How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to Essay

How does Learning and Employee Development contribute to organisational success and performance within social care services - Essay Example The most essential component of a learning and development plan as per the respondents’ view are the skills and second most essential learning component required to enhance service delivery quality according to the respondents is that of knowledge. These findings are very positive and reflect a developmental, growth oriented attitude. Trained staff is more competent and can perform better than untrained staff (Garavan, 1997). To attain training there must be motivation among the members and they must be interested in learning and developing in order to benefit from the training programs offered to them. The research study has revealed that all the respondents realize the importance of learning and development training programs and are willing to learn and grow for the betterment of their selves and organization in turn. Garavan (1997) further suggested that a strategically integrated model of Human Resource Development would ensure that the concepts of training, development, e ducation and learning and backed up and embedded in strategic plans, operational plans, policies and work practice. The findings reveal that the respondents are well informed about the importance of all these components of training and therefore it can be safely said that such a plan as suggested by Garavan (1997) can be very feasible for an organization like Loretto Care where chances of its acceptance at the managerial level appear to be quite high. The Scottish government also realizes the importance and need of learning and development based training. This is reflected in the vary requirements the government has set to be considered before admitting an individual to a degree course in social work. The social work training providers are required to make sure that all the students they induct are registered with SSSC within a month, have the basic language skills to benefit from the training they will be provided with and possess a willingness and potential to learn basic effectiv e communication skills and information technology expertise that is required to work effectively and competently in any field of study in today’s world including social work (The Scottish Government, 2006). The second research question attempted to explore the impact of learning and development programs on individual and organizational performance. The responses of the managers have revealed that they believe there is a great impact of learning development programs on individual as well as organizational performance. To identify how exactly this impact is attained, the respondents were further asked to identify the factors that underlay the individual and organizational benefits achieved from learning and development. The highest scoring factors in this respect, based on the questionnaire results turned out to be: career development, motivation and sense of achievement and success. It means that majority of the respondents believe that learning and development programs lead t o enhanced performance by increasing these three factors among the workers. This finding of the current study is in line with those of Hoque & Bacon (2008); Mathieson (2006) and Jones

Licensure, Certification and Accreditation Essay

Licensure, Certification and Accreditation - Essay Example The principal focus of all standards developed for the JCAHO is supposed to be on the patient. While the specifics of a standard for a particular performance area may emphasize the clinical or operational aspects of that performance area, the ultimate intent of the performance standard, according to the JCAHO, is the outcome for the patient (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations, 1996b). As a part of its health care accreditation program, the JCAHO began almost decade ago to require health care institutions to report sentinel events as a part of the JCAHO accreditation watch program. Sentinel events are patient-care errors or accidents that lead to patient death or major injury (Moore, 1998). In theory, the focus on sentinel events may be considered to be a strong point in the hospital accreditation process. In actual application, however, the value to the consumer of the sentinel event focus is weakened considerably. In 1998, the JCAHO issued a revision to its se ntinel event policy that encouraged health care organizations to voluntarily report sentinel events to the JCAHO, while the JCAHO in turn would stop making sentinel events information available to the public. This policy of the JCAHO was just one more example of the health care industry, it lawyers, and it lackeys in government trying to make a silk purse out of a sow ear [e.g., denying public access to specific information about health care mistakes so that the perpetrators of such mistakes could avoid being hauled into court by the people they harm]. Any health care organization that cares about its patients would voluntarily and without any urging of the JCAHO or any other organization develop standard operating procedures and control mechanisms to preclude the occurrence of all medical errors that harm patients. In 1999, the JCAHO published Preventing Adverse Events in Behavioral Health Care: A Systems Approach to Sentinel Events. The manual provides suggestions to health care o rganizations to help them to integrate standards for the prevention of adverse events (sentinel events) and other organizational risk management strategies (HO Releases Manual on Adverse Events999). Now, health care organizations can report sentinel events on line to the JCAHO and save even more money (that they can use to pay their lawyers to continue to shield their errors from the public). One area for which standards are established by the JCAHO is ethics. Ethical standards for health organizations apply to clinical practice, research, and all other aspects of the management of health organizations (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Organizations, 1996c). Patient rights and organization ethics are dealt with together by the JCAHO. Since 1991 the JCAHO has required all hospitals to have in place procedures and resources to deal with ethical issues related to patient care. Again, in theory, this approach may be considered to be a strong point in the hospital accreditatio n process. The standards on patient rights were supplemented in 1995 with the requirement that hospitals address issues related to organizational ethics. Organizational ethics requires a hospital to conduct iness relationships with patients and the public in an ethical manneroint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1997, p. RI-1). The patient rights ethical standards not only require that hospitals

Cooperate And Strategic Management At Asda Commerce Essay

Cooperate And Strategic Management At Asda Commerce Essay This essay will critically analysis and evaluate the strategy of ASDA. With the analysis I will evaluate what strategy they are using, with the purpose and what type of intention they looking to develop for the future of the supermarket. ASDA is a supermarket that is owned by an American company that is called Wall-Mart. I choose this company because firstly I am a loyal customer and secondly Ill be a good company to evaluate the business analysis on it. It is a big company that requires different types of marketing strategy analysis for it to be as successful as it is today. First am going to be concerned with the role of the external environment of the business. The environment of the business includes PESTLE, five forces and the opportunity and threats strategy. These tools will show us the competitive side of the company to create competitive advantage in ever more crowded markets and with increasingly demanding customers. (Graham Hooley 2004). The second part of this essay will be on cultural analysis. Culture analysis is the way the management assembles combinations of values, rituals, languages and myths. This tool is used as a key factor in successful commitment and passion of employees of the business. These factors are found in corporate culture, will show how they improve their performance of management and as a whole by looking in detail the culture of the surroundings of the business. For the third part of the essay I will look into the portfolio analysis to see weather or not the business is looking attractive, in growth and has substantial profit margin for the size of the company. The most basic and importance of being in business is making profit and this will show us the situation of the company in the market place. Finally I will conclude my essay with a conclusion on how the business will be changing in the market for future strategies based on the firms ability to adopt the market and take benefit of the nature of the company to optimise their growth and attractiveness. External Analyses Lets start with the first strategy management that gives full detailed and creative assessment on the environment of the company, which is called PESTLE. The analysis was done and shown below. Social forces Branding advantage for company, it brings trust to companies. Disadvantage may be a dislike of a product and may not buy it again. Lifestyle changes disadvantage for company, as it can be costly to change like cloths. Advantage would be that keeping with fashion could bring more money for the company. Political forces Employment law can be seen as good view to employees as ASDA needs to be aware of health and safety and other laws but can be source of complications for the business. Taxation disadvantage for company, it can be costly for business like ASDA because they need there individual accountant and as a whole. The benefit would be the provision of the public goods. Economic forces Inflation disadvantage for company, people will have less money to spend on luxury goods. Economic Growth is an advantage for the company as living standard is higher however interest rate will be changed that will cause to be more volatile and susceptible to change. Technological forces Web site for company to keep it up-to-date can be costly but the benefit will make people buy online which will decrease manpower. Stock control can automatically count the stocks sold and reorder however the disadvantage would be unable to count the stolen/broken goods. Legal Current legislation is important for the companies to know the status of the environment it is situated to keep its benefits and drawbacks in check for the future. Environmental Environmental issues is required for the local, national, and international to keep commitment in environmental protection. The benefit will increase loyalty of brand as they seek increase better environment. Customer values -can target a segment of a market for the company to guide towards and is a key to sustainable competitive advantage. A PESTEL analysis considers the most important external factors that impacts ASDA. This analysis will reflect on ASDAs brand name by merging all the factors in one to create a guide strategic decision-making. If the PESTEL analysis done correctly and accurately, it would make the organisation of ASDA to keep up with the change of the environment and it will be better placed than its competitors to respond to change. For example Wal-Mart decided on a smart decision by merging with ASDA as both company benefited from it by having more leverage on each other. As ASDA has many franchises in Briton every single one of the PESTLE analysis are different to each other as they are located in a different region. This means that every single franchise companys manger would use this tool for their area to create value for money, loyalty and trust. Although the environment is different in each location, the main goals and objectives of the original company stays, and managers aim to achieve. One of the ways managers seek in achieving their objectives is using another analysis on the external environment. This will plan and helps ASDA to focus on key issues of the external environment. The two key elements are opportunity and threats of the company, which is shown below. Opportunity -The opportunity ASDA is able to do is to expand globally by strategic alliances with other retailers. -Second market share leader has the opportunity of reduction of effective food prices for consumers through economies of scale. -Consumers are likely to change and trends endlessly change so there is always opportunity for ASDA to act upon the next trend which requires good strategic marketing. Threat -As shown in the market share graph in the next page, it shows that ASDAs market share comparison to Sainsbury is not that much far apart (0.5 share difference) an Tesco in the lead. -Technological are also highlighted as threat as cheaper products can be found online or better quality by competitors. -Tescos advertisements on television, communicates about how many products it has cheaper than ASDA. Supermarket shares Identifying theses forces for ASDA are simple and it will be hard to plan the correct strategy with just these to guide the company. To be able to understand better of the external environment of ASDA I need to introduce another analysis to conduct a plan of good strategy for the company, which is called Porters five forces as shown below. Porters five forces element focuses on the circumstance of other elements. For example the supplier power would be increased if there were a high scale of rivalry between companies trying to obtain the supplies. This analysis would show the bargaining power it has upon the elements to increase awareness and create a better business potential for the company. Using this analysis it will look at ASDAs power in the market and allows you to see the gap between where the company is and where it should be, and furthermore, what strategies should be applied. This helps the bottom line of the company as it considers profitable rivalry to be a base significance and it should concentrate on the factors affecting the companys profit. With the combinations of the three analyses shown above, the external environment should be kept equal or increase competitive advantage over their rivals. Cultural web analysis The name of ASDA on its own represents different behaviour and values for people. The relationships all people have with ASDA are different depending on their situation or cultural point of view. Corporate culture is the way people do things in an organisation, which sets beliefs, attitudes, core values and behavioural patterns that is shared by the people in the company. The culture of web is used to analysis the elements that influence the performance and determine the future of the change. Analysing the culture as it is now in ASDA, then look what Ill be in the future and to find the differences in between them to calculate the change in tomorrow will achieve the high-performance culture that any business wants. Below is the cultural web diagram and each section is described in appendix 2. (Johnson and Scholes (1999); P. 74) IT will be imposable for Multi-national Corporation like ASDA to have no conflicts between the local national culture and the imported corporate culture. These conflicts are hard to manage as there are to many to please or have a skilled manager to multi-cultural management. For the ideal strategy for ASDAs culture should be multi cultured and managers should have an open mind when working with employees to manage the organisation more effective and efficiently as culture differ. For example in the middle east family values are very important and an employee wouldnt dream of staying late to finish work if this conflicted with a family duty. This does not mean that their work ethic is poor, it is just expressed differently and a western manager would find it offence by suggesting otherwise. ASDA has large group of people to identify across the whole organisation. Instead managers tend to identify the culture with smaller sub-groups. So ASDA would have a mixture of sub-cultures some th at may even be abnormal. Again there is a high certainty of conflict between the different sub-cultures as business is rarely simple. It is said the collection of beliefs, expectations and values shared by the corporations members and transmitted from one generation of employees to another (Wheelen and Hunger, 1986) which will bring prosperity and growth of the company. Portfolio analysis Next is the portfolio analysis of ASDA as it represents the attractiveness, balance, fit, manageability and synergy of the company. The business portfolio is the collection of products that make up the business. The best portfolio is one that fits the companys strength and helps develop opportunity. ASDA will need to do a set of analyses and decide which businesses needs more or less investments, and conducting growth strategy for adding new products/services and businesses to the portfolio. Additionally work out the time limit of a product or businesses should no longer be retained. There are three types of portfolio planning however the two best known ones are from the Boston consulting group that the description been added to appendix 3 and by General Electric. In each method the company needs to identify the various strategic business units. The Strategic business units have all have separate mission and objectives and that can be planned independently from the other businesses. The strategic business unit can be dividing the business, for example a product line or individual brands. When ASDA classifies its strategic business units in the portfolio, then it must decide what to do with them. The diagram in appendix 3 shows a cash cow, a dog, starts and question marks. New strategic thinking indicates there are four types of strategies, which is shown in appendix 3. Depending on the strategic business units it will have a different type of strategy as explained before to suit its needs. Conclusion Finally to conclude my essay I would start of saying that at this moment that cultural web is essential for ASDA as Culture is something which makes members of an organisation behave more like each other than non-members! ASDA uses culture to hunt for steady growth within the market, through very detailed planning and control systems. It is good for ASDA to understand culture as they can implement new strategies and adopt culture with them. I will explain the reasons and do a summary of how environment analysis affects on ASDA. Any company must seek to understand the nature of its competitive environment in order to be successful in achieving its objectives and in setting up appropriate strategies. If a company fully understands the nature of the environment analysis it will be in a stronger point to defend itself against any threats and to influence its strategy. By strategising through how each force affects the company it will identify the strength and direction of each force that will provides opportunity to identify the strength of the situation and the ability to make a continued profit (Mind Tools, 2006). To broaden my analysis feather I could have used STEEPLED which allow for a dedicated Ethical section however they can be included in the original four. It is the shape and simplicity of a four-part model is also somehow more strategically appealing and easier to manipulate and convey. There is also the sixth forces (relative power of other stakeholders) that I could have analysed however is not as popular. If I had more time I could have been able to do more analysis to find new and more of competitive advantages for ASDA. Although using strategic planning it is not always precise. No tool is fixed. Its a matter of practical choice as to what helps best to identify and explain the matters at hand. Neither resources nor market are fixed and keep changing every day. The new processes of marketing will require us to learn new ways of doing business in unfamiliar organisations. We may by now be well used to the idea of market needs changing over time and the need to monitor those changes for the success of the business. For success of growth for ASDA they need to constantly to examine and develop their resources and capabilities over time to be able to have a completive advantage in the long run. At the same time it should look at their current set of capabilities and assets to create new opportunities for the short run. Fundamentally ASDA needs to widen its resources to increase profit and deeper relationship with customer to ensure long-term value through the relationships between them. With the new millennium, there is infinity number of ways of competing with rivals. It is an exciting period for competitive marketing. PESTLE analysis is used to measure the growth or decline of a marketplace, as such the position, potential and direction for the business. References Haberberg, A. and Rieple, A. (2001) The Strategic Management of Organizations, Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Kippenberger, T. (1998) Strategy according to Michael Porter, The Antidote, Vol. 3 Issue 6, pp. 24-25. Luffman, G., Lea, E., Sanderson, S. and Kenny, B. (1996) Strategic Management, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Inc. Porter, M. (1980a) How Competition Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, September-October, pp.137-145. Porter, M. (1980b) Competitive Strategy, New York: Free Press. Porter, M. (1998) Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors, New York: Free Press. Sanderson, S. (1998) New approaches to strategy: new ways of thinking for the millennium, Management Decision, Vol. 36 issue 1, pp.9-13. Thurlby B (1998) Competitive forces are also subject to change, Management Decision London Wheelen, T. and Hunger, J. (1998) Strategic Management and Business Policy, 6th ed., Reading: Addison-Wesley. Johnson G. and Scholes K. (1999), Exploring Corporate Strategy, 5th Edition, Prentice Hall, London. Greenley G.E. (1989), Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, London Certo S.C. and Peter J.P. (1997), Strategic Management, 3rd Edition, Austen Press / Irwin, Illinois.

The Child Playing Alone :: Personal Narrative Nigeria Childhood Essays

The Child Playing Alone "I was once a rapturous child drawing at the dining-room table, under a stained glass chandelier that sat like a hat on the swollen orb of my excitement. What is exciting that child, so distant from us in time and space?" Squares of different colors are splattered all over the sheet I am staring at. Some are yellow, others pink, a few green and lots are blue. Unfortunately I am not staring at some great artwork or beautiful quilt from Alabama. I am look at my weekly planner, pasted on the wall with a few worn looking pieces of tape. Blue for physics and green for chemistry, orange for calculus and yellow for expository writing; I leave no activity plain white. Not only different colors are used in the squares, but different designs as well. Some are striped, others are spotted. Some are solid squares while others have empty centers... some are even a combination of colors. At a first glance it appears this creativity is due to necessity. I needed to organize my time, or at least try, and so I produced a colorful chart. A deeper look transports me back to my childhood in Nigeria. My home country, in the heart of the tropics, is interesting. The nomadic cattle herdsman is constantly covered with white specs of salt from his evaporated sweat in the arid and hot atmosphere of almost 40 degrees centigrade in the north of the country. Surrounded by a few shrubs scattered over sandy plains, he is constantly in search of pasture for his cattle and water to drink. The market women chat away in the high humidity of the south watching their kids play in the shade of the few palm trees left, after development has robbed the land of its natural dense vegetation. My home was there in the south, near the coast, with the Atlantic Ocean knocking at our door. There was the constant danger of the beach being eroded by the angry ocean, intent on claiming back its space, as about 50% of the island I lived on is land filled. Thus my mother refused to allow me onto the closest beach to my home as it had many dangers, from the ocean to bored louts hanging around looking for innocen t victims. I could never feel angry at her though because she gave up her career, by choice, to take care of her children.

Eating Habits

Eating habbits Junk food, keeping fit. In today’s fast-moving world, people have less and less time to spend eating. It is probably for this reason that junk food has become so popular, and there’s no doubt that it’s here to stay. In fact, it seems that you simply can’t get away from it. Obviously, a diet of junk food is not the best thing for your health, particularly as it is high in saturated fat. This type of fat is associated with great risk of cancer. Apart from the risk of cancer, another side effect of consuming highly fattering food is that you are likely to gain weight. This is especially true because you tend to eat more, as junk food is less satisfying and lower in vital nutrients than healthier food. The best advice, for those who cannot live without it, is to limit the amount junk foodthey eat/ A little now and then will probably do no harm. Young people pick up the idea that speed means excitement, whereas anything traditional is slow and boring. As a result, they turn down traditional food and go for junk food instead. Another alarming thing is that while the amount of junk food we eat has increased, the amount of exercise we do has actually decreased. Exercises help to control our weight and if taken regulary, can also decrease our having a heart attack in later life. What is more you don’t have to exercise much to gain vasible benefits, twenty minutes three times a week is all that is necessary. People nowadays are actually far more aware of the importance of exercise and healthy diet than they were a few years ago. Rcent reserch has shown that young people, who prefer burgers and chips to rich gourmet dishes, tend to become overweight. Reserchers suggest that the new genration will be much more likely to suffer from heart and liver desease. What can’t be emphasised enough is fact that a balanced diet and regular exrcise bring significant health benefits. You can gain anything from glowing skin to an allround feeling of good health. One way or another, the vast majority of people seem to be missing out on this, due mainly to the pressures of modern life. Ironically, if they were to make time to exercise and improve their eating habbits, they would probably find that they were far better equipped to deal with their stressful lifestiles than they are now. Vegan leaving. A large number of people do not eat meat. Vegans have taken this a step further by refusing to consume or use anything that comes from animals. This means that not only they do not eat meat; they do not eat fish, poultry or dairy products either. Although a vegan diet may be strict, there are certain advanteges to be gained. Firstly, because a vegan diet is low in fat and cholestrol, the risk of heart disease is reduced. Secondly, there is less preassure on farmers to keep animals under cruel conditions to produce milk, eggs and poultry. On the other hand, humans are natural meat eaters and some essential ingridients in our diet can only come from animal products. For example, we cannot get enough vitamin B12 from plants, so vegans have to take this vatamin, made from yeast, as a supplement to their diet. Moreover, the human digestive system cannot digest certain plant proteins, and this can lead to stomach problems. Although there are some disadvanteges to adopting such a strict diet, people feel that overhall; it is a healthier way of life. Furthermore, it is cruel to kill animals for food and if everybody adopted a vegan diet, our whole outlook on life would change for the better. Factors that influence on food choices Food choices are influenced by many factors, age, gender, friends, family, cultural background and where we live. Although the main purpose of food is to nourish the body, food means far more than that to many people. It can represent much of who and what we are. People bond and foster relationships around the dinner table and at celebrations with special meals and foods, such as birthday cake. Some people express their creative side by serving dinner guests, as well as expressing their awareness and appreciation for others. Some people also use food to help them cope with stress by overeating or depriving themselves. Food may also be used as a reward for accomplishing a specific goal. Consequently, what people eat can reveal much about who they are socially, politically and religiously. Factors influencing food preferences include: Taste, *texture* *and* *appearance*. Economics – The cost of food affects what we eat. Our early experiences with food – Food preferences begin early in life and change as we are exposed to new people and places. As children, our choices were in the hands of our parents. However, as we get older, our experiences with new people and places increase, thereby broadening our food preferences and choices. Habits – Most of what we eat from a particular core group of foods. About one hundred items account for 75 percent of the foods most people eat. Having a narrow range of food choices provides us with security. For example, going to a particular fast-food restaurant provides common expectations and experiences. Many people also have the cooking habits of our mothers or grandmothers. Culture – Religious rules can affect food choices. For example, Hindus do not eat beef, and some Jewish people do not eat pork. The region that people are from can also affect eating behaviors. Swedish people would not eat an ear of corn, because it is considered food for hogs. In Russia, we don't normally eat insects, but many other cultures regard them as preferred foods. Culture can also dictate the times to eat and what to eat at certain meals. Advertising – To capture the interest of the consumer, food producers spend billions of dollars each year on advertising and packaging, both for food bought in grocery stores and restaurants. The power of persuasion is very strong, and so food producers and restaurants try to make their products as appealing as possible to consumers, even if that means making false claims. Social factors – Social changes have a big effect on the food industry. Our fast-paced society demands drive-through restaurants. Gas stations now have convenience stores and restaurants attached to them, so people can do one-stop shopping. Malls also cater to their customers with food courts offering a wide variety of foods. My own eating habbits

Mass Effect Ending Controversy

In game shown Normandy fighting in the final battle to retake Earth from Reaper forces peephole not telling us why Joker retreated from the battle as the victory fleet continues to fight the Reapers. Leaving fans questioning if the only reason for it was to have the Normandy crash on a unknown world for a Adam and Eve illusion in one of the three endings in this case synthetic where Sheppard is given the choice to merge humanity with synthetic life to increase understanding and to prevent further wars.Also raises the question why the other crew members would abandon Sheppard so readily and everyone who was fighting to save the galaxy. 2. Beam me up Sheppard Members from your squad who were with you in the final run to the citadel suddenly appear out of the crashed Normandy with no explanation of how they got there. This is made worse as Gamers love interest for Sheppard suddenly emerges from the ship making gamers question further why they would abandon Sheppard after 2-3 games.No mo urning or empty grave for Sheppard. 3. Destruction of the Mass Relays In all the endings no matter what you pick or how high your Effective Military Strength Is the Mass Relays get destroyed. When in the Arrival DICE for Mass Effect it was established that destruction of a Mass Relay will completely obliterate a solar system. As shown on the galaxy map Sheppard would have killed billions of souls in the few seconds than the Reaper themselves would ever have. No matter the explosion it would have the same effect. 4.The Victory Fleet Stranded With the Mass Relays gone the entire fleet would be stranded at Earth which is made of thousands of ships and hundreds of different races. Which all of which would be orbiting a ruined and devastated Earth that might not be able to support its own people. While the Quarries and Turbans can't even eat human food. Supplies would run out would the fleet starve to death ? 5. Collected War Assets for What ? Fan's expected a suicide battle like Mass Ef fect g's ending only involving the entire galaxy.Also that the hours of gamely , Multilayer and Relationships that would have been repaired would have been shown in the final battle as none of the forces you collect are shown fighting during the take back of earth. Battle takes place same as space. With humans looking at a multi colored explosion surrounding Reaper forces. 6. No Closure At the end of Mass effect the game prompts you to buy more content and an insulting scene where a grandpa tells a story to a child and refers to our hero as â€Å"The Sheppard† .No closure on what happened to the people we cared about for five years except for the relationship which developed between Joker and DEED which started in Mass Effect 2. No scenes showing what happened to your character's friend or minor species also undoes some of these friendships as we don't see were telling stories of Sheppard which means hero. Or seeing tall on her homework rebuilding it all Were left teahouse is that there all stranding in the sol system. 7. Another Twist Ending?Players left no choice by developer instead going for a twist ending that is barely relevant to the story which offers no pay off . 8. The Final Revelation The God Child) After your hit by Harbingers beam things go off the rails. As you see both Anderson and The illusive man on the Citadel which player's would like an option to save Anderson and an option to convince the illusive man to stand down. It feels cheap to be introduced to the ultimate villain â€Å"the god child † as the true force your fighting against in the last few minutes of the trilogy.As he destroys the mysterious and lore with the reapers by saying Hess the one that created them and the reason for the creation was using circulatory logic saying the created will always rebel against the creator after you make peace teen the quarries and the get during a key part of the game disproving this. As this child says † without us synthetics w ould destroy all organics† when during the final scenes On Rancho the Get primes addresses Admiral Ran and says † your welcome to return to Rancho Admiral Ran with us. 9. Shepherd's Acceptance of the God Child's Bonkers logic Extended cut Good â€Å"Mass Effect 3 may have added a multilayer component, but many fans were interested in keeping their experience restricted to the single- player. That's why some were upset to learn that certain scenes (like Sheppard apparently surviving in the â€Å"destroy† ending) can only be seen by raising Galactic Readiness – something that can't be done through single-player missions. Teases been changed with the Extended Cut.According to Beware, your Effective Military Strength only needs to be about 3, 100 to see all of the scenes. As long as you're thorough in your solo efforts, you won't miss anything important at the end anymore. † Bad â€Å"One of the major complaints about the original endings is how all thr ee of them were basically the same, with just different colors for the beam shooting out of the Citadel. There's still mom of that going on here, even with the new endings.Many scenes are reused or only altered slightly from one ending to the next† ugly : The worst looking part of the new content is the series of AD art that appears in the red, green, and blue endings. They are supposed to depict friends and allies living their lives in the post-war world, but the static images feel odd and out-of- place considering the cinematic flair of every other major moment in the series. They aren't even in-game stills; they're more like concept art. I'm sure Beware has a reason for making the choice, but that doesn't change the fact hat a slideshows feels cheap and cheesy.

Free Essays on Perception

Outline one direct theory of visual perception: Gibson’s theory: Gibson’s mainly focuses on the idea that perception is a lot more biological and that we directly perceive using an optic array (Information is assumed to consist of signals and to be transmitted from the receptors to the brain). Instead of using the brain to interpret things we use the environment in which perception takes place and the activities of the perceiver within that environment. We then use the affordances (such terrain, water, vegetation, etc.) which provide the clues necessary for perception. However this would eliminate the possibility for the different interpretation and mistakes of visual illusions Using this purely bottom up approach to perception means that all objects in the world have a behavioural ‘significance’ for humans and animals. For example a chair is for sitting on, however the meaning to you of the chair can change according to your mood, if you need to reach for a book the chair is for standing on. Research that could support this idea is Palmer (1975). He showed his group of participant’s scenes that were easily recognisable (for example a kitchen). He would then briefly show them 3 separate images of objects, and ask the participants to identify them. The participants were more likely to choose the image that they perceived to best fit the picture of the familiar scene. It was also found that the first picture of the familiar kitchen scene seemed to prompt the participants to expect an object that you would find in a kitchen. If this research is to support Gibson the participants would have to afforded that the kitchen objects belonged in th e kitchen or the items are used in the kitchen. Also Marr (1982) agrees that there is constant perception in every day life, this is because the world around us is constantly changing. Gibson does his experiments in natural environments this is a good point to his research for the r... Free Essays on Perception Free Essays on Perception Outline one direct theory of visual perception: Gibson’s theory: Gibson’s mainly focuses on the idea that perception is a lot more biological and that we directly perceive using an optic array (Information is assumed to consist of signals and to be transmitted from the receptors to the brain). Instead of using the brain to interpret things we use the environment in which perception takes place and the activities of the perceiver within that environment. We then use the affordances (such terrain, water, vegetation, etc.) which provide the clues necessary for perception. However this would eliminate the possibility for the different interpretation and mistakes of visual illusions Using this purely bottom up approach to perception means that all objects in the world have a behavioural ‘significance’ for humans and animals. For example a chair is for sitting on, however the meaning to you of the chair can change according to your mood, if you need to reach for a book the chair is for standing on. Research that could support this idea is Palmer (1975). He showed his group of participant’s scenes that were easily recognisable (for example a kitchen). He would then briefly show them 3 separate images of objects, and ask the participants to identify them. The participants were more likely to choose the image that they perceived to best fit the picture of the familiar scene. It was also found that the first picture of the familiar kitchen scene seemed to prompt the participants to expect an object that you would find in a kitchen. If this research is to support Gibson the participants would have to afforded that the kitchen objects belonged in th e kitchen or the items are used in the kitchen. Also Marr (1982) agrees that there is constant perception in every day life, this is because the world around us is constantly changing. Gibson does his experiments in natural environments this is a good point to his research for the r...

How to Pass the SAT Expert Prep Tips

How to Pass the SAT Expert Prep Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT is one of the most important tests you’ll take in high school. When you take a test in class, there are clear guidelines for passing and failing - wouldn’t it be nice to have the same thing for the SAT? Here, I’ll talk about exactly what it means to pass the test (spoiler: it’s different for everybody) before giving you tips and strategies fohow to pass the SAT and get the score you need. What Does It Mean to â€Å"Pass† the SAT? To answer your question right off the bat (although I hope you keep reading - there’s a lot more to learn ) is that there is no official passing (or failing) score on the SAT. On this test, there’s only a range of possible scores - what constitutes an excellent, poor, or average score will depend heavily on your frame of reference. Ultimately, the most important thing that defines a â€Å"passing† SAT score is whether it’s good enough to get you into the colleges you’re applying to. This obviously varies widely by student. The bottom line? For your SAT score to be considered â€Å"passing,† it has to be high enough to get you into the schools you like. The problem is that this score will change not only by school, but also by student - determining your passing SAT score isn’t an exact science, especially because your college applications will be considered as a whole. Other components of your apps affect admissions officers’ expectations for your SAT scores. If the rest of your applications (e.g. your extracurriculars and GPA) are very strong, your SAT may not be weighed so heavily, for example. If your score is low enough, however, your application may get tossed out even if the rest of your app is strong. For the sake of this post, then, I’m going to define a â€Å"passing† SAT score as one that won’t get your application tossed out. Ideally, however, your SAT score will be one that helps (instead of hurts) your college applications. Keep reading to learn more about how to figure out these score benchmarks for yourself. How to Set Your Own SAT Passing Score Figuring out a passing score on the SAT means researching what scores are correlated with acceptance at all the schools you’re interested in. You can’t say for sure what scores will you get you in - there’s a lot more to your application than just standardized test scores - but you can look at how other students perform and whether or not certain SAT scores tend to get students into a school. Once you have this information for schools you’re interested in, you can use it to figure out benchmark passing scores for yourself.Here’s how you do it: You’ll have to set your own unique passing and target scores for them to be useful. Make a Preliminary List of Schools This doesn’t have to be a final list of the schools you’ll definitely send applications to. Even if you have a list of 8-10 schools you’re interested in, this is a good place to start. For this exercise to be most effective, try to select mostly â€Å"target† schools - schools where you think you’d have a fairly good chance of getting in. You can include 2-3 â€Å"safety† schools and 2-3 â€Å"reach† schools as well, as long as you maintain overall balance. If you select too many safety schools and you might set a passing score that’s too low, whereas too many reach schools may lead to a score that’s discouragingly high. The first time you do this, you may not have a great idea of what schools you’d identify as reach, target, and safety. This isn’t just okay - it’s kind of the point of this exercise. You can repeat it as many times as necessary throughout the college process, fine-tuning your list of schools as you go. Look Up Each School’s SAT Info Start by Googling â€Å"PrepScholar [name of school] SAT score† - the first non-ad link that comes up should be the one you want. An example of what your search results will look like - the first link that pops up here is the right one! The page will have the average SAT score and the 25th/75th percentile scores for students accepted to that particular school. Take down these numbers for each school. A 25th percentile score means that 25% of students at the school have a score at or below that number. A 75th percentile score means that 75% of students at the school have a score at or below that number Students with 75th percentile scores or above for a particular school usually have a good shot at getting in, barring any major with other parts of their application. Students with 25th percentile scores or below usually have other strong application components (e.g. high GPA, great essays) to boost their chances. Calculate the New SAT Score Out of 1600 Before you calculate your personal passing score, you need to convert the info from these pages to the current SAT scoring system. You can do this by taking each score and multiplying by â…”. Then, round to the nearest multiple of 10. If you took down a score of 1870, for example, you’d multiply by â…” to get 1247. Round to the nearest 10 to get 1250. Set Your Benchmark â€Å"Passing† Score This step is perhaps a bit more subjective, and as such, will vary by student - of course it’s important to use your best judgment when establishing your own benchmark scores. If you want to come to a passing SAT score, you’ll want to look at a school’s 25th percentile SAT scores. This is far from a safe bet, however - your chances of getting in will heavily depend on the strength of the rest of your application if your SAT score is at or around the 25th percentile. If your GPA is lower than average for a particular school, for example, your SAT score would have to be higher in order to make up for it. Ultimately, I think that the best SAT score to aim for isn’t the â€Å"passing† score, but a score that will help you stand out as a strong applicant. The 75th percentile is a sweet spot because you’d be more competitive (in terms of SAT scores) than  ¾ of students who are accepted to the school. Side note: If your typical SAT score is higher than the 75th percentile score, you might want to consider looking at more competitive schools - you want to aim as high as you reasonably can here (more competitive schools often mean better reputations, which tend to lead to better outcomes). Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here’s how to calculate both passing and ideal SAT score benchmarks for yourself: Take the averages of the scores you collected for each school. First the average of the 25th percentile scores, then the average of the 75th percentile scores. The 25th percentile average is your â€Å"passing† goal score - the minimum you should be aiming for. The 75th percentile score is your target score - the score that has a great chance of getting you accepted to the colleges on your list. What If You’re Worried About Your Ideal Score, or Even Your Passing Score? If the scores you’ve calculated seem intimidatingly high, don’t panic just yet! There are a few important things to keep in mind. First, your target score (the 75th percentile average) is an ideal goal. It’s supposed to be higher than what you’re scoring now (or maybe even what you think you can score), so don't panic even if it's considerably more than 100 points higher than your current score. If you’re already at or above that 75th percentile mark, it's a sign that you might be selling yourself short - consider looking at more competitive schools. On the other hand, if even the 25th percentile benchmark seems too high, consider re-evaluating your list of schools. You might want to look at colleges that are slightly less competitive. How to Pass the SAT: Tips and Strategies I’m going to split this section up into two parts meant for two different types of students: low-scorers and high-scorers. Here, I’m defining score parameters by the national performance standards: high scorers are at about 1200 and above (75th percentile nationally), whereas low scorers are at about 840 and below (25th percentile nationally). If your performance is closer to the average (1000), check out both sections and follow the guidelines that you find most useful. Let's move on to everything you need to know about how to pass the SAT. Worried about where to start? The following sections will help get you started in the right direction. Guidance for Low Scorers It’s hard to know where to start with prep if your scores are relatively low - how do you know what your primary issues are if you feel like you’re having a lot of trouble with the test? The biggest issue for low scorers is often significant gaps in content knowledge, so identifying and filling these gaps is often the first step for effective SAT prep. Other mistakes may be due to: Running out of time Misunderstanding the question Running out of time Careless errors Before you can practice effectively, it’s important to analyze and understand your mistakes - that is, figuring out which of the above issues are your biggest weaknesses before taking steps to address them. You’ll have to invest some time in some serious self-analysis involving a baseline to work from. Here are best practices for getting a solid baseline score and gaining info on your weaknesses: Take a full, timed, diagnostic practice test. Take note of which questions you missed. Tally the reasons for each incorrect question: Content Gap: Did you not have the information you needed to answer correctly? Timing Issue: Would you have gotten the question correct if you hadn’t run out of time? Question Misunderstanding: Would you have gotten the question correct if the question had been more clear? Careless Error: Would you have gotten the question correct if you had spent an extra couple of seconds checking your work? If you find that content knowledge is your biggest problem, you’ll want to turn to your class notes, textbooks, and SAT prep books for review - not just SAT practice materials. We also have a bunch of SAT content guides to get you started: 5 Tips for SAT Writing and Language Ultimate SAT Math Prep Guide Step-by-step SAT Essay Guide Once you’ve conquered major content problems, you can hone in on specific content areas and work on careless errors and timing issues. You’ll find tips for addressing those problems in the next section. Guidance for High Scorers If you’re fairly happy with your score but want to bring it up to the next level, you probably have a general idea of where your major strengths and weaknesses are on the SAT. With a relatively high score, you’re probably pretty strong on content overall. High scorers usually lose points due to these three issues: Carelessness: loss of focus leading to silly mistakes. Timing Problems: you simply run out of time to give each question its due. Minor Content Gaps: small areas of knowledge that you haven’t mastered 100%. If you want to approach that ideal target score, you should attack each of these issues. I’ll address each of these problems in this section, but you may want to check out our detailed guide for high scorers for more info. Carelessness It’s pretty easy to identify a question you’ve missed due to carelessness. You get that horrible feeling when you recognize that you would have gotten the question right, if only you’d paid a tiny bit more attention. Careless mistakes often occur when students aren’t actively reading. Start focusing your attention with these tips: Double-read each question and underline important words. Take notes on passages. In the math section, mark up diagrams with important info and write out your arithmetic. Double- check your answer before marking it down. Let’s avoid silly mistakes when possible, shall we? Timing Issues Running out of time at the end of sections? First, spend less time on easy questions - just keep an eye out for those careless errors. Next, skip tough questions and come back to them later. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t guess if you’re out of time (there’s no guessing penalty, so you should definitely guess). If you’ve still got plenty of time to work through the section, though, mark the problem question and come back to it later. Filling in Content Gaps Before you can work on filling in content gaps, you have to determine where these gaps actually are. This means identifying which questions you get wrong in your practice, and more importantly, why you get them wrong. You can start this process by going over all your mistakes after each practice session. Keep a careful tally of each content area every time you identify an error (hint: most content errors happen on the math section). Once you figure out which content areas give you the most trouble, use your class notes, textbooks, or reliable SAT prep book to review this content. Come back and do more practice problems in this area until you’re confident in your understanding. Summary: How to Pass the SAT Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer when it comes to figuring out a passing score on the SAT. It’s different for each student - your idea of a passing or ideal score may even change over time as you continue to improve with dedicated SAT prep. The important thing is that you put in the research to figure out what schools you’re interested in and what you need to do to get there. The good news is that regardless of whether you’re a relatively low scorer or a relatively high scorer, there are plenty of things you can do to address your weaknesses to boost your performance. What’s Next? There are a lot of helpful materials available if you’re worried about â€Å"passing† the SAT. For an overview, read our guide with 15 tips for improving your SAT score. If you need a fun, refreshing way to study, learn about the six best SAT prep games. Maybe you’re looking for more detailed information. If that’s the case, check out our ultimate study guide for SAT prep. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Using If-Then-Else and Switch in Conditional Statements

Using If-Then-Else and Switch in Conditional Statements Conditional statements in a computer program support decisions based on a certain condition. If the condition is met, or true, a certain piece of code is executed. For example, you want to convert user-entered text to lowercase. Execute the code only if the user entered capitalized text. If not, you dont want to execute the code because it will lead to a runtime error. There are two main conditional statements used in Java:  the if-then and  if-then-else statements, and the switch statement. The If-Then and If-Then-Else Statements The most basic flow control statement in Java is if-then: if [something] is true, do [something]. This statement is a good choice for simple decisions. The basic structure of an if statement starts with the word if, followed by the statement to test, followed by curly braces that wrap the action to take if the statement is true. It looks like this: if (  statement  ) {// do something here....} This statement can also be extended to do something else if the condition is false: if (  statement  ) { // do something here...}else {// do something else...} For example, if you are determining whether someone is old enough to drive, you might have a statement that says if your age is 16 or older, you can drive; else, you cannot drive. int age 17;if age 16 {System.out.println(You can drive.);}else  {System.out.println(You are not old enough to drive.) There is no limit to the number of else statements you can add.   Conditional Operators In the example above, we used a single operator. These are the standard operators you can use: equal to: less than: more than: greater than or equal to: less than or equal to: In addition to these, there are four more operators used with conditional statements: and: not:!  or: ||is equal to:    For example, the driving age is considered to be from age 16 to age 85, in which case the AND operator can be used. else if ( age 16   age 85 ) This will return true only if both conditions are met. The operators NOT, OR, and IS EQUAL TO can be used in a similar way. The Switch Statement The switch statement provides an effective way to deal with a section of code that could branch in multiple directions based on a single variable. It does not support the conditional operators the if-then statement does, nor can it handle multiple variables. It is, however, a preferable choice when the condition will be met by a single variable because it can improve performance and is easier to maintain.   Heres an example: switch ( single_variable ) {case value://code_here;break;case value://code_here;break;default://set a default;} Note that you start with the switch, provide a single variable and then set out your choices using the term case. The keyword break completes each case of the switch statement. The default value is optional, but good practice. For example, this switch prints the lyric of the song  Twelve Days of Christmas  given a provided day. int day 5; String lyric ;  // empty string to hold the lyric switch (day) {case 1: lyric A partridge in a pear tree.;break;case 2:lyric 2 turtle doves;break;case 3:lyric 3 French hens;break;case 4:lyric 4 calling birds;break;case 5:lyric 5 gold rings;break;case 6:lyric 6 geese-a-laying;break;case 7:lyric 7 swans-a-swimming;break;case 8:lyric 8 maids-a-milking;break;case 9:lyric 9 ladies dancing;break;case 10:lyric 10 Lords-a-leaping;break;case 11:lyric 11 pipers piping;break;case 12:lyric 12 drummers drumming;break;default:lyric There are only 12 days.;break;}System.out.println(lyric); In this example, the value to test is an integer. Java SE 7 and later support a string object in the expression. For example:String day second;String lyric ;  // empty string to hold the lyric switch (day) {case first:lyric A partridge in a pear tree.;break;case second:lyric 2 turtle doves;break;case third:lyric 3 French hens;break;// etc.

How Cultural Differences Between Parent and Host Country Can Affect Essay

How Cultural Differences Between Parent and Host Country Can Affect Business Communication Process of an Organization - Essay Example The Western companies have shown tremendous interest regarding the expansion of business in the Middle East and the Eastern countries because of the emerging market. The international business that the companies have emphasized in the modern world can have strong effects. A bad choice of a country can increase the risks associated with the financial losses and it can also reduce the opportunities for success. There are many reasons due to which the risks associated with businesses arise in host countries. Issues related to the political factor, economic factor, social factor, technological factor and legal factor have the severe impact on business. The differences in the culture with respect to business between a parent country and the host country are the essential reason behind the risks and lack of opportunities. The market entry decisions made by the companies play the very crucial role against the risks associated with cultural differences. This essay illustrates the effects of cultural differences between parent and host country on business communication. Cultural aspects of different countries have the significant impact on the sustainability as well as the profitability of business corporations. The business culture in the western countries is significantly different from that of the eastern world. The major growing business markets such as India and China have several different approaches with respect to business culture. The business practices and culture of China differ greatly from other countries, such as Canada, USA, Australia and UK. In order to initiate a business in China, the essential factor is to understand the business etiquette. Understand the business etiquette and the socio-economic culture can lead organizations to success. There are several challenges that the managers of the Australian companies had to face based on managing employees.

Active Directory - a Contemporary Network Management Techniques Research Paper

Active Directory - a Contemporary Network Management Techniques - Research Paper Example The network administrator can have right of entry for the majority trees in the forest together with a definite end user's domain. On the other hand, the end user, at the same time as capable to access his/her personal domain is not capable to access additional trees. The whole discussion outlines that active directories are an enormous method to systematize a huge organization’s computers data and network. Without the utilization of an active directory, the majority end users would have computers that would require to be updated separately and would not have right of entry to the main network where data can be processed and reports can be produced. Despite the fact that active directories are tremendously technical and have need of many skills to find the way, they are indispensable to keeping information and data on networks. Mostly large organizations handle right of entry to their employee network and security policies by means of Microsoft Active Directory. Several are satisfied with the system, however a number of states it's complicated and also hard to employ. â€Å"One confront is having the time and capabilities to actually describe Active Directory consequently it's reliable and facilitates   the organizations to put group rules that work for IT and the users," stated Mark Cardono, an IT expert for the Shore Educational Collaborative, a Chelsea, Mass.-based special needs school serving 10 districts in Massachusetts. The AD provides the network management facility is a hierarchical arrangement, as well as this arrangement, is typical changes into 3 major groups, those are given below: - Network resources. The resources can be printers or some other hardware. - Services. These services are for the end-users like that web-based email servers. - Objects. These objects are the major functions of the network domain. In this scenario, when this takes place wrongly, the Active Directory arrangement is not extremely tolerant. Setting the incorrect rights in the incorrect hands could guide to an entire reconstruction of an organization’s network domain.

Ideal Male Behavior in European Medieval Culture Essay

Ideal Male Behavior in European Medieval Culture - Essay Example On his part the Cid stands out as an ideal representative of what is masculine. The events that follow serves to illustrate the ideal male behavior based on the medieval Spain culture through the Cid’s character is contrasted that of the Infantes. During this period, it is evident that men are supposed to be brave even when their lives are at risk. The youthful Infantes of Carrion are in a testing period of time during their stay with the Cid who had already proven himself as the hero through his exploits that brought a lot of success in battlefield and wealth. During the period, a man proved his worth in the battle field through heroic actions when called upon to protect the community. The Infantes of Carrion are called upon to prove their worth in two occasions, when the lion brakes free and when the moors attacked. Since the Cid had given his daughters to them, they were not only supposed to be brave during the times of attacks but to be loyal to the Cid through championing of his course whenever a chance arises (Third Cantar 144). The Infantes of Carrion are given the first opportunity to prove themselves worthy of marring the Cid’s daughters in the event when the lion escapes from it cage. This incidence was a good chance for the infantes of Carrion to be brave and protect their father in law but instead â€Å"great fear seized them in the middle of the hall. While Cid’s men prepared to defend their lord, Fernando Gonzalez crawled under the Cid’s couch while Diego Gonzalez ran out screaming that he will never see his home again and hid behind the wine press (Third Cantar 144). The Cid as the embodiment of what is masculine wakes up to find his loyal men surrounding his couch and moves to take control of the situation his brave approach makes the lion docile and he taken back to the cage. The way the people celebrates the Cid’s actions while at the same time jeering the Infantes of Carrions, shows that the medieval cultur e respected heroic behavior while they looked down upon cowardice. The ability to fight and be victorious in the battlefield is one of the most celebrated, masculine traits in the medieval culture. Fighting provided an opportunity for men to add and secure territorial control in addition to protecting their own and lord’s lives. Therefore, men were expected to be courageous, tough and aggressive which was necessary for them to exercise their skills in the use of weapons such as lance and swords. However, the Infantes of Carrion seeks to take advantage of other people’s heroic wins in the battle field to gain wealth seen from the way the take advantage of their relationship with the Cid. To shame the Infantes of Carrion, each of the Cid’s vassals recounts his part in the war while mocking the Infantes since they were not seen during the battle (Third Cantar 155). The period also took pride in a man‘s personal gains and contributions to society as opposed to the privileges with what one was born. The Infantes of Carrion thought that since they were from a royal lineage in Carrion, a marriage to the daughters of Cid was below them (Third Cantar 157). After the Infantes of Carrion beat the daughters of Cid and are taken to court, it is ruled that they were guilty and as punishment, they were to return the gifts and all the wealth that they were given by the Cid in addition to the nullification of their marriage with the daughters of Cid. King Alfonzo proves the Cid had acquired a higher social status when he gives consent for the daughters of

Fort Blount, Tennesseee Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fort Blount, Tennesseee - Essay Example This cave has limited access to the public due to the various issues associated with it; among them being health related ones; and, in this case, the effects of radon upon exposure. In this paper, therefore, our main focus will be on identification of the location of the site, the description of the cave as well as its formation to the famous and great feature it is today. The big bone cave is a Monteagle limestone cave that was formed around 2117B.C, its nearest city being Bone Cave, Tennessee. The directions to the cave are simple; the location of the bone cave state natural area and rock island state park is between Sparta and McMinnville. In order to reach rock island state park one is to take Hwy 70S to Hwy 136, continue for about a mile then turn left on Hwy Rock Island. From this point, the distance remaining is about three miles to the entrance of the park that holds the cave. Cumberland Plateau on which the bone cave is located is covered with limestone, sandstone that are resistant to the agents of erosion, and it is, therefore, difficult for the cave to get affected or even risk getting affected. The cave, on the other hand, is also covered with highly resistant and impermeable rocks to offer it protection. The caves that have continued to form on the plateau escarpment are as a result of the streams that have continued to flow on the surfa ce of the escarpment, thereby eroding the cap rock slowly by slowly. The continuous flow of the streams on the surface of the plateau escarpment leads to the exposure of the limestone, and with time complete erosion occurs. It is as a result of this erosion that caves such as the big bone, form; as a result of the erosion of the plateau escarpment. This also explains the location of the big bone cave, which is at the bottom of the plateau escarpment that once existed but then later on eroded to come up with the cave. In the case of the big bone cave, the stream that eroded the plateau escarpment was the

Minor Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Minor Paper - Essay Example identify that there are issues around the financial control, particularly the bank reconciliation and capacity and skill level in financial reporting. The 2013 financial statements were not submitted in time (Mulgan, 2013). The finance director informed me that this was due to the late implementation of the regulatory assurance approach and the way the new external auditor was conducting their work with rigor. During the review, the management issued me with the draft of the Price Water-house Coopers management letter in relation to the year ended 31st December 2013, which has twenty recommendations to the financial administration. It points out a number of areas in financial administration within the department that needs improvement. These include the general level of skills, capacity and competence reporting of the financial across the department is not at the level they should be in light with the government expansion and the increasing complexity in reporting of the financial statements (Parliament of Australia, 2007). Close observation of the financial statements of the department reveals that the department has not demonstrated a consistent and disciplined approach to bank reconciliation. This was noted in the external auditor’s management letter and acknowledged by the department. The other area of the review is the supplier and the professional services that are carried out by the department. It was not practicable for the review to look at the entire procurement practices with the department and all those for the government, but focused on the issues in board minutes. The board minutes indicated that there had been procedural irregularities in respect to certain contracts of the department and the government lets and that the extent of irregularities was a notch higher in the department (Business Council of Australia, 2008). My procedural review into the discrepancies of the procurement procedures also revealed so. I came to realize that there were

Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Decision Making - Essay Example most viable when time is of essence in arriving at quick recommendations and when the decision-maker has established vast experience and expertise that warrants knowledge of the potential outcomes of the decision to be made. Still, most women have been proven to have practiced making decisions based on gut-feel and relying merely on perceptions. In one’s personal experience, decision-making follows the rational decision making process where there are clearly stipulated steps that are structured and where one is expected to adhere to. This has been proven to be most effective in one’s personal and professional experiences in life due to the objectivity it accords me, as the decision-maker, to see various options on a factual perspective; and to have generated the most effective recommendations that have been agreeable or amenable to those affected by the decisions on a longer time frame. Likewise, as emphasized in the discourse entitled â€Å"Why Being Certain Means Being Wrong† there is an evident feeling of â€Å"certainty, in the form of the calm feeling of knowing, (which can ultimately) replace the tension of not knowing† (par. 3). Thus, through rational decision making, one ultimately attains a feeling of sublime calmness in the certainty that the selected course of action is the one that is most plausible, more leaning to accuracy and correctness and the least fallible to error. In a more generalized form, one’s rational decision-making process follows these crucial phases: (1) defining or clearly stating the problem (not the symptoms but the root or main predicament); (2) identifying one’s alternative courses of action (which also includes not doing anything, which is called status quo; and other viable options); (3) using cognitive or analytical tools in evaluating each option (such as enumerating benefits versus costs or advantages versus disadvantages, at the most simplest form; SWOT analysis, if needed; ethical, moral and legal considerations;

Minor Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Minor Paper - Essay Example identify that there are issues around the financial control, particularly the bank reconciliation and capacity and skill level in financial reporting. The 2013 financial statements were not submitted in time (Mulgan, 2013). The finance director informed me that this was due to the late implementation of the regulatory assurance approach and the way the new external auditor was conducting their work with rigor. During the review, the management issued me with the draft of the Price Water-house Coopers management letter in relation to the year ended 31st December 2013, which has twenty recommendations to the financial administration. It points out a number of areas in financial administration within the department that needs improvement. These include the general level of skills, capacity and competence reporting of the financial across the department is not at the level they should be in light with the government expansion and the increasing complexity in reporting of the financial statements (Parliament of Australia, 2007). Close observation of the financial statements of the department reveals that the department has not demonstrated a consistent and disciplined approach to bank reconciliation. This was noted in the external auditor’s management letter and acknowledged by the department. The other area of the review is the supplier and the professional services that are carried out by the department. It was not practicable for the review to look at the entire procurement practices with the department and all those for the government, but focused on the issues in board minutes. The board minutes indicated that there had been procedural irregularities in respect to certain contracts of the department and the government lets and that the extent of irregularities was a notch higher in the department (Business Council of Australia, 2008). My procedural review into the discrepancies of the procurement procedures also revealed so. I came to realize that there were

Private sector bank Essay Example for Free

Private sector bank Essay 1. Difference of recruitment Public sector banks recruit mainly through bank exams and public notices. Private banks, on the other hand, prefer campus placements and referrals. For entry level jobs too, private banks usually go through campus placements. You would seldom find a public notice issued by a private bank for recruitments. 2. Difference of vacancies Public sector banks go by the vacancy rules laid by the government. There is a certain portion of vacancies reserved for OBCs and SC/STs. There are no reservations in private sector banks. The reservations make it harder to find a job in a public sector bank. 3. Difference in growth One of the banes of public sector banks is slow growth. If you get recruited at the entry level in a public sector bank, you would take forever to reach the higher levels. There are certain rules for promotion and salary is fixed according the level you are working at. Promotions in public sector banks are usually not done on merit, but other criteria laid down by the government. On the other hand, growth can be fast and robust in a private sector bank job. In the private sector, you get promotions on merit, and if you are good, sky is the limit for you. 4. Difference in working environment Largely, the working environment of private and public sector banks is the same. However, private sector banks are largely more competitive than the public sector banks, although that situation is changing fast. In a private sector bank, you usually have to meet tough targets, and adhere to the deadlines. You could be working longer hours very often in private sector banks in order to meet your targets and deadlines. The environment is more relaxed in a public sector bank, but that by no means implies you do not have work in the public sector. 5. Difference in pay scale Largely, the pay scale in private and public sector banks is the same. However, according to recent studies done on the field, it has been seen that public sector banks pay more compared to private sector banks, when the working hours are taken into consideration. However, since the growth in public sector banks can be slow, the advantage of higher pay scale is usually negated. As for the question, whether to work in a private sector or a public sector bank, the difference between both the sectors is fast diminishing. If you have a choice, go for a bank that offers opportunities for growth, which could be a public sector bank or a private sector bank too.

Global Business And Culture Analysis Of Croatia Cultural Studies Essay

Global Business And Culture Analysis Of Croatia Cultural Studies Essay The analysis of the cultural perspectives of doing business in this paper is concentrated on the outline of the culture of graduate students taking Business Administration in Croatia an U.S as this group is the one that will gradually assume the leading role in the Croatian and American economy and business community. The research gives comprehensive understanding of dimensions and elements of culture in Croatia and America, how these elements and dimensions are integrated by locals conducting business and lastly the implications of US businesses that wish to conduct business in Croatia. In order be unbiased in the generalization of the findings, simple random sampling was used to select the respondents for this study. Comparison of cultures has been done through measuring their magnitude (Hofstede, 2001). Nevertheless, the magnitudes used to weigh against cultures are usually not physical dimensions but, rather are dealings of the attitudes and values that dissimilar cultures contain. Some of the dimensions of culture were those developed by Ali Alshawi (2005) which include: (1) Uncertainty avoidance (2) Power Distance (3) Masculinity/femininity (4) Individualism/collectivism (5) Confucian Dynamism (6) Universalism- Particularism, (7) Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations(8) Achievement vs. Ascription (9) Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy (10) Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian (11) Harmony vs. Mastery (13) Communal Sharing Relationships (14) Authority Ranking Relationships (15) Equality Matching Relationships (16) Market Pricing Relationships. Investigation was conducted to establish the measurement of the customs which resulted in momentous level of sway in the viewpoints of conducting trade. The report of graduate scholars who are enrolled in Business Administration might not necessarily signify a real picture of the typical or universal outline of the business customs in Croatia, hence becoming a constraint to the study. The paper concludes by proposing the right moves in business that can be made in order to make a successful transaction. Key words Culture, cultural dimensions, business environment Introduction Culture can be defined as the way of life of people including language, sciences and art, their interaction, spirituality as well as their social activity, convections, protocols and their negotiations (Shahla, 2002). In order to make sure that people work together proficiently and together towards business objectives in a positive and motivating environment, they need to be aware of the existence and importance of both a corporate culture and international culture. In foreign countries, getting everybody to work together might not be very easy. Apart from language issues, different countries have different approaches to work. Some cultures take offense of certain comments. A Christmas party might not be seen too keen by non-Christian religions. Cultural sets of beliefs and differences cannot be easily changed or overcome (Hofstede, 1991). But it is important for any business owner or manager to be aware of them and how they impact their business. This will help to adjust to them and improve efficiency, profitability and success of business. Problem statement Culture is defined as the standards and manners of a group of people or community. Culture also determines how a country does business that. Understanding the difference in cultures of different county is a step in succeeding business in a foreign country. This research paper was aimed at establishing different cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. Objective The main objective of the research was to ascertain the cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. This objective was achieved through the following specific research objectives. To determine the major elements of dimensions of culture in Croatia. To ascertain how dimensions of culture are integrated by locals in business. To assess the difference in Croatian and US culture and Business. To determine the implication of US business wishing to be conducted in Croatia. Significance of the study The study provided an understanding of Croatian culture which is indispensable when it comes to successfully running business in Croatia. Limitation of the study As far as this study is concerned the challenge presented here in is that the profile of the scholars may not give a real scenario of the business as far as culture is concerned in America and Croatia (Hofstede, 2001). Financial constraints led to selection of a small sample size which might not be an entire representation of the entire population. Literature review Culture defined From the perspective of a humanist, the one Mathew Arnold used the word culture to pass on to an ideal of individual human refinement, of the finest that has been thought and said in the world.  This idea of culture is comparable to the  German concept of  building: According to an anthropologist Kroeber and Kluckhohn culture can be defined as: Consisting or else being made up of implicit as well as explicit patterns, and behavior transmitted and acquired through symbols with different achievements from groups of human beings (McCoy, 2003).   As a replacement for defining culture as a kind of knowledge, McGrew suggests that Culture can be looked into as a number of steps which may include the following (i) a novel prototype of performance is made-up, or else one which is already existing is modified. (ii) Modernizer transforms this prototype to another one. (iii) A kind of the prototype is steady across and within players, conceivably even in terms of identifiable features considered stylistic. (iv) One who obtains the prototype keeps the capability to do it long post acquiring it. (v) The prototype extends across units which constitute a population e.g. troops, clans, or bands just to mention but a few. (vi) The prototype bears transversely generations There exist three kinds of culture which are of great significance according to Ali Alshawi (2004a). They include; national culture which includes several core values meant to shape the individuals behavior and the entire society not forgetting organizational culture (Adler 1997; Bagchi and Cerveny 2003). Finally, there exist a level of individual culture according to Dorfman and Howell (1988). Their study shows the impact of national civilization on the behavior of an individual. The business civilization of a particular country is as a result of a number causes from its present and past which are so abnormal such that they can never be finally and fully explained or understood. Overview of Croatian culture Croatia became a constituent republic of the Federative Popular Republic of Yugoslavia after the Second World War, which inherited the ex-Yugoslav kingdom with art governed by the canon of socialist realism and science and education governed by the canon of dialectic and historical materialism. Self-management system was introduced in 1950s. Cultural and other public domains were decentralized and regulated on the level of the six constituent republics. Modernization and the global openness of the country brought various cultural influences. Ideological control over culture loosened, followed by a national movement in which cultural and educational institutions played a visible role. Despite the ensuing political repression the public policies led to greater autonomy of the republics in the federation. The current government was appointed in 2009, after the political shifts caused by resignation of the former prime minister (2004-2009). Greek, Roman and Byzantine are the blends of Croatia, the majority of the population is Croats. Minorities include Serbs, Hungarians and Gypsies. Although Croatia is a sovereign nation, it has a unique culture that has been driven numerous civilizations and empires. It is well known for the rich culture it has, natural beauty, and many national parks and successful tourism industry. Ethics Ethics is the common agreed upon practice of different moral principles or values. It concentrates on the general nature of morals and the specific moral choice an individual makes in relationship to others. It represents the rules and/or standards governing the conduct of the member of a profession. The context of this inquiry will be ethics applied to business. Business ethics in Croatia is perceived as good. In business operation, the regulations are not violated massively, especially in transactions with domestic partners. As far as the accomplishment of contract obligations are concerned, the impression is good. Religion Croatians are mainly Roman Catholic, with small percentages of Uniates (Eastern Orthodox Christians, recognizing the pope), Protestants, and Muslims. Some pre-Christian essentials have been included into Christian practices and beliefs. Other influences on Croatian religious beliefs and practices have come from European and Near Eastern cultures, from rural and urban traditions alike, resulting in an amalgam of different heritages. Sacred and religious aspects of traditional culture were neglected during the Socialist period because religion was relegated solely to the private sphere of life. Catholic Church has a role to play as far as Croatian society is concerned. The pastor participates significantly in the countrys culture as well as education education. Croatians are particularly loyal to Blessed Virgin Mother Mary. There exist asylums all over the nation state put up in her honor. Every town and village has a supporter saint and that saints feast day is distinguished with a ch urch and parade rite. Some of the rural communities still do have a conventional beacon on their supporter saints day. Many specialized persons also do have their own supporter saint. Religious conviction is a key in uniting the culture of Croatian, greater part of the Croatians is subscribed to Roman Catholic. During a Roman Catholic holiday, commercial activities close. Patrons of each and every town and city in Croatia lead the celebration of saints holiday. The Catholic Church has for ages aided the development of Croatias history and culture, it carrys on to be seen in everyday Croatian life. National Pride Croatians love their heritage and country and when criticized they take it very personally. Hence, Croatians at one time can be seen as being proud, pretentious and may seem haughty to foreigners. Nationalists Croats can be considered as extremely self-important of their custom and ethnicity and hence are considered to be staunch nationalists. Croats refer their nation as Our Beautiful Homeland (Lijepa naÃ…Â ¡a).This emerges that it is the same title as that one of the national anthem of their country. The intellect of patriotism emerges both from their extended and wealthy civilization as well as a inheritance of foreign control and invasion. Folklore plays an important part in culture preservation. Life understanding is transformed into poetic songs, verse, fairy tales, melodies, symbolic rituals, costumes, dance, music as well as jewellery just to mention but a few. Poems and Folksongs frequently show to the feeling and consider between members of the family. Social structure In as far as this society is concerned; the family still remains to be the basic unit of the society. Extended family is also recognized in this society and the members remains very close to each other. Basic commodities as well as security to some extent, is provided by the family to its members. Weekends are well thought-out as time meant to be spent by the members of the family together. This society values family to an extent that they will not allow business matters to interfere with their family lives. Dimensions of culture According to McCoy (2003), the highly considered concept of culture is the dimensions of culture by Hofstede. An all-encompassing dimensions of culture were projected by Alshawi and Ali (2005) using a normative review of literature in the field of culture. These dimensions are labeled: (1) Uncertainty avoidance (2) Power Distance (3) Masculinity/femininity (4) Individualism/collectivism (5) Confucian Dynamism (6) Universalism- Particularism, (7) Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations(8) Achievement vs. Ascription (9) Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy (10) Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian (11) Harmony vs. Mastery (13) Communal Sharing Relationships (14) Authority Ranking Relationships (15) Equality Matching Relationships (16) Market Pricing Relationships. Hofstede identified four dimensions: Uncertainty avoidance (UA) Vagueness evasion echoes or rather shows a cultures acceptance of vagueness and reception of menace. Degree to which community in a nation state prefers prearranged over formless situations: from relatively flexible to extremely rigid. Power Distance (PD) Power distance refers to the sharing of power within a society. Extent of disparity in the midst of people, which the inhabitants of a nation state do consider as normal: from relatively equal to extremely unequal. Masculinity/femininity (MF) The masculinity femininity measurement does explain the extent to which cultures overriding values are nurturing or assertive. Individualism/collectivism (IC) Extend to which persons in nation gain knowledge of acting as an individual instead of collective members of a cluster, moving to individualist from collectivist. Referred in this dimension is how individuals identify and relate with others. Individual attention compared to group interests dominates in an individualistic culture. It is therefore evident that the links in between are very tight. Communities ensure that they do take care of entire community. That is the elderly and the young. Masakazu (1994) defines modern individualism as a vision of humankind that gives good reason for internal unilateral self-assertion and beliefs, as well as antagonism based on these. In a communalist society, the considerations of the group triumph upon the attention of the personality. People are incorporated into strong and cohesive in-groups that carry on throughout a life span to defend in exchange for unthinking loyalty. Variation is displayed in who is considered when goals are set. In nonco nformist societies, goals are set with negligible deliberation given to groups other than possibly your direct family. In communalist societies, other crowds are taken into consideration seriously when goals are set. Individualist societies are freely incorporated; communalist societies are strongly incorporated (McGrew, 1998). One tends to define people by what they have done, their accomplishments, what kind of car they have. The question is do we function in a group or as individuals? Cultures of communitarism stress common goals and collective work (teamwork), while cultures of individualism value more individual success and creativity. Confucian Dynamism The fifth dimension of culture was acknowledged by Bond and Hofstede (1984). It is also tagged as long term vs. short term life orientations. This dimension portrays cultures that vary from values that have a short duration in relation to customs and reciprocity in relations in the society to values that are persistent and order a relationship on the criteria. The extent to which, communities or rather citizens promote collective harmony and welfare, resulting in psychological collectivism. Trompenaars (1993) defines the following dimensions: Universalism-Particularism The extent to which, communities or rather citizens weigh against generalist rules about what is right with more situation-specific relationship obligations and unique circumstances. In the context of business, what is of importance is regarded to be individuals behavior Particularism is the lower level in this type of dimension which implies giving inclination to an approach that is flexible for each specific problem Whereas universalism is the higher level of this dimension, it has the meaning of being strict in observing rules and other set standards. Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations The extent to which, communities or rather citizens weigh against objective and detached interactions with interactions where emotions is more readily expressed. In the neutral concept, emotions are barred from being displayed or shown. Where as in the effective concept, displaying emotions in a business relationship is acceptable Specific vs. Diffuse Orientations The extent to which communities in are engaged in a business relation and encounters are marked and set apart both in private and work. What matters is the acceptance of specific responsibilities assigned. The higher level of this dimension is diffuse where various relations interwoven compared to the lower level specific in which there is little intermixing of private relations Achievement vs. Ascription The extent to which, communities or rather citizens consider individual achievements as a measure with those where an individual is give specific status on the basis of membership to a group or birth grounds etc In the concept of achievement, status is got when an individual shows competence unlike in ascription where its achieved though a recognized status in title, gender, age, hierarchy, etc Schwartz (1994), defined the following dimensions: Conservatism vs. Affective/intellectual autonomy It is the extent to which citizen insist on maintaining the initial status (conservatism) or intellectual autonomy gaining pleasure and a life that is exiting Culture Dimension Definition Hierarchy vs. Egalitarian It is the extent to which individuals consider equality and freedom as a distress to others (Egalitarian), vs. Hierarchy This emphasizes on the genuineness of flat resources and responsibilities Harmony vs. Mastery It is the extent to which citizen concerned with conquering impediments in a societal setup mastery versus the distressful point of view regarding unity with the natural set up and harmoniously being fit in the environment These dimensions were emphasized by Fiske (1992): Communal Sharing Relationships This perception is related to Hofstedes opinion of collectivism. It is the extent to which citizen see the members of a given cluster as equal and at times are quite unreceptive to those coming from outside of the cluster. Authority Ranking Relationships It is the extent to which citizen involve linearity in relationship ordering with higher ranking individuals who have the rights to make decisions, enjoys privilege and are responsible for individuals at the bottom in the hierarchy. According to Schwartz (1994), this idea does not correspond with Hofstadters conception of power distance Equality Matching Relationships It is the extent to which citizens emphasize on social equalities in relations. The community has knowledge of the inequalities. Market Pricing Relationships It is the extent to which individuals have their mentality fixed to investments and Perception of dominant business culture It was examined with Trompenaars replica of four different cultures. This included a framework built on two dimensions i.e. (1) Task orientation versus person and (2) Centralization or hierarchy versus decentralization or egalitarian implying power, role, project and fulfillment orientations Research Problem Following the Trompenaars model of four diversity cultures this study aimed to ascertain the cultural perspectives of doing business in Croatia. Research Methodology Probability sampling approach was used as the research method. This method had the advantage of non biasness in generalization of findings. The research used simple random sampling; the instruments for data capture were open ended questionnaires formulated using interpretive approach to look at cultural occurrences through Trompenaars model. Research Questions The research questions were how and in what ways might the cultural dimensions, and their elements of Croatian locals affect their perspectives of doing business and the implications of US businesses wishing to be conducted in Croatia. Research hypothesis Instead of developing a hypothesis, the research was underpinned to determine different perspectives of culture in the Croatian community in relation to doing business, Research sample To define the case, the research unit of analysis was the cultural perspectives of doing business in graduate students taking Business Administration from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Ljubljana in Croatia and Stanford Graduate school of Business Sample size University Sample Size Percentage University of Ljubljana 68 61.81% Stanford Graduate school of Business 42 38.19% Total 110 100% Answer to research Questions Question 1: what are the major elements and Dimensions of Culture in Croatia? For Universalism versus Particularism dimension: Croatians are individualistic, a practice that results in lack of understanding when relating in an organization and dealing with clients. Also, Croatians are used to television and other forms of media than reading magazines and the internet; this is as a result of their system of education. In the dimension Individualism vs. Communitarism, The cultural dimension affects the organizational staffing (organizations) more than people in the society. For Uncertainty avoidance dimension: Croatians have a need to work hard, provision of rules and regulations and observe punctuality For Power Distance dimension: the Croatian community have a view that is more power with those at senior most management levels ; although the organizational culture would have a view different from the insight of power distance This affect how clients are having their issues resolved since the rely on individuals high ranking in an organization as they are considered to be powerful For Masculinity/femininity dimension, Croatians are inclined to having very affectionate relationship which cultivates a tight association with family members and acquaintances which from time to time make them reliant on each other in making decisions. It has got the advantage or remaining in contact for a long time. For Confucian Dynamism Dimension: The Confucian work dynamism is now refereed to as long term orientation versus short term orientation to life. This dimension encompasses such principles as frugality, perseverance, having a sense of embarrassment, and an ordered relationship. Confucian work dynamism attributes to committed, aggravated, accountable, and knowledgeable people with a sense of dedication and organizational uniqueness and fidelity. Example of countries where long term orientation supports prudence, reservations, perseverance in achieving results and being willing to lessen oneself for a reason are South Korea, Japan, and Singapore On the other hand a short term orientation is in line with the expenditure to uphold the pressure from the society, less reservations, preferring immediate results and apprehension with a face Croatians build on the welfare of their family unit and that is the strongest affiliation according to their perception (Yin, 1994). Croatians in a working environment are inclined to have a high turn over, particularly in the private sector of the economy, since there is deficiency in competent staff. As a result it rises the cost incurred in staff training. For the Neutral vs. Emotional Relationship Orientations dimension: this dimension mostly influences the satisfaction of customers Croatians are inclined to be more emotional, and allow some space for mastery so that they can be contented when they feel happy and get concerned for; this is more connected to the treatment and at what time they feel that they are special to the organization. For the Specific vs. Diffuse Orientations dimension: Since Croatia is switching from an economy based on public sector to more private organizations, which have an effect on how Croatians perceive and their expectation regarding the quality or service. For the Achievement vs. Ascription dimension, Croatians have a propensity to try to get to a superior societal level as the traditions and norms give people more esteem according to which societal class they are from or have attained. For the Market Pricing Relationships dimension: Croatians are vigilant to prices and to them it is most important thing while considering a product being produced or services being offered For Structured or organized vs. unstructured or unorganized behavior: Croatians have a propensity to have a formless approach in their every day life; they like to adjust all the time even when it is coming to regulations and procedures in a working environment Regarding candidness to Others cultures, they show an open approach to acceptance of other peoples cultures and other principles and traditions. For the Internal vs. External (locus of control) dimension, Croatians have a strong attitude that they can have control over their destiny, which is without doubt consistent with the high levels of masculinism present in their culture Question 2: How are dimensions and elements of culture integrated by locals conducting business in Croatia? In doing business, Croatians integrate their culture in the following ways: They have long meetings which do not follow specific agenda Relationships are build only after negotiating business matters Chatting and any other form of small talks only surface after all negotiations in a meeting. Personal relationships in business is not encouraged hence an appropriate relationship that incorporates professionalism must be maintained. Education, experience that comes with status, knowledge and confidence are respected by Croatians. Superiors which are authoritative are highly valued. Success and major decisions an be made by an individual. No single person accepts the responsibility that is accompanied by failure. Decisions can be made without appropriate consultations. Flexible deadlines. Managers do not need to account for how and why decisions were reached. Question 3: What is the Comparison between the Croatian and US business Culture? The following differences arise between the Croatian and American cultures. In American culture: Meeting are short and with specific agenda Democratic leaders are valued Individuals accept responsibility of failure Consultation must be done before decision making Managers are accountable for decisions made Deadlines are strict In both cultures: Relationships are build only after negotiating business matters. Chatting and any other form of small talks only surface after all negotiations in a meeting. Personal relationships in business is not encouraged hence an appropriate relationship that incorporates professionalism must be maintained. Education, experience that comes with status, knowledge and confidence are respected. Question 4: What are the implications for US businesses that wish to conduct business in that region? In order to successfully do business in Croatia: Show respect to everybody. In addressing a colleague use the title and the first name. Avoid talks about money and problems as it depicts weak behaviors. Allow personal space. Speak directly and authoritatively. Do not criticize a Croatian but you can make suggestions. Religion war and ethnicity is never discussed. In summary cultural values are relatively stable in Croatia, for a foreigner in Croatia, the first impression is conveyed starting with courtesies and the first greeting. Frustration is avoided by knowing how and when decisions are made; acquainting one self with the outcomes of a meeting and understanding how women are engaged in into the business framework. Of importance is networking and Personal contacts in Croatian business culture than formal marketing techniques.