Varying Interpretations of Heart of Darkness and...

Varying Interpretations of Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now The true meaning of varying interpretations comes alive when one compares the two film versions of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now have the same basic outline and underlying themes, however the plots, characters, settings, time, purposes, and points of view differ enough to create two extremely different effects and two entirely opposite movies. Both movies depict an insanity: of man in Heart of Darkness and of war in Apocalypse Now. It is ironic that Heart of Darkness, the movie replica of the novel, is a boring, slow-paced flop of a production, while Apocalypse Now, a loosely based film, had great success and audience†¦show more content†¦Marlow watches Kurtz die and whisper his last words, The horror! The horror! Marlow returns home to visit Kurtzs fiancà © and, instead of telling her that Kurtz went crazy in the jungle, he upholds her belief that Kurtz was a great man. The story flashes back to present time where the Nellie is sa iling away into the heart of darkness (Heart of Darkness: Theme/Symbol/Allusion/Foreshadow). The similarities between the novel and movie versions of Heart of Darkness are numerous, right down to exact quotations, costumes, and scenes. In the opening scene, Marlow describes his expedition into the Congo as the farthest point of navigation and the culminating point of my experience exactly as in the book (Conrad 70). The movie accurately depicts the women knitting black wool and the colored map with the snake-like river as Conrad vividly describes them (pp. 73-74). The mood of the scene when Marlow and his crew finally approach Kurtzs Inner Station is also well-depicted with the foggy air, the noises in the forest (p. 110), the fighting of the crew members (pp. 110-114), the eyes hiding in the bushes (p.114), the swarm of arrows that attack the boat and kill Mfumu, (pp. 119-120) and the cannibals falling from the trees after Mfumu is thrown overboard (p. 124). The mental image of Kurtz that Conrad portrays in his physical and emotional description is also shown suitably in th eShow MoreRelatedReligious Unrest in Nigeria9418 Words   |  38 Pagessuccessful completion of my term paper Besides it’s with a mouth speechless with thanks and heart heavy with gratitude that i acknowledge the general contributions of my sister nkem Ogbobe and others who’s varying ideas led to my completion of this term paper. Finally i appreciate with felicity, the felicitation and aids of friends whose names are not written in this book but are always in my heart. However errors of omission and commission remain entirely mine. Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesconceived and remarkably comprehensive, Bonnie Smith’s essay provides an overview of the gendering of political and social transformations over the course of the twentieth century. Attentive to differences across cultures and regions and under varying political regimes, Smith chronicles the struggles of women to improve their situation within the domestic sphere and the conditions under which they labored to expand the career opportunities available to them at different times and in diverse settingsRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesProject Management Body of Knowledge (2008). †¢ Revised Chapter 14 to include project retrospectives. Chapters 2, 4, 6, 7, and 12, have been updated. †¢ New student exercises and cases have been added to most chapters. †¢ Answers to selected exercises are now available in Appendix 1 †¢ A third major computer exercise has been added to the Appendix 2; †¢ The â€Å"Snapshot from Practice† boxes feature a number of new examples of project management in action as well as new research highlights that continue to promote

Women in Technology and the Meritocracy Myth - 1982 Words

Women in Technology and the Meritocracy Myth Although many women make a career in the technology industry, it is shown that there is a low percentage of women in the technology industry due to the meritocracy myth.The meaning of the word meritocracy [mer-i-tok-ruh-see] is government or the holding of power by people selected according to merit (Oxford Dictionaries). The technology industry can be considered as a virtual world with many different career areas one can pursue with the right set of skills and knowledge. The meritocracy myth can be thought of paper going through a shredder as what was on the paper does not matter because all of the little shreds are viewed the same. In most cases women are often victims of sexism because they feel as if they must work harder than men do, they receive lower pay, and have stereotypes based on their gender. Sexism is shown in the technology industry by how most women do not get paid equally as their male co-workers, if anything they get lower salaries â€Å"According to an annual salary survey of about 4,000 gaming professionals by Game Developer magazine, female animators made $26,000 less than their male counterparts in 2001 (Tasneem Raja). The different treatment women get by the low salaries they make compared to their male co-workers is sexist to them, sexism is described as prejudice or discrimination based on sex, or the unfair treatment of people because of their sex (Merriam-Webster). Women in technology often feel asShow MoreRelatedPolice Brutality Against Young Black Men Essay1793 Words   |  8 Pagespolice officers in the last year. The alarming rate at which young Black men and women are being killed is evidence that their lives are not held with high regard. Police brutality against young Black men and women has been perpetrated at alarming rates. 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My Last Duchess and Othello, IV, iii Free Essays

In the dramatic form, be it monologue, dialogue or full theatrical scene, the author cannot step into the action to comment or interpret for us, as he can in a novel.   We must draw our own conclusions from what we see and hear, and this makes for powerful effects, as a character reveals him- or herself to us by what he or she says or does.   In the monologue My Last Duchess Browning misleads us with great skill before we realize that we are listening to a criminal lunatic. We will write a custom essay sample on My Last Duchess and Othello, IV, iii or any similar topic only for you Order Now The dramatic force lies in the surprise we feel as the truth finally emerges.   In Act IV, scene iii of Othello there is again an agonizing irony for the viewer, who knows more than Desdemona and is of course impotent to help her.   Shakespeare works like a dentist without an anaesthetic, and the pain for the audience derives from the unbearable innocence of the doomed Desdemona, who is surely something like the Duchess in Browning’s poem, helpless and bewildered in the face of a murderous insanity in her husband. Browning’s Duke sounds so sane!   He is wonderfully gracious and articulate – â€Å"Will’t please you sit and look at her?† (5).   As he tells his story he seems to weigh his words with great caution, as if he is quite free of the distorting power of anger or any other passion, and is keen to avoid any unfairness in his judgment: â€Å"She had / A heart – how shall I say? – too soon made glad† (21-2), â€Å"†¦but thanked / Somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (31-2). He never raises his voice, and speaks with a measured confidence that quite takes us in. At first we might be tempted to believe that his attitudes are reasonable: â€Å"Sir, ‘twas not / her husband’s presence only, called that spot / Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek† (13-15).   His manner is restrained even as he hints at her infidelity.   The painter flattered her about her appearance, as of course he would, being a Renaissance artist totally dependent on patronage, but she was charmed by it – foolishly, the Duke suggests. â€Å"She liked whate’er / She looked on† (23-24).   She was delighted by the beauty of the sunset, and the little tribute from the man who gave her the cherries, just as much as â€Å"My favour at her breast† (25).   What he seems to be objecting to is her failure to be properly selective and aristocratic in her tastes.   This is a rather extreme sort of snobbery, but perhaps not unprecedented; we may not find it attractive, but we may accept it as a feature of a proud man with a â€Å"nine-hundred-years-old name† (33). All the time, Browning is luring us up the garden path.   We begin to detect the problem.   The Duke is immensely proud, a man of great heritage, while she is free of snobbery, charmed by the delights of the world and human kindness, and genuinely innocent. (Infidelity does not now seem to be the Duke’s concern.)   Then we begin to see how his pride is really pathological arrogance. â€Å"Even had you skill / In speech – (which I have not)† (35-36), (he lies, of course) to explain your objection to her behavior – which is clearly quite â€Å"normal† – it would involve â€Å"stooping, and I choose / Never to stoop† (42-3).   So, rather than speak to her about his dissatisfaction, which would involve impossible condescension by him, he chose to solve the problem rather more radically: â€Å"This grew; I gave commands; / Then all smiles stopped together† (45-6). It takes a moment for us to register what he did, so unbelievable is it and so evasively phrased.   Then, having confessed to murder, or, rather, boasted of it, he continues his negotiations for his next Duchess, celebrating, incidentally, one of his favorite art works, â€Å"Neptune†¦ Taming a sea-horse† (54-5), the very image of the brutal control that he has himself exerted over his innocent last Duchess. The willow scene from Othello works differently, of course, because it is a dialogue, though it is the inner workings of Desdemona’s mind that the dramatic form reveals here, just as much as is the case in Browning’s poem There is an almost intolerable pathos about this scene because Desdemona is so helpless.   She has a good idea of what is going to happen – â€Å"If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me /   In one of those same sheets† (24-5) and is impotent in the face of her fate. There seems to be no defence against the ruthless execution of Othello’s enraged will. She is in a sort of trance, a hypnosis of shock.   All she can do is wait for the end, and the pathetic simplicity of her reflections here is the sign of a wounded spirit in retreat from reality.   The tragic atmosphere is given additional poignancy by the occasional interruption of the everyday details of â€Å"undressing for bed†, the habitual continuing because there is nothing else to do in the face of the worst – â€Å"Prithee unpin me† (21). She continues at moments to pretend that this is just an ordinary night: â€Å"This Lodovico is a proper man† (35), not a comparison of Othello with her country forms, but a pathetic attempt at gossip. But her real thoughts emerge in the obsession with the willow song, which she cannot resist. It is the perfect mirror of her own fortune: â€Å"And she died singing it; that song tonight / Will not go from my mind† (30-1). Like a detail from a psychoanalyst’s casebook comes the unprompted line in the song that gives away the deepest thoughts of the willing victim. –Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve, — Nay, that’s not next.   Hark!   Who’s that knocks? –It is the wind.† (51-3) She corrects herself, but the absolute terror of realisation goes through her. The heroic innocence of Desdemona is highlighted by her conversation with Emilia. While Desdemona genuinely believes that no woman could in fact commit adultery â€Å"for all the world† (63), and swears that she herself would not do it â€Å"by this heavenly light† (64), Emilia responds, â€Å"Nor I neither, by this heavenly light, / I might do it as well in the dark† (65-6), and goes on to consider just what â€Å"all the world† might mean as a reward for the sin. Emilia is not immoral. It is just that Desdemona is on a superhuman and heroic level of behavior, and Emilia is on the normal level.   Compared with Desdemona’s helplessness in the face of the corruption of Othello, Emilia’s jokes have an immensely remedial health.   It is not a criticism of Desdemona, but it is a firm placing of trust in the human by Shakespeare. We can imagine that what Desdemona feels and says is very close to the response of Browning’s Duchess.   Both of them are innocent and benevolent women faced by deranged men.   The creation of character and the realization of human dilemma in the dramatic form are forceful and, in these two cases, immensely painful for the audience or reader.   The form makes the reader peculiarly impotent in the face of disaster. We would like to stand up in the theatre and shout at the stage, like the lady in the famous story, â€Å"You great black fool, can’t you see she’s innocent?†       How to cite My Last Duchess and Othello, IV, iii, Essay examples

Cameron Auto Parts Analysis Essay Example For Students

Cameron Auto Parts Analysis Essay At that time, Alex had to cut the workforce from 720 to 470 people. He was thinking Of different Steps Of how to increase his sales. He wanted to enter foreign markets but didnt have enough resources to do so on its own. He had different options on his mind such as licensing and joint venture. He had a big ambition for diversification, but he never had to design and develop its own products and had never hired any design engineers. By mid-1993, Alex had hired a key-engineer from a Canadian firm and the company developed its own line of flexible couplings with an advanced design and efficient production process using the latest in production equipment. They developed a good marketing plan and made a successful new product. Cameron was then faced with how to market and sell the product. He needed to decide whether it was better to expand current facilities, or license to outside companies. He was considering licensing since there was an opportunity for it and it would be a good way for quick entry to foreign markets. Developing new product Being a competitive company Alex should address the importance of the reduce enhancement by technology change and advanced design. Additional returns will be gained with the introduction of new products. Due to Cameron depending on Big Three and neglected to foster the innovation potential of the firm, sales dropped dramatically with the global economy slowdown. For independence Of the Big Three, Alex decided to make a major product innovation. He paid almost $1 million for developing own products and finally the company had an advanced product related to the existing line. This new product held the greatest opportunity for long-term business growth and product pacification. It is a unique advantage for increasing market share because Ales new product could be widely used in large or small firms. It didnt have a specific target market. For achieving new business goals he should kept sustainability on mind; it can be a powerful tool for both achieving new business goals and avoiding bankruptcy. Alex invested in new technology and hired a professional engineer to design products related to the existing line in order to develop Cameramans own product. It new products hold the greatest opportunity for long- ERM business growth, product specification can be a unique advantage for increasing market share. Additionally, Alex was not worried about creating a new market and he saved money on marketing, By mid-1993, sales increased to $45 million and recovery was well since the product innovation began to make company competitive and get profits As a leader, Alex had a success in organizing, leading, and controlling the development of a new product. New Marketing Plan Cameron Auto Parts faced some set of problems because of uncertainties when the company attempted to enter the market place. Cameron knew flexible type of coupling could be a good product in market place due to broad applications across diverse industries. However, they did not know how to operate market system effectively and lacked specific marketing plans. Fortunately, Cameron overcame some difficulties related With marketing plan and became pretty successful in competitive markets. There were some valuable marketing strategies to approach to the competition in terms of flexible couplings. Alex made decisions to hire eight field sales representatives to support distributors all over the country. After that, he also hired some several Canadian Based sales representatives to cover major markets. Moreover, the company tried to continue having good relationships with key buyers associated with major industries. Design group was an essential role to develop new types of couplings. Cameron was willing to pay attention on solving customers problem as well. .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .postImageUrl , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:hover , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:visited , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:active { border:0!important; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:active , .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449 .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf4cc06bff0088c130fceac9d1513f449:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Princess Diana (521 words) EssayLicensing Alex wanted to capture foreign markets directly but he didnt have enough resources on its own to do that, After their promising new product was developed, they had a chance to license to a Scottish manufacturer, McGrath. Muscular couldnt build the market based on shipments from America because it was too expensive. There was 5% tariff coming in, freight and insurance was another on top of the price and also there was the matter of currency values. He wanted to enter a licensing agreement. McGrath already had a demand for the product So getting into a license agreement With him would be in Ales advantage. For Alex it was a good way to enter the U. K. Market swiftly via Megastars sales force. There was no financial risk involved. If Alex agreed on licensing he would have advantages such as low investment costs, reduced uncial risk and quick market entry. He agreed on a deal With McGrath for the U. K market only so he got his chance to exploit its technology there. The license granted to McGrath will help bring in the cash flow needed so that they can try to expand. However, the profit of the licensor may not be maximized since their involvement in the licensed markets is indirect. Alex wasnt quite sure about the agreement, sometimes he thought that an equity investment would have paid off better than being a licensor. Another of his disadvantages was shared profits. And he also had no objective yardstick against which to evaluate the royalty rate that they agreed on. Joint Venture Sandy proposed a 60 to 40 joint venture with Cameron, allowing the authority to control and responsibility tort managing the venture in Australia. Sandy insisted they had lots of experience in Australia and pointed out their knowledge on the market as well. Sandy also suggested a management tee of four percent on sales for them, and a royalty of two and a half percent to Alex. During the negotiation between Sandy and Alex, about the joint venture agreement in Australia, there as a rising issue. Alex was quite disappointed about Sandy because Alex did not know Sandy was selling flexible couplings in Europe and Australia. Despite of increased profits, the awareness of Sandy taking advantage of imperfect license agreement made Alex to have second thoughts about Sandy. Ender some proposals associated with joint venture from McGrath, Alex preferred having a silent partner basis relating to the joint venture. Moreover, Alex was concerned about whether to expand the market into Australia or not. Since Cameramans resources are limited, Alex has to make an informed decision. It takes courage for Cameron Auto Parts to give up the European market for a small percent Of loyalty from Australian market. Cameron Auto Parts had two product lines and th ey were growing very quickly. Because of the company just recovering from the economic depression, it was not a good time to expand two product lines so quickly. Outsourcing might be an option to help the company save money, find another company which will be able to produce high quality auto parts for cheaper, Alex signed his licensing agreement within a week; he didnt take any advice at all trot his managers. There should have been more thought behind the decision than just an unexpected trip without consulting with the Cameron Auto Parts executive team. He didnt get consultation from his financial, operational and legal advisers. This is where he made a big mistake. If he took some advice, maybe he could have come up with a better deal, decide whether those were the appropriate royalties for him. The royalties they agreed on were too low and he just agreed on them. A good thing is that the licensing agreement is only for S years so if its not going ell he can change it to something different after, or they can renegotiate for a higher percentage in the future if they still want to.

Managing HR in a Global Environment

Globalization is responsible for the increase in the number of international job opportunities. In the last half of the twentieth century, developments in technology and in transportation and communication systems have catalyzed a process of transfer of manpower across borders.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing HR in a Global Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This process started in the colonial era, but its significance grew with technological advancement. China is an emerging global power. China is pursuing an aggressive trade policy by seeking bilateral trade agreements with as many countries as possible. In Africa, China is providing grants for infrastructure development and in exchange it takes minerals and agricultural raw materials for its industries. The country is interested in raw materials for its industries and agricultural products for its growing population. As a result, China thro ugh its international investment companies runs operations in various continents. The aim of this paper is to explore the international HR strategy of China. In order to do this, there is a need to explore Chinese operations in Zimbabwe as a case study. This will form the basis for examining Chinese policy in Africa and the issues that surround international HR. Further, there is need to examine the effect of these policies both on locals and on expatriate Chinese workers. Review of the Case Zimbabwean workers employed by a Chinese firm in Zimbabwe on a state project complained about bad treatment by their Chinese superiors. The project, a military intelligence academy, was the first major trade agreement between the Chinese and the Zimbabwean government.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More China offered to build the academy in exchange for Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth. In p articular, China wanted a share of Zimbabwean diamonds. The Zimbabwean workers complained that their Chinese superiors abused them physically and psychologically. Physical abuse took the form of beating meted out to errant local workers. On the other hand, taunts and general mistreatment by the Chinese superiors led the Zimbabwean workers to feel psychologically traumatized. These reports were not taken seriously by the Zimbabwean government. It appeared that government officials were reluctant to raise the issues with their Chinese benefactors. That said, the workers were reluctant to let go of the construction jobs they held in the construction project. Unemployment levels in the country were so high that despite the difficult working conditions and low wages the Zimbabwean workers did not consider resigning from then jobs as an option. This case sets the stage for the discussion on the challenges of international HR. The reasons provided for the difficult relations between the Ch inese workers and the Zimbabweans included cultural differences, language barrier, and poor remuneration for the work done. Chinese working culture differs significantly from Zimbabwean working culture. The Chinese seem more accustomed to working for many hours in a day, exceeding the normal working hours that Zimbabwean workers expected to be on duty. In the orient, work is a key determinant of a person’s status in society. In Zimbabwe, and much of Africa, status is a function of age and wealth, and not a person’s work ethic.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing HR in a Global Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A strong work ethic is not necessarily a source of pride. Rather, if the results of that effort show in the creation of wealth, then it attracts status in society. On the issue of language, the Chinese workers were not conversant with local, languages just like the local worke rs were not conversant with the Chinese language. This situation led to many misunderstandings in the course of the project and was the cause of dissatisfaction among both groups. The workers used sign language to communicate. It is understandable why the atmosphere on site would be heated. Finally, the issue of low wages also created concern for the locals. Their wages were quite low considering they were working long hours. The situation was a precursor to labor problems. Attraction of Africa for the Chinese China’s footprint in Africa is increasing by the day. In the last ten years, Chinese firms driven by Chinese loans to African countries have been undertaking huge construction projects in different parts of Africa. A number of factors explain the Chinese interest in Africa. First, Africa is in need of development partners. The traditional development partners such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are difficult to work with in comparison to the Chinese. Western development aid is normally given with conditions based on the country’s human rights record, its fiscal responsibility, and its political processes. As such, African countries find it difficult to borrow from western countries and other development partners that use the same principles. China on the other hand keeps aid and grants purely economic. It does not ask questions about the internal governance issues of any country.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Therefore, Africa governments find the Chinese less intrusive and easier to deal with as they seek financing to meet their development goals. Secondly, Africa is very rich in mineral wealth. Some commentators claim that Africa has the greatest quantities of mineral wealth compared to other continents. The historical scramble for Africa by European powers proves this. Africa actually produces a large quantity of natural resources and mineral wealth consumed by the rest of the world. Africa is also becoming an important supplier of crude oil. The southern and central parts of Africa produce minerals such as diamond, gold and copper, while North Africa is rich in oil. Thirdly, Africa is the source of timber and agricultural products. In fact, some African economies rely on agriculture as their basic means of earning foreign exchange. China needs agricultural products to feed its growing population, and therefore it is establishing relationships with African countries in order to have a source of food and agricultural products for its people. Some commentators believe that Chinese interest in the Renaissance dam in Ethiopia is based on the projections that the dam will transform Ethiopia’s agricultural industry because it will make large scale irrigation a reality. This in turn will assure China of large quantities of food imports. China’s economy is only second in size to the American economy. This makes the Chinese feel that they are in the right place to assume superpower status. Traditionally, China was a closed society. The Great Wall of China came up to keep raiders from the North from invading China and it also served as a symbol of Chinese determination to keep to itself. The recent upsurge of Chinese interest in international trade reveals Chinese desire to play a greater role in global issues. Chinese is busy launching international broadcast services in the countries it traditionally had very little to do with. Chinese scholarships are ava ilable to African students, and China is also setting up cultural centers in countries that it wants to relate to more closely. These activities show that China is interested in becoming a geopolitical power. Finally, China is doing business with Africa as part of its trade and investment strategy. China needs jobs for its citizens. Therefore Chinese companies launch projects in Africa and as part of the conditions, china exports labor thereby creating job opportunities for its citizens. In addition, China is making money from the interest it earns from loan repayments by countries it supports. The list of countries that owe China is growing, just like Chinese income from debt repayments is growing. Staffing Strategies Open to Multinational Corporations Any corporation that operates in more than one country must have an international staffing strategy. Crossing boarders bring several issues into play, such as legal and regulatory requirements, the need to transfer the companyâ€℠¢s corporate culture, and a desire to understand the indigenous culture of the new country. Kottolli identified four main staffing strategies in use by multinational corporations (1). The four strategies were the use of an ethnocentric approach, application of a polycentric approach, using a polycentric, and an indigenous strategy. An ethnocentric approach in international HR is the use of a home country executive to head subsidiaries in other countries. This is the most common approach during the early stages of Internationalization. The main advantage of this approach is that the mother company can feel secure that the new subsidiary is remaining aligned to the strategic direction of the company based on the presence of a home grown professional. In addition there is a greater chance of success in the transfer of corporate culture to a new territory when the executive understands the operations of the parent company. On the other hand, this approach can breed resentment from local s especially if the executive is less experienced than local workers. In some countries, it may lead to legal bottlenecks. The second approach to international HR strategy is the use of a polycentric approach. It is a compromise approach which allows local executives to work alongside an expatriate executive from the home country. It seeks to bring the benefits of the two worlds into the organization. The benefits associated with a polycentric approach is that it gives the organization a strong strategic position because it provides the organization with the best local knowledge buttressed against international experience. Secondly, it reduces the tension associated with full foreign control experienced by locals. Similarly, it gives the parent company a feeling of control over the affairs of their foreign subsidiaries. The disadvantage of a polycentric approach is that it sets up the organization for power struggles. The expatriate executive is likely to feel obliged to pursue busi ness in a manner that closely resembles the operations of the mother company, while the local executive might feel that some of the elements of this approach are not practical, acceptable or effective in the local operation. Thirdly, organizations can choose to use a meritocratic approach to international HR. This simply means that the best person in the organization heads the subsidiary. This is the ideal way of practicing HR, at least in theory. The benefit this approach presents to the organization is that it reduces the questions relating to the qualifications and suitability of the executive. Such an executive will command greater respect from all stakeholders compared to one chosen to meet other criteria. However, using a meritocratic approach does not shield the organization from questions relating to its HR policy. If the best person for the job is from the parent company, then the challenges associated with an ethnocentric system may surface. Finally, some organizations cho ose an indigenous approach to international HR. With this approach, the executives of the subsidiary all come from the locality. This approach is very useful if there is political or cultural incompatibility between the two countries. It hides the foreign face of the company. However, the risk of a distinct corporate culture emerging is higher. This risk translates into a threat when the corporate culture within subsidiaries differs significantly to the point that it affects business processes. Management Approaches used by Chinese Corporations The Chinese model of economic support for Africa differs from the models used by western countries and western development corporations. Chinese aid rarely makes it to Africa in form of cash. Rather, China pledges to provide the actual needs African countries need. For instance, a Chinese loan structured for the construction of a road may not leave Chinese banks. The money simply moves from one Chinese bank to another, where international roa d constructions companies have accounts. The construction company uses the money to hire some Chinese laborers and local workers from the lending country to work in the project. In effect, the money does not pass through the hands of the African government where the construction project is underway. This model of development makes it necessary for the Chinese companies to send their employees to African countries. Since most of the projects are infrastructure related or have very close Chinese interests intertwined with them, the best people to manage them are Chinese executives. Therefore, the most common model used by Chinese firms operating in Africa is the ethnocentric model. This is more pronounced in government initiated contracts. Chinese business people who travel to Africa to establish trade relations on their own also end up as the senior most executives of their companies. They may have local trading partners, but usually they will bring in Chinese nationals to take up th e executive functions. Perhaps the biggest barrier to Chinese International HR is the language barrier. There are few multilingual people with a working knowledge of the Chinese language as well as other international languages. This limits the extent of cooperation possible because of the risks that can occur because of the language barrier. Culture Shock and its Effect on Chinese Workers Inevitably, Chinese workers across the African continent deal with culture shock as part of the challenges they need to overcome on order to operate effectively in Africa. Chinese workers are accustomed to greater control from superiors based on the political environment of their country. In Africa, the situation is not similar. Most people are more vocal about their rights because of the years spent in promoting democratic ideals in Africa. Therefore Chinese supervisors tend to view African workers as arrogant and disrespectful. This may explain their resort to force to discipline errant workers. Africans are generally more social than the Chinese. They live in communities which are welcoming to foreigners, and practice hospitality. The Chinese workers in the African continent may find these overtures suspicious. For those who are able to see that Africans are simply being social with them, there is a good chance that they will enjoy beneficial friendships. Politically, Africa is on average about fifty years old since its independence from colonial powers. As such, many Africans are still sensitive to foreign control. Any actions by foreigners that seem to recreate a master-servant relationship are repugnant to Africans. Therefore, authoritarian superiors end up as very unpopular with African workers. In fact, there is growing disquiet among African workers employed by Chinese firms. Laborers and manual workers think the Chinese are brutal and authoritarian. This does not auger well with Africans who feel as though the Chinese are using colonialist attitudes in their relati onships with locals. On the social front, some of the Chinese workers living in Africa have engaged in relationships with locals, leading to the birth of children with mixed heritages. This phenomenon will increase of Chinese immigrants moving to Africa to trade. Some of them choose to settle in Africa after the completion of their contracts. This growing population of Chinese immigrants in Africa will be very instrumental in the future relations of China and Africa. Their understanding of local conditions and language, coupled with their knowledge of Chinese culture and working conditions will make them effective trade ambassadors. Works Cited Brookes, Peter and Ji Hye Shin. â€Å"China’s Influence in Africa: Implications for the United States.† 2006. The Heritage Foundation. Web. Davis, Irl M. The American Entrepreneur in Asia: A Personal Journey of Global Proportions. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, 2005. Print. East Asia Quarterly. â€Å"Are China’s Multinational C orporations Really Multinational?† East Asia Quarterly April-June 2012. Print. Kottolli, Arun. â€Å"International Staffing Strategy.† 2006. White Papers. Web. Schnurr, Matthew A and Larry A Swatuk. Natural Resources and Social Conflict: Towards Critical Environmental Security. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print. Smith, David. â€Å"Workers Claim Abuse as China adds Zimbabwe to its Scramble for Africa.† 2012. The Guardian. Web. Sutter, Robert G. Chinese Foreign Relations: Power and Policy since the Cold War. Plymouth: Rowman and Littlefield, 2012. Print. The Economist. â€Å"The Chinese in Africa Trying to Pull Together: Africans are Asking Whether China is making their Lunch or Eating it.† 2011. The Economist. Web. Walker, Danielle Medina, Thomas D Walker and Joerg Thomas Schmitz. Doing Business Internationally: The Guide to Cross-Cultural Success. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003. Print. Zhu, Zhiqun. China’s New Diplomacy: Ratio nale, Strategies and Significance. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, 2010. Print. This essay on Managing HR in a Global Environment was written and submitted by user Trey Dillon to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Chinas Rural and Urban Inequality

Chinas Rural and Urban Inequality Free Online Research Papers Introduction During the last three decades, China has great changes, and these changes were originally a series of progressive political reform-driven. The late 70’s of the last century, the agricultural sector reconstruct, this is known as the â€Å"agricultural reform†, lasted for eight years. The subsequent second period known as the â€Å"urban reform† began in 1985, until now it is still continuing. The rapid development of industrialization, restructuring of state-owned enterprises, trade openness increased export tax rebates and financial assistance links, as well as the gradual liberalization of the financial markets are the characteristics of this period. But the â€Å"urban reform† also brought the negatively impact: that is caused the inequalities between urban and rural increased again. The causes of inequality caused by urban and rural China is multifaceted, but the main reason is that â€Å"duality system†. Duality Household Registration System For a long time, China has implemented an urban-rural division of the duality household registration system. This household registration system was set up under the planned economic system, which is the product of urban-rural dual structure. The children born by urban residents are the urban account, and the children born in rural which rural farmers account, and from generation to generation. China was setup the high request for entry threshold of urban account, which was caused between urban and rural areas form an insurmountable gap. Unless the rural residents meet the harsh conditions requirements, otherwise not even think about into the city. In addition, coupled with the urban grain rationing system and the welfare housing allocation in the planned economy era, in effect, that was cut off the peasants into the city roads. This not only undermines farmers’ citizenship for the freedom of movement and choice of residence, but also objectively to curb the urban development. Until now, although some local government has relaxed the restriction of urban entrance, but the duality household registration system has not really been broken. Duality Employment System In the planned economy era, the urban employment problem by the government planned to make arrangements in urban areas, while the peasants were employed in the rural production teams. The jobs in urban are first offer to urban residents, only when the urban labor supply cannot meet the needs of urban jobs, then will offer to rural residents, so only a small number of peasants to the urban were fortunate sought the jobs. In addition to the planned recruitment and enrollment, the government strictly controlled the peasants into the urban. This system has 4 characteristic. First, policy support from the China’s government is inequality. For a long time, the China’s government was not bring the rural labor force into the national economic and social development plan, and they were not offer any special funds or project to support the rural labor force transfer to cities. A considerable period of time, the rural labor force cannot enjoy the vocational skills training from government. Even if the country has recently introduced training plan for peasant workers, but the amount of money and scale ratio of training are large differences compare with urban workers. In addition, the Government has not bring the management of peasant workers into the citys comprehensive management, the expenses for operation paid by peasants was increased their finance burden, resulting in rural labor force and urban labor force in terms of employment inequality. The second characteristic is employment pass inequality. Compared to the free movement of urban workers employed, the local government set up a number of restrictions and requirements in the transfer of rural labor employment, resulting in rural labor and urban labor have the great inequality in employment permit. For example: in some cities, the local government was stipulated the peasants to apply for a variety of procedures when they found the work in there, some local government also took the opportunity to collect various fees, increasing the cost of peasants to work elsewhere, resulting in an increasing burden on the farmers. Third is labor and social security inequality. In the course of employment of rural labor force are often subjected to unfair treatment. Firstly, the labor contract is not standardized. Most peasant workers do not sign labor contracts with employers; even if the signing of a contract, but also mostly one-way restriction contract, that means only restrict on migrant workers, but not restrict on the employing units. Secondly, the unequal pay. Rural laborers and urban workers engaged in the same work, but not the same as remuneration. Thirdly, production and living environment is poor. Look from the working conditions, peasant workers often do the dirtiest and the hardest work, and the safety and health conditions of enterprise were do not meet requirements of country. Working time of peasant workers in general is 10-12 hours, sometime up to 14-16 hours. Fourth are inequalities in social welfare. At present, farmers working in cities have not established the basic social security like medical care and injuries at work. When the peasant workers were injury suffered on the job or got the illness from the job, there is no corresponding system to protect their access to basic treatment costs, let alone compensate them. Although the state has issued the â€Å"Work-related Injury Insurance Regulations†, and explicitly requested that peasant workers into the insurance coverage of work-related injury, but still need to take some time for full implementation in China. In recent years with Chinas further reform, although the employment post implement the two-way choice, but the government will no longer restrict the farmers work in urban. However, some cities there are still occur a lot of the peasant discrimination policies on problem of employment, therefore urban enterprise recruitment is still biased towards urban dwellers. Some cities also expressly provides peasant workers are not allowed to enter in some industries, so mostly peasant workers in the city are do the dirty, tired, dangerous, and low wages jobs. Consequently, inequality employment opportunities for rural and urban residents still exist. Duality System of Income Distribution The citys industrial workers income comes from wages, while the income of peasants is mainly derived from agricultural income. Compared to urban industrial sector with a capital of a large scale, high level of accumulation, follow the rules of increasing returns to scale, advanced production methods, the technological progress is fast, high production efficiency, high economic efficiency, structure and other characteristics to change rapidly and so on, agricultural development has been remarkably weak position. This is because the farmers are engaged in agriculture has inherent weak nature: get the relatively large natural environment and climate influence, small-scale capital, per capita’s cultivated lands are few, low levels of accumulation, backward mode of production, technological progress is slow, sale prices of agricultural products are lower than its value, etc. Therefore, the income level of farmers is often lower than urban workers, this also caused many farmers were abandoning agricultural work to work in cities. In recent years, income disparities between urban and rural residents, and the income gap continued to widen. For example, rural per capita consumption expenditure in 2000 was only 33.4% of urban residents, 5.2% lower than in 1997, average declined 1.7% per annum. From an objective point of view, in the socialism stage, the income gap between urban and rural is impossible to eliminate, but the income gap between urban and rural should have a reasonable extent, this gap should be reduced gradually with the economic development, rather than the reverse. Duality Education System For a long time, Chinas dual education system continues to attract a lot of controversy; this is because the Chinese governments serious shortage of investment in education and all the money education business trend, resulting in the fact that education is not fair throughout China. The main reason for this inequality happened in the education system was: the government introduced the unfair policy in education. According to Southern Weekend reported: 75% of the compulsory education funds are burden by peasants. In this duality system, most of Chinas spending on education has focused on the urban education, specially the higher education. Sometimes, from newspapers and television news, we can see the rural schools are dilapidated, and even some rural schools did not have a classroom, the students are sitting on rocks to attend the class. In contrast, the urban schools are luxurious and beautiful, and their equipment is complete. In addition, the college entrance examination scores of rural candidates must be much higher than urban candidates, and then they are eligible to enter the same colleges or universities. Day after day, the inequitable education system will resulting in more rural students are obliged to discontinue schooling. Therefore, the Chinese Government can no longer ignore these problems. Conclusions We can conclude that Chinas dual system has created a heavy burden and unfair of rural residents. These burdens and inequality make the poverty life of peasants more difficult. As opposed to the high expenditure on education, the low income of peasants make they do not focus on education, coupled with inflated prices, many rural children are forced to work from an early age to earn money to alleviate the financial burden of the family. Duality systems will not only resulted in uneven distribution of wealth between urban and rural areas, and also led to situation of the rich people richer and the poor people poorer. Finally, I hope the Chinese Government will eliminate the duality system, so that Chinas economic development can be more comprehensive and powerful. I believe China will become a real powerful country, when the whole Chinese people were out of poverty. 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Analysis of Public Celebrity Apologies in America

Analysis of Public Celebrity Apologies in America Devin Black Julia TofantÃ… ¡uk Their circumstances and effects via analyzing specific cases Introduction Recently, I have become aware of a trend that has been sweeping across America – the celebrity apology, or precisely, the non-apology. I think I have always been aware of the constant apologies made by celebrities, but it has only been in the past year when I have actually paid attention to the words they were using to apologize, and under what circumstances they were apologizing. In fact, the exact moment when I became infatuated with the celebrity apology was when I was listening to a broadcast of the Opie and Anthony Radio Show in March 2014 and the hosts were discussing the numerous celebrity apologies that had been made during the previous week. Their discussion about celebrity apologies began to consume the show daily, until they officially established an â€Å"Apology Clock† on June 5, 2014 (Apology Clock, 2014). The experiment was to see if they could go t en days without a celebrity apology. The results showed that they could not, as there was at least one new apology a day and more often than not there were apologies from multiple celebrities. Their research ended unexpectedly one month later when one of the hosts became a victim of the celebrity apology. I will discuss more about this later in the paper. For the purposes of this paper, I will begin by defining the terms and scope the paper covers. Secondly, I will present some cases from a wide range of circumstances which celebrities apologized, and the results of their apology. Finally, I will discuss Americans’ reaction to the celebrity apology. Definitions According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary , a celebrity is defined as â€Å"a person who is famous.† For this paper, the definition will be narrowed to only a person who is recognizable in North America and broadened to include corporations, as these are considered individuals under the law. An apol ogy is defined as â€Å"an expression of regret for having done or said something wrong.† For this paper, we also need to consider the definition of a non-apology apology , which is defined as â€Å"a statement that has the form of an apology but does not express the expected contrition.† An example of a non-apology apology would be saying â€Å"I’m sorry that you feel that way† to someone who has been offended by a statement. This apology does not admit that there was anything wrong with the remarks made, and additionally, it may be taken as insinuating that the person taking offense was excessively thin-skinned or irrational in taking offense at the remarks in the first place (Lazare, 2005). Case Studies of celebrity apologies and the results of the apology There are hundreds, if not thousands of examples of celebrity apologies. For this paper, the time frame of the case studies of celebrity apologies examined will begin in 1998, well after the advent of the Internet. This starting point was chosen because the Internet disseminates information almost effortlessly, therefore more people would be aware of the apologies given by celebrities.