Case Analysis ESRI

However, the software that SERIES provides is for a much more complex set of operations than merely looking up driving directions. In fact the software and services the company provides in the geographical information systems market, is so tailored to individual companies and firm that it cannot be catalogued with web based GIS such as Google Maps or Map Quest. Yes most of these systems now point out a great deal of geographical information, but is for the more common user. SERIES produces 40 products and related services for 40 different industries.As such, the company corner specific niche of the geographical information systems market that other more general web based systems would not be able to do without some extensive restructuring. Are the apparent problems the real problems or only symptoms of the real problems? The problem, if it can be called one is based on the human need to know about their world. Now, instead of looking at a paper map, the average consumer can find a we alth of information about literally any location, any. Here in the world. This was merely a logical progression of web based technology. In my analysis I found no problems with SERIES. The company has a strong foundation. It is not losing market share do to perceived competition, and its business strategy is sound. What are the characteristics of the environment in which the company operates? The characteristics of the company are of a firm that caters to a specific demographic that requires use of their products.It has only a few competitors, and is widely respected by competitor and customer alike What are the characteristics of the industry that the company is in and how is the industry changing over time? GIS is computer software that combines geographic location with point of interest information. This is done by producing electronic maps that have layers of information stacked upon each other to include visualization (ad graphics) with spatial analysis (combination of data and visualized information.The industry itself is comprised of large government agencies, utility companies, and large retail businesses such as store chains. What is the firm's strategy, in terms of the five strategy elements, for competing in this context? Arenas: Where will we be active? SERIES being a company that was started to field a specific variety of products or a specific number of industries that require complex geological information systems has chosen to remain in this niche market and not expand further.Vehicles: how will we get there? SERIES has chosen to arrive at their chosen destination by using sound financial management, concentration on R, customer relations, and choosing to not go public. Differentiators: How will we win in the marketplace? SERIES has chosen to differentiate itself by upgrading their products periodically, add touches requested by customers and by actually using information provided by customer surveys. Staging and Spacing: What will be our speed and sequence of moves?Through strategic planning, SERIES has shown that remaining in a niche market allows it to cater to the speed of requirement versus the speed of competition. Therefore, a great deal more time can be can be concentrated on R, customer relations, and company development. Economic logic: How will we obtain our returns? Because the company has chosen to remain private, all return on investment can be invested back into the company. There are no outlying expenses other than what the company itself generates. What are possible solutions to identified problems?The only solution was stated by the company's founder. Although not a requirement, SERIES could become more marketable by developing web based applications to make their information more accessible. Are there any possible problems with your suggested recommendations? What contingencies need to be accommodated? By making information more accessible, it also makes the company more public, which is not something t he company leadership wishes to do. Furthermore, it pushes the company into a broader market which inevitably creates more competition.

International Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR II (1089) Individual Paper Review By Diana Kovacheva ID 0752805 I. Abstract This paper has the purpose to review the seven articles and parts of books stated in class and evaluate them with the help of 3 criteria. Firstly, the three chosen criteria are going to be defined. Then a brief summary of each article or book chapter is going to be made followed by an evaluation according to the mentioned criteria. . II. The Criteria * CurrencyThis criteria is supposed to define if the information in the article is current, not only by stating when it was published, but also by analyzing if this is from importance for the purpose/outcome of the article. This criterion might be very important when evaluating factual information, because new findings constantly emerge. However, for some type of information, currency is not an issue. * Objectivity This criterion is supposed to check if the information presented is mostly based o f facts or it just expresses personal opinion.Important for the evaluation is to examine whether the claims are logical and credible and if there is evidence for that. * Relevance for practitioners Here it is important to evaluate if the information given in the article could be of use for the audience it is meant for. For this paper, under â€Å"audience† is meant people who deal with the issue of international human resource management and organizational behavior. III. Global Managers: no longer men aloneThe article of Nancy Adler explores the changing role of women in management position and traces the evolution of the perceptions of the female role and that of diversity in the context of successful global management. The introduction to the topic stresses on the fact that the traditional judgment for one’s skills and abilities based on gender is increasing the opportunity costs for the companies. Due to the global intensified competition, it is becoming more and mo re crucial for a company’s success to recognize a potential talent regardless of its gender.This has led to an increasing number of female representatives to be found in top leading position. Following this trend, questions about the difference in the management style of both genders have arisen. Furthermore, no consensus has been reached on the issue if male and female managers act differently or they are just perceived to do so. For the better understanding of this issue, a table with a set of six questions – three behavior- vs. hree perceptual-based, two descriptive vs. four evaluating, was presented. In it individual assumptions showed different dimensions of â€Å"difference†, some people stating just that both type of managers are similar or different, and others evaluating the difference as inferior or superior. It was criticized the fact, that most of the assumptions are based on perceptions and not on real observations, due to the fact that still not so many women are to be found in higher positions.After further reclassification of the questions, four approaches were presented about increasing the number of women in global management positions: 1) Identifying with men’s approaches to managing internationally : Here management by men is conceived to be superior to that by women and women try adopt their manner of managing; 2) Denying difference : this approach assumes that there are no differences, there is only one way to manage and both male and female managers are treated identically; 3) Identifying with women’s approaches to managing internationally : here the difference between the two gender is agreed upon, but also the women’s superiority in managing because of the typical characteristics of the female gender and their increasing importance in doing business globally; 4) Creating synergy : this approach stresses on the contribution and synergies of the combined management styles ‘ The article also presents the evolution of organizational culture and classifies it into 5 stages: 1) Homogenous culture: in this first stage it is mainly the historical-conditioned dominance of men in leading roles.This is possible only when no internal or external pressure is present and diversity is irrelevant; 2) Single-culture dominance: identifying with men – since the 60s, equality on the two genders was promoted which led to an increased number of women in domestic and low-level position; 3) Denial of differences: the stress here is not on the gender, but on excellent performers. However, the identical treatment of women like men led to many women in top positions resigning because of the unsatisfactory conditions; 4) Accepting differences: companies recognized and appreciated the different between the genders and the importance of tolerating women’s approach for market segments dominated by women; 5) Leveraging differences: the increased global competition since the beginning of the 20th century has led to the recognition of the importance of diversity and diversity-based learning and innovation.As a conclusion, the evolution of the role women has played over time was briefly summarized again, stressing on the shift from quantitative to qualitative measures. The authors mentions that still only few companies have reached the last level and recommends a more open discussion about the importance of diversity. * Currency : the article was published in 2002 and most of the sources are from the 90s; furthermore, the last trends discussed has started with the beginning of the century and so, are still current; * Objectivity: the statements made are mostly based on research on a global level and a logical relationship between the arguments and the stages presented in obvious * Relevance for practitioners: the topic is of high relevance and importance for practitioner.The issue presented in the article in increasingly discussed globally and represents a crucial part in the modern understanding of management. IV. Creating Values with Diverse Teams in Global Management The central issue in this article is how to create value with global diverse teams and the obstacles that arise using such teams. There teams are believed to have a lot of potential and be able to create significant comparative advantage. However, in practice this is usually not the case because of misunderstandings and lack of interaction between the various cultures. On the other hand, exactly the cultural differences are believed to create value due to the multi-sided approach and innovative solutions they can generate.According to the article, global teams were divided into three performance categories: * The destroyers: those team usually underperform because of mutual mistrust and lack of collaboration * The equalizers: by suppressing the differences, these teams are just performing on average in order for the business to keep going * The creators: here the potential of a global teams is fully taken advantage of and cost and time are saved while coming up with new and innovative products at the same time As stated in the article, the success of the creators? team was due to the use of the three principles of mapping, bridging and integrating (MBI). * Mapping to understand the differences: i. e. understanding the reasons that lead to the different approach of the team members. This principle includes the following steps: define the territory (identification of the crucial differences), draw the map ( assessment of members` characteristics), assess the terrain ( using the map generated in the previous step in order to identify future potential dynamics), develop cartographers ( mapping alone is not enough for high performance, incorporating the knowledge is what makes difference). Bridging to Communicate Across Differences: here of great importance in the well-functioning communication within the team, the latest define in the article as â€Å"send ing and receiving meaning as it was intended†. Three steps are included in this principle : prepare the ground ( â€Å"motivation to communication†¦ and confidence to overcome any differences† are considered to be crucial, keyword here is also self-management), decenter : build to the other shore ( adapting one? s behavior and thinking to the other’s one, without judgment), recenter: span the bridge ( in contrast to the previous step, here essential is the building of a new basis of interaction after the differences are already known). Integrating to Leverage Differences: the final principle in order to manage diversity consist of the following steps: managing participation for basic leverage with the help of tools and techniques that can facilitate the interaction and include all the members, resolving disagreement ( also hidden ones) to increase leverage and building on ideas for optional leverage, where everybody should be given the chance to take part an d to express their ideas. In conclusion, the article states that the MBI principles are just a prescription, and not a guarantee of success. Furthermore, a separate approach for each team should be applied since each team and its potential is unique.Last but not least, the article concludes with the statement that global teams hide great potential, but it takes time and effort in order for it to be exploited. However, global teams belong inevitable to the future and so, the sooner managers try to use differences and not to avoid them, the better their companies will be performing * Currency: The topic is quite current nowadays. It has been discussed for a large degree in the recent years and it is also going to be a leading issue in the years to come. Also, due to the high degree of unsatisfactory performance of such teams, the topic is going to be further analyzed till some form of advance has been found. Objectivity: The arguments presented are following a certain, easily-traceabl e scheme, with logical relationships and empirical supported information. The logical transition from one stage to another is solidly explained. * Relevance for practitioners: this is highly important topics for practitioners. Because of the effects of increasing globalization and the more free movement of people on a global level, work in diverse teams has become a major issue for managers. Especially the fact, that in such teams a huge potential is hidden, makes the article very attractive for this audience. V. Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe : an Introduction to the project GLOBE The article of House et al. ntroduces and gives a more detailed description of the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) research program as well as the motives that hide behind the idea. The aim of the survey is to identify how and to what extend could cultural-specific attributes have an influence on effective leadership. The need f or a deeper understanding of the influence of culture on management and leadership styles has arisen for various reasons. Apart from its practical relevance, nowadays it is also highly important to know in what way one should conduct business in a different cultural environment. In addition to that, factors, not taken into consideration in the existing theories ( e. g. eligion, ethnic background) could play a key role in identifying new relationships. Literature on this issue shows an established connection between culture and leadership styles. However, different points of view also exist. According to the article, some believe that historical background inevitably has an impact on the degree of cooperation and commitment. On the other hand, some aspects of leadership are thought to be universal in practice. The GLOBE research consists of several phases and different methods are being used in order to study the relationship between societal and organizational culture, as well as or ganizational leadership.Its team is represented by the Principal Investigator (who is author of the article), Co-Principal Investigators and Country Co-Investigators (CCIs), who have a specific knowledge of the examined cultures and are able to interpret the results in a proper way and context. As stated in the article, the main goal behind the idea for the GLOBE project was to develop an empirically-tested theory which examines the impact of different cultural variables on effective leadership. Of course, this was achieved with the help of numerous sub-questions, which studied different aspects of the acceptance of leader behavior. The following phases were used in the research: Phase 1 – development of research instruments (societal and organizational measures of culture) ; * Phase 2 – assessment of nine relevant dimensions and testing the hypotheses made; additional measures of ethnic, social, political and economic background were also included; * Phase 3 – impact and effectiveness of leadership styles, culture-specific and organization-specific aspects; long-term effects on the organization; In order to conduct the research, unanimous definitions of the examined factors were needed. A consensus was reached about the definition of â€Å"an organizational leadership† and â€Å"a leader†. However, it was not so easy to give a definition for â€Å"culture†. As House et al. states in the article, the chosen variables were â€Å"indicators of shared modal values of collectivist† (House et al, 2002, p. 5) The studied nice dimensions were: Uncertainty Avoidance, Power Distance, Societal and In-Group Collectivism, Gender Egalitarianism, Assertiveness ( reflecting the Hofstede dimensions), Future Orientation ( Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck ), PerformanceOrientations ( Mcclelland ) and Human Orientation ( Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck ) . The empirical research identified six of those nine dimensions that could be generalized for d ifferent cultures. The results were not presented in the article with further details but a reference to another article of the same author was made. The integrated theory in the areas of leadership, values/belief, implicit motivation and organizational form and effectiveness that hides behind the GlOBE model is based on various propositions about the relationships between cultural values, leaders’ actions, organizational and societal culture, strategic organizational contingencies and leader’s effectiveness and his acceptance by others. Currency: The GLOBE project began in the mid-90s and so, the data analyzed has been collected also towards that time, which makes them considerably current. Furthermore, the topic is of great relevance and this would remain so also in the future. Many current studies are also based on the GLOBE project, which means that the information and data it provides are considered to be up-to-date. * Objectivity: The research has been conducted in several phases, also with the usage of different methods, which means that the results presented could be considered for highly reliable. Also, the logical connection between the arguments and the main points discussed are easy to follow and well-grounded. * Relevance for practitioners: Leadership is also one of the main issues of the new century.Due to the fact that business is conducted worldwide and one and the same company is expanding to new and foreign markets, the problem of effective leadership has been worrying many managers. This is why this article provide an important and relevant information for managers and leaders. VI. Cultural Acumen for the Global Manager: Lessons from Project GLOBE The article by Javidan & House focuses on cultural similarities and a difference among many of the countries examined in the GLOBE project, discusses the results and explains their implications for global managers. Globalization itself in considered to be bringing many opportunities, but with respect to cultures, it also brings many challenges.As stated in the article: â€Å"Being global is not just about where you do business. It is also about how you do it. † ( Javidan & House, 2001, p. 292). As an introduction to the topic, the authors mention the drivers and results of globalization and their impact on international business. Nowadays different cultures come more and more often in contact with each other and business is becoming more global than ever. The main drivers for that are considered to be the increasing trade between nations, internet, foreign direct investments and various mergers and acquisitions. As a result of that, collision of different cultures in the business life has become something common.From this, however, could not be concluded that cultural differences diminish. Quite the opposite, major problems and misunderstandings arise from the lack of awareness for the various cultural values and practices. This is why the importance of a competent global leader is becoming crucial. His role was even rated the most important factor for business success in a survey of Fortune 500. An expert in international business is required to accustom and take into consideration differences as well as to consider the ideas and opinion of the partners he is doing business with. Because of the mentioned above, the authors stress the importance of the GLOBE project as a guide for managers in international business.With the help of the nine dimensions (already mentioned in the previous article as well), the derived results could be used for better understanding of cultural similarities and differences. In the articles the nine dimensions are briefly explained and the results of cultural practices are shortly presented: * Assertiveness – explained as the extent to which a self-confident and assertive behavior is tolerated. Here high score the U. S. , Austria and Spain; low – Sweden, New Zealand respectively, the last be ing thought to prefer cooperation over competition. * Future Orientation – the inclination for planning and investing in the future. As highly future-oriented appear Singapore, Switzerland and the Netherlands.On the contrary, Russia, Argentina and Italy are characterized with shorter planning horizon * Gender Differentiation – the emphasize on garner role differences; As paying less importance on gender appear Hungary, Poland and Denmark. , where more women could be found on higher positions. On the other hand, in South Korea, Egypt and China men enjoy higher social status. * Uncertainty Avoidance – in Sweden and Germany more attention is paid to orderliness and structure, whereas in Russia, Greece and Venezuela people are more tolerant towards uncertainty. * Power Distance – here high rank Russia, Thailand and Spain, where superiors are granted greater power and obedience. In countries like Denmark and the Netherlands, however, there is less differentiat ion in the hierarchical structure. Institutional emphasis on collectivism versus individualism – individual performance counts more in countries like Greece, Italy and Argentina. Cooperation and collective good is more important in Sweden, South Korea and Japan, where because of historical reasons people tend to help and rely on each other for their â€Å"survival†. * In-group collectivism- in Iran, India and China belonging to a group is of great importance. In contract, in Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand people do not feel obliged to the others belonging to their groups. * Performance Orientation – in Singapore, Hong Kong and the U. S. results show a high interest in development and training.In countries like Russia, Italy and Argentina people pay more attention to loyalty and tradition than performance and competition * Humane orientation – in Malaysia, Ireland and the Philippines support of each other is highly valued, whereas in Germany, France and S ingapore people are more interested in power and material gains. As the authors point out, the results of the GLOBE project provide information managers can rely on when confronted with cross-cultural communication. Because of the high sensitivity of each culture, for successful negotiations it is crucial to be aware of some cultural differences in the other country, concerning direct language and punctuality, contract horizon, hierarchy etc. As a further advantage of the project, the author point out the high reliability that the findings provide. All in all, the GLOBE provides guidance and help for the global managers and enhances their cultural acumen. Currency: As already mentioned by the evaluation of the previous article, the information that the GLOBE project provides and the possible areas of its implication are a topical relevance and high interest. Furthermore, the problem discussed in the article in a global problem at the moment and will probably be in the next decades. * Objectivity: Data for the research has been gathered in several phases, also with the usage of different methods, which means that the results presented could be considered for highly reliable. Arguments are logically connected and relationships between the results of the project and the problem discussed are supported. Relevance for practitioners: Since globalization brings so many opportunities and doing business abroad always includes minimum a collision of two different cultures, the impact of culture on the business and negotiation process has been of high relevance for practitioners Because the article provides important information in this matter, it could be used as a guide with real-life related tips. VII. Culture: the neglected concept The book chapter â€Å"Culture: the neglected concept† has as main issue the prediction of behavioral differences across cultures. At the beginning the role of culture is discussed as a tool for cross-cultural comparison, as well as the different aspects that culture, social system and society imply. However, no clear conclusion was reach at on how to differentiate cultures.Furthermore, the author mentions also that there is a huge diversity within major nations (e. g. Japan, UK, the Netherlands) and also that there are many conflicts within nations. As next, with the help of key studies, the author tries to develop a conceptual framework which would help to identify variables with which cultures could be differentiated. Different studies using economic development factors, or ecological and sociopolitical indicators were discussed, but in both cases there were criticism and inconsistent findings. A positive contribution was considered the work of Hofstede in his book â€Å"Culture’s consequences†. He has analyzed a large scale data bank and on this basis has developed a model how to compare countries.He has classified them into four dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualis m-collectivism and masculinity- femininity. Of course, that model is considered to be just one possibility in finding differences among on a country level. Hofstede’s study was criticized on various basis, but still the data used covers a substantial global sample. Furthermore, conformity is identified in the definition of culture by Hofstede and Rohner. However, it has been pointed out that the core values of Hofstede are applicable to national cultures and not individuals, and as still, they are average results. The Chinese Culture Connection pointed out the necessity to discount cultural bias from the results Hofstede came with.The results of their research overlapped to a great extend with those of Hofstede (three out of four factors). In addition to that, another variable was also proposed which led later on to the supplement of a fifth dimension. Another study by Schwarz was reviewing earlier history and defined three needs as essential: biological needs, social coordin ation needs, and the survival and welfare needs. This study was more analyzing the meaning different people put into values and it focused more on individuals rather than countries. However, the results were seen as a more detailed version than those of Hofstede. Furthermore, Trompenaars examined value dilemmas across nations.He proposed seven dimensions, some of them very close to the ones of Hofstede plus conservatism-egalitarian commitment and loyal involvement – utilitarian involvement. In the last part of the chapter a step-wise approach towards identifying a useful conceptual framework was adopted. Firstly, a search for universal aspects of social behavior, mainly used by social anthropologists and psychologist, has been discussed. In this place universals are further divided into simple, variform and functional ones, the first two mainly used by ‘etic’ analysis of human behavior and the third one- in ‘emic’ analysis. The last one (emic analysi s) is considered for the most reliable method for making generalizations on a local level.In this first step also the four elementary forms of social relations by Fiske are mentioned : ‘communal sharing’ , ’authority ranking’ (these two similar to two of the Hofstede’s dimensions) , ‘equality matching’ ( i. e. parties relate on the basis of equal contribution) and ‘market pricing’ (i. e. people use their comparative advantages over the others). The second step mentioned is the dilemma about the cultural causation of human behavior. A problematic point here is to determine if the research question is to be examined at the individual- or at the culture- level (the so called levels of analysis). The article proposed several different approached by different researchers. Furthermore, Smith and Schwartz (1997) proposed the following dimensions: autonomy vs. embeddedness and equality vs. ierarchy, which resemble again some of the Hofstede’s dimensions (namely individualism-collectivism and power distance), but using the updated results from some more recent studies. Then the authors introduce a further division of collectivism according to the context it is meant: in a hierarchical or egalitarian one. According to Parsons and Shils there is also another pair of concept: universalism and particularism. The first is describing the equal distribution of justice and the second – the subjective desire to associate with somebody. The final part of the chapter comes back to the major issue if values of people serve as a sufficient orientation point when cultures are being compared. Behavior is also mentioned to play an important role in this matter.Different studies are offering different approaches and assumptions concerning those variables and it is also presumed that this is a potential future field of further research. * Currency: Concerning this criterion, this chapter might be classified as a b it old. A reason for that is not only the publication year (1998), but also because many of the studies and data used for it are already dating to even earlier. As it is quite well-known, the new century brought with itself many new directions for the futures and the impact of globalization on culture-related issues changes every now and then. * Objectivity: In this chapter various authors and research results are mentioned, however with the criticism that some of the researches conducted do not based on a solid and reliable data.The different concepts are relationships between concepts and studies are explained, but due to the large number of studies and various explanations, the comprehensiveness sometimes goes lost and this might lead to losing the logic of the argument. * Relevance for practitioners: the approach in this chapter is more theoretical relevant than practical. Many studies are discussed, which are based on different approaches and research fields. However, less prac tical applicability in real business life has been detected. VIII. Theoretical Basis: Intercultural Communication and Cooperation The article of Thomas begins with a discussion about culture and its meaning.He compares it with a ‘system of orientation’ that creates a sense of belonging among the members of the same culture due to its specific features. Moreover, based on the usage of the same symbols and meanings, people can identify that they belong to the same group. However, in the socialization process it often happens that we are confronted with an unfamiliar behavior. Here a crucial point is what orientation signals to use when two persons from different cultures are in a conflict situation. A good example of the different approaches of Germans and Americans is given – the first handing more customer-oriented and the second caring more about technical perfection.Those examples lead to the conclusion that some general cultural standards exists that can expla in why different cultures act differently and the same situation. Furthermore, domain-specific cultural standards also exist, which are bound to a specific context. Lastly, another study indicates also the existence cultural-specific behavior patterns. The main use of cultural standards in that they provide a helping hand for orientating and explain why the partner behaves unfamiliar. The knowledge of other culture standards can be very important by interpersonal negotiating and cooperating. In addition to national culture, the concept of corporate culture also exists and it is highly influenced by the first one.In an organization, many factors, such as the industry the company in operating in and other job-related factors have an impact on the behavior of its members/employees and thus they can also form a â€Å"common language† and values. It is suggested that corporate culture can be analyzed on the basis a three-level-model suggested by Schein. Those are: material and imm aterial artefacts (easy to identify, but not to interpret their impact), values, norm and rules of behaviour (great influence) and basic assumption (vastly accepted values that help attain corporate goals). Thus, due to the daily interaction people in a corporation create their own subjective reality, based on the common values and social norms.So, as stated in the article, corporate culture is influenced by and influences national culture on the one side, and on the other, there are also subcultures formed within the corporate one. As a further point in the article the effects of internalization are discussed. Because of this phenomenon, the international atmosphere that is more often to find in many work places, cause that many different national cultures collide in an organization. Here an importance should also be paid to the industry the company is operating. The author mentions both the advantages and challenges of internalization and mentions that the inability to identify wi th the newly formed corporate culture can has a serious negative impact on the newly formed company.This is why the issue of the transition from the old to a new system has become a central concern for the leaders of such international corporations. The last part deals with cultural overlap, more precisely, the situation when two people with different cultures (values and understandings too) are supposed to work together. This difference can either improve the work together or threaten it. In the article four type of behavioural ruler are presented: either the own culture is considered for superior and the other party has to adapt or vice versa. The third option would be the one, where the two parties are too different in order to cooperate in any case.The best option, however, is when significant elements of the two cultures and combined and integrated into a new one. A Challenge in those rules is to gain more understanding about the cause-effect relationship of each other’s behaviour and also to have a deeper understanding about the own way of thinking and judgement and the reasons defining the way of perception of the other. New opportunities could be recognized and exploited only if a person is open for and interested in the different culture, and not taking right away the unfamiliar behaviour for one of lower rang. Obviously, none of the too extreme options (convergence or divergence) are good for the interaction.As stated in the article, differences should be recognized and acknowledged, and a gradual modification of the own, and adaptation to the other’s culture should follow. The next question that arises is: to what extend should that happen? As a conclusion it is said, that interculturality is only possible is one of the partners has a dominant role. However, he should also be able to understand and accept the other’s behaviour, be tolerant and respect it. This characteristic can be best developed by specialized trainings and int ercultural coaching. * Currency: The book from with this chapter comes was published only in 2010, which is an obvious sign of its currency. Furthermore, the issue discussed in it is becoming more and more important with the ever increasing trend towards internalization. Objectivity: The chapter includes different theories, but no own empirical research. Many situations are given as an example for the stated arguments and those sound quite convincing. Also for the issue discussed, probably observation of behavior in cultural overlap should also be more appropriate. * Relevance for practitioners: The topic is quite important for managers doing business abroad. Even if they are not aware of the fact, that cultural overlap can cause huge problems in negotiations or work together, the topic should be seriously taken by them. The main argument behind that is the fact that the majority of foreign ventures are not successful mainly due to misunderstandings between the parties. IX.The A, B, Cs of Acculturation This chapter is a review of both theory and empirical research concerning acculturation. The term of acculturation is defined here as â€Å"changes that occur as a result of continuous first-hand contact between individuals of different cultures† (Ward, 2001). Furthermore, it can be divided on the basis of various dimensions. In this chapter the focus falls on sojourners, immigrants and refugees on the one hand, and social identification, culture learning and stress and coping theoretical approaches, on the other. The first of the theoretical approaches – social identification- concerns the perception of oneself and others.This can be measured on two levels- on individual (focuses on how acculturation is defined and measured) or on group-level (interaction between a member and a foreigner of a community). Culture learning, on the other hand, blames for the cross cultural problems the ‘foreign’ parties and suggests that they should adap t to the culture-specific variables. The third approach defines the process of adapting as a series of stress-provoking situations, followed by attempts to cope with them. In a reversed order, those approaches constitute the three components of acculturation- affective, behavioral and cognitive, the so called A, B, Cs of acculturation.The question how to define adaptation has been mentioned as an important point. Many indices resulting from numerous researches have been proposed, each offering different approach and models. However, as common variables in all mentioned measures appear the psychological well-being/satisfaction and the effective relationships with representatives of the new culture. Furthermore, the author proposes two major categories for intercultural adaptation – psychological adjustment and sociocultural adaptation – that provide a good but still scarce overview. A model that combines the three theoretical approaches and the two aspects of cross-cult ural adaptation is further introduced and described in details.On the cognitive side (social identification), three models are mentioned for fundamental changes of cultural identity: assimilation of the foreign culture, a middle position between assimilation and separatism (bicultural identity) and the perception of the host and home cultures as independent. The following findings were presented: younger immigrants tend to be more easily acculturated; men get accustomed quicker than women and second generation immigrants are more opened to adapt. In addition to that, demographic, educational and socioeconomic factor also have an impact on acculturation. However, a recommendation for further theory development has been because of the insufficiency and inconsistency of the existing ones. The next approach – cultural learning- focused on behavioral changes in connection with cultural interaction in order to gain useful skills to adapt.Social skills and social interaction has bee n mentioned as crucial. However, many barriers, may threaten the successful intercultural communication. For example, nonverbal forms, such as gestures, silence or facial expression, that have different meaning across cultures, may lead to even an insult without any purpose. These obstacles can be over masters with the help of cultural trainings, participation and intercultural friendships. Sociocultural adaptation could be facilitate with more culture-specific knowledge, it follows a learning curve and it is easier for sedentary groups. Of greatest importance for the last theoretical approach is the prediction of psychological adjustment.For the stress-and-coping approach cultural contact and change are crucial because they lead to the search of a response. Here also a recommendation for further research in the area has been made. In the conclusion the author mentions that concerning acculturation, the field of research is vast. The combination of theory and conducted research cont ributes to the better understanding of the issue, but it is still not universal. Cultural differences could easily be translated into assimilation discouragement and psychological and sociocultural problems. Even if great development in the area of acculturation has been witnessed, for the future more comprehensive and larger scale studies would be warmly welcomed. Currency: The chapter has been published in the beginning of the century, thus also marking the beginning of the century where borders have less and less meaning. The topic is also one that is highly discussed and many future researches will be directed towards the issue of acculturation. * Objectivity: The chapter represents a mix of various theories and empirical studies, the results of various relevant to the topic studies has been presented and so, this criteria could be considered as fully fulfilled. * Relevance for practitioners : No doubt the problem of acculturation and the impact on a global level is of high rele vance for practitioners.Especially since borders has lost their meaning, nowadays people are moving all around the world, and consequently, are directly faced with the problem. References: Adler, N. : Global managers: no longer men alone. In : The international Journal of Human Resource Management, 2002, Vol. 13(5) (pp. 746-761) Distefano,J. , Maznevski, M. : Creating Values with Diverse Teams in Global Management. In : Organizational Dynamics, 2000, Vol. 19 (1) (pp. 45-63) House, R. , Javidan, M. , Hanges,P. , Dorfman, P. : Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: an introduction to the project GLOBE. In: Journal of World Business, 2002, Vol. 37 (pp. 3-10) Javidan, M. , House, R. Cultural Acumen for the global manager: Lessons from project GLOBE. In: Organizational Dynamics, 2001, Vol. 29, (4) (pp. 289-305) Smith,P. B. , Bond, M. H. : Culture: the neglected concept. In: Social Psychology across Cultures, 1998, 2nd edition, Harlow, London, New York ( pp. 38-69) Thomas, A. : Theoretical Basis of Intercultural Communication and Cooperation. In: Thomas, A. , Kinast, E. , Schroll-Machl: Handbook of intercultural Communication and Cooperation: Basics and Areas of Application, 2010, 1st edition, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht (17-52) Ward,C. : The A,B,Cs of Acculturation. In: Matsumoto (ed. ): The Handbook of Culture and Psychology, New York, 2001

Describe the marriage of Paulina and Gerardo

Gerard asserts his eminence in his relationship with Pauline; he believes his persuasive words will always have its desired effect on Paling's actions. ‘Of course I'm going to listen to you. Haven't I always listened to you? And he is surprised when she doesn't listen. ‘You believe too much in your own powers of persuasion'. He is very manipulative, such as in the beginning of the play in which he is unsatisfied with the response he received, he continues to convince Pauline until he gets the answer he wanted, also going behind her back.He acted as though he genuinely cared about her opinion in the matter of his position on he committee when in reality, he had already accepted. Yes. Told him I'd do it. Yes. Before asking you. ‘. He also appears to be a lair and doesn't seem to understand women as well as he likes. Pauline is a suspicious wife, knowing that Gerard did it once, he could very well do it again and with that, she insinuates his infidelity numerous times before outright managing to get him to confess to it.Though despite that, they are still married and do love each other, her going as far as protecting Gerard while she was being tortured but not saying anything about him. They make sacrifices for each other as ell. How does the play. Inherit use details of the setting and atmosphere to illustrate the mood of the play? They are in a small beach house with a balcony and are able to hear the ocean. It also sounds secluded which isolates the scene. They use moonlight to light some specific part of the scene which omits everything else and has us focusing on one particular part which might bring a mood.The atmosphere shifts constantly with Pauline sort of falling in and out of sanity creating a particularly dramatic mood to the play, pulling you to keep reading to figure out what she does next. When Reboot's atmosphere shows a sort of irritants and confusion it has you wondering whether he really is innocent. The last scene too, with th e mirror having it reflect back at you leaves you to really take a good look at yourself and have you think hard about the events of the play having you fill out the gaps in which the author left ambiguous.Assess Paling's actions. Why does she react precisely in the way that she does? Paling's actions were premeditated and brave bordering on the edge Of crazy. She has been deeply traumatized by her past which leads to her paranoia and personal vendetta that she has laced upon Roberto. Pauline acts precisely in the way that she does because for fifteen years she has been haunted by her rape and torture which leaves her in an unstable state of mind which had finally cotton the best of her when the man she claims to be one of her captors show up on her doorstep.What would be Justice Pauline? Feel that for Pauline to find her justice would be for the people who have traumatized her to admit what they have done and be punished for it. Her idea to first retaliate in the same fashion (to r ape him with a broomstick and torture him) would not make her forgive him. It would satisfy her for the time being but not fully. For her to have justice would be to have the torturers confess in a hand written confession. Her new idea to have the letter written seems to satisfy her in a way that she would feel justice.The written letter is also a good idea to convince herself that she is correct in the way that Roberto is actually the Doctor who assisted in her torture. I also believe by her taking the law into her own hands, she has been able to gather the kind of answers only she could be searching for. What problems does an author face in dramatist's torture? How does Doorman achieve this? When traumatizing torture, the problem quite possibly the rate at which you reveal it.Doorman achieved the perfect amount of torture by hinting bits and pieces to get you thinking and then finally reeling us in with the entire story and his ability to constantly shift the balance of sympathy b etween the oppressed and the oppressor. What role do sexuality and sexual/gender roles play in the drama? There are a multitude of examples that suggest sexist views from the male characters. Both Gerard and Miranda speak of women as confusing pieces that are completely inhuman and act as though it is a shared knowledge between them.Gerard appears to have a dominant role over Pauline, acting manipulative toward her and believing he has a higher power over her. Many times he is heard stating that Pauline would make the meal expecting that she will do it because he knows she will. ‘Not another word. Pauline will be delighted. You'll see the breakfast she'll make for us. ‘ In this example he also assumes that Pauline will automatically be delighted with a random guest despite how she acts when an unfamiliar car turns up at her souse. ‘Of the two things you never share, my friend, one is your toothbrush. What is the significance of the setting for this play? Ariel Door man carefully explains in his stage directions that Death and the Maiden is set in â€Å"a country that is probably Chile but could be any country that has given itself a democratic government just after a long period of dictatorship† which helps us to understand what exactly the significance is of Greaser's position on the commission appointed to investigate the crimes committed under the regime. It plays one of the most important aspects to he characters conflict between justice and the love for his wife who decides to take the law into her own hands.It emphasizes what kind Of negative control a dictatorship has and the effects of it. Why does Pauline lock the door? Is it to keep Gerard safe or to keep him away? Act 1, Scene 3 It's the middle of the night and Pauline is written doing something suspicious. She is seen going into her living room and pulling out her gun and her stockings. She then goes to Reboot's room, listening, and then goes in. A confused muffled cry is he ard then silence. Pauline goes back to her own mom and locks the door.She then goes back onto Reboot's room and pulls out what suspiciously looks like a body before wing it to a chair. We learn that the body is indeed Reboot's. She collects all of Reboot's belongings and goes to leave the house, but not before taking off her underwear and gagging Roberto. She leaves the house in Reboot's car and leaving Gerard locked in his room and Roberto tied to a chair. Act 1, Scene 4 It's early in the morning and Roberto is tied to a chair and gagged only just waking up to find Pauline sitting in front of him with a gun. He is confused.Seeing that he is awake, Pauline greets him kindly, as though he weren't tied to a chair and gagged, she proceeds to converse with him almost normally. She begins her monologue moving from one topic to another. A friend Roberto might be related to, her early career as a student to become a doctor and asking him his preference for sandwiches. We begin to see she c ould possibly have some mental problems. He unlocks her bedroom door. She also turns on Death and the Maiden from the cassette she stole from Reboot's car gushing about how much she loved it and now how it haunts her.Gerard wakes up shocked, and goes to untie Roberto Miranda, but Pauline, convinced Miranda is one of her captors tells Gerard so. He seems UN entirely convinced and tells her she is sick which she denies. He tries to convince Pauline to let R. Miranda go but she is entirely convinced. And due to her assuredness, she tells Gerard her plan to put him on trial, like he would do if he was on the commission. Act 2, scene 1 Gerard has left to fetch his car, Roberto is still tied and Pauline has her back to him, and begins to relay of the horrors she suffered in the doctor's â€Å"care. †She had estranged herself from her parents, so when she was released, she had very few choices of where to go. Roberto makes a movement as if he wants to speak, but she makes him wait, thinking he's hungry, and imitates the doctor's voice for a moment. She then explains why he wouldn't have known about Gerard and made the connection to her. She had not mentioned Gerard in all the time that she was being tortured, but his house is where she went as soon as she was released. Gerard then returns to the house, and Pauline enquires how it went and whether the flat was fixed. He doesn't answer.

International criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International criminal law - Essay Example that has broken out in Asterixia since 1999, there is evidence existing that gross human rights violations have taken place - â€Å"crimes against humanity†6 or crimes committed within the context of a war situation. In assessing the criminal liability that will accrue upon the state of Asterixia, the provisions of various international conventions must be considered while criminal liability of President Killinger and General Nipochet could arise under the ICTY which has clearly spelt out the liabilities of a Commander for atrocities committed by subordinates and be adjudicated through the ICC. The term â€Å"crimes against humanity† was first coined after the massacre of the Armenians by the Turks in 19157 however all such diplomatic initiatives after World War I to â€Å"act on behalf of humanity† proved inconclusive8. The International Military tribunal at Nuremberg was criticized on the basis of it being equivalent to implement of justice by the victor9 however it was the first step to the setting up of an international forum to question State immunity in the case of international crimes.10 But as deGuzman points out, it was only after the establishment of the ad hoc tribunals at Yugoslavia in 1993 and Rwanda in 1994 that international justice has been activated11. The ICTY12 was authorized to bring to justice and prosecute those persons accused of crimes against humanity â€Å"when †¦.directed against any civilian population.†13 The ICTR on the other hand, came into being to tackle the heinous criminal activity generated by the Rwandan conflict13a – however both these tribunals have made it possible to try individuals for their crimes in an international criminal forum. The International criminal Court which came into being in 2002, has jurisdiction over nationals for crimes occurring on the territory of all states that have ratified the Rome Statute.14 Article 98(2) of the Rome Statute is specifically meant to protect against the ICC being used as a basis

Evaluating Learning and Development Activities PowerPoint Presentation

Evaluating Learning and Development Activities - PowerPoint Presentation Example ROI is a measure of the financial benefits received by a firm over a period of time in return for the costs incurred on a training activity. One way of computing ROI is by comparing the resulting benefits to the costs incurred. Some of the benefits that may result include labor savings, increased productivity and other costs savings. Some of the costs incurred include design and development, administration, and materials/facilities costs. Using this method, percentage ROI is obtained by dividing the total benefits by the total costs times 100%. Another way of measuring ROI is by using the payback period method which entails the determination of the period taken for the benefits received to cover the costs incurred on the programme. The shorter the payback period the more attractive the training programme (Phillips & Phillips, 2008). The initial basic approach to evaluation is to determine the current performance levels and the skills of the members. This is done before the training so that it can be used as a benchmark after the activity. A structured questionnaire can be used to assess the skills and the performance levels of the participants. This tool is the most suitable since it is accurate and it gathers specific information that is required in the evaluation of the participants after the training (Phillips, 2010). Measuring the reactions of the participants during and after the training, is another useful approach. This is used to assess the appropriateness of the training to the learners, how well the subjects were covered and how they intend to apply the acquired skills. Open discussions can be used as a tool for measuring this parameter. This tool is advantageous since direct responses are received from the participants. It would be easy to tell if they liked the training or not, and if they learned new skills (Bramley, 2003). The skills acquired and the learning level can also

Research PAPER on Greasy Lake Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On Greasy Lake - Research Paper Example Evidence of being wealthy is because firstly, Digby’s parents pay his tuition at Cornell. Secondly, the narrator’s parents bought him a nice car. Thirdly, the boys live in a town with â€Å"housing developments, shopping malls and street lights, (Boyle, 396). Lastly they abuse drugs like coke and cocaine which are not cheap. The boys being nineteen years old think they are now adults and can do whatever they want, and they choose to be known as horrific boys in the small town (Youngs, 23). In my view, the boys option of being dreadful may have been brought about by the fact that they were living in a wealthy neighborhood where nothing much happens so they were bored (McDowell & Hostetler, 24). The narrator describes himself and his friends as appallingly awful characters. Their outrageous reputation is revealed by their clothes, the narrator says, â€Å"we wore torn up leather jackets, slouched around with toothpicks in our mouths, sniffed glue and ether and what some body claimed was cocaine (Boyle, 125).† Parents want their young children to be clean shaven, but in this case, â€Å"†¦Digby wore a gold star in his right ear†. To further characterize their gross character the narrator describes the manner in which the three boys lived their daily lives. He says â€Å"...Able to mange a ford with lousy shocks over a rutted and gutted blacktop road at 85 while rolling a joint (Boyle, 124).† This illustrates how the boys were living recklessly and dangerously, but they are not terrible as they try to prove. This is evidenced when Digby allows his parents to pay his tuition fees to Cornell because he wants to go to school. These actions get the boys think they are the toughest boys around. In my judgment, I reckon the boys to be small adults who are rebellious and aggressive (McDowell & Hostetler, 25). This is a stage of life that everybody has to go through just like the three teenagers were experiencing. The boys in Greasy Lake situation are made worse because of boredom and resources they can afford to spend around. The night the reality of the consequences of being horrible dawns on them is when they run into much trouble than they anticipated. The boys are troublesome as well as naughty; thus they decide to play a grim trick on their friend. It is three days after the summer break and the boys go â€Å"in search of thrills†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Boyle, 120). They go into their usual place where a majority of people like to hang out during the day, but they go at night. The boys are soon to realize that bad boys are those born in the streets and who fend for themselves on the streets. As for me, I think the boys are not that tough they are just naive. This is because they are still young and have no clue as to the realities of life (Youngs, 24). Furthermore, they own nothing as they drive their mother’s cars and use their dad’s money. They are just trying to prove what they are not. Greasy La ke was once a clear and magnificent water body, but time has deteriorated it the author describes the river as â€Å"... Now it was fetid and murky, the mud banks glittering with broken glass and strewn beer cans and the charred remains of bonfires. .. So stripped of vegetation, it looked like the air force had strafed it† (Boyle, 125). The place is just awful, but I can relate the symbolism depicted by the author. Just like the boys were courteous sometime before, as one confesses that he has never had to fight since sixth grade, they are now filthy, just

Pricing of Goods and Services Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Pricing of Goods and Services - Coursework Example The difference between pricing of goods and services are also highlighted and the emphasis is on understanding consumer needs, market trends, quality given and expected, competitor pricing methods used, geographical or local demands, and the resources available that would determine price. Recommendations are provided for more successful approach to marketing and for superior pricing strategies. This project would deal with the efficacy of pricing strategies and how these strategies are made. Pricing strategies are important for companies as they can help companies to successfully use market trends and expectations and set their prices to increase sales and reputation of their products and services. The marketing and business strategies of companies may not always follow strict pricing rules and theories and this may lead to incorrect pricing of products and services which can result in losses. To avoid this situation, companies must realize that their corporate focus could be largely based on pricing and drawing up a strategy for the pricing of goods and services would go a long way in improving company performance. The study here compares two different approaches to pricing drawing out similarities and differences and suggests the different pricing methods that could be most appropriate for different marketing situations. By throwing some light on different pricing method s, the thesis shows the pricing strategies that could be used by companies whether they are simply entering a market or trying to have an edge over competitors. This project differentiates between cost based, competitor based and value based pricing and thus could be a resource for companies that seeks to understand the importance of pricing strategies for marketing and selling of their products and services. This project seeks to provide comprehensive information on pricing methods available and differentiates the pricing strategies that could be used in different marketing situations. In addition, it is focused on how pricing strategies would be applicable for different management situations such as retail, services sector, land development or value based real estate pricing, internet services, healthcare, financing and general business. Here, I will provide analysis and delineate the scope of future work by providing research evidence and suggestions for future development in the area of pricing and the strategies used for pricing services.

3 Speech Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

3 Speech Evaluation - Essay Example The failure to include statistics on other brands gives the impression that the problem may not be endemic after all, because only one chain appears to be responsible for the problem; avoiding that store, you avoid the problem, which I believe is not what the speaker intended. The display of money (a hundred dollars) is a good visual ploy to bring the point home about savings. The speaker also employed sufficient research, although the point about monitoring one’s fast food consumption was not sufficiently made. The closing, â€Å"I’m going to go grab my Big Mac,† was likely an attempt at humor, but it contradicts rather than reinforces the message. All in all, the speaker appears at ease, despite a few nervous pauses to glance at his notes, and in general maintained eye contact with his audience. His face was animated and shows he was connecting with his audience. His tone could have been more lively, but it was not monotonous and is on the whole satisfactory. O verall, the speech was entertaining, slightly humorous, and relatively informative. The opening was a first-person narrative of what turned out to be a Labrador pleading for its life, so it was compelling enough to capture audience attention, and the speaker effectively brings the focus squarely to the welfare of the animals. His research on the law and practice concerning animal experimentation is likewise forceful as it is informative, as it emphasized the gruesome aspects of the use of animals in scientific and medical research and personifies their pain in human terms. What it lacks, however, is balance. The speaker asks the audience to suspend their moral judgment, but at the same time presents information that directly appeals to this moral judgment. To be more objective, the speaker should also have presented alternatives to animal testing, as obviously products and

Supplier evaluationfor achieving long-term performance Essay

Supplier evaluationfor achieving long-term performance - Essay Example outside the business then it follows that the biggest opportunities for improvement in their cost position will also be found in that wider supply chain (Christopher, 2005). Having the right suppliers ultimately makes a significant difference to an organization’s future in reducing operational costs and improving the quality of its end products, whereas having the wrong suppliers can cause operational and financial problems (Zeydan, Colpan and Cobanoglu, 2011). This has led firms to focus on improving their supply chain by continuously evaluating the performances of their suppliers. To achieve this, firms are increasingly building collaborative relationships with partners in their supply chain in order to achieve efficiencies, flexibility, and a competitive advantage (Whipple, Lynch, and Nyaga 2009). Such a relationship which involves collaborative activities, such as information sharing, joint relationship effort, and dedicated investments leads to trust and commitment. Trust and commitment in turn lead to improved satisfaction and performance. Unlike a transactional relationship where there is only a simple exchange between buyer and supplier, where the supplier provides goods or services and the buyer provides money in payment, the collaborative approach that firms are adopting allows the buyer organization to seek to develop a long-term relationship with the supplier. The strategic view is that the buyer organization and the supplier share common interests, and both benefit from seeking ways of adding value in the supply chain. There is a win-win situation, where buyer, supplier and end-customer can all benefit (CIP, 2010). However, in order for the buyer to keep track of these relationships and assess the supplier performance, an evaluation process must be in place (Stueland, 2004). It is quite understandable why companies today turn to buyers to reduce costs because good buyers will reduce the overall costs suffered by their organization. In turn, this

Reflection about the discomfort Essay Example for Free

Reflection about the discomfort Essay When I met a stranger at a party, I said to myself I wouldnt be shy. I told him my life story and my opinions within 10 minutes of meeting him. How odd it seemed. And finally he escaped from me. This was not a good start of a relationship, from that I learned self-disclosure was a kind of communication which worked best a little at a time. I had to sensitive to the other persons needs and feeling, to be empathic. When I communicated with my boyfriend in the first week, I reminded myself I should practice self-disclosure and I gave me a license to blurt out everything to him. Several times he said to me, Youre doing that communication thing on me. From his reflection about the discomfort, I thought I was over disclosing. The next week, when I stayed with him, I paid more attention on listening to him, gave him chances to disclose, but he complained that he was disclosing more than I was. This time I made another mistake, I was underdisclosing. I understood that deciding when and how much personal information to disclose was not a simple case, if I couldnt handle well, not only I would lose the chance to make friend with that stranger, but also lose my boyfriend. I was so regret that I was not prepare well for this part in the methodology section. I should modify it. Then I went to do some reading and found the guideline for disclosure. Self disclosure is best when it is to the right person-often one who is capable of empathic understanding; to the right degree- you may decide to disclose all or part of your experience; for the right reasons-be sure your goal is to disclose yourself rather than to burden the other or show off; at the right time-in hours that are appropriate and when the other is not heavily burdened with his own need; and in the right place-in a location conducive to this kind of communication.(Bolton, 1986, p. 180) In the following days, I kept these guidelines in mind when I communicated and made a great effort in using disclosing, no complaints again and the relation between my boyfriend went even intimacy.  I was amazed how I was able to self disclose to my friend Jane after nearlly 3 weeks disclosing training. I opened myself to her and revealed things about my past that I very rarely talk about. I found she was able to relate to me and I even led the way for her to reveal things about herself. This gave us a great beginning. One behavior that has hindered my self-disclosure with her was when she told me she was not happy for me when I told her a serious mistake I have made before. Unfortunately, after she did that I have not been able to open myself up anymore. I didnt take confrontation too well and said nothing at all. I needed to change this by telling her how I felt when she said that to me. If I could do this it would be a big step for me. This was a problem that I didnt foresee, I should learn how to deal with confrontation, prepare for it. I kept a diary of my disclosing within these 3 weeks. I found I was easy to disclosure to women than men. I avoid interact with people with different culture, I rarely talked about my family, and I often pushed me to self-disclosing too much and this turned people off. A lot of problems involves in my skill, I need to learn more about confrontation, learn how much I should disclose and to whom the disclosures are made. These were not included in my initial plan, and I will add them in my follow up plan. Conclusion and reflection  1. Self-disclosure is a process of providing information to another individual. The information that is disclosed includes ones thoughts, feelings, past experiences, and future plans.  2. For me, self-disclosure was the hardest piece of the puzzle, I did not tell people who I really was because I was afraid that they would not like the real me. Plus I had the need to protect myself.  3. I think an ideal self-disclosure (my goal) involves openness, a desire   o get closer to another, and an implied trust in the person were revealing ourselves to. It also can increase self-acceptance. 4. The amount of information we disclose in our interpersonal relationships also influences our relationships. The Johari window is a model that helps us assess the type of information we disclose; whom we make disclosures to and the communication environment we find ourselves in. By using this model, I found I was a person I r who had a lot of hidden area and a little open area.  5. My relationship with my friend May was an example of using the social penetration theory. I thought I understood this theory and did quiet well with disclosing to May. Although the disclosing slowed down in the last week, it was due to the different background. From that, I knew disclosure happened frequently with people had common ground. 6. Although I overcome the mental barrier to communicate with the stranger, I still done badly. I fell in an extreme-overdisclosing and made him escape from me. I realized that self-disclosure couldnt be used as a mere device to force the other people into a relationship. It was a kind of communication which worked best a little at a time. I should sensitive to the other persons needs and feeling, to be empathic. 7. I failed to use self-disclosure with my boyfriend in the first two weeks, but with the help of the guidelines, I did better in the last week. During the first week, I made a same mistake (overdisclosing) again. I blurted out everything to him. After he reflected his uncomfortable, I forced myself to listen more, but still fell into another extreme- underdisclosing. In order to solve the problem, I found some guidelines and kept in mind in the following week and got a lot of benefit. 8. I done really well in disclosing to Jane, but a new problem arose. I didnt know how to deal with confrontation when she said she didnt like my past behavior. This hindered my disclosing and I couldnt open myself any more. The lack of prepare for confrontation leaded to my failure.  9. I thought the approach I adopted was quiet successful, such as prepare for disclosing and handle the anxiety, using a method to gradually work up to being more open.  10. I benefited a lot by keeping a diary about my training. From that, I discovered what feelings and needs I didnt disclose; which friendships grew the most. I also knew certain of my disclosures turn people off and what I was uncomfortable discussing certain things and who I avoid interacting with. 11. Prepared other for my change by telling them I would use a new communication skill gave me a lot of benefits. They would give me feedback and if I done badly, they wont easily get annoy.  12. There were many shortcomings in my approach. Such as ignore when and how much personal information to disclose, havent prepared for confrontation. Those problems made my disclosing failed.  13. I thought my origin goal was appropriate-became openness, got closer to another, and had an implied trust in the person were revealing ourselves to. My goal also included increasing my self-acceptance. After 3 weeks training, I found I was more open than before, I wouldnt always hide myself and I would like to share myself with the right person. I got closer to May, my boyfriend by disclosing. During the process of disclosing, a trust had built. I showed some trust in another by making a disclosure that had a little risky, when the other accepted and was supportive about my disclosure, trust was likely to be enhanced. Due to the acceptance by others, my self-acceptance enhanced.

Pizza Hut Market Analysis

Pizza Hut Market Analysis SWOT Analysis of Pizza Hut (S)trengths 1. Pizza Hut is a welcomed fast food brand in the UK. In a survey, Pizza Huts ranked No.4 in the Most loved list of eating out in UK (Marketing Online 2008). 2. Pizza Hut already uses the online ordering service successfully. Among the Unique audience ranking of Pizza Brand Site, Pizza Hut took the No.1, 515,000, which exceeded Dominos 365,000 (Luan, 2009) (W)eaknesses 1. Fault management decision. Pizza Huts rebranding of some of its outlets as Pasta Hut has generated consumer discussion, but it is a stunt that is unlikely to produce long-term growth for the brand'(Schrezenmaier 2008). (O)pportunities 1. Nutritional food. Restaurant chain Pizza Hut has confirmed that it will become one of the first foodservice operators in the UK to offer nutritional information on its menus as part of new voluntary initiative.'(Market Watch: Global Round-up online 2009). 2. ATM activity. Pizza Hut is launching an advertising campaign using cash machines to promote the launch of its fixed-price Happy Hour menu (Marketing Online 2009). (T)hreats 1. Dominos Price. Dominos has always priced its pizzas at a premium compared with those of Pizza Huts delivery service and independent rivals (Marketing online 2008). 2. Fat Concern. Pizza Hut listed its Mediterranean Deluxe cheesy bites pizza contends 4.392 calories. It keeps you going far about two days-daily intake should be 2,500 for men and 2.000 for women (Director online 2009). Pizza Huts Current Communication Mix 1) Sales promotion One of Pizza Huts more recent sales promotions is its Happy Hour menu. The Happy Hour menu provides consumers the choice not only pizza, but also pasta, salad and plus garlic bread and a drink. Pizza Hut promoted this menu at a  £4 fixed price. Pizza Hut premiered this promotion using an ATM advertising campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to hopefully increase visits by customers to Pizza and was cleverly timed to premier around pay-day for most of the working public. 2) Sponsorship Pizza Hut possesses a wide sponsorship in different and variety areas from past until now. For instance, the notable sponsorship of Pizza Hut is as a part of PepsiCos. There has also been partnerships with Formula one, Euro 96 and was a sponsor of the Newcastle Vipers ice hockey team from 2007/08 EIHL season. Nowadays, Pizza Hut is proud to sponsor National Family Week. This is the biggest official celebration of families and Pizza Hut is a gold sponsor of such an exciting new initiative backed by the largest coalition of family in the UK. (The Greenwich Gazette, 2009) Therefore due to the association with such reputable brands, sponsorship is a very useful method of marketing for Pizza Hut and has helped communicate the image of Pizza Hut to its target audience. 3) E-marketing The internet communication of Pizza Hut plays an important role for customers. Pizza Hut also has used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to create E-marketing. Facebook users can join a Pizza Hut group and receive information of any promotions. This new form of marketing is Pizza Hut adapting to new technology and understanding there are a lucrative options for marketing this way. The target audience that use social networking sites most profoundly Generation X and this creates a parallel to a large proportion of Pizza Huts target audience. 4) Branding In 2008 Pizza Hut rebranded its UK business to Pasta Hut. The expenditure of this rebranding cost  £100M (Marketing Week, 2008) as it refurbished many restaurants and also created new outlets. The change of the brands name could be seen as a trial exercise to promote and test the markets acceptability of the new name. It has been noted however that most of people still prefer the previous name Pizza Hut and found the rebranding of Pasta Hut stale and uninteresting. Objectives Objective 1: To introduce a healthy alternative within the pizza market. A motivational conflict arises for many people when thinking of going to Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut is seen by many people as a fast food restaurant and fast food restaurants are associated with unhealthy food and therefore obesity. This consciousness has become more apparent especially after such documentaries as Super Size Me in which Morgan Spurlock carries out a task in which for a whole 30 days he cant eat or drink anything that isnt on McDonalds menu (IMDB, 2009) This is why Pizza Hut needs to be more aware of looking after its customers health and to give a healthier option for the more diet conscious customers. Therefore the proposal is a selection of pizzas in which you get one of your five a day, these pizzas will also use low fat and low salt. There will also be an option to have wholemeal pizza base to help increase customers fibre content. Pizza Hut has already reduced their salt content in there pizzas; in some cases by as much as 30% (InfoFrancise, 2009), in the last 3 months and since 2007 removed hydrogenated vegetable oils from all its food items, but it is viewed that there is limited awareness of this option for consumers. Objective 2: To ensure that Pizza hut has a healthy alternative in their main product to react to competitors healthy versions. Although Pizza Hut has options of salad and healthy pastas, to compete with competitors there must be a healthy and interesting alternative for more health conscious people. This can be seen in fast food alternatives such as Subway in which there are 12 low fat options all under 6 grams of fat. Dominos, a main competitor of Pizza Hut have an option of reduced fat cheese in which it states 100% great taste, 33% less fat. Therefore to compete effectively with competitors such as Dominos, Pizza Hut needs to produce a campaign that offers a healthy range and then communicate this to their customers. One of the main customer bases are parents either looking for more sophisticated and healthier options for themselves when taking their children to Pizza Hut or for the health conscious parents who are worried about their children eating fast food, this campaign needs to party be aimed at them. Objective 3: To create a new image of Pizza Hut as a restaurant chain that cares and wants to keep its customers healthy. The image of Pizza Hut such as many other fast food restaurants to much of the public is associated with food that has high contents of fat and salt. As the rate of adult obesity is 23%, almost twice the level in France (The Daily Mail, 2009) and also by far the worst rate in Europe, much focus by the government has been put on campaigns to bring attention to this worrying statistic and assist the public with information on how to keep healthy. Therefore Pizza Hut has decided to bring out a new campaign and also through this, a new image of a restaurant that understands the growing issue of obesity and wants to provide and encourage its customers to choose healthy options when visiting Pizza Hut. Hopefully also this campaign should encourage a new customer base of customers due to becoming more health conscious have not visited Pizza Hut as frequently. It is also aimed to encourage existing customers to visit more frequently by relinquishing the guilt of eating food with a high calorific count. Marketing Strategy Pull strategy The healthy eating campaign is directed at end user customers in order to generate increased level of awareness, change and/or reinforce attitudes, reduce risk, encourage involvement and ultimately provoke a motivation within the target group. The campaign hopes to create a motivation for the consumer to therefore stimulate action within the target audience. The consumer expects the offer to be available to them when they decide to enquire, experiment or make a repeat purchase (Fill, 2009). The pull strategy requires the brand to allocate a large proportion of funds to advertising, this is especially so when using mass media and sales promotion. Pizza Hut aims at attaining the objectives of the pull strategy by using television and internet advertising. These advertising forms are seen as very credible examples of mass media as they have the ability for mass penetration which in turn reduces the unit cost of the advertising. This above-the-line communication is accentuated by the use of sales promotions which is a below-the-line communication. Sales promotion which is another aspect of the pull strategy, its aimed at creating a demand for the product in the consumers psyche, this creation of a want/need increases the likelihood of a purchase. The Marketing Communications Mix To ensure that our message manages to reach as much of the target audience as possible we have chosen to use the following communication approach. This approach uses a combination of advertising using two media forms, the internet and television. In accordance with the advertising, sales promotions and public relations will be carried out to hopefully guarantee the success of the campaign. Television The creation of television provided a new opportunity for widespread effective advertising. When viewing advertisements the public assesses what the advert conveys and how it conveys this message. This causes the public to evaluate aspects such as presentation, creative appeal as well as of course the message. Therefore due to impact that this powerful audio-visual tool can have on the audience, it is imperative that much consideration is given to the impression that is portrayed. One major benefit of television advertising is that it has a very high level of penetration. Statistics have shown that in the United Kingdom on average the public watches television for 28 hours per person per week (Nationmaster, 2009). This therefore provides a lucrative possibility for many corporations. Due to the audio-visual possibilities that television advertising provides it gives the advertisers an opportunity to utilize the creative potential and fully portray the message desired which consequently helps the brand to achieve its aspired goals. For the television advertisement, a brand such as Pizza Hut should produce adverts that are creative and entertaining but also ensures that the core message is clearly communicated. The advertisement must be appealing to keep the attention of the audience to hopefully limit the effect that surrounding noise and distractions may have. There is a tendency of many consumers to directly link the credibility of a brand with the credibility of the medium, and television advertising is perceived as a highly credible source to most audiences. Therefore the credibility of the Pizza Hut campaign has high chances of being enhanced if it associated with TV adverts. The television advertisement for the new campaign needs to be positively engaging on the emotional and psychological grounds. Our basic aim is to implement the pull strategy to create a demand for this new product category via the mass media. The target audience for the pizza hut campaign is the health conscious segment, but health consciousness is reflected in varied shades for different individuals, and this consideration is depicted in the television advertisement. The advertisement shows an ordinary British family consisting of a mother, a father and two teenagers; a son and a daughter. They are discussing what to have for dinner at the dining table. One option that is discussed is pizza, and it shows the four different perspectives of having pizza for dinner. The mothers standpoint is that pizza wouldnt be suitable as it is unhealthy and lacks proper nutrients for the family, while the daughters perspective is that she would have motivational conflicts due to the high calorie count and the diet she has been carrying out, the son also may have a similar negative perspective due an extensive work-out schedule that he has been keeping to and doesnt want to ruin and that father may be worried about blood pressure and cho lesterol that are common with his age and therefore the consensus is not to order a pizza even though everyone would enjoy the experience. A pizza base appears magically on their table and tops itself up with all the healthy ingredients like vegetables/grilled lean whit meat/low fat cheese etc, which adds to the health quotient of a pizza. The advert now describes the complete new range of healthy Pizzas from Pizza Hut. This advertisement aims to appeal to its audiences through an emotional stance. Understanding a mothers basic instinct to ensure the family keeps healthy, understanding many teenagers insecurities as well as understanding the worries about health for the majority of the aging population. The psychological perspective of this advert would be that people are enjoying a pizza without experiencing cognitive dissonance. The advert would have a strong visual appeal to create the sense that it would be delicious and full of flavour, this would be carried out with visually appealing colours of the topping as well as the surrounding background of the advert. The slogan used for this advert is Pizzas Just Got Healthier. This is a clear, strong slogan and it also communicates the core idea of the whole advertising campaign in lucid, simple language which is easily retained by consumers. The slogan also is able to depict an image of the brand which cares about its customers health through an product innovation. The sales promotion that is integrated into the campaign will be shown at the end of the advert with a change in the tonal quality of the speaker, this is aimed at getting the audience to pay attention at the moment when the majority of the information is relayed. Refer to Appendix A for story board. The last but not the least the advert would be following the Association Guideline within C4S Golden Guidelines; the television advertisement will be aired throughout a entertainment/comedy section, throughout the time period of 6pm to 8 pm. This time period would be a high reach period as it after school and work when more members of the family are at home. It would be most viable to relate the advert to the shared territory and common targeting aspect of the Association Guidelines. Internet Advertising The internet is described by many as a one of the most important inventions of the century. It has been a part of a major revolution in technological development worldwide. With the advent of web based advertising in 1994, it has become an extremely convenient method for many brands to reach to the greater masses at a relatively lower cost in comparison to traditional media. The current generation is highly dependent on the internet, and therefore advertising online in the form of banner ads, button ads, pop ups are the smart and viable options for many reputed brands. Potter (1994) estimates that web based marketing results in ten times the units sold at one tenth of the advertising budget, and thats one of the most important reasons to opt for an online advert. An added bonus also is that consumers have the option of watching the advert as many times as they wish and so are able to obtain all the information that the advert provides. The new Pizza Hut campaign focuses mainly on giving healthier alternatives when visiting Pizza Hut, mainly in the forms Healthy Pizzas. This should be highlighted clearly to the audience as this should create an interest that may cause possible customers to acquire more information about the campaign. Another rationale for using web based advertising is the higher chance of an instantaneous purchase, as long as there is a option of purchasing the product or service. This impulse purchase effect will occur especially with food producers such as Pizza Hut, as it satisfies a physiological need in Maslows hierarchy of needs. To hopefully ensure a purchase it would be advisable for Pizza Hut to have an option of Order Now and a link to the website. Public Relations Harris (1998) indicates the purpose of marketing PR is to gain awareness, stimulate sales, facilitate communication, and build relationships between consumers and companies and brands. This opportunity is an interesting prospect for Pizza Hut and alongside advertising may enable the campaign to reach more of the target audience. Pizza Hut can use its public relations agency to promote its products, services as well as its corporate identity. This is especially useful as the campaign is aiming for an image change, public relations will help communicate this change to many different groups of stakeholders. Corporate public relations is responsible for establishing understanding and trust with individuals who have a potential or actual interest in the organisation, (Kitchen, 1997). According to Gruning (1992), corporate PR is the management of communication between an organisation and its publics. These may include health organisations, local businesses, local education authorities and potential customers along with many more groups. Pizza Hut can use and associate the high credibility attached to this form of communication. (Fill et al, 2005) to create credibility and maintain the credibility of the brand. In order for Pizza Hut to be effective when carrying out its public relations, it will introduce newsletters informing the previously mentioned groups of what they are trying to do in its new health campaign. Pizza Hut could also evaluate the effectiveness of its public relations by offering readers the chance to comment on the company and any articles through the feedback form at the back of the newsletter. Pizza Hut has decided to put together an article with a major newspaper publisher about obesity levels and the new Pizza Hut healthy campaign. Public relations are often important at more of a corporate level and without this option Pizza Hut would struggle to be seen as a major food outlet. This can be seen as a form of publicity. Pizza Hut should also conduct a certain amount of public relations to its internal stakeholders such as staff and external stakeholders. Internally the employee magazine should be used and these cues should develop images and perceptions (Fill, 2005) in the mind of the stakeholders, internally as well as externally. Therefore the ability for public relations to reach a medium size audience and also portray a credible image indicates that Pizza Hut should be using PR as one of its communication tools. It must not be ignored however that public relations is more effective when integrated with other communication tools. By combining such tools as advertising with public relations it is possible to gain full national coverage something that would not necessarily be possible with other communication tools. Sales Promotions The institute of sales promotion (2004) defines sales promotion as a planned and implemented activity that both enhances product or service appeal and changes customer behaviour positively in return for an additional benefit for purchase or participation. (Yeshin, 2006) According to Yeshin (2006) sales promotion can function on three levels by communicating, catching the customers attention at the point of purchase'(Yeshin, 2006) as well as providing extra information that may influence the purchase decision. Sales promotions can also provide an incentive by offering some form of direct inducement, either immediate or delayed, which changed the perceptual base of the purchasing decision. (Yeshin, 2006) Sales promotions can also advance the purchasing decision and invite the consumer to engage in an immediate transaction. (Yeshin, 2006) Therefore there is a strong rationale for using sales promotions in the new Pizza Hut campaign. The ability to create a product trial and sampling is necessary aspect for the success of the campaign. Once attracting customers to try the new healthier pizza range, this hopefully will encourage repeat purchases and create a loyalty to the brand. Through this loyalty there will hopefully be an increase in frequency of purchase as well as different usage. The sales promotions that Pizza Hut are planning on integrating into the campaign are such as a grouping with Innocent Smoothies. Innocent Smoothies is a good association with this campaign as it is a well known smoothie brand which is related heavily with being healthy and prides itself on only using 100% natural, healthy renewable ingredients. (Innocent Drinks, 2009) have also already had success with the health conscious target audience already and so will create added value in the mind of this audience. The promotion that Pizza Hut is running is a Meal Deal in which a choice of healthy pizzas accompanied with either an innocent smoothie or a side salad. This Meal Deal will be set at  £4.99. Through these promotions there will hopefully be an increase in market share due to brand switching. A pull strategy will occur in which consumer decides to choose Pizza Hut over competing brands. Unlike some other tools of marketing communication, which work over a longer term, sales promotion produces rapid results and return on investment is often substantial. However it will be used along side with other marketing communication tools for this campaign so as to bring about an integrated marketing communication approach. Scheduling and Implementation All the creatives for the campaign will be carried out via an agency used by Pizza Hut on previous successful campaigns. As commented on the agencies website regarding the results of one of their campaigns. The following year Pizza Hut UK reported their best-ever financial results and achieved the goals in their five-year plan a year early (Cchange, 2009) Media Planning essentially means the process of establishing the exact media vehicles to be used for advertising. (Entrepreneur, 2009) After having defined our specific target group which is the Health Conscious customers, and using a pull strategy, the media planning would automatically be done for the mass media, and TV and web based advertising have been chosen based on their wider reach at a relatively lower cost. The media planning has been done keeping in mind the following aspects:- Reach. Shown as a percentage, reach is the number of individuals (or homes) the product is aimed to be exposed to through specific media scheduled over a given period of time. (Entrepreneur, 2009) Frequency. Using specific media, on average how many times an audience be exposed to the advertising message? It takes an average of three or more exposures to an advertising message before consumers take action. (Entrepreneur, 2009) Cost per point. Whats the cost of buying one rating point for the target audience; which equals one percent of target audience, its a method used in comparing broadcast media. Impact. Does the medium used create opportunities when appealing to the senses, such as sight and hearing, in its design and production? Selectivity. To what extent can the message be limited to the people who are known to be the most realistic prospects. The distribution in this case is direct B2C as the pull strategy is used extensively which aims at minimizing the distribution channels. Both the TV and web adverts will be aired January to August, and this timescale is chosen to synergize the idea of healthy pizzas with people trying to be on a diet and lose weight during the summer when the public is more inclined to exposing themselves to d summer sun, and a fit body is an added advantage to that. Resources Budgeting The below table indicates the budget used during the previous years and hence the marketing campaigns will be based around these figures. Leading pizza restaurants and takeaway chains have increased their spend over the past few years. (Mintel, 2009). Therefore as this will be Pizza Huts biggest campaign of 2010 a sizable budget will be assigned. This will be set at between 15-20% of their annual marketing spend assigned to this new healthy pizza campaign. The campaigns will be targeted from January to August. The reasoning behind this is as the New Year is a time when people are beginning to make resolutions about their diet. The lead up to the holiday season summer should also be heavily targeted as many people will want to get in shape for their holidays and gain the perfect body. PR The PR agency will be held by Pizza Hut on a retainer basis of  £2,000 a month. The benefit for Pizza Hut is that most agencies will sacrifice some time recovery for the sake of certainty, so the client will always get better value through paying a regular fixed amount. (B2bm, 2009) TV TV adverts cost have been calculated on the following basis. In general TV adverts are bought on a cost per thousand viewer basis, most channels offer discounts on ITVs standard price of  £5.69* per thousand viewers. (TV Advertising, 2009) Since the advertisements will be carried out during peak evening and afternoon times when the family are together a higher rating will be achieved as a result a high budget has been set for this. As commented by where on the earth group the average budget for producing a 30 second commercial in the UK is around  £140,000 (Ehereontheearthgroup, 2009). Hence this is the budget set for the creative of the TV advert. On-Line Advertising. The banner advertising budget will be based on the fact that a banner ad on Yahoo! would cost you anywhere between $2,000 to $5,000 per month. (Benchmark communications, 2009). In pounds that is roughly 1,500- 3500 a month. As other companies such as MSN will be used a sizable budget will be used every month. Pop up ads will be budgeted in a similar manner to this. The micro site development costs will be based up the design of the site and hosting by an agency including having SEO developed within the site. Sales promotions The main cost associated with these will be creative and done by the agency with the main cost be associated with printing of the sales promotion materials such as leaflets and inserts into the menus. As this is to be done nationwide the costs are expectedly high. Evaluation and Control Evaluation is important for two reasons. Firstly, as marketing becomes more important to management, performance of these campaigns increasingly affect remuneration. (Les Binet, 2005) Secondly, what you measure influences what you do. If you evaluate things correctly, then you are able to increase profits by ensuring marketing funds are spent sensibly. If you evaluate things inaccurately there is a risk you marketing priorities will be distorted and funds assigned incorrectly. (Les Binet, 2005) This campaign will be evaluated using the measuring techniques below: Recall and recognition:-In order to check the awareness level the target audience have about the advert the recall test will be used to check how many times viewers spontaneously remember the advert and how well they are able to recognised it when taken away and brought back Sales- The level of sales generated during this campaign will be compared to previous sales, this will help when evaluating the impact of the sales promotion and advertising on the target audience. Web site tracking: There will also be a comparison of traffic on the website before and after the campaign. Online advertising: The click through rate that is the percentage of viewers who click on a banner advert would also be tracked. References De Avila, J. (2008). Home Family Shopping Around / Healthier Pizzas. Wall Street Journal. D.2. Potter,E. (1994). Commercialization of the World Wide Web. 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