Clothing Shop and Fabrics Sale Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Clothing Shop and Fabrics Sale - Essay Example Now the owner knew that he can also use different social networking service to benefit his business. He starts using Facebook to promote events for different sports such as snowboarding and skating. The owner fund webcasts are helpful, so he develops the clothing brand accounts on Instagram and Facebook to provide the customer with full news and announcement about his products. He wanted the customer to feel more connected to his business. Therefore, he establishes an online shop to make it easy for the customer to shop. Nowadays there are many ways for business owners to advertise their products. One of these ways is the electronic advertisement that has advantages and disadvantages. Knowing these advantages and disadvantages will help business owners to choose the best way for them to advertise their products. We all know that an electronic advertisement is a new way in the business world, and it is an unfamiliar way for many people. This reason caused most of the electronic advertising drawbacks. Another reason is peoples satisfaction with the traditional way of advertising."Technology has still not advanced enough to allow electronic advertising to compete with television and print"[1]. In order for an electronic advertisement to be successful, the technology has to improve but in these days we didn't reach a high level of technology development. Even though if technology has developed, many people won't have the ability to explore the online information system. On the other hand, people who have the skill to use the online information system find electronic advertisement distracting and annoying. Therefore, they try to avoid visiting website that has the advertisement for it. Moreover, most of the advertisers tend to use the traditional way to advertise because they find electronic adve rtisement is not appealing to them.And that what help television and print advertisement to have a huge market with much attraction from advertisers.

Home and Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Home and Family - Essay Example Most of these parents are more concerned with their own lives than their children. In â€Å"After Making Love We Hear Footsteps†, the loving nature of a parent can be observed. After two parents make love their little boy always ran to sleep in between them. Instead of throwing the child out of their bed, the parents welcome him with open arms: These parents show their child love by accepting them into their very private bed. This child is the center of the universe for his parents. Unlike other examples that will be later given, this child will grow up to be confident and well adjusted. As will be presented, this situation is a very unique and rare example. â€Å"Orthello† shows one typical view of the parent/child relationship. Brabantio treats his daughter, Desdemona, like his personal property. Desdemona means as much to Brabantio as his gold. The following passage shows this emotion: Brabantio only cared about what Desdemona could do for him by marrying rich, than treating her lovingly. Desdemona was definitely on Brabantio’s peripheral vision, until she messed up his plans by marrying Orthello. other. After the father is laid off, he takes joy in others’ misfortune. Whenever a fire truck can be heard, the father takes is family out to watch the fires. The child only knows that he receives attention by his otherwise occupied father. He tells: Despite the suffering of the family whose house burned, the father feels justified because at least he still has a house. The child is ripped out of bed to see his father’s sick obsession. The parent is passing down his own issues to the child. The father could have easily gone to the fires alone. It would have been faster than taking a wife and five children along. The father wanted an audience, just like the wife went to keep peace. That is what the wife wanted to accomplish; peace. She felt

Methods Used to Evaluate Investment Projects

Methods Used to Evaluate Investment Projects Evaluation of the attractiveness of an investment proposal, using methods such as average rate of return, internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), or payback period. Investment appraisal is an integral part of capital budgeting (see capital budget), and is applicable to areas even where the returns may not be easily quantifiable such as personnel, marketing, and training Average Rate of Return (ARR) Definition: Method of investment appraisal which determines return on investment by totalling the cash flows (over the years for which the money was invested) and dividing that amount by the number of years Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Definition: One of the two discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques (the other is net present value or NPV) used in comparative appraisal of investment proposals where the flow of income varies over time. IRR is the average annual return earned through the life of an investment and is computed in several ways. Depending on the method used, it can either be the effective rate of interest on a deposit or loan, or the discount rate that reduces to zero the net present value of a stream of income inflows and outflows. If the IRR is higher than the desired rate of return on investment, then the project is a desirable one. However, it is a mechanical method (computed usually with a spreadsheet formula) and not a consistent principle. It can give wrong or misleading answers, especially where two mutually-exclusive projects are to be appraised. Also called dollar weighted rate of return Net Present Value (NPV) Definition: NPV is the difference between the present value (PV) of the future cash flows from an investment and the amount of investment. Present value of the expected cash flows is computed by discounting them at the required rate of return (also called minimum rate of return) For example, an investment of $1,000 today at 10 percent will yield $1,100 at the end of the year; therefore, the present value of $1,100 at the desired rate of return (10 percent) is $1,000. The amount of investment ($1,000 in this example) is deducted from this figure to arrive at NPV which here is zero ($1,000-$1,000). A zero NPV means the project repays original investment plus the required rate of return. A positive NPV means a better return, and a negative NPV means a worse return, than the return from zero NPV. It is one of the two discounted cash flow (DCF) techniques (the other is internal rate of return) used in comparative appraisal of investment proposals where the flow of income varies over time Payback Period Definition: Time required to recover an investment or loan. INVESTMENT APPRAISAL One of the key areas of long-term decision-making that firms must tackle is that of investment the need to commit funds by purchasing land, buildings, machinery and so on, in anticipation of being able to earn an income greater than the funds committed. In order to handle these decisions, firms have to make an assessment of the size of the outflows and inflows of funds, the lifespan of the investment, the degree of risk attached and the cost of obtaining funds. The main stages in the capital budgeting cycle can be summarised as follows: Forecasting investment needs. Identifying project(s) to meet needs. Appraising the alternatives. Selecting the best alternatives. Making the expenditure. Monitoring project(s). Looking at investment appraisal involves us in stage 3 and 4 of this cycle. We can classify capital expenditure projects into four broad categories: Maintenance replacing old or obsolete assets for example. Profitability quality, productivity or location improvement for example. Expansion new products, markets and so on. Indirect social and welfare facilities. Even the projects that are unlikely to generate profits should be subjected to investment appraisal. This should help to identify the best way of achieving the projects aims. So investment appraisal may help to find the cheapest way to provide a new staff restaurant, even though such a project may be unlikely to earn profits for the company. Investment appraisal methods: One of the most important steps in the capital budgeting cycle is working out if the benefits of investing large capital sums outweigh the costs of these investments. The range of methods that business organisations use can be categorised one of two ways: traditional methods and discounted cash flow techniques. Traditional methods include the Average Rate of Return (ARR) and the Payback method; discounted cash flow (DCF) methods use Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return techniques. Traditional Methods Payback: This is literally the amount of time required for the cash inflows from a capital investment project to equal the cash outflows. The usual way that firms deal with deciding between two or more competing projects is to accept the project that has the shortest payback period. Payback is often used as an initial screening method. Payback period = Initial payment / Annual cash inflow So, if  £4 million is invested with the aim of earning  £500 000 per year (net cash earnings), the payback period is calculated thus: P =  £4 000 000 /  £500 000 = 8 years This all looks fairly easy! But what if the project has more uneven cash inflows? Then we need to work out the payback period on the cumulative cash flow over the duration of the project as a whole. Payback with uneven cash flows: Of course, in the real world, investment projects by business organisations dont yield even cash flows. Have a look at the following projects cash flows (with an initial investment in year 0 of  £4 000): The payback period is precisely 5 years. The shorter the payback period, the better the investment, under the payback method. We can appreciate the problems of this method when we consider appraising several projects alongside each other. But, here we must face the real problem posed by payback: the time value of income flows. Put simply, this issue relates to the sacrifice made as a result of having to wait to receive the funds. In economic terms, this is known as the opportunity cost. More on this point follows later. So, because there is a time value constraint here, the payback method can become complicated. In this case, the earlier flow of revenue is a key factor. Also if post-payback revenues occur earlier in the lives of competing projects, that can be a decisive factor. OK, so its clear that the payback method is a bit of a blunt instrument. So why use it? Arguments in favour of payback Firstly, it is popular because of its simplicity. Research over the years has shown that UK firms favour it and perhaps this is understandable given how easy it is to calculate. Secondly, in a business environment of rapid technological change, new plant and machinery may need to be replaced sooner than in the past, so a quick payback on investment is essential. Thirdly, the investment climate in the UK in particular, demands that investors are rewarded with fast returns. Many profitable opportunities for long-term investment are overlooked because they involve a longer wait for revenues to flow. Arguments against payback It lacks objectivity. Who decides the length of optimal payback time? No one does it is decided by pitting one investment opportunity against another. Cash flows are regarded as either pre-payback or post-payback , but the latter tend to be ignored. Payback takes no account of the effect on business profitability. Its sole concern is cash flow. Payback summary It is probably best to regard payback as one of the first methods you use to assess competing projects. It could be used as an initial screening tool, but it is inappropriate as a basis for sophisticated investment decisions. Average Rate of Return: The average rate of return expresses the profits arising from a project as a percentage of the initial capital cost. However the definition of profits and capital cost are different depending on which textbook you use. For instance, the profits may be taken to include depreciation, or they may not. One of the most common approaches is as follows: ARR = (Average annual revenue / Initial capital costs) * 100 Lets use this simple example to illustrate the ARR: A project to replace an item of machinery is being appraised. The machine will cost  £240 000 and is expected to generate total revenues of  £45 000 over the projects five year life. What is the ARR for this project? ARR = ( £45 000 / 5) / 240 000 * 100 = ( £9 000) / 240 000 * 100 = 3.75% Advantages of ARR As with the Payback method, the chief advantage with ARR is its simplicity. This makes it relatively easy to understand. There is also a link with some accounting measures that are commonly used. The Average Rate of Return is similar to the Return on Capital Employed in its construction; this may make the ARR easier for business planners to understand. The ARR is expressed in percentage terms and this, again, may make it easier for managers to use. There are several criticisms of ARR which raise questions about its practical application: Arguments against ARR Firstly, the ARR doesnt take account of the project duration or the timing of cash flows over the course of the project. Secondly, the concept of profit can be very subjective, varying with specific accounting practice and the capitalisation of project costs. As a result, the ARR calculation for identical projects would be likely to result in different outcomes from business to business. Thirdly, there is no definitive signal given by the ARR to help managers decide whether or not to invest. This lack of a guide for decision making means that investment decisions remain subjective.

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation Essay -- Dance T

Historical Events that Impacted Contact Improvisation Dance has evolved greatly throughout the centuries. It began with ballet and has led up to contact improvisation. This form of dance begun in the early 1970's and was started by a man named Steve Paxton and a group of postmodern dancers from New York City. Contact improvisation is a partnering form of dance and known as the art of moving spontaneously with a group or another person. This form of dance does not require the exact set of traditional skills of other dance form, it doesn’t have a technique that could be studied, and it is practiced in order to accomplish the highest potential. Contact improvisation came at a great time period, which of course was the 70's. The main historical events that were taking place then were the Watergate Scandal, the end of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. The Watergate Scandal was a very important and altering event in our nation’s history. The Watergate Scandal was during a presidential campaign when DC police arrested five men caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in a residence complex, the Watergate. Eventually, the scandal got back to Nixon and they realized that he was behind it. Then the House of Judiciary Committee adopted three articles of impeachment, which were Nixon’s abusing of power, obstructing justice, and defying Judiciary Committee subpoenas. Before Nixon was impeached he resigned from the presidency on August 9, 1974. After this happened people had less confidence in the nation and Americans became suspicious of the government. This scandal I think had little affect on contact improvisation. They might have started this because they were showing their anger or unt... ... better way for people to express their emotions. First of all, improvisation is dancing what your feeling or thinking at that time so that expresses your emotions, and therefore contact improvisation would be more effective to get your feelings out on war. In conclusion, contact improvisation was a very big development especially for its time period. It is a partnering form and known as an art of moving spontaneously with another person. Steve Paxton began contact improvisation during the early 1970s. The events that were going on in the United States during the 70s had a great impact on contact improvisation. The main historical events during the 70s were the Watergate Scandal, the end of the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. Contact improvisation has been a source of many new understandings in dancing and it has affected a lot of contemporary choreography.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 102-104

CHAPTER 102 The mist had settled low on Kensington Gardens as Silas limped into a quiet hollow out of sight. Kneeling on the wet grass, he could feel a warm stream of blood flowing from the bullet wound below his ribs. Still, he stared straight ahead. The fog made it look like heaven here. Raising his bloody hands to pray, he watched the raindrops caress his fingers, turning them white again. As the droplets fell harder across his back and shoulders, he could feel his body disappearing bit by bit into the mist. I am a ghost. A breeze rustled past him, carrying the damp, earthy scent of new life. With every living cell in his broken body, Silas prayed. He prayed for forgiveness. He prayed for mercy. And, above all, he prayed for his mentor†¦ Bishop Aringarosa†¦ that the Lord would not take him before his time. Hehas so much work left to do. The fog was swirling around him now, and Silas felt so light that he was sure the wisps would carry him away. Closing his eyes, he said a final prayer. From somewhere in the mist, the voice of Manuel Aringarosa whispered to him. Our Lord is a good and merciful God. Silas's pain at last began to fade, and he knew the bishop was right. CHAPTER 103 It was late afternoon when the London sun broke through and the city began to dry. Bezu Fache felt weary as he emerged from the interrogation room and hailed a cab. Sir Leigh Teabing had vociferously proclaimed his innocence, and yet from his incoherent rantings about the Holy Grail, secret documents, and mysterious brotherhoods, Fache suspected the wily historian was setting the stage for his lawyers to plead an insanity defense. Sure, Fache thought. Insane.Teabing had displayed ingenious precision in formulating a plan that protected his innocence at every turn. He had exploited both the Vatican and Opus Dei, two groups that turned out to be completely innocent. His dirty work had been carried out unknowingly by a fanatical monk and a desperate bishop. More clever still, Teabing had situated his electronic listening post in the one place a man with polio could not possibly reach. The actual surveillance had been carried out by his manservant, Remy – the lone person privy to Teabing's true identity – now conveniently dead of an allergic reaction. Hardly the handiwork of someone lacking mental faculties, Fache thought. The information coming from Collet out of Chateau Villette suggested that Teabing's cunning ran so deep that Fache himself might even learn from it. To successfully hide bugs in some of Paris's most powerful offices, the British historian had turned to the Greeks. Trojan horses.Some of Teabing's intended targets received lavish gifts of artwork, others unwittingly bid at auctions in which Teabing had placed specific lots. In Sauniere's case, the curator had received a dinner invitation to Chateau Villette to discuss the possibility of Teabing's funding a new Da Vinci Wing at the Louvre. Sauniere's invitation had contained an innocuous postscript expressing fascination with a robotic knight that Sauniere was rumored to have built. Bring him to dinner, Teabing had suggested. Sauniere apparently had done just that and left the knight unattended long enough for Remy Legaludec to make one inconspicuous addition. Now, sitting in the back of the cab, Fache closed his eyes. One more thing to attend to before Ireturn to Paris. The St. Mary's Hospital recovery room was sunny. â€Å"You've impressed us all,† the nurse said, smiling down at him. â€Å"Nothing short of miraculous.† Bishop Aringarosa gave a weak smile. â€Å"I have always been blessed.† The nurse finished puttering, leaving the bishop alone. The sunlight felt welcome and warm on his face. Last night had been the darkest night of his life. Despondently, he thought of Silas, whose body had been found in the park. Please forgive me, my son. Aringarosa had longed for Silas to be part of his glorious plan. Last night, however, Aringarosa had received a call from Bezu Fache, questioning the bishop about his apparent connection to a nun who had been murdered in Saint-Sulpice. Aringarosa realized the evening had taken a horrifying turn. News of the four additional murders transformed his horror to anguish. Silas, what have you done! Unable to reach the Teacher, the bishop knew he had been cut loose. Used.The only way to stop the horrific chain of events he had helped put in motion was to confess everything to Fache, and from that moment on, Aringarosa and Fache had been racing to catch up with Silas before the Teacher persuaded him to kill again. Feeling bone weary, Aringarosa closed his eyes and listened to the television coverage of the arrest of a prominent British knight, Sir Leigh Teabing. The Teacher laid bare for all to see.Teabing had caught wind of the Vatican's plans to disassociate itself from Opus Dei. He had chosen Aringarosa as the perfect pawn in his plan. After all, who more likely to leap blindly after the Holy Grail thana man like myself with everything to lose? The Grail would have brought enormous power to anyone who possessed it. Leigh Teabing had protected his identity shrewdly – feigning a French accent and a pious heart, and demanding as payment the one thing he did not need – money. Aringarosa had been far too eager to be suspicious. The price tag of twenty million euro was paltry when compared with the prize of obtaining the Grail, and with the Vatican's separation payment to Opus Dei, the finances had worked nicely. The blind see what they want to see.Teabing's ultimate insult, of course, had been to demand payment in Vatican bonds, such that if anything went wrong, the investigation would lead to Rome. â€Å"I am glad to see you're well, My Lord.† Aringarosa recognized the gruff voice in the doorway, but the face was unexpected – stern, powerful features, slicked-back hair, and a broad neck that strained against his dark suit. â€Å"Captain Fache?† Aringarosa asked. The compassion and concern the captain had shown for Aringarosa's plight last night had conjured images of a far gentler physique. The captain approached the bed and hoisted a familiar, heavy black briefcase onto a chair. â€Å"I believe this belongs to you.† Aringarosa looked at the briefcase filled with bonds and immediately looked away, feeling only shame. â€Å"Yes†¦ thank you.† He paused while working his fingers across the seam of his bed sheet, then continued. â€Å"Captain, I have been giving this deep thought, and I need to ask a favor of you.† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"The families of those in Paris who Silas†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, swallowing the emotion. â€Å"I realize no sum could possibly serve as sufficient restitution, and yet, if you could be kind enough to divide the contents of this briefcase among them†¦ the families of the deceased.† Fache's dark eyes studied him a long moment. â€Å"A virtuous gesture, My Lord. I will see to it your wishes are carried out.† A heavy silence fell between them. On the television, a lean French police officer was giving a press conference in front of a sprawling mansion. Fache saw who it was and turned his attention to the screen. â€Å"Lieutenant Collet,† a BBC reporter said, her voice accusing. â€Å"Last night, your captain publicly charged two innocent people with murder. Will Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu be seeking accountability from your department? Will this cost Captain Fache his job?† Lieutenant Collet's smile was tired but calm. â€Å"It is my experience that Captain Bezu Fache seldom makes mistakes. I have not yet spoken to him on this matter, but knowing how he operates, I suspect his public manhunt for Agent Neveu and Mr. Langdon was part of a ruse to lure out the real killer.† The reporters exchanged surprised looks. Collet continued. â€Å"Whether or not Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu were willing participants in the sting, I do not know. Captain Fache tends to keep his more creative methods to himself. All I can confirm at this point is that the captain has successfully arrested the man responsible, and that Mr. Langdon and Agent Neveu are both innocent and safe.† Fache had a faint smile on his lips as he turned back to Aringarosa. â€Å"A good man, that Collet.† Several moments passed. Finally, Fache ran his hand over his forehead, slicking back his hair as he gazed down at Aringarosa. â€Å"My Lord, before I return to Paris, there is one final matter I'd like to discuss – your impromptu flight to London. You bribed a pilot to change course. In doing so, you broke a number of international laws.† Aringarosa slumped. â€Å"I was desperate.† â€Å"Yes. As was the pilot when my men interrogated him.† Fache reached in his pocket and produced a purple amethyst ring with a familiar hand-tooled mitre-crozier applique. Aringarosa felt tears welling as he accepted the ring and slipped it back on his finger. â€Å"You've been so kind.† He held out his hand and clasped Fache's. â€Å"Thank you.† Fache waved off the gesture, walking to the window and gazing out at the city, his thoughts obviously far away. When he turned, there was an uncertainty about him. â€Å"My Lord, where do you go from here?† Aringarosa had been asked the exact same question as he left Castel Gandolfo the night before. â€Å"I suspect my path is as uncertain as yours.† â€Å"Yes.† Fache paused. â€Å"I suspect I will be retiring early.† Aringarosa smiled. â€Å"A little faith can do wonders, Captain. A little faith.† CHAPTER 104 Rosslyn Chapel – often called the Cathedral of Codes – stands seven miles south of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the site of an ancient Mithraic temple. Built by the Knights Templar in 1446, the chapel is engraved with a mind-boggling array of symbols from the Jewish, Christian, Egyptian, Masonic, and pagan traditions. The chapel's geographic coordinates fall precisely on the north-south meridian that runs through Glastonbury. This longitudinal Rose Line is the traditional marker of King Arthur's Isle of Avalon and is considered the central pillar of Britain's sacred geometry. It is from this hallowed Rose Line that Rosslyn – originally spelled Roslin – takes its name. Rosslyn's rugged spires were casting long evening shadows as Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu pulled their rental car into the grassy parking area at the foot of the bluff on which the chapel stood. Their short flight from London to Edinburgh had been restful, although neither of them had slept for the anticipation of what lay ahead. Gazing up at the stark edifice framed against a cloud-swept sky, Langdon felt like Alice falling headlong into the rabbit hole. This must be a dream.And yet he knew the text of Sauniere's final message could not have been more specific. The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits. Langdon had fantasized that Sauniere's â€Å"Grail map† would be a diagram – a drawing with an X- marks-the-spot – and yet the Priory's final secret had been unveiled in the same way Sauniere had spoken to them from the beginning. Simple verse.Four explicit lines that pointed without a doubt to this very spot. In addition to identifying Rosslyn by name, the verse made reference to several of the chapel's renowned architectural features. Despite the clarity of Sauniere's final revelation, Langdon had been left feeling more off balance than enlightened. To him, Rosslyn Chapel seemed far too obvious a location. For centuries, this stone chapel had echoed with whispers of the Holy Grail's presence. The whispers had turned to shouts in recent decades when ground-penetrating radar revealed the presence of an astonishing structure beneath the chapel – a massive subterranean chamber. Not only did this deep vault dwarf the chapel atop it, but it appeared to have no entrance or exit. Archaeologists petitioned to begin blasting through the bedrock to reach the mysterious chamber, but the Rosslyn Trust expressly forbade any excavation of the sacred site. Of course, this only fueled the fires of speculation. What was the Rosslyn Trust trying to hide? Rosslyn had now become a pilgrimage site for mystery seekers. Some claimed they were drawn here by the powerful magnetic field that emanated inexplicably from these coordinates, some claimed they came to search the hillside for a hidden entrance to the vault, but most admitted they had come simply to wander the grounds and absorb the lore of the Holy Grail. Although Langdon had never been to Rosslyn before now, he always chuckled when he heard the chapel described as the current home of the Holy Grail. Admittedly, Rosslyn once might have been home to the Grail, long ago†¦ but certainly no longer. Far too much attention had been drawn to Rosslyn in past decades, and sooner or later someone would find a way to break into the vault. True Grail academics agreed that Rosslyn was a decoy – one of the devious dead ends the Priory crafted so convincingly. Tonight, however, with the Priory's keystone offering a verse that pointed directly to this spot, Langdon no longer felt so smug. A perplexing question had been running through his mind all day: Why would Sauniere go to such effort to guide us to so obvious a location? There seemed only one logical answer. There is something about Rosslyn we have yet to understand. â€Å"Robert?† Sophie was standing outside the car, looking back at him. â€Å"Are you corning?† She was holding the rosewood box, which Captain Fache had returned to them. Inside, both cryptexes had been reassembled and nested as they had been found. The papyrus verse was locked safely at its core – minus the shattered vial of vinegar. Making their way up the long gravel path, Langdon and Sophie passed the famous west wall of the chapel. Casual visitors assumed this oddly protruding wall was a section of the chapel that had not been finished. The truth, Langdon recalled, was far more intriguing. The west wall of Solomon's Temple. The Knights Templar had designed Rosslyn Chapel as an exact architectural blueprint of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem – complete with a west wall, a narrow rectangular sanctuary, and a subterranean vault like the Holy of Holies, in which the original nine knights had first unearthed their priceless treasure. Langdon had to admit, there existed an intriguing symmetry in the idea of the Templars building a modern Grail repository that echoed the Grail's original hiding place. Rosslyn Chapel's entrance was more modest than Langdon expected. The small wooden door had two iron hinges and a simple, oak sign. ROSLIN This ancient spelling, Langdon explained to Sophie, derived from the Rose Line meridian on which the chapel sat; or, as Grail academics preferred to believe, from the† Line of Rose† – the ancestral lineage of Mary Magdalene. The chapel would be closing soon, and as Langdon pulled open the door, a warm puff of air escaped, as if the ancient edifice were heaving a weary sigh at the end of a long day. Her entry arches burgeoned with carved cinquefoils. Roses. The womb of the goddess. Entering with Sophie, Langdon felt his eyes reaching across the famous sanctuary and taking it all in. Although he had read accounts of Rosslyn's arrestingly intricate stonework, seeing it in person was an overwhelming encounter. Symbology heaven, one of Langdon's colleagues had called it. Every surface in the chapel had been carved with symbols – Christian cruciforms, Jewish stars, Masonic seals, Templar crosses, cornucopias, pyramids, astrological signs, plants, vegetables, pentacles, and roses. The Knights Templar had been master stonemasons, erecting Templar churches all over Europe, but Rosslyn was considered their most sublime labor of love and veneration. The master masons had left no stone uncarved. Rosslyn Chapel was a shrine to all faiths†¦ to all traditions†¦ and, above all, to nature and the goddess. The sanctuary was empty except for a handful of visitors listening to a young man giving the day's last tour. He was leading them in a single-file line along a well-known route on the floor – an invisible pathway linking six key architectural points within the sanctuary. Generations of visitors had walked these straight lines, connecting the points, and their countless footsteps had engravedan enormous symbol on the floor. The Star of David, Langdon thought. No coincidence there.Also known as Solomon's Seal, this hexagram had once been the secret symbol of the stargazing priests and was later adopted by the Israelite kings – David and Solomon. The docent had seen Langdon and Sophie enter, and although it was closing time, offered a pleasant smile and motioned for them to feel free to look around. Langdon nodded his thanks and began to move deeper into the sanctuary. Sophie, however, stood riveted in the entryway, a puzzled look on her face. â€Å"What is it?† Langdon asked. Sophie stared out at the chapel. â€Å"I think†¦ I've been here.† Langdon was surprised. â€Å"But you said you hadn't even heard of Rosslyn.† â€Å"I hadn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She scanned the sanctuary, looking uncertain. â€Å"My grandfather must have brought me here when I was very young. I don't know. It feels familiar.† As her eyes scanned the room, she began nodding with more certainty. â€Å"Yes.† She pointed to the front of the sanctuary. â€Å"Those two pillars†¦ I've seen them.† Langdon looked at the pair of intricately sculpted columns at the far end of the sanctuary. Their white lacework carvings seemed to smolder with a ruddy glow as the last of the day's sunlight streamed in through the west window. The pillars – positioned where the altar would normally stand – were an oddly matched pair. The pillar on the left was carved with simple, vertical lines, while the pillar on the right was embellished with an ornate, flowering spiral. Sophie was already moving toward them. Langdon hurried after her, and as they reached the pillars, Sophie was nodding with incredulity. â€Å"Yes, I'm positive I have seen these!† â€Å"I don't doubt you've seen them,† Langdon said,† but it wasn't necessarily here.† She turned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"These two pillars are the most duplicated architectural structures in history. Replicas exist all over the world.† â€Å"Replicas of Rosslyn?† She looked skeptical. â€Å"No. Of the pillars. Do you remember earlier that I mentioned Rosslyn itself is a copy of Solomon's Temple? Those two pillars are exact replicas of the two pillars that stood at the head of Solomon's Temple.† Langdon pointed to the pillar on the left. â€Å"That's called Boaz – or the Mason's Pillar. The other is called Jachin – or the Apprentice Pillar.† He paused. â€Å"In fact, virtually every Masonic temple in the world has two pillars like these.† Langdon had already explained to her about the Templars' powerful historic ties to the modern Masonic secret societies, whose primary degrees – Apprentice Freemason, Fellowcraft Freemason, and Master Mason – harked back to early Templar days. Sophie's grandfather's final verse made direct reference to the Master Masons who adorned Rosslyn with their carved artistic offerings. It also noted Rosslyn's central ceiling, which was covered with carvings of stars and planets. â€Å"I've never been in a Masonic temple,† Sophie said, still eyeing the pillars. â€Å"I am almost positive I saw these here.† She turned back into the chapel, as if looking for something else to jog her memory. The rest of the visitors were now leaving, and the young docent made his way across the chapel to them with a pleasant smile. He was a handsome young man in his late twenties, with a Scottish brogue and strawberry blond hair. â€Å"I'm about to close up for the day. May I help you find anything?† How about the Holy Grail? Langdon wanted to say. â€Å"The code,† Sophie blurted, in sudden revelation. â€Å"There's a code here!† The docent looked pleased by her enthusiasm. â€Å"Yes there is, ma'am.† â€Å"It's on the ceiling,† she said, turning to the right-hand wall. â€Å"Somewhere over†¦ there.† He smiled. â€Å"Not your first visit to Rosslyn, I see.† The code, Langdon thought. He had forgotten that little bit of lore. Among Rosslyn's numerous mysteries was a vaulted archway from which hundreds of stone blocks protruded, jutting down to form a bizarre multifaceted surface. Each block was carved with a symbol, seemingly at random, creating a cipher of unfathomable proportion. Some people believed the code revealed the entrance to the vault beneath the chapel. Others believed it told the true Grail legend. Not that it mattered – cryptographers had been trying for centuries to decipher its meaning. To this day the Rosslyn Trust offered a generous reward to anyone who could unveil the secret meaning, but the code remained a mystery. â€Å"I'd be happy to show†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The docent's voice trailed off. My first code, Sophie thought, moving alone, in a trance, toward the encoded archway. Having handed the rosewood box to Langdon, she could feel herself momentarily forgetting all about the Holy Grail, the Priory of Sion, and all the mysteries of the past day. When she arrived beneath the encoded ceiling and saw the symbols above her, the memories came flooding back. She was recalling her first visit here, and strangely, the memories conjured an unexpected sadness. She was a little girl†¦ a year or so after her family's death. Her grandfather had brought her to Scotland on a short vacation. They had come to see Rosslyn Chapel before going back to Paris. It was late evening, and the chapel was closed. But they were still inside. â€Å"Can we go home, Grand-pere?† Sophie begged, feeling tired. â€Å"Soon, dear, very soon.† His voice was melancholy. â€Å"I have one last thing I need to do here. How about if you wait in the car?† â€Å"You're doing another big person thing?† He nodded. â€Å"I'll be fast. I promise.† â€Å"Can I do the archway code again? That was fun.† â€Å"I don't know. I have to step outside. You won't be frightened in here alone?† â€Å"Of course not!† she said with a huff. â€Å"It's not even dark yet!† He smiled. â€Å"Very well then.† He led her over to the elaborate archway he had shown her earlier. Sophie immediately plopped down on the stone floor, lying on her back and staring up at the collage of puzzle pieces overhead. â€Å"I'm going to break this code before you get back!† â€Å"It's a race then.† He bent over, kissed her forehead, and walked to the nearby side door. â€Å"I'll be right outside. I'll leave the door open. If you need me, just call.† He exited into the soft evening light. Sophie lay there on the floor, gazing up at the code. Her eyes felt sleepy. After a few minutes, the symbols got fuzzy. And then they disappeared. When Sophie awoke, the floor felt cold. â€Å"Grand-pere?† There was no answer. Standing up, she brushed herself off. The side door was still open. The evening was getting darker. She walked outside and could see her grandfather standing on the porch of a nearby stone house directly behind the church. Her grandfather was talking quietly to a person barely visible inside the screened door. â€Å"Grand-pere?† she called. Her grandfather turned and waved, motioning for her to wait just a moment. Then, slowly, he said some final words to the person inside and blew a kiss toward the screened door. He came to her with tearful eyes. â€Å"Why are you crying, Grand-pere?† He picked her up and held her close. â€Å"Oh, Sophie, you and I have said good-bye to a lot of people this year. It's hard.† Sophie thought of the accident, of saying good-bye to her mother and father, her grandmother and baby brother. â€Å"Were you saying goodbye to another person?† â€Å"To a dear friend whom I love very much,† he replied, his voice heavy with emotion. â€Å"And I fear I will not see her again for a very long time.† Standing with the docent, Langdon had been scanning the chapel walls and feeling a rising wariness that a dead end might be looming. Sophie had wandered off to look at the code and left Langdon holding the rosewood box, which contained a Grail map that now appeared to be no help at all. Although Sauniere's poem clearly indicated Rosslyn, Langdon was not sure what to do now that they had arrived. The poem made reference to a ‘blade and chalice', which Langdon saw nowhere. The Holy Grail ‘neath ancient Roslin waits. The blade and chalice guarding o'er Her gates. Again Langdon sensed there remained some facet of this mystery yet to reveal itself. â€Å"I hate to pry,† the docent said, eyeing the rosewood box in Langdon's hands. â€Å"But this box†¦ might I ask where you got it?† Langdon gave a weary laugh. â€Å"That's an exceptionally long story.† The young man hesitated, his eyes on the box again. â€Å"It's the strangest thing – my grandmother has a box exactly like that – a jewelry box. Identical polished rosewood, same inlaid rose, even the hinges look the same.† Langdon knew the young man must be mistaken. If ever a box had been one of a kind, it was thisone – the box custom-made for the Priory keystone. â€Å"The two boxes may be similar but – â€Å" The side door closed loudly, drawing both of their gazes. Sophie had exited without a word and was now wandering down the bluff toward a fieldstone house nearby. Langdon stared after her. Where is she going? She had been acting strangely ever since they entered the building. He turned to the docent. â€Å"Do you know what that house is?† He nodded, also looking puzzled that Sophie was going down there. â€Å"That's the chapel rectory. The chapel curator lives there. She also happens to be the head of the Rosslyn Trust.† He paused. â€Å"And my grandmother.† â€Å"Your grandmother heads the Rosslyn Trust?† The young man nodded. â€Å"I live with her in the rectory and help keep up the chapel and give tours.† He shrugged. â€Å"I've lived here my whole life. My grandmother raised me in that house.† Concerned for Sophie, Langdon moved across the chapel toward the door to call out to her. He was only halfway there when he stopped short. Something the young man said just registered. My grandmother raised me. Langdon looked out at Sophie on the bluff, then down at the rosewood box in his hand. Impossible. Slowly, Langdon turned back to the young man. â€Å"You said your grandmother has a box like this one?† â€Å"Almost identical.† â€Å"Where did she get it?† â€Å"My grandfather made it for her. He died when I was a baby, but my grandmother still talks about him. She says he was a genius with his hands. He made all kinds of things.† Langdon glimpsed an unimaginable web of connections emerging. â€Å"You said your grandmother raised you. Do you mind my asking what happened to your parents?† The young man looked surprised. â€Å"They died when I was young.† He paused. â€Å"The same day as my grandfather.† Langdon's heart pounded. â€Å"In a car accident?† The docent recoiled, a look of bewilderment in his olive-green eyes. â€Å"Yes. In a car accident. My entire family died that day. I lost my grandfather, my parents, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He hesitated, glancing down at the floor. â€Å"And your sister,† Langdon said. Out on the bluff, the fieldstone house was exactly as Sophie remembered it. Night was falling now, and the house exuded a warm and inviting aura. The smell of bread wafted through the opened screened door, and a golden light shone in the windows. As Sophie approached, she could hear the quiet sounds of sobbing from within. Through the screened door, Sophie saw an elderly woman in the hallway. Her back was to the door, but Sophie could see she was crying. The woman had long, luxuriant, silver hair that conjured an unexpected wisp of memory. Feeling herself drawn closer, Sophie stepped onto the porch stairs. The woman was clutching a framed photograph of a man and touching her fingertips to his face with loving sadness. It was a face Sophie knew well. Grand-pere. The woman had obviously heard the sad news of his death last night. A board squeaked beneath Sophie's feet, and the woman turned slowly, her sad eyes finding Sophie's. Sophie wanted to run, but she stood transfixed. The woman's fervent gaze never wavered as she set down the photo and approached the screened door. An eternity seemed to pass as the two women stared at one another through the thin mesh. Then, like the slowly gathering swell of an ocean wave, the woman's visage transformed from one of uncertainty†¦ to disbelief†¦ to hope†¦ and finally, to cresting joy. Throwing open the door, she came out, reaching with soft hands, cradling Sophie's thunderstruck face. â€Å"Oh, dear child†¦ look at you!† Although Sophie did not recognize her, she knew who this woman was. She tried to speak but found she could not even breathe. â€Å"Sophie,† the woman sobbed, kissing her forehead. Sophie's words were a choked whisper. â€Å"But†¦ Grand-pere said you were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know.† The woman placed her tender hands on Sophie's shoulders and gazed at her with familiar eyes. â€Å"Your grandfather and I were forced to say so many things. We did what we thought was right. I'm so sorry. It was for your own safety, princess.† Sophie heard her final word, and immediately thought of her grandfather, who had called her princess for so many years. The sound of his voice seemed to echo now in the ancient stones of Rosslyn, settling through the earth and reverberating in the unknown hollows below. The woman threw her arms around Sophie, the tears flowing faster. â€Å"Your grandfather wanted so badly to tell you everything. But things were difficult between you two. He tried so hard. There'sso much to explain. So very much to explain.† She kissed Sophie's forehead once again, then whispered in her ear. â€Å"No more secrets, princess. It's time you learn the truth about our family.† Sophie and her grandmother were seated on the porch stairs in a tearful hug when the young docent dashed across the lawn, his eyes shining with hope and disbelief. â€Å"Sophie?† Through her tears, Sophie nodded, standing. She did not know the young man's face, but as they embraced, she could feel the power of the blood coursing through his veins†¦ the blood she now understood they shared. When Langdon walked across the lawn to join them, Sophie could not imagine that only yesterday she had felt so alone in the world. And now, somehow, in this foreign place, in the company of three people she barely knew, she felt at last that she was home.

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay

One basic notion in Aristotelian ethics that occupies a central significance is Aristotle’s belief in the role of man’s activities in order for one to acquire ethical knowledge. That is, for one to become virtuous or to obtain virtues one should not merely confine himself to mere studying of these virtues but rather one should, more importantly, actualize this knowledge of the virtues. Thus, for one to become good, one should do good. Aristotle further stretches his ideas by proposing the doctrine of the mean. The essence of this doctrine dwells on the basic precept that one ought to avoid the extremes and, instead, settle for the â€Å"mean†. The actions of men, more specifically, ought to be framed upon the â€Å"mean† which is the virtue. For example, the virtue of courage rests on the mean between two extremes: cowardice or the â€Å"lack† of courage, and rashness or the â€Å"excess† in courage. It can easily be observed that Aristotle suggests that one should live a life that does not border on the things that are on the â€Å"most† and the â€Å"least† levels. For example, if I were to follow Aristotle’s ethics I should always see to it that I should consistently draw myself towards the middle value and avoid slanting towards cowardice and excess. All this could have been very well except for one small thing that I cannot seem to fully comprehend. How is it possible for one to ascertain that one is actually taking the middle path? Or how is it possible for one to know that this or that is the middle value or is the virtuous action? Perhaps the key in having an understanding to the notion of the â€Å"mean† is that one should act. That is, as I continually have these ideas as to what I must do when faced with an ethical situation or, at the least, an ordinary situation, I should nonetheless take the course of action so that I will be able to obtain a qualitative understanding that what I am doing is the â€Å"excess†. On the other hand, I will be having quite a rough time in acquiring the understanding as to whether the action that I am doing is virtuous if all that I do is to theorize and never let my theory be put into practice. Aristotle’s virtue ethics reminds me of Plato’s conception of ethics. For the most part of the Republic, Plato attempts to arrive at a conception of a just life by centering on the notion that the just life or that which is good is better than living a life molded on an evil framework and one which prompts individuals to act in an evil manner. At the onset of the Republic’s Book II, a conception of the idea of â€Å"justice† is advanced as the working of an individual in accordance to the role in which one is best suited as well as the belief for non-interference in the activities of others. In essence, this principle is closely related to Plato’s perspective on acting in accordance to one’s nature or intrinsic being which results to the state or condition of being â€Å"just† or acting justly once the individual acts in line to his very nature. Otherwise, if one begins to act beyond what his nature prescribes, then the individual begins to act in an unjust manner thereby resulting to â€Å"evil† actions (Plato and Kamtekar). While Aristotle insists that one should put into action the thought that one may have so as to have an understanding of the middle value that should be taken, Plato, on the other hand, suggests that one should simply go by with one’s nature so as not to be â€Å"evil†. If I were to choose which ethical precept would be better or would fit me best, I would rather be inclined to adopt Aristotle’s virtue ethics over the other because it offers me a chance to actualize myself through my actions and be guided accordingly. Whereas for Plato, what I am seeing is that I should get to know my self first before I act so that I can be good. But this cannot be met easily essentially because I find it quite difficult to know myself if I would not act first. In the light, if all the students in a certain class would build up a virtue like that of Aristotle’s point of view, the achievement of an environment which is formidably that built on the concept of philosophical and tremendously beneficial notions in life, the attainment of the virtue of goodness is towering in the highest hopes—although it eventually does not also undermine the concept of realism. Apparently, many may not stick on this kind of perception and ought to think that it is certainly not possible to achieve a life which is way beyond the bounds of a â€Å"not-so-good† life for that instance, but with the maximum height of human rationality, such may be given enough credit for the philosophers who believed in a life where â€Å"goodness comes in deeds† (Lannstrom). Work Cited Lannstrom, Anna. Loving the Fine: Virtue and Happiness in Aristotle’s Ethics. Indiana USA: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006. Plato, and R. Kamtekar. â€Å"The Conventional View of Justice Developed. † Trans. D. Lee. The Republic. 2 ed: Penguin Classics, 2003. 8-14.

buy custom Total Ownership Cost essay

buy custom Total Ownership Cost essay The abbreviations CPO stand for Chief Purchasing Officer. TOC, on the other hand, stands for total ownership cost. It is the total of all costs that have a connection to the production, procurement use and disposal of a given asset. It covers expenses such as inventory and transportation costs too. Note that ownership cost goes beyond the purchasing price. (Weele, 2010) In addition to the purchasing cost, TOC comprises of; transportation cost, customs or duties, warehousing, inventory holding costs, impacts of quality yield rate, servicing cost, projected repair cost and purchasing administrative cost. The CPOs who have a lot of experience find that models developed using suppliers inputs are the most effective in controlling the future costs. (Demir, 2002) If I were in the on the office of the chief purchase officer of a company such as Nissan company, I would use TOC strategy to reduce the expenses of my company, there by increasing savings. TOC has a number of advantages to the organizations that employ it in their planning. A company like Honda Company developed a TOC model. Honda learnt that castings constituted thirty two percent of their total spending. Electrical components constituted fifteen percent, while non-production commodities and services constituted twenty percent. This analysis accounted for seventy-five percent of their total spending. (Weele, 2010) After a deeper search in the 75% expenditure, Honda learnt that the key expense drivers include supplier inventory. Supplier transportation is yet another expense driver. This one comprises of the total expense that the supplier of row materials incurs in the process of transporting them to Honda Company. We also have supplier rejections as well as scrap. These expense drivers comprise of the materials that are faulty; therefore, they ca not be used i the manufacturing process. Scrap, on the other hand, is the waste materials. The last expense driver that Honda identified was supplier material handling driver. (Burrow Bosiljevac, 2009) It is important to note that all these costs have a relation to errors in the company, and processes that support the production flow. It is because of the TOC driver research that Honda realized where to focus on the supplier development in supply chain techniques. According to Honda, TOC models help to identify and minimize cost drivers. Therefore, it is essential for a CPO to have a TOC model in place to enable him to detect such errors and production flow weaknesses for correction. TOC model enhances accurate forecast thus reducing inventory-holding costs. Suppliers learn TOC techniques that help them to control their vendors. It also brings about cost-based targets that facilitate mutual gain sharing. We learn all these benefits of having a TOC model from the Honda Company. (Weele, 2010) We also learn from Hiromichi, which uses Toyota quality assurance techniques that TOC helps to minimize purchasing target prices and internal costs of a firm. The company guides supplier process improvement and target price initiatives. It supports commodity councils to find the best suppliers available. It performs price-versus-quality trade-offs using industry TOC models. It also conducts a search for innovative sources within the global supply base. More over, it recommends potential gain sharing with high-performing suppliers looking inward to reduce internal costs. (Demir, 2002) The staff of Hiromichi promotes internal manufacturing cost and waste reduction. It preserves knowledge and skills in critical core processes, as well. The company staff guides initiatives to reduce administrative costs of purchasing. It trains others in industry and financial analysis, ass well as negotiation and mediation techniques. The aim of all this is to lower the total cost of purchases. (Weele, 2010) In order to control the cost of purchasing, Hiromichi learnt from Toyota that it should focus critical decisions on the long term, even at short-term financial risk. It was also necessary to promote leaders who understand processes well enough to teach others. In addition, it should not produce or ship inferior goods; fix the problems instead. It learnt that it should Use process flow analysis to reveal problems. Equally, it should develop exceptional generalists to serve on well-supported teams. (Burrow Bosiljevac, 2009) It is crucial to visit the work site to understand an emerging problem. One should also respect suppliers and employees and help them improve perhaps by offering in-job training. There ought to be consensus among the stakeholders to assess and decide, then implement rapidly. Lastly, they learnt that well-tested technology must fit their strategy, not the reverse. (Burrow Bosiljevac, 2009) It is vital to produce to demand. This means that the company should not strive for over production. It was necessary to Level out workload and identify the limits of constraints. Standardization of tasks to enable consistency was as well found to be of significant essence. They had to practice continuous improvement of processes through relentless reflection. Wastes in time, touches, movement, costs, and rework had to be eradicated as they contribute highly to increased costs. (Weele, 2010) From these two companies, we see that for a company to be leading in competitive markets, it has to establish highly efficient management systems. These systems enable the company to have an accurate forecast thus avoiding wasteful expenditures. We can achieve this through the development of TOC models only. (Demir, 2002) Buy custom Total Ownership Cost essay

third Essays

third Essays third Essay third Essay With the passing of the third amendment, there were positive effects on our country. The soldiers had a place to stay during wartime without complaints from citizens. (Beef this idea up) This is still needed today because without a place to stay the soldiers wouldnt have security while they are fighting for our security. The third amendment brings balance to America in society. (How)There has not been a case in U. S. With this amendment in 200 years (cite this) the third amendment helps the community come together as one. There is no disagreement between civilians and oldiers that has made it to Supreme Court due to this amendment. cite this) The third amendment helps the United States as a whole, however, their are negative effects also. After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a stronger chief executive and other changes. George M ason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginias Declaration of Rights, proposed that a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing ivil liberties be included. Other delegates including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison disagreed, arguing that existing state guarantees of civil liberties were sufficient and that any attempt to enumerate individual rights risked the implication that other, unnamed rights were unprotected. After a brief debate, Masons proposal was defeated by a unanimous vote of the state delegations. For the constitution to be ratified, however, nine of the thirteen states were required to approve it in state conventions. Opposition to ratification (Anti-Federalism) was partly based on the Constitutions lack of adequate guarantees for civil liberties. The Third Amendment has been invoked in a few instances as helping establish an implicit right to privacy in the Constitution. Justice William O. Douglas used the amendment along with others in the Bill of Rights as a partial basis for the majority decision in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which cited the Third Amendment as implying a belief that an individuals home should be free from agents of the state.

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and the First 100 Days Essay Example for Free (#100)

American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and the First 100 Days Essay Though none opposes the fact that motivation is the real driving engine of every action, there is considerable differences among the theorists about its mechanism, especially when it comes to explore the possibility to bring out the best out in the employees of an organization, where one school of thought advocates for extrinsic motivation for instant solution and the other insists on capitalizing the long-term efficacy of intrinsic motivation. Under the present context of economic downturn, this issue is extremely important, as extrinsic motivation primarily involves money. Therefore, this paper explores the core elements of motivation and concepts of extrinsic and intrinsic rewards from relevant literature, before coming into its own conclusion. Core of Motivation The core of motivation contains three elements like Consciousness, Inverted Qualia and Absent Qualia. These three together create various mental states. Consciousness It has six major identifiable states like 1. State of awareness: When someone is aware of something (Rosenthal, 1986). 2. Qualitative states: Sensing something out of something like enjoying a meal or experiencing a pain. Such experiences are called â€Å"qualia†, and are regarded as â€Å"intrinsic, private, ineffable and nomadic features of experience, † (Dennet, 1990). 3. Phenomenal states: A state involving more than sensory qualia, covering spatial, temporal and conceptual organization of experiences about the world and the person’s inference about it. 4. What-it-is-like states: Associating a sense of experience with another. 5. Access consciousness: It’s like seeing a thing and ideating something and then deciding on something, where there may or may not be any relationship among the above-said three stages. 6. Narrative consciousness: This â€Å"stream of consciousness† contains a series of thoughts from the â€Å"perspective of an actual or merely virtual self† (Dennett, 1991). Inverted Qualia It refers to a personal package of intrinsic and intricate experiences, with which humans decipher various external signals and respond to them, where the nature of experience governs the nature of response. The difference in perception causes inverted qualia, as for example someone might like green tea and detest coffee for no unexplainable reasons. This trait has a strong connection with intrinsic motivation (Dennet, 1991) Absent Qualia The concept of absent qualia claims that functional duplicates of a creature would do the same. As for example, if Mr. X likes tea and dislikes coffee, then his absolute clone would also do the same, for which the clone would not need an intricate and intrinsic package of experiences (Dennet, 1991). This concept backs the idea of getting result through extrinsic reward – as for example, if Mr. X and Mr. Y do identical jobs under identical conditions, then if Mr. X feels satisfied with cash reward, Mr.  Y would too follow the suit without a second thought! This study thus highlights two sets of hidden relationships, one, between inverted qualia and intrinsic motivation/rewards, and two, between absent qualia and extrinsic motivation/rewards. In any case, humans’ (apparently) involuntary association with rewards too has its routes in their perceptions, which maintain a master list of individual desires, and accordingly propel them to fulfill such desires. Put into an imaginary diagram, the mechanism of human mind can look somewhat like below: Mechanism of Motivation Motivating Tools From the organizational perspective, the ways and means to motivate the employees can be many. However, the common ones among them are, 1. Rewards 2. Retention 3. Morale 5. Job-enrichment 6. Reinforcement 1. Rewards System: Rewards or recognition system has a great bearing on the emotional plane of humans. † Every behavior comes out of ‘pain and gain’ principle†, says Khera (2004, p. 110). There can be many types of tangible gains like money, vacations or gifts, or they can be intangible, like recognition, appreciation, sense of achievement, growth, responsibility, sense of fulfillment, self-worth, etc. 2. Retention: It highly motivates the employees, as â€Å"Retention is critical to the long term health and success of the company† (Heathfield, 2008). 3. Morale: The elements like praise, love and faith can charge up anyone under any circumstance. 4. Job Enrichment: It relates to the in-house grooming of the employees to become an expert in the related field. 5. Reinforcement. By all means, it is a tool to control the employee behavior (Positive, 2000), which binds the company activities together. Other Factors Related to Motivation There are three other factors that can be instrumental to keep employees motivated, and they are: Job Satisfaction, Goal-setting and Performance appraisals. They are considered to be the self-boosters of the employees, and according to Murphy (2001), belief is a thought that causes the power of subconscious to be distributed into all phases of life. Motivation and Reward System Reward systems are created to fuel the employee cooperation, effort and overall satisfaction of all members of the company Cacioppe (1999). Other researchers like Hackman (1997) Shea and Guzzo (1987) too have endorsed this view, and suggested to align rewards with group activities. The basic parameter of the formulating a reward structure, however, is expected to apply the common logic like optimizing the ability of the workforce as a whole, though in practice it might go down to an individual, especially where the work patterns are not interdependent. This situation commands a quick review of the nature of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Intrinsic Rewards Deci (1975) says that intrinsic rewards evoke a sense of personal causation – i. e.  , an inward mechanism serving as the guiding engine for the action, where its elements are usually intangible and working on the plane of one’s perception, where the journey is being enjoyed over the outcome. Extrinsic Rewards Extrinsic rewards are supposed to generate perceptions of external causation (Deci, 1975) by being mostly tangible in nature – a hike in salary or status, or material gains in other forms. However, researchers like Guzzo, (1979) defies any division in the reward system and considers it a single, usable tools to tweak the frequency of desired response of the employees towards a desired direction. Researchers like Hull (1943) and Skinner (1953) placed extrinsic reward as a direct link between stimulus and response, and their views include punishment as a stimulus too, besides subscribing to the power of stimulus. Reaction No matter how much Hull (1943) and Skinner (1953) wanted to establish extrinsic motivation as the best motivating tool to earn competitive advantage, extrinsic motivation carries a hidden cost besides the cost involved in its implementation. Researchers like Deci and Ryan (1985) used attribution theory and suggested that humans constantly reassess the reasons for their behaviors besides others. Before that, Lepper et al. (1973) had observed that reinforcement generates two effects for the management, like gaining control over activity or fastening the process; two, the backlash effect in absence of reinforcement. The example below would explain it better: A group or an individual gets a reward of x amount of money for a period y, where x+y=m, m being the increased rate of production. Before that, the situation was y=z where production was z. Now in the absence of reinforcement and with the influence of attribution theory, the situation would stand like y-x = n, where n < z. This clearly goes against the basic reason for motivating the employees, i. e. , to enhance the profit of the organization. â€Å"Engagement occurs when an employee connects emotionally with his work,† says Paul Glen (2007), and if one checks the mechanism of motivation, one gets convinced that extrinsic motivation cannot influence the employees to connect emotionally with their work, as it is guided by absent qualia, i. e. , a momentary and involuntary chase, where emotion has no role to play. On the other hand, the intrinsic motivation is guided by inverted qualia, i.  e. , conscious chase and that clearly takes along emotion in its journey and influence the human mind in no less than six ways. Conclusion The research and discussion above clearly shows that extrinsic motivation system can be a threat in disguise for the organizations especially under the present context of economic downturn, while intrinsic motivation can be the ideal solution under the same circumstance, where it can raise emotional attachment with the organization and inspire the employees to produce more for less. References Cacioppe, R. (1999). Using team-individual reward and recognition strategies to drive organizational success. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 20(6), pp. 322-331. Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behaviour. New York: Plenum Press. Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum. Denett, D. C. (1990). Quining qualia†. In Mind and Cognition, W. Lycan (Ed. ), Oxford: Blackwell, 519-548. Dennett, D. C. (1991). Consciousness explained. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Glen, P. (2007). You Can’t Outsource Retention. Computerworld, July 16, 2007. Guzzo, R. A. (1979). Types of rewards, cognitions, and work motivation. Academy of Management Review, 4(1), pp. 75-86. Hackman, J. R. (1997). Why teams don’t work. In R. S. Tindale, J. Edwards, & E. J. Posavac (Eds. ) Applications of theory and research on groups to social issues. New York: Plenum. American Politics in the Context of Obama’s Election and the First 100 Days. (2016, Oct 14).

Compare and comtrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compare and comtrast - Essay Example Having taken into account all of the given influences, it becomes apparent that either of the compared sides can offer a great number of benefits as well as not a lesser amount of drawbacks. The city and the village are closely comparable in what pertains to human interaction but are clearly distinct when choice and diversity are considered. It is difficult to make a single universal statement about the city life since living in the urban area can be both beneficial and disadvantageous depending on which aspects one evaluates. However, what is certainly true about urban living is that it guarantees a wider diversity and greater choice in almost everything. Residents of urban zones have much more options to choose from in every aspect of their day-to-day lives. For example, living in a city one enjoys the access to the best universities, the largest shopping malls, and the most exclusive culinary refinements. Additionally, city dwellers have the scope to be culturally and socially involved as far as metropolitan areas attract most of the major artistic, educational, and entertaining events. Subsequently, they are more likely to interact with representatives of other social classes, ethnic and religious groups, and people with different political views, music tastes, and literature preferences. Overall, citizens receive a chance to be more culturally enlightened. There is also a greater potential for education, wider employment opportunities, and better access to healthcare in the cities. Thinking of the optimal educational institution for their child, parents can select from a list of alternatives that include a number of public and private schools. When looking for a job, individuals move to towns, where most of the businesses and organizations are concentrated. Apart from that, a vast range of healthcare facilities is within the reach of urban residents. In

Advantages of Online Recruitment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Advantages of Online Recruitment - Essay Example In using this modern technology rather than the more conventional recruitment channels, companies, as well as applicants, have experienced several advantages (Frandsen and Ferguson, 2014). The researcher endeavors to explain some of the major advantages of the online recruitment process for organizations. Â  Recruitment can be defined as the process of searching and attracting competent applicants for the purpose of employment. This process establishes a link between potential employees to their job seekers. A headhunter goes over the recruitment process in order to stimulate talented individuals to apply for jobs in their organization. The processes usually commence when potential candidates are sought and concludes when they submit their applications. Â  Online recruitment, also sometimes referred to as e-recruitment is one of the most cost-effective and powerful way of recruiting employees for an organization. This mechanism offers companies with the flexibility to search for candidates in the required field and assess their capability on the basis of the company’s requirements. The online recruitment system is designed over a platform that is powered by information technology. The components of an online recruitment system are an administrator, job seeker, and the company. Â  One of the major advantages of online recruitment is that it offers organizations with a wider access and geographical spread thereby enabling HR managers to find talent not only from the domestic circuit but from the international arena as well. This enables managers to achieve two-fold objectives. First of all HR managers are able to diversify their pool of workforce by recruiting people from different cultural backgrounds.

Convergence Culture Argumentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Convergence Culture Argumentation - Essay Example is the merging of old business idea such as marketing in business ideas that deal with the new generation goods and services while cultural convergence is when the audience becomes the user. The emergence of the media convergence has given the audience capacity to store, edit, improve and recalculate media content. This is an outcome of the current trends in new generation media which has such features like download, edit play, watch, and upload share among others. This features give the audience unlimited capacity to modify media products and take them back to the same market as if they were originals. Global convergence occurs due to international circulation of media products such as music and film content. This has further been reinforced by the development of social media platforms such as chat, face book, Sykpe, Google+ among other which make the circulation of media products very easy. It has made communication easier by development of new media gadgets that can perform multiple tasks eliminating the need to have several bulky media items. The new models are precise, efficient and portable. This means that there is the flexibility of accessing the media item even on the move, or attending to other tasks. Cultural convergence has made the global market to be more competitive hence initiating creativity and diversity to compete fairly in the market. This culture has brought about new trends in socialization making it dynamic. It has reduced the social barriers and bridged geographical barriers making it possible for people in different regions to access each other just by the click of a button. It has created a platform where media products can be improved and shared with much ease. Accessing media con tent has also been simplified. However some negative effects have come along with cultural convergence. They include: Lowering the worth of ideas in media production. Often the initiator of the original ideas do not reap from their work since other people

Human security in the UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human security in the UAE - Essay Example The United Arab Emirates, a fast growing region economically, has been designated as a prospective target for extremists and several human security issues. Assessment and situations in the United Arab Emirates have made Western governments come to the conclusion that the region is a probable target for extremists. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office of Britain warns of the hazards of travel to the region based on its location in the Persian Gulf. It is central, the nearing the antagonisms of the Iraq war and regional anti-Western opinions. Apart from Britain, other Western nations have issued the same security warnings (Vallet, 2014). Various factors contribute to the rising human insecurity issue in the United Arab Emirates region. According to a novel report on global threats, growing extremism in the neighborhood, food insecurity, climate change, regional tension, and unemployment rates present security issues in the UAE. Additionally, the developments in the political arena in the UAE region in past years have also led to increased human insecurity. A publication by Control States, a security consultancy firm, has indicated various concerns. It reports that the increasing extremism in Yemen and the increase of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) pose a security threat. Additionally, food insecurity in the Arabian countries, struggle over the nuclear program in Iran, and the pulls in Iraq contribute to the poor human security in the UAE (Vallet, 2014). The upsurge of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) poses a threat of radicalization among visitors coming into the UAE region. Immigrants coming to the UAE from Africa and passing through Yemen have high chances of being radicalized. Yemen stands as an open door to the UAE region and thus very many people travel to the UAE through the region. The security issues posed by the porous border spurred the

Analyze Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Analyze Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado - Essay Example In addition, he did not even perceive the smile paused to him (Poe and Gary, 45). This is because he ventured into insult after the good things done to him thus he felt there was a chance for revenge. Fortunate was a respected and feared man his pride mostly came with connoisseurship in wine. This was caused with the many old varieties of wines he knew though few Italians had the true virtuoso spirit. For most part, his passion is adopted to ensemble the time and chance to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. Fortunate is suffering from superiority complex because he believes he is the most sophisticated person (Poe and Gary, 45). This is because he has wide knowledge with vintage win from all over the world. He uses this trait to make his friends feel they are inferior (Poe and Gary, 45). He is also very inquisitive since he keeps on asking many questions. Even though he is provided with answers, he is not quite satisfied with these answers. This character makes him appear as a doubtful

Communication of the Saudi Arabian Culture Research Paper

Communication of the Saudi Arabian Culture - Research Paper Example ere allowed to enter Saudi Arabia only when they witnessed during the Depression period, a drastic fall in their revenues which they received from the pilgrims (Lacey, 2009, p.75). The principles and values intrinsic in these morals as well as devotion to Islam lie down at the core of the enlightening among the diversified group of citizens and non citizens, tribal or non-tribal, living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The societal values which are a part of the everyday behavior of Saudis include kindness, unselfishness, and generosity; respect for elders in the hierarchical structure of the family; liberation and independence on others and command over the emotions and feelings of each others; and a readiness to maintain lives of other members of the family assuming accountability for their mistakes also (Abbasi & Hollman, 1993, p.56). Saudis worry that respite of the world picturing them as coming from another planet, although most are outstandingly polite and convivial once you truly break free from the principles. Limitations on intermingling between not related people of the opposite sex stay rigorous. Currently, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is managing to move on against its harsh rules, initially by starting a coeducation university, allowing women to sell private clothing to other women, even harmonizing down the decapitations. King Abdullah has taken drastic measures for the positive environment of the nation. However, to the rest of the globalizing world, these changes are hardly noticeable. Saudi Arabia is measured or seen as an extremely high context culture. In high-context cultures, significance is entrenched more in the perspective rather than the policy. Hall (1982) discussed that "most of the information is either in the physical context or internalized in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message" (p.18). Thus it is important for the listener must appreciate the appropriate signals so as to seize the

Analyze Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Analyze Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado - Essay Example In addition, he did not even perceive the smile paused to him (Poe and Gary, 45). This is because he ventured into insult after the good things done to him thus he felt there was a chance for revenge. Fortunate was a respected and feared man his pride mostly came with connoisseurship in wine. This was caused with the many old varieties of wines he knew though few Italians had the true virtuoso spirit. For most part, his passion is adopted to ensemble the time and chance to practice imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. Fortunate is suffering from superiority complex because he believes he is the most sophisticated person (Poe and Gary, 45). This is because he has wide knowledge with vintage win from all over the world. He uses this trait to make his friends feel they are inferior (Poe and Gary, 45). He is also very inquisitive since he keeps on asking many questions. Even though he is provided with answers, he is not quite satisfied with these answers. This character makes him appear as a doubtful

What Human resource planning is Essay Example for Free

What Human resource planning is Essay Human resource planning is a strategy for the acquisition, utilisation, improvement and retention of an enterprises human resources (Mullins 2005). This essay will show in depth what Human resource planning is and the main stages involved in the planning process that insure the right mix of numbers and types of employees deployed across the firm, achieve the strategic goals of the organization. The Institute of Personnel and Development (IPD) defines Human Resource Planning as: the systematic and continuing process of analysing an organisations human resource needs under changing conditions and developing personnel policies appropriate to the longer term effectiveness of the organisation. It is an integral part of corporate planning and budgeting procedures since human resource costs and forecasts both affect and are affected by longer term corporate plans Human resource planning is not always certain, as it is not a science, mistakes are bound to occur. However, it can assist organisations to foresee changes and identify trends in staffing resources, and to adopt personnel policies which help to avoid major problems (Mullins 2005). A Human resource plan aims to reconcile differences between supply and demand. There are many factors that affect the demand for labour such as: the objectives of the company and its future plans; market demand for the companys product; the technology used by the company; the product range etc. Read more:Â  Human Resource Planning Process Similarly there are many factors that influence the supply of labour: company policies so far as they affect recruitment and selection, staffing levels, retirement and redundancy; the attractiveness of jobs in the company, including pay and other terms and conditions of employment; the skills available in the labour market; the price of houses in the locality etc. Human resource planning basically attempts to analyse these likely influences on the supply of and demand for people, with a view to maximise the organisations future performance by providing a framework for the effective management of people. Human resource planning is essentially planning for people in the organisation which basically involves trying to obtain: * the right people (assess future recruitment needs) * the right numbers (anticipate and, where possible, avoid redundancies) * with the right knowledge, skills and experience (formulate training programmes) * in the right jobs (develop promotion and career development policies) * in the right place (develop a flexible workforce to meet changing requirements) * at the right time (assess future requirements for capital equipment, technology and premises) * at the right cost (control staff costs while ensuring salaries remain competitive) All these factors are obtained in the key stages of Human resource planning. The first stage is the analysis of current staff in the organisation. This requires an effective system of personnel records and a staffing inventory including, details of gender, age, sex, ethnic origin, disability, job type, title or department, length of service, skill or educational level. Statistical techniques can also be used in the analysis such as: labour turnover; working hours lost due to sickness and absence; rate at which people are promoted; productivity per person; regression analysis; time series analysis; markov analysis of labour flows and rates etc. This first stage of analysis is very important as it defines the world in which the organization is planning for its manpower both externally and internally. It can show gaps in capabilities; lack of sufficient skills, people, knowledge etc. It can also show surpluses in capabilities that may provide opportunities for efficiencies and responsiveness skills, people and knowledge that may be underused, so the organization could consider new opportunities and ventures that would capitalize on these human resources. By doing an analysis on current staff, organizations are able to see if their work force is being utilized efficiently, with knowledge of any known future changes and further availability of key staff. The second stage of Human resource planning is the analysis of the organizations future plans. This includes consideration of changes and losses to the organization replacements for retirements, leavers, transfers and promotions; incremental improvements in staff performance and current programmes of staff development possible improvements in production, redeployment of existing manpower, planned changes in output levels; and external environmental factors such as the likely availability of labour, areas of potential new developments or markets, and changes in legislation planned introduction of new methods and equipment, planned reorganization of work, the impact of changes in employment law or collective agreements. Analysis of the organizations future plans is done in the form of ratio-trend analysis identifies areas where performance has improved or deteriorated over time; work-study or organization and methods (OM) techniques time-study and thorough analysis of the work done to establish the person-hours needed per unit of output; managerial judgment managers make estimates of labour needs, flows and availabilities, executive reviews, succession planning, vacancy analysis. The second stage shows managers any future emerging trends; the sort of workforce envisaged, the pros and cons of the different routes to get there; projections of numbers of staff required in the future, the utility of retraining, redeployment and transfers, what the appropriate recruitment levels might be. Such an analysis is important to any organization as it shows where the organization wants to be in the future. The third stage is the analysis of the matches or mismatches between Human resource supply and demand forecasts. This is basically a forecast of staffing requirements, aided by the results of the previous two stages, necessary to achieve corporate objectives by the target date. Forecasting of employee supply is concerned with predicting how the current supply of manpower will change over time, primarily in respect of how many will leave, but also how many will be internally promoted or transferred. These changes are forecast by analyzing what has happened in the past, in terms of staff retention and/or movement, and projecting this into the future to see what would happen if the same trends continued. This stage is very important in the Human resource planning process as it identifies critical shortfalls organizations can then recruit to meet a shortage of those with senior management potential; allow faster promotion to fill immediate gaps; develop cross functional transfers for high flyers; hire on fixed-term contracts to meet short-term skills/experience deficits. It also shows any surplus of labour allowing organizations to reduce staff numbers to remove blockages or forthcoming surpluses. The fourth stage is evaluating options if there were to be too many staff or to few staff in a given work area. If there were too many staff managers would have to consider natural wastage, redundancy (voluntary and compulsory), redeployment (including training, if needed), early retirement, dismissal, a freeze on future recruitment, part-time working or job sharing, elimination of overtime, move to more labour intensive methods or products, search for additional or new work. If there were too few staff managers would have to consider recruitment, redeployment, promotion or demotion, extension of the contracts of those about to retire, use of freelance, agency or temporary staff, overtime, productivity bargaining, automation or elimination of jobs, increase capital investment to increase productivity e.g. by introduction of new technology. This stage lets managers know what to expect in the future if these situations arise. The fifth and final stage is the selection of best alternatives and implementation of the human resource plan with monitoring and review procedures. Each plan developed by each organization will be unique because it will address and be dependent upon different issues. The implementation of the plan should be assessed regularly as part of the overall review of objectives. It serves as a tool to direct, manage and reinforce actions within the organization to address key management issues. Once prepared, its implementation and the subsequent monitoring of results are essential to addressing the issues effectively. Most organizations want Human resource planning systems which are responsive to change with assumptions being easily modified, that allow flexibility in supply and are simple to understand and use and not too time demanding. However to operate such systems, organizations need appropriate demand models, good monitoring and corrective action processes and an understanding on how resourcing works in the organization. If HRP techniques are ignored, decisions will still be taken, but without the benefit of understanding their implications. BIBLIOGRAPHY Management and Organizational Behaviour, Laurie J. Mullins, 7th edition Human Resource Management, Derek Torrington, Laura Hall Stephen Taylor College Handouts www.manpowerplanning.co.uk

Impact of National Culture on HRM practices

Impact of National Culture on HRM practices According to Brewster (1995, cited by Wilton, 2010), an organisations Human Resource Management policies are dictated by international, national, and organisational constraints. The impact of such limitations, particularly in the midst of an increasingly globalised society, is of particular importance with the continued growth of Multinational Corporations (MNCs). With business extending across regional, national and international boundaries, now characterized by heightened permeability, adaptations in HRM practices are necessary to account for the variations apparent between nations. As reiterated by Schuler (1998), with MNCs competing in a global marketplace, it has become increasingly important to recognise the significance of the admonition When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Including both institutional (hard) and cultural (soft) discrepancies, MNCs must not only seek to understand the social framework embedded in foreign cultures, but must develop a means to overcome the impedim ents associated with it to insure the success of the corporations subsidiaries abroad. Research illustrates that MNCs often attempt to transfer existing HRM practices to their foreign subsidiaries, however, in the midst of significant cultural gaps; such methods are correlated with high failure rates(Morris et al, 2009; Tayeb, 2005). As national culture is engraved into the skeletal framework of a society, and hence, its organisations, an approach that adapts to the local environment and established social norms, is of pivotal importance (Newman et al, 1996; Morris et al, 2009; Tayeb, 2005). National Culture: A Brief Overview Despite the controversies apparent in its definition, there is wide consensus that national culture encompasses a cornucopia of shared assumptions, norms, values, and beliefs that are embedded into the very core of society (Wilton, 2010; McSweeney, 2002; Maih et al, 2007). A system of values, national culture is perceived as collective programming of the human mind, which, in turn, directly influences the behavioural manifestations of a society within the environment and the group itself (Sackmann, 1992). As reiterated by Schein (1985, cited by Wilton, 2010), national culture is a means of overcoming the universal obstacles within society, that of external adaptation and internal integration. It is a thread that intertwines the heart of a nation with the essence of each individual, community and organisation a thread that stitches an otherwise fragmented society into a tapestry of commonality. As a nations human and institutional foundations are the fruit of its cultural roots, nati onal culture has a significant impact on business operations within MNCs, particularly in regards to the soft aspects of organisations, such as HRM policies. As emphasized by Hickson and Pugh (1995, cited by McSweeney, 2002), a nations culture has a broad spectrum of influence, shaping every thought, every decision, every action, every organisation. Conceptualising National Culture The values embodied by the vast array of cultures worldwide are highly diverse, and so, with business operations no longer constrained by geographical boundaries, MNCs must acknowledge this diversity and its subsequent implications for management (Miah et al, 2007; Newman et al, 1996). While the permeability of global barriers is widely acknowledged, the transferability of HRM practices from the country of origin to those of the subsidiaries is fraught with difficulties, and so, the implications of culture for corporations, as emphasized by Hofstedes model of national cultural differences, are indispensible for MNC management (McSweeney, 2002). Based on research conducted at IBM and its foreign subsidiaries, Hofstede concluded that differences between the values, norms and beliefs of national cultures could be categorized into four dimensions. Despite significant criticism in regards to methodology and obsolescence of data(McSweeney, 2002), the cultural differences apparent in Hofste des model may have implications for an organisations HRM policies in terms of the leadership style, importance of regulations and whether compensation should be linked to individual performance or seniority (Leat et al, 2007). Table 1: Hofstedes Model of Cultural Differences (Adapted from Wilton, 2010) Hofstedes Dimensions of National Culture Cultural Dimension Significance Power Distance A reflection of the acceptability of the social inequality that underpins the functioning of all societies, this dimension indicates the extent to which unequal power distribution is accepted within nations. While in high power societies, inequality is largely accepted, giving rise to autocratic management practices, low power societies are characterized by a desire for equality, stronger interpersonal relationships and heightened employee involvement Uncertainty Avoidance A reflection of the extent to which uncertainty and unpredictability are accepted in a society. In societies with high uncertainty avoidance, the creation of a sense of security and long term predictability is the central focus. On the other hand, in societies with low uncertainty avoidance, unpredictability and risk taking is encouraged. Hence, the importance of regulatory procedures is of less importance. Individualism vs. Collectivism A reflection of the degree to which self identity is reliant on individual or group characteristics. While in individualist societies, individual responsibility, initiative and concern predominates, collectivist societies are characterized by loyalty and concern for a much wider social network. Such societies are hence, more reliant on the organisation, community and country. Masculinity vs. Femininity A reflection of the significance of social differentiation between genders within a society as well as the degree to which traditional male orientations are emphasized over those linked with females. Masculine societies are characterized by ambition with success linked to the acquisition of material possessions. In feminine societies, however, interpersonal harmony is core, and so, quality of life, consideration for the environment and emotional satisfaction is fundamental 2 A noteworthy comparison dominating current HRM literature is that of the individualistic Anglo-Saxon countries and the collectivist Asian countries (Rowley et al, 2002). From the early 1960s, East Asia has been regarded as having one of the most rapidly developing economic environments in the world (Harzing et al, 2004). As a result of such rapid development, MNCs from Anglo Saxon countries, namely the USA, have developed operations in the likes of Japan, China and Taiwan. However, the development of appropriate HRM practices within their respective foreign subsidiaries has been fraught with difficulties, largely as a result of the differences in cultural parameters (Ralston et al, 1997). Values, norms and beliefs in Asian countries are deeply rooted in tradition and the notion workplace is family (Ralston et al, 1997). As such countries are a highly collectivist culture, characterised by high power distance high uncertainty avoidance, HRM policies developed by the USA which, accord ing to Hofstede, are markedly different would be ineffective without contextualisation (Rowley et al, 2002). Hence, as reiterated by Schuler et al (1998), congruence between culture and management practices is of pivotal importance as such an approach (1) demonstrates cultural awareness (2) intertwines policy with ingrained behavioural patterns and (3) is correlated with heightened financial performance . While institutionalists argue that institutional systems, such as the macro-economy, governance and legislation, are the main determinants of HRM policy differences(Leat et al, 2007; (Rowley et al, 2002), research findings derived from studies regarding the effect of national culture on HRM practices in Asian countries (Miah et al, 2007; Sparrow et al, 1998), the Middle East (Leat et al, 2007), Europe ( Newman et al, 1996) and North America (Rosenzweig et al, 1994; Schuler et al, 1998) suggest quite the contrary. Such notions are further supported by Budhwar(2000, cited in Leat et al, 2007), whom asserts that while management practice may be influenced by culture free institutional factors , HRM practices are determined largely by those which are culture bound. National Context: Implications for HRM National culture is engraved into the skeletal framework of a society, and so, as reiterated by Rosenzweig and Nohria (1994, cited in Leat et al, 2007), HRM is both historically and socially embedded and so, it is the area of management most susceptible to cultural differences. National culture, therefore, influences numerous facets of a corporations HRM policies, including resource administration, performance appraisal, strategic decision-making, leadership style, provision of developmental opportunities, and the management of employee relations (Tayeb, 2005). Reinforced by Sparrow et al (1998), HRM policies and practices in any given country are cultural artefacts a reflection of the cultures values and norms in which all organizations are embedded. 3 While research illustrates that various MNCs have opted for the transferral of established practices from the country of origin to that of the host countries (Morris et al, 2009), the lack of contextualisation accounts for the limited acceptance (Newman et al, 1996; Leat et al, 2007). As echoed by Newman (1996) and Miah (2007), the notion of one size fits all is no longer relevant, and so, contextualisation of management practices is vital. According to Nohria et al (1994), the degree to which a MNC differentiates its HRM policy to fit the cultural context of its affiliates is directly correlated with heightened performance of the firm. Furthermore, HRM policies that are consistent with a nations culture have been manifested in heightened employee motivation, self efficacy and improved organisational performance (Newman, 1996). Therefore, the admonition when in Rome, do as the Romans do, appears to be applicable where international HRM practices are concerned. As congruence between the external environment and internal strategy is vital, a misfit between national culture and HRM policies will cause rifts in the organisations foundations, whereby even the most seemingly insignificant crevice will impact the effectiveness of the business (Gerhart, 2008). Hence, in order for Multinational corporations to be competitive on a global scale: it is crucial that they recognize these relationships and adjust their compensation practices to the cultural specifics of a particular host country (Schuler et al, 1998, p. 161) Multinational Corporations and HRM policy 4As highlighted by Taylor et al, 1996, HRM policy orientation, defined as the general philosophy adopted by MNCs within their respective subsidiaries, must be geared towards addressing the tension between the dual imperatives of global integration (convergence) and local responsiveness (divergence)(Edwards et al, 2005). Based on research from Rosenzweig et al (1994), three generic HRM policy orientations may be adopted by MNCs within their foreign affiliates: Adaptive, Exportive and Integrative, which if often dependent on the stage of international corporate evolution (refer to table 2). Based on this typology, which links to that developed by Perlmutter in 1969, multinational corporations management practices within overseas subsidiaries could mirror that of the parent company (ethnocentric), could resemble local practices (polycentric) or could seek idle ground between integration and differentiation(geocentric) (Morris et al, 2009). While early convergence theorists argue for the adoption of an exportive strategy based on the existence of universal truths, differences between national cultures in todays society are deeply rooted, and so, adaptation to local practices is of pivotal importance (Rowley et al, 2002). As argued by Kristensen and Zeitlin (2001, cited in Edwards et al, 2005), Thus, it is arguable that in the midst of increasing globalisation, whereby the idea of readily transferable best practice is no longer relevant, an adaptive or integrative HRM orientation strategy is more applicable. The central issue for MNCs is not to determine the most effective HRM policy per se, but to identify the best fit between the firms external environment, its overall strategy and its HRM policy (Taylor et al, 1996, p.961). Table 2: MNC Human Resource Management Policies (Adapted from Taylor et al, 1996) Adaptive Exportive Integrative The Polycentric approach The Ethnocentric approach The Geocentric approach HRM policy that mirrors the local environment / culture Wholesale transfer of HRM policy from the parent company to the foreign subsidiaries HRM policy that integrates the adaptive and exportive approaches Low internal consistency within the MNC parent company and affiliates and high external consistency with the nation High internal consistency within the MNCs and affiliates and low external consistency with the local environment High internal consistency and moderate external consistency Differentiation is emphasized whereby HRM policies reflect existing local practices High integration whereby HRM policies are replicated in an MNCs foreign subsidiaries Combines differentiation with integration strategy Minimal transfer of HRM philosophy and policy between the MNC and subsidiaries Complete transfer of HRM practice from the parent MNC to overseas affiliates Multidirectional transfer of policies between the parent company and foreign subsidiaries According to Porter (1986, cited in Taylor et al, 1996), HRM policy orientation is dictated by the international strategy adopted by the MNC multidomestic or global. On a similar note, Nohria et al (1994) make the distinction between firm strategy that pursues differentiated fit and that which strives for universal adoption of shares values. A multidomestic strategy (decentralisation) is often pursued in nations where the local market places high demands on MNCs for policy adaptation (Wilton, 2010; Taylor et al, 1996). As argued by Edwards et al (2005), while multiculturism is the primary argument for differentiation, this pressure is augmented by the need to abide by national legislation, regulations and labour market institutions termed local isomorphic factors. As a result, based on contingency theory, such strategy requires policy differentiation to fit the national conditions of each subsidiary (Nohria et al, 1994). MNCs pursuing a global strategy (centralisation), on the othe r hand, employ a set of shared values and goals to achieve a collective competitive advantage. Such a strategy is, hence, dependent on heightened levels of integration, centralization, coordination and control within the MNC and its respective overseas affiliates (Edwards et al, 2005). As emphasized by Wilton (2010) and Nohria et al (1994), a global strategy seeks to minimise the abyss of differences between national systems, placing emphasis on the importance of policy integration and mutual interdependence at an organizational level. 5 MNCs that adopt a multidomestic strategy, and hence are characterized by heightened independence and localization, are likely to pursue an adaptive HRM orientation (Brock et al, 2007). In MNCs geared towards the pursuance of a global strategy, however, an integrative approach to HRM policy is a more viable option. As noted by Taylor et al (1996), corporations that pursue a global strategy require higher levels of integration and internal consistency between the MNC and its respective foreign subsidiaries. However, as Bartlett and Ghoshal (1989, cited in Taylor et al, 1996, p.968) argued, MNCs competing in an increasingly globalised marketplace must not only internationally integrated but locally responsive, and so, in spite of the trend toward internal convergence (ethnocentric), discrepancies between national cultures call for differentiation. Echoed by Rowley et al (2002), while international trade and finance pressure firms to standardise management policy, the local customs and c ulture embedded in the fabric of the nation act as barriers to convergence (geocentric). As highlighted in the study conducted by Nohria et al (1994), the performance of MNCs that adopted an integrative policy orientation (high degree of differentiated fit and shared values) was significantly higher than other firms in the sample of 66 MNCs in 19 different countries. These results are consistent with the findings of Brock et al (2007), whom notes that MNCs that pursue a geocentric approach have higher sales, profit margins and significantly better market shares. Nevertheless, numerous authors acknowledge that while an integrative policy is most appropriate, few firms adopt such practice, often opting instead for an exportive HRM orientation (Taylor et al, 1996; Rowley et al, 2002; Harzing et al, 2004). While the wholesale transplant of the HRM system (Edwards et al, 2005, p. 8) will heighten integration among the MNC units and ensure the continuity of firm ethos, it fails to acknowl edge both cultural and institutional barriers embedded into societies (Morris et al, 2009). USA and Japan: A Case Study 6In todays society, foreign affiliates are the gladiators of the Coliseum that is the modern globalised environment (Pudelko et al, 2007). Hence, in the context of the USA and Japan, HRM policy must attempt to address the conflict between global integration and Local responsiveness (Brock et al, 2007). While American firms initially believed in the notion of one size fits all, which led to the transfer of policies abroad, low success rates by companies such as EBay within an Asian context (refer to table 3) provides evidence to the contrary(Morris et al, 2009). According to Paul Schwamm, an entrepreneur based in Tokyo, EBays lack of success in Japan is attributed largely to their lack of consideration of national culture differences. Instead of adapting to satisfy local needs, EBay attempted to manipulate consumers to fit the companys American centric model (Lane, 2007). Furthermore, as echoed by Ferner (1994), where American firms have integrated a degree of Japanese HRM practice i nto that of their own, they have only done so in a piecemeal fashion. In Japan, an ethnically and religiously homogenous society with deep rooted nationalism, however, such practices are insufficient (Ralston et al, 1997). Table 3: Comparison between Japan and the USA (Adapted from Morris et al, 2002 and Wilton, 2010) Hofstedes Dimensions United States Japan Power Distance Low Medium high Uncertainty Avoidance Low medium High Individualism High Medium Low Masculinity High Medium As the conflict between western and eastern values, norms and beliefs provide a basis for policy differentiation; the adaptation of HRM policies to account for national discrepancies paves the road to organisational success, as can be seen in companies such as IBM, Canon, Sony, and Matsushita (Pudelko et al, 2007). Comparing subsidiaries of US firms in Japan and vice versa, those which have, to a certain extent, adapted practices to the national context (culture and institutional factors), experienced improved efficacy, commitment, employee satisfaction and higher performance (Ferner, 1994; Morris et al, 2009). Interestingly, however, Pudelko et al (2007) notes that while an integrative HRM orientation is apparent in numerous American and Japanese success stories, Japanese subsidiaries in the US are more willing to adopt local practices than their American counterparts are within Japan. This suggests that, while contextualisation is vital, MNCs within both Japan and the USA may still link the American HRM model as a code of best practice (Pudelko et al, 2007). While Japanese MNCs, such as Nissan, Renault, Matsushita and Hitachi are moving away from traditional practices and are becoming increasingly Americanized, traditional Japanese systems are still deeply rooted in various areas of the nation, and so, a degree of contextualisation by American firms is still paramount. Conclusion 7According to Brock et al (2007, p.354), MNC subsidiaries are faced with balancing dual roles: as cogs in the wheels of their parent organisations, and as competitors in local markets. With increasing levels of globalisation, internationalisation of business, and heightened competition, consideration of the viability of HRM policies within different national contexts is of growing importance. National culture is engraved into the skeletal framework of a society, and so, it has significant bearing on business operations within MNCs and their respective subsidiaries, particularly in regards to the soft aspects of organisations such as HRM policies, practices and philosophies. While research highlights trends towards global convergence of policies within MNCs and their respective foreign subsidiaries, discrepancies between national cultures and the norms, beliefs and values intertwined with their roots, call for differentiation. It is this need to bridge the concepts of integration and differentiation that justifies the adoption of an integrative HRM policy orientation in the midst of both a multidomestic and global management strategy. Hence, in order for MNCs to be successful, they need to adapt HRM policies to account for cultural diversity while maintaining the broader set of practices that reflect the firm itself.