Saturday, September 7, 2019
Someone Who Inspires Me Essay Example for Free
Someone Who Inspires Me Essay There are so many people who have influenced my life, but the person that stands out the most is my grandmother. I call her my Nee because I couldn’t say â€Å"Grandma†when I started talking. She always is a happy person every time I see her; she always tries to make herself a better person no matter what. I look up to her every day, and I want to grow up and be respected like she is. She has influenced me by her actions to respect elders, respect my parents, and the most important one is to always have a smile on my face even when I’m down. Nee always tells me to respect my elders. She always leaves an impression to my eyes for the reason that she still respects her elders to this day. I can remember from day one that she always tells me to use my manners no matter who it is. I would always get in trouble for not saying â€Å"Yes Ma’am†, â€Å"No Sir†, â€Å"Please and Thank You†. When we go out in public she always sees someone she knows, and I will always catch her saying those words. Even if they aren’t older than her, she still uses her manners. I know she always reminds me to have respect because she will always compliment kids that use manners towards her. By her telling me that she loves and respects it when kids use manners, then I know the elders love and respect it when I use my manners. I get complimented all the time for having such great manners and I will always tell everyone that it’s all because of my grandmother. Respecting my parents is very important to her also. She always would tell me when I went over to her house to never be rude to my parents. They are the reason I am here today, and have such a fantastic life. I will ever forget the day when I had to go clean her house, because at a family outing I yelled at my parents for a dumb reason, and my grandma got mad. She told me that I had to come over for the weekend and she was going to teach me a valuable lesson about respecting my parents. I had to clean all the floors and windows, and let me tell you that was not enjoyable. I learned my lesson real quick and I would never yell at my parents again. My grandmother taught me that I am disobeying God by yelling at my parents. Nee always has a smile on her face no matter what her day been like. She is always a happy person and just brings a happy mood to the room. I look up to that greatly because I want to be happy all the time, and I want people to want to be around me. She would always tell me that nobody likes being around sad and gloomy people since it will just make them in that mood also. One weekend I was very cheerless and I walked into the room that had a joyful atmosphere, and then it just dropped to pure unhappiness. I could hear Nee inside my head telling me â€Å"People don’t like to be around others who are not cheerful†, and right then I changed my mood. I didn’t want to make those happy people all gloomy because I was; I wanted them to want to be around me. She would also tell me that going to church and worshiping The Lord will forever make you in such a joyful mood. I have gone to church since I was little, and every Sunday when I leave, I always have a smile on my face. As Nee continues to teach me respect and how to become a better person, her influence on me will just keep increasing significantly. Her teaching me to respect my elders no matter how old I am shows me that I still have to use my manner when I am an elder; because that’s how I want to be treated by younger people. She always will tell me that I need to respect my parents no matter what the situation is and to view the fact that one day they won’t be here and I’m going to be a parent. Last but not least, I always need to remember to have a smile on my face. I will always hear Nee tell me that nobody wants to be around depressing people, so I better turn that frown upside down. By Nee teaching me to respect elders, respect my parents, and always keep a smile on my face, I have no doubt that I will be an influence on someone else in the future.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Politics and Accounting Standards Essay Example for Free
Politics and Accounting Standards Essay Politics and Accounting Standards Introduction            The growth of an enterprise is very important for both internal and external stakeholders. It can be expressed by showing the true and fair view of a company using the financial reports that shows the actual capital allocation of the enterprise. Therefore, financial accounting is very important and it enhances the success of the business. In this context, both the definition and the body that is involved in setting the standard are important in helping to understand clearly the meaning of financial accounting. Financial accounting is the process of preparing and establishing a report on the financial information of an enterprise (.Ball, Ray, 2006).            It also shows the true and fair view of the financial statements which are cash flow statement, balance sheet and profit and loss statement. These statements are very essential for the enterprise stakeholders. Financial accounting takes into consideration the management of the business for example, its assets, liabilities and capital(Ball, Ray, 2006). Furthermore, it states its real capital and debts to enable the enterprise stakeholder evaluate the performance of the business. The true and fair view of financial accounting can be achieved by following the rules and policies that govern the people setting the rules.            The rules or rather the standards apply internationally to help ensure that the accounting standards used across the world are uniform (Armstrong, et al 2010). These are the professional regulatory bodies that are responsible for setting the standards for example the International Accounting Standards (IAS), and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) among others. The board that is responsible for setting the standard is the Financial Accounting Standard Board (FASB) among other interested parties(Ball, Ray, 2006). FASB formulates a process that is followed so that it can be able to help in setting new accounting standards. First, the board has a duty to set up a committee that prepares an outline of the task at hand. Secondly, the committee board prepares the objectives for the board comments.            After this, the board gives its view on the task outline and then passes it to the committee which in return prepares a discussion paper which entails the committee’s statement of the application proposal standards. Eventually, the committee also obtains views from interested parties and after their view is in the favor of the principle, they go ahead in drafting an exposure and the draft is then published as the IFRS(Ball, Ray, 2006).            In order, for these standard to be effective and efficient, they are categorized into varies group therefore making it easy for the accounting. The IAS is classified into many classes for example,under the IAS 10, events that occur after the balance sheet date,should not be part of the balance sheet. Every company is required to prepare a balance sheet at the end of the year. Therefore, any entity trying to avoid or present a misleading financial statement is liable and the board provides the contents of the balance sheet. Under the IAS 19, which talks about retirement benefit costs, and the board takes into consideration the accounting of the benefits accruing from the retirement (Aboody, et a l 2004).            The board has a duty to see that no corruption is being practiced and therefore, companies are required to show the true and fair value in terms of the retirement costs. This prevents corruption of the prominent politicians. The IAS 17talks about accounting for leases. It is very important for a company to account for every lease taken since it is a liability. This is made possible because the board provides policies and procedures to be followed in disclosure of the account on lease. Lease is an expense for the company and if not accounted for can lead to false financial statements (Aboody, et a l, 2004).Furthermore, IAS 33talks about earnings per share,whereby all the companies are required to show their profit in terms of profit earned from share. The earning per share is used to the performance of the company which is based on the shares. It is also important for the shareholders.            Most company and influential parties do not support this standard and therefore it is criticized.IAS 39 is a financial standard which requires that accounting should have recognitionand measurement of assets as well as liabilities. It states that all the entities should take into account of all the assets, liabilities and equity of the business and no relevant material should be left out(Ball, Ray, 2006). The profit, loss and capital should be stated as they appear without any alterations. The IFRS is also divided into classes but in this context, the IFRS 13 is considered. This standard is concerned with the true and fair value of an entity (Armstrong, et al 2010). Itrequires all the entities to state real profit or loss incurred in their financial reports. However, accounting is not sparedfrom criticism and the board experience pressure for different organization that are not in agreement with the standard. Political pressure is one of t he areas whichexert pressure on the board. The standards of accounting requires the organizations or the enterprise to show the true and fair view of the performance of the business (.Ball, Ray,2006).Due to this, most business operating under a loss stand a chance to be wound up and there will be no investors interested in the business.            The political pressure that is experienced under the various accounting standards is in terms of legislations which they politicians enact. Some of the legislations contradict the accounting standards whereby businesses in a certain country are required to follow certain regulations in addition to the IAS and IFRS. This creates pressure on companies to try and evade the application of the IAS and IFRS in their reporting. The accounting standards are set to helpindicate the real performance of the business and therefore many world trading entities are affected by this since the competitors are in watch (.Ball, Ray,2006). The amendment of the standard brought about the reclassification of the IFRS and IAS so as to favor the entities that make losses in trading.            It has been noted that politicians own businesses across the world and closely monitor their businesses the best way they can so that they can make more profits (Armstrong, et al 2010). Therefore, considering that the politicians have the capacity of adjusting the laws on businesses as they deem right, there is likelihood that the policies that they will formulate do not match or support the accounting standards available (.Ball, Ray,2006). What this means is that there will be a lot of pressure on the accounting standards in terms of trying to ensure that the politician-owned businesses adhere to the reporting standards.            The other way through which politics may put pressure on the various accounting standards listed and discussed above is through the selection of the board members to the FASB (Armstrong, et al 2010). Politicians using their powers on formulation of policies may be inclined to have people in the board that will take care of their personal interest by formulating standards which are not supportive of all businesses equally. This means that whenever there are new standards to be introduced which can be beneficial to the whole business world, the politicians will always influence the final decisions that the board will make pertaining to the new accounting standards (Aboody, et a l 2004).            The other issue which is part of the political pressure and interference with the standards is that of political incentives, whichthe major reason for the reclassification of the accounting standards. It is to be noted that the growth of country’seconomy is important but in case where the growth does not reflect the true economic situation, the information shown does not indicate the true and fair values of economy (Aboody, et a l 2004). The same case applies to banks which hold government equity and using the reclassified standards will not show the true and fair value. Therefore, when politicians offer incentives to the board members through corrupt ways and with intentions of promoting their interests, the pressure on the standards continue to mount hence prevents the proper application of the standards.            Therefore, in conclusion on the effects of politics and politicians on the formulation and application of the financial accounting standards, it can be noted that there is need to prevent political interference on the FASB as well as other regulatory bodies which formulate the standards. The accounting standards are quite important in ensuring proper and accurate information which can be relied upon is produced and reported by companies and organizations. References Aboody, D., M. E. Barth, and R. Kasznik. 2004. Firms’ voluntary recognition of stockbasedCompensation expense. Journal of Accounting Research 42: 123-160. Armstrong, Christopher S./Barth, Mary E./Jagolinzer, Alan D./Riedl, Edward J. (2010). Market Reaction to the Adoption of IFRS in Europe.The Accounting Review, Vol. 85, No. 1, pp.31–61. Ball, Ray (2006). International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS): pros and cons for investors. Accounting and Business Research, Vol. 36, Special Issue, pp. 5–27. Source document
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Gender Differences: American and Chinese Culture
Gender Differences: American and Chinese Culture In the 21st century, a number of significant sociopolitical and technological changes have been witnessed, which have made the world a global village which is getting smaller by the day. The technological feasibility that has enabled the mass media to bring events and news across the world to schools, businesses and homes almost as soon as they occur has narrowed down the distance barriers between people, cultures and societies, such that the world is fast becoming one giant melting pot of cultural, ethnic, religious, linguistic and racial diversities. However, these changes have also resulted in the increase in international tensions between countries world wide, due to the increased interaction. The most significant of these tensions have been witnessed in the past between the United States and Northern Ireland, Eastern Europe and most recently, the Middle East. Thus in light of these developments, the need to develop competent and effective intercultural communication cannot be ov eremphasized. It is indeed a fact that such conflicts are usually of political origin, but are primarily caused by religious and ethnic differences that form barriers to effective communication. The term intercultural communication is sometimes used interchangeably with cross-cultural communication; and it is simply the engagement of concerted efforts at understanding how people who hail form different cultures perceive, act and communicate in their native environment. Intercultural communication plays important roles in fostering understanding in the case of communication between countries in the global platform. (Griffin, 2000). The focus of this paper will therefore be to demonstrate an example of poor intercultural communication between North Americans and Asians and how it affects the effectiveness of communication between the two cultures. Which are long term such as prospecting for oil or minerals; The Process Culture, which is seen in organizations that have little or lack of feedback altogether and the members of the organization maintain a strict focus on the procedures of executing and achieving targets, and is most evident in bureaucracies, with the main advantage of achieving consistency in results which is necessary in sectors like the public service and this fact effectively serves to undermine the massive red tape and overly cautious nature of these cultures. (Deal Kennedy, 1982). Edgar Schein has however come up with a method of classifying organizational culture, which is more in line with the present organizational set up. He defines organizational culture as the patterns of basic assumptions that are shared within a groups and that were learned in the during the solving of the problems of internal integration and external adaptation by the group, and which have produced reliable results that can be considered valid and have consequentially been taught to new embers as the correct way to feel, think and perceive when attempting to solve such problems. It will be important to outline the importance of intercultural communication in an organizational setting, before the importance of the impact of ineffectiveness of intercultural communication between two different cultures can be fully highlighted. Schein (2005) expounds that culture is the toughest attribute of an organization in view of change, and surpasses all other attributes of the organization such as the physical attributes, services and products, leadership, and founders. Schein states that the deepest cognitive level of the culture of an organization is where tacit assumptions exist. He expounds that these are the unseen cultural elements that are not easily identifiable in interactions between members of an organization on a daily basis. These elements of an organizations culture are often regarded as a taboo to question or discuss. (Schein, 2005). Organizational culture has various roles in the process of change in an organization. A number of methodologies have been proposed to elucidate this role, which include Burman Evans(2008) view that culture is more relate d to leadership than management .They elaborate that when an organization has the principle focus of transforming its culture, recognition has to be accorded to the fact that this project is long term. This is because achieving change in the culture of an organization ids a difficult endeavor that requires the allowing of employees to take adequate time to get used to the new strategies within the organization. Thus the stronger the culture of an organization, the more difficult it becomes to achieve the change. The six guidelines to achieving organizational change, as given by CummingsWorley(2005), are (i) The formulation of a strategic and clear vision,( Cummings Worley,2005, pg.490),(ii) display of commitment at top managerial levels( Cumming Worley, 2005, pg. 490),(iii) modeling of the change in culture at the top managerial levels( Cummings Worley, 2005, pg.491), (iv) organizational modification to aid change (Cummings Worley, 2005, pg.491) , (v) selection and socialization of terminate deviants and newcomers (Cummings Worley, 2005, pg.491) and(vi) development of legal and ethical sensitivity( Cummings Worley,2005, pg.491).In regard to the design of a model with methods and procedures for analyzing diversity in an organization, Taylor Cox, Jr. (2001) gives three types of organizations which adopt a particularly focused approach in regard to development of cultural diversity in the workplace environment. She outlines the monolithic, the plural and the multicultural organizations in t he journal, The Multicultural Organization. The three types of organizations, according to Cox, are distinguished by their level of structural integration, which Cox defines as the presence of employees from different cultural groups in one organization, with the monolithic organization having minimal structural integration. Cox goes further to outline that monolithic organizations in the United States are usually represented by a majority of white male employees with few women and yet fewer individuals who hail from minority racial backgrounds in the managerial jobs in an organization. The plural organization, however, has an improved level of structural organization, having a heterogeneous workforce which includes people from different cultural backgrounds, other than just one dominant group from a particular ethnic background. The multicultural organization however displays the highest levels of workplace diversity, because it not only contains an evenly balanced workforce in ter ms of cultural diversity, but it also has an awareness of and utilization of its culturally diverse workforce for the benefits of the organization. Having sufficiently defined workplace diversity, it becomes paramount to outline its advantages to an organization and therefore point out why organizations should strive to achieve a cultural diverse workforce. Thus in order to implement these analytical results in a cultural diversity training program, it is imperative to outline that people have a higher degree of inclination to do business with organizations that employ a staff that they can relate to either socially, culturally or ethnically. Therefore, the ways in which a cultural diversity program can be implemented in organizations includes the methods that can be employed by organizations in ensuring that they end up with a culturally diverse workforce. Some of these methods are therefore outlined below. Recruitment Post-Hiring Job Placement Recruitment is basically networking with organizations to build strong relationships that go beyond just business relationships. For an organization to achieve workplace diversity, it has to have a well established method of recruitment of diverse talent across the area in which it operates, in most cases the native country or the region in general, but not just in a secluded locality. Most companies recruit through universities and colleges. Others opt to attend regional and local jib fairs , for example, the UNITY conference, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) an the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications( NAMIC). Serious companies that have a high likelihood of employing a diverse workforce have strategic partnerships with these channels for diversity recruitment that aid them in the hiring of staff with diverse backgrounds, styles, skills, etc.( Fine 2000). Research has also revealed that companies which make heavy use of electronic postings for job vacancies have a high likelihood of having a diverse workforce. Thus the seriousness of companies in the utilization of electronic postings to recruit employees can reveal the extent of diversity that the company has in its staff. Very serious companies have Associate Referral Bonus Programs through which they give cash incentives to employees who refer job seekers to the company, and thus have a high chance of having a diverse workforce. Building Partnerships with Organizations the Community Companies have to recognize that to achieve competitiveness in a global economy; they have to forge relationships with other organizations and community members who have the common interest of promoting diversity. With the growth of the nation in terms of social, racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, organizations have to adapt in this environment and acquire an advanced level of understanding of the need to attain diversity in its workforce. Thus companies have to be actively involved in both local and national associations if they are to identify diverse talent pools from which they can benefit. The companies can also create innovative partnerships with institutions of higher learning so that they attract and increase the number of qualified minority employees in their workforce. In this manner, when they are job vacancies the institutions of higher learning are the first to know, and qualified students have a high chance of being employed by the company, with no predetermined cultural, ethnic or social inclination being a dominant factor in the recruitment process, thus effectively increasing the chances of the company ending up with a diverse workforce. Companies also need to organize outreach luncheons where the members of the community can interact directly with the human resources department representatives. In this manner, a broadcast recruitment process can be extended to the immediate community where the company operates, so that any talent that may benefit the company is obtained, and therefore e increasing the diversity of the workforce. The company can also use local business resource groups in order to solicit for the recruitment of a diverse workforce from the local community. (Cox 2001). Mentoring: Internally Externally Companies can form voluntary mentoring programs, which may operate either formally or informally. These mentoring programs can be established both within the company and in the surrounding community. The programs can be used in helping to assimilate new employees into the company culture, as well as to groom the future leaders of the company. In this manner, the chances of the company losing employees from diverse backgrounds due to their inability to fit into the company culture is significantly reduced, thereby fostering the development of a diverse workforce.(Cox 2001). Given the benefits of having a culturally diverse workforce, organizations should strive to attain workplace diversity, and in light of the disadvantages it may create if not properly managed, make it their priority to seek beneficial ways of managing a culturally diverse workforce In regard to diversity in business, the underlying theory outlines that in a global market place environment, a business, company, form or institution that benefits from the services of a diverse work force is in a better position to understand the demographic factors in the market place environment in which the business operates , and is therefore better placed to exploit its full potential in that environment, than a business which has limited diversity in its workforce. A diverse work force generally consists of employees, both male and female, who are of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as of different generations. (Fine 2000). Workplace diversity has also been stated as having the potential to improve productivity, employee satisfaction and retention at the workplace. In this regard, it is usually referred to as inclusion, and it deals with how an organization can utilize its diversities for its general improvement. (Fine 2000). Research has also established that despite a diverse workforce, the management of the company also needs to make concerted efforts at exploiting that breadth of wealth in terms of experience and knowledge inherent in the diverse workforce in order to convert this wealth in to monetary benefits to the company. Otherwise, a company with a diverse workforce will just fair as well as one which has a less diverse workforce. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to design an informed and well researched model with methods and procedures for analyzing diversity, and to further elaborate on how these results can be implemented in a cultural diversity training program. Workplace diversity can generally be defined as the extent of cultural mix in an organization; Cultural mix/ diversity includes the different ways through which employees in a workplace environment share a unique identity as a group, including the identity associated with the diversity of race, ethnic age , gender and sexual orientation. The culture of an organization is a determinant of it cultural diversity. (Fine 2000). However, workplace diversity in most senses brings many benefits to an organization. However, C.L Walck (1995) states that there are serious problems that arise from an organization inculcating workplace diversity into its culture, and therefore the responsibility of managing workplace diversity as a resource in an organizations workforce in order to fully exploit its potential to improve an organizations overall performance falls on the organizations management. In the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, C.L. Walck (1995) states that managing workplace diversit y implies the negotiation of interaction among groups which display different cultural backgrounds, and also contriving to foster understanding and cooperation in a culturally diverse environment. In regard to the design of a model with methods and procedures for analyzing diversity in an organization, Taylor Cox, Jr. (2001) gives three types of organizations which adopt a particularly focused approach in regard to development of cultural diversity in the workplace environment. She outlines the monolithic, the plural and the multicultural organizations in the journal, The Multicultural Organization. The three types of organizations, according to Cox, are distinguished by their level of structural integration, which Cox defines as the presence of employees from different cultural groups in one organization, with the monolithic organization having minimal structural integration. Cox goes further to outline that monolithic organizations in the United States are usually represented by a majority of white male employees with few women and yet fewer individuals who hail from minority racial backgrounds in the managerial jobs in an organization. The plural organization, however, has an improved level of structural organization, having a heterogeneous workforce which includes people from different cultural backgrounds, other than just one dominant group from a particular ethnic background. The multicultural organization however displays the highest levels of workplace diversity, because it not only contains an evenly balanced workforce in terms of cultural diversity, but it also has an awareness of and utilization of its culturally diverse workforce for the benefits of the organization. Having sufficiently defined workplace diversity, it becomes paramount to outline its advantages to an organization and therefore point out why organizations should strive to achieve a cultural diverse workforce. An international incident that posed potentially dangerous consequences across the world was witnessed some years back between the United Sates and China; with its primary cause being poor intercultural communication between the two countries. The incident was initiated on the 1st of April, 2001 by the collision of a surveillance plane belonging to the U.S navy with a fighter jet belonging to the Chinese. The collision occurred over the South China Sea, which is considered an international air space. The EP-3 surveillance and electronic warfare U.S. plane was extensively damaged, but due to the skillfulness of there, they managed to safely land the plane at an airbase in China. The Chinese military later declared their fighter jet and its pilot missing, and proceeded to detain the crew members of the U.S. plane; who were 24 in number. The two countries were later unable to reach a consensus on the cause of the collision and resolved to blame each other. In the days that followed, U.S and Chinese officials held a series of contentious negotiations to resolve the incident, with the U.S. officials trying to negotiate the release of the crew, and the Chinese officials demanding an acceptance of liability and a formal apology for the incident from the U.S. The U.S. flatly refused to yield to this demand and blamed the incident on the Chinese pilot. Pressure was meanwhile mounting on the then U.S. President, George Bush to secure the immediate release of the detained U.S crew. In the face of mounting pressure, the then Secretary of State, Colin Powell, issued a statement on April 4 expressing regret over the incident and the subsequent disappearance of the Chinese fighter jet and its pilot. The Chinese officials acknowledged the good faith in which the statement was issued, but simply summed it up as a move in the right direction and issued fresh demands for an apology. On April 8, Colin Powell and the then U.S vice president, Dick Cheney, issued a statement expressing sorrow at the disappearance of the Chinese pilot, but dismissed Chinas demands for an apology. On the same day, they wrote a sympathy letter to the wife of the pilot. Once again, the Chinese rejected these efforts and reiterated their demands for an apology. On April 10, the U.S. officials appeared to have been pushed to the corner and issued a statement declaring that President Bush was willing to write a letter of regret over the incident to the Chinese and an issue an adjoining statement admitting the unpermitted landing of the U.S. plane in Chinese territory. Nevertheless, the Chinese did not burge and still demanded an apology. Eventually, on April 11, the United States wrote a letter to the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs specifically asking him to convey to the Chinese people and to the family of pilot Wang Wei that we are very sorry for their loss. The later further stated that We are very sorry the entering of Chinas airspace and the landing did not have verbal clearance. However, the actual word apology was not anywhere to be seen in the letter. But the Chinese official who were charged with communicating the contents of the letter to the Chinese people chose to translate the words very sorry, which appeared twice in the letter, to shenbiao qianyi , A Chinese statement that implies a deep apologetic expression and is only used when one is accepting liability for wrong doing and its consequences. Based solely on the translation of this letter, the Chinese released the U.S. crew. One thing that clearly emerged from this incident is that it was a matter of what the U.S. chose to say and what the Chinese chose to hear that ended this impasse. This matter was resolved by the exploitation of the loss of meaning inherent in translation from one language to another by the United States officials who were involved in the negotiations. Bates Gill, the North East Asian Policy Studies director at Brookings Institution states that U.S.negotiators have in the past exploited the use of such words as acknowledge which upon translation stand for to recognize or admit, so that the Chinese can take such words to mean an admission of guilt, when this is not really the case. (Griffin, 2000). There are several cultural differences between the Chinese an Americans, which has necessitate the need to develop a meaningful intercultural communication network so as to foster understanding between these two countries with the ultimate aim of creating a better relationship between the two countries. The benefits of an effective intercultural communication network include, but are not limited to creation of healthier communities, reduced friction and conflict, improved international, regional and local commerce and increased tolerance which results into personal growth. (Griffin, 2000). The cultural differences between the two countries that necessitates the employment of effective intercultural communication networks. Some differences particularly in the societal and institutional organization of American and Chinese societies that significantly played a role in the development of the highlighted incident to the stated proportions include; ethnic culture, whereby the Chinese are generally a reclusive people, preferring to mind their own business and center their cultural values in building of healthy relationships with each other at individual level. They keep to themselves and isolate strangers, while Americans are individualistic and do not believe in strong cultural ties and generally operate under an attitude of saving the world and thus meddle in all affairs unfolding around them. In terms of source of trust, the Chinese believe in trusting the people who surround them and dread losing credibility as a result of failure to live up to oral agreements. The Ameri cans on the other hand, belie in trusting the terms of the contractual agreement and not the people they deal with. Their only fear is getting into legal hassles as a result of contravening the contract, and show little respect for oral agreements. (Griffin, 2000). In terms of business culture, the Chinese are genially clumsy in their communication and operate with quietness and reservation when doing business. The Americans are the exact opposite; being effective and eloquent communicators who are in most senses very outspoken. In regard to the style of negotiation, the Chinese make group decisions, but the final decision lies with the boss. Americans believe in the giving of more individual authority to the stake holders, with the decision making process evenly distributed among the major players. When it comes to dealing with business counterparts, the Chinese are courteous and deal with their clients at a personal level, such that if there is a breach of contract then arising issues are taken up strongly, with the bad experiences being committed to long term memory. Americans, on the other hand, keep it strictly business, and adopt a matter-of-factly approach. They are also always willing to negotiate with the enemy so long as there is something to gain. (Griffin,2000).Finally, the Chinese exhibit a serious weakness in the ability to make quick decisions in the heat of the moment, while their American counterparts have a strong sense of resolving serious issues as they present themselves. (Griffin, 2000). Being that the negotiations for the release of the detained U.S. crew was taking place between officials representing two countries, it was very necessary that careful and appropriate diplomatic approaches be employed, lest the situation get out of hand. Therefore the choice to use letters to communicate official positions presented an appropriate communications device. Letters, as communication devices, are effective in that in they leave no room for ambiguity and contention. They are also formal and can be easily stored and retrieved fro reference in case a clarification is required. An appropriate communication theory that was at play in these negotiations was the stand point theory which outlines that knowledge, communication behaviors and individual experiences are largely under the influence of the social groups to which they belong. (Gudykunst, 2003).This is because by carefully exploiting the loss in meaning due to translation of words from one social setting to another, the United States officials who negotiated the release of the U.S. crew managed to establish a delicate balance between yielding into the demands of the Chinese, and maintaining the sovereignty of the United States through avoiding being arm-twisted into issuing a public apology to China. Had this issue not been resolved amicably, the situation could have rapidly degenerated to unimaginable proportions. This is an example of how effective intercultural communication can play important roles in achievement and maintenance of good diplomatic relations in the face of a potential crisis. References. Burman, R. Evans, A.J. (2008) Target Zero: A Culture of safety, Defence Aviation Safety Centre Journal, 34 (2), 22-27. Retrieved, 10 March, 2010, fromhttp://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/849892B2D6D24DFDB5BD9A4F288A9B18/0/DASCJournal2008.pdf Charles, W.L. Gareth, R.J.(2001). Strategic Management. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Cox, Jr., Taylor (2001). The Multicultural Organization. Academy of Management Executive, 5(2), 34-47. Cummings, Thomas G. Worley, Christopher G. (2005), Organization Development and Change. New York: Thomson South-Western. Deal T. E. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982) Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life. Massachusetts: Penguin Books. Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D.A. (2007). Organizational Behaviour: an Introductory Text. Michigan: Prentice Hall. Montana, P., and Charnov, B. (2008). Management. New York: Hauppauge. Schein, E.H. (2005). Organizational Culture and Leadership. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass. Fine, Marlene G.(2000). Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: The State of the Field. Journal of Business Communication, 33(4), 485-502. Griffin, E. (2000). A First Look at Communication Theory. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Gudykunst, William B. (2003), Intercultural Communication Theories, in: Gudykunst, William B (ed.), Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication, 1(3), 167-189. Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D.A. (2007). Organizational Behaviour: an Introductory Text. Michigan: Prentice Hall. Montana, P., and Charnov, B. (2008). Management. New York: Hauppauge. Walck, C.L. (1995). Editors introduction: Diverse approaches to managing diversity. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 3(1), 119-123. The Movie: The Devils Advocate The Movie: The Devils Advocate I had a chance to watch the movie The Devils Advocate that was directed by Taylor Hackford and released in 1997. This movie is one of the best films that have some deep theology over the doctrine of God and the philosophical problem of evil. In fact, the problem of evil has been discussed over the long centuries, and the debate still rages on today. After watching the show I really got thinking whether I am on a right way in my life and reconsider my life priorities. Basically, the film is about the law company run by John Milton who represents the Satan. I believe that the author chooses the lawyers as the main characters intentionally because they have this power to judge the others and decide on the lives of the accused. The show reveals different kinds of issues that all humans from different parts of the world struggle. Also, the movie proves how sin leads to falling and destroys the human life. The most interesting thing is that in the show it is presented as the Satans plan. However, there are certain moments where it is obvious that the humans have a choice and go for sinful one. What is so dangerous about the humans? Why are we always destroying ourselves and the world around us? The answer cannot be simple explained by the original sin and human weakness. Actually, the reason is the loss of ethics and concerns for the others. People obsessed with vanity, greed, lust and the list can be continued. The reason is that they merely violate the Ten Commandments written in the Old Testament, or put it differently, Gods law. The illustration of vanity is an episode when John Milton asks whether it would not be better to take care of wife and give up one case. Kevin Lomax responds that You know what scares me? I quit the case, she gets better and I hate her for it. I dont want to resent her, John, Ive got a winner here. Ive got to nail this fucker down, do it fast, and put it behind me. Just get it done. Then put all my energy into her ( The Devils Advocate (1997) Memorable quotes, n.d.). It is worth to admit that this choice is the significant moment that led to the ruin of Kevins family and life. Therefore, this passage highlights basic, fundamental beliefs at play. This is a great example of how fast the humans get possessed with power and exchange biblical moral beliefs to follow fleeting sinful desires. It seems that with each step we take away from these beliefs, we each step become closer to true evil. The strongest point in the show is presented by Kevin Lomax who asks, Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven, is that it?( The Devils Advocate (1997) Memorable quotes, n.d.). Then, John Milton responds, Why not? Im here on the ground with my nose in it since the whole thing began. Ive nurtured every sensation mans been inspired to have. I cared about what he wanted and I never judged him. Why? Because I never rejected him. In spite of all his imperfections, Im a fan of man! Im a humanist. Maybe the last humanist. (The Devils Advocate (1997) Memorable quotes., n.d.). This approaches to the doctrine of God. I mean that God has integrity; he is truthful. God is concerned for the welfare of those whom He loves for their best interest. God has unconditional love and unselfish interest in us for our sake. As in the Bible John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In contrast, Satan always hated the humans from the existence. The problem of evil challenges Christian faith, but we should not forget that the Lord promises us the blessing in our life, and all we need just obey and be faithful to God. Even though all people are sinners as we are born with it, God is generous to us because in his plan he gives us a chance for redemption and salvation. I remember from the class lectures that, according to Augustinian theodicy, there is no evil but the lack of good. God created us as good beings in His image. However, we have a free will, and we have to make the choices that will define our life, our surrounding, our ethics, our relationships, and our faith. When the humans put themselves over the Creator, we separate from God even if He loves us. I see that in the choice that God gives us we have to take responsibility for our actions. As a matter of fact, this responsibility is repentance. What worldview is assumed in the show? The show The Devils Advocate paints a clear picture of different worldviews with its consequences. Some have faith in the government or in a hope for world peace. Others have faith in their money, their education or their employment; however, it can all let them down. Our health can fail, we can lose our job, and we can end a meaningful relationship with someone we care about. In contrast, I am convinced that all of those things are temporal, and they can be changed. I am a believer, and I agree that only Christian worldview produces a way of living that is fruitful and creative. There is no doubt that the Christian faith makes sense in this world that has lost its moral. I believe that the truth is absolute, and it can only be understood by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We all live by faith. To sum up, I have to say that I really enjoyed the movie because it made me to think what is really destroying our world, and what our part in creating better future is. We should start from the choices we make every day. Gods will do not have power unless we allow evil to seep in our hearts.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Grapes Of Wrath: How It Relates To The Romance Archetype :: essays research papers
Grapes of Wrath By John Steinbeck A RETURN TO PARIDISE      How does California seem to modern America? Violent. Crowded. Filled with bad people. People who live in cities and have lost touch with the earth. These people are portrayed in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath as Californians. Yet, people from the Midwest flocked to California seeking prosperity and opportunity. Their land had been taken by the banks and turned into cotton fields. They were left homeless and desperate. These people sought to work in the fields where they could eat a peach or sit under a tree to relax.      But there wasn’t a California as they had imagined. In fact, the world they entered into when they arrived in California was a cold one. The locals excluded the newcomers and forced them to leave. The locals tormented the foreigners, calling them ‘Okies’ and telling them that they are unwanted. There was no work and when there was, the workers were underpaid and forced to work for low wages. California was hell.      But John Steinbeck creates this novel to fit the â€Å"romance†archetype. In this archetype, the hero makes a journey, encounters problems in his path which he overcomes, and reaches his final destination. The hero of the novel must be larger than life, strong, and different from others. He must be a natural leader and greatly glorified. The earth resembles the Garden of Eden, or a ‘paradise.’ He must be in touch with the earth.      The Grapes of Wrath has many obvious connections to the romance archetype, and many subtle connections. One of the more obvious connections is the journey. The main characters, the Joads, embark on a journey from Kansas to California. In the 1930’s Kansas was in the ‘Dust Bowl’, a part of the Midwest where the land dried up, causing fierce dust storms that could kill people. California, on the other hand, was the beautiful, fertile valley, where people could pick peaches, become prosperous, and eventually buy a house to settle down. The fact that the Joads traveled from a terrible place to a better place fits the romance archetype. This better place they search for is the connection to the earth that they once had in Kansas. They envision that they can find it in California as well.      The characters show an obvious connection to the archetype. The romantic hero in this novel is Tom Joad. Tom is larger than life.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
My Grandparent’s House Essays -- Personal Narrative
My Grandparent’s House It was another summer at my grandparent’s house that I woke up to one sunny Saturday morning. The smell of eggs, bacon, and tortillas was a greeting to the home-cooked breakfast I could sense as I lie in the bedroom still lightly dreaming. I could hear my grandpa in the distance, chopping wood for the stove my grandma was cooking with. Very old fashioned my grandparents were, convincing me to become more independent, I always enjoyed their company. It was a summer where I would be taught the value of wisdom and of the people I love. Though the past summer at my grandparent’s place was pretty much the same, I didn’t understand the words and talks my grandparents would have with me. At such a young age I wasn’t able to account for everything they had said or appreciate what they had to say, but this particular summer was different. My cousins were about the same age I was and had only live half a mile away from my grandparents. As I quickly did my chores, I could see three of my cousins walking down an old dirt road form their house. When they reached the porch I was just about finished packing my water bottle along with my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I opened the door finding my cousins outside replying â€Å"Hey Kev! How are you?†As we started our walk towards the creek behind my grandparent’s house, I looked back and saw my grandmother frowning, knowing that we were going to use the rest of the day to our own content. Becoming full of excitement, one of my cousins yelled â€Å"last one to the creek is a rotten egg!†as everyone dashed towards the wash. As midsummer approached, our rendezvous at the creek became an even more popular event for more of relatives to join in on. At certain times, there were as many as 15 of us down at the creek laughing, running around, and splashing each other with the cold refreshing water containing a sweet scent from the near by willows. I still remember my grandma’s dogs barking and running after the little kids. I could feel the squishy sand between my toes and hear the trickling of the water brushing against the grass. We followed the creek and it led through a small pond where we swam in. We were having so much fun that we didn’t see that it was getting late as the sun sat gleaming, sinking beneath the horizon, giving one last wave bef... ... the time spent with people you love and those who love you because life isn’t very long for anyone to not regret spending time with your loved ones. Here's one of my favorite songs by the Smashing Pumpkins: {rotten apples} dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given suffer her heart, and love her when your love goes unrequited Where the cool winds blow, I must surely go For my love calls me lo, drag her from the depths of my soul When will I see her again? The other side of friends The darkened clouds of death The empty-breathed desire Dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given Suffer her heart, and love her when your love goes unrequited Restless in my speech And ruthless in my teach So vacant in my breach, I drive the dirt of her garden Sorrow She'll never listen again No other lovers to bend Just rotten apples to eat Slathered yellow distant scorn Dirty your face with longing and grace, God-given Suffer her heart and love her when your love goes unrequited Life just fades away Purity just begs Dust to dust we're wired into Sadness
Monday, September 2, 2019
Samuel Slater :: essays research papers
Description Son of a yeoman farmer, Samuel Slater was born in Belper, Derbyshire, England on June 9, 1768. He become involved in the textile industry at the age of 14 when he was apprenticed to Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright and the owner of one of the first cotton mills in Belper. Slater worked for Strutt for eight years and rose to become superintendent of Strutt's mill. It was in this capacity that he gained a comprehensive understanding of Arkwright's machines. Believing that textile industry in England had reached its peak; Slater immigrated secretly to America in 1789 in hopes of making his fortune in America's infant textile industry. While others with textile manufacturing experience had emigrated before him, Slater was the first who knew how to build as well as operate textile machines. Slater, with funding from Providence investors and assistance from skilled local artisans, built the first successful water powered textile mill in Pawtucket in 1793. By the time other firms entered the industry, Slater's organizational methods had become the model for his successors in the Blackstone River Valley. Later known as the Rhode Island System, it began when Slater enlisted entire families, including children, to work in his mills. These families often lived in company owned housing located near the mills, shopped at the company stores and attended company schools and churches. While not big enough to support the large mills which became common in Massachusetts, the Blackstone River's steep drop and numerous falls provided ideal conditions for the development of small, rural textile mills around which mill villages developed. One of the earliest of these mill villages was Slatersville. Located on the Branch River in present day North Smithfield, Rhode Island, Slatersville was built by Samuel Slater and his brother John in 1803. By 1807, the village included the Slatersville Mill, the largest and most modern industrial building of its day, and two tenement houses for workers, the owner's house and the company store. In the early twentieth century, industrialist and preservationist Henry P. Kendall took a personal interest in the village and initiated many of the improvement projects, which give the village its traditional New England Charm. Impact The system of child labor in Rhode Island mills began with Rhode Island's first textile mill - the Slater Mill. Samuel Slater's first employees were all children from seven to twelve years of age.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Case study 2-2 Essay
Case Project 2-2 I would determine whether an investigation is required for this type of situation. I would make am initial assessment about the case that I will be investigating. Meanwhile, determining the type a design of approach for this particular case. I would then estimate the time of each step, when the check was issued and as the amount. I would ask Jonathan to interview the other individual who has access to the company’s accounting program. I would review the company computer as well as the accounting program and see if there are any significant documents; which would including the company checkbook and ledger, as well as contact the bank for the most current bank statement. Any type of information pertaining or related to that particular check, which was issued during that time. However, if cleared, then further investigation has to be done. I would examine that employee’s email for anything suspicious as well as surveillance cameras within that office. I would also study the suspects work habits as well. I would ask Jonathan to locate and itemized any details of the subcontractor’s job amounting to $10,750 and the facts of the check for the amount $12,750. I would try to find the facts of the $2,000 difference, if available by comparing bank statements, and the accounting program. I will inform him to be very watchful of any relevant information that may eventually be evidence in this type of criminal case, which could be employee theft or embezzlement. If this other person beside Jonathan is involved in this crime and not being an accounting error, has taken place, I would recommend Jonathan to allow me to further my investigation with this company.
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