Journey always change the people involved Essay

Journey is a movement from one place to another. Journeys have many different obstacles and challenges. Journey can either be physical, inner, imaginative and emotional. Most journeys have a purpose. The concept has been described by composers in the text ‘beneath clouds’, directed by Ivan Sen and ‘journey to freedom’, a recount by Hai Van Nguyen. In beneath clouds, Ivan Sen examines the physical and inner journey of the two main characters Lena and Vaughn. Ivan sen brings out the conflict between aboriginal and white people, as well as problems affecting both communities. In journey to freedom’, the narrator shows the different experiences and conflicts of her family, who fled from Vietnam on fishing boat in hopes for a better future. The narrator links her experiences to the situation in Australia. Both texts show the different aspects of journey through different film techniques, language, settings, symbols and dialogue. Both characters in beneath clouds are aboriginal descent and Lena is fair-skinned Australian girl who lives with her aboriginal mother and brother in a small country town. She feels that there are no life choices for her there, other than teenage pregnancy and unemployment. Vaughn is an angry aboriginal teenage boy who’s living in a minimum-security prison in a western NSW. Vaughn is hardened by his experience of the world. Vaughn feels that as an aboriginal young person, he has been victimised by white Australians. They meet on the road to Sydney. The journey brings them together. They are both searching for a purpose in life and trying to find a sense of belonging. In journey to freedom the concept of physical and inner journey, is shown through the challenges and hardships the family had to face their journey to freedom. They travelled from Vietnam to Malaysia in hopes for a better future, and ended up in a refugee camp, where they faced many challenges till eventually they were allowed in Australia. The texts shows how the journey wasn’t easy, were difficult and choices had to be made. Their journey was challenging and fear affected t heir attitudes with a new feeling of hope when a new life in their dream country was offered. These experiences made the way for her to develop a new attitude and compassion for the refugees in Australia. The hardships allowed her to maintain her understanding of the world. The settings in beneath clouds, the physical environment changes to reflect  the changing emotions of the characters. Their journey takes them through different settings – from the desert and dry lands to train trucks and cities. The settings changed constantly to reflect the changing emotions of the characters. The dead butterfly symbolises the worthless of her life, and her neat room shows what Lena is searching for. In journey to freedom, a recount gives a detailed series of events explained to show the experience of her family during their journey. The reader is able to imagine and develop an understanding and obstacles written by the narrator. It has enhanced our understanding of the world around them as well as develops an awareness of the current problems. Journey change the people involved as seen in the characters of the two texts. In beneath clouds, the journey of Lena and Vaughn is a journey to get accepted in their community/society. Lie is a journey that we all make and it could be a search for love or freedom as in journey to freedom. Along the way life is a journey filled with decisions and choices. Lena and Vaughn had an aim in their physical and inner journey, Lena outgrows her hatred towards aboriginals and Vaughn has a better understanding of the world and his attitude towards all white people changes. The narrator in journey to freedom gets what she wanted after she was granted entre in Australia. Her journey has altered her perceptions of the world around them. To conclude, through a variety of film techniques and languages, the composers of the two texts have shown how journey always change the people involved.

Halloween & Christmas? Similar or Different? Essay

When you think about Christmas and Halloween you think that they are two completely different holidays. But are they really, are they completely different or are they the same thing just celebrated at different times in the year. Well thats what we are going to find out. Christmas celebrated on December 25 and Halloween celebrated on October 31 very unique holidays with many questions to be answered. Lets start with Halloween since that comes first in the year. Halloween is a holiday celebrated at night on October 31st. The word Halloween is shortening All Hallows’ Evening also known as Hallowe’en or All Hallows’ Eve. The traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting â€Å"haunted houses† and carving or painting pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embrace the holiday in the late twentieth century including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as Australia and New Zealand. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. The countries this scary holiday is celebrated in are; Austria, Korea , Belgium, Mexico (day of the dead), Canada, Latin America, China, Spain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, and Japan. Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

Paracrisis Essay

Communication is faster than ever due to the advent of the Internet and social media which are venues for forum, interaction and information/issue dissemination, Today, nearly half a billion people around the world utilize the Internet. In the United States alone, about 155 million Americans access the Internet at home, with some citizens accessing the Internet only at work. Internet use by consumers in other countries, especially Japan (49 million users), the United Kingdom (29 million), Germany (36 million), Brazil (25 million) and France (31 million), has escalated rapidly. (Ferrell, Thorne, & Ferrell, 2012). The increasing number of Internet users warrant firms’ closer attention to and effective management of paracrises. In particular, Nestle’s case in 2010 exemplifies the need to respond pro-actively to social media attack initiated by Greenpeace rather than by not acknowledging the challenge or fighting back against the challenge. If not properly and timely addres sed, this may result to a web of chaos for Nestle. Greenpeace is a global campaigning organisation that enhances to change attitudes and behaviour of people in order to protect and conserve the environment. (About Greenpeace, n.d.) The reputational threat instigated by Greenpeace stemmed from Nestle’s weak stakeholder/customer relations which is a factor in selling products/services, one of the seven basic functions of marketing. Though it is true that supplier contracts including one with Sinar Mas Group should have been reviewed at the onset to check if these are aligned to the company’s social responsibility mandate, the paracrisis could have been immediately addressed should management responded to every single complaint in its social media. Based on my analysis, in general, Nestle’s performance in individual functional areas of business is strong. Financial performance is outstanding as group sales and earnings before income tax (EBIT) per its 2010 Annual Report are increasing from CHF 107,618 million to CHF 109,722 million and CHF 15,699 million to CHF 16,194 million in 2009 to 2010. It was also able to manage company’s debt as net financial debt was reduced to CHF 18,085 milli on to CHF 3,854 million which now only comprised 6.2 percent of equity from the staggering 37 percent in 2009. On the marketing side, Nestle is a well-known brand all  over the world, in fact, number 1 in the food industry offering diverse products. Other functional areas of Nestle including operations, research and development, information systems per my research and analysis, are performing effectively. On the external factor aspect, based on my analysis, firm’s strategies take advantage of the existing opportunities and minimize potential adverse effects of threats. First, food (and beverage) industry is observed to be resilient vis-à  -vis other industries during and immediately after the global economic crisis in 2008. The economic value has had an opposite impact on food and beverage industry. The major concern of these industries is increasing transportation costs for which people have to spend. Nevertheless, the food and beverage industry has been relatively less affected when compared to other industries. This is mainly attributed to the fact that food products continue to be essential to consumers in spite of the slowdown. A comparison between the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones US Food and Beverage Index in 2008 is testimony to the resilient nature of this industry. In 2008, the S&P 500 declined 37.6 percent against a fall of 22.9 percent by the Dow Jones US Food and Beve rage Index. (IMAP, 2010). Second, people are becoming more health-conscious and are now demanding nutritious products in which Nestle has the capability to produce. Company’s response to these major opportunities is superior. However, reputational attack initiated by Greenpeace could damage Nestle’s franchise value and could result in loss of business and consumer trust. Though Nestle could have adopted the following mutually exclusive strategies to respond to paracrisis – repentance, refutation and refusal, it is apparent that repentance, a reform strategy will create a harmonious relationship with its stakeholders, hence, the best or the only feasible paracrisis strategy response. Damage to franchise value caused by increasing trajectory of the paracrisis outweighs the cost of changing organizational practices (change supplier) to reflect the demands of Greenpeace. The combined effect of the voices not only from Greenpeace but also from specialist media and mainstream media and commentary on multiple blogs will be damaged reputation and loss of business. Adopting the refutation and refusal strategies will only create organizational hiatus and worst, crisis. Now that repentance is deemed most feasible, the following independent courses of actions could be employed by the crisis management team at the  point of view of marketing communicatio ns and public relations: 1. Filter pressing and critical issues for appropriate action of Board of Directors and/or Senior Management while attending to minor issues; 2. Resolve all issues – critical or not at their level and respond to these issues through social media in an appropriate and timely fashion; 3. Respond only to issues deemed critical. The first alternative course of action is deemed most feasible. Critical issues could be discussed at the top level of the organization giving the Board and Senior Management the opportunity to carefully review them and adjust company strategies, if necessary. Board and Senior Management sets the tone at the top and has the ultimate responsibility in running the business, hence, they should be fully aware of these critical issues. The crisis management team, on the other hand, should timely and appropriately respond to all issues – critical or not, with an end of assuring its stakeholders that these issues are being resolve d by the company. Minor issues can then be resolved at their level. The public should be made aware, implied or expressed, that the company is taking actions and is responsive to customer/stakeholders’ concerns. My recommendation to address the company’s central problem as mentioned in the above paragraph should be complemented by medium to long-term action plans which includes strengthening its stakeholder relations program; and annual or periodic review of company’s adherence to its mission and vision statements, strategies and business principles. First, stakeholder relations program should be strengthened by keeping community relations at the highest level, improving the customer climate, and maintaining good public image. The â€Å"Be redundant and sprawl† rule is highly applicable to prevent a crisis from happening in this particular case of Nestle. Posting articles on its commitment to social responsibility on different sites including its own website will help the company to vindicate itself from any gross reputati onal attack. Nestle should as well develop a comprehensive and effective communication and marketing strategy. Second, conducting an annual or periodic review of company’s adherence to its mission and vision statements, strategies and business principles will save the company from dealings that may taint company’s reputation. Nestle is committed to its business principles in all countries, taking into account local legislation, cultural and religious practices which include supplier and customer  relations. Nestle require its suppliers, agents, subcontractors and their employees to demonstrate honesty, integrity and fairness and to adhere to its non-negotiable standards. In the same way, Nestle is committed towards its own customers. (Nestle’s Corporate Business Principles, n.d.). These business principles, more particularly supplier and customer relations, should be reviewed not only on first dealings but on a continuous basis. Nestle’s objective is to be the recognized leader in nutrition, health and wellness and the industry reference for financial performance. (Nestle Annual Report, 2010) Remaining at the number 1 spot in the food industry busily catering to customer orders and demands while projecting mounting sales and profits could have prevented Nestle from responding to social media campaigns against irresponsible sourcing of palm oil. Apparently, Nestle failed to live by its dogma of social responsibility. Notwithstanding its desire to be viewed as socially responsible, it was not the actual picture then. Nestle was callous to people’s call for reform until it grew and became a sensation. Nestle should have an effective management team to manage paracrises or reputational threats. Everything seems so stable in an organization like Nestl e, but its management should not discount the fact the power of its stakeholders to cause reputational threat. Bibliography (2010). Nestle Annual Report. Ferrell, O. C., Thorne, D. M., & Ferrell, L. (2012). Social Responsibility and Business. Singapore: Cengage Learning. IMAP. (2010). Food and Beverage Industry Global Report. About Greenpeace. (n.d.). Retrieved from Greenpeace International: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/about/ Nestle’s Corporate Business Principles. (n.d.). Retrieved from Nestle: http://www.nestle.com/aboutus/businessprinciples

Lloyds TSB Bank (stakeholders) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Lloyds TSB Bank (stakeholders) - Essay Example The successful implementation of the Group's strategy is the responsibility of all 70,000 staff employed by the Group. It is their approach to making Lloyds TSB a high performing organisation that has enabled the Group to make such good progress in 2004 and which only they can ensure further progress over the next few years. The focus of Lloyd TSB on their customers has never come at the expense of other stakeholders. They claim that they are constantly striving to make Lloyds TSB a great place to work and a great investment opportunity for shareholders. For shareholders, Lloyds TSB delivered a total shareholder return (share price appreciation plus dividends) of 15 per cent during 2004, a significantly better performance than both the FTSE Bank Index and the FTSE 100 Index. So, 2004 has been a year of good progress for customers, staff and shareholders all of whom are linked by a common desire - the successful delivery of Lloyds TSB's business and financial strategies. (Banking business Review 2005) Lloyds TSB has a clearly articulated organic growth strategy that is focused on improving and deepening relationships with our personal and business customers. During 2004 this strategy has started to gain traction, with good progress being made in each of their business units. The successful delivery of profitable franchise growth has been central to the Group's return to positive earnings momentum during 2004. The building blocks of attracting, retaining and developing customer relationships in all areas of the business are the foundations of profitable franchise development and sustainable earnings growth. With this in mind Lloyds TSB has spent much of the last few years putting their customers at the heart of the strategy, ensuring that customer needs drive their business transformation. During 2004 they have continued to improve the product range, they have significantly enhanced their customer service levels, and have made clear progress in improving the Group's processing efficiency. As a result, customer satisfaction levels are higher than at any time during recent years and they are recruiting a higher number of quality customer relationships. (Banking business Review 2005) iii) The company also provides telephone and Internet banking services. Cheltenham & Gloucester (C&G), a subsidiary of Lloyds TSB, is the group's residential mortgage provider, selling its products through branches of C&G and Lloyds TSB Bank in England and Wales, as well as through telephone, Internet and postal services. The insurance and investments sector operates through Scottish Widows, the group's specialist provider of life assurance, pensions and investment products. These services are distributed through the Lloyds TSB branch network via independent financial advisers and directly via the telephone and the Internet. Insurance and inves

Primate Observation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Primate Observation - Research Paper Example The unjust treatments subjected to the non-human primate species denies present and future humanity the chance to study and understand the closest relatives of the human species. Evidently, the study of the non-human primates such as gorillas, apes and chimpanzees offer insightful learning opportunities pertaining to their physical and social characteristics as well as relationship with human behaviour. To this end, the subsequent sections will delve into the primate description of two major non-human species. These are the gorillas and chimpanzees. The description will examine their social and mating structures, food acquisition strategies and intelligent levels. Furthermore, the literature herein will offer comparative analysis between the gorillas and chimpanzees as well examine their regional distribution. The final section will delve into the relationship between the two non-primates and the understanding of human behaviour. Primate Descriptions a) Gorillas The gorilla primates are evidently the largest cohort of the primate family. They also exhibit the closest relation with humans as 98% of their DNA is in conformity to man’s DNA (Jurmain, 157). Gorillas are mostly land dwelling animals since they do not climb trees. The gorillas are classified into two different species with four sub-species that are determined based on their physical characteristics and their geographic location. The first species is Gorilla gorilla with sub-species of G. g. gorilla, from western lowland and G. g. diehli from cross river (Taylor, 100). The second species is Gorilla beringei with sub-species of G. b. Graueri also known as eastern lowland and G. b. beringei also known as mountain gorilla (Taylor, 100). To this end, the subspecies vary in their habitats with distinct physical characteristics and different numbers of populations. In this regard, the Western gorilla and Eastern gorilla species are classified based on their geographic location within their African hab itat. The Eastern Gorilla has two subspecies known as the Eastern lowland gorilla and Mountain gorilla. The Eastern lowland gorilla is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Jurmain, 159). Their population is classified as endangered with less than 3000. Their physical characteristics place them as the largest among the gorilla species. They also have shorter hair and teeth compared to the mountain gorillas as well as possessing the longest arms. On the other hand, the mountain gorilla is classified as critically endangered as their population currently stands at less than 720. Their physical characteristics are consistent with angular nostrils, a wide face and a large skull. Moreover, it has longer hair and larger body compared to the eastern lowland gorilla (Taylor, 102). The two sub-species of the Western Gorilla are Western Lowland Gorilla and Cross River Gorilla. The Western lowland gorilla is also classified as critically endangered with a population of less than 100,000 (Taylor, 105). Its species is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Furthermore, its physical characteristics entail a silver-back colouring on the males which also covers the thighs. The hair on their heads is also redder. On the other hand, the Cross River Gorilla has a population of approximately 300 and labelled as critically e

Globalization in the Context of Ghana Development Prospects Essay

Globalization in the Context of Ghana Development Prospects - Essay Example Ghana’s story, like many African and South American countries, is a story characterized by a mixed fortune of charismatic leadership with a determination to bring economic prosperity within their soil. With a dream of development prospects to the western standards, the original desire of Ghana’s leadership after independence was a state of parity in a record time of ten years under ideological stewardship of Kwame Nkrumah. Even though development was never fully achieved within the period, international political influences remained fully ingrained in the country’s undertakings. From independence upfront, Ghana adopted foreign policy principles and ideals of nonalignment and Pan-Africanism enunciated by Kwame Nkrumah’s tenure. Accordingly, the adoption of nonalignment stand was a counter-strategy measure against the infiltration of antagonistic policies perpetuated by alliances of both the East and West power blocs. On the other end, Pan-Africanism was a c ooperative visionary policy aimed at liberating the continent from Western colonialism and uniting it for a more consolidated economic and political independence (Ofusu par 33). The country’s active participation in the various organizations such as the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS is a clear indication of its commitment to the maintenance of friendly relations and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and noninterference from other countries irrespective of ideological differences.Taking colonialism off their shoulders, the post-independence national reconstruction placed Ghana as a middle-income country by the 1960s, with its citizenry enjoying relatively stable socio-economic standards of living. As fate would have it, political instability coupled with economic mismanagement by the military juntas in the 1970s eroded the positive economic gains at independence, eventually plunging the country into severe socio-economic crisis. As the wee hours of the 197 0s approached, the country’s gross domestic product’s declining rate was alarming, pushing every sector

Write a paper of approximately 1500 words examining a topic of your Essay

Write a paper of approximately 1500 words examining a topic of your choice - Essay Example However, smoking is rapidly becoming unpopular in the society today. Sensitization campaigns have been lodged and bills pushed by legislators to bring to end the laws that legalize smoking, especially cigarette. Smoking in many regions can be associated with social classes and people smoke to feel a part of a given social class. Smoking brings a â€Å"feel good† sensation that is associated with less stress. This paper seeks to examine in details the social and health effects of smoking. Smoking is dangerous to almost all body organs and puts a person at a greater health risks. Female smokers have reduced chances of conceiving compared to their non smoking counterparts. In the case of pregnant women, smoking affects the health of their babies, whether before or after birth. Such cases as early deliveries (premature birth), babies dying before they are born, babies weighing less at birth, sudden death syndrome in infants have been reported from smokers. In men, smoking reduces the sperm counts, which may lead to infertility, miscarriage or birth defect risks. Banning smoking can boost fertility and healthy children and parents free from smoke related complications (Anderson, 2004). If the waxy substance forms inside the arteries that take blood to the limbs and organs, a condition known as Peripheral Arterial Disease will arise. This will affect the kidneys and the stomach. It is also a major cause of stroke (Anderson, 2004). There is a chance that many people suffering from pain and numbness in the legs and death of the tissues have Peripheral Heart Disease. If the kidney is affected its role of purifying the blood will not be done well and one can end up with impure blood. Severe kidney problems lead to kidney failure, which will lead to either kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. Smoking has adverse consequences on immunity as well as inflammation. Women who have reached menopause but smoke are more likely to experience bone breakage due to their

Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada v.V Annotated Bibliography

Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada v.V. Bell Canada - Annotated Bibliography Example The copyright board had stated that a certain high school should pay the royalties for copying material form a given textbook. However, the court ruled out the statement and stated that the high school should pay no royalties to the board. The decision was made even after the board stated that the material was not used in a fair deal as the copyright legislation states. In a certain case that covered the issue of music downloads, the lower court decided that the society of composers, authors and music publishers should collect royalties from the individuals downloading the music or videos. The royalties of the copyright are recognized and approved by the copyright board of Canada. This copyright stated that those individuals who did not agree to pay the royalties; the board should seek for judicial help and then sue them in the federal court of appeal. On the other hand, the Supreme Court turned down the decision made by the lower court. The supreme disagreed with the fact that the board should collect royalties from individuals downloading music from the internet. The Supreme Court stated that the telecommunications companies or organizations that give music services to customers won’t pay any royalties to the copyright collection agencies. The court said that they will pay a royalty to copy the song but if the organization transmits the so ng to another person or customer, it should not pay. The society of composers, authors and music publishers presented an appeal case to the court following the court’s decision on the payment of royalties upon music downloads. The organization stated that the use of the music was not under their copyright constitution. Their constitution stated that the use of downloaded music or videos should be done on affair dealing. The society then presented their rights to the court which included

The Luton Bank Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Luton Bank Case - Essay Example In 1996 the bank appointed receivers in relation to the properties which were then sold over an 18 month period. The mortgagors complained that the properties had been sold at an undervalue and claimed that: 1) in some cases a far better price would have been obtained had the receivers or mortgagees first obtained planning permission for development. Planning permission had previously been sought but the receivers decided not to wait for it to be granted before selling; 2) in other cases a better price would have been obtained had possible leases of the vacant properties been completed before sale. (see MacKenzie and Phillips, 2008, pg 477). In deciding the case the Court of Appeal considered the duties owed by mortgagees in these circumstances. Several duties were highlighted, which will now be considered in turn. Firstly, a mortgagee in possession must take reasonable care of the premises (Downsview Nominees Ltd v First City Corporation Ltd (No.1) [1993] AC 295). Secondly, it must be remembered that a mortgagee is not a trustee of his powers. This means that the mortgagee may sell whenever he chooses and does not have to have regard to whether a different time may be more beneficial to the mortgagor (Raja v Austin Gray (a firm) [2002] EWCA Civ 1965). In this case, therefore, the bank does not need to wait until the property market has recovered before they can sell the property (Gray and Gray, 2007, pg 534. The mortgagee is also under no duty to improve the position of the property before selling, but may instead sell it ‘as is’.

Historical Analysis Of Leather In India Research Paper

Historical Analysis Of Leather In India - Research Paper Example Sankar, an eminent expert on leather technology at the Oxford University, says that the industry releases harmful effluents and chemicals that pollute rivers and other water bodies (86). Moreover, much of this waste is released in a solid form that cannot be absorbed or disposed off effectively and is therefore contributing to the pollution of the environment. The Indian leather industry is composed of both established manufacturers as well as thousands of cottage industries engaged in the production of various types of leather. In 2010, the industry processed over 65 million animal hides and over 160 million skins to produce leather of various types and quality (Kaul 108). In fact, the latter constitute over three-fifths of the total industrial output. While leather production has existed in India for thousands of years, the modern practice of leather production were introduced by the British rules in the mid-nineteenth century. Over 60% of the industry’s output constitutes h ides and skins. Other leather products manufactured by these industries include leather garments, suitcases, belts and shoes (Kaul 95). Sawhney, a noted professor on Leather Technology at the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad, India states that there are more than 2300 tanneries in the country with a combined turnover of $7.5 billion and are primarily concentrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal (109). The industry exports most of its produce mainly to the western countries, Japan and Australia. The following figure shows the growth of the leather industry in India over the last 50 years. The information in this graphic is of importance as it highlights the gradual growth of the industry, its relative contribution to the national GDP and the extent to which the sector has come to dominate leather production in the global market. Fig. 1. Growth of the leather industry in India 1951-2007. Source: Sawhney, The new face of environmental management in India, 2008. While India remains a top exporter of leather, it has fallen behind Pakistan and Argentina in annua l output due to several factors. India has the highest population of cattle and enjoys lower labor costs that are essential for leather production. Such conditions would make one believe that India holds a distinct advantage when it comes to manufacturing leather (Sahasranaman 46). However, despite having the basic raw material required for the manufacture of leather, the Indian leather industry suffers from adequate technology and financial incentives required to operate the industries in a clean and pollution-free manner. Further, Indian leather manufacturers are driven by the incentive to keep costs at the very minimum and look upon treating effluents or utilizing cleaner techniques as additional expenditure (Sahasranamam 50). The presence of favorable conditions combined with the present inability of Indian leather manufacturers in coping with global demand has forced them to adopt cheaper and quicker means of production to enhance output volumes. Such pressures have however com e at the expense of the environment. In fact, Jenkins says that tanneries depend on as many as 700 different chemicals to treat and process animal hides, most of which are water insoluble and capable of rendering land and water toxic and unfit for human use (65). For instance, most leather companies situated near the banks of the Ganges River have simply preferred to dump their wastes directly into the river. These effluents contain large

The Plan of Marching of the Poor of Martin Luther King Junior Coursework

The Plan of Marching of the Poor of Martin Luther King Junior - Coursework Example 1968 was a year with both good and bad occurrences.   Good because it was the year when Martin Luther King Junior had led the plan of marching of the poor. Luther had intended to mobilize the poor in America to move to Washington on a campaign he dabbed Poor People’s Campaign. At the beginning of 1968, King had been able to travel widely so that he could get more and more support from the poor in America.   In his quest, King intended to bring broad and mixed racial together for a common course, a move that worked in uniting Americans for a common purpose at a time when racism was at its height in United States of America. King was advancing his argument to the wider American poor community with reference to how America had treated the majority poor badly without exposing them to resources to make them productive in the society. King had addressed matters that he believed were ailing America as at that time. He pointed racism, poverty and war as the main problems of America. Specifically, he had condemned the involvement of America with the Vietnam war and described the war as the most unjust war that America had involved itself with. The year was bad because in the same period when King was planning for the march, he was murdered. This made it had for the march to continue successfully. Led by Ralph Abernathy, the march went ahead but it was described as a failure. The march had been marred with rain. The media had given it a wide berth and the congress ignored the event.

Strategic planning Essay Example for Free

Strategic planning Essay Strategic planning refers to a course of action for outlining organizational objectives, carrying out planning to achieve those objectives, and measuring the usefulness of those strategies (Kovner Knickman, 2011). How will the organizational performance at Montefiore be measured? Performance measures are important for it improves communication internally among their employees and externally between the organization, customers, and stakeholders. After all, Montefiore effective communication for their strategic planning activities is explained in their mission statement, which is to heal, to teach, to discover, and to advance the health of the community that they serve (Kovner Knickman, 2011). Montefiore organizational performance should be measured to justify programs and their costs that should include a measure of supply and demand. For instance, patient appointments, which supply is the total of clinician hours and non-appointments (refills and messages) and for demands, the total number of request for appointments received on any given day from both internal and external sources. Montefiore organizational performance should be measured by showing accountability of stewardship of the tax payer’s dollars to show that they are addressing the needs of the society by making progress towards goals (Kovner Knickman, 2011). The vision is that all organizations within the department have performance measurement systems to reinforce their planning and evaluation activities (Kovner Knickman, 2011). Planning and evaluating activities is the responsibility of every individual within that department working together to develop valid and useful measures. Why don’t all HCOs have strategic goals like Montefiore’s? Unfortunately, not all health care organizations agree with strategic planning. Questions about its importance and successfulness have continued. The reason for this is that after decades of research the outcome of strategic planning on an organization’s performance is still not clear. Significant benefits from planning have been found in some studies while others have found no connection and some unfavorable outcomes (Kovner Knickman, 2011). What contributions should the management team make? Management teams contribute to clarifying common goals and purposes of the  organization to their employees. All employees contribute to the organization’s success. Organizing people, dollars, services, equipment to accomplish the work required by the employees is another contributing factor the management teams plays a role in (Kovner Knickman, 2011). Above all, management team contributions are about teamwork, collaboration and being responsible of resources entrusted to them. References Kovner, A. R., Knickman, J. R. (2011). Jonas Kovners Health Care Delivery in the United States (10th ed.). New York, NY: Springer.

Barclays Bank Total Quality Management (TQM)

Barclays Bank Total Quality Management (TQM) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Banks believe that they are in the finance industry, and not in the service industry. Thus they tend to compete in terms of financial prowess rather than service quality. People, resources, time, and systems are devoted more to managing assets and cash rather than managing customers and service. In fact most bank systems are designed to control customers rather than satisfy customers. Products and procedures are set up for the convenience of the bank rather than that of the customer. Banks usually give customer service and satisfaction very low priority. (Rene T. Domingo) The lifeblood of any business is its customers. Customers decide sales based on their perception of product and service quality. Therefore, quality determines profits, and customers alone define and determine what that quality is and should be. Introduction This study will limit itself to the assessment of operations department at Barclays Bank PLC. Information provided is strictly confidential and for the only purpose of this study. 1.0 Introducing Barclays Bank PLC ‘Our strategy is to increase the growth potential of Barclays by continuing to diversify our business by customer, product and geography. John Varley, Group Chief Executive, Barclays Group With over three hundred years of history and know-how in banking, Barclays operates in more than sixty countries and employs one hundred and thirty five thousand people. Barclays progresses, lends, invests and protects the money of over thirty million customers around the world. Barclays Bank Plc, Mauritius with its ninety years of presence in the country, has built itself a very solid reputation. As a branch of Barclays Plc (UK) operating in Mauritius, the bank caters for the domestic and international divisions of the financial sectors. As a fast growing multi-national bank with approximately one thousand two hundred employees, Barclays Bank, Mauritius offer a wide range of services for individual as well as corporate customers. Barclays Mauritius has reported outstanding results for the Year 2010 with a profit after tax increasing by 119% to reach Mur 2.38bn. This includes a one-off gain of Rs 1.33bn from the sale of the custody business to Standard Chartered Bank. As a result, income has increased by 33 % with Mur 4.8bn. The Operation Strategy 1.1 The Operation Strategy in Mauritius The operations area is the driving engine of the bank with a headcount of 450 employees split into the Consumer and Commercial Operations. These two streams will have greater and clearer focus to the business functions to which they provide support. The operations function is headed by the Chief Operating Officer assisted by managers and team leaders from each section. The Operation Function chart 1.2 Purpose of the Project Barclays Bank Plc have to maintain image, reputation, and credibility in order to do their job as custodians of other peoples money. But over the years, the complex systems and bureaucracy were set up and added in the name of control while sacrificing and neglecting customer service in the process. The management is concerned with profitability, growth and resource generation. But only a few inspectors are responsible for checking product quality. If one looks at the concept of Quality and its progress over the years carefully, it is evident that Quality has always been an important element for the success of any organization. pay much attention to the plight of their clients before, during, and after sales. The bank is considering implementing a quality system that conforms to ISO standards. Total Quality Management (TQM), which is about total customer service and continuous customer satisfaction, is applicable not only in the manufacturing industry but in the service sector as well, where the customer is just as important. In fact, customers in the service industry are more sensitive to service quality and service delivery than in manufacturing because they are always in contact with front-line service personnel. Starting a total quality management (TQM) programme will upgrade and improve professional skills of the employees and the proposed programmes will also emphasise the need of excellence in all spheres of management. For design, development and implementation of a QMS, the ISO 9000 approach is completely compatible with the total quality philosophy. ISO system is about standardizing the approach organizations everywhere take in managing and improving the processes that ultimately result in producing better quality products and services. The quality management system is often implemented all at once throughout the organization. Where phased implementation takes place, the effectiveness of the system in selected areas can be evaluated. It would be a good idea initially to evaluate areas where the chances of a positive evaluation are high, to maintain the confidence of both management and staff in the merits of implementing the quality management system. According to initial plans, the proposed training programme will have two stages. The first phase will be implemented in the Commercial operations department. In the next phase, TQM will be applied across all departments across the bank. The process for implementation of a quality management system depends on the size of the organization and complexity of the actual process. Lets have a look at these in our next chapter. Current Situation 2.1 Literature review Supplier quality management is an important aspect of TQM since materials and purchased parts are often a major source of quality problems (Zhang et al., 2000). Many authors advocate that companies must establish supply chain partnerships to motivate suppliers to provide materials needed to meet customer expectations (Harrison et al., 1996; Kumar, 1996; Lambert et al., 1996; Clifton, 2001; Jabnoun, 2000; Thakur, 2002). The quality gurus believe that supplier should be  viewed as an integral part of the organizations business operations (Ishikawa, 1985; Deming,  1986; Crosby, 1989). 2.2 Definitions of Quality Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined as a quality-centered, customer-focused, fact-based, team-driven, senior-management-led process to achieve an organizations strategic imperative through continuous process improvement. The Oxford American dictionary defines Quality as â€Å"A degree or level of excellence†. Feigenbaum, 1983, defines quality as: â€Å"Quality is defined as being about value†. According to Juran, 1989, â€Å"Quality is fitness for use†. The word total in TQM means that everyone in the organization must be involved in the continuous improvement effort, the word quality shows a concern for customer satisfaction, and the word management refers to the people and processes needed to achieve the quality. 2.3 Tools and techniques to depict current situation All departments within the Commercial Operation Functions are linked to each other with the same aim to meet business strategies. However there are no clear interactions and synergies present between them which will make all department functions effectively. The service level between each department is low as there is great competition to perform better than the other. 2.3.1 Flow Chart Figure 3 below, depicts the current situation in the Commercial Operation department. List of tasks to be performed by: 1) Operators: record all incoming and outgoing instructions Operators may liaise with external customer by face to face telephone, emails or signed fax, Nature of instructions/queries by telephone statements, transfers, debit or credit advises, swift copies, queries on cheques/interest/charges acknowledgement of instruction form client either by fax/mail/diskette for salary transfers/or original documents being submitted personally by client Nature of instructions by fax/mail new account opening, change in authorized signatories, transfers, payments of bills or import loans, salaries, request of statement/advices/swift copies, complaints/, of letters of credit/bills/import loan accounts, access to internet banking, Liaise with internal customers like the Consumer Operations department in order to respond to clients queries 2) Team leader: verifies/sample checks whether all incoming and outgoing instructions are logged properly after instructions signed by relationship managers send all instructions to be processed to concerned department Does sample checks whether operators performing jobs as required 3) Line manager: liaises with other departments to help improve quality of service/ attend queries/complaints when same are of high priority and if involves loss to the bank No wonder staffs do not pay attention to customer service since it does not affect their performance evaluation. Most banks do not have a system to handle errors or customer complaints. Few banks realizes that if they continuously cut all processing times, it becomes a WIN-WIN situation customers are happier, and the banks make more money. 2.3.2 The current work flow process is being described in below chart: Our main concern is that the quality of service has decreased to such an extent that we are not able to retain the existing customers. We have to accept that all banks are able to provide the same products but what differentiates one bank from another is its quality of service. Our ultimate goal is providing customer satisfaction. 2.3.3 Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram The Fishbone/cause and effect diagram is an analysis tool to display possible causes of a specific problem. Its major benefits is that it pushes you to consider all possible causes of the problem in a structured and uncomplicated manner. Using Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagram, we will be able to identify the reasons why customer service has declined and as such identify remedies. It also helps in indicating how much we know about the process. Poor technology compared To other banks Internal environment (stress, high processing time)Poor communication) Ignorance of staff External On how to make full Environment (highly Utilization of existingvolatile and risky laws and risky technologyindustry, law and legislation) Currently nobody opinion is Bureaucracy 2.4 Implementation of a Quality System There are several approaches that can be used to implement a quality system, like Juran 10 Points for Quality improvement, Crosbys 14 Steps for Quality Improvement, and many others. However for this study, we are going to implement W.E Demings 14 Points for quality improvement. W.E Deming is one of the most famous gurus in quality implementation. He is generally credited with the post-war introduction of quality concepts in Japan. According to Deming : â€Å"The consumer is the most important part of the production line. Quality should be aimed at the needs of the consumer, present and future†. According to Deming, adoption and implementation of his 14 points would be a a sign that management intends to stay in business and aims to protect investors and jobs. Below are the 14 points of W.E Deming and how their application would increase quality and customer satisfaction: 1) Create constancy of Purpose for continual improvement of product and service Management should accept this as number one priority. Resources have to be allocated for long term planning rather than short-term profits. Investment in quality and innovation will ensure existence and competitiveness of the company. Top management should motivate employees and communicate clear policies. For the purpose of this study, implementation of point one will help to remove stress and hence providing a friendly environment to work with. Commitment form top management to invest in innovation and allocate resources for long run will ensure the people (employees and external customers) that the organization is planning to remain in business for the very long run. Innovation will help the bank increase its technology or product/service quality that will help it gain competitive edge over its competitors. This will also help to decrease the gap in technology with other banks. 2) Learn and Adopt the new Philosophy. A change is necessary in the old management methods. Organisations need to understand that higher quality cost less. However change cannot happen overnight. There should be a constant movement towards the new philosophy. First we have to analyse the existing system (as described in figure 2 chart 1 above) and the damaged caused by the current system should be appreciated by everybody (cause and effect diagram). Managers have to admit that they should be more present in day to day business, rather than just delegation work on the operation side. The organization should concentrate on defect prevention rather than defect detection. One dissatisfied customer is equivalent to a lost customer. Defect prevention will help improve process, quality and productivity as each instruction/document returned causes a delay and decrease quality. Top management should make each and every staff aware the benefits the organisation expects to realize through quality management system. The above flowchart (chart 1) can also be called a value chain, and if everybody in the value chain looks for defects, the flow towards the documents/instructions processing will be smooth, quick and the end result will surely meet or even exceed customers needs. 3) Understand the purpose of inspection. Management should understand that the purpose of inspection is to improve the process and reduce cost. Mass inspection is managing for failure whereas defect prevention is managing foe success. Defect prevention decreases long run costs, results in high quality products and minimizes the need for after sales service. For this statistical evidence is required. Team leader should take note about the number of failures with respect to any documents and the reasons why. With proper recognition by staff about building quality in the service or product, the number of failures should decrease and this will also lead to a decrease in number of controls and procedures over time. Use of checklist as a tool of quality control will help management to observe the common defects and how many times they occurred. By checking this on a weekly basis, management would know whether they are decreasing and what is the biggest problem. Checklist Defect type Number of defects Total Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Fraudulent instructions 0, 0, 0 ,0,0 0 Instructions not processed 5, 6, 7, 8, 4 30 Instructions received early but process late 4 , 3, 2, 2, 1 12 Unattended complaints 10, 5, 6, 7, 9 37 Unattended queries 9, 4, 7, 9, 8 37 E.g. Management needs to make staff understand that controls are not punitive measures, but to minimize risk that pose a threat to business. 4) Stop awarding business based on low price alone. Purchasing managers should look at quality form suppliers before making any purchase. There are huge savings that can occur over the long run by purchasing quality products. As Walter Shewhart says: â€Å" Price has no meaning unless a measure of quality is purchased at the same time†. Deming advice is to choose a single supplier for each item on the basis of statistical evidence from the suppliers process feedback loop. This point refers to the technological problem in our study. The appropriate technology that matches the organisation context should have been build in-house rather than sub-contracting or buying the package from outside. This would have helped to meet the needs of the employees better and hence providing and producing quality products. Also building the technology in-house would have required employees from all department collaboration and hence almost each and every staff would have been aware of the technologies and staff would have a sense of belonging to the organization. 5) Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service. Management should take more responsibility for problems by finding and correcting them in order to decrease costs and increase quality and productivity. The focus is again on prevention rather than detection. The process of quality improvement should never stop and it should always be geared towards customers absolute satisfaction. Note that there is always variability around every target and this is why there is always a room for further improvement. Constant improvement will lead to a reduction in customers complaints. Improving quality of service will lead to increase in communication and employees opinions taken into consideration. 6) Institute training on the job. A continuous program of on the job training should be instituted and this should include managers. Investment in proper training of all new employees will ensure that the new comers will know exactly what is expecting from them. Training will help detect variation, use of statistical techniques and helps to keep up with new developments. For our purpose, training will help employees to equip with a better understanding of the job and its requirements. The worker is not just getting satisfaction but also getting an incentive to improve. Proper training will help managers address complaints themselves, help in defining roles and responsibilities and help in the integration between old workers and the new generation. 7) Adopt and institute modern methods of leadership. Management should not create a negative and fault finding environment. They should create a positive and supportive environment where workers job are recognized. For this there should be clear communications at all level. Management should ensure that immediate action is taken whenever defects are identified which compromises quality. Modern leaders should ensure that quality, productivity and performance are continually improved. Difference between old and new school of thoughts should be taken as an advantage. According to Deming, todays leaders should: Lead and motivate by example rather than fear, Teach and counsel rather than judge and supervise. Use mistakes to learn rather than to blame Understand the difference between random and special variation. Management should differentiate between variations due to outside factors (special causes) and random variation (causes are due to the process itself). Size Size Statistical Controlh Out of statistical control Promote team work and mutual trust Provide innovative methods to accomplish the improvement. 8) Drive out fear and create trust and a climate for innovation Management should encourage effective communication and teamwork. Fear is caused by lack of job security, performance appraisals, ignorance of organization goals, and not knowing the job. Fear can be eliminated through proper communication, clear definition of goals and objectives, training and supervision. Once fear eliminated, innovative ideas will crop up. Deming believes that fear makes the implementation of most of his other management points impossible. Elimination fear in the department, will lead to a less stressful environment, positive attitude towards work, opinions being voiced out, decrease the clash between old and new school of thoughts and hence leading to better quality service. Performance appraisal leads to competition, competition leads to jealousy and jealousy leads to fear. Removal of performance appraisal will lead to cooperation. 9) Break down barriers between departments and individuals. Barriers exist among levels of management, among departments and within department. It exists because of poor communication and ignorance of organizational goals. Eliminating barriers, communication channels opened and teamwork organized, competition within the company has to be replaced with cooperation. Note that point (8) and point (9) are allied and go hand in hand. By breaking down barriers, employees from different departments can meet and interact to find quality solutions. 10) Eliminate the use of slogans, Posters and exhortations for the workforce. Exhortations that ask for increased productivity without providing specific improvement methods can handicap an organization. They just express managements desires. According to Deming, people should be given the means to work smarter, not harder. This is quite common in large organizations like Barclays Bank Plc. Due to its large number of employees, management goals are communicated through emails and this is interpreted differently at different levels of the organisation. A more face to face interaction is required so that management policies are understood, friendly environment is created, proper channel of communication developed and employees have a sense of belonging to the organization goals. 11) Eliminate numerical quotas for the work force. Quotas focus on quantity rather than quality. Quotas should be replaced with statistical methods of process control. Instead of management by objective, management should learn the capabilities of the process and how to improve them. Management should stop focussing on figures and start looking at customer satisfaction. Relevant statistical data should be analysed in line with current procedures and system. We have to take into consideration that Mauritius is a small country and it is quite impossible to look for new business every year. The only way to increase sales in through competition among banks. This leads to clients advantage. Same products are offered in all banks but the only difference is the quality of service. Only by improving process and service quality will the bank remain in business for the long run. 12) Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship. Ignorance of organisational goals, punitive supervision and adequate training leads to loss of pride. According to Deming, the two serious mental obstacles which prevent pride in workmanship are performance appraisal and management by objective. These two obstacle leads to internal competition and hence barriers in communication, reduces risk taking and hence decrease in innovative ideas, variability in performance leading to jealousy and fear and focuses on short term results which may prevent the organization from attaining its long term goals. Deming strongly recommends the abolition of annual merit rating because of above reasons. Performance appraisal can be replaced bay a proper leadership and communication and by a proper counselling and development procedure. This will lead to job security, teamwork, friendly environment and all employees will have a sense of belonging to the organization. 13) Encourage Education and self improvement for everyone. An organization requires people who are improving with education. Things change fast. Managers should be aware of this and be appropriately trained. Here we are referring to continual re-education and self-improvement for everyone which is quite similar with point (6). The common truth between both points is that without training there is no guarantee for innovation. Re-training leads to investment in the most important asset of the company its people. This leads to job security, increased motivation and less brain drain. 14) Take action to ensure top management permanent commitment to accomplish the transformation. The top management should demonstrate a commitment and a determination to implement a quality management system in the organization. Without top management commitment, no quality initiative can succeed. The top management should provide evidence of its commitment for e.g. by defining the organizations quality policy and make this known to every employee, ensuring that quality objectives are established at all levels and functions and ensuring the availability of resources required for the development. Management has to accept the primarily responsibility for the never ending improvement of the process. A cultural change is required. All employees should understand and be committed to the new philosophy. Deming advocates† Quality is made in the Board Room†¦.[however]†¦ limitations on quality are also made in the board Room†. 2.5 Obstacles to implementation According to Deming, there are 7 Deadly Diseases that management will face while implementing the above. Lets analyse the 7 diseases (the first seven ones below) as advocated by Deming and others that apply particularly to our case. 1. Lack of constancy of purpose. As long as the focus in on short term thinking, management will fail to plan adequately. This follows from his last point. Constancy will decrease cost, assist innovation, make employees feel secure, they know about the vision of the organisation. 2. Emphasis on short-term profits. This defeats constancy of purpose. Its easy to show short term profits by cutting expenses on training, maintenance and other long term plans. Short term profits is due to fear of takeovers, but if long term strategy/planning is forgone, surely in the long run the company will be more prone to takeovers. 3. Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance. All this should be stopped. The main reasons are because they create competition, fear, they are subjective, concentrate on short term profit. 4. Mobility of management/Job hopping This causes instability and destroys teamwork. 5. Running a company on visible figures alone. Figures can be manipulated. The only figures to be used are those that which represent properly selected statistical data. 6. Excessive medical costs. For our study, this can be related to additional benefits provided by the organisation to its staff. 7. Excessive costs of warranty, fuelled by lawyers who work for contingency fees. 8. Inability of management to use statistical techniques to improve productions. 9. Training once completed is not put into practice. 10. Inability to change the organisational culture and lack of planning. These are long term objectives and if management would like these to happen in the short term, then there will be complete chaos in the organisation. 11. Lack of continuous training and education. 12. Fear of change. For the TQM to succeed, we need to have a careful analysis of its failures/obstacles. But most importantly, management should educate all staff about the reasons for adapting TQM. TQM will not take place until all employees understand and are committed for its implementation Implementation In this chapter, we will have a look about the benefits TQM will have on the department and also how TQM will help in overcoming the obstacles mentioned in the previous chapter. Lets have a look at the direct benefits the department will achieve: Increased effectiveness in the use of the organizations resources to enhance customer satisfaction and improved reliability of its processes through shorter cycles time. This means that processes will be simpler, more reliable and the amount of defects will decrease. Tailor made services can be produced. Improved quality of products and services, leading to reduce in customer rejection of products/services because of poor quality. Results are more predictable. This will lead greater employee and customer satisfaction, hence higher sales and profits. Improved organizational performance and competitiveness. This will be a long term goal for the organization, whereby the organization will have a competitive edge over its competitors. Improve customer loyalty leading to repeat business. It is commonly acknowledged that a satisfied customer tells about four friends, but an unhappy customer tells about thirty people. Customer loyalty will help increase the organization reputation. Reduce or eliminate repetition of work. Responsibilities and accountabilities are clearly defined. This will decrease cost, increase efficiency and make staff performing value added jobs. Reduce management time spent on â€Å"putting out fires†. This is due that there are good controls and everybody is committed in producing quality services/products. This gives management time to focus on improving conditions of work of the staffs. Improve productivity by â€Å"doing it right the first time†. This will decrease cost of re-work, scrap and inspection. Preserve Existing Revenue and increase in revenue. Preserve revenue due to customer loyalty and having an account management team and increase in revenue due to quality products and services and having a sale management team. Staff will be motivated and will work towards the organization objectives. Workforce will be proactive and prevention oriented. Miscommunication between organizations will be minimized leading to cooperation. Establishment of trust and elimination of fear. By providing staff with the appropriate training, this will lead to greater responsibility, and this will inspire, motivate and encourage them to work smarter. This lead to creativity and innovation. Staff will be eager to participate, understand the importance of their role, identify their own constraints, accept ownership of their problems and free sharing of knowledge and experience. Use of statistical techniques will make more data available for analysis and hence leading to improvement. Also this will facilitate decision making (as the structure is well defined) and decisions are made in accordance with staff. Pay much attention to the plight of clients before, during, and after sales. Assesing root cause of complaints will help improve service in the future. Complaints and problems should be looked as an opportunity to enhance quality service and look at the root cause of problems. Other benefits that will accrue to the organization are: Wider customer acceptance of products and services (New customers require ISO compliance) Consumers are confident that they are dealing with an organisatiopn where fair treatment is central to the corporate culture Increased revenue and market share obtained through flexible and fast responses to market opportunities. Internationa

Consumer Attitudes and Behavior Towards Ikea

Consumer Attitudes and Behavior Towards Ikea 1. Introduction: IKEA is one of the main home furnishing chains in the world and especially in Malaysia. As IKEA originated in Sweden and have a strong position here it is motivating to study the consumers attitudes toward the company in Kualalumpur, Malaysia. IKEA companies have information about their customers opinions, attitudes and behavior .They will have the greater effect in comparison to their competitors. To analyze the attitudes to IKEA I prepared a questionnaire in Kualalumpur. The respondents are chosen randomly between Iranian people, after an overview the paper designed the methodology part, its describes how the proses have been done. The chapter explains the hypothetical framework, which absolutely contracts with attitudes. In the analysis chapter each question in the questionnaire is offered and explained separately. The study is then used to make decisions. Some of the decisions ended were: Ikeas main target group is well-represented customers nowadays. IKEA have very strong position in the home furnishing market. The price and product kind is the key reasons for purchasing at IKEA . A Better Everyday Life Organization: VISION: Ikeas vision is to create attractively home furnishings to a great customer segment, if you noticed to other main furniture stores; good design is offered only for a small part of the people who can have enough money. It means that IKEA have to answer to the home furnishing requirements of people all over the World Ikeas strategy: People have different needs and wants, ideas, aims; all these people need to design their home and provide a beautiful environment in which to enjoy. In selection a better everyday life, IKEA suggestions an extensive choice of home furnishings in IKEA stores. IKEA is well branded worldwide. Their product variety (18 000 products) is almost similar in All countries. This indicates that IKEA have a global product strategy that is extremely standardized. Ikeas marketing concept is Low price with meaning. When introduction of IKEA in Porters 3 Basic Strategies, IKEA enter by directing on low prices. The main target group is young families who build up their first home. But all customers who think through price as an important argument when purchasing home furnishings are an important target group. Consumers within the organization feel to clearly knowing the I Keas purpose. It is also important that they need a strong sense of fitting. The characteristics of the company must spring from the own origins. IKEA have undoubtedly been able to use their origins. 1.2. History 1943 the creator of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, records the name IKEA. 1950 was the first time furnitures go into the IKEA product collection. In 1951 the first IKEA list was issued. First furniture showroom was opened in 1953 in Älmhult, Sweden. 1955 was the year IKEA brings into being to design its own furniture. The first IKEA store opens in Älmhult, Sweden in 1958. In 1963 IKEA opens a store in Norway. The store in Stockholm, inspired by the Guggenheim Museum in New York, opens in 1965. 3.Vision: Was self-service, open warehouse would help customers cut down on Waiting time. 1969-1996 Stores were opened in: Denmark, Germany, Australia, Canada, Austria, Singapore, Netherlands, the Canary Islands, France, Iceland, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Kuwait, USA, UK, Hong Kong, Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, Mallorca, Slovakia, Taiwan, Finland, Malaysia and Spain. 1.4. The purpose: Is that the home furnishings are associating good design, good purpose and good quality with low prices so that as many people as possible can pay for them. IKEA sold their World Wide Living Room Web Site on the Internet. In 1998 the first IKEA store was opened in mainland China. Literature review: Analysing consumer behaviour is perceived as cornerstone of a successful marketing strategy (Papers4you.com, 2006). Consumer behaviour is the mental and emotional processes and the observable behaviour of consumers during searching purchasing and post consumption of a product and service (Batra Kazmi, 2004). Similarly Engel (et al, 1990) refers consumer behaviour as the action and decision process of people who purchase goods and services for personal consumption. WHAT IS CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR? It is necessary to understand consumer behavior; this is based on the activities leading to the acquisition and use of goods or services, including decision-making processes that determine a purchase. In this process the consumer performs actions such as search, purchase, use and evaluation of products expected to be used to meet their needs (Solomon Michael, 2007). The activities, processes and social relations to which reference has been made include various actions of the consumer: knowledge of a need, when you make a comparison between stores, the simple reasoning of information that are available in regard to the benefits and risks of the desired product, or seek advice from a friend about a new product. The purchase of a product includes experiences such as mental and physical stimulation, social changes, the more status and power. (Kollat David). Attitude has a significant effect on purchasing a brand and choosing the place for shopping, moreover new products emerge in the market or exiting products future demand can be predicated by measuring consumers attitude.(Blackwell et al,2001). Method Approach The ways to pay attention to different situations vary due to several factors. There are numerous different methods of looking at the same phenomenon. My perception of this paper is mostly unbiased by the facts that I am a business Management student with put emphasis on marketing and I have a great attention in internal design. People have different methods to set situations due to attitude to behavior and individual norms. Past experiences and demographics also create a difference in approach. In making I have tried to be as unbiased as possible when studying collected material. It is important to mention that it is difficult to be one hundred percent neutral and without bias. What is understood depends on who understands it and what is to be understood. 3.2 Method: As we know market research is only one type of marketing research. The resolution is to make the study standardized. This is able by giving the same Questions and answer to all respondents. There is no warranty that the information collected from the questionnaire is relevant to the case recognition. I have selected to use very short questions to insure that they would be easy to Understand and to decrease the risk of misunderstanding. When dealing with short questions the Respondents have to think noticeably and ignore redundant parts. The information I needed was collected by using a quantitative method and questionnaire. After gaining the information, I used SPSS statistic 17.0 for analyze my data. 3.3 The questionnaire: One of the most important points in this plan has been designing the questionnaire. I have chosen to use short question that would be easy to understand. The price of creating a questionnaire is half of what a phone discussion costs and a tenth of the cost of an individual interview33 I have chosen close questions because I want to consider the population in general terms. It makes it easier to create a general picture of the respondents opinions I designed 6 questions for 50 respondents 3.4 Conformation of population: The population in my case is IKEAs Iranian customers in Kuala Lumpur. It is hard to find out, how many Iranian customers of IKEA has in Kuala Lumpur, and then it is quite unmanageable to know how many times each customer visit to the store. 3.5 Method of selection: I chose to use the non-probability selection (quota selection). This method is versus the random sample. The sub-group that I have been selected is: Age Average income Educational level Gender Theory 4.1 Consumer Behavior: Consumer behavior is one of the main parts in marketing; there are many different ideas about it. The basic principal of marketing are needs and wants, these two factors make the process of buying decision. One of the most popular theories is the Consumer Decision. My study emphases on the attitudes and behavior before the buy, what defines the buy and not the actual buy? Companies succeed if and when considerate what consumers want. This of course makes them very interested in how to effect on consumer behavior. The process of the buy is as important. Consumer behavior is included to: Consumer expectation, store image, needs, wants, culture, age, education, income level. 4.2 Marketing Mix: The marketing mix is the base of marketing tools a company practices to chase its marketing Goals in the target market. The most popular way to consider the marketing mix is over the eyes of the supplier. The 4Ps: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. When considering the marketing mix from the buyers opinion you catch the4Cs: Customer needs and wants, Cost to the customer, Convenience and Communication. The companies that can meet the 4Cs will be winners. By a multifaceted contact between the individual and environmental factors and the marketing mix the consumer estimate the stimuli. When taking done the process the consumers have got a conclusion about the product or service. If the decision is positive it does not mean that the consumer really will purchase the product or service. It is one thing to consider about doing something. Truly doing it is a much bigger stage. Attitudes designed directly are showed to be steadier than indirect formed attitudes like questionnaires. Finally it is meaning that defines what behavior the consumer will selected there are many factors that control the consumer behavior process. Many of these are fairly difficult to influence for a marketer. They have to focus more on the factors they can affect. The most vital factor one can use to influence is perception. The motivation that information gives is there for the factor that initiates the process that tends to the consumers decision. 4.3 Buying behavior: There are many main aspects that effect on a consumers purchasing behavior: Culture Social Personal Psychological Depending on the kind of product a buyer wants to purchase the buying behavior differs. Costly, complex products that a customer does not purchase often calls for high involvement decisions. The customer looks for information about the Low involvement decisions or unchanging problem resolving follow a somewhat different purchasing design. The consumer knows what he/she want and do not gauge different changes IKEA emphases a lot on trying to impact customers when the turn through the store. This is ended by setting products with very competitive prices at tactical spaces in the store 4.4 Attitudes: This cause is one of the most motivating and vital factors for marketers. Attitudes to a company make a company image. Therefore, a strong company image offers good business. The Attitude is often supposed to reproduce a persons deep values; it means that the attitudes are used as an evaluative tool. We weigh products, people, and events and so forth by using our involvements and attitudes the first parts of the consumer behavior process is the base that leads to the consumers final decision-making. So one realizes why it is of importance for the companies to study about the consumers attitudes.    5. Survey In the text below I will consider each question in questionnaire separately to evaluate the Respondents answers. The questionnaire is bounded in the end of this paper. 5.1 Demographic Variables: To conclusion and analyze the respondents attitudes one need to select related Demographic variables. I have therefor used age, income and geographic area, And gender as variables, I follow them to be related and exciting in my study. The demographic variable was offered first in the questionnaire. 5.1.1 Gender: The consumer behavior and attitudes vary among the sexes. Usually women have a more attention to home furnishing compare to men. In my survey 40 percent of the respondents were men and 60 percent women. It is a good proportion . 5.1.2 Acceptation: The buying behavior and attitudes differ between the occupations. In my survey students were in majority compare to others. Student Dr. Secretory lecturer house hold 60% 8% 4% 4% 24% Obviously, international students have limited budget for buy, especially furniture. 5.1.3 Age: The respondents age, always, impact what kind of home furnishing they need. Young people are launching their first home 0-15 16-30 31-40 41-5 4% 24% 48% 24% Age 31-40 is over-represented and 0-15 is under re -presented .0-15 years old do not have their own money to buy. The most important target group for IKEA among Iranian is 31-40 years old. 5.1.4 Marriage: In my survey, 28% of respondents were single, 72% were married. This is a good proportion. People who married, they are more interesting to furnish the house compare to singles. Single married 28% 72% Number of children: 0 1 2 3 40% 12% 20% 12% 6. SURVEY QUESTION 6.1 QUESTION ONE: I am in IKEA (timely/y) 1-2 3-5 56% 44 There is no any reason for other times; it means respondents never go to IKEA more than 5 times a year. According to analysis 56% of respondents go to IKEA1-2 times a year. 6.2 QUESTION TWO: What the respondents have bought at IKEA during the past five years? Bed couch kitchen bookshelf kitchen appliances 36% 24% 12% 16% 12% 6.3 QUESTION THREE AND FOUR: According of IKEAs position in the market, the question is: Where they buy most of their furniture? Which company has the best quality? 100 percent of respondents answered were (IKEA), IKEAs strategic plan (high quality, low price, good service) is making the consumers loyal to company and it seems that the IKEA is successful. 6.4 QUESTION FIVE: I wanted to know how different aspect of IKEA was graded (1-5) Product quality: Very good Good Ok Not so good 40% 28% 28% 4% Product quality compared to price: Very good Good Ok Not so good 56% 36% 8% 0% The store location: Very good Good Ok Not so good 8% 8% 36% 44% Disposition of the store: Very good Good Ok Not so good 12% 40% 48% 0% Service: Very good Good Ok Not so good 48% 40% 12% 0% Payment method: Very good good ok not so good 20% 68% 12% 0% 7. RECOMMENDATION: According to result of survey: 100% of respondents chose IKEA for satisfying their needs of furniture instead of LUZINI, EMPIRE, and HOMES HARMONY. IKEAs target market could be women (60%),student(60%), between age31-40(48%), married(72%), who visit IKEA 1-2 times a year(56%),they bought bed(36%)and couch (24%). Respondents believes that IKEAs product quality compare to price, is very good (56%) and good (36%). IKEA location for (44%) is not so good and for (36%) is ok. IKEAs service for (48%) is very good and for (40%) is good. Around (68%) of respondents are satisfy about payment system. IKEAs furniture is more familiar between Iranian who is resident in Malaysia. Majority of respondents are satisfy about price and quality of IKEAs furniture because they are student and have a limited budget for purchasing household items. As Iranians are influenced by peer group, they are not looking for other brands such as LUZINI, HOMES HARMONYà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The other reason that IKEAs furniture is well-known between Iranian is excellent IKEAs advertising. Price, quality, advertising, innovation in producing new product, are the basic points to attract positive attitude toward IKEAs furniture. IKEA adopted its products to global market. 8. Conclusion In this part, it is obvious that many of Iranian people know very well IKEA products and also they included to middle consumer income group. Understanding, what different consumers purchase is the basic information and very interesting for IKEA. IKEA, recently has improved the rang of its products, especially in terms of furniture with approximately the same price. The majority of IKEAs consumers between Iranian are student with limited budget. I think Iranian people who staying in kualalumpur, are not familiar with another brands as much as IKEA. They introduce IKEA to each other based on their past experience and friendly recommendation. These consumers of are interest when encourage the more expensive products and have to thinking about it. IKEA advertisement for Iranian is very interesting, and consumers from low -income areas tend to buy more from IKEA. Since the price is low, the quality is high and everyday innovation in IKEAs products is obvious. IKEA gives the new idea to consumers who do not know which products they need for their house. IKEAs product attracts consumers with its innovation and considering consumers expectation. It is understandable that IKEA pay more attention on its consumers, their needs, wants, expectations, images, culture. Different age, job, purchasing power, culture, attitudes and habits needs different marketing, setting price, quality and store location because these factors obviously influence the consumers. REFERENCES: IKEA.2011.01.21 IKEA facts figures.ikea.com IKEA student information www.701 pandan.com www.Marketingpilgrim.com/2010 www.mpdailyfix.com/IKEA Blackwell, R, D;Miniard,P.W;Engel,j.f.2001 consumer behavior [13] Hyunjoo Oh, So-Yeon Yoon and Jana Hawley, what virtual reality can offer to the furniture industry, journalof textile and apparel, technology and management. Volume 4, Issue 1, summer 2004 Shiv, B. and A. Fedorikhin (1999), Heart and Mind in Conflict: The Interplay of Affect and Cognition in Consumer Decision Making, Journal of Consumer Research, 26 (December), 278-292. Cacioppo, J., S. Harkins, and R. Petty (1981), The Nature of AttitudesandCognitive Responses and Their Relationship to Behavior, Cognitive Responses in Persuasion, R. Petty, T. Ostrom, and T. Brock, eds., (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Zajonc, R. (1968), Attitudinal Effects of Mere Exposure, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 9, 1-27. Petty, R., R. Unnava, and A. Strathman (1991), Theories of Attitude Change, in Handbook of Consumer Behavior, T. Robertson and H. Kassarjian eds., (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall).

George W. Russell (AE Æ),- His Life, Paintings and Impact on Irish Cult

George W. Russell (AE Æ),- His Life, Paintings and Impact on Irish Culture Introduction George William Russell (Æ), poet, painter, statesman and friend of many. George Russell definitely was all of those things. But why is it that I, a visiting student from the far North, takes such an interest in a man who despite his greatness not many people outside Ireland has heard of. When asked about visual arts in Ireland, names like Jack Yeats, Paul Henry and James Barry might be heard but only people with a deep interest in Irish culture will also mention George W. Russell, or Æ as he is more commonly known. But Æ Russell was, and still is, Irish culture, which is what I will try to prove to you with this paper. My first encounter with Æ Russell was when I heard about one of the greatest love stories ever heard, the Irish legend about Deirdre and Naisi. Æ Russell took this tale and made it into a play, the one and only play he would ever write, published in 1901 under the name â€Å"Deirdre†. The mythological tales has always been a keen interest to me and to learn that Æ Russell wrote plays, poems and painted pictures with mythological content, sure was a true excitement for me. But to get a better understanding of what kind of man Æ Russell was and what he had done for Irish culture I embarked on a cultural trip around Dublin. I started off by going to the Oriel Gallery a Clare Street to see some of his paintings. My next step was a visit to 3 Upper Ely Place (behind Saint Stephen’s Green), a place where Æ Russell lived between 1891 and 1898 (1897) and one of two places in Dublin where you still can see an original mural signed Æ Russell. Sadly, a lot of his other murals on Dublin walls has been torn down, taking an important part of cultural heritage away with it. Lastly I visited the Mount Jerome Cemetery (Harold’s Cross) where Æ Russell is buried. All this, together with my own strong interest in mythology, made this cultural â€Å"journey† in Æ Russell footsteps a pure pleasure. George â€Å"Ɔ Russell, the man George William Russell, son and one of three children of Tomas Elias Russell & Marianne Russell (formerly Armstrong), was born in William Street, Lurgan, County Armagh on the 10:th of April 1867. At the age of 11, the family moved to Emorville Avenue in Dublin where in 1880 George Russell enrolled in the Art School on Kildare Street. At the age of 16, George Ru... ... the â€Å"human†. As of today, that favorite of mine goes for about IR £ 8.500 but that in my view is a small price for such a work of excellence. It is also a part of Irish culture as it was 100 years ago; and still is†¦.. 1. â€Å"Neptunes Daughters† (Original size: 16† x 21â€Å") 2. â€Å"A Vision in the Glade† (15 ½Ã¢â‚¬  x 21†) 3. â€Å"Trailing Clouds of Glory† (18 ½Ã¢â‚¬  x 24†) 4. â€Å"Neptunes Angels† (21† x 32†) 5. â€Å"The Young W.B. Inscribed and Dated 1897† (17† x 14†) References: Main Publications: Davis, R.B., 1977, George William Russell (â€Å"AE†). George Prior Publishers, London, England. Denson, A., 1961, George W. Russell (Æ) – A Bibliography. Northwestern University Press, New Jersey, U.S.A. Kain, R.M. & O’Brien, J.H., 1976, George Russell (Æ). Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg, U.S.A. Other publications: Nulty, O., 1989, George Russell – Æ â€ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦at The Oriel’s, 21st Anniversary. The Oriel Gallery, Dublin, Ireland. Smythe, C., 1988, The Descent of the Gods – The mystical writings of G. W. Russell – Æ. By: Michael Arrhenius University: Jà ¶nkà ¶ping International Business School, Sweden. Class: Irish Culture Instructor: Mr. Smyth Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Aungier Street, March 2000.

Dances With Wolves Analysis Essay -- Movies Native Americans History P

Dances With Wolves Analysis The movie "Dances With Wolves" was produced in 1990 and directed by Kevin Costner who starred as the main character. "Dances with Wolves" tells us the story of a white man who gets acquainted with the Sioux, who learns to love and respect them as valuable people with a culture and who discovers how wrong white people's preconceived ideas about Native Americans are. A sense of adventure and drama is the feeling "Dances with Wolves" gives us. With this movie, Costner made his debut as a film director. "Dances with Wolves" scored "a total of seven Oscars for best directing, best script, cutting, music and sound effects." (Sanders, Simon D.) A common scene in a medical tent during the Civil War could describe the opening scene of the movie: Two doctors are bending over a soldier, ready to amputate his badly injured leg. The doctors leave the tent for a break just before the amputation. Soldier Dunbar uses this moment to pull back on his boot and stumbles out of the tent. He doesn't see a purpose in his life and wants rather death than a life with one leg. He gets on his horse and attempts suicide by riding across the enemy line. Surprisingly, the enemies are unable to shoot him, and his own solders are starring at him with disbelieve. They do respect him for his crazy, yet brave act. Dunbar's people take advantage of the moment of distraction and storm the enemies line, making a victory. Dunbar receives outstanding medical treatment and gets to keep his leg. As a decorated veteran, he chooses to take a post in the west because he wants to see the frontier before its gone. Dunbar is fascinated about the wide, open spaced no mans land: "The country is everything I dreamed it would be." ... ...it [the Indian Removal] was supposed to be voluntary, removal became mandatory whenever the federal government felt it necessary. The memory of these brutal forced marches of Native Americans, sometimes in the dead winter, remained vivid for years to come in the minds of those who survived. Paherman indicates that the Plains Indians Wars, "which raged during the last half of the 19th century, ended with the slaughter of Sioux men, women, and children, as well as the soldiers of the U.S. 7th Calvary, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on December 29, 1890." Works Cited: Costner, Kevin, dir. Dances with Wolves. Per. Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, and Rodney A.Grant. 1990. Videocassette. Orion, 1991. Paherman. "Indian Removal." "n.d." 17 August 2001. Sanders, Simon D. We are fans of Kevin Costner. Biography. February 2001. 17 August 2001.

South Korean-Business Etiquette and Cultural Aspects

â€Å"Welcome to South Korea†. This will more than likely be the greeting one hears when arriving in South Korea on a business trip. Knowing as much about the country and its people will be extremely important to your visit. It’s also important to know as much about the language, their customs and culture as humanly possible, but for this paper we will focus on business practices and etiquette. Some of the business topics we need to discuss are where is Korea, Business Meeting Etiquette, Business Dress Attire, Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts, Business Dining and Entertainment, and Business women. South Korea is the southern part of the Korean Peninsula divided by the de-militarized zone (DMZ) with North Korea at the upper half of the peninsula bordered with China in Southeast Asia. The Koreans were liberated from the Japanese (35 years of colonial rule) after World War II and the country was split in half at the 38th parallel as the spoils of war, with the south being occupied by the Americans and the north being occupied by the Russians. The DMZ (de-militarized zone) was established after the Korean War. South Korea has had a hard and turbulent history however, as of today; the country is an enormous economic success and has become the third largest economy in Southeast Asia just behind Japan and China. It has also, just elected its first woman president ever (Park, Geun-hye) who takes office this February 2013. President Park is the 60 year old daughter of the former military styled dictator president that took over the country back in 1961 until 1979 (President Park, Chung-hee) he was assassinated in 1979. It’s also important to know as much about the people, language, their customs and culture as humanly possible, but for this paper we will focus on business practices and etiquette. Some of the business topics we need to discuss are, Business Meeting Etiquette, Business Dress Attire, Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts, Business Dining and Entertainment, The Business Meeting Etiquette is as follows; always make your meeting well in advance 2 to 3 weeks prior, and either for mid-morning or mid-afternoon. When meeting for the first time always have your most senior person introduced first and down the line by authority. Koreans are very particular about authority and ranking. When shaking hands always use your left hand holding the right hand out while shaking and with a slight bow of the head is most acceptable. Be punctual at all meetings, it’s a sign of respect. If possible an interpreter is always useful in the language barrier. All pertinent paper work, contracts, manuals, brochures or paper documentation should also be written in Korean. Be direct when you communicate with slight pauses in between different points to be made. Koreans are more interested in making personal relationships, before forming business relationships. Always address the most senior authority in the meeting by his title and then his last name, (as well as the others in descending order of authority). One note to remember Koreans don’t like to be touched unless its family or a close friend be careful of any overt touching. Have patience, Koreans like to make decisions in a group collectively. Don’t expect one person to give you a final answer on anything. The Business Dress Attire should always be clean, (for men) dark suit with plain dress shirt and tie, socks and dress shoes. The tie should be tied, shirt tucked in and shoes polished (the professional look works best). It should go without mentioning, hair combed, shaved and teeth brushed. No flashy jewelry other than a watch and a ring. For women professionals it should be the same basics apply except no real short dresses or tight pants and no excessive cleavage showing off the breast, plus no stripper heels, (again the professional look works best). The same applies to jewelry as men Giving and Receiving of Business Cards, when giving out your card hold with both hands and extend outward with a slight head bow until taken. Whenever possible have the back of the card translated into Korean (either by interpreter or professionally done) and as you hand it off have the Korean language facing up to the taker of the card. When receiving a Koreans business card never writ on it or stuff it in your pocket, this is considered rude. The card is an extension of them and they want you to relish it, so look at it closely and admire it as much as possible. It is best to have a nice card case or portfolio to place the card in once you think it’s safe to do so. The Giving and Receiving of Business Gifts should be a mutual exchange. Koreans see it as a part of the personal relationship there experiencing with you. If you receive a gift you are expected to give a gift of equal value. When giving a gift, use two hands extended out to give it and with a slight head bow. When you receive a gift, use two hands to except it and with a slight head bow. However, do not open the gift without the givers permission because this is considered rude. Only wrap gifts in bright colors. The Business Dining or Entertainment, sometimes when dining at someone’s home or even out at a restaurant the Korean custom is to remove your shoes before entering the building. You always wait until you’re told where to sit for the meal. The most senior person in age is the first person who starts the eating process. Some of the time the meal is usually a quiet time for a family to concentrate on eating. You must eat everything on your plate or it is considered an insult toward the host. Eating with someone is a sign of building a friendship or personal relationship. You are never supposed to pour your own drink but it is perfectly alright to pour someone else’s. Leave a little drink in the bottom of the glass if you are finished drinking and do not want any more to drink. Korean’s see tipping as an insult and you are not required to tip unless otherwise told so. Many times business men like to go out on the town or to the bars for drinks and business talk. The Korean business men are known for being big drinkers and if you get invited out, you must accept or you have insulted your guest in the eyes of the Koreans. Also, the Koreans love Karaoke As strange as many of these different customs may seem to an American, I can actually see that the Korean people have some pretty neat customs. They have been around a lot longer than Americans have and they’re a very proud people of their heritage. When looking at some of these customs it makes one wonder how many different customs there must be that seem a little quirky from all countries. There are multitudes of business practices that should be reviewed by any and all business professionals before leaving their own country for business etiquette and cultural aspects. The only way that business professionals can be a successful organization in another country is to learn as much about the country their going to as is humanly possible.