Monday, October 14, 2019

How did Television Sitcoms Change Gender Roles?

How did Television Sitcoms Change Gender Roles? How did television sitcoms change gender roles from late 50s to 60s? Television started to become a popular piece of entertainment for the family in the 50s. Television was one of the most important entertainment forms of device that entertained the family at home rather than going out[1]. As television got popular over the years, more and more people started to buy them for their house. Television took the place for piano, radio and phonograph[2]. Television was placed in the center of the family, where they would spend family time watching news to sitcoms. Television was the great family entertainer that brought mom, dad, and the kids together; while portraying different gender roles and social functions in a society[3]. Sitcoms in 1950s portrayed of having a perfect family, husband was the bread winner and the women was the house wife. Women were often showed in sitcoms as the family care of the family and also not expected to have a job. Sitcoms played a major role in the American society and played a biggest influence role on women throughout the years .1960s was the era where the perfect family construct was changed, where both men and women were shown of having jobs in sitcoms, which was different from 1950s. There was a big shift in the sitcoms, once it was shown to have a perfect family of one male worker in the family to showing both gender having a job. Television and sitcoms played a huge role into shaping up the future of the society. The American suburb was growing postwar era, a nuclear family was a basic social construct [4]. Sitcoms such as father knows best and leave it to beaver showed a perfect nuclear family construct. A womens job was to stay at home, take care of the family, cook, and make husband happy. In an episode from I love Lucy; Lucy was portrayed to follow her husbands commands. Where the man is the master, and the woman does what shes told (equal rights).ÂÂ   Usually women had to be obedient to their husbands, respect their opinion and always agree with their opinion.ÂÂ   Most of the sitcoms would show women at home taking care of the house instead of pursuing a career. A womans place is in home (leave it to beaver, Beavers house guest).ÂÂ   Sitcoms such as father knows best, Jane the mother, was always at home taking care of the children, cleaning, and making food; While the man had a different role A husband was the bread winner of the family[5]. In an episode from Father knows best, a young engineer had the ideal family vision of a hardworking man that worked hard all day that would come home to pretty wife. So when the day is over he can come home to some nice pretty wife (Betty, Girl Engineer).ÂÂ   There are many things that sitcoms portrayed about a suburban culture from Father knows best, I love Lucy, and Leave it to beaver that showed predominantly common gender role, where the husband was the bread winner and women was the home wife. Sitcom such as father knows the best played a perfect nuclear family that Americans dreamed of having. Jim played the role of the husband. He came home after work every day expecting dinner and the house to be clean. Since the men were the money provider for the family, they realized that supporting the family was hard at times. For example: in an episode Jim told the family Time has come for us to tighten our bills (The Mink Coat). This shows that Jim was the only money provider for the whole family, while the rest of the family did not know how to control their expenses. It got harder for Jim to balance the checks, since he was the only money provider for the house. In a way, Jim as a husband and father has to make his family happy but since he is the only worker of the family, sitcoms showed that man would work hard all day and come home to nice family, which was a stress reliever. While women on sitcoms had a different thinking that earning money was same as working in the home. Lucys character was mainly showed as naÃÆ'Â ¯ve, dumb, and careless with money. For example, in I love Lucy whats so tough about earning a living (Job Switching). Lucy thought that earning money was not hard, and it could be done by women as well. Sitcoms often showed that women were not mature when it came to money decision and work, while on the other had men were shown to be the mature responsible earner of the family. Sitcoms often showed women only doing the house work. They were not shown intelligent and were not encouraged to pursue any career.ÂÂ   For example: In an episode from fathers knows best in which betty signed up as wanting to be an engineer, one of bettys guy friend said but youre a girl (Betty, Girl Engineer) referring it to how men thought girls were not capable to do jobs like men. Even mothers would train their daughters to do house work and be a good wife. Youre joking (Betty, an engineer) Jane, mother of Betty took it as a joke that Betty was going to be an engineer. Sitcoms often showed that women were not expected to do big things in life such as work and earn a living. In an episode from I love Lucy, Ricky said Anybody can cook and do house work (Job Switching). Ricky the husband works in the kitchen and Lucy works in a chocolate factory. It showed in the episode how it was miserable for both the man and women to struggle for job switching. It referenced that women were better in the kitchen and man were better at earning a living. Sitcoms also showed that women were shown non intelligent even if they were working in a chocolate factory. In 1960s, there was a change in sitcoms, where women were not always shown working in the kitchen but they held some type of job on the side. Shows such as That Girl played an important role in the 1960s showing women were more than capable to work and handle house work. Ann was portrayed as a strong woman who is focused on her career. You got the job (Help Wanted) it was when Ann got a job as a secretary job. It was an important scene because it showed the viewers that women should advance in their careers instead of being a full time house wife.ÂÂ   Ann was a main character in the show, where she was portrayed as a hard working woman. Shows like That Girl, made women realize that they can be more independent. Sitcom such as That Girl tried to show that women should pursue their career instead of being rushed to their marriage and raising a family. Finally, Television played an important role in social life and gender life. Television transitioned the whole idea of gender roles. 1950s was a period of time where nuclear family was known as the dream family. In 1950s, men were the bread winner of the family and the women were the home taker of the house. The idea of nuclear family started to transition as time progressed. 1960s had a revolutionary change in sitcoms, women were shown having a job and taking care of the family, but before it was different where they were not shown to be working. Father knows best, I love Lucy, and Leave it to beaver showed how a typical family construct and showed the gender responsibility. Shows like that girl started to change the idea of a dream family and men and women were shown to be equal. Bibliography Primary sources: Father Knows the best. Betty, Girl Engineer April 11, 1956. Television Father Knows the best. The Mink Coat. April 11, 1956. Television Leave it to beaver, Beavers house guest. October 8, 1960. Television I love Lucy, job switching. September 15, 1952. Television I love Lucy, Equal Rights. October 26,1953. Television That girl, help wanted. October 20, 1966. Television Second Sources: Bogart, Leo. The Age of Television. 3rd ed., New York: Ungar, 1972. Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992. Print. [1] Bogart, Leo. The Age of Television. 3rd ed., New York: Ungar, 1972. [2] Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992. Print. [3] Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992. Print. [4] Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992. Print. [5] Spigel, Lynn. Make Room for TV: Television and the Family Ideal in Postwar America. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1992. Print.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Color Blindness Essay examples -- Abnormal Color Vision Color Deficien

Color Blindness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many people refer to problems with one’s ability to see color as color blindness, however, unless a person can’t see any color at all, color vision problems should be called by another term. Common terms are abnormal color vision, color deficiency and color vision confusion. Females maybe be effected by color blindness, but usually they are just carriers. Males are more often affected. About 8% of males and 0.5% of females are effected by color blindness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although color blindness may be a result of another eye disorder, the majority of color blind cases are hereditary and present at birth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The retina, is a complex nerve system which converts light energy into electrical energy that is then transmitted to the brain. This conversion is accomplished by two types of receptor cells in the retina called rods and cones do to their shape. The cones are responsible for converting the color. Each cone contains visual pigments that are sensitive to one of three wavelengths of light: red, green and blue. Normally, all colors of the spectrum are able to be matched by mixtures of only three color sensitivities. Therefore, the huge variety of colors we see are a response to different compositions of wavelengths of light. The rods are responsible for encoding white and black.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Color blindness results when one or more of the cone cells fail to function properly. One of the visual pigments may be functioning abnormally, or be absent altogether.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Paris During the Terror Essay -- Papers Paris France Terror Essays Pap

Paris During the Terror This document in its original form as a speech is an unpublished document. However, because it has been translated and printed as a part of a book, it is now a published document. As a source for study, it has several strengths. Firstly, it is now a part of a recognized historical document. Secondly, it fulfills the criteria of being a relevant document because of the author’s proximity to the Paris Terror. It also provides good clues about the view points (however biased) of Jacques Roux and others like him living in Paris at that time. On the other hand, while this speech’s translation into English will ensure it reaches a wider audience, important nuances of the French language may have been lost in the crossover. As a result, significant connotations gained from a choice of French words may no longer be obvious and this may even affect the amount of unwitting testimony one might have been able to extract from it. Another weakness this speech will have is its bias. It is very obvious that Jacques Roux is passionate about the role of the government in the persecution of his people. The reader is presented with one side of the struggle without being aware of whether the government was in fact guilty of what it is charged with. The foot notes are also open to interpretation. How sure can the reader be of the accuracy of the information? While reading Jacques Roux’s speech, it may be difficult to decipher certain terms, one of which is the sans culottes. If one investigates, one will be faced with the task of interpreting which version was meant and used by Roux. In order to truly underst... ... by law’, merchants and traders should bear some moral responsibility towards the poverty stricken citizens of Paris. Although much of what Roux says can be checked against other documents of the era, his speech would be of significant use to a historian as except for the translation to English, it has not been manipulated in terms of personal interpretations or open to discussion. It is mainly for this reason that for a historian, Jacques Roux’s speech is a minefield of information about the personal struggles of a Parisian living during the Terror. Bibliography An Introduction to the Humanities. History, Classicism and Revolution. Block 3. Open University Press.1997 An Introduction to the Humanities. Resource Book 2. Open University Press. 1997 www.library.ttu.edu/ul/subjects/humanities/history/

Friday, October 11, 2019

Microbiology Study Guide Unit 2

Define metabolism: The sum of all biological chemical reactions inside a cell or organism Differences in catabolism and anabolism: Catabolism is an enzyme-regulated chemical reaction that releases energy. Complex organic compounds such as glucose, amino acids, glycerol and fatty acids are broken down into simpler ones. The energy of catabolic reactions is used to drive the anabolic reactions. Anabolism is also enzyme regulated but requires energy for taking the simpler broken down components from the catabolism phase and building them into complex molecules such as starch, proteins and lipids What is the role of ATP?ATP is the driving force for catabolic and anabolic reactions. ATP stores energy that is produced from the catabolic reactions which is later released to drive the anabolic reaction and other cellular work. ATP is stored energy in cells (phosphate groups held together by high energy reacting bonds) ATP is required for synthesis and some of the energy is given off as heat What are enzymes and their components? Enzymes are biological catalysts (substances that speed up a chemical reaction without themselves being permanently altered) Components:Apoenzyme is the protein portion of an enzyme. Inactive by themselves, must be activated by cofactors Cofactor- non protein portion (IE: ions of iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium) ****If the cofactor is an organic molecule, it is called a coenzyme Holoenzyme- The apoenzyme+cofactor forms the holoenzyme. It is the active enzyme. If you remove the cofactor, the apoenzyme will not function. **Cofactors may assist the enzyme by accepting atoms removed from the substrate or by donating atoms required by the substrate. Substrate=the specific substance that an enzyme will act on) **The crucial function of enzymes is to speed up biochemical reactions at temperatures that are compatible with the normal functioning of the cell. What are metabolic pathways? The sequence of enzyme catalyzed chemical reactions within a cell . What is the Kreb’s cycle? A pathway that converts two-carbon compounds to CO2, transferring electrons to NAD+ and other carriers; also called tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or citric acid cycle A series of biochemical reactions in which a large amount of potential chemical energy stored in acetyl CoA is released step by step.In the cycle, a series of oxidations and reductions transfer that potential energy in the form of electrons to electron carrier coenzymes (mostly NAD+). The pyruvic acid derivatives are oxidized and the coenzymes are produced. Kreb’s cycle is for lipid catabolism. Glycerol is converted into dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and catabolized via glycolysis and the Kreb’s cycle. Fatty acids undergo beta-oxidation, in which carbon fragments are spit off two at a time to form acetyl CoA which is catabolized by Kreb’s cycle.What is glycolysis? **Glycolysis creates to ATP molecules The main pathway for oxidation of glucose to pyruvic acid: Glycolysis is usually the first stage in carbohydrate catabolism. This occurs from the oxidation of glucose to pyruvic acid. Most microorganisms use this pathway and it occurs in most living cells. The term â€Å"glycolysis† means the splitting of sugar. The sugars are oxidized, release energy and then their atoms are rearranged to form 2 molecules of pyruvic acid. **Glycolysis does not require oxygen!Explanation of cellular respiration: Cellular respiration takes place after the glucose is broken down in pyruvic acid which is then channeled into the next step of either fermentation or cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is defined as the ATP-generating process in which most molecules are oxidized and the final electron acceptor is (almost always) an inorganic molecule. **operates via an electron transport chain * Aerobic respiration the final electron acceptor is O2 Anaerobic respiration the final electron acceptor is an inorganic molecule other than O2 What is an el ectron transport chain and why is it important? It is a system in which electrons pass through a series of different electron carriers to molecules or oxygen or other oxidized inorganic and organic molecules. The process occurs in the plasma membrane of the prokaryotes and in the mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes. What is microbial growth? It is the growth in numbers of populations or an increase in the number of cellsWhat are three physical requirements of microbial growth? PH, temperature and moisture Define psychotrophs: Are cold loving microbes, will usually be found growing in the refrigerator such as listeria (20-25oC) How does PH affect growth? Certain bacteria thrive in a specific PH environment. Acidophiles like a PH of 5. 4 or below whereas Neutrophiles (most human pathogens) prefer a more neutral environment (5. 5-7. 5 PH) Define halophiles: Extreme halophiles (obligate halophiles) are microbes that require a high salt concentration that is required for growth.Facculta tive halophiles (most common) are microbes that do not require high salt concentrations for growth but can tolerate high salt solutions. How does osmotic pressure effect microbial growth? Microorganisms obtain most of all their nutrients in solutions surrounding water; therefore water is required for growth. They are composed of 80-90% water. High osmotic pressures have the effect of removing vital water from a cell. If a microbe is in a solution in which the concentration of solutes is higher than in the cell, the microbe is in a hypertonic environment which will create pressure on the cell.It will crush the cell causing the cells water to push out through the plasma membrane into the high solute concentration. What are some chemical requirements for microbes? Carbon- one of the most important for microbes next to water because it is the structural backbone Nitrogen- it is required for protein synthesis (requires some sulfur), also needed for DNA or RNA synthesis (needs some phosph orous) Vitamins and minerals- needed for essential function of enzymes, usually as co-factors. What are some organic growth factors?Essential organic compounds an organism is unable to synthesize are known as organic growth factors. They must be directly obtained by the environment. One group of organic growth factors is vitamins for human. What is a media? A media is a nutrient prepared for the growth of microorganisms. In the lab we use nutrient broths and nutrient agars. What are canophiles? Canophiles (aerobic bacteria) are microbes that grow better at high CO2 concentrations. Low oxygen high CO2 conditions resemble those found in the intestinal tract, digestive tract and other body tissues where pathogens grow.Why is a selective media desireable? Because a selective media will suppress the growth of unwanted bacteria while encouraging the growth of the desired microbes. How do prokaryotes reproduce? Reproduce by binary fission (most common) while others may go through a â€Å" budding† process 2 Categories used to control microbes (physical and chemical) Physical: Heat (dry heat such as flame or in hot ovens) heat will denature the protein causing the proteins shape to change making it no longer usable by the organism.Or (moist heat) such as with an autoclave which will force steam inside of the organism very quickly and cause it to break down Chemical: surfactants such as soaps which will work as a binding agen to the microorganism causing it to break off and be rinsed off or phenols which will disrupt the cell membrane or denature the protein therefore disrupting protein synthesis What are physical methods to control microbes? * Heat (dry and moist heat) * Cold * Radiation * Membrane filtration * Drying * Osmotic pressure What are the most common and effective ways of controlling microbes?An autoclave machine that utilizes heat, steam and pressure to kill microbes and their endospores in about 15 minutes (prions are not killed) Is it more effectiv e to control or kill microbes? It is more effective to control the microbes because we can study live bacteria, but not if they are dead Why would we want to control microbial growth? Controlling microbes can prevent infections and food spoilage Compare and contrast chromosomes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes: Prokaryotes have 1 chromosome (only one allele)Eukaryotes have 2 chromosomes (2 alleles) DNA is not always the genetic material. What are the exceptions? How could mutations give rise to new alleles of a gene? How does translation differ from transcription? Transcription in the synthesis of a complementary strand of RNA from a DNA template Translation is the protein synthesis that involves decoding of nucleic acid and converting the information into the language of the proteins What are the differences between the leading and lagging strand?Leading strand gets replicated sequentially and gets filled first. The lagging is the strand that gets replicated sporadically based off of what is left. What are three types of RNA and what do they do? Messenger RNA (mRNA): carries genetic information from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Transfer RNA (tRNA): transfers the necessary sequence by carrying the code. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA): helps in synthesis of proteins. Explain mutations: A mutation is the change in the base sequence of DNA. Some mutations are bad such as when the gene for an enzyme mutates.The enzyme encoded by the gene may become inactive or less active because its amino acid sequence has changed. But a mutation can also be beneficial such as when an altered enzyme encoded by the mutant gene suddenly has new or enhanced activity that will benefit the cell. List and discuss common mutagens: Define genetic engineering: Manufacturing and manipulating genetic material in vitro also called recombinant DNA (rDNA ) What is recombinant DNA? A DNA molecule produced by combining DNA from two different sources. Exchange of genes between two DNA molecules) **Contribute s to a populations genetic diversity (source of variation in evolution) What are three processes involved in making recombinant DNA? Transformation in Bacteria Conjugation in bacteria Transduction in bacteria What is a restriction enzyme? An enzyme that cuts double stranded DNA at specific sites between nucleotides Pg. 249 What is conjugation? The transfer of genetic material from one to another involving cell to cell contact What is a plasmid? A small circular DNA molecule that replicates independently of the chromosome

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Marketing Audit Example Essay

1. Explain how information technology puts powerful tools in the hands of global martekers. technology is very important in now times this is why in every area of the business technology is a very important tool, information technology and international marketing are working very closely; information technology innovations is improving marketing process and the way we interact with the customers. So thanks to information technology markters now have more information about customers and they can reach them easily due to data bases. Also information technology has changed the competitive environment, consumers have more information about competitive offering, also thanks to internet a new way of marketing has emerged and new ways to reach the consumer. †¨2. what is the difference between existing, latent and incipient demand? how might these differences affect the design of a marketing research project? Existing demand where there are existing suppliers; latent demand, where there is a need or desire that is not currently satisfied because there is non suitable supplier; and incipient demand that is the demand in which certain trends project shows an emerging need but customers are not really aware of it. when designing a marketing research we have to make sure what kind of market we are dealing with and which type of demand, if the market is mature and the demand is existing the consumer is already familiar with the products and the strategy to be used is different than if the demand is existing and the needs of the consumers hasn’t been satisfied. Also the approach to the different kind of demand will be different and the knowledge that we have form the different markets will make the research more successful. In the marketing research we could include how is the actual demand or we can investigate how will be the future demand. in conclusion marketer could focus their marking research in the deemed estimation, to determinate how is the approximate level of demand for a product. 3. describe some of the analytical techniques used by global marketers. when it is approbated to use each technique? Analytical marketing technics are often used where the research data are interpreted using computerized analytical techniques. The database in such a system is composed of a statistical bank  of information, which enables marketers to draw conclusions from data using statistical procedures. also a model bank of information, which enables marketers to make better marketing decisions using models . key Analytical Tools & Techniques Perceptual Mapping Tool – these maps take empirical customer-based evaluations of key brand attributes and translate this data into visual maps. These maps provide a method for calculating the ROI of positioning changes, identifying product strengths & weaknesses, and determining unmet customer needs. Read this article by Marketing NPV’s Managing Partner to learn more. Resource ReAllocator – by combining management science, historical data, and executive judgments, this model can be used to size and allocate marketing resources such as salesperson headcount.  Bass Diffusion Modeling Tool – use this technique to accurately forecast revenue for a new product where you have no historical data.  Markov Chains – this technique can be used to understand the future of your market such as how your customers will make purchasing decisions. Many organizations have used Markov chains to forecast the impact of market changes. Follow this link to learn more about this technique. Marketing ROI – measuring return on investment is one of the most frequently used methods for analyzing the success of marketing programs. Follow the preceding link to develop a Forward ROI model. Decision Trees – this technique provides a method for breaking large decisions into manageable pieces, analyzing the expected outcomes, and determining potential payoffs.  Simulation Tools – using turbocharged Excel spreadsheets can provide insight into the effectiveness of a particular marketing program. Follow the preceding link to download the required plug-in for Excel and start simulating. Competitive Radar – use this tool to graphically represent your competitive  matrix.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Doing Business in China Essay

China is an evolving economy that offers lot of market prospects for foreign venture. It is an independent country located in East Asia. Currently China is the world’s most populous country, with its population of over 1. 35 billion. China’s land size is approximately 9. 6 million square kilometers and it is the world’s second-largest country after Russia. In contemporary eras, China plays an important role in calling for free trade areas in the Asia Pacific Region. China proposed a new East Asia Summit (EAS) framework as a forum for regional security issues in 2004. The EAS, which includes ASEAN along with India, Australia and New Zealand, held its first summit in the year 2005. Since 1978 with the introduction of economic transformations, China today has turn out to be the world’s rapid-growing key economy. China is the world’s second-largest economy together in term of its nominal total GDP and purchasing power parity. As of 2013, China ranked at number 91 at ‘Doing Business’ provided by the World Bank. Its GDP per capita currently stands at $6,075, while the total GDP sums up at $12. 05 trillion. Although the country has a huge potential for economic progression offering access to a huge market and significant savings in labor costs, cautiousness must be used due to differences in the political and cultural environment that create risk and pose uncertainty for foreign investors. In addition, China is also the world’s biggest exporter and importer of products and goods. China is also a member of WTO, APEC, the G-20, and many others. Not to forget, China has been considered as a probable superpower up to this date. Regardless of achievement made by China, it encounters a range of obstacles to China’s future economic advancement. To overcome such obstacles, it must maintain a great growth rate, improve the economic system, uphold better international support, and transform the responsibility of China government in its system of economy. As stated in the World Bank recently, China is the world’s third largest trading country, right after the United States of America and Japan. Economic Issues In recent years, China has become one of the primary selection of the world’s destination of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and among the figures counted in its FDI are 27% of the value added production, 4. 1% comes from its national tax revenue, and another 58% or so comes from its foreign trade. This has been proved where more than 190 nations invest in China, and according to a survey done by Member Priorities Survey, most of the multi-national corporations do their FDI in China is because they want to serve its domestic market and the local consumers, not to export back to each of the MNC’s home country. The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) developed a plan to improvement the foreign direct investment, back in 2006, which stressed the correlation between national safety and foreign investment. NDRC proposed to government of China to slowly decrease its restrictions and limitations on MNCs. MNCs also are being asked by the NDRC to intensify its investment and production in China. The aim of this move is to heighten innovation’s liberation for Chinese corporations. In addition, foreign investment must be directed at high-technology and manufacturing industries, infrastructure improvement and not to forget the environmentally friendly protection. Figure 1 : Regional share of GDP & resident population in year 2009. Although China’s economy has been liberalized since 1980s, the country still hurts from insufficient number of mode of transportation, communication’s variety, and energy capitals. China also commence the construction of a major highway to link cities in China, in order to provide a world class infrastructure in the coming years. From this, we can see, it might be costly in term of land transportations for MNCs to conduct its businesses in China. Moreover, currency manipulation undergoes by China back in 2008 is disturbing its own economy. Gladly, the condition has improved by years, and the Treasury Secretary said that the appreciation of the Yuan (Chinese currency) might be a win-win situation for the global’s economy. Figure 2 below shows the Yuan per dollar rates and how China’s currency has moved from 2009 until this year. Figure 2 : Value of China Yuan to US Dollar In trade, the major industrial exports for China are manufactured products, fabrics, clothes, together with electronic appliances. Thus, if you want to invest in China, these areas are the most profitable for any MNCs to do their business in China. Furthermore, the prominent export materials are magnesium, mercury, tungsten, tin, salt, and antimony. Currently, China is the world’s largest manufacturer of aluminum based on data from China trade. Participation of China in World Trade Organization (WTO) has made China ompetitive in the world’s market. Political Issues As stated in the Chinese Constitution, â€Å"China is a socialist state under the public’s democratic dictatorship led by the working class and based on alliance of workers and laborers. † The government of China contained a system of congresses of the people and multi-party collaboration and soundings of politics under the guidance of Communist Party of China and this following political system in China ensure that CPC maintain its power as the only party in China, which based of the socialist system. Proceeding into the political risk, the chance of nationalization of industries needs to be taken into account, as this has already happened in 1949. Thus, any MNCs that want to invest in China have to think twice, in which industries are opened to investors, and which industries are closed and prohibited for investors to invest in it. Figure 3 will sum the opened and closed industries for foreign investors. Another unique political risk in China is the continual clash between China’s central government and the regional governments over applicable laws. The outcome of this conflict, is making it challenging for MNCs working in China to recognize and identify which rules are applicable, and which rules are not. Moving on towards the political stability in China, it still remains a big question to the foreign investors as the Tiananmen Square massacre has scared of foreign businesses and a big drop in many areas can be seen, which include foreign investment and tourism. At the same moment, China’s improvement in its economy since 1978, the lives of its citizen has improved drastically, an increase in social movement, and stretched the area of personal freedom. What this meant is that people can enjoy wider travel’s freedom, more and more employment opportunity, and access to information, although it is not very opened yet. Moreover, in latest years, China has passed new laws which include the criminal and civil laws to protect citizens and foreigners. Cultural Issues China’s population is estimated to be around 1,360,691,561 as of this year, and expected to be increased rapidly in times. This rapid growth of population in China is because the death rate among its citizens has dropped drastically in recent years. To cater this increased population crisis, the central government has encouraged the one-child family program. Advice of family planning and birth-control are provided by the government itself. Although most of the world see Chinese culture as an extremely complex one, but most scholars around the world come up to an agreement that even though it is diverse, many Chinese shared the same characteristics. These same characteristics are based of the Confucian philosophy influence which becomes the core of most Chinese today living in China. One of the most significant values in its culture are the importance of family, classified structure of common life and the importance on hard work along with accomplishment. The Chinese culture can be sorted as collectivist, since in many ways, the family unit takes superiority over its individual members in a family and the children must not answer back to the elders. Looking into Hofstede’s cultural factors which are measured on five dimensions, which are power distance, individual versus collectivism, masculinity versus feminity, uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation versus short-term orientation, tables below are the results of China’s assessment. Cultural Dimensions| Results| Power Distance| The less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are combined into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families which includes uncles, aunts and grandparents which continue protecting them in exchange for absolute loyalty. China rank 10th in the Individualism ranking. This may be attributed, in part, to the high level of emphasis on the collectivist society imposed by the communist rule compared to the values of individualism. The low individualism ranking also demonstrates a close and committed group orientation, either the family, extended family, or extended relationships. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. Masculinity vs Feminity Hofstede’s study revealed that women’s values differ less among societies than men’s values and men’s values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women’s values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women’s values on the other. Ranked at 66th, China is a masculine society –success oriented and driven. The need to ensure success can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will sacrifice family and leisure priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very late at night. Leisure time is not so important for them. An example is the migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in order to obtain better work and pay in the cities. Uncertainty Avoidance It indicates the extent to which a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual. Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. The opposite type, uncertainty accepting cultures, are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. Ranked at 30th, China has a low score on uncertainty avoidance. Chinese are comfortable with ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial. At the time of writing the majority (70% -80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to medium sized and family owned. | Long-term orientation vs short-term orientation| Both rated values of this dimension are found in the teachings of Confucius. However, the dimension also applies to countries without a Confucian heritage. Ranked at 118th, China is a highly long term oriented society in which persistence and perseverance are normal. Relationships are ordered by status and the order is observed. Nice people are thrifty and sparing with resources and investment tends to be in long term projects such as real estate. Traditions can be adapted to suit new conditions. Chinese people recognize that government is by men rather than as in the Low LTO countries by an external influence such as God or the law. Negotiation At negotiating stage, both buyer and seller have to come to an agreement on how the deal ended and what will the price be. MNCs should decide if they want to set up a new joint venture or wholly-foreign owned enterprises to take over the seller’s business in China, or to purchase equity interest of the business. The deal structure is particularly important from tax perspective. The tax costs bear by the buyer and seller vary significantly which have a big influence on the final cost of the deal. During the negotiating process, an excellent advisory team can be a strong asset, which is to manage the financial, legal, tax and valuation issues that will determined the right price and structure of the deal. The main reason why deals did not go well in China is the incapability to link and associate the price expectations between foreign buyer and local seller. In this situation, an adviser will come in handy to manage valuation and contract term negotiation. For closing the negotiation, buyers need to ensure that all require approvals have been issued all relevant supporting documents are correct and agreed upon by both buyer and seller. Both parties in this negotiation need legal advisers to draft and finalize the sales and purchase agreement. This document is a detailed contract that contains the transaction details during the due diligence process. For example, it contain rights to protect the buyer from any unexpected post-negotiation results. Business Ethics In order to have a very successful FDI in China, MNCs must apply this business ethics in their daily business life, or else, they will have a big problem upon them. The important practices to be a business standards within China, is by having a local Chinese employee to be the face of your company’s code of ethics. Secondly, make sure the code of ethics are translated into the native language in China. Double check the translation to ensure it is fully accurate and correct. Next, is by having a common ground. Most of the values, for example the significance of family are common in Chinese culture, where you must respect the elders or seniors in the organization. During the training sessions, discuss scenarios that could happen in China. Don’t just translate any cultural situations into the local language. Consider reframing some of a large, international company’s core values to align with local cultural values. For example, in a culture that values community, focus on the community aspects of the company’s values. Not to forget, focus on the sustainability of the company, so employees understand the advantage of following the code of conduct. What works and what doesn’t work in China? What works are MNC’s can simply translate the company’s code of conduct into the local language. The CEO and other leaders should mention the code of conduct in everyday discussions about business, not just in one annual training presentation. Local management too should understand that the corporate code of conduct is part of their everyday job. What doesn’t work is a code of conduct that is written in English and not translated into the local language, or that has a lot of references to other countries’ laws and regulations, will not be effective overseas. What partially works is that it is vital for a high-level official from headquarters to visit the company’s Chinese offices and introduce the code of conduct. But this is only a first step. Without follow-up from local managers, employees may receive the code politely, then revert to old ways of doing business as they are not being forced upon and opt for a status quo since they are comfortable with it. Core values are important in China, but it’s also important to remember that people in different cultures may interpret them differently. MNCs can try separating core values, such as fairness or integrity, from the specifics of how those values are implemented. The values themselves are probably shared among cultures, but how they are put into practice may vary. Conversation is critical to making sure your shared core values create an ethical culture. Regularly engage both managers and workers in overseas offices in discussions about how to best implement the core values. The most effective processes and procedures to detect ethical and compliance problems are to remember that despite what MNCs intend in their policies, being a whistleblower is frequently very difficult. Consider separating the reporting process for whistleblowers from the HR and legal departments. Allow employees to report concerns to someone with direct access to the board of directors. In addition, a few MNCs create a regulator position that is filled by a senior manager for a year. This person helps resolve concerns about company practices. For a code of conduct to work for MNCs in China, it requires a quick yet thoughtful response to complaints. A â€Å"ready, fire, aim† approach will be just as harmful as not taking complaints seriously. Have investigations conducted by people with experience and training in conducting complex investigations. Lastly, try to understand the business model and being willing to ask questions, which is one way to catch problems early. An executive who knows the business well will know to ask, for example, how the business just landed a big contract it had never before been able to get, or why business in a particular region increased so much ore than in others. If it looks too good to be true, start asking questions. It may not be true. Conclusion Leading business in China can be difficult due to the many indecisions and differences in the economic, political, and cultural environment. The Chinese prefer doing business with MNCs they know, so working through an intermediary is crucial in China. Business relationships are built formally. It is important to be persistent as it takes an extensive amount of time to build business relationship which is also bound with enormous government bureaucracy. The Chinese see foreigners as representatives of their company rather than as individuals. Rank is extremely important in business relationships and you must keep rank differences in mind when communicating. The Chinese prefer face-to-face meetings rather than written or telephone communication. Meals and social events are not the place for business discussions but social etiquette is important to follow. Some of the cultural values that govern business practices relate to setting up appointments one-to-two months in advance and preferably in writing. The Chinese view punctuality as a virtue. Arriving late is an insult and could negatively affect your relationship. It is important to pay attention to the agenda as each Chinese participant has his or her own agenda that they will attempt to introduce. You are also advised to send an agenda before the meeting so your Chinese colleagues have the opportunity to meet with any technical experts prior to the meeting. To conclude, it is important is to learn about cultural and political differences and their impact on business practices and business conduct in China.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Traveling Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Traveling Abroad - Essay Example Venezuela, Russia, South Korea and China, have also been enlisted to be ranked in the category of projecting unfriendliness towards foreign visitors (Cha, 2013). Nevertheless, as these places present some unique tourism cultures and attractions, tourists can take certain preventive measures when visiting these places. It is worth mentioning in this context that the top priority of every tourist or traveller should be to look forward to his/her own safety first and then, worry about their travelling experiences. An individual should also take into consideration certain essential facts before going for an international trip. Above all, the most important fact is that every foreign visitor, no matter to whichever nation they visit, should go through the past records of every foreign visitor related crime that occurred within that nation and take requisite measures thereto (U. S. Passport & International Travel, 2014). They should also have some formulated backup planning about how to save themselves in case they get into any sort of trouble. Apart from this, the travelers should also book travel packages through registered traveling agencies. Adding to that, they should continuously keep in touch with their family members or some local law authorities who might be helpful in case the travelling individuals get into any sort of trouble (U. S. Passport & International Travel, 2014). Moreover, every international airport is quite likely to maintain a certain degree of safety and an authoritative body who can provide necessary information on the risk rates of various areas within their countries. Apart from these safety measures, the tourists should also keep hold of their necessary identification documents. They should avoid high level of exposure and contact with local inhabitants as well. The visitors should further keep