Ikea Erp

KEA has been suffered from the difficulties faced by production-oriented retailers. KEA project manager said that It was not enough for them to manage the demand only. They must manage the production too, and keep the supply and demand In balance. In the mid-sass, it became clear to KEA that the retailer's inventory model wouldn't work smoothly. The inventory costs were already too high. After mid-sass, ERP implementation failed to fix Kike's inventory management problems.The planning team composed a rudimentary list of the qualities, so stability and reliability were obvious musts. KEA manages a whole range of production, which from raw materials to finished product. They have to coordinate with more than 1,600 suppliers worldwide. When sales for a product turns out surprisingly high, It would empty from their warehouse, and when the demand didn't reach the expectations, the merchandise had already produced would back up in the facilities.However, the most important problem for KEA was an integrated planning platform that can provide a consistent working environment for the retailer's product managers worldwide. KEA has been working on differentiate itself with other retailers. They not only offer unique designs, but also share a typical warehouse on Its ground level. Meanwhile, on the second level they provide a cozy environment where customers can enjoy all kinds of furnishing concepts. KEA in-stores logistics model is very novel and was welcomed by their customers.The most important thing is it can help KEA saving costs and increasing productivity significantly. On the ground floor, the products selected by customers are picked from pallet location that placed as high as the typical person could reach. Additional product Is stored In reserve zone above these locations. Inventory Is cut down to the lower space at night because forklifts and pallet jacks are not used during store hours for safety reasons. The rest space contains items too bulky for customers to load without help.Since KEA advocates as much self-service as possible, it tends to minimize the number of products in this bulk storage area. KEA has over 200 stores in 30 countries worldwide. This requires exceptional logistics and outstanding support as well as the best solutions. In all, KEA has 1,600 suppliers In 55 countries, and trades through local KEA purchasing offices in 33 countries. In order to make sure that the supply chain works, t must cooperate with the best technology and the right people. Therefore, KEA chose the demand forecasting and modules from a software supplier JDK.JDK customized a demand forecasting system for KEA so that they can manage a decline in the number of its suppliers. KEA began working with JDK in 2001 and the first solution was to implement demand solutions on all KEA products globally. KEA set a number of objectives for JDK such as developing sales planning methodology and tools that gained realistic forecasts used for designing supplier, warehouse, and transportation capacities. JDK also developed a ability of planning methodology and LOL that make it possible to benefit from the cost-savings of long-term commitments.A global and regional supply planning system component would make it possible to have a collaborated and consolidated sales. The solution would also allow KEA to take all Inventories Into account and to have supply chain visualized In the order processing management. I en retable or's nana AT supply canal planning salsa TN has been a successful move for them and has made it far simpler to start focusing on low-cost countries and cutting back on suppliers. In the long run, this will help them to improve profits and make their management system more efficient.

Beijing’s Transformation

From a walled city to a modern metropolitan, from a closed culture to globalization and from ancient teashops to modern cafeterias and from birdcages to subways; the road to modernity has been a very long one for Beijing. There is a plethora of driving forces for the drastic changes that Beijing has undergone.There are huge contradictions about the way common people react to these changes and about how the new Beijing measures up to their vision of their city. This dilemma of choosing between tradition and modernity, between old values and new ethics and between age old culture and the world order, is not unique to Beijing.Developing countries, particularly oriental ones, are often faced with these difficult choices on the road to progress. The choice has to be made and made judiciously. Beijing’s cultural ethos is very closely related to the walls which were symbolic of so many things in Beijing’s culture, such as social status, direction, space, class, privacy and eve n prejudices. The changes that took place in the mindsets of people who were at helm, and the changes that were responsible for Beijing’s new look, can be tracked through the treatment meted out to these walls in different eras.The city was earlier enclosed within walls and the courtyards were separated from each other by walls. The walls contributed to Beijing’s mystery and charm that was part and parcel of its magnificence. But the first step towards modernization of Beijing was the flattening of these walls which had stood for so long as a symbol of Chinese culture in vogue in Beijing at that time. Right after the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911, the onslaught of modernization was brought on and the walls were the first to feel the brunt of this modernization.The walls were pulled down to make way for fast tracks and western style buildings. This was the beginning of the end of old Beijing with its aura, cultural heritage and glorious history. Mao, in association w ith Soviet communists who had money, technical know-how and a vision, laid out extensive plans for the modernization and industrialization of Beijing. Though the Soviet Union and China fell apart in 1960, the foundation of the plans had already been laid and the modernization proceeded on similar lines. Factories were built in and around Beijing in large numbers.Rural agricultural faced a setback because the peasants abandoned the villages in order to join the urban work force. Worker’s settlements sprang up like mushrooms and Beijing became a modern industrial city of the world. The air which was earlier pure and healthy, now became smoky and has till now not been able to regain its earlier freshness. The walls now symbolized feudalistic attitudes to the new generation who were more for rapid industrialization. Hence the remaining walls, temples, courtyards, teahouses and pleasure houses, were sheared down.Their place was taken by dull and drab official buildings, standardiz ed stores, apartment buildings and so on. Even holiday rituals were not left untouched. From folk fairs, the generation graduated to parades and rallies. Beijing was changing and changing rapidly. The walls were later sacrificed for the need of materials for civil defense and subway lines. Mao’s obsessive fear about Soviet invasion, caused tunnel digging to become the national occupation, in the 1970’s. The tunnels dug during that period still lie under the city.In a way, the walls that were once the awe inspiring feature of Beijing’s architecture now lie forgotten under the city. Historical reasons were at the forefront in the causes of Beijing’s makeover from a conservative, mysterious and culturally rich society to a modern, global village with loads of modern architecture and almost no historical heritage to speak of. Elitist Chinese architect Liang Sicheng wanted Beijing to grow to modernism but still remain in a delightful sync with its rich culture by concentrating the modernization outside the walled city.The plan was a beautiful orchestration of the divergent forces of tradition and modernity but the plan was laughed off for being too idealistic and impractical. Had it been implemented, Beijing would have had a different look altogether. The Chinese population, by and large, is divided into two major sectors- one segment consists of people who are all for modernization even if it comes at the cost of culture. The other genre is of people who believe that old cultural traditions must not be shed off like extra baggage in the long journey to progress.They must be preserved, nurtured and slowly evolved into what may be a great culture in the times to come. This conflict is foremost when we come to understand the psychology of people in developing countries about what they feel is the right way to attain development of economies and nation building. Beijing’s Urban Planning Commission member Hou, with his respectable cre dentials, firmly believes that architecture of any city should reflect the theme of the era.Chinese architecture, for centuries, was only reproducing itself and had made little progress. It had become stagnant and modernization calls for modern architecture as well. There are a lot of people who conform with the above views, people who believe that modernization is the new mantra and no country should be weighed down by its past. For many, the destruction of old values and ethics and old architecture does not amount to cultural vandalism simply because they believe they no longer serve any purpose in the modern world.All the things, artifacts, architectural wonders, rituals and values that are obsolete and impractical and unsuited to modern life styles, must die a natural death and people must not pine for them or be nostalgic. In the opinions of this new brigade of people, change is always for the better and we must learn to accept it in order to be in sync with the times. The old timers, conservationists, intellectuals and even some students, on the other hand, are less than happy about Beijing’s changing skyline. They are the cult who believes that modernization need not come at the destruction of old values and traditions.They still believe that Chinese architecture is still contemporary and practical, Chinese rituals are still relevant and Chinese values are still capable of illuminating the correct moral path to any individual. They believe that modernization of Beijing could have proceeded on different lines, tracks that would have ensured that the old traditions would have blended beautifully with the new traditions that came in with globalization. Chinese culture would then have been a colorful melange of values old and new, would have shed it weaknesses and evolved into a great culture.Development often brings with it loads of difficult choices which have to be made and made correctly by the people who hold the reins. If these choices are not made judiciously and the common people are not comfortable with them, we will get to see a divided society on the question of how good the progress is. Beijing is undergoing that phase today, where its citizens are into an intense conflict about whether the development is the need of the hour or is it just a burden on the culture and tradition which have worked for so long.The development has taken place so fast that people did not get the time to come to terms with it and were left wondering and gaping at what was happening to their system and to their ethnicity. By the time people realized that new values had infiltrated their society, it was already too late and they were left to adjust to the surroundings as far as they could for their own good. However, increasingly large numbers of people believe that development had to happen and the way it happened is of no consequence.New traditions and cultures are all part and parcel of this package and should be accepted as such. In all, this genre has no regrets about anything except the few minor mistakes like the deterioration of Beijing’s skyline which even they regret. By and large, the conflict is immense, the debate is still on and the result is eagerly awaited so that the road for future can be chartered insightfully. Such discords are common and all countries have either faced it at some point of time in history or are still into it like China.At the essence of such conflict is the vast difference in public opinions and their mindsets. Some are more akin to changes and take to them positively; others are averse to them and look at everything new with raised eyebrows and in suspicion. Hence the divided opinion about the sweeping changes accompanying the progress is somewhat expected. The people in power have to create an environment which is conducive of changes and take most of the people with them in the long voyage to progress.Public opinion will always be conflicting as such a vast number of indi viduals cannot think alike. But the operative word is ‘majority’ of the people. It is possible to create a favorable opinion in the minds of most of the people about what is happening around them and they have to be convinced that some good will come out of it. The development should be paced in such a way that the changes are not too drastic too fast and the people are allowed to adjust slowly to the changes. There are not two views about the fact that the cultural heritage of the countries is to be preserved.The rituals need to change a little bit to be more relevant and practical in the fast paced world. But the required changes in the ritualistic part to culture have to evolve and not coerced on the people. Only if the changes take place slowly will they be incorporated into the existing structure without creating ripples upon the surface of the calm water. It needs to be understood that what has been going on for a long time will take a bit of time to be mummified and we cannot and must not expect it to disappear as soon as we wish it to or as soon as something new comes up.On the road to progress, a fine balance and harmony needs to be struck between tradition and modernity. Beautiful old architecture, artifacts, and some delightful customs need to be remembered if only for the sake of tourism. The developing countries need to uphold their culture for posterity. It may sound cliched that the coming generations need to know their forefathers and their ancestral traditions; but in truth it is very important for the future that the progeny know, respect and appreciate their past.In the fast road to progress, we need to know about the values that made life livable, the customs that called for celebration and the traditions that created compassion and insight. The question Beijing is facing now is of great importance and needs to be dealt with properly by the people who have the power in Beijing. The city is in the throngs of a cultural crisis an d in order to stop another Cultural Revolution from taking place, something needs to be done and done fast. What has been destroyed cannot be replenished but whatever still remains can be preserved.Beijing has too great a culture to be left to the elements of modernity. It needs to be preserved carefully so that it can be a legacy to the coming generations. No doubt, modernity is the need of the hour but the overlooked fact is that even cultural preservation is a requirement. If this fact is realized in time, maybe Beijing can be a utopia, with the desired blend of culture and globalization; like a beautiful modern city where relics of golden past have been carefully and passionately preserved.

Augmentative and alternative means of communication for teaching Essay - 1

Augmentative and alternative means of communication for teaching students with severe disabilities - Essay Example American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has identified that â€Å"there are over 2 million individuals in the United States who cannot reply on speech as their primary means of communication† (Vinson, 2001, p. 139). This statistics reveal the scope and importance of AAC in the United States. These learners are subjected to various types of cognitive and physical deficits which add to their speech deficits in their developmental period. It has been identified that other systems of augmentative and alternative communication, such as gestures, sign language, picture or word boards, alphabet boards, and systems with synthesized or digitized speech are better suited for such students with severe disabilities. The rights of students with severe disabilities have long been recognized. There have been a good number of legislations that sought to address the issue of teaching students with severe disability through various augmentative and alternative communication means. ... e both augmentative and alternative means of communication present, explores the various ways they are being practiced today and tries to offer suggestions with regard to the instructional strategies that are being employed as part of the AAC. It is significant to understand the meaning and depth of augmentative and alternative means of communication for students with severe disabilities. Augmentative system of communication has long been discussed and researched upon. As Browder points out, â€Å"an augmentative system of communication may be used to assist students who have either expressive or receptive communication problems† (Browder, 2001, p. 312). Augmentative systems of communication can be categorized as either aided or unaided. While the aided system makes use of such instructional devices as picture wallets, communication boards, or computer system, the unaided system resorts to natural instructional methods such as hand gestures or manual signing. However, it is si gnificant to make use of the most effective augmentative communication system in accordance with the learners’ various social contexts. Alternative means of communication generally refers to such communication devices that enable students who cannot speak to communicate using other means. For Duran â€Å"accommodations, adaptations, and assistive technology all enable children with disabilities to fully participate in typical home, school, and community activities† (Duran, 2006, p. 79-80). Participative learning can very well be employed in the case of learners with severe disabilities. For instance, a child who is unable to write the letters may be assisted by another student in a general education class with the help of a keyboard or some other assistive technology devices. It is worthwhile to

Midwifery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Midwifery - Essay Example In midwifery, for instance, clinical audit is used in monitoring and improving excellence and quality of care. In the United Kingdom (UK), two major bodies help in ensuring that midwifes deliver quality services to their patients. These include the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) (Marshall & Jackson, 2013). NICE offers national advice and guidance to help improve quality of health and social care. It is an agency under the National Health Service (NHS) having the responsibility of ensuring the promotion of clinical excellence of service providers in Wales and England through developing recommendations and guidance regarding the efficiency of medical and treatments procedures (Brayford et al, 2015). NMC specifically ensures provision of quality services through describing legal and ethical obligations of nursing and midwifery practice (Tingle & Cribb, 2013). With NICE and NMC in place, a standard clinic audit has been set in place for midwifery. This audit acts as a tool for quality improvement since it demonstrates whether a midwi fery staff makes real efforts in delivering a professional care of high quality to all patients (Harris & Murray, 2013). An institution like the Royal College of Midwifery (RCM) plays a key role in the dissemination of information regarding professional midwifery practice; therefore it ensures that the UK has a nationwide recognized and well established platform for good midwifery practice (Jordan, 2010). Clinical audit in midwifery is generally applied in gauging devotion to clinical practice guidelines considered to be evidence-based (Spiby & Munro, 2009). This audit helps midwifes in measuring their current practice and afterward notes any gaps. The key aim of midwifery audit is to thoroughly measure how well midwifery is done and to offer feedback to make efficient the local performance of midwifery care (Bowie et al, 2011). The auditing of

Research Paper on Jimi Hendrix Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research on Jimi Hendrix - Term Paper Example Discography is about examining the information associated with recording sounds performed by an artist within a specified musical genre. In line with this, Shuker revealed that discography requires the gathering of music information such as the name of the artist(s) involved in the entire music recording process, the time and place where the music recording process took place, the title of the musical piece being performed by the musicians, the exact date when the music was publicly released, and the success rate of the musical piece which can be noted down through the actual sales figures and its actual chart position in the market (Shuker 80). Among the five famous musical recordings of Jimi Hendrix includes: The Cry of Love (1971), the Rainbow Bridge (1971), Crash Landing (1975), Radio One (1988), and Hendrix in the West (1972). Specifically the Cry of Love, the Rainbow Bridge, Crash Landing, and Radio One were studio albums whereas Hendrix in the West was one of the most successful live albums of Hendrix (Gelfand 92 - 101). Back in April 1970, the Cry of Love 31-city tour was launched at LA Forum housing a total of 20,000 audiences (Gelfand 92). Basically, the city tour highlighted the presence of the new Experience line-up together with the Mile’s band and the Buddy Miles Express as part of its opening act (ibid). Right after the city tour, Hendrix intentionally killed himself with drug overdose (Gelfand 100). Half a year after his death, Hendrix’s last 10-song studio album which was entitled â€Å"The Cry of Love† was released in the world market (Faralaco 110). In UK and U.S., this album was released between March 5 and 6 of 1971 which eventually became the top 2 and 3 in England and the U.S. charts respectively (Faralaco 91; Gelfand 101). The Cry of Love was released in LP format. Lasting for 39 weeks, the sales of this album reached gold and platinum award in UK and US respectively (RIAA a). Even though Hendrix died at the age

Human resource strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Human resource strategy - Essay Example Based on the new developments in the business world, HRM strategies are also undergoing drastic changes at present. Earlier, HRM functions were labeled as personnel management. Later, it acquired the form of human resource management. Now instead of HRM, Strategic human resource management (SHRM) is gaining grounds in organizations of the modern world. The core of SHRM is to prepare the employees in accordance with the strategies of the organization. The integration of the employees in to the main streams of organizational activities is a modern day business strategy. Along with the expansion of human resource management or strategic human resource management, lots of ethical problems are also arising. When organizations move into foreign markets, they must adapt to communication, culture and human resource issues. Domestic business and international businesses have more differences than similarities. Moreover, ethical dimensions of HRM would be more significant in cross cultural bus inesses than in domestic businesses because of the huge differences in cultures between countries. â€Å"Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection shown in the home, and a myriad of other factors will affect human behaviour and culture† (Encina, 2007). Most of the current organizations have extremely diverse workforce and hence the interests of these diverse workforce may often been clash each other. Strategic HRM policies should be formulated in such a way that all the employees working in an organization get equal opportunities and fair treatments. â€Å"Ethical conventions should be fully addressed by the HRM profession and ethics be integrated into the strategic HRM process† (Carey, 2011) Business ethics was not much interested in the issues relating to the ethical management of employees till recent times. â€Å"Apart from the development of ethical awareness among managers and the ethical dimension of change management processes, there has been little debate around the ethical basis of much HR policy and practice† (Winstanley & Woodall, 2000, p.1). However, current business Gurus are aware of the necessities of managing employees in an ethical way for the sustainment of their business. This paper briefly analyses the ethical dimensions of strategic HRM in future Ethical dimensions of strategic HRM in future The work culture in different countries are different and hence while employing diverse workforce, an organization may face clashes between the interests of diverse employees. For example, Americans like to work under a stress free environment because of the immense freedom they are enjoying in their country because of democracy. However, Chinese may not enjoy such freedom in the work places of their country because of the tight communist administration. An American working in China may face extreme difficult situations in China because of the contrasting business management ph ilosophies he may face in China. Strategic HRM should give more focus in such areas in order to reduce the stress levels of the diverse employees. â€Å"There is a powerful argument that the wider economic system and ultimately the business organisations within it exist to serve human and societal needs rather than the opposite†

Assignment 4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 4 - Research Paper Example The African American employees filed a class action suit in which they argued that these practices were a violation of Title VII. This is because neither possessing a high school education nor passing the tests was a necessity for successful performance on the jobs in question. In the suit, they argued that the practices were illegal since a higher proportion of the African Americans did not have high school educations. On its part, the company put forward the argument that the requirements were based on its judgment and that they would generally improve the general quality of the workforce, and that the company had no discriminatory intent in instituting these requirements. Further, the company argued that its lack of discriminatory intent was demonstrated by its efforts to assist uneducated employees by financing two thirds of the tuition cost for high school education, (Rue & Byars, 2008). The Court Ruling However, the Supreme Court made a ruling in favor of the African American e mployees, (Rue & Byars, 2008). Meaning of the Ruling The ruling meant that the Duke Power Company could not use the two tests as the criteria for transferring incumbent employees from an outside job to an inside job. Based on the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, businesses, including the Duke Power Company, should adhere to the several key provisions stipulated by Section 703. These provisions outline unlawful employment practices for businesses and companies. It is an unlawful practice for any employer to refuse or fail to hire or discharge any person, or otherwise to discriminate against any person with respect to his terms, privileges, compensation, or terms of employment, based on the person’s color, sex, race, religion, or national origin. It is also unlawful to segregate, limit, or classify employees or applicants for employment in any manner that would tend to deprive or deprive any person of employment opportunities, or affect his position as an employee adv ersely, due to the person’s color, sex, religion, race, or national origin, (Rue & Byars, 2008). According to Rue & Byars (2008), it is also unlawful for an employment agency to refuse or fail to refer for employment, or otherwise discriminate against any person based on his or her color or race, or to refer or classify for employment any person based on his color, race, sex, or religion. Also, a labor organization can not expel or exclude from its membership, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the basis of his color, race, sex, or religion. The organization can also not cause an employer to discriminate against any person. The labor organization can also not classify its membership or applicants in a way that is deemed discriminatory. Therefore, the provisions stipulate that an employer, a labor, organization, and a joint labor-management committee that controls apprenticeship or training, to discriminate against another person. This ruling, as well as the provi sions listed above, has major implications on the Duke Power Company and other businesses in general. First, a violation of any of the provisions results in an unlawful employment practice. Such unlawful employment practices are quick to attract lawsuits. According to Hersh (1991), lawsuits are costly and time consuming, and many companies try to avoid them. Lawsuits also might be a stain to the company’s image and reputation. Therefore, the ruling would go a long way in ensuring that companies and businesses strictly adhere to the

139 DB wk4 ED Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

139 DB wk4 ED - Essay Example The camaraderie, team work and interdependence amongst employees ensure that the performances reflect varied cultures and are nothing short of spectacular (Berson). Cirque du Soleil’s mission is to ‘provoke the senses and to evoke the emotions of people around the world’ (Cirque du Soleil). The employees put in their best and strive to develop new acts and performances to entertain customers from different regions. This unrelenting commitment to innovation has been instrumental in Cirque du Soleil’s success. It is important for Cirque du Soleil to be a good corporate citizen to attain international goodwill and build a loyal set of customers. Ethnocentrism plays a pivotal role in enabling the company discharge its corporate social responsibility. The management of Cirque du Soleil believes that the world can be made a better place. The company strives to build win-win situation with all stakeholders including employees, customers and neighbors. It draws inspiration from its own artistic and cultural diversity (Cirque du Soleil). Cirque du Soleil respects the law of the land and treats each culture with respect and

Dangerousness and Dangerous Offenders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Dangerousness and Dangerous Offenders - Essay Example Dept. of Justice, & Canada. Health and Welfare Canada, 1984). Restrictive measures on the other hand refer to those practices that are employed by the various institutions in the criminal justice system to ensure sex offenders do not reoffend again after their conviction (Howitt, 1995). These aim at protecting the public from being offended and also monitoring the offenders not to reoffend. Some of the restrictive measures that are employed to manage these offenders include the use of sex offender registers, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements, Circles of Support, and Accountability, use of approved premises, license conditions, prisons, situational crime prevention, and treatment of offenders (Marshall, Eccles & Barbaree, 1993). This paper will therefore examine the strength and weaknesses of these restrictive measures to protect the public from any sexual offence. It will further pay attention to the fairness and effectiveness of these approaches in protecting the public. This section will also explore the balance between human rights of the offenders and public protection bearing in mind that these offenders are also human beings and their rights ought to be protected as much as they deserve punishment for their offence (Rainey, 2013). To begin with, sex offender register is one of the restrictive measures aimed at protecting the public from sexual offence. It is a database containing records of those required to register with the police under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (Welchans, 2005). This include individuals who have been jailed for more than 12 months for having committed violent offences an those who are likely to be at risk of offending. Upon initial registration, it is a requirement for the offenders to provide the police with the following information; their full names, date of birth, home address, passport details, bank details and the national insurance number. This register requires the offender to inform

'In the current economic climate, what are the biggest challenges and Essay

'In the current economic climate, what are the biggest challenges and biggest opportunities facing new managers entering indus - Essay Example Finding unique strategy There are many innovations, as upshots of reaching certain competitive advantage in order to be on top of the competition, especially now that the current economic climate demands key players to do the right move in order to survive the tough and challenging times. The challenge therefore is to think of a strategy that is something new or as a new way, one that is unique and hard to emulate in order to achieve a highly sustainable competitive advantage. According to Porter, the only way to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage on the part of an organization is to employ strategies that are unique or hard to outdo (Porter, 1990). The current economic climate for instance allows the mobile phone producers to initiate strategies that are far better than the other. However, common to their prevailing strategies is to come up with new innovations from time to time, leading to facing off the old product trends or models. This gives the opportunity for consumers to become more sophisticated and look for what could benefit them to the fullest, including the opportunity to find for the best price at their advantage resulting to a strong market power that is enough for them to have remarkable bargaining power. On the other hand, this may challenge the competing companies to look for a more feasible strategy that along the way will have the ability to meet both the needs of the target consumers and the company. Finding for the best resource Considering the point that the current economic climate would mean finding the available or best resources in order to guarantee continuous operation, the other challenge for most managers in various organizations is finding the relevant resources linked to their actual operation. This is evident to many outsourcing activities initiated by major international companies (Cornejo, 2009). The case of call centers for instance is a perfect manifestation that many companies are employing third parties in order t o minimize their cost and guarantee profitability on the process. Not only that. Outsourcing human resource is proven effective especially if organizations will have to employ human resource with associated low labour cost. This is evident how international companies like call centers outsourced or instituted their operation in developing countries like in Asia where they could save on their actual operational cost. China for instance is a remarkable country with available resources especially the human resource that could be tapped to guarantee higher profitability. The challenge on the other hand is that there is on-going competition for allocating the best resource, which means individual companies will have to compete in this aspect, the hard way, knowing that having limited resources is not far from the impossibility with the current economic climate. Opportunity for creativity Despite the associated challenge in finding a sustainable competitive advantage through having unique strategy that is hard to emulate or copy, managers will have the opportunity to be as creative as possible in this aspect so as to initiate their goals (Chaston, 2012). They will have the opportunity to go beyond the limit, and think of possibilities that are not yet realised in the current set up of the prevailing economic climate. Consider the point of the highly differentiated offerings for mobile communication gadgets and the remarkable upgrade from

Hamlet Review Essay Example for Free

Hamlet Review Essay Primary Characters: * Hamlet- indecisive, isolates himself, plans his â€Å"antic disposition† * Claudius- murder of King Hamlet, Hamlet’s uncle and stepfather, guilty * Ophelia- Polonius’s daughter, Hamlet’s love, drowns Secondary Characters: * Horatio- Hamlet’s friend * Polonius- protective of Ophelia, believes Hamlet is affected by Ophelia’s love * Gertrude- Hamlet’s mother and the queen * Laertes- Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, wants to kill Hamlet after Ophelia dies Point of view and other notable techniques: Most people believe that Hamlet was written in the 3rd person point of view. However, some literary critics argue that Shakespeare’s characters possess individuality too great to be bound under a fixed point of view. Like actual people, they act with intentions we cannot completely comprehend. This lack of fixed point of view allows the work to be up to interpretation, as it has been analyzed in a variety of ways. Shakespeare embodies various structural, literary, and stylistic techniques in his play. He often switches between the use of blank verse and prose when dealing with his different characters. He also uses iambic pentameter throughout the play. Examples of this can be most easily found in Hamlet’s â€Å"To be or not to be† monologue in Act III. Favorite stylistic techniques of Shakespeare include soliloquy, particularly those uttered by Hamlet throughout the play (the â€Å"To be or not to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  soliloquy remains one of the most famous in English literature). He also uses various allusions to both biblical and mythological references throughout Hamlet, including a reference to the Garden of Eden in the Ghost of Hamlet’s father’s graphic description of his murder. Imagery is another favorite technique of Shakespeare, as he uses his words to paint images of violence, chaos, beauty, and darkness. The language of Shakespeare is in a class of its own, as the old English text he employs throughout the play reflect his own unique manner of writing. Major conflicts and resolutions: * Hamlet vs. His inner self- Hamlet struggles between action and inaction throughout the entire play. Is inability to act out what he feels and kill Claudius ultimately leads to his death. * Hamlet vs. Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia Laertes: Hamlet has many external conflicts with the other characters that stem from his internal conflict. The conflict between Claudius and Hamlet leads to both of their deaths. Hamlet kills Polonius out of a fit of insanity. Ophelia and Hamlet seem to have various problems, (as seen by the nunnery scene) and in the end Ophelia ends up going insane and drowning. After Ophelia dies, Laertes wants to seek revenge. He and Hamlet fence and because of a mix up of swords, he is poisoned by his own sword. Key Scenes: * A huge turning point in Hamlet is within rising action. The ghost tells hamlet to revenge his murder. Hamlet finds out that it is Claudius, but Hamlet does not kill Claudius because he is in prayer. * The climax of â€Å"Hamlet† is when Hamlet stabs Polonius through the curtain. (III:v). This is the climax because since he violently killed Polonius, Hamlets gets into conflicts with the king. * The resolution is when Hamlet returns from England, changed. Hamlet eventually has a fencing match with Laertes and then the royal family dies and so does Hamlet. (V.). Key Quotations: * â€Å"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death/ The memory be green†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (I.ii.1-25) * Claudius addresses his court explaining the death of the King and his marriage to Gertrude. * â€Å"This above all,—to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man† (I.iii.78-80) * Polonius speaks these words to Laertes as he gives him final counsel before leaving home. * â€Å"To be or not to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (III.i. 58-90) * In this famous soliloquy, Hamlet ponders life and death, suicide and the afterlife, as well as action and inaction. * â€Å"Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are een at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat  us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service—two dishes, but to one table. That’s the end.† (IV.iii.21) * Hamlet says this to the king. In this humorous scene, he speaks of Polonius’s death. Many think that the manner in which he speaks of the death in these lines prove his insanity. * â€Å"The rest is silence† (V.ii.356) * Hamlet’s last words spoken to Horatio before he dies Theme statements central questions: After losing a loved one unjustifiably, one may seek revenge and in doing so explore the limits of sanity. * Why does Hamlet delay in killing Claudius? * Was the ghost real or imagined? * When is murder justifiable? * Is suicide okay? * How much thought is too much thought and not enough action? Your reactions: * I found the soliloquy in Hamlet the most difficult sections of the play to comprehend, particularly due to the old English style in which they were written in. Shakespeare’s dated language and implementation of iambic pentameter often confused me, as did his various allusions and colloquialisms, among other literary devices throughout these extended monologues. I had to re-read the â€Å"To be or not to be† soliloquy until I was finally able to understand it. Shakespeare reveals of his character’s innermost demons and troubles through his soliloquy, bringing their emotional instability full circle. Realizing this made me strive even harder to understand every aspect of these speeches, every allusion and image and literary device was crucial, even though it appears to be insignificant in the scheme of things. The details truly matter in his works. * Personally, the â€Å"this above all† quote is one of my favorite quotes. Polonius may have been a fool for trying to teach Laertes this lesson at the last possible moment before his departure, but his words are wise ones. Through personal experience I have found truth behind the advice and hold it very close. I’ve discovered that if I remain true to myself and am honest with myself, it is virtually impossible to be false to others.  I’ll always remember these famous words. * One aspect of Hamlet that really stood out to me was the scenes of the ghost. I personally believe that the ghost telling Hamlet to remember him and revenge his father’s death, was actually within the imagination of Hamlet himself. There is no evidence in the play that suggests that the ghost is all in Hamlet’s mind, however, there is no evidence against it, thus making it an effective claim. Notable literary devices: * Shakespeare’s use of tone creates a unique and completely entertaining style of dialogue for the play. The tone uses imagery and diction to add meaning to the text and make the play sad, funny, dark, or even violent at times. * Shakespeare uses poetry in â€Å"Hamlet† and it is written in Iambic Pentameter. â€Å"Hamlet†, having been written in poetry, is portrayed beautifully and because of the meter, is executed properly. * The use of symbols is evident in â€Å"Hamlet†. The skull and the ghost are obvious symbols of death. However, other symbols can be analyzed like Ophelia and flowers, or Ophelia and innocence. Hamlet can be looked at as the â€Å"tragic hero†, and many characters have symbolism behind them. Good for the following prompts: This text would be best implemented in either an analysis or an argument prompt. For the analysis prompt, the student would be presented with a short excerpt from Hamlet and be required to discuss different techniques the author uses throughout the passage, connecting back to the overall meaning of the work as a whole. Any selection from Hamlet highlights Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter, as well as his mastery of imagery and allusions. An argument prompt requires the student to analyze a given position in said argument, and either defend, challenge, or qualify the position using their own knowledge of the work. Anything goes with this prompt, so a total understanding of the various interpretations of Hamlet is necessary to succeed. Students must develop their own interpretation of the work and pinpoint elements in the work that contribute to their understanding of it. Hamlet would be an excellent choice when faced with any prompt dealing with revenge, avenging the death of a loved one, insanity, or family values, a few of the central themes of Shakespeare’s work.

Postpartum Depression And Postnatal Depression Psychology Essay

Postpartum Depression And Postnatal Depression Psychology Essay Presently at hand there is a reoccurring social problem that is alarming to pregnant women collectively. The social dilemma is identified as postpartum depression otherwise to some as postnatal depression. Postpartum is a significant type of clinical depression that inhibits women emotionally and physically following childbirth. Postpartum depression is a form of depression that follows child birth in particular mothers. Cases can be mild or severe enough to be labeled psychosis and require hospitalization ( ). When people contemplate desolation, many assume depression as just erratic mood swings, anxiety, or guilt which is self inflicted. However depression is beyond mood swings and impulsive emotions. Depression is the fourth leading cause of global disease burden for individuals and society (Brundtland, 1998).Depression is a clinical diagnosed ailment that hinders the world population. Depression can be treated and alleviated, although overlooked may develop into severe mental and physical problems. Postpartum depression is a grave illness that requires immediate attention by qualified physicians. Those who are diagnosed with depression often encounter symptoms similar to guilt, anxiety, sleeplessness, and constant thoughts of suicide. PPD is a serious social predicament that should not be ignored, if manifested PPD can be very detrimental to the welfare of families and children. Although men can develop PPD, typically PPD troubles women who undergo the early phases of childbirth usually proceeding three months of delivery. Women are more vulnerable to PPD given that their bodies undergo extreme psychological, physical, and developmental change in such a short duration. There are various explanations and diagnosis into why PPD develops within women post birth. Some of these reasons include Hormonal change, sudden vary of lifestyle, mental illness, along with stress. Furthermore PPD is not just an obstacle that occupies a few; PPD is universal and in fact common in many child births. One in six women is affected by mental distress during pregnancy or postpartum, and was found to be the leading cause of maternal death between 2000 and 2002 (Lewis 2004). Some intellects may regard these manners simply as the baby blues; nevertheless expert studies have revealed that PPD is indeed a well documented illness that inhabits women of every populace. Furthermore this r esearch paper will confer the issues of postpartum disorder along with providing adequate information concerning the causes, symptoms, impact on child development, and methods for treatment. Now that I have identified postpartum depression, lets acknowledge as well as analyze the causes and symptoms of PPD. It is often difficult to diagnose or even pin point the sources of PPD; however several doctors explicate that PPD may be triggered by unexpected change in hormones, sudden adjustment of lifestyle, mental illness, or stress. Postpartum depression occurs in 10-15% of women in the general population ( ). Women who undergo pregnancy usually encompass higher levels of hormones which in essence can alter cognitive behaviors and emotions. All women are unique; many go through intense body and hormonal changes. Subsequent to birth it is common for women to have decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone which can instigate mood swings, nervousness, as well as extreme fatigue. Following pregnancy, mothers who experience PPD frequently endure the postpartum blues; moreover 85% of women experience some type of mood disturbance. For most women, symptoms are transient and rela tively mild, however 10-15% of women experience a more disabling and persistent form of depression and 0.1-0.2% of women experience postpartum psychosis ( ). The postpartum depression or baby blues traumatic symptoms include of anxiety, sleeplessness, loss of energy, guilt, and at some levels severe mental psychosis. Another cause of PPD is the abrupt change of daily routine. The change of lifestyle from time to time may be overwhelming or even too demanding for newborn families. Mothers and Fathers are sometimes unaware the drastic lifestyle changes a baby initiates. In other words some families are unprepared for the consequences and responsibilities of nurturing a newborn. This is particularly true when it comes to younger couples who engage in unplanned pregnancies. You see this scenario all too often, couples who lack maturity, experience, as well as responsibility do not understand what it takes to be a suitable parent. This is why education plus counseling is crucial to counteract PPD. Many families who lack the resources, education, healthcare, or economic means are further susceptible to PPD; as a result the lower class citizens usually suffer largely. Additional contributing factors to PPD consist of patients who suffer from substance abuse, unplanned pregnancy, financial problems, poor relationships, and those who already endure a history of mental illness or depression. If this problem is left untreated, postnatal depression can last for months or even years, therefore endangering yourself and your childs welfare. Next I plan on discussing the impact that postpartum depression has on newborn babies and child development. The early stages of child maturity is significant, otherwise health problems may transpire. Children of mothers with postpartum depression are more likely than children of non depressed mothers to exhibit behavioral problems (e.g., sleep and eating difficulties, temper tantrums, hyperactivity), delays in cognitive development, emotional and social deregulation, and early onset of depressive illness( ). Implying families who bear post partum depression may in fact negatively affect parent-infant relations. Newborn babies require constant attention and nurturing, however if the family is experiencing PPD, this may result in neglect ion of the Childs physical and emotional upbringing. The mother and infant bonding is essential for childhood growth, furthermore PPD could hold a profound impact on the Childs well being. Untreated postpartum affective illness places both the mother and infant at risk and is associated with significant long-term effects on child development and behavior therefore, appropriate screening, prompt recognition, and treatment of depression are essential for both maternal and infant well-being and can improve outcome ( ). If the symptoms of PPD persist, the child may unconsciously withdraw or reject the mothers parenting. At this point we have recognized Post partum depression as well as documented the cause and effects of PPD. Therefore lets focus on the process for treating PPD. No two women are alike, so treating PPD can be tedious even overwhelming sometimes. The most important factor for treatment of PPD is early detection. Realizing there is a problem and early treatment is crucial for reducing PPD. And though PPD is categorized as a disorder, there are several affective methods for healing. A number of techniques used to counter PPD include counseling, antidepressant drugs, and importantly education. Post natal depression is in fact a curable illness but it takes time along with education which is the crucial. It is also essential to surround yourself with quality caregivers. In addition its vital to encompass a good support system like family, friends, collegues, or even co workers to help ease the symptoms of depression. Medication and professional counseling can often be successful for reduc ing or eliminating the symptoms of PPD. Many doctors believe that counseling plus anti depressants including nortriptyline, paroxetine, and sertraline will help counter the symptoms of PPD. And I know this day and age drugs are not always the answer; however experts agree that antidepressants along with therapy plus counseling are well documented for alleviating PPD. As you can observe postpartum depression is as significant illness that plagues women of all stature. Postpartum depression has been established in numerous studies to have a negative effect on a mothers ability to provide optimal care for her infant ( ). One in six women is affected by mental distress during pregnancy or postpartum, and was found to be the leading cause of maternal death between 2000 and 2002 (Lewis 2004). PPD is a serious social issue that needs further attention. This is not a dilemma that discriminates between race, gender, or age. Everyone is susceptible to PPD and this illness is increasing with the hardship of times. There is a dire need of education and healthcare for families that experience PPD.

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Hofstede stated 5 Cultural dimensions which can be used to investigate national preferences. To explain the variation of cultural dimensions in different countries, a chart illustrating all 5 Cultural dimensions is shown in Hong Kong, China and USA. Detailed explanations are given below: Power distance is the distance in the approach between the subordinates and seniors in an organization. The high Power Distance countries make use of Centralized decision making and the employees are less likely to question their seniors. Whereas, in low power distance there is decentralized organization structure and employees are more likely to question their seniors. In high Individualism, it is generally expected that people only take care of their loved ones like their immediate families, there is very less tendency that the people will work and belong to any groups. Countries with high Masculinity, there is high degree of gender differentiation and people will place much importance on recognition, challenges, wealth, earnings etc. whereas, countries with high femininity, importance is given to quality life, cooperation, friendly atmosphere, caring others etc. Uncertainty avoidance is how people feel and react in doubtful situations and has created beliefs to avoid such situations. In countries with high Uncertainty people believe on experts and their knowledge, there is need for security and people are not willing to take risks. Whereas, in low Uncertainty avoidance people tend to be ambitious and are ready to accepts unknown risks. The fifth cultural dimension was studied by using Questionnaire in various countries around the globe. Long Term Orientation deals with good moral values regardless of truth. In Long Term Orientation the values such as Perseverance, thrift play vital role, while respect in beliefs, principles in society and binding oneself by social duties are associated with Short Term Orientation (Hofstede and Bond, 1984). Trompenaar Cultural dimensions: Universalism and Particularism: According to Trompenaar, the culture assigns the importance either to the rules or personal relationships. In Universalism culture people share belief that the rules, values and law are more important than personal or other relationships while, in Particularism cultures people focus more on human friendship or personal relationships. Individualism and Communitarism: Trompenaar Individualism and Communitarism cultural dimension carry the same meaning with Hofstedes Individualism. As explained above, the culture differences are illustrated as to whether people function more as individuals or in groups. Specific and Diffuse: In Specific cultures such as Denmark, the interactions between people are well defined viz the interactions are tending to criticize their juniors directly and openly, people tend to concentrate on hard facts, standards. In diffuse cultures like Russia, the criticism is considered a personal matter and may form a part of losing value or prestige. Affectivity and Neutrality: Affectivity and neutrality cultural dimension provides a degree in which people show their feelings. In Affectivity cultures, individuals express feelings naturally and openly. People talk loudly, show happiness or unhappiness, greet with enthusiasm etc. whereas in Neutral cultures, people tend to hide their emotions. Achievement and Ascription: In Achievement cultures, members are awarded official position depending on job performances, whereas, in Ascription cultures, members are respected or awarded official positions depending on ethnic groups, age, family, gender etc. In Sequential time cultures, people generally perform duties sequentially i.e. perform only one duty at a given time. While, in Synchronous time cultures people are flexible, handling several duties at a single point of time. Inner and Outer directed: It is set of people who believe that environment can be controlled versus a set of people who believes environment controls them. In Inner directed cultures, people believe that it is in humans hand and right a expertise knowledge can control nature; In outer directed cultures people believe that nature is not in their control and therefore they should live and change themselves according to the nature or environment. Source: Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, (1993). Hofstede and Trompenaar helped to explain cultural differences with help of various cultural dimensions. Below table provides information on Trompenaar cultural dimensions with respect to various countries around globe. Thus, it can be seen that the cultural dimensions provided by Hofstede and Trompenaar help to better understand various cultures and thus they help to investigate different national preferences. Strengths and Weakness of Hofstede and Trompenaar: Inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar and ways to overcome Inherent bias: To show the inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar an association between national metrics on individualism and national sales data of i branded phones is demonstrated. The analysis shown in Table 1 reveals the bias on individualism criterion of Hofstede and Trompenaars (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). The lack of precision can be overcome by using diagnostic tools like SPSS (Wilcox, 2001). SPSS helps to correct the deviations and presents post hoc test outputs which can be analyzed (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). Hofstede Improvement model: In Hofstedes model it has been seen that the model merely assumes uniformity. Hence, there is a need to study diversity, richness of institutions and their practices. Presently, intense debates, reviews on interaction, structure and conceptualization are available on immediate basis. We should be engaged and involve in using theories of action, which can deal with multiple influences, change and variety, situational non-national variability, power and difficulties on individual subjects instead of seeking explanations from the conceptual lacuna for assumed national uniformity (McSweeney, 2002). Comparison between different models: Most of the cultural literatures have discussed and pointed towards core values of culture which helps to identify difference between cultures. Hofstede proposed that the most efficient method to modify the process of thinking is to change individual behaviour (Schwartz, 1999 and Hofstede, 1980). Project GLOBE has focused and illustrated effects of leadership qualities on various cultures and examined charismatic leadership at three levels industry type, national and organizational- nested within each other (House et al., 1999). The fit between management practices and cultural characteristics is considered to play a vital role in implementing a successful management team (Aycan et al., 2000). Nevertheless, Hofstede and Harzing, (1996) proposed that only few studies were able to examine or only few theories realized that the culture itself changes over period of time. Schein (1992) proposed a cultural dimension which reflects on the levels of visibility. Drawing on Scheins proposal, cultural theories vary depending on concentration on the different layers of culture. Many cultural theories concentrate on the middle portion; values specialized in between visible and invisible parts of culture (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980; Inglehart and Baker, 2000). The association between change in economic development and work values was studied by Inglehart and Baker (2000) and both found noticeable cultural changes. Very few models concentrate on the visible and the external layer of practices and behaviors, Trompenaar assessed or judged the differences in cross-cultures with respect to behaviours, driven by values (Trompenaars, 1994; House et al., 1999). Multiple levels of cross cultures are shown in Figure 1: Most of the cross cultural research focused on national level, illustrating differentiation in cross cultures with regards to national values (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980). Berson, Erez and Adler, (2004) proposed the formation of interdependent and multinational work teams helps to minimize the complexity in workplace within and across borders. The interdependent teams help the companies to bridge cultural gaps and assure smooth coordination and communication. Even the CEOs has consistently emphasized the interdependence and connectedness in their speeches. Hall (1976) studied high and low context cultures. Environment is important for the people belonging to high context cultures and they rely on interpretation i.e. make use of non-verbal signals during communication, whereas, in low context cultures non-verbal signals are often ignored and environment is less important. Hall model does not rank different countries and is built on qualitative insights and the model does not provide numerical data and hence, comparisons can only be on subjective basis. Problems for Expatriates: This section discusses differences in organizational styles and cultural patterns between Japanese and German staff members in Dusseldorf region of western Germany, and issues they encounter for morale, communication and co-operation. As English not being the native language for both Japanese and Germans, a sizable amount of Japanese firms in Dusseldorf region remark on communication problems and stress between Japanese expatriates and local staff members. There is also a contrast on subject of politeness, Japanese staff are recognized for considering the politeness to great extents; a distinct Japanese politeness syndrome is unwillingness to say no with firmness, which confuses the foreigners and Westerners find it disingenuous, whereas, Germans suffer the reputation for being arrogant, blunt and curt. The Germans see the standoffishness of Japanese as an obstacle to pleasant office relationships. German managers found it difficult and comment that even after continuous efforts they are not in a position to socialize with Japanese expatriate teams. The isolation and the size of Dusseldorf region helped to put a belief on German side, that Japanese are reclusive and clannish by character. The Japanese were annoyed by German curtness and Germans were bothered by Japanese unfriendliness (Lincoln et al., 1995). The Japanese expect forthright assumption of guilt and produced apologies in places where the Europeans find it inappropriate and unnecessary. In Japanese firms the acceptance of failures of ones duties is an obligation to European (Wall Street Journal, 1989), as the Westerners impulse to shift blame to others and defend oneself. Some differences also occur on the decision making process as for Japanese its bottom-up command and control while for Germans its reverse (Kieser, 1990; Lincoln et al., 1990). More, the Japanese hire employees as generalists and not as specialists. The Germans found the appraisal style inconvenient because the Japanese appraisal style judges long-term achievements and performances and not present performances (Endo, 1994). If the company wants to reward the younger ambitious local hires for their appropriate skills, the company was not able to do so, because of the morale issues of appraisal system of Japanese business cultures, due to which the problem of inequality arise. Expatriates Managers motivating and leading staff: Research has shown that the styles of leading staff, motivating and communicating vary among countries (Adler and Gundersen, 2008). To motivate and to understand the motivation drivers of the employees, an expatriate manager should have a broad idea about real root values of different cultures (Sergeant and Frenkel, 1998). Work placement motivation plays an important role so that the employees work effectively and organization can achieve their goals. In multi-culture environment the motivation factors will vary from person to person, so the organization should use different motivational tools. One of the strongest motivational factors is probably the development of an appropriate reward system; this can influence both employee motivation and job satisfaction (Hickins, 1998 cited by Albu, 2009). The people motivations may vary depending on their emphasis on income, more number of contacts, security in job or feeling of accomplishment. The attributes and roles chosen by experienced expatriate managers in leading their teams are not constant and may vary in different contexts. Finnish expatriates in various countries indicated different perceptions of leadership, examined by Suutari (1996). For examples, an expatriate from Germany commented that the softness in Scandinavian is inappropriate and claim for receiving respect from subordinates a person should be more authoritative. Similarly, if a manager from a different culture is working in France, he should avoid participating in groups, as he would not succeed to get any ideas from his colleagues and nothing will work if he did not take a decision himself. An expatriate in UK was advised to make use of directive style and be more rigorous. Whereas, in Thailand good leadership qualities are associated with moral values like to sacrifice, to think about majority and not only about their families. A successful leadership style must be appropriate to the context within which it is exercised (Mead, 2005, p. 133). PART 2 Preparation for Expatriates and their relatives: After reviewing various research articles following were the requirements found for preparing an expatriate for successful mission. The companies need to employ rigorous and sophisticated pre-move policies to expatriates along with their families, which include personality and psychometric testing, cross-cultural and language training (Forster, 2000). Many researchers like Mendenhall and Oddou, 1986; Tung, 1981; Brislin, 1981, Smith and Still, 1997; Bochner, 1982; Forster, 2000, Brislin et al, 1986 have strongly emphasized on cultural empathy during expatriate trainings. Cross cultural training is broadly classified into 6 types by Tung (1982): 1] Using information containing facts such as information on housing, schools, weather, and geographical location. 2] Cultural preferences or tendencies, information such as the value systems of host country. 3] Cultural Assimilation programs which help to describe cross cultural experiences. 4] Linguistic training 5] Sensitivity training, helps developing confidence in particular situations. 6] Exposure to other cultures by means of field experiences, which will help to get a feel of emotional pressures. According to Brewster and Pickard (1994) following should be the cultural training programs for expatriates: 1] a cognizance about major emphasize on influencing cultural behaviours 2] Mandatory knowledge which is required when dealing in different situations. 3] Developing emotional maturity and acquiring skills to help psychological adjustments when working abroad. Thus following can be the relevant training programs, which can be used to prepare an expatriate. How Cross cultural Training programs support Expatriates and their relatives: The cross-cultural and linguistic training introduces the employee the importance of cultures and help to sensitise the actual differences in cultures. The training programs help expatriates to become vigilant of unavoidable psychological stress which usually happens when individual tries to adapt in foreign cultures (Forster, 2000). Cross cultural training and language training helps to built cross cultural competency skills and add on social and professional skills, knowledge, coping techniques and factual information to expatriates and helps to create an artificial make-up. Training programs also helps to provide relevant information on the living and working styles of the host country. Cultural, political, economic information and information on cultural awareness helps expatriates to understand the foreign culture in more suitable and personal way, all these factors work at intellectual or mental process of the expatriate. More, cross-cultural training also consist of learning activities which are purely based on experience combining mental process and behavioural techniques which help to reinforce the assimilation of information on occasions like experimenting alternative response strategies and simulating critical incidents. It is also believed that, cross cultural training helps to acquire an intercultura l effectiveness skill which improve families and personal adjustments overseas. Such skills include building relationships, effective cross cultural communication, transition stress management, cultural awareness, improving managerial decision making, negotiation techniques and conflicts resolution (Kealey and Protheroe, 1996). Nevertheless, as per Gertsen (1990) literature, excluding the training, for a successful expatriate mission, lot more depends on the employees personal traits like openness, self confidence, good communication skills, intelligence, optimism, tolerance, empathy, independence, initiative and willingness to change. Requirements for working in multi-culture environment: Intercultural competence plays an important role and is necessary, when a member of a cross-cultural team needs to build strong relationship with other nationalities. Due to intercultural competence the member is able to exchange verbal non-verbal levels of behaviour (Dinges, 1983; McCroskey, 1982; Spitzberg, 1983). Research delineated important features of inter-cultural competence such as ability to develop and maintain relationships, personal traits like inquisitiveness and effectively sharing information with others (Black and Gregersen, 2000; Mendenhall, 2001). Apart from knowledge of language and culture, Intercultural competence also involves affectivity and behavioural skills like charisma, empathy, friendliness, ability to control uncertainty and anxiety (Gudykunst, 1998; Spiess, 1998). There are three parts of intercultural competence, sufficient cultural knowledge, appropriate skills and Personality Orientation. The managers in USA and Russia have associated high performing cross cultural teams with clearly understanding their approach for team goals, equipped with complementary skills, working with expertise teams, and tremendous commitment with relatively higher degree of motivation, clear responsibilities of team roles, cultural sensitivity, cooperative team climate and access to technology (Matveev and Milter, 2004). To work effectively with multi cultural teams the managers need to know and understand the culture of a person with whom they are interacting, their behaviour patterns during conflict situations, and information about their personality, life experiences, demographics etc. Manager of diverse cultures needs to be vigilant with regards to the interests, resources of different cultures and diversity of perspectives, to obtain all this information the manager requires high level of intercultural communication competence (Matveev et al., 2002). Lessons drawn from tutorials and classes From tutorials and classes, we gathered knowledge which helped critical analysis of contexts and issues relating to business and management operating across cultures. Various aspects of cultural diversity and national cultures have been explored. International HRM has become a strategic asset of many organisations and play vital role in implementing and developing policies on cross cultural management. We learnt differences between cultures, their relations when working in organisations, businesses and the way people from different cultures interact and communicate. It was also observed that if the variety of cultures is ignored, the organisations suffer from conflicts and underperform. From the principle theories of cross cultures I explored the effects of cultural diversity on leadership, negotiation, communication, motivation and ethics in organisations. Through critical analysis the awareness among cultural differences was raised, while reinforcing behaviours and skills that can help managers to adjust in such differences. The main focus of study was on management of International Business and there was seen a strong emphasis on cultural differences between European, Asian, Anglo-American and African. How multicultural awareness can be raised and stereotyping be decreased To raise multi cultural awareness, Sleeter (1992) given importance to multicultural professional development programs and awareness building inservice programs. Sleeter observations revealed that after completion of these programs, teachers greatest change was increased attention to Black students and increased the usage of cooperative learning activities. Multi-cultural awareness can also be raised through well-prepared induction programmes incorporating cultural awareness training. Professional counselling across cultures could also provide effective help to raise cultural awareness (Skinner, 2010). Sue et al. (1982) suggested three dimensions of cross cultural counselling competencies: knowledge, awareness and skills. The counsellor needs certain cultural specific knowledge and must be aware of potential cultural differences. Thus, cross-cultural training and cultural competencies raise multicultural awareness. Stewart et al., 2009 proposed the success of a modern technique Situational Attribution Training Technique to minimize the underlying stereotyping. White participants were trained extensively to choose situational over dispositional explanations for negative stereotype-consistent behaviors performed by Black men (Stewart et al. 2009, p. 221). Reduced racial stereotyping was demonstrated by the individuals who finished their Situational Attribution Training. More, the impact of Stereotyping can be minimized by bringing together different cultural members and when these members come together they notice that other persons are not as stereotype as considered, this proof makes a disagreement, which finally helps in improving thinking about stereotypes. Words: 3,179

Nuclear Iran Essay -- Foreign Policy

Nuclear Iran Should United States confront Iran for its behaviors for enriching uranium? For decades the extremist Islamic regime of Iran has been the number one enemy of U.S and its allies particularly, Israel. Also, Iran has been supporting the terrorist groups such as Taliban and Al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan to kill American troops. Moreover, during the past ten years Iran has been working to become nuclear which can allow them to make nuclear bombs and weapons to wipe Israel off the map which they have claimed before they would without any hesitation. While, Iranian government insists that it has no intentions of expanding its nuclear program to make weapons and it is only for peaceful purposes, ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Kharrazi, secretary general of Iranian Hezbollah, stated, â€Å"We are able to produce atomic bombs, and we will do that(1).† So, there is a great conflict between Middle Eastern countries and Arab countries that are U.S’s allies such as Israel and Saudi Ara bia to let Iran become a nuclear power, and a greater conflict inside U.S because of the two invasion wars that have cost trillions and thousands of lives. Therefore, there are two sides to this important issue that whether U.S should let Iran to become nuclear or shall we air strike them and maybe cause a war that we will not be able to afford? Even though Iran persists that there are no harmful intentions and they are only enriching uranium to help their technology and hospitals, I believe U.S and its allies should stand up united to Iran and stop giving them any freebies and confront them militarily because of Iran’s behavior in the past and present; also, proving themselves as not trustworthy to U.S. At first, beginning with the opposition side of this... ...eneral of Iranian Hezbollah, February 14, 2005, written for CQ Researcher, cqpress.com, the Iranian leadership is far more dangerous than most Westerners realize, argues a longtime Iran hawk. 2. Senator Byrd, Robert, chairman, senate appropriations committee. Written for CQ Researcher, November 2007, arguing with President Bush’s administration over attacking Iran. 3. Bakhtiari, Farshid, a young computer salesman, February. Quoted in Kim Murphy, â€Å" Iran reformist want U.S. to tone down†, Los Angeles Times, Feb. 11,2007, p.A1 4. Rubin, Michael, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute. Rubin argues that the sanctions won’t be effective due to Iran’s history of untrustworthiness, cqpress.com, pro/con part, pp3, November 11, 2007. 5. Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud, the 62nd U.N. assembly, unmistakably referring to the United States, sep. 26,2007, www.president.it/en/.

Chinese Prostitution :: essays research papers

In 1850, only 7 Chinese women were in San Francisco compared to the 4,018 Chinese men. These lows numbers could’ve been because Chinese men were afraid to bring their wives and raise families in a place full of racial violence. The growing anti-Chinese sentiment and few labor opportunities reduced the chances for entry of Chinese women. The few women in San Francisco’s Chinatown basically turned Chinatown into a bachelor’s society. Many men went to brothel houses to release their sexual tensions, thus increasing the demands and values of prostitution. Prostitution in Chinatown increased, and in 1870, 61 percent of the 3536 Chinese women in California as prostitutes (Takaki, 1998). By 1879, seventy-one percent of Chinese women in San Francisco were prostitutes. However, the increased amount of Chinese women becoming a prostitute was not by choice. Immigrant women who became prostitutes, such as Wong Ah So, came to America on promises of marriage made by men only to be forced or tricked into prostitution. Chan's book, "Asian Americas: An Interpretive History", was able to shed some light as to why so few Chinese women were able to enter the U.S. From the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, Chinese women were only allowed to enter the U.S. as the wives and daughters of merchants or U.S. citizens. Several acts, such as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the Page Law, were passed in an attempt to stop the immigration of Chinese because many anti-Chinese individuals assumed that all Chinese women were prostitutes. As Chan states in her book, the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act suspended the entry of Chinese laborers for ten years but exempted merchants, students and teachers, diplomats, and travelers from its provisions (Chan, 54). Under the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, only women who were native-born, married or born overseas to merchants in the U.S. could immigrate, thus resulting in an average of 108 Chinese immigrant women in 1882. The Page Law of 1875, which "forbid the entry of Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian contract laborers, women for the purpose of prostitution, and felons" was so strictly enforced that legitimate wives had trouble entering America (Chan, 54). Yung argues that in order for Chinese women to enter the country, they had to prove that they were "moral" women. "Bound feet became a moral standard for Chinese women at the checkpoint" (Yung, Judith). This standard, however, didn't apply to all women.

Economies Of Cuba And Puerto Rico 16th - 18th Century :: essays research papers

The economies of Cuba and Puerto Rico are very similar during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. As Spain colonized these two islands in the 16th century under the idea that gold was abundant. Thus in turn the islands became a safe port for Spain and her vessels. It also set out to be a huge migration from the Spain to the islands, because everyone was set to search for gold. . This turned out to be short lived as the mining of gold peaked in 1517 till 1819. By Spain using Cuba and Puerto Rico for mining gold they needed slave laborers as the local Indians. The Indians soon became unsatisfied with their new conditions of living, they became hostile and many not able to cope with being slaves committed suicide and genocide. By 1540 – 1550 silver was discovered in Mexico and Peru. As Spain found its’ new source of income in Mexico and Peru, it left Cuba and Puerto Rico to literally fend for themselves. By the 1590’s their economy began to prosper by cattle breedin g and farming as this lead to new jobs on the islands. This new slow and uneven growth led supplies to be more expensive. By the 17th century the cabildos began to govern migration, basically they stopped migration. The Spanish government implemented regulation and restrictions, which in demand increased prices and taxes. As a result, many began to use the black market in order to purchase contraband. At this time agriculture also developed and farming expanded with sugar, coffee and tobacco crops. These new crops also served to encourage new settlements. No longer a remote military outpost, food shortages and inflated prices worsened. Supplies did not increase and money was not sent from Spain. The cost of goods did not decline but contraband increased. In the 18th Century, the English occupy Cuba in 1762 for 10 months, as it helped Cuba to see that they could be with better leadership and if they get the attention they needed. This occupation lead to free trade with England and the American Colonies, in turn it abolished trade tax. Vendors from England arrived offering Cuba consumer goods and industrial items. The ports were open to maritime traffic, which increased markets and increased demands. The new markets also increased prices and stimulated sugar and tobacco production in the absence of Spain. Also in 1797 the English invaded Puerto Rico, which lead to the acquisition of Trinidad.

Ethical Behavior and Machiavellianism Essay

The term ethical behavior is considered to be that behavior which is morally accepted. It is laid on the foundations of doing the right thing which is morally accepted. Machiavellianism is considered to be the behavior which is adopted to mislead and swindle others for personal benefits and profit. This paper seeks to analyze and evaluate the relationship between ethical behavior and Machiavellianism. Machiavellianism Machiavellianism is considered to be a widespread stereotype of ethical behavior. It is expected to be a supplementary construct that influences ethical behavior and ethical reasoning procedures. The concept was introduced by Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote ‘The Prince’ which is a guide for acquiring power and using it. The main method for attaining power which he suggested was using manipulation. Hence, Machiavellianism is tendency and inclination of an individual to do whatever he or she wants in order to get his or her way. Machiavellian Principles and Ethical Conduct According to Machiavellian principles, there is clear and well-defined difference between reality and ideas. For example, equality and equity are idealistic values but partiality and bias is found every where. Ethics can direct and manage the private sector but expediency governs the public life. Consequently, an individual can be good at home but has to survive in professional life (Nelson & Gilbertson, 2002). Furthermore, Machiavellian principles dictate individuals to understand that there are no absolutes in workplace but only restrictive constraints which are applied based on the situation. It also states that success is the factor which can determine right and wrong. Virtue which is a type of ethical behavior is equal to power and competence in reaching goals. It also states that a virtuous man should think about himself when it is essential. Literature Review Experiential work also indicates that Machiavellianism influences ethical behavior. Cable and Dangello have recognized and acknowledged Machiavellianism as a qualities and characteristics which were found in graduate business student’s ethics research. They also conducted a second research in Lebanon which indicated that Lebanese consumers who are residing in political turmoil and war are more Machiavellian and less humanistic (Cable and Dangello, 2000). Another research which was conducted by Christie and Geis demonstrated the relation between Machiavellianism and ethical behavior which suggested that individuals who are skeptical and doubting towards others are prone to behave unprofessionally. Machiavellianism is often associated with unconstructive and unhelpful behavior (Christie & Geis, 2002). According to Christie and Geis, Machiavellianism is considered to an unconstructive appellation which promotes an unprincipled and unethical method of influencing and controlling others in order to achieve one’s goals. Gable and Topol demonstrated in their studies that Machiavellian individuals exhibit calm and unruffled lack of involvement and indifference which makes them less emotionally concerned and occupied with others. Machiavellianism and ethical behavior were investigated in ethic studies which were conducted by Nelson and Gilbertson. It was found out that Machiavellianism and ethical behavior of an individual is the key towards ethical decision making(Gable & Topol, 2004). Similar studies conducted by Christie and Geis examined that ethical behavior and Machiavellianism are important and significant factors for determining ethical conduct (Christie & Geis, 2002). Machiavellianism and ethical behavior studies by Nelson and Gilbertson suggested that Machiavellian individuals take no notice of ethics and enhance their own individual self. In simple words, the pressure to win and achieve specific targeted goals can cause unethical behavior to manifest itself (Nelson & Gilbertson, 2002) Relationship between Ethical Behavior and Machiavellianism Machiavellianism is a factor which plays an essential and significant role in influencing ethical behavior and decision making because it is associated with proclivity to influence others for the sake of personal benefits and achievements. For example, most researchers associate entrepreneurship with Machiavellian propensities which can lead to straightforward manipulation of others and ethical compromise (Cable and Dangello, 2000). In other words, entrepreneurs can follow Machiavellianism properties by acting master manipulators who can take immediate advantage of others. Studies indicate that individuals who follow the principles of Machiavellianism are often to be deceptive and indifferent towards ethical needs. Machiavellianism is believed to be a widespread and frequent behavior and it is found in ethical decision making scenarios. It is often associated with sex, age, ethnic origin and birth order. Conclusion Ethical behavior is defined as the action taken in accordance to what is morally accepted. On the other hand, Machiavellianism is defined as the action which an individual takes in order to gain his or her own benefit with the help of manipulative behavior. Studies have shown that Machiavellian principles promote negative behavior in individuals. It plays a vital role in influencing perceptions because it has a relationship with the tendency to influence others. Machiavellian individuals are known to show calm and indifferent attitudes and are not affected by emotions.It can be concluded that Machiavellianism is a negative concept which does not go with ethical conduct. References Cable, M. & Dangello, F. (2000). Job Involvement, Machiavellianism and Job Performance, Journal of Business and Psychology (9:2). Christie, R. & Geis,F. L. (2002). Studies in Machiavellianism. New York: Academic Press. Gable, M. & Topol, M. (2004). Machiavellianism and Job Satisfaction of Retailing Executive in a Specialty Store Chain, Psychological Reports Nelson, G. & Gilbertson, D. (2002). Machiavellianism Revisited, Journal of Business Ethics.

Explain and critically assess Weber’s conception of power

Introduction This essay explains and critically assesses Max Weber’s conception of power. In the current study Weber is identified as manifesting both the Hobbesian and Machiavellian proto-realist perspectives: in conceptualising power as fundamentally connected to implicit threat and coercive force. Hence the current study outlines the ways in which Weber’s notions of power hinge largely on the state’s coercive capabilities, examining various forms of social, political, and cultural violence therein. Further, the current study draws comparisons between Weber and Marx, looking at the similarities and distinction between the two thinkers: concluding that Weber has a different and more complex understanding of class divisions and power struggles than Marx did. The Many Faces of Power: Legitimate Domination and Willing Subjugation The renowned German sociologist Max Weber came to prominence in the latter half of the nineteenth century, a time in which the politico-economic theories of his precursor Karl Marx were beginning to take hold in Europe; when the â€Å"the spectre of Communism†, as the Communist Manifesto termed it, was â€Å"haunting† the continent (Marx and Engels, 2012, p.33). Moreover, this was a time of great social and political transformation in the West, whereupon the overall character of European polities had been drastically altered by waves of democratic fervour and revolutionary violence. The Revolutions of 1848, for instance, represented the single most concentrated outcrop of political upheaval in the history of European politics. â€Å"The 1848 revolutions†, says Micheline R. Ishay, â€Å"were a watershed. In the most industrialized countries, they broke the liberal-radical republican alliance against legitimist regimes and catalysed the formation of the most radic al human rights perspectives of the century† (2008, p.121). In a very significant sense, said revolutions were a movement against the established power structures of the era. This was a time of great liberal reform and technological change; the social and political apparatuses by which international relations were hitherto understood were being fundamentally transformed – as were theoretical conceptions of power. Although the 1848 Revolutions were mostly checked and curbed within a year of their outbreak, the underlying sentiment and intellectual kindling had not been extinguished. Instead, it fomented in various forms: one of which would lead eventually to the rise of Communism in the early twentieth century. With such conspicuous changes in the makeup of political relations during the nineteenth century, there came concurrent shifts in critical perspectives on how and why such changes occurred. Marx had upheld a perspective that prioritised historical materialism and the fundamental primacy of class struggle as defining political relations. Power, for Marx, concerned the power of those capitalist elites who owned the means of production to exploit the workers whose labour literally made production happen. Marx’s political philosophy was extremely widespread, known even to those who abjured it. For Marx, power also has much to do with class divisions: particularly between those who ow n the means of production, the bourgeoisie, and the workers, or proletariat, who exchange their labour value for wages. Power is thus manifested in the oppression of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie – for whom the social and political structures are geared to preserve the status quo, keeping the workers in a state of social, economic, and political subordination. Marx’s understanding of power, then, is concerned with large scale social and historical forces, particularly as they relate to material and industrial relations in determining power and overall socio-political mechanics. Weber, on the other hand, developed an approach that varied from the Marxian mould, stepping away from the perceived predominance of grand overarching forces in determining social and political relations. As a result, Weber also moved away from Marx’s theory of the strict bourgeoisie/proletariat duality as being the dominant paradigm in political economy. The latter class division was, for Marx, the principle animus for change in capitalist societies. As a consequence, Marx’s conception of power cannot be separated from his overall understanding of the relationship between capitalists and workers. For Weber, socio-economic divisions, and their relations to power, are far more complex than those posited by Marx. Weber understood class distinctions as deriving from more than just an inequality in property relations; instead, Weber posited that it was the unequal distribution of power that resulted in social dividing lines. Power for Weber was, again, more intricate and mu ltifaceted than the kind Marx had proposed. Weber states that power is â€Å"the chance of a man or of a number of men to realize their own will in a communal action even against the resistance of others who are participating in the action† (1968, p.926). Already we can see that Weber’s rendition of power is more abstract and open to interpretation that that of Marx. Further, Weber’s conception of power is similar to modern critical formulations of same; where â€Å"power†, at its most fundamental, â€Å"entails the capacity of one actor to make another actor do something which they would not otherwise do† (Haugaard, 2004, p.304). Most importantly, Weber’s definition is very broad; it allows for application in a number of contexts: social, economic, political, cultural, familial, sexual, interpersonal, and many others. Violence and Coercion: the Centrality of Force in Power Relations Weber’s conception of power is â€Å"inextricably connected to violence and coercion† (Kreisberg, 1992, p.39). Such violence is articulated though various social structures, from the microcosm of the family to the macrocosm of the state. Weber consequently sees â€Å"subjects as being on the receiving end of structures of power† (Whimster and Lash, 2006, p.22). The interactions between these discrete structures of power allow for varying degrees of control over the exercise of violence: where certain individuals or groups have access to or are denied the means to exert their will. For Weber, such means obtain to ideas of legitimacy. Hence, for Weber, the question of power relate to issues about: â€Å"who controls the means of violence; who enjoys a monopoly over economic resources; who controls the legitimate means of political power; and finally who has control over symbolic force† (Turner, 2002, p.215). Social action is thus enabled by control of distin ct fields of power. The more such fields of power can be channelled and consolidated, the more power that obtains. This can be seen very clearly, for example, in the state’s exclusive mandate on legal violence (via armed forces, police, prisons, and so forth). Hence Weber defines the state as â€Å"that agency within society which possesses the monopoly of legitimate violence† (cited in Wanek, 2013, p.12). Accordingly, in Weber’s view, the implicit threat of violence perpetually underwrites the state’s authority. Thus Weber’s position anticipates Mao Zedong’s famous declaration that â€Å"political power grows out of the barrel of a gun† (cited in Wardlaw, 1989, p.43). For Weber, then, coercive force is fundamental to power. Put simply, coercion equates to influence; and influence is power. National political power is therefore structured on implied coercive mechanisms. Hence Weber avers that â€Å"if no social institutions existed that knew the use of violence, then the ‘state’ would be eliminated† (cited in Wagner, 2002, p.120). So conceived, the state is in itself a form of coercive apparatus. Because the state monopolises legal violence, the state is the primary source of power as such. This means access to power is achieved via access to and control over the mechanisms of state. Power is thus manifested in the specific structures on which the social order is based. However, Weber does not believe that power is constituted in coercive force exclusively. Instead, a dynamic of obedience obtains between the ruling class and those ruled: in which the latter group willingly obey their political leaders. Here, Weber’s conce ption of power becomes more complex, delineating ideas of legitimate domination. As Weber perceives it, social conformity, or, as he puts it, â€Å"performance of the command†, may â€Å"have been motivated by the ruled’s own conviction of its propriety, or by his sense of duty, or by fear, or by ‘dull’ custom, or by a desire to obtain some benefit for himself† (1968, p.947). The dominated thus inadvertently cooperate in their domination. Hence we can see that Weber’s conceptualisation of power echoes a Hobbesian perspective, which stresses a central causality between a â€Å"sovereign† power and popular subjugation (Sreedhar, 2010, p.33). Furthermore, state power and interest are related to a conflictual paradigm where self-interest and the will to domination are taken as a given. Weber thus articulates a realist perspective. In addition, Weber’s notion of legitimate domination somewhat chimes with Gramscian hegemony, in that power is constituted and reconstituted in various complex sites, working overall to legitimise the status quo. As a result of this, Weber is distinct from Marx in two very important ways: firstly, he sees power as more abstract, subtle, and complex than Marx does; secondly, he sees power as deriving from many different types of social phenomena – not just class struggle. Following this logic, Weber also applies the same extended complexity to the concept of the origin s of power. Thus, for Weber, power comes from â€Å"three different sources†: â€Å"class (economic power), status (social power), and parties (political power)† (Levine, 2006, p.6). As we can see, then, Weber’s conception of power is based on coercion, force, domination, social structures, and a quasi-hegemonic socio-political structure that promotes and induces willing subjugation in the populace. Weber’s ideas are clearly more reflective of realist political theory than of Marxian idealism, which posits utopic notions of eventual global socialist harmony. This is not to say that Weber wholesale rejects the Marxian position, he does not; rather, he accommodates Marx’s economic arguments in his overall politico-economic model. Further, he expands upon and problematises them. As one would therefore expect, much like his conception of power, Weber’s conception of class is far more nuanced and open to interpretation than that of Marx. For Weber, class pertains to the numerous potential relations that may obtain in a given economic market. In particular, this relates to relationships that arise between an individual, or a group, as concerns a given market. This means that different kinds of economic distinctions will give rise to specific forms of class relation – not just a worker/capitalist polarity. Weber sees class as a social concept that encompasse s numerous iterations within an overall economic purview. Such iterations include professionals, landowners, bankers, financiers, and many others (Hamilton, 1991, p.182). In sum, then, Weber recognises numerous different kinds of class distinctions, each with their own complex sets of power relations. This heterogeneity, in turn, adds complexity to the overall function of power in its specific fields and sites of operation. For Weber, then, power relates to a multiform phenomenon. In treating of the economic dimensions of power, Weber observes that the â€Å"typical chance for a supply of goods, external living conditions, and personal life experiences† are fundamentally determined by â€Å"the amount and kind of power, or lack of such, to dispose of goods or skills† for the sake of â€Å"income in a given economic order† (1968, p.927). Hence Weber observes a clear causal continuum between economic and other kinds of power, where one can come to necessitate (or, at least, facilitate) the other. Where Weber significantly diverges from Marx is in his posited importance of the modes of power that function semi-independently of economic considerations. Specifically, Weber places much emphasis on social status. â€Å"For Weber, status groups are collectives of people with similar lifestyles, and they often overlap with economic class position† (Levine, 2006, p.6). In other words, the socially powerful tend to be located in economically powerful cohorts; at the same time, those without social power tend to be associated with non-economically powerful cohorts. This last assertion can seem very similar to the Marxian view, of the powerful bourgeoisie and non-powerful proletariat. However, the important distinction in Weber’s position is that affinities are drawn more primarily from social, not economic, similarities. Put simply, for Weber, two individuals or groups with similar social lives but different economic statuses could cohere nonetheless; their social alignment supersedes their economic misalignment. The economic distinction is not, for Weber, as integrally conflictual as it is for Marx. This is not to say the Weber does not see class as an important social factor; rather, it to say that, unlike Marx, Weber does not see class struggle as the defining characteristic of history and society. He does not therefore adopt Marx and Engel’s famous assertion that â€Å"all history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle† (2012, p.33). Hence, while Weber sees class as a significant variable in overall quality of life, in dictating one’s opportunities for advancement, for the acquisition of power, he does not identify a corollary primacy in class as catalysing social action and historical change. Friction between social forces – as embodied by class – is not the central source of social tension. This has to do with Weber’s complex and diverse view of class. Weber sees class as heterogeneous and thus not easily reducible to two opposing factions. Compared to Weber, Marx’s views of power and class are over ly reductive. Of the worker, Weber observes, his â€Å"interests† may â€Å"vary widely, according to whether he is constitutionally qualified for the task at hand to a high, to an average, or to a low degree†, meaning, in consequence, that â€Å"societal or even of communal action† from â€Å"a common class situation† is â€Å"by no means a universal phenomenon† (Weber, 1968, p. 929). In other words, the working class cannot simply be lumped together in a bloc group understood as sharing uniform priorities and ambitions. In many senses, that is, power moves beyond material and economic divisions; cannot be attributed to isolated causes and motivations. Conclusion In conclusion, Weber’s conception of power is much in keeping with that proffered by classical realists, where coercive force constitutes the primary hinge around which political power moves. By extension, other manifestations of power both derive legitimacy from, while at the same time reciprocally legitimating, the state: by functioning within its purview. Weber diverges from Marxian reductivism, rejecting the polarity of capitalist/worker class struggle and the primacy of historical materialism. Weber accordingly refutes Marx’s position that common class identity is sufficient to galvanise a homogenous intellectual action; he thus identifies many more lines of division between various social groups. For Weber, power is deeply related to social structures; indeed, power is seen to body forth though social structures, thereby keeping the popular masses in place. Interestingly, the power invested in said structures works, also, to instil a sense of obedience in the publ ic. The public therefore helps to perpetuate the status quo by conforming with, thus legitimating, the state’s exercise of coercive force. References Hamilton, P., 1991. Max Weber, Critical Assessments 2: Volume 2. London: Routledge. Haugaard, P., 2004. Power: A Reader. Manchester: Manchester University Press. Ishay, M. R., 2008. The History of Human Rights: From Ancient Times to the Globalization Era. Berkley, CA: University of California Press. Levine, R. H., 2006. Social Class and Stratification: Classic Statements and Theoretical Debates. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield. Marx, K. & Engels, F., 2012. The Communist Manifesto: A Modern Edition. London: Verso. Sreedhar, S., 2010. Hobbes on Resistance: Defying the Leviathan. New York: Cambridge University Press. Turner, B. S., 2002. Max Weber: From History to Modernity. New York: Routledge. Wagner, H., 2002. War and the State: The Theory of International Politics. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Wanek, A., 2013. The State and Its Enemies in Papua New Guinea. Richmond: Curzon Press. Wardlaw, G., 1989. Political Terrorism: Theory, Tactics and Counter-Measures. New York: Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. Weber, M., 1968. Economy and Society: An Outline of Interpretive Sociology, New York: Bedminster Press. Whimster, S. & Lash, S., 2006. Max Weber, Rationality and Modernity. Oxon: Routledge.