he was not paying much attention.To Koch, who could not distinguish between Asians, it seemed as if they were crawling across the streets like ants, all busy on their phones. As usual, it was a very hot day. For Koch, now 48 years old, this was intolerable. He took off his light-coloured linen jacket and placed his tie, threatening to strangle him, in his brief case. He had returned from a business trip in Sydney the previous Saturday and was still feeling the effects of the lengthy flight. The next business trip was scheduled for the upcoming Thursday — off to Jakarta for a week, Shanghai, then Munich for a meeting of the Global Steering Committee Human Resources.He checked his schedule and remembered the phone call he received earlier from Koenig’s assistant. Koch would be arriving at his office within 10 minutes, which allowed him time to return Koenig’s phone call before the scheduled meeting. It had been 17 years now that Koch had been working in the HR department for ComInTec and three years in the regional headquarters in Hong Kong. After working many years for ComInTec he was currently the HR director, thanks to his determination, networking skills, ability to be highly adaptable to new situations, and his talent to be at the right place at the right time.He was in charge of all HR decisions within ComInTec in APAC. ComInTec was a worldwide leading industrial company with administration, plants, an d sales offices in Central Europe, Eastern and Western Europe, APAC, Central and South America, and North America. Like many other companies, ComInTec was forced to establish downsizing procedures between 2003 and 2006. Worldwide, 900 jobs were cut. Koch was actively involved in the staff cutbacks that had taken place. He had visited the plants, equipped with PowerPoint presentations that had been verified by the executive board to be politically correct.He spoke to the workers and praised ComInTec’s ethics and corporate philosophy, despite the cutbacks. He communicated the cutbacks to the workers as a temporary crisis, pointing out that it was mainly due to natural fluctuations and that it was part-time employees who were cut, with the affected workers being offered fair compensation packages. In consequence of the general economic situation in the years of 2003 to 2006, ComInTec unfortunately had no other option. He additionally thanked the staff for their loyalty and appre ciation with personal gifts and reports in the company’s internal newsletter.Since then, the company had recovered from the crisis. ComInTec employed 23,000 employees worldwide and made more than â‚ ¬5. 8 billion in sales. Koch arrived at the elevator to his office. He was surrounded by Asian colleagues in the best mood, all in uniformly grey suits, greeting each other as they waited for the elevator. When he got off the elevator, there were two of the three Chinese secretaries serving tea and fruits. His appearance always caused a general haste among the secretaries. They all confirmed his daily appointments, signifying that his work day had officially commenced.Koch called on a secretary, who came running on the double, accompanied by a â€Å"Yes, sir! † and a big smile, yet she avoided eye-contact by looking down to the floor. She reminded him that Koenig was waiting for him to return his call. Without being able to name a cause for it, this secretary’s be haviour triggered uncertainty in Koch. All her gestures appeared submissive as she perpetually nodded her head — regardless of praise or dispraise — always understanding and friendly. Koch picked up the telephone and Koenig instantly began speaking: Mr.Koch, you know how much I appreciate your dedication to the company, but I have concerns about the current international selection procedures. We need something that is going to work, and work immediately! And don’t you dare try to offer me this empirical or validity stuff. I don’t give a damn. You have a whole department with highly qualified people. I assume you are capable of filling these vacant management positions. We also need a selection system that works everywhere. We cannot afford to apply differentLicensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 4 9B07C041 procedures in every c ountry. What we need are consistent procedures, something applicable cross-nationally and cross-regionally. You, as a cosmopolitan, should know exactly what I mean. I also expect everything to be documented to a tee. Although Koch shared Koenig’s enthusiasm for an improved personnel selection system, there were many complications that could arise of which Koenig seemed obviously unaware.As sensitively as possible and with all due respect, Koch tried to inform Koenig about possible problems. First, Koch argued that although a multinational personnel selection system could have its advantages, these advantages may become costly when they are not easily implemented in each region. Each country had its own unique economic and education situations, which would undoubtedly become problematic when creating a universal personnel selection system. Koenig should only think of Thailand, for example, where it is more difficult than anywhere else to find qualified managers.With respect to cultural differences, Koch argued that a standardized personnel selection system would also most likely ignore cultural differences and culture-specific circumstances. This would not only affect the individual modules of the system, but also the basic job requirements, the adaptation of modules to specific countries, and the use of specific personnel selection methods. Koch also expressed his concern with Koenig’s lack of interest in testing the validity of the new selection procedures: Mr. Koenig, something that is expected to work should be tested thoroughly.This is the only way to be certain that it will actually work. We will need to test and then evaluate each and every single module in each country. This process will provide a basis on which we will be able to improve the original procedures. Due to all the possible problems that may arise with the new system, it is imperative that we invest in developing it properly. Of course, that wasn’t exactly what Koenig w anted to hear: Don’t tell me about problems, I want solutions, and you should not forget that this is what I pay you and your team to do. You have until the end of this week to deliver final and written conclusions of this matter.If not, I will reduce your team in Hong Kong by half, and I will delegate the development of this new system to global headquarters. â€Å"Mr. Koenig,† Koch replied, â€Å"please keep in mind that my team has been working on this assignment for months, including weekends. † Nevertheless, Koenig underlined Koch’s point of view with the commanding tone typical of him: â€Å"Either you will come up with something useful by the end of this week, or central headquarters will do the job. End of discussion. † Koch responded: Mr. Koenig, we have known each other for 17 years now and you know that I always do what’s best for this company.I strongly believe that as your HR manager, it is my responsibility and duty to inform y ou about possible risks and problems that may exist with an ad hoc-developed and unevaluated multinational personnel selection system. Koch advised Koenig again that his demands could lead to severe difficulties. Koch also added: Mr. Koenig, please remember the problems we experienced a few years ago with respect to staffing cutbacks. You wanted to send employees, who had been working for the Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13.Page 5 9B07C041 company for many years, home without any kind of termination pay. Everything was to be done by us, without any kind of external consulting. I assume you remember that I told you in advance how risky such a staff reduction can be. I am certain that you will also remember that I informed you that the legal process would create a high financial risk to the company with employees with legal action seeking claims for damage s and compensation. At the time you had underestimated the situation, and as a result our legal department had to deal with all the consequences.We were lucky that our lawyers were able to win most of the cases. Koenig was listening to these remarks with irritation and responded: Dr. Koch, I am at the end of my tether with you. You need to stop focusing on the past. It’s all water under the bridge. We are now looking at 25 people we want to hire. This is my company and not yours. I will be participating in today’s meeting via video conference. I expect you to prepare everything at once so that the video conference will be working. And don’t forget that I have put you in charge of the entire new personnel selection system.Koch would need to accept the fact that all of his objections to Koenig’s instructions fell on deaf ears. He knew Koenig well enough to understand exactly what he wanted and that he would not change his mind. For Koenig, endless loyalty t o the company, endurance, a hands-on mentality, and assertiveness were most important. He was known for his strong control orientation not only by the members of the global steering group, but also by the plants’ employees. Two weeks prior, he went to Malaysia unannounced and snuck into one of the plants in order to see the night shift’s work with his own eyes.In addition, every executive knew that Koenig had established staff employees, so called key functionaries, in every country. The task of these key functionaries, or spies as Koch liked to call them, was to report to Koenig about everything that was happening on site in detail, particularly any wrong doing of management. But Koenig did not trust these key functionaries either, with his motto being â€Å"Trust is good, control is better. † Only if there was 100 per cent agreement between headquarters and the key functionaries was he willing to attribute a certain degree of credibility to the situation.Koch could therefore understand the tactics of Koenig because they somewhat resembled his own tactics. Koch, nevertheless, had difficulties with Koenig’s control procedures because they directly affected him and his team. In response to these procedures, Koch had established in APAC that each meeting and each decision that was to be made must be recorded by three individuals. Piles of paper were accumulating in his office as a result, and even special storage rooms were needed to store the paper masses.Furthermore, Koch remembered the intention coming from the central HR department, to standardize all personnel selection procedures including all criteria and approaches around the globe. This matter ended in talk due to conflicts regarding this question. With all this in the back of his mind, and the increasing pressure on his shoulders, Koch remarked to Koenig at the end of the phone call that the meeting would possibly take several hours, and that he assumed Koenig would not like to spend his precious time listening to every single detail regarding APAC’s selection system.Koenig agreed that attending the meeting via video conference would not be in his best interest with respect to time, but instead insisted even more that he receive the final draft of their decisions and the meeting minutes by Friday. Koch was proud to have successfully appeased Koenig’s concerns for the moment, and he next turned his focus to the scheduled meeting. He was horrified when he glanced at his watch and realized that it was already 9:30 a. m. He jumped up abruptly from his desk and left for the conference room.When he arrived, his whole team and an unknown staff employee from global headquarters, probably a key functionary, Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 6 9B07C041 Well, I ask today that you all present results from the past few months of hard work. I am only interested in the results and would like to avoid any long discussions concerning details. Mr. Koenig expects our final decisions in writing this upcoming Friday.In the case that he does not approve our recommendations, this project will possibly be passed on to global headquarters. As a result, we will lose team members. You now know the importance of our meeting today. We need to legitimize our right to exist. The Chinese colleagues agreed by nodding their heads uniformly. Koch noticed that this behaviour was always to be expected when there was an order from a member with higher hierarchical status. From Koch’s perspective, this was a phenomenon reflecting cross-cultural differences (see Exhibits 1 and 2).He often asked himself why his Chinese colleagues seemed to forget all priorities regarding time and content as soon as there was an order coming from someone higher in the hierarchy. How often did he observe his Chinese colleagues change t heir work completely and without any objection according to the orders of someone with higher status? Koch quite often got the impression that his Asian colleagues and co-workers followed the principle â€Å"Seniority is king. † Yue Yu, a Chinese HR employee, rose to speak. In her concise way, she stated: One crucial question concerns the definition of the job requirements and their profiles.After several discussions we have come to the conclusion that the positions to be filled differ in their content. Hence, we plead to define the job requirements specifically for each position, and to allow flexibility of the job requirements for other positions. More precisely, we want to diagnose 15 dimensions: five components that test the candidate’s professional competencies, and 10 dimensions that evaluate social competencies. Andreas Mueller, the German economist who possessed extensive experience in HR management, countered Yue Yu: â€Å"You must be joking.The inclusion of 15 dimensions is not what our team has decided on. That is your opinion, which is not shared with anybody here. I told you many times that the acquisition of 15 dimensions is simply impossible. † â€Å"Yes, that’s what you said earlier,† answered Yue Yu, â€Å"but I find we should establish as many dimensions as possible. † â€Å"Well, I disagree,† Mueller continued, who could not stand being interrupted, â€Å"It is important to define clearly distinguishable job requirements that are measurable, describable, and that are equally relevant in all countries of APAC. Yue Yu, intimidated by her German colleague’s manner, blushed and looked down towards the floor, signaling that she did not dare to say anything further. Yue Yu often found it difficult to cope with negative feedback, particularly when it occurred in front of her colleagues. There had been several times already that she could not stand up to Mueller, which seemed to affect her mor e and more each time. She had once spoken to Koch about her difficulties communicating with Mueller; however, Koch was quickly irritated by the complaint and asked her to wait and hope for an improvement of the situation. Koch assumed the confrontation betweenLicensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. were already waiting impatiently. In order to keep the meeting attendees occupied while they waited, the thoughtful secretary was serving coffee and snacks, resulting in a second breakfast for many of them. Koch welcomed everyone, apologized for being late, and began the meeting, â€Å"We are here today to decide about the future personnel selection system for APAC, which, when complete, will influence the complete international employee selection system within ComIntTec considerably. After these introductory words, he asked the German intern Sarah Goldmann and her Chinese HR assistant Dai Wei to record the meeting minutes. Koch continued, â€Å"I need everything we discuss here today to be recorded in detail. The records must happen with the precision of a surgeon! † The German team members threw disfavouring looks at each other; however, the Asian team members approved of the instructions by nodding their heads. Koch started: Page 7 9B07C041 he two colleagues was generally just a misinterpretation due to cultural differences (see Exhibits 1 and 2), and told her to bring the matter to his attention again only if it was absolutely necessary. Yue Yu never discussed the situation with Koch again. The German, in-house psychologist Sabine Weitmann, who was known for her differentiating thinking, decided to join the discussion: In my point of view, the question regarding the number of dimensions is only secondary. It is important that we first establish the contents of the job requirements. I suggest we replace the term job requirements with the more modern term competencies.In my opinion, a multinational requirement profile should contain competencies such as technical and vocational skills, social competencies, leadership competencies, communicative competencies, flexibility, and adaptability. â€Å"Why these skills and not others? † interjected Dai Wei, the Chinese HR assistant, who was not satisfied with Weitmann’s selection of skills. â€Å"Well, during my studies at the Strategic Human Resource Management Institute in Hong Kong, where I completed my MBA, I learned and experienced that a multitude of skills are inessential in personnel selection.I think we should therefore consider additional skills. For example, stress tolerance, resilience, cooperation skills, willingness to learn, ambiguity tolerance, goal-orientation, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, and intercultural competencies. † â€Å"But Dai Wei,† contradicted Mueller, â€Å"It is totally obvious that this kind of proposition will encounter problems. That is simply not doable. Besides, the intention to establish more than six job requirements turned out to be problematic in the past.Did you ever think about the difference between intercultural competence and social competence? † Dai Wei was obviously irritated by the criticisms he received in front of the team and was in the process of losing his temper, which was easily detected by looking at his face, which had become flushed. These well-known signs alerted Weitmann, who tried to calm the situation with her objection and who cherished the illusion of having salvaged this precarious situation: â€Å"We should not waste anymore time debating this topic, which we’ve already discussed many times before.Let’s stay focused. † Clearing his throat, Mueller stated, â€Å"It is pointless to discuss the skills and job requirements. We are under time pressure and I therefore suggest that we bring about a majority vote wi th respect to the skills. † â€Å"No,† said the Chinese trainee, who participated in a communication training course last weekend and had been therefore sensitized to group dynamic processes, â€Å"A majority vote is not the solution. It may lead to good decisions not succeeding because certain team members follow the uniform opinion of the majority.We should try to reach a consensus on this issue. † While the Asian colleagues began to nod their heads in agreement, Mueller, who did not like to leave anything to chance, responded, â€Å"Well, I believe there should be six dimensions, namely planning/organization, initiative, adaptability, conflict management, decisionmaking/goal-orientation, and leadership. These dimensions are not only important for a manager’s success in APAC, but on a worldwide scale. † â€Å"Andreas,† countered Weitmann, â€Å"what are your conclusions based on? We need dimensions that have been empirically verified.Altho ugh it is great that you have your opinion, what we need are empirically validated dimensions. † â€Å"Well, I would like to settle this dispute,† replied Bettina Carter, a German lawyer who had lived in California for many years, and who was now ready to explore the world of APAC with her American husband. The always down-to-earth Carter opined, â€Å"Clearly, this is easy. We simply use the German dimensions and adapt them to the management positions in APAC. I am certain that everybody here knows that these are the dimensions mentioned by Mueller earlier. Koch, who was already feeling mentally exhausted from listening to the discussion, said: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 8 9B07C041 I neither have the time nor the energy to be debating these arguments. Our hands are full and even though we’re going in the right direction, it is only a first step to come up with dimensions. I am in charge of everything here and I would like to avoid losing my head over these debates. Let’s vote. Who agrees with the dimensions suggested by Sabine?Silence took over the room. â€Å"Who will support the dimensions outlined by Andreas? † The vote was suddenly interrupted by a cellular phone ringing in the tone of an alarm system. â€Å"Sorry, sorry about that,† apologized the Chinese trainee, who was no longer writing the meeting minutes, but instead trying to control his cell phone. Koch concluded: There you go! It is official and we agree. I hereby announce that the job requirements for the selection of managers be assessed on six dimensions: planning/organizing, initiative, adaptability, conflict management, decision-making/goal-orientation, and leadership.These dimensions will be used for managers in all departments (e. g. sales and marketing, purchasing, supply chain management, finance, and accou nting) and all locations (e. g. Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney and Shanghai). We will also incorporate vocational competencies. All recorders please write down that statement. Eventually Goldmann, the German intern, remarked with satisfaction that she could finally score with her boss: â€Å"It appears to me that the definition of the job requirements should not be done separately from the new personnel selection system module definitions.I learned in university to define certain requirements for module X and the requirements that will then be tested in another module Y. † Everybody in the room was surprised at this, and even Weitmann and Mueller complimented Goldmann for her suggestion. â€Å"Yes, this is a very good proposition, indeed,† Weitmann said. Mueller, who saw his chance to get back to the topic, added, â€Å"We should continue with a systematic approach. Let’s decide on the modules, and then we can substantiate the job requirements per module. Sabine, surely you will agree with me on this. After the long-lasting debate, which still wasn’t very productive, Koch was now only following the discussion half-heartedly. Similarly, the Chinese trainee was on the verge of falling into a deep trance. Koch decided he would no longer intervene on the discussions, â€Å"Now I am just going to sit in on this meeting,† he thought to himself. These people are beating around the bush and are trying to profile themselves at my cost. I am under Mr. Koenig’s pressure, being spied on by the headquarters’ staff employees, in a city that is still strange to me, and without any hope for improvement.With a loud voice he blurted out, â€Å"What shall it be,† and everybody in the room looked at him in an alienated fashion. â€Å"Is everything OK? † the German intern Goldmann, who found this behaviour extremely strange, asked with worry. She remembered an introductory course of clini cal psychology and believed that this behaviour could be an indication of a pathological disorder. However, Koch replied, â€Å"Yes, of course, everything is perfectly fine,† which temporarily reassured Goldmann.It was now Koch’s intention to fulfill his leading role by trying to motivate his team members to move on to the next important issue: the definition of the modules and the job requirements for each module. Dai Wei responded, We have been working on this question for a very long time, and after several modifications and discussions, we finally agreed. We think as a team that a multinational Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 9 9B07C041 Yes, Dai Wei,† replied Yue Yu, who was always intent to maintain harmony. Weitmann, who was still a bit annoyed because her suggestion regarding the competencies was rejected, stated: Dai Wei , you forgot an important module. When I attended an international conference in Philadelphia, I had the opportunity to meet an internationally-known scientist. Like me, the professor considers it essential to use standardized testing procedures. The professor has shown empirical evidence that validity of personnel selection increases if psychometric testing procedures are used in addition to other modules.For that reason, I advocate for intelligence tests and personality tests to be added to the personnel selection system. We have discussed this before and my suggestion was received positively. Replied Mueller: Sabine, your test knowledge is impressive, but unfortunately such procedures will lead us into a dead-end street. As you know, standardized tests have several disadvantages. They are not generally highly accepted and cultural problems exist. Are you aware of any intelligence or personality tests that can be applied equally worldwide and for which there are test theoretical i ndices available?Weitmann, getting worked up about the topic, responded, â€Å"Well, these are minor problems, and if we need to we can ask our interns, trainees or HR assistants to develop such standardized tests. Or we could assign an external consulting firm to the task. † Carter, who in the meantime was scrolling through her voluminous labour law book, jumped into the conversation: I don’t think we should debate this issue any further. We have already decided several weeks ago to include testing procedures in the selection process. Just to be sure, I will confirm that the testing procedures coincide with the labour laws.We should now concentrate on how the individual modules will look and what skills should be covered in which module. â€Å"That is a good suggestion,† agreed Dai Wei. Increasingly gripped by this trend-setting suggestion, Mueller now cleared his throat and offered to summarize the contents of the modules: After due consideration, we have come to the conclusion that the first step of this multinational personnel selection system will be conducted in a similar manner at all Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. election system for APAC should be two-tiered. The first tier consists of three modules: a viewing of the candidates’ application documents, a telephone conference with the applicants that should be conducted in an unstructured manner, and the obtaining of three references from former employers. Unlike the current procedures, references should not only be used to verify past employment and the duration of employment, but also include a statement regarding the candidate’s personality. Four modules will follow in the second tier.Specifically, a panel interview, a biography-oriented in-depth interview, a simulated group exercise, and testing procedures. Does everybody still agree on these modules and the two-tiered system? Page 10 9B07C041 Koch stepped in, â€Å"Thanks, Andreas for your summary. Dai, could you please illustrate the second tier modules in an equally precise fashion? † â€Å"I will try,† taking a deep breath, Dai Wei said: The second level of the selection process will consist of — as already mentioned — a panel interview, a biography-oriented in-depth interview, a simulated group exercise, and a test.The purpose of the panel interview is to obtain detailed information about the candidate with respect to the required skills Andreas just summarized. That means that the competencies will be evaluated in this module of the selection process. The panel interview is a standardized exercise based on the critical-incident-technique. The candidate describes one critical situation and his or her behaviour in each situation for each of the six job requirements. Instructions and questions for the candidates have already been p repared.I will give you an example for the dimension â€Å"planning/organization. † The instructions will read: â€Å"An efficient manager has to be capable of organizing his or her agenda well in order to achieve specific goals. This includes, but is not limited to, prioritizing competing tasks well and delegating tasks to other employees in a timely fashion. Discuss a time last year when you had to keep a tight and challenging schedule. Also include methods you usually apply for time management. This introductory instruction will be followed by five open-ended questions that have to be answered by each candidate. An example for the dimension â€Å"planning/organization† is as follows: â€Å"Think about an event in which you showed previously discussed skills. Explain the circumstances. Describe precisely what you have done in order to manage this situation. What was the outcome? Who will be able to verify what you have described here? † The candidate will rec eive similar questions for the remaining five dimensions. Each candidate will be given an hour to prepare his or her answers.Afterwards, they will be given 30 minutes to present the results, with panel members given the opportunity for queries. Each candidate will then receive a score for each dimension (e. g. 5 being outstanding, 3 being acceptable, and 1 being unacceptable). The scores will then be Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. locations. Module one, a viewing of the candidates’ application documents, shall be conducted by applying the â€Å"6-eye-method. That is, three persons will be analyzing the applicant’s documents regarding his or her suitability for the targeted position. The result of this analysis is a preliminary selection of candidates. Individual telephone conferences with the remaining candidates will follow. The confere nces will be attended by the candidate and two members of our team: the supervisor at the site in APAC and one person from the German headquarters. The conference shall be conducted in an unstructured manner with everyone having the opportunity to ask the candidate questions.The goal of the conference will be to verify the candidate’s suitability for the position, his or her motivation for the position, and to obtain a general, overall impression of the candidate. If a consensus is reached that the candidate is suitable for the considered position three references from former employers or colleagues will next be obtained. As you all know, the reference system has paid off well in Europe, especially because it enabled us to identify all those cheaters and impostors. This will likely be doable in Asia as well.In the case that the references are predominantly positive, the first level of the selection process is completed. Subsequently, the candidate will have to pass the module s of the second tier. Dai Wei, would you like to illustrate the modules of the second tier in detail? Page 11 9B07C041 â€Å"Let’s move forward to the second module in the second tier: the in-depth biography-oriented interview. † Dai Wei continued: At this stage we verify a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, but the primary objective is to gain insights into the candidate’s private and professional past.The in-depth biography-oriented interview shall be conducted by a psychologist. We are especially interested in the candidate’s expectations, how parents and other family members have influenced him or her, how cultural background affects his or her decisions, and possible untreated conflicts the candidate may have to face. The interview shall not be oriented towards job requirements, but instead consider the candidate’s complete life span and be of a general nature. Following this in-depth biography-oriented interview, a psychological opi nion shall be furnished.This opinion will be filed in our documents, without the candidate having the right to view it. It is important that the interviewer and the candidate have the same cultural background in order to prevent any possible misunderstanding during the interview (e. g. a candidate for a position in China shall be interviewed by a Chinese psychologist). Although this requirement may create additional expenses, we find it justifiable and needed to ensure an accurate expert opinion on the candidate’s qualifications is obtained. â€Å"Dr. Koch,† Dai Wei said, â€Å"What do you think about this approach? â€Å"I am not quite sure at the moment,† Koch responded, â€Å"I think it is very likely that a few of the suggestions just are not feasible given the high costs involved. For now, I am not able to say anything definite. We will have to wait. † Exhausted by the long-lasting discussions, it was becoming more and more difficult for Koch to sta y focused and absorb the arguments. He noticed that Yue Yu had not spoken out on anything, including the rivalry between Weitmann and Mueller Koch was convinced, as he could see in many different situations that a leader should stay out of these issues. One could not change things anyway. Change,† it crossed Koch’s mind, â€Å"Can one change a situation, in one’s life? No, people never change. Neither do circumstances in life. You get thrown in and there is no way out, and it would be a hopeless undertaking to try it. † Koch tried to take control over the situation again: â€Å"Well, let’s move on to the two last modules of the selection system. Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. summarized, forming the basis for the decision as to the panel’s level of recommendation.We discussed for a lengthy time whether we shoul d inform the candidates in advance about the dimensions (e. g. the meaning of each). In order to guarantee transparency for the candidate, we decided to inform them of all dimensions a priori. It is our hope that this will increase a candidate’s acceptance and understanding of the module’s purpose. Furthermore, we discussed whether the critical incidents should be presented in English, or whether they should also be available in other languages. We discussed the pros and cons thoroughly. From my own experience, it is difficult at times to communicate to someone in a second language.We decided it would be best to give the candidates the option of answering the questions in their language of choice. The instructions and questions will therefore be translated by professional translators from English into the particular language. In order to guarantee accuracy in the translation, the instructions and questions will be translated into English again (i. e. the back translati on technique). Although this extra translation step may appear as more work, it is warranted to ensure the translation is indeed reflective of its original content.These extra expenses can offer a tremendous advantage, especially for the Shanghai location. We are certain that we can effectively cover relevant dimensions that are cross-culturally important with this method. A separate pre-test is not designated. Page 12 9B07C041 Sabine, please explain modules three and four. How do they look? What competencies do they include? Are there any culture-specific adaptations that need to be dealt with? † Weitmann eagerly began to inform her colleagues about the modules: I can certainly do that.We are looking at a simulated group exercise and the adoption of standardized test procedures. The group exercise has been integrated in order to acquire typical dimensions, which are usually diagnosed in assessment centres, in a similar way. The assignment of an assessment centre for one or tw o days and the culture-specific adaptations would mean increased expenses. For these reasons, we have excluded this option, and alternatively will be using simulated group discussions. The candidate and three professional role players will participate in the leaderless group discussions. The role layers have to complete a two-day-long training session, after which they will receive an internal certificate stating that they can act as professional role players. Prior to the group discussions, the role players will receive specific instructions containing standardized roles. The role players include the â€Å"devil’s advocate,† whose task is to contradict the candidate’s opinion, the â€Å"supporter,† who is always on the candidate’s side, and the â€Å"viewless one,† who does not participate in the argument, but who will propose opinions that don’t have anything to do with the topic at all.Prior to the discussion, each participant will be informed about the topic. The chosen topic should deal with issues that contribute to the development of the employees in their own department. The topic shall be identical APAC-wide. We have deliberately chosen a topic away from specific skills in order to allow each candidate equal chances for the completion of this task. Naturally, candidates with strong leadership skills will have advantages over those who have only been in a leading position for a short time.The candidate will not be informed that the discussants are role players with specific assignments. The dimensions that will be evaluated in the group discussions include communication, cooperation, stress tolerance/resilience, assertiveness, and ambiguity tolerance. The roles and individual instructions will only be available in English in order to standardize the exercises cross-nationally. The group discussions shall also be carried out in English. The candidate will be given 15 minutes to prepare for the discussion after the topic has been revealed.The whole discussion will be video-taped. This recording will then be made available to three independent observers, who will ideally come from different countries. It is their task to observe the candidates’ behaviour during the discussion, and to assess the candidates’ behaviour with respect to all relevant dimensions and in compliance to the behavioural scale available to the observers. Additionally, each observer has the opportunity to write down his observations qualitatively.The observations of all observers will then be collected and statistically converted into a final score for each candidate. It is important to mention that every observer, who can be recruited from any hierarchical level, must pass an observer training course that teaches the basics of behavioural observation, the meaning and importance of such exercises, the dimensions, behavioural indicators for each dimension, as well as the role players’ assignment s of their specific roles. That concludes all the information we have gathered on the simulated group discussion.Goldmann, interrupted: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 13 9B07C041 I don’t want to be rude, but isn’t it important to take the candidate’s perspective into consideration, as well? I mean, if the candidate has no clue about the situation in which he or she is in, he or she deserves clarification as well as extensive feedback once the group discussion is completed. I think that extensive feedback, in both oral and written form, must absolutely follow the module. It is nice that you think that,† Mueller countered: Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. But unfortunately nobody cares about th e candidate’s perspective. We are interested in choosing the right person, certainly not in satisfying the applicants. What horseplay — these never-ending discussions on fairness and acceptance. Reality differs significantly from the ideal procedures we are taught in university, my dear.It is really annoying the kind of stuff that is being taught at our renowned universities, and most likely by professors that have not seen much outside of their institutes, let alone in a company. Goldmann, who only wanted to contribute with a suggestion, was obviously upset about the comment. She could barely hold back her tears as she marched out of the conference room. The Chinese trainee followed her with the intention of calming her down, losing the handouts he had prepared for the meeting and that he was supposed to distribute beforehand.Finally, Yue Yu ran out of the room and into the female washroom, where she found Goldmann looking miserable, in tears and close to a nervous br eakdown. â€Å"Dr. Koch,† Carter, who saw herself responsible to demonstrate her judicial knowledge, advised: I think that this argument has merit to it. Candidate feedback is important. Just imagine the consequences and damaging results of not providing feedback. Feedback should not be underestimated. I am particularly thinking about rejected candidates. ComInTec cannot afford these kinds of mistakes. † Koch agreed only partly and replied: Mrs.Carter, now you have subscribed to this view, too. Do you have any precedent? As you know, all candidates receive feedback in writing regarding their overall impression. As you should know further, this feedback does not cover any specific dimension or module, but it offers a very good general conclusion. Should candidates be interested in the impression they made, they simply need to read the report. That should be sufficient. I do not agree that we should focus on unpleasant feedback, or would you like to conduct all of those c onversations yourself, Mrs. Carter?Now the psychologist jumped into the discussion, acting as a mediator. She pointed out the following: The question regarding the feedback should not be our priority. We still need to discuss module four. I am talking about the testing procedures that have to be included in the selection system. As I have mentioned before, it is essential to use psychometric testing procedures. Insofar, module four consists of an intelligence test and a personality test that every candidate has to complete. That gives us indicators for â€Å"general intelligence† as well as for the â€Å"big five. The specific test procedures will be used still have to be specified for each country of course. But I am convinced that we will be able to manage that. Page 14 9B07C041 With the Goldmann still in the bathroom crying, there was only one recorder left, which resulted in much of the meeting no longer being documented. Dai Wei, who had returned to the meeting and was trained in presentation techniques, felt obligated to conclude the points that were most important with the use of a flip chart: If I may conclude, we have decided that the ersonnel selection system consists of two tiers that include several modules. We have specified these modules in content and procedures. Hence, we have achieved the first step of our meeting. We intended furthermore to specify the adaptations for each target country and how to implement those modules. We need to next reach a consensus on the second and third goal of this meeting. Koch commented: Dai Wei, what are you thinking? It is already 1:30 p. m. and that means that the time for our meeting is more than up. We won’t be able to decide on the remaining points today.I expect that the recorders will make a flawless and written report available by 9:00 Wednesday morning. Please pass this on to Sarah and Yue Yu. This will give me time to review all the meeting minutes and finalize any unresolved issues. You should expect a final copy of the resolutions on the multinational selection system to be available by Friday at 9 a. m. With respect to the issues that were not resolved today, I will make the decisions myself and include them in the report. This resolution shall also deal with the questions that we could not look into, due to the lack of time today.I don’t care how you will do it – just do it. Thank you for your attendance at this meeting, Dai Wei, Sabine, Mrs. Carter, Andreas, and honourable sir of staff. † With these words, Koch terminated the meeting. Due to the lengthy meeting, there was no lunch break. This particularly bothered the Chinese team members, but it was not voiced. Koch believed that Asians set a high value on lunch breaks because they highly value food and money. Unfortunately, Koch could not be bothered to worry about it — according to him, food and money were the lower motivators on the Maslow Pyramid of needs.He muttered under his b reath: Those Asians, it’s always just about food, money, and shopping, and they are continuously on the phone — what do they have to tell each other all the time? How often do I see them yelling at each other in Chinese, hard and ruthlessly, whereas they always show me a smile? You never know what they really think, and when I ask them they tell me something positive anyways. Negative remarks in front of the boss are obviously a big taboo, and the word ‘no’ does not seem to exist in their vocabulary.Right after the meeting, Koch went straight to his office and did not come out again for the rest of the afternoon. Koch received the meeting minutes on Wednesday and wrote his final report for Koenig. Koch later received a short notice sent by Koenig via e-mail on Friday afternoon. Koenig informed him that important basic conditions and necessary adaptations had not been taken into consideration sufficiently in the new multinational personnel selection system; therefore, he had handed the case over to global headquarters.In addition, the e-mail stated that there would be staff-related consequences for his department in Hong Kong. In response, Koch sat down to write a long letter to Koenig’s attention. Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 15 9B07C041 Exhibit 1 DIMENSIONS AND INDICATORS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES (HOFSTEDE) Power Distance: Degree to which society members accept an unequal distribution of power.Characteristics of large power distance: Inequalities among people are expected and desired. Less powerful people should depend on the more powerful authoritarian values Organizational hierarchy reflects inequality between higher-ups and lower-downs Centralization is popular Subordinates expect to be told what to do Wide salary range between top and bottom of organization The ideal boss is a benevole nt autocrat or good father Privileges and status symbols are popular Uncertainty Avoidance: Degree to which society members feel uncomfortable by uncertain or unknown situations.Characteristics of strong uncertainty avoidance: Uncertainty is felt as threat, feeling of anxiety Fear of ambiguous situations What is different, is dangerous Suppression of deviant ideas Resistance to innovation Motivation by security Masculinity/Femininity: Masculinity pertains to societies in which social gender roles are clearly distinct (i. e. men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life); femininity pertains to societies in which social gender roles overlap (i. e. both men and women are supposed to be modest, ender, and concerned with the quality of life). (pp. 82-83). Characteristics of masculine societies: Dominant values are material objects and success Money and things are import ant Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Men are supposed to be assertive, ambitious, and tough Women are supposed to be tender and take care of relationships Girls cry, boys don’t Live in order to work Stress on equity, competition among colleagues, and performance Resolution of conflicts by fighting them outPage 16 9B07C041 Exhibit 1 (continued) Characteristics of feminine societies: Dominant values are caring for others and maintenance of relationships People and warm relationships are important Men and women are both supposed to be tender and take care of relationships Work in order to live Stress on equality, solidarity and quality of work life Resolution of conflicts by compromise and negotiation Individualism/Collectivism: â€Å"Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look af ter himself or herself and his or her immediate family.Collectivism as its opposite pertains to societies in which people from birth on are integrated into strong, cohesive ingroups, which throughout people’s lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyality. † (p. 51).Characteristics of individualist societies: Individual interests prevail over collective interests Identity is based on the individual Employer-employee relationship is a contract that is supposed to be based on mutual advantages Hiring and promotion decisions are supposed to be based on skills and rules only Management is management of individuals Task prevails over relationship Characterisitcs of collectivist societies: Loyalty for the ingroup (family) Identity is based on the social network to which one elongs Harmony should always be maintained and direct confrontations should be avoided Employer-employee relationship is perceived in moral terms, like a family link Hiring and pr omotion decisions take employees’ ingroups into account Management is management of groups Relationship prevails over task Source: Geert Hofstede, Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, London, 1991.Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13. Page 17 9B07C041 Exhibit 2 ASPECTS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: ANGLO VERSUS ASIAN Asian Collectivism: â€Å"related self† Group identity, group achievement & rewards, group loyalty, â€Å"guanxi† High power distance (hierarchy) Low power distance (equality) – Work allocation based on competence, rather – Age/seniority is King! Formal interactions than age – Do without asking – Partnership is encouraged – Empowerment regarded as a threat – Informal interactions – Empowerment is the key to growth Control Harmony – Individuals take control â€⠀œ Be in harmony with others rather than show – Free expressions initiative or take charge – Disagreements and differences are not a threat – Emphasis on politeness, respect and emotional restraint – Difference maintains harmony; equality upsets harmony Secular Religious/spiritual – Keep your religion to yourself – In Muslim countries, workplace, ethics, codes of behavior and dress are guided by Muslim religious teachings – Time off during working hours for prayers for Muslims Circular thinking (high context) Linear thinking (low context) – Circling around the topic – Speech and argument patterns are linear – Colorful and flowery language in India – Ideas backed by explanations and examples – Concise – Hate waffling Shame/Lose Face Guilt – Governed by own conscience and internal – â€Å"What will others say? – Group pressure to maintain group reputation sense of right and wrong – â€Å"Give face† — don’t question your leader – â€Å"Lose face† — look bad when publicly challenged – â€Å"Save face† — don’t own up your own mistakes – â€Å"Gain face† — look good when praised in public – â€Å"Thick face† — no shame, don’t care – â€Å"Show face† — manager visits your home – â€Å"Got face† — speech, behavior, dress reflect status in a family, business, or community – Anglo Individualism: â€Å"separated self† Unique, personal space, goals, achievements Licensed to the University of Regina for use by Professor Sandra Steen in the course â€Å"MBA/GBUS 843 Strategic HR Management,† from 01/07/13 to 04/30/13.