Difficulties in cross cultural communication Case Study

Difficulties in cross cultural communication - Case Study Example 2001). As such, this paper is mainly concerned with analysing a case study that is related to difficulties experienced in a situation that deals with cross cultural communication. The paper starts by analysing the case and this will be followed by problem identification and presentation. The main part of the paper will analyse the measures that can be implemented in order to deal with the problem in an amicable way that is not likely to create more problems. A summary of the major points discussed will be drawn at the end of the paper. Case analysis Leary is the manager of a thriving financial company, Merrill Lynch, and she uses people oriented strategies to manage the company. She prefers to engage the employees in their work so as to try to get the best out of them. She also closely monitors the performance of the employees so as to be in a position to effectively manage them so that the goals of the organization can be achieved. There are about 45 financial consultants who carry out the work in the company. Of notable concern is the fact that the company has an employee, Ted Chung whose primary origin is Taiwan. Chung is specifically meant to target Taiwanese people since this segment is comprised of affluent people who can bring meaningful business to the company. Indeed, Chung brought a whopping account worth $6 million, one of the highest in the history of the company. Chung states that he has to use the Taiwanese tradition in order to attract these targeted people and there is no other financial consultant with the exquisite skills to perform this particular task. Problem identification For quite some time, Leary has noticed certain behaviour in Chung which she thinks is a cause for concern. For instance, Chung is a self centred person and he does not like to interact with others. He does not want to share his things with others and he is also short tempered. All these factors worry Leary. The other problem is that Chung has requested a private office b ut regardless of the fact that he brought one of the largest accounts to the company and he is performing well, he is still too junior to get a private office. Of the 45 financial consultants, only eight have private offices. Therefore, the problem in this case is twofold: if Leary gives in and try to appease Chung, this is likely to attract the wrath of other senior financial consultants who can also demand the same favour. This will certainly impact on the morale of other employees as well as their performance. It can also be seen that the problem is culture based. By virtue of being Taiwanese, Chung thinks that he deserves special treatment since he is dealing with a niche group of customers that has potential to bring a lot of business to the company. As such, a holistic approach ought to be taken when dealing with this case since it can negatively affect the whole organization if care is not taken. Measures that can be taken to resolve the problem identified According to Korac- Kakabadse et al (2001), the difficulties that arise in cross-cultural face-to-face encounters may be addressed with a better understanding of communication styles utilised by different cultures. In this case, it is imperative for Leary to understand the culture of Chung before taking a decisive step. People who come from different cultural backgrounds have different communication skills and this fact impacts on the way they interact with others. It can be noted that Chung is a sort of withdrawn person but this may not be his fault as may be thought by other people within the company. A closer reading of the case study shows that

What was the main theme of chapter six in the Douglas narrative Why Assignment

What was the main theme of chapter six in the Douglas narrative Why was it important - Assignment Example The treatment of slaves in Baltimore town is humane as compared to the rural masters who mistreat their servants. The theme of knowledge and empowerment is important because it enables one to have the freedom the mind and feel respected. For instance, it is evident when Mrs. Auld insists to Douglas that education helps in freeing the mind. Initially, Mrs. Auld had not owned a slave and so she thinks that it is bad not to educate them on the basics. She indicates that education is the first step towards attaining physical and mental freedom (Douglass 30). The chapter ends with Douglas illustrating the fury over the mistreatment of Mary, who is a slave in the neighboring house. Although slavery is the prevalent theme, Douglas discovers that it is influenced by their lack of knowledge. It emerges that attaining education helps in understanding that slavery is unaccepted and people should avoid it. The whites take advantage of their slaves by owning them as property because they cannot fight for their

History of mordern political thought Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of mordern political thought - Essay Example ..But mostly he wrote about politics. He was mad about politics. He says in one of his letters that he had to talk about it; he could talk of nothing else...The Prince is scarcely more than a pamphlet, a very minor fraction of its author's work, but it overshadows all the rest...Everyone recognizes "Machiavellian" as an adjective for political conduct that combines diabolical cunning with a ruthless disregard for moral standards...The Prince contradicts everything else Machiavelli ever wrote and everything we know about his life.... The notion that The Prince is what it pretends to be, a scientific manual for tyrants, has to contend not only against Machiavelli's life but against his writings... The standard explanation has been that in the corrupt conditions of sixteenth-century Italy only a prince could create a strong state capable of expansion. The trouble with this is that it was chiefly because they widened their boundaries that Machiavelli preferred republics. In the Discorsi he wrote, "We know by experience that states have never signally increased either in territory or in riches except under a free government. The cause is not far to seek, since it is the well-being not of the individuals but of the community which makes the state great, and without question this universal well-being is nowhere secured save in a republic.... Popular rule is always better than the rule of princes." (1958) Machiavelli was a nationalist, a political scientist, a scholar and a staunch republican. About the most pro-monarchic view that could possibly be ascribed to him is that a Prince might be the best way to unify Italy. Machiavelli began by writing satire of the corrupt leaders of Italy such as the Medicis, making bare their horrible and destructive ambitions, but he also created modern political science simultaneously. This paper will analyze precisely how The Prince is in fact brilliant political science. Modern political science takes something for granted that class ical analyses of politics and law would have found preposterous: Analyses of what governments actually do and how to efficently carry out objectives are just as valuable as analyses of what governments should do. The Prince describes how princes actually behave and how they should behave if they want to be effective, not if they want to be moral. The Prince opens up in a rather startling way for a philosophy book about politics and law: It describes what principalities there are (Chapter I). He goes on to distinguish separate types of rule for hereditary and mixed principalities (Chapter II and III). The Prince is proceeding with simple, clear analyses, breakdowns and categories. Filling The Prince is distinct analysis of history of the Greeks and Romans, what a modern political scientist would call a case study, providing support for his claims. Take his analysis of Nabis in Chapter IX. â€Å"Nabis, Prince of the Spartans, sustained the attack of all Greece, and of a victorious Ro man army, and against them he defended his country and his government; and for the overcoming of this peril it was only necessary for him to make himself secure against a few, but this would not have been sufficient if the people had been hostile...[G]ranted a prince who has established himself as above, who can command, and is a man of courage, undismayed in adversity, who does not fail in other qualifications, and who, by his resolution and energy, keeps the whole people encouraged — such a one will never find himself deceived in them, and it will be shown that

Linguistic journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Linguistic journal - Essay Example Among the reasons are rapid mutation of Danish phonology over the last five decades, children’s ability to learn written English enhanced as a result of absorbing spoken Danish during childhood, the fact that modern Danish language is more mumbled than spoken, and omnipresence of English language in Danish advertisements. Noticing all these signs led Raymond to the conclusion, â€Å"The overall picture I got of Danish was of a language in an extreme stage of phonological degeneration, extremely divergent from its written form, and functionally unnecessary to many of its younger speakers† (Raymond). Raymond then talks about how Maltese language has evolved into Maltenglish over the passage of time, and how he suspects that Danish language will soon become an ethno-tribal museum artifact. It is true that English is a very popular language in Denmark. Popular opinion also holds that almost all Danes speak and understand English at least as well as they do Danish. The reasons Raymond has noted for his suspicion about degeneration of the Danish language are indeed quite weighty. When a language rapidly evolves and changes in phonology in a matter of few decades, it is an alarming sign for its degeneration. One reason for the transition from Danish to English language is that both languages are similar in terms of alphabets, and grammar to an extent. An even more important reason for suspecting degeneration of Danish language is that it is spoken, written, and understood by a very small population based in Denmark whereas English is a much more popular and widely spoken, written, and understood language. Danish language is also very complicated compared to English, not in the way that languages are traditionally complicated. Even more than grammar, it is the pronunciatio n of words in the Danish language that makes it so difficult to speak and

International business enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International business enviroment - Essay Example According to the literature on international business, FDI level is dependent on the effects of location of the business environment within a country. Due to uneven distribution of resources in a certain country, the firms will have different advantages in different countries (Hufbauer 2013, p. 1). Studies carried out on determinants of inflow FDI reflects a positive correlation between the economic performance and FDI. Location factors explain the differences in foreign penetration between countries. According to Pentecost and Miner (1996), competitive advantage within the host economies, levels of protection and the size of the reporting market affects the distribution of FDI positively. Studies also show that FDI is significantly affected by the policy measures directed at FDI (Lee 2001, p. 100). The current paper uses a range of relevant theories and data as illustrated in Tables 1 and 2 to critically evaluate variation over time between and within countries in their inflow and outflow of FDI activity. In this case, FDI flows as a percentage of the GDP. These indicators are a representation of the provision of the external financing resources in terms of direct investments within a reporting economy derived from foreign investors and external economies as derived by the domestic investors. The negative FDI values of net inflows within a certain country is a reflection of the disinvestment value from foreign investors being higher than capital value of investments within the reporting country. The negative value for the net outflows indicate that value derived from the direct investments from domestic investors to the external economies is less than the repatriated value of the direct investments from the external economies (Rutten and Boekema 2007, p. 39). Most countries use FDI for evaluation of their economic development processes. The contribution of FDI to national output and

Target plc Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Target plc - Assignment Example The study provides the details financial analysis of the company. In the case study the financial and operational evaluation of the company in questions has been undertaken. For the purpose of operational capability of the company, its corporate strategy has been analyzed in addition to the competitive environment and other risks to which it is being exposed. Target Plc is not a new name in the retail, food and ingredients industry and is considered analogous to quality and premium branding. The company is a diversified conglomerate having five major strategic segments which are sugar, agriculture, retail, grocery and ingredients. As per the latest financial statements of the company for the annual year 2012, the company is operating in almost all of the major cities of the United States. The vision and mission statement of the company is to achieve strong leadership in the course of business which is sustainable and long lasting. The company always strives to provide quality product s to the individuals and other consumers and to become a necessary brand in the people’s day to day active life. Financial Highlight [Annual report Target, 2012 , Pg2] As apparent form the above financial highlight, the company presents a strong financial outlook and appears to be a lucrative company for the investors to invest in. The company has various revenue centers through which the company generates most of its revenues. During the financial year 2012, the highest earning revenue center for the company was heath, beauty and households which constituted about 25% of the total revenue of the company. Corporate Strategy Target Plc is now actively involved in acquiring new stores in order to capture a significant market share in the industry. Currently the company is facing tough competition in the market as new entrants are entering in the market and taking advantage of the new and improved industry state. The company current corporate strategy is to refurbish the acquire d stores and outlets so that they have fashionable, modern and attractive presented stores located in prime locations all across the region. The primary capital expenditure of the company consists of extending its stores portfolio. Competitive Analysis In order to analyze the financial outlook of a company, it is of prime importance that the cost leadership and differentiation strategies of the company are analyzed. In addition, the best method to assess the competitive advantage is through porter’s five forces model. The major competitors of Target Plc are as follows: Wal-Mart Stores Kmart Corporation Costco Wholesale Corporation Competitive Advantage Porter’s five forces model is an effective tool in exploring the competitive forces of the environment in which the organization operates. It allows the business to critically analyze its current business strategy and formulate one which can allow it to achieve a competitive position in the market. With the advancement i n Information Technology, it has been prominently observed that the businesses are now focusing more and more on implementing information system in order to make the best use of their resources. In the mentioned case, Target Corporation has several functional units carrying out activities related to the manufacturing and delivering of Sports merchandise. By integrating these units using information system, Target Corporation can gain competitive advantage in the market which can by analyzed in the light of Porter’s five forces model. The first competitive force according to the model is the entry of new competitors into the market. New entrants might be able to capture some of the market

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Growing up, children are often told things that grown ups would question, as people grow they learn to question those things too. In the book The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn written by Mark Twain. Huck faces the challenge of either following what everyone is telling him is right, but he knows is wrong, or going against the grain and standing up for what he knows is right. Throughout the book Huck is unsure in what he believes and struggles to determine if what he is taught is wrong. The widow took over the role as guardian for Huck since his father and mother are both out of the picture. When Huck was being raised by his father he wasnt taught any morals or values, so the widow took this as an opportunity to make Huck into a person whose life was all about morals. In the book the widow tells Huck that hell is bad and that heaven is good, but Huck is unsure that he should believe everything that she is telling him. Huck decides that going to hell, if it means following his gut and not societys hypocritical and cruel principles, is a better option than going to everyone elses heaven. â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell! (245). † This is Hucks true break with the world around him. Huck faces the moral conflict of whether or not to turn Jim in because it is what society dubbed as the right thing to do. â€Å"I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me (89). † Right off from the beginning, Huck wanted to turn Jim in because it was against society’s rules to help a slave escape and Huck knew it. But when Jim said that, â€Å"Huck; yous de bes fren Jims ever had; en you is de only fren; ole Jims got now (89). † helped Huck to grasp the concept that there is a friendship in the making. Even though Huck didn’t turn Jim in, he is till troubled by his conscience when the slave catchers were leaving because he knows it is wrong to help a slave. Still Huck cannot bring himself forward to tell on Jim, thus showing that his innate sense of right exceeds that of society. The con-mens attempt to pose as the brothers of the late Peter Wilks is an important part of Hucks moral development. The Duke and King try to take Peters estate, however, Huck decides to return the money to Peters three daughters. This action demonstrates further moral growth, as he does choose to abandon the two con-men. Huck learned that people can be nice and show each other that they care about one another. Women would walk up to Peters daughters and kiss their foreheads, and then put their hand on theirhead, and looked up towards the sky, with the tears running down, and then busted out and went off sobbing and swabbing, and give the next woman a show (159). Huck has never seen anything so disgusting. When Huck Finn sees one of the daughters crying beside the coffin, it makes a deep impact on him. Hucks religious beliefs and moral standards cross pathes as he handles the situation. When Huck says, All right then, Ill go to hell! (245). He has decided to go against what society tells him to do by freeing Jim. Throughout the entire book Huck struggles with separating his own moral beliefs and what society tells him is the right thing to do. From the beginning of the book Huck showed that he did not always believe what people told and went against the grain when he said he wanted to go to hell instead of heaven. The moral development that Huck shows throughout the book causes Huck to develop other traits as well, such as compassion and sincerity towards others. Huck really came out of his shell and fully developed his moral beliefs when he gave the money back that the con-men stole to the three girls. It allowed Huck to get in touch with his emotional side of his moral beliefs and it told him what th right thing to do was.