Culture always builds on the past Essay Example

Culture always builds on the past Essay Example Culture always builds on the past Essay Culture always builds on the past Essay Culture always builds on the past Is proved through lyrics and tunes, and two of the authors experiences. Specializes In digital sampling and mishaps. HIS stage name Is Girl Talk and he compares a variety of songs, proving culture builds on the past. A song by Muddy waters called, you need love Is very similar In lyrics to a song released many years before by a group called Led Zeppelin. It even sounds similar but of course has some differences in tune/pitch because it uses different instruments. Another example is a song called This may be the last time, recorded by Staple Singers in 1966 and then n extremely similar song with again, same lyrics and rhythm was made by the rolling stone in 1965 calling it, The last time. One finally similarity that proves culture build from the past is an instrumental called, The last time, by Andrew Lolled, released in 1 966 and then in 1997, almost the exact piece was then used for the song, Bittersweet Symphony, by the verse. Ten years later, Girl Talk used it and remixed it to make it his own in 2007. All these songs were base off other pieces created years ago to be created into something new. They add their own creative spin on it to make it more original and their own because ideas are all based on other things to create new things. A personal experience the author had and still sees to this day that proves this statement happens all the time in school. Class projects are done all the time in classrooms of all subjects and almost all the time are based on previous works. A Spanish project the author had this month was almost entirely based on a previous work done by someone else. Of course creativity is added to make it more original UT it was influenced mainly off the previous work. This shows that culture always builds on the past and it is not Just the author who has done this but millions of others. Another example proving the statement with a personal experience by author was seen through the fashion Industry. Trends come and go all the time with different designers creating new fashion pieces from the past and from each other. The author once made five pairs of pants Influenced by a design from the ASS that became a trend this year. The design was not stolen; It was built on because she deed her own pieces and fabric design to the pants Just Like the fashion Industry did when It brought back the trend. The fashion Industry and fashion In general Is deeply influenced by the past to create new accessories and clothing pieces. Magnificently proves this through his documentary to inspire the public to fight back for their rights. Every single idea is built upon the past and that is essential to creativity. The public domain needs to be in a healthy state so that ideas can freely build upon each other and copyrights be limited to controlling and destroying creativity.

Charles Darwin and His Voyage Aboard H.M.S. Beagle

Charles Darwin and His Voyage Aboard H.M.S. Beagle Charles Darwin’s five-year voyage in the early 1830s  on H.M.S. Beagle has become legendary, as insights gained by the bright young scientist on his trip to exotic places greatly influenced his masterwork, the book On the Origin of Species. Darwin didn’t actually formulate his theory of evolution while sailing around the world aboard the Royal Navy ship. But the exotic plants and animals he encountered challenged his thinking and led him to consider scientific evidence in new ways. After returning to England from his five years at sea, Darwin began writing a multi-volume book on what he had seen. His writings on the Beagle voyage concluded in 1843, a full decade and a half before the publication of On the Origin of Species. The History of H.M.S. Beagle H.M.S. Beagle is remembered today because of its association with Charles Darwin, but it had sailed on a lengthy scientific mission several years before Darwin came into the picture. The Beagle, a warship carrying ten cannons, sailed in 1826 to explore the coastline of South America. The ship had an unfortunate episode when its captain sank into a depression, perhaps caused by the isolation of the voyage, and committed suicide. Gentleman Passenger Lieutenant Robert FitzRoy assumed command of the Beagle, continued the voyage and returned the ship safely to England in 1830. FitzRoy was promoted to Captain and named to command the ship on a second voyage, which was to circumnavigate the globe while conducting explorations along the South American coastline and across the South Pacific. FitzRoy came up with the idea of bringing along someone with a scientific background who could explore and record observations. Part of FitzRoy’s plan was that an educated civilian, referred to as a â€Å"gentleman passenger,† would be good company aboard ship and would help him avoid the loneliness that seemed to have doomed his predecessor. Darwin Invited to Join the Voyage in 1831 Inquiries were made among professors at British universities, and a former professor of Darwin’s proposed him for the position aboard the Beagle. After taking his final exams at Cambridge in 1831, Darwin spent a few weeks on a geological expedition to Wales. He had intended to return to Cambridge that fall for theological training, but a letter from a professor, John Steven Henslow, inviting him to join the Beagle, changed everything. Darwin was excited to join the ship, but his father was against the idea, thinking it foolhardy. Other relatives convinced Darwin’s father otherwise, and during the fall of 1831, the 22-year-old Darwin made preparations to depart England for five years. Departs England on December 27, 1831 With its eager passenger aboard, the Beagle left England on December 27, 1831. The ship reached the Canary Islands in early January and continued onward to South America, which was reached by the end of February 1832. South America From February 1832 During the explorations of South America, Darwin was able to spend considerable time on land, sometimes arranging for the ship to drop him off and pick him up at the end of an overland trip. He kept notebooks to record his observations, and during quiet times on board the Beagle, he would transcribe his notes into a journal. In the summer of 1833, Darwin went inland with gauchos in Argentina. During his treks in South America, Darwin dug for bones and fossils and was also exposed to the horrors of slavery and other human rights abuses. The Galapagos Islands, September 1835 After considerable explorations in South America, the Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands in September 1835. Darwin was fascinated by such oddities as volcanic rocks and giant tortoises. He later wrote about approaching tortoises, which would retreat into their shells. The young scientist would then climb on top, and attempt to ride the large reptile when it began moving again. He recalled that it was difficult to keep his balance. While in the Galapagos Darwin collected samples of mockingbirds, and later observed that the birds were somewhat different on each island. This made him think that the birds had a common ancestor, but had followed varying evolutionary paths once they had become separated. Circumnavigating the Globe The Beagle left the Galapagos and arrived at Tahiti in November 1835, and then sailed onward to reach New Zealand in late December. In January 1836 the Beagle arrived in Australia, where Darwin was favorably impressed by the young city of Sydney. After exploring coral reefs, the Beagle continued on its way, reaching the Cape of Good Hope at  the southern tip of Africa at the end of May 1836. Sailing back into the Atlantic Ocean, the Beagle, in July, reached St. Helena, the remote island where Napoleon Bonaparte had died in exile following his defeat at Waterloo. The Beagle also reached a British outpost on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, where Darwin received some very welcome letters from his sister in England. Back Home October 2, 1836 The Beagle then sailed back to the coast of South America before returning to England, arriving at Falmouth on October 2, 1836. The entire voyage had taken nearly five years. Organizing Specimens and Writing After landing in England, Darwin took a coach to meet his family, staying at his father’s house for a few weeks. But he was soon active, seeking advice from scientists on how to organize specimens, which included fossils and stuffed birds, he had brought home with him. In the following few years, he wrote extensively about his experiences. A lavish five-volume set, The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, was published from 1839 to 1843. And in 1839 Darwin published a classic book under its original title, Journal of Researches. The book was later republished as The Voyage of the Beagle, and remains in print to this day. The book is a lively and charming account of Darwin’s travels, written with intelligence and occasional flashes of humor. The Theory of Evolution Darwin had been exposed to some thinking about evolution before embarking aboard H.M.S. Beagle. So a popular conception that Darwin’s voyage gave him the idea of evolution is not accurate. Yet is it true that the years of travel and research focused Darwins mind and sharpened his powers of observation. It can be argued that his trip on the Beagle gave him invaluable training, and the experience prepared him for the scientific inquiry that led to the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859.

The Background of the Technology - Annotated Bibliography Research Paper

The Background of the Technology - Annotated Bibliography - Research Paper Example This resource has a twice-monthly publication, focused conference series and custom research form the hub of the worlds largest global IT media network. All this information has helped in compiling my data required especially about the new launches and their social, legal and ethical aspects. InfoWorld is the principal source of information on rising enterprise technologies, and the only trade name that explains to senior technology decision makers how these technologies work, and how they can use them to drive their business. All such information has proved to be of great help while compiling my developments and benefits of new advances section. This online resource has also helped me in discussing the advantages and disadvantages of this new technology. Moreover, this link has helped me in covering social, legal, ethical and security aspects, along with the hurdles which are being faced in order to make this technology as a success. The main questions which will be discussed in my literature review are: the background of the technology itself, in-detail discussion of the topic along with its history and advancements is obtained from this resource.

Sustainable Design and the Recovery of New Orleans from Hurricane Essay

Sustainable Design and the Recovery of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina - Essay Example It passes without any notice with perfection as it is perfectly functional and its form flows seamlessly into the surrounding environment. As an example, a comfortable chair passes without any notice as it is comfortable and well-matched with the human form. Again a good designed kitchen device, even a can opener, passes without any notice perfectly owing to the easiness and smoothness of its functions. Furthermore design is closely tied to the surrounding world. It is a product of wider technological progress and persistent artistic influences. Fifty years ago issues regarding environmental problems mostly went off without any notice. However, during the last thirty years as environmental issues have become of increasing importance and awareness has grown of packaging waste, climate change and other issues design issues have expanded to include environmental issues as well. More recently, importance on environmental issues has been replaced by the importance on sustainability. The f ollowing conversation will focus on the interrelationship between sustainability and design. Initially, the term sustainability will be looked at and checked. After that the particular issue of sustainability and design will be studied. The proposal will consider the concept of sustainable design as it has been applied to the reconstruction of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana since it was struck by Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005). Particularly, problems with the actual sustainability of present 'sustainable' approaches to reconstruction will be focused. This proposal will actually argue that most of the 'sustainable' proposals for rebuilding New Orleans are not sustainable as they do not consider the main socio-cultural aspects of sustainable design. After that one simple proposal for reconstruction that is actually sustainable economically, environmentally and socio-culturally will be presented. The last section of the proposal will then consider how the specific proposal for sustainable reconstruction in New Orleans can be applied in a greater framework in other parts of the globe (mostly in the UK). Chapter 2. Principles of Sustainable Design Sustainability The historical discussion of the issue of sustainable design will start with the history (etymology) of the word sustain which is the root of the term sustainability. Following the Online Etymological Dictionary the root of sustain comes from â€Å"late 13 century, from Old French sustenir "hold up, endure," from Latin sustinere "hold up, support, endure," from sub "up from below" + tenere "to hold". (Sustain (2010) Online Etymology Dictionary [online].) Following this definition, sustainable design is a design that can be supported or held up by the economy, the environment and society. In the background of design, sustainable designs are those designs that can be backed by the environment. Sustainable designs are designs that do not erode the resources of the environment, but rather can be suppo rted by them. A definition of sustainability has existed since at least 1987 when the Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future (commonly known as the Brundtland Report) was published. The World Commissio

The History of Nokia Essay Example for Free

The History of Nokia Essay The predecessors of the modern Nokia were the Nokia Company (Nokia Aktiebolag), Finnish Rubber Works Ltd (Suomen Gummitehdas Oy) and Finnish Cable Works Ltd (Suomen Kaapelitehdas Oy). [13] Nokias history started in 1865 when mining engineer Fredrik Idestam established a groundwood pulp mill on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids in the town of Tampere, in southwestern Finland in the Russian Empire and started manufacturing paper. [14] In 1868, Idestam built a second mill near the town of Nokia, fifteen kilometres (nine miles) west of Tampere by the Nokianvirta river, which had better resources for hydropower production. 15] In 1871, Idestam, with the help of his close friend statesman Leo Mechelin, renamed and transformed his firm into a share company, thereby founding the Nokia Company, the name it is still known by today. [15] Toward the end of the 19th century, Mechelins wishes to expand into the electricity business were at first thwarted by Idestams opposition. However, Idestams retirement from the management of the company in 1896 allowed Mechelin to become the companys chairman (from 1898 until 1914) and sell most shareholders on his plans, thus realizing his vision. 15] In 1902, Nokia added electricity generation to its business activities. [14] Networking equipment A Nokia P30 In the 1970s, Nokia became more involved in the telecommunications industry by developing the Nokia DX 200, a digital switch for telephone exchanges. The DX 200 became the workhorse of the network equipment division. Its modular and flexible architecture enabled it to be developed into various switching products. [25] In 1984, development of a version of the exchange for the Nordic Mobile Telephony network was started. 26] For a while in the 1970s, Nokias network equipment production was separated into Telefenno, a company jointly owned by the parent corporation and by a company owned by the Finnish state. In 1987, the state sold its shares to Nokia and in 1992 the name was changed to Nokia Telecommunications. In the 1970s and 1980s, Nokia developed the Sanomalaitejarjestelma (Message device system), a digital, portable and encrypted text-based communications device for the Finnish Defence Forces. [27] The current main unit used by the Defence Forces is the Sanomalaite M/90 (SANLA M/90). 28] In 1998, Check Point established a partnership with Nokia, which bundled Check Points Software with Nokias computer Network Security Appliances. [29] Involvement in GSM Nokia was one of the key developers of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications),[35] the second-generation mobile technology which could carry data as well as voice traffic. NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephony), the worlds first mobile telephony standard that enabled international roaming, provided valuable experience for Nokia for its close participation in developing GSM, which was adopted in 1987 as the new European standard for digital mobile technology. 36][37] Nokia delivered its first GSM network to the Finnish operator Radiolinja in 1989. [38] The worlds first commercial GSM call was made on 1 July 1991 in Helsinki, Finland over a Nokia-supplied network, by then Prime Minister of Finland Harri Holkeri, using a prototype Nokia GSM phone. [38] In 1992, the first GSM phone, the Nokia 1011, was launched. [38][39] The model number refers to its launch date, 10 November. [39] The Nokia 1011 did not yet employ Nokias characteristic ringtone, the Nokia tune. It was introduced as a ringtone in 1994 with the Nokia 2100 series. 40] GSMs high-quality voice calls, easy international roaming and support for new services like text messaging (SMS) laid the foundations for a worldwide boom in mobile phone use. [38] GSM came to dominate the world of mobile telephony in the 1990s, in mid-2008 accounting for about three billion mobile telephone subscribers in the world, with more than 700 mobile operators across 218 countries and territories. New connection s are added at the rate of 15 per second, or 1. 3 million per day. [41] Challenges of growth  The Nokia House, Nokias head office located by the Gulf of Finland in Keilaniemi, Espoo, was constructed between 1995 and 1997. It is the workplace of more than 1,000 Nokia employees. [21] In the 1980s, during the era of its CEO Kari Kairamo, Nokia expanded into new fields, mostly by acquisitions. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the corporation ran into serious financial problems, a major reason being its heavy losses by the television manufacturing division and businesses that were just too diverse. [49] These problems, and a suspected total burnout, probably contributed to Kairamo taking his own life in 1988. After Kairamos death, Simo Vuorilehto became Nokias Chairman and CEO. In 1990–1993, Finland underwent severe economic depression,[50] which also struck Nokia. Under Vuorilehtos management, Nokia was severely overhauled. The company responded by streamlining its telecommunications divisions, and by divesting itself of the television and PC divisions. [51] Probably the most important strategic change in Nokias history was made in 1992, however, when the new CEO Jorma Ollila made a crucial strategic decision to concentrate solely on telecommunications. 23] Thus, during the rest of the 1990s, the rubber, cable and consumer electronics divisions were gradually sold as Nokia continued to divest itself of all of its non-telecommunications businesses. [23] As late as 1991, more than a quarter of Nokias turnover still came from sales in Finland. However, after the strategic change of 1992, Nokia saw a huge increase in sales to North America, South America and Asia. [52] The exploding worldwide popularity of mobile telephones, beyond even Nokias most optimistic predictions, caused a logistics crisis in the mid-1990s. 53] This prompted Nokia to overhaul its entire logistics operation. [54] By 1998, Nokias focus on telecommunications and its early investment in GSM technologies had made the company the worlds largest mobile phone manufacturer,[52] a position it would hold for the next 14 consecutive years until 2012. Between 1996 and 2001, Nokias turnover increased almost fivefold from 6. 5 billion euros to 31 billion euros. [52] Logistics continues to be one of Nokias major advantages over its rivals, along with greater economies of scale. [55][56] 2000 to present Product releases The Nokia 3310 sold between 2000 and 2003, is arguably one of the most well known mobile phones. Reduction in size of Nokia mobile phones Nokia launched its Nokia 1100 handset in 2003,[30] with over 200 million units shipped, was the best-selling mobile phone of all time and the worlds top-selling consumer electronics product. [57] Nokia was one of the first players in the mobile space to recognize that there was a market opportunity in combining a game console and a mobile phone (both of which many gamers were carrying in 2003) into the N-Gage. The N-Gage was a mobile phone and game console meant to lure gamers away from the Game Boy Advance, though it cost twice as much. [58] The N-Gage was not a success, and from 2007 and 2008, Nokia started to offer an N-Gage service on existing Symbian S60 smartphones to play games. Nokia Productions was the first ever mobile filmmaking project directed by Spike Lee. Work began in April 2008, and the film premiered in October 2008. [59] In 2009, the company announced a high-end Windows-based netbook called the Nokia Booklet 3G. 48] On 2 September 2009, Nokia launched two new music and social networking phones, the X6 and X3. [60] The Nokia X6 featured 32GB of on-board memory with a 3. 2 finger touch interface and comes with a music playback time of 35 hours. The Nokia X3 was the first series 40 Ovi Store-enabled device. The X3 was a music device that comes with stereo speakers, built-in FM radio, and a 3. 2 megapixel camera. In 2009, Nokia also unveiled the 7705 Twist, a phone sporting a square shape that swiveled open to reveal a full QWERTY keypad, featuring a 3 megapixel camera, web browsing, voice commands and weighting around 3. 4 ounces (98 g). [61] On 9 August 2012, Nokia launched for the Indian market two new Asha range of handsets equipped with cloud accelerated Nokia browser, helping users browse the Internet faster and lower their spend on data charges. [62] Symbian Symbian was Nokias main smartphone OS until 2011. In Q4 2004, Nokia released its first touch screen phone, the Nokia 7710. In September 2006, Nokia announced the Nokia N95, a Symbian-powered slider smartphone. It was released in February 2007 as the first phone with a 5-megapixel camera. It became hugely popular. A 8GB variant was released in October 2007. In November 2007, Nokia announced and released the Nokia N82, its first Nseries phone with Xenon flash. At the Nokia World conference in December 2007, Nokia announced their Comes With Music program: Nokia device buyers are to receive a year of complimentary access to music downloads. [63] The service became commercially available in the second half of 2008. The first Nseries device, the N90, utilised the older Symbian OS 8. 1 mobile operating system, as did the N70. Subsequently Nokia switched to using SymbianOS 9 for all later Nseries devices (except the N72, which was based on the N70). Newer Nseries devices incorporate newer revisions of SymbianOS 9 that include Feature Packs. The N800, N810, N900, N9 and N950 are as of April 2012 the only Nseries devices (therefore excluding Lumia devices) to not use Symbian OS. They use the Linux-based Maemo, except the N9, which uses MeeGo. [64] In 2008, Nokia released the Nokia E71 which was marketed to directly compete with the other BlackBerry-type devices offering a full qwerty keyboard and cheaper prices. Nokia stated that Maemo would be developed alongside Symbian. Maemo had since (Maemo 6 and beyond) merged with Intels Moblin, and became MeeGo. MeeGo was later canceled and a development is now continued under name Sailfish OS. [65] The Nokia N8, from September 2010, is the first device to function on the Symbian^3 mobile operating system. Nokia revealed that the N8 will be the last device in its flagship N-series devices to ship with Symbian OS. [66][67] Alliance with Microsoft The Nokia Lumia 920, Nokias current flagship device. On 11 February 2011, Nokias CEO Stephen Elop, a former head of Microsoft business division, unveiled a new strategic alliance with Microsoft, and announced it would replace Symbian and MeeGo with Microsofts Windows Phone operating system[69][70] except for mid-to-low-end devices, which would continue to run under Symbian. Nokia was also to invest into the Series 40 platform and release a single MeeGo product in 2011. [71] As part of the restructuring plan, Nokia planned to reduce spending on research and development, instead customising and enhancing the software line for Windows Phone 7. 72] Nokias applications and content store (Ovi) becomes integrated into the Windows Phone Store, and Nokia Maps is at the heart of Microsofts Bing and AdCenter. Microsoft provides developer tools to Nokia to replace the Qt framework, which is not supported by Windows Phone 7 devices. [73] Symbian became described by Elop as a franchise platform with Nokia planning to sell 150 million Symbian devices after the alliance was set up. MeeGo emphasis was on longer-term exploration, with plans to ship a MeeGo-related product later in 2012. Microsofts search engine, Bing was to become the search engine for all Nokia phones. Nokia also intended to get some level of customisation on WP7. [74] After this announcement, Nokias share price fell about 14%, its biggest drop since July 2009. [75] As Nokia was the largest mobile phone and smartphone manufacturer worldwide at the time,[76] it was suggested the alliance would make Microsofts Windows Phone 7 a stronger contender against Android and iOS. [73] Because previously increasing sales of Symbian smartphones began to fall rapidly in the beginning of 2011, Nokia was overtaken by Apple as the worlds biggest smartphone maker by volume in June 2011. 77] [78] In August 2011 Chris Weber, head of Nokias subsidiary in the U. S. , stated The reality is if we are not successful with Windows Phone, it doesnt matter what we do (elsewhere). He further added North America is a priority for Nokia ( ) because it is a key market for Microsoft. . [79] Nokia reported well above 1 million sales for its Lumia line up to 26 January 2012,[80][81] 2 million sales for the first quarter of 2012,[82] and 4 million for the second quarter of 2012. 83] In this quarter, Nokia only sold 600,000 smartphones (Symbian and Windows Phone 7) in North America. [84] For comparison, Nokia sold more than 30 million Symbian devices world-wide still in Q4 2010[85] and the Nokia N8 alone sold almost 4 million in its first quarter of sale. In Q2 2012, 26 million iPhones and 105 million Android phones have been shipped, but only 6. 8 million devices with Symbian and 5. 4 million with Windows Phone[86] While announcing an alliance with Groupon, Elop declared The competition is no t with other device manufacturers, its with Google. [87] European carriers have stated that Nokia Windows phones are not good enough to compete with Apple iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phones, that they are overpriced for what is not an innovative product and that No one comes into the store and asks for a Windows phone. [88] In June 2012, Nokia chairman Risto Siilasmaa told journalists that Nokia had a back-up plan in the eventuality that Windows Phone failed to be sufficiently successful in the market. [89][90] On October 29, 2012, Nokia said its high-end Lumia 820 and 920 phones, which will run on Microsofts Windows Phone 8 software, will each first operators and retail outlets in some European markets including France and Britain and later in Russia and Germany as well as other select markets. [91] On December 5, 2012, Nokia introduced two new smartphones, the Lumia 620 and Lumia 920T. The 620 was released in January 2013. In January 2013, Nokia reported 6. 6 million smartphone sales for Q4 2012 consisting of 2. 2 million Symbian and 4. 4 million sales of Lumia devices (Windows Phone 7 and 8). [92] In North America, only 700,000 mobile phones have been sold including smartphones. In May 2013 Nokia released the Asha platform for its low-end borderline smartphone devices

Jack Kerouac’s On The Road - Ranting of a Maniac or Precise Interpreta

Jack Kerouac's On the Road:   Ranting of a Maniac or Precise Interpretation of Reality?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jack Kerouac's On the Road is considered the bible of the Beat Generation, illustrating the wild, wandering, and reckless lifestyle chosen by many young people of the time. Despite all of Dean and Sal's partying and pleasure-cruising, On the Road ends up being a sad and disturbing story. During all the trips, through the good times and the bad times, there is a sense of darkness and foreboding following in the wake. Kerouac's point was not to put on display the wild and good times the Beats were having, but rather to expose their way of life as a simple flight from reality and responsibility. The sadness of this novel is due to the accumulation of consequences stemming from the characters' irresponsibility and general lack of direction. Dean and Sal, however, never fully admit this to themselves. Part of the story's beauty is Sal's non-judgmental narrative. To preserve this, Kerouac must carefully incorporate these views while leaving Sal somewhat oblivious to them. This is done usin g other characters to implant the notion of looming responsibility and reality into the story, and to communicate to the reader that life really is more serious than Sal admits in his narration. While Dean's home base is a wife's house throughout most of the story, Sal has his aunt, a dependable and caring woman who vocalizes her opinions of his lifestyle and friends. Chapter Five begins with Sal's brief discussion of her feelings. "My aunt said I was wasting my time hanging around with Dean and his gang. I knew that was wrong, too. Life is life, and kind is kind. (129)" Here Kerouac uses Sal's own commentary to get his point across. While Sal ... ...een set aside. Carlo continues his speech: "The days of wrath are yet to come. The balloon won't sustain you much longer.... You'll all go flying to the West Coast and come staggering back in search of your stone. (130)" Is this the ranting of a maniacal typist, or a precise interpretation of reality cleverly inserted by the author? Kerouac's method of inserting ideas through Sal's narration allows him to incorporate an important differing point of view that Sal is incapable of until the very end of the story. Had Kerouac not wanted to communicate these ideas, Sal could just as easily have not mentioned these instances, or described them in a different light. Without the opinions of these other characters, the book would be one-sided, and quite a bit more shallow in its message. Works Cited: Kerouac, Jack.On the Road. New York: Penguin Books, 1975.

How the media has affected the youth Essay

What is body image? It is the subjective picture or mental image of one’s own body. People view their bodies differently that’s what makes an individual to have his or her own unique style of dressing. People pick up different styles from different places some have a negative impact while others positive. Body image includes: It takes time for some one to come up with an image that can be spotted a mile away by anybody. Some points to note are how we look at our bodies visually, the feeling we get from our physical appearance, the sense of how others view our body image and how much we are connected to our bodies. Why body image is important? A simple explanation as to why body image is a priority to people is because they want to look presentable and admirable to the rest. Women spend hours in the mirror trying to figure out the best way to dress or apply make up. They end up wasting a lot of time trying to fix themselves unlike men who some of them do not own even a mirror in the house. If some one has a poor body image this can adversely affect the person leading to an increase in weight and no control loss of control of their bodies. This low self esteem have driven many to look for options so as to boost their body confidence. Some opt to do dieting, exercising lot, laxative abuse, vomiting, smoking and use of steroids in order to control weight/body  which is dangerous and leads to negative body image. A quote may can relate with â€Å"There is always a vicious circle here: the more a person focuses on his or her body, the worse a person tends to feel about how he or she looks-obsession leads to discontent†. The human body thrives through compliments from different people this makes a person feel satisfied with the way they look. Negative compliments tend to make some one feel depressed and feel unwanted by the people surrounding them. Good comments about a person’s body image fuel their inner beauty and how they look at the world in general. A lady wants to be told she look amazing every now and then so that she can feel powerful which triggers her mind that she has control of her body entirely. But if a lady receives bad comments relating to how she looks her mind is set that no one likes her and she not worth looking at this is what leads people to do plastic surgery and the recent trend which is bleaching. How to develop a body image? When growing up body image was never an issue because our parents dressed us the way they knew best. Some times a child could wear all colors at the same time that prompted criticism from the friends. At a certain age that’s when a person starts to develop his or her own style. The most common was by watching how other people were dressing and how they looked with a hairstyle or shoes that defined their identity. The people around us mostly our friends help to develop our body image, conversations about clothes, looks and attractiveness provide a context for paying attention to interpreting appearance related information. Friends are very important in body image development because of the sheer amount of time involved, the value of friendships and the way in which  friends create shared norms and expectations about appearance. The Media This is the most powerful tool that has contributed significantly. This is through the various forms of media in the society for example Magazines, Internet (social media platforms available), Television and Radio. Many youth look up to different celebrity figures mostly in the entertainment industry the musicians and movie actors/actresses. I carried out a study to see to what extent the celebrities affect a person image and the results were astonishing. A lady from Nairobi who chose to be anonymous said that she looks up to Vera Sidika who is a famous socialite in Kenya who has earned her money through strutting her body. The lady claimed that anything Vera wears is what she will wear just to look like her. I asked her about if she was going to bleach her skin because her mentor has already done that. The reply I got was surprising â€Å"I have already booked an appointment to with a specialist so that I can get it done†, she said. â€Å"Do you know the reppurcations that are there for bleaching your skin?† I asked her. â€Å"I don’t care as long as I look like Vera Sidika its fine by me furthermore its my life and I can live it the way I want†, she said. This shows that many people are been lead a stray to do extreme and crazy things so that they can fit in the society and in the limelight whereby they must look cool. This is one of the negative effects of the media in establishing a person’s body image. Another negative effect is the modes of dressing most Kenyan ladies are donning skimpy dresses so as to impress and attract the opposite sex. This is causing a lot of noise from the Kenyan men who are saying the women are out to get them. The women seem not to be relenting and they even wear skin tights that reveal all the curves on their body. It might seem fashionable but our ancestors  turn on their graves by the sight of these ladies who claim to be trendy. The negative effects heavily outweigh the positive effects of the media but there are good contributions to the society. The media enables us to get new information about many things. There are programmes on television that talk about the healthy living styles, how to control/check your weight, better eating habits and dangers of using extreme methods to boost ones body image. A young man who I got the chance to socialize with said that his idol was Kanye West a United States rapper who is always on the limelight for wearing ‘man skirts’. Many have copied the trend and have started wearing these types of clothes ignoring the social effects it will have on them. Their only main concern is to look cool in the wears. Here is further explanation on the effects caused by different types of media platforms: 1. Television Our minds are made in a way that we are attracted to colorful and extraordinary things. The television is a powerful device that can build or destroy a person’s image. When celebrities wear any type of cloth it instantly becomes a fashion trend and everybody wants to dress like so and so. For example if a famous singer wears a piece of sack of gumboots on a hot sunny day the youth will emulate that style instantly. Before the television revolutionized people live the youth of the early days used to dress appropriately barely showing their thighs or cleavage. It is considered fashionable to wear the latest designer clothes and a certain style, if you don’t you are considered a fashion outcast who doesn’t have any taste plus lacks the hype of being cool. 2. Magazine Publications have a firm grip on the minds of the youth, which made them like  zombies following things blindly without asking questions. Ladies do to the extreme of cutting faces of models in the magazine and replacing them with their pictures so that they can feel good about themselves. This does not improve ones self esteem one bit but instead creates a cloud of belief that can be blown away by a single negative comment from some one. You find the youth have a number of style magazines that they consult before wearing anything or choosing a particular hairstyle. The youth tend to forget that we were all born differently with unique qualities that no one else has making us stand out to the rest of the world. 3. Internet This is the domain that has constantly dictated how we live our lives and will continue doing so as long as the world is becoming more and more technological. This is a platform where you can find anything you search for example how to bleach ones skin, the best way to seduce a man through the mode of dressing and the latest fashion trends among other many more sites people visit. The main contributor to the widespread use of the Internet is the easy access to the youth and its simplicity to maneuver it. Recommendation: Ways to boost a person’s body. Some ways in which a person can boost his or her appearance is by blocking out all that is advertised or shown in the television or messages from the radio. Another way is to stay off the scale it is not a good attitude to always climb on a weighing scale every time to feel good about your body image. Have a positive attitude of telling yourself â€Å"I feel good†. Realize that you cannot change your body type and appreciate and accept your genetic inheritance. Avoid as much as possible comparing yourself with others, you are physiology unique because you can able to sense your body’s needs and abilities and research show that too much comparing leads to a  negative body image. Move and enjoy your body which makes it feel at peace, strong, and energized plus involving yourself in activities such as swimming, dancing and biking so as to have control of your body. The other recommendation is to reduce the amount of time spent in looking at the mirror everyday because the more you spend lots of time in front of the mirror this charges the negative body image. Spending time with people who have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies is another sure way to boost your body image. This goes a long way to nurturing your inner self, which builds up self-esteem for both men and women. Conclusion: A person’s image can only be affected if he or she pays attention to the media and all that is trending. Feeling good about one self is the only key and ammunition one needs to survive in this world of discouragers by focusing on their own image development without minding what other people say. We were all born wonderfully with God’s image and it is not right to corrupt our images through chemicals or plastic surgeries to look like some one else on earth.

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay

I belong to the White ethnic group which was responsible for the colonization of North America. While I am part of the White ethnic group, my family immigrated to the United States from Germany quite some time after the major colonization of North America. When most people think about the colonization of North America they think of White people on the Mayflower landing on Plymouth Rock. While the pilgrims did colonize what is now referred to as New England, the Spanish were actually the first to colonize North America. No matter who first colonized North America, this colonization caused an influx of immigrants that asserted their dominance over the native people. This colonization was also the root cause of slavery being introduced to this â€Å"New World†. Pilgrims are most notably identified as coming to North America to escape religious persecution. The ironic part of the colonization is that the pilgrims forced their religion on those native to North America. It is important to note that this may be one of the first indications of future ethnic and racial problems that would caused by the colonization of North America. I don’t think people normally think about racism happening to Caucasians. Unfortunately it is very common for racism to happen to all ethnic groups in the U. S. Caucasian racism and prejudice against other ethnic and racial groups always seem to get the most publicity. It would be better to broaden our view of prejudice and racism so that we could get the whole story. I think that the Caucasian group had brought most of this negative attention on itself. Historically the U. S. has been dominated by Caucasians, which means this group doesn’t have as much to worry about restrictions due to ethnicity or racial group. If we break down the Caucasian group even further we can see that this is even truer for the males, which I am, of this group. Male Caucasians have long been the dominant force in U. S. society. The majority of restrictions placed on females and ethnic groups have been enforced by Male Caucasians. The most notable Caucasian discrimination has been against African Americans. African Americans were largely used for slave labor during the beginning of the U. S. Going from slave to equal isn’t easy, in both occurrence and acceptance from the former dominant or controlling group. This dominant position can be seen as a major reason why the view of discrimination is still focused on Caucasians. Since the Caucasian males of the past have put restrictions on most other ethnic groups, this wrong was attempted to be â€Å"undone† by Affirmative Action laws (Fullinwider, Robert). While most people see Affirmative Action as being helpful, it has also caused discrimination against Caucasian males. Some government agencies require a quota on hiring certain ethnic groups (this included female Caucasians). This can cause a job candidate that has hirer qualifications to be passed over just to fulfill a quota. I have seen this happen to my father while he was applying for a firefighter/EMT position. You can easily see the Caucasian male dominance by noticing the â€Å"dual labor market† effect. I see it more as a â€Å"multiple labor market† since I would also include female Caucasians as another labor market. Immigrants from Mexico often enter into a portion of this multiple labor market, most notably the farming community. Whether it is farming, manual labor, or the lower-end service sector it seems that it seems more acceptable to Caucasians for other ethnic groups to occupy these types of jobs. When the other ethnic groups occupy positions normally held by Caucasian males, we often see a limitation in their ability to progress in that profession (â€Å"glass ceiling†). If you look at the breakdown of people who run companies you will see this is dominated by Caucasians males, followed by males of the other ethnic groups, then females of all ethnic groups. Discrimination isn’t only apparent in the job market, but in how companies invest in certain areas. It is seen in our response to what is happening in other areas of cities or areas of the country. We have slums and â€Å"ghettos† that don’t get investment monies to fix them up due to the lower class segregation. We have other areas occupied by a high number of non-Caucasians that don’t get investments just because of their ethnicity. New Orleans is a perfect example of all of these inequalities. It was a city segregated by race, ethnicity, and social class standing. The devastation caused by hurricane Katrina happened to people who couldn’t afford to get out on their own, and was compounded by the predominantly Caucasian government’s lack of response (arguably due to the racial differences between U. S. leaders and with the people effected by the disaster). I don’t feel that I fit in with the standard culture for my Caucasian ethnic group or the U. S. mainstream culture. I don’t participate in any religions, as I believe in myself and science that can be proved. I don’t feel that I am or need to be â€Å"better† than any other ethnic group. I couldn’t care less about what style is popular or what haircuts are â€Å"in†. I just try to be myself and try to ignore things that try to sway my opinions. Instead of taking someone’s word for something I would rather research and come to my own decision (almost to a fault). I think it is better to be different than a lemming following the crowd running off the cliff. References Fullinwider, Robert (2005). Affirmative Action. Retrieved February 1, 2006 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/.

The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Essays

The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Essays The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Paper The Role of expatriation in MNC International Assignments Paper Essay Topic: Economics This assignment examines the role of expatriate staff in the success of a multinational corporation (MNC) reviewing literature on international human resource management, knowledge transfer, the benefits of employing expatriates for international assignments and cross cultural training. The literature stipulates that having experienced international staff is a principle source of competitive advantage for a multinational corporation (MNC) (Hamill, 1989; Harris and Moran, 1996; Bender and Fish, 2000; Luthans and Farner, 2002; OKeefe, 2002; Paik et al, 2002; Vance and Paik, 2002; Harvey and Novicevic, 2005; Shen, 2005; Shih et al., 2005). Increasing globalisation and internationalisation has meant that international assignments are no longer reserved for a small number of top flight executives (Bonache, 2005), so companies can now recruit a wider range of individuals to expatriate and develop into internationally aware talent. Some researchers (Webbe and Wright, 1996; Yarvas and Badur, 1999; Stanek, 2000; Downes et al., 2002; Suutari, 2003) have recognised that individuals are more likely to accept further international assignments if their first was successful, so it is in the best interest of companies to expatriate their staff effectively. This assignment is a broad review of the literature. It will explore the reasons behind the employment of expatriates in MNCs, and will provide an overview of the processes which MNCs should adopt in order to successfully manage their international staff. An MNC is a firm that owns business operations in more than one country (Hill, 2005). In terms of their international workforce, there are three types of employee; the Host Country National (HCN), local managers employed by the MNC, Parent Country Nationals (PCN), those who live, and work in a subsidiary of the MNC away from their home country and are citizens of the country where the MNC is based, and Third Country Nationals (TNC) who are employed by a MNC but are citizens of a country other than the one in which the MNC is headquartered or the country in which they are assigned to work. (Hodgetts and Luthans, 2003) The literature identifies three main reasons for why MNCs send out expatriates: position filling, transferring technical skills and knowledge; management development, giving international experience to national managers; and organisation development maintaining the structure and decision processes of the parent company (Hamill, 1989; Harzing, 2001; Baruch et al., 2002; Morgan et al., 2004). MNCs should recognise that selection and subsequent management of expatriates will differ, depending on the reasons behind the expatriation. Perhaps the most persuasive argument as to why expatriates are needed in MNCs is due to knowledge transfer (Bender and Fish, 2000; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; OKeefe, 2002; Fish 2004; Crocitto et al., 2005; Shih et al., 2005). Colgate-Palmolive, have harnessed their expatriates knowledge into a massive database which can be accessed by other managers throughout the company (Anon, 2003). As some researchers have recognised, if companies can effectively harness the knowledge which their expatriates have acquired during their international assignments, they can attempt to establish an international learning organisation, which would be a valuable source of competitive advantage (Bender and Fish, 2000; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001; OKeeffe, 2002). The benefits of expatriates are numerous. The expatriate will gain a holistic overview of the company at an international level which will enhance business awareness, planning and motivating techniques (Webbe and Wright, 1996; Stanek, 2000), ensuring the development of a pool of specialist employees who are more internationally business aware and culture savvy. Despite the obvious benefits of employing expatriates, the drawbacks are equally as numerous. The failure rate for expatriate assignments is staggering, and the direct costs arising from this failure are estimated to be as high as $1,000,000 per unsuccessful expatriation (Luthans and Farner, 2002). The hidden costs including a loss of business and reputation, and a negative effect on local morale (Hamill, 1989; Yavas and Badur, 1999) are equally high. The reasons for failed expatriate assignments can stem from a poor selection of candidates, a lack of cross cultural training, poorly designed compensation packages, inability to adapt to the new local environment, and a lack of preparation for repatriation (Hamill 1989; Darby, 1995; Crocitto et al., 2005). Such problems can have a massive impact on the individual, including a loss of self esteem, feelings of failure, and an inability to properly readjust to life back in the domestic country (Yavas and Badur, 1999; Banoche 2005). OKeeffe (2002) suggests that such difficulties can lead to depression, alcoholism and extra marital affairs. Nevertheless, the alternatives of sending out expatriates are very few. One suggestion is that of virtual expatriation, whereby the individual remains at their home base, but confers with the overseas office by means of videoconferencing, taking short term trips to the subsidiary if necessary. This cuts costs and the burden of coping with new cultures and family concerns, but still enhances the communication and business skills of the individual as he works closely with the foreigners in the subsidiary (Stanek, 2000). However employees choose to take international assignments for reasons including a chance for personal career development and for the adventure that these experiences can provide, and by using this technique, these may be diminished. Despite the problems and costs that arise from failed international assignments research empirically shows that companies do little to assist their expatriates. This is perplexing as the development of a pool of experienced international managers and staff is in a firms best interest, considering the benefits and competitive edge over their competitors that this would give them (Selmer, 1999; Shen, 2005). There is a superfluous of literature available on how MNCs can successfully manage their expatriates. This needs to include the selection of the right individuals to be expatriated, how to prepare these staff for their experience including any family or organisational concerns they may have, preparing an effective compensation package, and repatriation. The selection of staff to go an overseas assignment is difficult, and if the right candidate if not chosen the chances of the assignment being successful are slim. MNCs need to recognise that individuals need to have skills and abilities over and above those that are required at a national level (Hamill, 1989; Rodrigues, 1997; Yavas and Badur, 1999), and should understand that due to differences in culture across the world, as Darby (1995) illustrates, although someone is an excellent manager in the UK, they may not be elsewhere in the world. Harvey and Novicevic (2001) recognise that individuals with the right competencies can support and promote knowledge transfer throughout the organisation, and will be more able to appreciate, and take advantage of, trends at a regional, national and international level, based on the skills developed and acquired overseas. In her research, Suutari (2003) identified motivators that affect the likelihood of an individual accepting an international assignment. These include a personal interest in expatriation, for the experience this offers, and to further their own careers, however the acceptance of an offer can depend on factors such as age, and marital status. The literature acknowledges many attributes and competencies that expatriates should have, and there is little controversy in the research as to what these are (Yavas and Bardur, 1999; Baruch et al, 2002; Fish, 2004; Holopainen and Bjorkman, 2005). Having undertaken an extensive review of the literature, Jordan and Cartwright (1998) identified that the most prominent of these are four key competencies, relational ability, cultural sensitivity, linguistic skills and the ability to handle stress; and three main attributes, low neuroticism, moderate extroversion and a high openness to experience. Research also suggests, however not significantly so, that individuals with high emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and control ones own emotions, be socially aware, build strong relationships and communicate well with others (Goleman et al. 2001), will be able to prosper and adjust well during an international assignment (Gabel et al.,2005; Tan et al., 2005). If MNCs can factor these components into their selection process for expatriation, they will be more likely to ensure the success of the assignment. It is important to note however, that as well as having the right person in place, there are a number of organisational determinants that can affect the success of an international assignment. Morgan et al. (2004) suggest that the type of work that the expatriate will be undertaking can have a substantial impact on their success. Individuals working in the upstream functions of Porters value chain, such as logistics and production will have less difficulty in adjusting to their new environment than those working in downstream functions, such as marketing or sales. This is due to the fact that individuals working in these latter functions will have more personal contact and integration with HCNs, and so will be more aware of the cultural differences. The systems that a company has in place can impact the outcome of an international assignment. If the systems used in the subsidiary are different to those in the home country, the expatriate will have to overcome this as well as coping with adjusting to external cultural differences (Morgan et al., 2004) Research has found that companies can affect expatriate success by remaining in communication with their international employees (Yavas and Badur, 1999; Harzing and Christensen, 2004; Bonache, 2005). This would calm any fears of isolation and ambiguity, which can lead to the failure of an assignment. Additionally, Wright and Baker (1996) suggest that companies should allow their expatriates some time to settle in to their new environment and become accustomed to their new environment before assuming their full job responsibilities. Once a MNC has established what operational factors can be altered to facilitate the success of the international assignment, the company needs to establish any family related factors that could affect the assignment. Approximately 60 percent of international assignments fail due to family problems (Ruhsing and Kleiner, 2003) which could be due to difficulties of the partner or spouse adapting to the local environment, and often, they have more trouble adjusting than the expatriate themselves (Fish and Wood, 1997; Suutari and Burch, 2001). This is due to the fact that they are mainly left to cope on their own without the support of the MNC however the company can take steps to resolve this. MNCs need to be aware of the growing number of dual career couples in the workplace. According to the research, very few firms have made an effort to support such families, and if companies fail to address these problems, then they will suffer from both a lack of suitable individuals accepting overseas assignments, consequently limiting their pool of international talent (Selmer, 1999; Yavas and Bodur, 1999b; Riusala and Suutari, 2000; Moore, 2002) To limit the extent of these problems, research suggests (Fish and Wood, 1997; Simeon and Fujiu, 2000; Rusing and Kleiner, 2003) that companies should endeavour to create a network of expatriate families before departure, to reduce the feelings of isolation that can go hand in hand with moving to a new country, away from family and friends. Many spouses leave careers, so some companies have began to provide career advice, and have even considered employing spouses at the subsidiary (Fish and Wood, 1997; Riusala and Suutari, 2000; Glanz and van der Sluis, 2001; Baruch et al 2002). The children of expatriates are another concern. There is little research on this area, however Rhushing and Kleiner (2003) suggest that these children should be given cross cultural and language training, and the MNC should make an effort to find out about child care or the schooling in the destination country, and if necessary, contribute towards fees or costs. Hurn (1999) recognises that ideally where children are involved, companies should coincide the dates of the assignment with school terms, to limit disruption. Expatriate families will also have concerns about housing, both at the destination, and regarding what should be done with their family home. Pets are another concern, however Rushing and Kleiner (2003) suggest that companies should take advantage of professional specialist services that can assist with the practical side of the move. The firm also needs to consider soft factors, principally cross cultural training, to facilitate the move. Research proves that any type of cross cultural training facilitates expatriate adjustment, as it enables individuals to better understand, and integrate themselves with foreign cultures (Treven, 2003; Jassawalla et al, 2004; Waxin and Panaccio, 2005). Luthans and Farner (2003) suggest that this training should be a mixture of both social norms, and business culture to be most effective. Historically, pre-departure training has been generic however some research found strong evidence to suggest that such training can be improved by including the opinions of HCNs (Vance and Paik, 2002). Some of the literature suggests that firms should undertake post departure training, yet Shih et al. (2005), in their study of the management of expatriates in five large MNCs found that this didnt occur at all. There is a distinct lack of congruence between management practices and the advice in the literature on training and development (Shen, 2005; Lewis, 1996). This is again paradoxical, as it would be in the best interests of the company to provide such training, not only to limit the costs of a failed expatriation, but as the world is becoming more globalised and interdependent, it is likely that the company will have increasingly more customers, suppliers, and other employees from different cultures. Hence, MNCs need to ensure that they have some type of cross cultural training in place. Perhaps the example set by the Finnish MNCs, whom have a proportionately higher number of successful expatriates than other countries, can be followed (Suutari and Brewster, 2001). One reason why they are so successful is that they have a longer period between the selection of expatriates, and sending them abroad, allowing more time for support and training, showing how important this training is. Once the expatriate is on their assignment, there is a wealth of research to suggest that assigning the expatriate an international mentor can help alleviate any feelings of isolation, and provide support (Downes et al., 2002; Harzing and Christensen, 2004; Crocitto et al., 2005). Crocitto et al. (2005) suggest that the expatriate should have a network of experienced mentors, so that they can obtain social support, or business advice from a number of different sources. This really is a method of knowledge sharing, and so can be of mutual benefit for the organisation and the individual. This will only be possible however, if the firm has had some considerable experience on the global arena. A final factor that MNCs need to consider when preparing to expatriate an employee is the compensation and reward package that they provide. Researchers recognise that reward packages that attract, retain and motivate outstanding employees going on international assignments are essential in achieving organisational goals (Phillips and Fox, 2003; Simms and Schraeder, 2005). However Banoche (2005) has found that many expatriates are unsatisfied with their compensation packages (Banoche, 2005). The most common approach is the balance sheet approach, whereby the expatriate keeps their home salary but is given extra compensation to cover such costs as living allowances and long and short term performance incentives. Some companies even provide support for spouses or partners (Phillips and Fox, 2003; Sims and Schraeder, 2005; Banoche, 2005; Baruch et al 2002). There are many criticisms of this approach. As Phillips and Fox (2003) remark, it can be costly if the expatriate assignment runs for a long time, and it can create friction between expatriates and local workers doing the same job but for lower pay. To cut down on the expense of expatriates, Selmer (1999) identifies that increasingly, firms are reducing expatriate compensation packages or cutting extra compensation all together, reasoning that international experience is essential for career advancement, and is a necessity in todays globalising environment. However, expatriates are not likely to function properly if they cannot see a clear link between performance and reward, not only in regards to their financial compensation, but their future career progression (Harzing and Christensen 2004). Shih et al., (2005) remark that this may be a sign that MNCs themselves are unsure as to how to harness and develop their management talent, especially on repatriation. This is the final step in expatriation, and should be an integral process, thus needs to be managed effectively for the assignment to be a success. Repatriation is often overlooked (Paik et al., 2002), and research has found that people are significantly less satisfied by their repatriation, than expatriation (Morgan et al., 2004). Some companies, including Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline have sought outside advice to help this transition (Hurn, 1999). Companies need to realise that problems at this stage can seriously diminish the psychological contract that employees have with the firm, resulting in low morale, and high turnover (Fish, 2004). If this occurs, then the knowledge and expertise that the expatriate has gained from going overseas may be lost to a rival firm (Anon, 2003; Crocitto et al., 2005; Shih et al., 2005) Typical repatriation problems include feelings that the international assignment is not of as much value as expected to the company and financial difficulties, due to readjusting back to the basic reward package (Selmer, 1999). Change is another massive problem. Depending on the duration of the assignment, the likelihood will be that both the employee and the company will have changed considerably. This organisational change not only relates to systems and technology, but the turnover of colleagues and support networks (Paik et al., 2002; Baruch et al., 2002). To facilitate repatriation, MNCs should keep channels of communication open to provide support to the employee, continuing after the assignment has finished. Hurn (1999) suggests that firms should debrief the employee, identifying areas of skill development and deficiency, and actively search for roles that will now utilise and develop these skills further, showing commitment to the employee and enforcing the psychological contract. He remarks that repatriation should not be seen as a separate phase, but a holistic career step, and an intrinsic component to the expatriation process (Hurn, 1999). To summarise, firms can reduce the expense of failed international assignments by ensuring that they follow the necessary steps to select, expatriate, train and develop, and repatriate their staff. As discussed, the benefits to both the firm, and the individuals involved are substantial, and by following this process, firms can establish and nurture these international experiences into a source of key competitive advantage.

The Freelance Writing Course Closes Tonight

The Freelance Writing Course Closes Tonight The Freelance Writing Course Closes Tonight The Freelance Writing Course Closes Tonight By Daniel Scocco Well be closing the doors of the DWT Freelance Writing Course this Friday, September 30, at midnight (GMT). Thats within 12 hours, so if you were planning to join, well, do it now! As we mentioned before the course is a 6-week program aimed at people who want to get started making money freelance writing online. You’ll get in-depth lessons on everything you need to know, plus an exclusive forum where you can get all your questions answered. We’ve got a 60-day money back guarantee: you can take the whole course and, if you decide it wasn’t right for you, just let us know and we’ll give you a no-hassle refund. Ah, you can keep the bonuses, even if you ask for a refund! Heres what one of our past students said about it: I find that your course gave complete value for money, which very seldom happens elsewhere. The technical tips were great, necessary and very helpful, of course. What I liked most however, is that although I had a lot of questions, very few I had to actually raise myself because other people (not the same ones each time) raised them first at the private forums. This caused me to realize that there were many other would-be writers in the same position that I was in: wanting to write, hoping to make a living from writing but not sure how to go about it. (Samuel Lewis, United States) What are you waiting for? Click here to read all the details and join us!. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Arrive To vs. Arrive AtThe Six Spellings of "Long E"How to Style Legislative Terms

Cultural Histories & Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cultural Histories & Theories - Essay Example (Musson, 159) Britain, the centre ÃŽ ¿f a world-wide empire, the greatest free-trade market, drawing on the whole globe for foodstuffs and raw materials and still also the largest exporter ÃŽ ¿f manufactures, was the hub ÃŽ ¿f world sea-borne trade: in the period before 1913 about 40 per cent ÃŽ ¿f that trade was with the UK, and over half ÃŽ ¿f it was carried in British ship. Thus British shipyards had huge home and overseas markets. Expansion ÃŽ ¿f production and trade was accompanied by changing industrial organization. Though many combined firms existed, were generally much bigger than woollen mills. The traditional small West Riding clothiers and the associated cloth-halls were declining, with the development ÃŽ ¿f larger-scale factory and mercantile organization and more direct trading relationships, though small firms and mills still abounded. However, the real problem, in fact, was that ÃŽ ¿f developing new industries alongside the old, while the latter still continued to grow profitably. It appears, however, that there were plenty ÃŽ ¿f savings and capital resources that might have been used for new industrial developments. British overseas investments or capital exports continued to grow prodigiously. Cotton is still the biggest manufacture in textile industry. (Sykas 2007) In the 1907 Census ÃŽ ¿f Production, the labour force in spinning and weaving factories increased from 331000 in 1850 to 577000 in 1907, while production and trade rose much more, as indicated by the figures ÃŽ ¿f raw cotton consumption and exports. Mechanization was carried further, not only with more mules, spindles and power-looms but larger, faster-running and more efficient machines, driven by more powerful and economical steam-engines. Fixed capital therefore grew more rapidly than the number ÃŽ ¿f worker, and productivity increased, especially in the first half ÃŽ ¿f this period.