Existentialism and Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Existentialism and Art - Essay Example A look into these various concepts proves that Leo Tolstoy comes up with the best explanation regarding art. According to him, art is a form of communication that can take various forms. If it succeeds in developing an emotion, it is an art. Aristotle and Art According to the Aristotelian view, art is an imitation of life. He starts his theory of art with the claim that humans have the urge to imitate, and this tendency to imitate is the very basis of human learning. It is this tendency that makes humans delight in works of imitation. Thus, according to the scholar’s opinion, various people imitate using various medium ranging from color and voice. As Butcher (1951, p. 116) says, this concept contains three elements of imitation. They are rhythm, language, and harmony. Here, Aristotle brings in the concept of virtue in art. To illustrate, the factor that decides whether a particular artwork is a comedy or a tragedy is the object that is imitated in the work. Though the art for m used is the same, the emotions it creates will be quite opposite in both the cases. Thus, when one follows the Aristotle's point of view, one gets a chance to evaluate the quality of art and the element of virtue in it. This becomes possible because the artist is supposed only to imitate, not to create. Evidently, there are a number of pitfalls in the Aristotelian view. ... For example, if the quality is assessed from the perfection in imitation, people from other geographical areas will not be able to assess the quality of any art. In other words, an art form will be highly limited to people in that geographical area or who are familiar with the item being imitated. Another issue arises that the concept does not take into account the authenticity of abstract works. To illustrate, it forgets the quality of Cubism and Pop as art forms, though they are not realistic reflections of nature. Thus, it becomes evident that though Aristotle managed to present the human characteristic of imitation, he failed to develop a flawless theory of art out of it. Plato and Art One can see that Plato too shows a tendency to consider art as an imitation though he develops a bit on the concept; but to the wrong side. In The Republic, Plato claims that art is an imitation of the things and events that one encounters in everyday life (p. 69). However, admittedly, Platoâ€℠¢s theory goes astray when things like music are considered. For example, even though Plato claims that music represents natural sounds and emotions, one can easily find that there is no imitation of anything natural other than emotion. However, Plato’s effort to show how complicated art can be in imitating things deserves appreciation. To illustrate, in The Allegory of the Cave, Plato describes the example of some prisoners chained to a bench, facing the wall of a deep cave. Behind them, artists are performing puppet play, and the prisoners could only see the shadows what they perceive as reality. However, as one prisoner gets released, he sees the puppets that produced the shadows (The allegory of the cave, 2011). Thus, one sees that, though Plato considers art

Character study of Rosalind from As You Like It Essay Example for Free

Character study of Rosalind from As You Like It Essay Rosalind, throughout William Shakespeares As You Like It, uses her ability to control language to attain her goals. Using creative speech, Rosalind enables herself to control and manipulate every situation that she is involved with, especially those concerning Orlando and Phoebe. Rosalind dominates many scenes in As You Like It and, ultimately, everything that Rosalind wants to occur does. She even changes her identity to do so. By using ingenious language, Rosalind facilitates the accomplishment of all of her objectives throughout the play. The first situation in which Rosalind displays her dominance in language is in the Forest of Ardenne, disguised as Ganymede, a male. She, knowing that Orlando is yearning for her love, comments on his obvious unrequited love, saying, Then there is no true lover in the forest; else sighing every minute and groaning every hour would detect the lazy for of time as well as a clock. (111) By implying that Orlandos love is not true love, she immediately inspires Orlando to prove her wrong. Orlando, becoming a little suspicious, inquires why her accent is not rough as a result of her living in the secluded forest her entire life. She retorts almost immediately with an elaborate story in which she states, But indeed and old religious uncle of mine taught me to speak, who was in his youth an inland man, one that knew courtship too well, for there he fell in love. I have heard him read many lectures against it. Although a lie, Rosalind uses this sly and deceptive speech to give herself the exc use to sound educated and the ability to discuss love. Rosalind sets up this situation from the beginning, enabling herself to discreetly mention true love in order to get Orlandos full attention. Rosalind goes on to obtain Orlandos undivided attention by saying, There is a man that haunts the forest that abuses our young plants with carving Rosalind on their barks, hands odes upon hjawthrons and elegies on brambles, all, forsooth, the name of Rosalind. If I could meet that fancy-monger, I would give him some good counsel, for he seems to have the quotidian of love upon him. (113). Rosalind proclaims herself as an expert of love in order to give herself an excuse to meet with Orlando and help him cope with his situation She knows Orlando will surely agree to meet with her to discuss his love. He says that he is truly in love, but Rosalind states that there is none of my uncles marks upon you. He taught me how to know a man in love. Orlando retorts, I would I could make thee believe I love. By implying that Orlando may not even be in love at all, and promoting herself as an expert, she is enabling herself to counsel Orlando. She leads Orlando to want to prove he is in love with Rosalind. The major fact that she is interested in is observing how deeply Orlando is in love with her and how desperate he is to be with her. By leading Orlando on to believe that she is an expert when it comes to matters that concern true love, Rosalind allows herself to find out what Orlando is thinking about her from a third person, and unbiased, perspective. Rosalind also creatively uses language to manipulate situations that contain Phoebe, Silvius, and her own disguised character, Ganymede. Although Silvius deeply loves Phoebe, she continues to reject his brutally. However, Ganymede gets involved to defend Silvius, saying to Phoebe, Who might be your mother, that you insult, exult and all at once over the wretched? What though you have no beauty-as, by my faith, I see no more in you than without candle may go dark to bed-must you be therefore proud and pitiless? (131). Ganymede goes onto criticizes Phoebe even more by saying, Tis not your inky brows, you black silk hair, your bugle eyeballs, nor your cheek of cream that can entame my spirits to your worship. However, instead of getting Phoebe to realize she should appreciate Silvius love, Ganymede unintentionally obtains Phoebes love. Phoebe states to Ganymede, Sweet youthm I pray you chide a year together. I had rather hear you chide than this man [Silvius] woo. 133. Phoebe becomes attracted to Ganymede not realizing that Ganymede is really Rosalind, a woman. Rosalind, realizing this, continues to insult and criticizes Phoebe. She knows that she can eventually trick Phoebe into loving Silvius. Seeing an opportunity, Ganymede continues to insult Phoebe in order to continue to attain her love. Also, Rosalind sees that Silvius love for Phoebe is deep and true, despite that Phoebe rejects and ignores him. She sees the opportunity to manipulate Phoebe into loving Silvuis. As a result, she continues to lead Phoebe on, preparing for the time in which she ahs the chance cajole her to love Silvius. Rosalind uses her creative language one final time in dealing with the weddings. She is able, through the use of witty language, to arrange each marriage, and those who are involved, to her liking. Orlando reveals to Ganymede that he can no longer love by thinking, and now, more than ever, needs to be with Rosalind. Ganymede then responds by saying, I have since I was three year old, conversed with a magician most profound in his art and yet not damnable. If you do love Rosalind so near the heart as your gesture cries out, when your brother marries Aliena shall you marry her By assuring Orlando that Rosalind would marry him the next day, Ganymede then proceeds with the second part of her plan. She realizes that Phoebe has an attraction towards her as Ganymede She uses this fact to persuade Phoebe to marry her, with one stipulation. If Phoebe for some reason decides that she does not want to marry Ganymede, Phoebe would then be obligated to marry Silvius. Ganymede obtains Phoebes agreement on their marriage, stating, If you do refuse to marry me, Youll give yourself to this most faithful shepherd [Silvius]. Ganymede goes on to state: [To Silvius] I will help you if I can. [To Phoebe] I would love you if I could-Tomorrow meet me all together. I will marry you if I ever marry a woman, and Ill be married tomorrow. [To Orlando] I will satify you and you shall be married tomorrow. Eventually, Ganymede reveals herself as Rosalind, and, accompanied by Hymen, prepares to marry Orlando. Aliena reveals herself to be Celia and weds Oliver. Phoebe, realzing that her lover, Ganymede, is really a female, then agrees to wed Silvius as a part of he pact with Rosalind.

The Myth of the Five Senses Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

The Myth of the Five Senses We see with our eyes and taste with our tongues. Ears are for hearing, skin is for feeling and noses are for smelling. Would anyone claim that ears can smell, or that tongues can see? As a matter of fact, yes. Paul Bach-y-Rita, a neuroscientist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, believes that the senses are interchangeable; for instance, a tongue can be used for seeing. This "revolutionary" study actually stems from a relatively popular concept among scientists; that the brain is an accommodating organ. It will attempt to carry out the same function, even when part of it is damaged, by redirecting the function to another area of the brain. As opposed to previous mainstream scientist's understanding that the brain is compartmentalized, it is now more acceptable that the individual "parts" of the brain could be somewhat interchangeable (1). For the purpose of scientific exploration, are the sensory organs interchangeable as well? Could a nose function as an ear, for example? If the brain is what actually sees and the eyes serve only as information receptors, and if one could say the same about taste, smell, hearing and touch, then does it matter which external organ the sensory information is received by? Our external organs all act as receptors of the information (5), so can one type of receptor be replaced by another and still produce the same experience? Bach-y-Rita's experiments suggest that "we experience the five senses, but where the data comes from may not be so important" (1). In the article "Can You See With Your Tongue?" the journalist was blindfolded with a small video camera strapped to his forehead, connected to a long plastic strip which was inserted into his mouth. A lap... ... the external organs is a concept worthy of more attention and exploration, and it will explored more easily when the old, rather arbitrary myth of the five senses is discarded. References 1) Discover Magazine Online, Go to the article "Can you see With Your Tongue?" http://www.discover.com/science_news/index.html 2) an article that clearly states there are seven senses. http://sun.science.wayne.edu/~wpoff/senses.html 3) an article about migration and possible explanations. http://www.spaceforspecies.ca/awareness_and_action/conserve_species_habitats/ 4)Discover Magazine Online Go to the article "A Fish's Sixth Sense" http://www.discover.com/science_news/index.html 5)Sensory Receptors a very informative site about more sensory organs as receptors, and other scientific explanation of the senses. http://courses.nnu.edu/bi362bf/sensory.htm

Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen

Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King A wise man once said, â€Å"Memory is the library of the mind.† All of the events in one’s life, ranging from birth to the present, are stored in this complex catalog of experience. There they remain untouched and collecting dust until a time of need, much like the scores of books found in today’s libraries. No matter how obscure, their topics represent the various trials of life that build one’s character and forever serve as the most reliable source of the human psyche. The novella, â€Å"Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption†, is part of a collection of stories that comprise Stephen King’s book Different Seasons which was first published in 1983. It is the story of Andy Dufresne, a successful banker incarcerated, despite his innocence, for the murder of his wife and her lover. Leaving behind not only his status, but every known aspect of his life up until this point, Andy is submerged in a culture he knows not hing about. However, he manages to adapt to these unfamiliar surroundings through the use of his former knowledge and keen intellect. King uses Andy’s character as a liaison to convey the concept of memory within the novella. He outlines the stages in Andy’s journey throughout his time in Shawshank Federal Prison by highlighting the many channels in which his wisdom aids him. Furthermore, King shows the reader how this passage develops Andy as a person through the different ways he utilizes this remembrance, both for his benefit and that of others. Andy’s heroic metamorphosis provides a template for the different perceptions of memory within the text; such as that of a self-fulfilling resource, liberating gift to othe... ...ins the reader in experiencing the transformation of Andy as a character and the unavoidable sentiments that ingrain themselves into the human psyche. By delving into this unique harmony between the feelings of both author and reader, one can come to further comprehend the questions King is bringing to the table and his premeditated goal for this work. What does it mean to truly become a legend and why does Andy Dufresne so beautifully embody this definition? These are queries that we can only begin to answer and are an active ingredient of what makes Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption the literary marvel that it is. Works Consulted Cormier, Robert. I am the Cheese. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1991. King, Stephen. â€Å"Hope Springs Eternal: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.† Different Seasons. New York: New American Library, 1983. (15-107).

Core Ideas Of Liberalism and Conservatism

Struggle between liberal and conservative tendencies is, perhaps, the key element for understanding the political life of the west in the last three centuries. So, in order to understand this struggle one needs to understand what are the core ideas of liberalism and conservatism. This paper aims to investigate some of the most prominent example of liberal and conservative political thought. The first basic ideas of liberalism have been explained by John Locke, who explained that â€Å"Adam had not, either by natural right of fatherhood, or by positive donation from God, any such authority over his children, or dominion over the world, as is pretended† (1. 84). Later the state of natural freedom has been replaced by different forms of unjust oppression, and freedom can be restored only by agreement of free individuals making a civil society.   In the world of monarchism this idea sounded revolutionary, but was still far from practical application. Liberal concepts gained much popularity between the Founding Fathers of the United States, as well as later American publicists. Among others they have been explained and practically developed in the Federalist Papers. For example in Paper 51 James Madison investigated the system of checks and balances as a foundation for independent and responsible state power and a guarantee of reservation of liberty and against usurpation. The source of power for Madison is not God or king, for â€Å"the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary magistracies should be drawn from the same fountain of authority, the people, through channels having no communication whatever with one another† (1. 118). However, liberalism concerns not only the formation of political power, but relations inside the society as well. British philosopher Thomas Hill Green in 1861 wrote about â€Å"the liberation of the powers of all men equally for contributions to a common good† (1.132). And so paradoxically liberalism restricts some forms of civil transaction such as trade of slaves or, for example, those, which jeopardize public health. Liberalism is understood as general state of freedom in the society, which is limited only by freedom of the others and the function of the state in such society is only to protect freedom and never exercise more power, than needed for the interests of liberal society. In contrast to liberalism, conservative ideas gained more popularity in the XIX century and were a sort of reaction to the spread of revolutionary ideas, especially after American and French revolutions, therefore, they have been aimed to limitation of liberalism. As explained by Michael Oakeshott, â€Å"adults who do not consider themselves under any obligation to justify their preferences for making their own choices; and that it is beyond human experience to suppose that those who rule are endowed with a superior wisdom† (1.193). Humans are week, and too much freedom is likely to corrupt the power and ruin the society. Oakeshott’s example is brutal but very persuasive: â€Å"we tolerate monomaniacs, it is our habit to do so; but why should we be ruled by them?† (1.194) Conservatism can be helpful at unstable times and conservative methods of rule like cutting tax rates in order to stimulate steady economic growth or taking control of the media may sometimes serve the public good. Liberalism and conservatism are therefore the two opposite political foundations, neither of which can be obviously preferred of disfavored. The application of liberal and conservative ideas is not a matter of principle, but a matter of current situation. Works Cited: 1. Nancy S. Love. And Dreams: A Reader In Modern Political Ideologies. (CQ Press; 3 edition, 2005)

Beethoven Essays - Age Of Enlightenment, Ludwig Van Beethoven

Beethoven Essays - Age Of Enlightenment, Ludwig Van Beethoven Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. He was born in Bonn. Beethovens fathers harsh discipline and alcoholism made his childhood and adolescence difficult. After his mothers death, at the age of 18, he placed himself at the head of the family, taking responsibility for his two younger brothers, both of whom followed him when he later moved to Vienna, Austria. In Bonn, Beethovens most important composition teacher was German composer Christian Gottlob Neefe, with whom he studied during the 1780s. Neefe mostly used the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach in his instruction. He later encouraged his student to study with Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Beethoven met briefly in Vienna in 1787. In 1792 Beethoven made another journey to Vienna to study with Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, and he stayed there the rest of his life. Having begun his career as an outstanding improviser at the piano and composer of piano music. Beethoven went on to compose string quartets and other kinds of chamber music, songs, two masses, an opera, and nine symphonies. Perhaps the most famous work of classical music in existence is Beethovens Symphony No.9 in D minor op. 125. Like his opera Fidelio and many other works, the Ninth Symphony depicts an initial struggle with adversity and concludes with an uplifting vision of freedom and social harmony. Yet just as his success seemed assured, he was confronted with the loss of that sense which he depended on, his hearing. This impairment gradually put an end to his performing career. However, Beethovens achievements did not suffer from his hearing loss but instead gained in richness and power over the years. His artistic growth was reflected in a series of masterpieces, including the Symphony No.3, Fidelio, and the Symphony No.5. These works were from his second period, which is called his heroic style. Beethovens fame during his lifetime reached its peak in 1814. The enthusiastic response from the public to his music at this time was focused on showy works, such as Wellingtons Victory. During the last decade of his life Beethoven had almost completely lost his hearing, and he was increasingly socially isolated. Plagued at times by serious illness, Beethoven nevertheless maintained his sense of humor and he often amused himself with jokes and puns. He continued to work at a high level of creativity until he contracted pneumonia in December 1826. He died in Vienna in March 1827. Beethovens music is generally divided into three main creative periods. The first, or early. Period extends to about 1802, when the composer made reference to a new manner or new way in connection with his art. The second, or middle, period extends to about 1812, after the completion of his seventh and Eighth symphonies. The third, or late, period emerged gradually; Beethoven composed its pivotal work, the Hammerklavier Sonata.

Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge

Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge Abstract Numerous opportunities and challenges exist for service organizations and their customers concerning knowledge-based economy along the effects of information technologies. Knowledge-based economy can impact on management of quality services in the companies.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge-Based Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The purpose of the current report is to look at some of these influences. The study aspires to elicit the enormous prospects obtained by players in the service sector, especially in areas of value, co-creation and communication. At the same time, the report reveals various problems that face managers as a result of the poor quality provided by services providers. The value of this report consists of revealing the logical links between transformations in the society, changes in the service sector, and improvements in the management of quality service. The report will highlight the increasing importance of service quality management within the knowledge-based economy in the comparison to the industrial economy. Net-working and collaboration, constant development, and value co-creation are factors that determine realization of sustainable competitive advantage through service quality management. A desktop review literature is the basis of this report. The effort dedicated to the improvement of management of service quality and the value of managers in service quality management within service organizations is analyzed in the conclusion of the report.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introduction Knowledge-based economies are witnessing tremendous changes in management of service quality as a result of information technology and Internet, having arrived into the market. When servi ce organizations communicate directly to customers, networks that are crucial to dissemination of new types of services are created. The purpose of this report is to reveal the impact of knowledge-based economy on management of service quality within organizations as well as the major tests and chances faced by providers in quality service management. The function of developing service quality which is attributed to the management to develop service management process within the confines of knowledge-based economy has constantly generated a lot of debate. The report brings out the influence of the knowledge-based economy on the service quality management through recognizing logical links between transformations in the society, service, and service quality management. Numerous opportunities and challenges exist for service organizations and their customers because of a combination of knowledge-based economy and influence of information Communication and value co-creation offer positi ve prospects to come while serious problems are posed by the need for managers to provide quality services. There has been a change in business operations as a result of fast growth in the use of information and communication technology within society. Information technology is made up of various components including computers, hardware, software, telecommunications, and the ensuing technologies. This technology can be measured through the stock of applications that organizations have (Ruiz-Mercader et al. 2006). Information and communication technology includes the use of computers, networks, and other equipments and software that process and transmit data (Plumb Zamfir, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge-Based Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Exploitation of information and communication technologies requires skills and competence. Growth of the knowledge society has amplified demand for competences (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Societies have witnessed a significant change in structure and in ways of accessing information (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Consequently, the service sector has witnessed new challenges as methods of doing business change. Increased service-value networks within high value areas have resulted in surfacing of high-tech services (Qiu 2008). High-tech services include information outsourcing, online sharing of information and knowledge, and demand for innovations consulting like automated business. Electronic services are excellent types of service for the knowledge-based society and economy, contributing heavily to general productivity and development. Conventional service providers, such as travel agencies, have established service-value networks intended at achieving competitive advantage (Qiu 2008). This need has stemmed from their dependence on extremely extensive public information infrastructures and c omplex services systems meant to gratifying their international customers needs. Delivery of knowledge-based services is reacting to explicit customer demands through extremely educated and informed workers. This is achieved through offering and delivering customized value-added answers and relations (Dubosson Fragniere 2008). Changes in Conceptions on Service Quality Management The determinant factor in ways changes in the way service organizations are managed is the knowledge-based economy. Service quality is a basic problem for service organization managers. In the knowledge-based economy, there is an increase in Service quality management.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Yoon and Ekinci (2003), provision of quality services is among the most difficult lasting strategies for business set up. According to Paton and McLaughlin (2008), large organizations sell or procure services on an international scale order since they have established corporation with numerous stakeholders globally. When there is integration of customer knowledge into the operation of the organization, it is possible to understand the needs of the customer fully. This helps the incorporation of the link and contribution of capital as well as boosting satisfaction of the customer. Consequently, service quality management may be a major factor for the triumph of service organizations. Service-dominant logic is the basis of service quality management transformations of within the knowledge-based society. Service-dominant logic portrays service as a process while services were portrayed as units of output in the goods-dominant logic (Vargo Lusch, 2004; Vargo Lusch, 2008). According to Lusch et al. (2006), this new approach is responsive and centered on customer needs. This approach has different effects on the management of services. It envisages ultimate co-creation of value due to connections between the service organization and prospective customers, and joint business between them and other associates (Lusch et al. 2006). According to Vargo et al. (2008: 148), it is imperative to acquire Knowledge and skills if one is to gain competitive advantage in service-dominant logic. The process of value co-creation involves every member (Lusch et al. 2006). The assessment of value-in-use helps the customer to co-creates and determine value of service offered (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Lusch et al. (2006), asserts that a firm can only acceptable value proposition if the customer is involved in the value co-creation. Vargo and Lusch (2008) argue that alterations of philosophies on value creation have consequence on service organizations and their clients. Figu re 1 Value co-creation in service-dominant logic Source: Vargo and Lusch (2008:257) Within the knowledge-based economy, these changes about service, value creation and services management seem to control actions in the service quality management. The growth and rising acceptance of information and communication technology has caused changes to business processes. A case in point is the formation of e-business due to the application of information and communication in business processes (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Competency in rapport determines the feat of the inter-organizational coalitions and their capability to associate and to create value. Networks within service organizations could be strengthened through better knowledge. This could end up impacting on the outcome of such connections (Eikebrokk Olsen 2007). Fuentelsaz et al. (2002: 303), argues that fundamental endeavors must be prepared in the route of learning those activities that are creators of value. Support should be sou ght with the purpose of seeking to support and promote them so as to sustainably create value. According to Fuentelsaz et al. (2002), knowledge-based economy is endowed with unique features that make it possible electronically create value and in so doing offers different ways of doing business compared to conventional methods. However varied the types of services provision are, open networks link people. Management this fact has to be taken into account. Service quality management in both theory and practice is of great significance within knowledge-based economy. Lovelock (1991), suggests that a rise in competition encourages consequential competitive differentiation in the service sector. This differentiation is based on the quality of services to customers. Global financial crisis have created powerful adjustments to management service quality. Because of erosion of purchasing power, customers are more selective when choosing services. They settle for services that would give th em value for money in terms of quality and price. Current economic crisis resulted in reduced demand for services, especially non-vital services like restaurants and theatres. For the reason mentioned above, service quality has long stopped being a market differentiation but rather an essential survival component for the service providers. Perceived value satisfaction, trust, and loyalty are usually linked to quality of service. To illustration, Cronin and Taylor (1992) undertook a study in which they concluded that perceived service quality improved levels of satisfaction. They also discovered that increased levels of perceived satisfaction increased the desire to purchase. According to Bei and Shang (2006), a service organization has put forward comparatively better perceived qualities and mainly those important to customers to do better than its competitors and thus gain competitive advantages. According to Hrtel et al. (2008: 24), customer satisfaction is linked to affective rea ctions generated when one come across a service. A customer’s perception of the success of the result is also related to satisfaction. According to Hsu (2008), the connection between customer loyalty and perceived quality is acquiescent to customer satisfaction. Customer dissatisfaction is as a result of customers not meeting their expectations. This is as opposed to good experiences that result in customer satisfaction Kim et al. (2008). Managers can adopt a higher standard of service quality than the customers’ deserved expectations so as to avoid customer dissatisfaction (Yoon and Ekinci, 2003). Managers should aim at improving service quality and customer satisfaction as well as perceived customer value. Customer satisfaction may dwindle as a result of ignoring customer value. Repeat business may also reduce due to the same reason. Kim et al. (2008) proposes a holistic technique that incorporate enhancement of service value enhancement if an organization is serious about improving service quality and customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is even more vital regarding electronic services since networks permit knowledge sharing between customers. In the case of service providers, a dissatisfied customer may spread negative publicity to probable customers when he is exposed to low level of service quality than he or she expected. This contrary to conventional settings where this danger is minimal (Hsu 2008).Therefore, online service providers must ensure that they have a full understanding of factors that influence online customer satisfaction (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Customer satisfaction, loyalty, and perceived value are boosted by trust. Customers who are not in a position to physically inspect the quality of a service they want normally have high level of doubt as regarding the outcome of the purchase. They do not trust that they will get the equivalent of their expectations. According to Hsu (2008), levels of perceived risk reduce with i ncreasing levels of trust. The production, exchange and analysis of information is made possible through enabling providers and clients to scrutinize, assess, and negotiate the conditions of their relationship (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Therefore, it is imperative to maintain good information channels so as to enable sustainable interaction and networking of people and technology (Blomberg 2008: 213). A full understanding of a customers’ perception and evaluation of the service quality of an online service provider is crucial for the successful implementation of superior service quality. Hsu (2008) suggests several areas that when improved may have significant impact within an online service organization. The exact areas include; improved customer service, accurate order fulfillment, increased Web site attractiveness, and on-time delivery. Value co-creation is established on the principle of capability to acquire knowledge about other members in the service system. According to B lomberg (2008: 221), the capacity to offer extremely proficient and useful service is improved through gathering information on partners operations, providers, and customers. Where this is the case, service quality should be approximately equal to or higher than the desired expectation to improve perceived quality or customer satisfaction (Yoon Ekinci 2003: 20). A superior way of assessing service quality and customer satisfaction is by use of an expectation scale together with general satisfaction and service quality. This would offer more legitimate information and advance a managers’ decision making (Yoon Ekinci 2003). Practical Implications It is hard to make constructive generalizations regarding the quality management of service organizations because of multiplicity of service. New business surroundings have recently embraced sophisticated information and communication technologies, increased globalization of trade, increased automation, and rapid technological innova tions (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). According to Qiu (2008), service sector has progressed from traditional labour intensive industry to sources of innovation, partnership, and value co-creation. These factors are crucial for managing service. Knowledge is the fundamental of competitive advantage within the knowledge based economy. It is also the heart of innovations in service organizations and originates from making sense of data and transformation of information. Consequently, it is crucial for clients and managers of service organizations to have information as it allows them to make proper, rational, and quick decisions. A rational decision-making process is shaped by the pace of information exchange, the ease of access to information, and the potential to look for and store of information. Large quantities of information may not necessarily translate into a smooth decision-making process because the bulk of information may be irrelevant. Therefore, effective management of information is vital to ensure that the value of information is taken into account (Dubosson Fragniere 2008). When people perceive information as being valuable, their response is immediate. The immediate response causes an increase in the ability to innovate, adaptability, and flexibility to market dynamics. Information and communication technologies advancement has resulted in improved inter-organizational cooperation and communication as well as cooperation and communication between organizations and their customers. This has eased global services delivery and thus facilitates globalization of services and opening up of international markets. The result is increased profits for service organizations that are now able to compete with top-notch opponents (Cunningham et al. 2004: 421). According to Anderson et al. (2008), information may be an important tool for managers. Managers may appeal to particular clients or even enact diverse co-production processes through redesigning the concept of service organizations. The service revolution is different from the industrial revolution as it encourages value as opposed to material. This is a manifestation of sustainable underpinning for the knowledge-based economy (Chan Hsu 2009). Service-dominant logic is founded on variation of the prototype of value delivery to value propositions and of value-added to value co-creation (Vargo Lusch, 2004; Vargo Lusch, 2008). According to Chan and Hsu (2009), increase of internet-based economic activities result in novel value propositions and value co-creation. These originate from three main sources: increase of digital relations between organizations and clients, the accumulation of fresh digital relations, and the interrelation of layers of digital relations across and along a person’s and an organization’s life cycle tasks. Thus, because networks combine clients and value-oriented organizations, their application allows service organizations to provide quality service s since (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Customer needs may be customized to be in tune with flexibility and adaptability of services by employing information and communication technologies. Competitive services may be fostered through effective integration of new technologies in the service process. This may occur as a result of active support of growth tachniques related to innovation, partnership, and value co-creation. Given that perception of service quality by customers is mostly dependent on the relations between the service provider and the customer, knowledge sharing through networks could improve these relations and thus increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Conclusions Service quality management is greatly undergoing change as a result of Knowledge-based economy. This economy is not only knowledge-driven, but relies on constant development of people and also entails deep network collaboration. The economy also involves value co-creation geared towards achievement of sustainab le competitive advantage. Despite the many opportunities enjoyed by service organizations and their customers within the knowledge-based economy, there are challenges posed by stringent requirements regarding the quality of provided. The main opportunities related to solutions delivery include: communication, intense network cooperation, value co-creation, and customized value-added services (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). There are various challenges in the service organizations such as changes in client demand for service quality, competences necessary for proper exploitation of information and communication technologies, and the requirement for acquisition of skill and development. Another challenge is the need to transform traditional service organizations into contemporary service organizations. Recent financial crisis has shrunk opportunities and amplified problems in the service organizations. Investments for innovation my help in resolving the challenges brought by financial crisis. Within the service sector, innovations may positively influence service quality and customer satisfaction. The conclusion defends the devotion of effort aimed at raising the service quality management standards. The conclusion is important to service organization managers who are working in highly sensitive area similar to the service quality management. There is need to conduct extensive studies in the area of service quality management so as to recognize and assess definite facets of managing service quality for diverse circumstance of service organizations and for diverse categories of services provided within the knowledge-based economy. Studies in this field could also test the conclusions laid down in this report. This may possibly be achieved by questioning service organization managers and then contrasting the information gathered to the conclusions made in the current report. References Anderson, S, Pearo, LK Widener, SK 2008, ‘Drivers of Service Satisfaction: Linkin g Customer Satisfaction to the Service Concept and Customer Characteristics’, Journal of Service Research, vol.10 no.4, pp. 365-381. Bei, LT, Shang, CF 2006, ‘Building Marketing Strategies for State-Owned Enterprises Against Private Ones Based on the Perspectives of Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 13,pp.1-13. Blomberg, J 2008, ‘Negotiating Meaning of Shared Information in Service System Encounters’, European Management Journal, vol.26, pp. 213-222. Chan, WKV, Hsu, C 2009, Service Scaling on Hyper-Networks. Web. Cronin, JJ, Taylor, SA. 1992, ‘Measuring Service Quality: A Reexamination and Extension’, Journal of Marketing, vol. 56, pp. 55–68. Cunningham, LF, Young, CE, Ulaga, W Lee, M 2004, ‘Consumer Views of Service Classifications in the USA and France’, Journal of Services Marketing, vol.18 no.6, pp. 421-432. Davis, MM 1991, ‘How Long Should a Custom er Wait for Service?’, Decision Sciences, vol. 22,pp. 421–434. Dubosson, M, Fragniere, E 2008, ‘The Consequences of Information Overload in  Knowledge Based Service Economies: An Empirical Research Conducted in Geneva, Service Science’. Web. Eikebrokk, TR, Olsen, DH 2007, ‘An Empirical Investigation of Competency Factors Affecting E-Business Success in European SMEs’, Information Management, vol.44 no.4, pp.364-383. Fuentelsaz, L, Maicas-Là ³pez, JP, Polo, Y 2002, ‘Assessments of the â€Å"New Economy† Scenario’, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol.5 no.4, pp. 301-310. Harris, LC, Goode, MMH 2004, ‘The Four Levels of Loyalty and the Pivotal Role of Trust: A Study of Online Service Dynamics’, Journal of Retailing, vol.80, pp.139-158. Hrtel, CEJ, Gough, H Hrtel, GF 2008, ‘Work-group Emotional Climate, Emotion Management Skills, and Service Attitudes and Performance’, As ia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol.46 no.1, pp. 21-37. Hsu, SH 2008, ‘Developing an Index for Online Customer Satisfaction: Adaptation of American Customer Satisfaction Index’, Expert Systems with Applications, vol.34, pp. 3033–3042. Kim, KH, Kim, KS, Kim, DY, Kim, JH Kang, SH 2008, ‘Brand Equity in Hospital Marketing’, Journal of Business Research, vol.61, pp.75–82. Lin, WB 2007, ‘The Exploration of Customer Satisfaction Model from a Comprehensive Perspective’, Expert Systems with Applications, vol.33, pp.110-121. Lovelock, C 1991, Services marketing, 2nd ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lusch, RF, Vargo, SL Malter, AJ 2006, ‘Marketing as Service-Exchange: Taking a Leadership Role in Global Marketing Management’, Organizational Dynamics, vol.35 no.3, pp. 264–278. Lusch, RF, Vargo, SL O’Brien, M 2007, ‘Competing through Service: Insights from Service-Dominant Logic, Journal of Retailing’, vol.83 no.1, pp. 5-18. Paton, RA, McLaughlin, S 2008, ‘Services Innovation: Knowledge Transfer and the Supply Chain’, European Management Journal, vol. 26, pp. 77-83. Plumb, I Zamfir, A 2009, Managing service quality within the knowledge-based economy: opportunities and challenges, Quality Management in Services, vol. 11, no. 26, pp. 373-382. Qiu, R. G 2008, Service Science: Scientific Study of Service Systems. Web. Ruiz-Mercader, J, Merono-Cerdan, AL, Sabater-Sanchez, R 2006, ‘Information Technology and Learning: Their Relationship and Impact on Organisational Performance in Small Businesses’, International Journal of Information Management,  Vol.26 no.1, pp. 16-29. Vargo, S. L., Lusch, RF, From Goods to Service(s): Divergences and Convergences of Logics, Industrial Marketing Management, 37: 254-259, 2008. Vargo, SL Lusch, RF 2004, ‘The Four Service Marketing Myths: Remnants of a Goods-Based, Manufacturing Model’, Journ al of Service Research, vol.6 no.4, pp. 324-335. Vargo, SL, Maglio, PP Akaka, MA 2008, ‘On Value and Value Co-creation: A Service Systems and Service Logic Perspective’, European Management Journal, vol.26, pp. 145-152. Yoon, TH Ekinci, Y 2003, ‘An Examination Of The Servqual Dimensions Using The Guttman Scaling Procedure’, Journal of Hospitality Tourism Research, vol.27 no.1, pp. 3-23.

Dams and Reservoirs

Dams and Reservoirs A dam is any barrier that holds back water; dams are primarily used to save, manage, and/or prevent the flow of excess water into specific regions. In addition, some dams are used to generate hydropower. This article examines man-made dams but dams can also be created by natural causes like mass wasting events or even animals like the beaver. Another term often used when discussing dams is reservoir. A reservoir is a man-made lake that is primarily used for storing water. They can also be defined as the specific bodies of water formed by the construction of a dam. For example, the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in California’s Yosemite National Park is the body of water created and held back by the O’Shaughnessy Dam. Types of Dams One of the most common types of major dams is the arch dam. These masonry or concrete dams are ideal for narrow and/or rocky locations because their curved shape easily holds back water via gravity without the need for a lot of construction materials. Arch dams can have one large single arch or they can have multiple small arches separated by concrete buttresses. The Hoover Dam which is on the border of the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada is an arch dam. Another type of dam is the buttress dam. These can have multiple arches, but unlike a traditional arch dam, they can be flat as well. Normally buttress dams are made of concrete and feature a series braces called buttresses along the downstream side of the dam to prevent the natural flow of water. The Daniel-Johnson Dam in Quebec, Canada is a multiple arch buttress dam. In the U.S., the most common type of dam is the embankment dam. These are large dams made out of soil and rock which use their weight to hold back water. To prevent water from moving through them, embankment dams also have a thick waterproof core. The Tarbela Dam in Pakistan is the world’s largest embankment dam. Finally, gravity dams are huge dams that are constructed to hold back water using only their own weight. To do this, they are constructed using extensive amounts of concrete, making them difficult and expensive to build. The Grand Coulee Dam in the U.S. state of Washington is a gravity dam. Types of Reservoirs and Construction The first and usually largest type of reservoir is called a valley dammed reservoir. These are reservoirs that are located in narrow valley areas where tremendous amounts of water can be held in by the valley’s sides and a dam. The best location for a dam in these types of reservoirs is where it can be built into the valley wall most effectively to form a water tight seal. To construct a valley dammed reservoir, the river must be diverted, usually through a tunnel, at the start of work. The first step in creating this type of reservoir is the pouring of a strong foundation for the dam, after which construction on the dam itself can begin. These steps can take months to years to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the project. Once finished, the diversion is removed and the river is able to flow freely toward the dam until it gradually fills the reservoir. Dam Controversy In addition, the creation of a reservoir requires the flooding of large areas of land, at the expense of the natural environment and sometimes villages, towns and small cities. The construction of China’s Three Gorges Dam, for example, required the relocation of over one million people and flooded many different archaeological and cultural sites. Main Uses of Dams and Reservoirs Another major use of dams is power generation as hydroelectric power is one of the world’s major sources of electricity. Hydropower is generated when the potential energy of the water on the dam drives a water turbine which in then turns a generator and creates electricity. To best make use of the water’s power, a common type of hydroelectric dam uses reservoirs with different levels to adjust the amount of energy generated as it is needed. When demand is low for instance, water is held in an upper reservoir and as demand increases, the water is released into a lower reservoir where it spins a turbine. Some other important uses of dams and reservoirs include a stabilization of water flow and irrigation, flood prevention, water diversion and recreation. To learn more about dams and reservoirs visit PBSs Dams Site. Rogun - 1,099 feet (335 m) in TajikistanNurek - 984 feet (300 m) in TajikistanGrande Dixence - 932 feet (284 m) in SwitzerlandInguri - 892 feet (272 m) in GeorgiaBoruca - 876 feet (267 m) in Costa RicaVaiont - 860 feet (262 m) in ItalyChicoasà ©n - 856 feet (261 m) in MexicoTehri - 855 feet (260 m) in Indialvaro Abregà ³n - 853 feet (260 m) in MexicoMauvoisin - 820 feet (250 m) in SwitzerlandLake Kariba - 43 cubic miles (180 km ³) in Zambia and ZimbabweKuybyshev Reservoir - 14 cubic miles (58 km ³) in Russia

The Soviet Afghanistan War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Soviet Afghanistan War - Research Paper Example The international involvement in the war prepared an unsophisticated and unorganized guerilla force for sustained combat operations that lasted over 9 years and demoralized one of the world’s largest superpowers, consequently paving the way for its downfall (Arnold, 1985). Afghanistan enjoyed a healthy relationship with the Soviet Union during most of the 20th Century. Ever since the Russian Revolution in 1919, The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had taken an active role in the military and economic functioning of Afghanistan. In fact, it was widely acknowledged that USSR and Afghanistan were very close allies and this often worried other political strongholds such as the United States of America and China. This relationship became official in the early 1950s when USSR sent billions in economic and military aid to Afghanistan. In 1978, the Afghan Army, which favored the PDPA (the voice of the masses of Afghanistan), caused overthrew and murdered Mohammed Daoud Khan, the ru ler. Soon after, Nur Muhammad Taraki, Secretary General of PDPA became President and Prime Minister as well. Once again, PDPA was divided internally into factions, Khalq (the masses) lead by Taraki and Hafizullah Amin and Parcham (flag) by Babrak Karmal and Mohammad Najibullah (Arnold, 1985). These conflicts resulted in violence, kidnappings and executions of many Parcham members and further deteriorating relations between the two factions. The problems that Afghanistan faced regarding ethnic and sectarian friction and violence deteriorated in the PDPA regime. Ever since the 1970s, Daoud Khan had neglected and angered the Pashtun populace of Afghanistan. Furthermore, Afghanistan had cemented problems with Pakistan as well after Daoud had urged his hardline Pashtunistan policies to Pakistan. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the Pakistan president at the time reacted by training the Jamiat-e-Islami militants against Daoud’s secular regime. Although these rebels were unsuccessful in overthr owing the government, the roots of an organized Islamic Rebellion had been put in place and their power would be seen in the years to come. During the first two years of his time in office, Taraki employed a liberal approach to governance by modernizing reforms. Many of these changes were seen by the masses as being anti-Islamic, something that greatly inflamed many. For example, the changes put forth by Taraki regarding land reforms and marriage rules were seen as going against the tradition in which this Islamic country was so deeply immersed. So infuriated was the populace that soon rebellions broke out in the country in mid 1978 with people attacking public buildings and military strongholds. Soon civil war had spread throughout the country. So dire was the situation that in September 1979, President Taraki was killed after a palace shootout; Hafizullah Amin took power. The Taraki and Amin governments were similar in practice; both employed Soviet-style governance, establishing reforms that hurt property owners and Islamic sentiment. Inevitably, there was great opposition to these reforms and major unrest through the country which was dealt violently by the government. Large parts of the country went into open revolt against the government. By 1979, 24 of the 28 provinces of the country had surges of violence and instability. The situation was worsened when an American Ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, was kidnapped and killed by militants with the help of the Soviet Union communists. Afterwards, the United States officially expressed its disapproval to the Soviet Union putting strain on

Mood disorders Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mood disorders - Research Paper Example These signs and the effects of having mood disorders can deeply affect a person’s life. The people who suffer from constant experience of mood disorders might have a hard time in adjusting to their social environment and in getting along with others. Mood disorders can also affect and even destroy relationships with family, friends and other loved ones. Because of this, it is important to immediately and as soon as possible, take action in order to cure it. The most common treatment is through taking medication. There are several prescriptions that are taken depending on the mental disorder experienced, such as eskalith, risperidal, seroquel, depacon, valproic acid and plenty of others. Information about Mood Disorders The word mood means what a person feels within such as the emotion, whether happy, sad, excited or bored.  The term mood disorder is the abnormality or the strangeness of the mood of a person in a circumstance or condition. It would be unusual that a person wo uld have temper tantrums for no reason at all. There are various types and kinds of mood disorders, but all are characterized by an abrupt change in behavior. There are two major groups of mood disorders. First is the unipolar disorder. ... e extreme depression causes one to stop eating, to have a lack of enthusiasm of about life, and when it is already a serious condition, it can even lead to the suicide of that person. Another common example of a unipolar disease is seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This is a kind of mood disorder that is distinguished by the occurrences of major depression only happening during a certain time of the year or season such as during the summer or winter. The other major group of mood disorders is the bipolar disorder, which is also referred to as manic-depressive disorder, manic depression or bipolar affective disorder. This is defined by the existence of extreme levels of mood swings varying from intense unhappiness and the feeling of hopelessness to over joy, exhilaration and hyperactivity in the way the person feels and acts. There are also several other types of mood disorders that are also common. Some of them are mood disorders that are only effects from the presence of a medical condition. One of the most common mood disorders is substance-induced mood disorders. The substance that has been taken in to the body could be either medication such as pills, tablets, and other forms of medicine. It could also be intoxication from the intake of certain drugs and also when the person is trying to withdraw from an intoxicating drug in the body. There are many causes as to why a person might be suffering from mood disorders. Several studies have concluded that genetics can play a part in the person’s susceptibility to this condition. One of the key causes though for the occurrence of mood disorders in several people is the environment that he or she might be living in. It could have been from traumatic experiences from that person’s childhood. Hurtful incidents that

Assimilation(white policy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assimilation(white policy) - Essay Example This way, assimilation allows ways of life to be kept alive through choice by not enforcing laws and policies that ensure people follow only the given and prescribed Australian culture. Migrants get an opportunity to retain their sense of belonging to their native society despite being in a completely new environment with disparities in ways of life (Henry and Kurzak, 2012). In addition, assimilation is the best way to go in regard to inculcating and coming up with a unified society. This is because a society using assimilation gets an opportunity to evaluate itself and adapt appropriately in order to meet the needs of the new population, as well as its own needs. This is because different cultures have different characteristics, and each may have its own strengths and weaknesses and, as a result, assimilation allows different populations to borrow values that are positive or appealing to them from the immigrants and include them in their own. This is for the creation of a wholesome society that does not fight within itself under the guise of cultural values, followings and predispositions. In addition, the issue of disunity does not arise in assimilation since all population follows a given and harmonized culture that is widely accepted by all. As such, migrants and natives are able live harmoniously and with acceptance of each other as all attempts to get along due to the common culture that they are expected to follow. In relation to rights and freedoms, assimilation allows the entire Australian population to enjoy similar rights and freedoms (Guess, 2010). This is in spite of the presence of foreign migrants, aboriginals and native Australians. Because of assimilation, all populations are bound to live under the same umbrella of living conditions, where no single population group experiences disparity concerning privileges and responsibilities (Murphy,

Basic Critcal Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Basic Critcal Thinking - Essay Example ls, Chaffee (2012), the following steps were recommended: (1) to develop a more in-depth understanding of oneself; (2) to discover the possibilities given that the goals are current and updated; (3) be able to envision a reported three-dimensional picture of the future that incorporates goals and aspirations; (4) construct a mental plan for details strategies to achieve defined goals in specific time frame and in overcoming potential barriers or obstacles; (5) modify the goals or plans according to new inputs but retain a consistent framework of goals, as needed (p. 13). An important decision in one’s life that would have to be made in the near future is finding the appropriate employment where one’s educational pursuit would be put into effective use. As such, one’s professional short-term goal is to find a good job with competitive pay and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through work experience and through interaction and relationship with others. Find a good employer right after graduation where the employer would provide competitive pay and benefits; and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through the work experience and through interaction and relationship with others. From one’s educational background, the possible courses would be locating organizations that belong to the top 100 organizations in the U.S. in terms of providing good benefits, according training, and being socially responsible. Another choice would be to streamline options to areas which are close to one’s residence. Likewise, selection process could also ensue after all applications have been sent and organizations that respond positively would be selected according to the exemplary image reported and accessed through research. From itemizing each alternative, a pros and cons analysis would illuminate one on the best option to select. For example, if two organizations

Enviromental impact assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Enviromental impact assessment - Essay Example In line with sustainable development and to avoid future conflicts, the project has incorporated environmental concerns at every stage and has conducted a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment and prepared a feasible Environmental Management Plan that addresses environmental concerns, land use conflicts as well as environmental conservation and protection measures. Need for the project The project was initiated to exploit the economic potential of the growing population of West Midlands through the provision of business premises that would promote commerce and trade while at the same time providing the residents with jobs and giving them a whole new shopping experience. It was also motivated by the need to provide environmentally friendly, flexible, modern and cost effective public buildings and business premises. As had been established by a previous survey sponsored by the proponent eight years ago, the project is long overdue. Shirley town in West Midlands has a shortage o f adequate and spacious retail outlets, business and residential premises to serve the demands of the growing population and booming economy. Parkgate retail and residential project will be constructed in Shirley town centre in West Midlands. ... There will also be landscaped gardens and a drive way, guard house situated next to the main gate, water reticulation system with a water pump, and overhead tanks, toilets, storm water drainage system, sewage drainage system, and electricity supply systems. All units fully serviced. The selected property is in a fast developing area within West Midlands. Legal framework The project and the Environmental Impact Assessment takes into account the procedure for conducting EIA as set out in Council Directive 85/337/EEC 1985 as amended by council directive 97/11/EC 1997 and are currently being implemented throughout the United Kingdom through the town and county planning (Environmental Impact Assessment )Regulations 1999. In line with the existing legislations, this Environmental Impact Assessment gives a detailed plan on the following aspects of construction projects: The expected environmental impacts of the project and the interventions to be taken during and after the project. A compre hensive plan to ensure health and safety of the workers, the neighbouring community and those who access the site as well as a framework for the prevention and management of accidents. The economic and sociocultural impacts of the project to the local community and the nation at large. The location of the project and the physical area that may be affected by project activities. The materials to be used, the products and the by products as well as waste to be generated and the methods of disposal. Apart from local legislation, the project will also take into account the ILO Conventions ratified by the UK government include the safety and health recommendation of 1988, minimum age conventions of 1973, the recruitment of

Basic Critcal Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Basic Critcal Thinking - Essay Example ls, Chaffee (2012), the following steps were recommended: (1) to develop a more in-depth understanding of oneself; (2) to discover the possibilities given that the goals are current and updated; (3) be able to envision a reported three-dimensional picture of the future that incorporates goals and aspirations; (4) construct a mental plan for details strategies to achieve defined goals in specific time frame and in overcoming potential barriers or obstacles; (5) modify the goals or plans according to new inputs but retain a consistent framework of goals, as needed (p. 13). An important decision in one’s life that would have to be made in the near future is finding the appropriate employment where one’s educational pursuit would be put into effective use. As such, one’s professional short-term goal is to find a good job with competitive pay and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through work experience and through interaction and relationship with others. Find a good employer right after graduation where the employer would provide competitive pay and benefits; and where one’s knowledge, skills and abilities would be appropriately honed and developed through the work experience and through interaction and relationship with others. From one’s educational background, the possible courses would be locating organizations that belong to the top 100 organizations in the U.S. in terms of providing good benefits, according training, and being socially responsible. Another choice would be to streamline options to areas which are close to one’s residence. Likewise, selection process could also ensue after all applications have been sent and organizations that respond positively would be selected according to the exemplary image reported and accessed through research. From itemizing each alternative, a pros and cons analysis would illuminate one on the best option to select. For example, if two organizations

How can the behavioural, physical and symbolic manifestations of the Essay - 1

How can the behavioural, physical and symbolic manifestations of the cultural web inform the strategic development of organizations - Essay Example Similarly in the same way one thinks Scotland when they hear bagpipes or see a kilt some organizations have specific cultures which are inherently tied to their business practice in the economic and literal sense. Various international companies have distinguished themselves by their organizational culture and in cases when this is well managed; it has proven to be as invaluable as any well though business strategy. A firm like Google is recognized for its easy going operations culture in which the employees have are allowed a free reign to exploit their creativity without the convectional strictness in many similar firms. Others like apple Inc. have also established themselves as creativity hubs with creativity and self-expression being given the forefront, this for this such companies have been ranked among the best places to work and their overall performance proves that their easy going corporate culture can indeed be very profitable. This paper seeks to examine how the behaviora l, physical and symbolic manifestations of the cultural web inform the strategic development of organizations by using Google as an example in the context of which various elements of organizational culture and their perceived impacts will be discoursed on different theoretical grounds. Admittedly, this topic is hardly new and in the past few decades, much as been written about the underlying connection between organization strategy and organization culture, managers have all along being urged to link the gap so as to manage their organizations’ cultural context (Johnson 1992, p.28). Nevertheless, a lot of these discourses have been fundamentally theoretical and while there are elements of reality in them, they are very general and rarely provide practical directions especially in view given the diversity of organization and their

Common Law Essay Example for Free

Common Law Essay a)Â  In a letter dated 14/02/2011, the manager (Dave) of Excellent Foods (EF) outlined conditions in writing to the manager (Ben) of Safe Foods (SF) in relation to the purchase of EF. These conditions were that SF must pay the valued amount of EF, which totaled $120,000, $30,000 more than the original amount that SF had been prepared to pay and stipulated during earlier negotiations. At the time of the earlier negotiations, SF also had set a purchase requirement, which was that EF’s sales must increase by 20% over the next two months and if this requirement was met, SF would be prepared to pay the ,000. After earlier negotiations, EF had their business valued at $120,000 and notified SF of the valuation and that they now required this amount, not the $90,000 that SF had offered. SF did not reply to EF. Whilst EF met the sales increase target and forwarded the record of sales to SF along with the transfer of business contract as well as a new condition of the contract being that EF require 10% of the 120,000 within 14 days, SF responded in writing stating they no longer were interested in purchasing EF. It would appear that EF are no longer interested in purchasing SF due to the $30,000 price increase and the term that they would now need to pay 10% within 14 days. An important aspect in forming a legally binding contract is giving and receiving the acceptance of an offer. The requirement of acceptance with every binding legal contact is tied closely to the concept of unqualified mutual assent. Only when both parties have given their mutual consent does the law consider a binding legal contact to have been formed. Hence, if the offeree remains silent, their silence cannot constitute an acceptance.[1] Another important aspect when creating a legally binding contract is that the acceptance of the offer must exactly mirror the terms and conditions of the offeree and vice versa. If there is even a slight difference, this will most likely not constitute a valid acceptance. If an offer is made that does not mirror the terms of the original offer, than this is considered a counter-offer, which now negates the original offer. An example of this is demonstrated in the case of Hyde v Wrench (1840) where Wrench offers to sell his land to Hyde for the price of 1200 pounds of which Hyde declined to accept. Wrench responded with a counter-offer of 1000 pounds and Hyde responded with another counter-offer of 950 pounds. When Wrench declined the counter offer, Hyde decided he would accept the earlier offer of 1000 pounds, however Wrench decided he would no longer sell his land to Hyde for this amount. As Hyde had made another counter-offer after the earlier offer, the offer of 1000 pounds was now destroyed. Hyde sued Wrench for breach of contract claiming that the earlier offer was not withdrawn however the court found that Wrench did not need to withdraw the offer of 1000 pounds as it was destroyed when the counter-offer of 950 pounds was made.[2] In this case, SF made an offer to EF, being $90,000 if sales increase by 20% in two months. EF later responded with a counter-offer of $120,000, which then destroyed the earlier offer of $90,000. SF did not respond to this counter offer, therefore not accepting the new offer. EF also added terms to the offer that were not previously discussed with SF, which also did not mirror the terms of the earlier offer of which the court considers being a strict requirement for full and unequivocal assent.[3] Excellent Foods cannot commence an action for breach of contract against Safe Foods as the counter-offer negates the original offer of which Safe Foods did not respond to and therefore is not considered as an acceptance of the terms. b)Â  Promissory estoppel is an equitable action, which is designed to enforce promises made from one party to another where the promises are not supported by consideration. The doctrine of promissory estoppel can only be applied if a clear promise was made from the promisor to the promisee, if the promisse has suffered a significant loss from the promiser now going back on its promise, if the promiser acted unconscionably, and if the promisse undertook certain acts (or refrained from undertaking certain acts) due to the promiser’s initial promise. A leading case which illustrates the purpose of promisary estoppal is Waltons Stores v Maher where Waltons negotiated with Maher over the grant of a lease of property that Maher owned. Maher agreed to demolish a building in order to make way for a new custom designed building to be occupied by Waltons. Changes and agreements were made by both parties over the following months. Waltons later decided that they no longer required the building after Maher had already informed then that they were proceeding with the demolition and despite being aware of this, advised their solicitors to ‘go slow’ in informing Maher of their reservations. Due to Maher having initially received a clear promise, suffered considerable loss and completed many acts under the belief that Waltons would go ahead with the promise as well as Waltons acting unconscionably against Maher in ‘going slow’ in informing Maher of their true intentions, Maher was able to rely on promisary estoppel and therefore won on first instance and later at the appeal.[4] In this case, Excellent Foods did not suffer any considerable loss from Safe Foods not following through with the business transfer. Whilst there was an initial promise made by SF to EF, EF later requested 10% of the transfer price of $120,000 within 14 days– a term that had not previously been negotiated. It may be because of this term that SF does not wish to continue with the transfer in which case they have not acted unconscionably. EF informed SF in writing that they did not wish to continue with the transfer.

The cultural and social challenges faced by IHRM

The cultural and social challenges faced by IHRM Now we going to introduce the challenges that IHRM had to face. We know the main challenge was to convince the mangers that the culture is different, the social system is different, the legal principles are different etc. Overall its a completely new environment and it is a challenge for the international HR manger to identify these changes and adopt accordingly. This is the main difference between HR and IHRM, in IHRM the manager operates in an alien environment which makes decision making and implementation much difficult. Thus the recruitment and training of these mangers, communication between the head office and the subsidiary becomes more important than in a local operation. The IHRM is focuses more on how to select, recruit and retain managers for international operations, rather than focusing on how to manage international employees. Now , we moved along, expatriates. An expatriate is an employee who is working and temporary residing in a foreign country (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.5). The fundamental difference between domestic HR and IHRM is that staff are moved across national boundaries, thus expatriates e are born. Hence it is natural in an IHRM subject to focus more on handling these expatriates. There can be three types of employees in an international firm. Employees from where the firm is headquarted is known as Parent Country Nationals, employees from where the subsidiary is located are known as Host Country Nationals, other country nationals are known as Third Country Nationals (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.5). Now it started to make sense, IHRM is more complex and complicated than domestic HRM, because now you not only have to have a thorough understanding about the host country, you also need to decide who are we going to use as employees HCNs, PCNs or TCNs, or a mixture of them. If so in what proportions? How can the organization select the right person? How is training, compensating and other activities are carried? we hope to find answers for these questions during the report. Cross-cultural communication Similarly, among various countries cross-cultural communication is very necessary so that they can understand each others through religion ,culture, art , literature, foreign policies ,fiscal polices ,etc. such type of bridges of understanding will help to lessen and minimize the gap between two culture. Thirukkural , a noted tamil poet ,who has been translated in more than twenty five languages and who had been famous for ethical themes and brevity, has very aptly remarked on power of speech: The goodness called goodness of speech IS goodness which nothing can reach Since gain or ruin speeches brings Guard against the slips of tongue Weight the words and, speak, because No wealth or virtue words surpass. They overspeak who do not seek A few and flawless words to speak (Gupta .reprint 2004) It is said that speech is grater than words ,mind is greater than speech ,will is grater than mind consciousness is greater than will ,meditation is greater than will and power of understanding is greater than meditation.sanakumara ,surmonzing narad atma vidya or brahmavidya (knowledge of the supreme) says : power of understanding beings sine quo non for proper meditation ,thats is greater than meditation . if we cannot correctly understand and discriminate good and bad ,truth and untruth and discriminate between good and bad ,truth and untruth , and the like pairs of opposites ,how can we meditate? Thus there is no doubt that the power of understanding is linked with speech ,one of the tools of communication. point 02 Cultural Differences That culture played a major role in IHRM as it involves understanding and handling a new culture and a new social system. what aspects should an international HR manager should focus on and how he should respond to cultural differences in an international arena. But the topic had lot more to offer than what I initially anticipated. Culture is the way in which a group of people solves problems and reconciles dilemmas (Trompenaars Turner, 2002, p.g.02). There are so many elements in a culture and there is no one way of understanding or defining a culture. But it was evident that having a thorough knowledge about it was essential for those who are engaged in IHRM. In order to give meaning and understanding to the culture there were several models discussed. However the one that looked most promising and attractive was the Hofstedes five dimensions. He developed a model that focused ways of measuring a national culture and how these measures might work differently in different context. The cultural values that are important in a national culture, could be reflected in the way business within that country are operated and organized (Hofstede, 2006). According to the Hofsteds there are 5 cultural damnations. Power distance this is the extent to which power is distributed unequally among the employees in between the higher positions and the lower positions. Eg- India is a high power distance culture ( even have a cast system) and USA is a lower power distance culture. Individualism vs collectivisms In a individualistic country people would priorities them self ( USA) where as collectivism country people would priorities group needs. Uncertainty avoidance People would try to minimize risk they face in a situation ( avoiding paralysis through analysis ) usually countries with long history and traditions have a high uncertainty avoidance. Countries such as USA well come higher risks. Masculinity / femininity Masculine- tough value dominant Eg; success, money, satiates, competition Feminine- tender values dominant such as personal relationships, care for others, quality of life etc. When we take Sri Lanka for a example I think we have feminine culture even though have many masculinity futures. The best example for this is during the tsunami situation whole county get together to help the tsunami victims within ours. This is an excellent model where you can get a quick idea about something complex as a national culture. we believe this simplicity itself is the major short coming of this model. Hofstede selected a country and gave marks to each dimension, thinking that the culture is static. But we all know that in todays context culture is anything but static, it changes at a rapid pace, thus a country which was once collectivist could now be individualistic due to many reasons such as economic pressure, government policies etc. And also Hofstede never took into account the complexity of the task. For an example USA is an individualistic culture, but certain complex projects and operations may force an individual to work as a group to succeed in that particular project. Thus the complexity of the task has forced someone with individualistic character to be collectivistic. But overall the model is excellent to get a glimpse of what an unknown culture would look like, but we do not believe that you can make sound business decisions based on this model. Now we had understanding about how to analyze a national culture, and also the importance of culture to employees and international HR managers. It was evident that this should be the starting point of any international HR plan. Decisions should be taken where culture is kept at the center, as the success of implementation will depend on how well international employees accept your plans. point 03 The Organizational Context All the previous section discussed about the external environment and this topic discussed how the internal environment should be arranged in accordance to international operations. Again we touched upon areas such as importance of culture in HRM and also the organization strategy and HRM etc. Although these areas are very interesting we found it difficult to see the practicality of it. For an example in one point it was said that if a certain culture is high in power distance and have respect for authority then the authority should be centralized and if not it should decentralized. But in practice it is not the culture that influences the structure most but the objectives and the task of the organization (manufacturing companies are more centralized while service oriented companies are decentralized). The most interesting form of structure for us it was the Matrix structure; it was different from all other traditional structure and had certain unique features. A matrix structure creates dual lines of authority and combines functional and product departmentalization (Robbins, Millett, 2004, p.g. 475). The most interesting part about the Matrix structure was that it broke the departmental boundaries and goes against the unity of command where now one employee reports to two mangers. This type of structure is ideal for a large matured organization. When an organization grows its information processing capacity could get overloaded, under a matrix structure this can be changed as it allows the flow of communication and greater flexibility. But what we found out was even large complex organizations are reluctant to move along with a matrix structure. First of all it is a complex structure, and secondly breaking departmental boundaries has its own repercussions such as there is greater room for conflicts, there will be constant issues about span of control and level of authority and there will always be a struggle for power among managers etc. What was clear for us is that its difficult to look at an organization and say this is the best structure for you. Whatever the structure selected it must be flexible enough to change according to situations and most importantly factors such as national culture, employee behavior must be taken into account prior to deciding on a structure. An organizations structure is the spine that allows it to stand still, the HR activities of the organization and all other activities will depend on the support it gets from the structure. Thus HR has a greater responsibility in designing the structure, the structure should be strong enough not only to stand still against the internal environment but also against the external environment as well. That is why in IHRM we look at aspects such as national cultures, work practices, ethics, norms, behaviors etc. So that HR managers can design a structure that is suitable for the external environment. Lesson 04 HRM in the Host Country Context Host country is the place where the subsidiary is going to be set out. HRM in host country is how you organize your employees, recruit them, train them and compensate them once the subsidiary is operational. But as always the subject went a step further than what I anticipated. Certain type of questions an international HR manager would ask himself. Such as should pay for performance be implemented? Should EEO be practiced here? How far are we going to distribute authority? We feel that we always focus on big areas such as compensation, recruitment, training etc. that we somehow consider the above questions as irrelevant. But we believe in todays context those questions are the burning issues. Before deciding on training and compensation we need to outline the way the organization is going to operate. This way could be the overall corporate strategy, or may be the vision of the organization, whatever it is, it should be the platform of the new subsidiary. Why we call it as the platform is because, once an organization have outlined how it plans to operate such as should it implement pay for performance or should it practice EEO etc. Then the organization has created a clear path for it to travel. Now that the core areas have been outline we can decide what our recruitment policy is going to be like, or how we are going to compensate. For an example lets say that we decided to go along with pay for performance and EEO. Now the HR manager knows what exactly to do, he can design a compensation package that would compensate according to the way employees perform. Also he can design a recruitment policy where applicants are given an equal chance of getting selected. But then there were several other questions that came up. How can an organization decide whats the best path to move forward for it subsidiary? Should it depend on the corporate strategy or the environment of the host country? These were answered quickly by the next few discuss. The topic is trying to teach to us how an organization should look for host country specific factors that will have a direct impact over the operations of the organization. As an example it might be the corporate strategy to use a pay for performance system but certain legal and social conditions in the host country will not allow an organization to use such a strategy (like in Japan where pay is according to the seniority). An organization has a choice when it comes to selecting the way it plans to operate. It can either standardize work practices where parent country standards are maintained globally. Or it can localize the operations according to the host country. These two factors are like two extremes of a continuum, the challenge is to find the point where both options are blended in correct quantities. But in reality we feel organizations do not wish to localize operations and are keen in standardizing as much as possible. From a managers perspective this is completely agreeable as it would solve lot of problems at the corporate level. But when it comes to the operational level it will create ambiguity and confusion. But still in order to ease the pressure at the corporate level and to save time, organizations are more attracted towards standardizing. And this is one of the key reasons why expatriates are used so frequently by multinationals. Apart from many other benefits they bring to the subsidiary they most importantly help the parent country to have a greater control over the operations, thus allowing them to standardize operations to a greater extent. point 05 Sustaining International Business Operations To our knowledge staffing is just one aspect of IHRM and in order to sustain, there are so many other factors that needs to be discussed (such as management style, distribution of power and autonomy etc.). There are several ways approaches to staffing available for MNE. Ethnocentric is where the subsidiary is given little autonomy and key management positions are held by foreign nationals (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.58). There can be many examples found here in Sri Lankan for this particular staffing policy such as Hilton, Suntel, IOC, Laughs etc. Polycentric is where each subsidiary is treated as a distinct national entity with some decision making autonomy (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.59) examples could be Airtel, Dialog etc. Geocentric is where the MNE takes a global approach to its operations. It is accompanied by a worldwide integrated business and nationality is ignored in favor of ability (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.60) e.g -: United Nations, HSBC. Regiocentric is like the geocentric approach, it utilizes a wider pool of managers but in a limited way (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.62) e.g -: Unilivers. However what we going to understand how important the subsidiary is to the organization. The higher the importance the greater the control the organization requires over the subsidiary, thus it is more likely that they would go ahead with an ethnocentric or any other similar approach where they can have greater control. That is why we see mature organizations such as Suntel and Hilton still using an ethnocentric approach. And a new subsidiary like Aitel Sri Lanka using a polycentric approach tells us that it is not of significant importance to the group. Regeocentric and geocentric approaches are separate from the above two, because in order to practice these approaches the MNE should be large and spread across many countries. Our observation may not be 100% true for all organizations, but it would apply for many MNEs especially small and medium once. point 06 Recruitment and Selection for International Assignment When recruiting and selection you asked your self was what should be so different in selecting a domestic manager and an international manger. After all if youre successful as a domestic manger you just have to apply the same thing abroad with a bunch of foreigners. This time we was completely wrong, we soon found out that there was a significant difference in selecting a domestic manager and an international manager. The first thing we realized about an international manager is that his task is lot more complicated than of a domestic manager. There is a lot expected from an expatriate, he will have to perform in an unfamiliar environment, he will have to play different roles in different situations (e.g-: an interpreter, a boundary spanner, an agent, a negotiator etc.), the support of the family and friends maybe absent, he is expected to be flexible and adopt to the host country situations quickly etc. An important point we want to understand, expatriate failure. We found it very interesting because we was unaware of this term and also when we looked deep in to it; it is something practically experienced by many MNEs. Expatriate failure is defined as the premature return of an expatriate (that is, a return home before the period of assignment is completed) (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.86). There were several reasons highlighted for expatriate failure, the most common issues are the inability of the expatriate to adapt to the host country and family concerns. Why we say is that when an expatriate is selected, the organization makes sure that he has performed well domestically. This certifies that he has the necessary technical competencies. So the reason for not performing internationally is not because he lacks technical skills, its just that he doesnt know how apply his knowledge to that particular culture. And also humans are social animals; they always want to be a part of a group and a community. But when an expatriate is send abroad he gets cut off from his community and gets isolated. This adds tremendous physiological pressure on the expat. That is why we believe that these two factors are the most common reasons for expatriate failure. Lesson 07 Training and Development Now we want to understand how important it is to select the right person to head an international operation. Being successful in a domestic environment does not guarantee the success in an international environment. But selecting the candidate with all these factors is difficult. So it was my understanding that if organizations cannot find individuals with the desired characteristics, they must use training and development to bring those individuals to the desired level. Before this discussion starting this we want to identify and understand the difference between training and development. As explained by Stone (2005, p.g.335) training emphasizes immediate improvement in the current job performance, while development involves those activities that prepare an employee future responsibilities. Thus the correct word to be used in IHRM would be development. The interesting thing in this discussion that expats are in most occasions going act as trainers themselves. This is a true fact; one of the main reasons of using expatriates is because they have certain skills that host country employees do not. Thus they will in time teach these new skills to host country employees. Now we had idea about how important training of expatriates really is. Not only should an organization train them on handling cross cultural instability and breaking the language barrier, they should also be trained to handle the trainers position (a person who trains host country nationals). Many expats fail due the inability to adapt to host country environment. Thus having a good cross cultural training session is vital to a successful international operation.It was also mentioned that preliminary visits should be a key area in cross cultural training. I totally agree with that statement, the expat should be given a chance to experience the host country for himself, which is more effective than any class room session. And language has been a huge barrier for many expatriates to perform well, thus it should also be a part of the cross cultural training. We strongly feel that there should be some concern given in developing the expats technical skills as well, especially if hes going take on a new management position which was absent in this chapter. point 08 Performance Management, Re-entry and Career Issues we had an understanding about performance management from a previous discussion but re-entry was a new area. So we were going to looking forward to identifying the link between these two topics. What performance management really is and how it can benefit an organization.This is because there are so many other factors that needs to be taken into consideration when assessing an expat, things like the host country environment, the culture, employee behavior etc. And another significant difference in IHRM performance appraisals is that it takes into account factors such as the expats ability to connect with the host country culture and social values, ability to understand its employees etc. Our understanding is that having a thorough, fool proof performance appraisal and conducting it correctly is vital for an organization. This is the best point where the organization can do a thorough audit about the performance of the expat. As explained earlier expatriate failure is a major issue in most of the international organizations. This can be avoided to a greater extent if the organization carries out a thorough performance appraisal. Repatriation was a interesting area. The interesting part was that most international manager after a successful international operation upon re entering to the host country underwent certain issues. This was so common that it is been included into the expatriation process. From we want to feel there two sides to this story. One being that the manager who is returning after a long time will find it difficult to adopt to his culture and environment after being away from it. Secondly issues related with the work environment such as change in positions, change in reporting styles, change in organization culture, new recruits etc. I believe the change in the work environment is the one that affects the most. Our understanding is that in order to avoid this, the expat should constantly keep in touch with the parent country during his assignment. point09 Compensation People work because they know that at the end of the day they are paid a decent amount. So if an organization wants to keep its best employees intact it must make sure that they compensate accordingly. We thought that this same rule applied in IHRM. We knew that international mangers are paid much better than local mangers, and our understanding was that it is because the task they handle is difficult. But compensating in IHRM is lot more complicated than in HRM. First of all we want to discuss about a topic that we found very interesting. There are two ways an organization can compensate an employee. The going rate approach is where the salary structure is in parallel with the host country standards (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.144). The balance sheet approach is where the salary structure would be similar to home country standards (Dowling Welch, 2004, p.g.146). Our understanding is that the salary structure is always designed to benefit the expat. For an example if an Australian manager is transferred to Sri Lanka they would adapt the balance sheet approach since Australians are paid better than Sri Lanka. If a Sri Lankan manager was to go to Australia then they would adapt the going rate approach. The reason for this as we understand is that most expats are sent to handle senior management positions, and it is most likely that they would have to start lot of things from starch such as accommodation, schooling, furniture etc. Thus the organization must make sure that not only they are paid better than their subordinates but also it should be equal or better than what theyre paid in their parent country. Otherwise an organization will not be able to attract talented individuals. The important thing to understand as we feel is that it is very difficult for someone to accept an international assignment. There is change in culture, living standards, family issues, re location issues, fear of moving into uncertain territory, career issues are some of the things that an international manager will have to face. Despite all this, if an organization wants an individual to accept an international assignment the best way of breaking the above barriers is by compensating them accordingly. we believe that is the reason why expats always gets the benefit when it comes designing their salary structure. Another important area in compensation as we found out was allowances. As we want to understand it has two purposes. Firstly an allowance makes the remuneration package attractive, thus managers will be attracted in accepting international assignments. Secondly it will help to increase the living standards of an international manager. Especially senior managers have a certain image to maintain, they reflect not only their standard but the standard of the entire firm. Hence an allowances will help senior managers to protect that image. point 10 Business Etiquettes and Social Customs There were always something new to learn in etiquettes, because every culture has their own unique way of conducting business. The important thing that we want to understand that no matter how qualified and well equipped a manager maybe he can mess the whole thing up by just doing something that is not excepted in that culture. That is how important etiquettes are. By doing things according to the hosts culture you show that you respect them and their culture. Handling these etiquettes should be one of the factors discussed in the expatriate training programs. As it will help the future expats to handle business smoothly, since then they know what they should do and what they shouldnt. The interesting part is that you can damage a relationship by doing something, or by not doing as well.