Cultural Aspects of Moving to Japan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Kelly's Assignment in Japan - Case Study Example Based on the information given in the case study there could be identified several clashes in cultural customs and expectations. The first clash in cultural customs and expectations has occurred when Kelly and her family arrived in Tokyo and saw their new apartment. Despite a high rent price, their new apartment was very tiny that they could hardly move fit in their personal belongings. This was the first big disappointment for the whole family. The second clash in culture customs has occurred when Kelly exchanged the handshake greetings with Japanese colleagues. In Japan bowing and presenting business cards are absolutely appropriate and expected forms of greeting. Moreover, the formalized exchange of business cards is the whole ritual in Japan, called â€Å"the meishi† (Gesteland, 2005). A handshake is appropriate for Europeans and Americans, but not for Japanese (Reisinger, 2009). The Japanese bow is an important aspect of non-verbal communication, which represents respect, personal humility and social harmony (Nixon & West, 1995). The fact that the new boss was a foreigner, and more importantly a woman was another serious clash in cultural customs, as in such culture as in Japan with high masculinity index, woman-boss and foreigner is a foremost difference (Solomon & Schell, 2009; Yoshida, Yashiro, and Suzuki, 2013). Another clash has occurred when Kelly asked the teams to prepare presentations. The Japanese were reluctant to preparing it as they perceived that group commitment was required for it. This behavior can be explained by differences in context orientation, as Americans have individualistic orientation, while Japanese – group orientation (Reisinger, 2009).  

World Wide Flu Epidemic Kills 20 Millions. 1918 Essay

World Wide Flu Epidemic Kills 20 Millions. 1918 - Essay Example The fort was an outpost in Kansas where new soldiers were trained before being sent off to Europe for World War I. A company cook apparently came down with the symptoms of the flu which appeared similar to the symptoms of a bad cold. He was isolated immediately; however, within the next hour, several soldiers were also admitted to the infirmary for the same symptoms as the cook (Rosenberg, 2010). Despite their best attempts to contain the symptoms, the flu spread quickly to the Fort Riley population and after several weeks, about a thousand of them were infected by the flu; towards the end, 46 of them died (Rosenberg, 2010). Similar incidents were soon reported in different military camps in the US and this spread on board transport ships and inadvertently this disease reached Europe via infected soldiers. When the epidemic reached Spain, the Spanish government immediately made the epidemic public; and since most people first heard the attack from the Spanish broadcast, the flu was n amed the Spanish flu (Rosenberg, 2010). It later also infected Russia, India, China, and Africa; but by the end of 1918, the first wave of the disease gradually tapered out. The second wave of the flu was however more deadly. It struck three port cities all at the same time (Boston, US; Brest in France; and Freetown in Sierra Leone) (Rosenberg, 2010). Hospitals were overwhelmed by the second wave as the patient population overflowed and depleted their supplies. The flu had a major impact on victims as within a few hours, symptoms of extreme fatigue, fever, and headache, already started showing up (Rosenberg, 2010). Patients were also subjected to powerful bouts of coughing which most often tore their abdominal muscles. Blood was often seen from the mouths, nostrils, and from their ears. Other patients also vomited (Rosenberg, 2010). This disease sometimes killed patients within a matter of hours from the first symptom manifesting and others within a day or two of the

Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager Essay

Non-fiction short story The Nine Moods of a Magnificent Manager - Essay Example The management consultant argues thus: â€Å"The subject of management is an overcrowded field. I quote Voltaire (1694-1778) who says that the magnitude of books is making us ignorant. â€Å"The major branches of management are financial management, marketing management, human resource management, strategic management, production management, operations management, service management and information technology management. The problem with the present managerial world is there are more books on management topics than the numerical strength of managers all over the world. Is it possible for a management trainee to study all of them and then become a successful manager? The relationship between success and management is like the one between wife and husband who desire to lead a harmonious life but are unable to do so but would not like to divorce either. Management is all about the ability of a Manager to rob the pocket of a gullible commoner/consumer or of another Manager in a competi ng organization! You all have made hefty payments to attend this one day’s seminar. You have done so with a hope. I congratulate you on your dynamism and your desperate desire to become magnificent managers. By the end of the session, I am sure you will become one and will have no inclination to return to this auditorium yet again. With this training, if you are unable to prove your worth as a magnificent manager, try your luck as a consultant on the topic of management. My formula for success is simple and straightforward. No textbooks and research journals are used in this seminar. No pen, pad or folder will be provided to you. No home assignments either; have a peaceful sleep after this session. Lend me your ears and mind and see how I change your thought processes to chisel an interesting personality to restore your inner cheer and inspiration. Those with whom you interact will remember you forever, for better or worse, depending on your luck. We begin with an important s ession-- Think that in place of your confused mind, a beautiful garden of roses has emerged with many hues and colors and invigorating fragrance. Think! Nothing is impossible to think! Has it emerged? I can see that in some of you from the expression on your countenance. Make an effort to smile. You are an individual of many moods. Various scriptures have defined nine moods. They are Erotic, Humorous, Pathetic, Terrible, Heroic, Fearful, Odious, Wondrous, and Peaceful. Now, think that you are a performing artist. The wise ones say that this world is a stage, and we are all dancing puppets attached to the strings in the hands of God. Each mood is associated with a particular color. Erotic: Pale Light Green, Humorous: White, Pathetic: Grey, Terrible: Red, Heroic: Pale Orange, Fearful: Black, Odious: Blue, Wondrous: Yellow, Peaceful: White. Some of the top fashion designers and connoisseurs of dress are aware of this weakness of humankind and exploit it to maximize their profits. Now w e come to the core part of the discussion. You need to spend some money to secure your future. Buy nine shirts for gentlemen and tops for ladies, of the colors specified above. Only shirts and /tops not trousers or other types of garments! Now, divide your working hours and allot one hour for each mood. Change your shirt/top after one hour and see the remarkable effect in your interactions. I do not ask you to adopt this system in one go. Hasten slowly. Let your session be restricted to some minutes to begin with. So, you will emerge as a complete individual full of delight, a conglomeration in human form of nine moods of

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management Assignment

Enterprise Development, Culture and Management - Assignment Example An entrepreneur is a risk taker. He is a unique person in the society with skills that are crucial for championing change. On the other hand, any individual who works as his own boss is considered as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is a term that is often used interchangeably with innovation. Innovation can be referred to as an intentional process of change aimed at creating value by targeting opportunity and in quest of advantage. Entrepreneurship emphasizes on the creation of new products and services, new production processes, new organisational structures and the invention of new markets. New entrepreneurial ideas are those that can be commercialized and should be able to contribute greatly to the development process of the entire society. Entrepreneurship plays a very crucial part in economic development process. Economic development is usually influenced to a great extent by entrepreneurial activities. Innovation propels the economic growth and development of any country. The level of economic performance relies hugely on the level of technology used by firms. Research and development, which is characteristic of entrepreneurship, provides a great thrust to technological advancements in companies and hence production efficiency. Neo-classical economics acknowledges that economic growth is as a result of enhancements to the basic factors of production such as labour and capital, which is the main objective of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship is characterised by competitive actions that spur market processes to success. The introduction of new activities in the market is essential for the development process of trade. Established firms as well as new entrants in the market develop new products that respond to the varyin g needs of consumers and thus contribute enormously to the development of the economy and betterment of the society (Wong et al 2005). Entrepreneurship and innovation are thus universal primary determinants of

Research project on Maritime transportation Paper

Project on Maritime transportation - Research Paper Example Primarily, this research project analyses the background, research problems, research objectives, literature review as well as shortcomings in the maritime transport. In the late 1960’s, the air travel was most embraced way of travel to the oversea. However, there was a very slight change in the ships transport in the 1960’s.on contrary, efficient in the engine did improve the carrying capacity of the ships regarding the public lounges, deck space and the passenger staterooms as effect from 1950’s.here in, this ships did transport passengers pertaining their classes for instance, third, second and first class. Following this, passengers in first class were more luxurious as compared to those in the second and third class. Mostly, frequent transportation was from New York all the way to London. following this, the most known ships in the era of ocean liners were the Queen Mary, Carolina ,Ocean Monarch and the Laconia just to mention but a few. Notably, the actual change did come in during 1960’s with the sell of 747s and other aircrafts all over the world. Besides, the â€Å"United States Federal Aviation Administration† established a global network of airport transportation. Following this, boat travel was not practical and economical since the rate of the jumbo had come into existence. Progressively, since passengers opted to travel with air, it was clear that the maritime transport could end. Apparently, the Love Boat decided to opt to the idea of luxury exploration, apart from the usual transport ability. Therefore, in order to revive this nature of maritime transport, the Love Boat made it more luxurious in order to capture the interest of those who wanted to travel in luxury or was going to vacation, and this was in influence by the year 1970s. Following this, there was a growth in the cruise ship vocational travel in all social classes. Casinos, Ocean Viewers, Pools and onboard entertainment were all available on the cruise ships.

My Decision to Enroll in College Essay Example for Free

My Decision to Enroll in College Essay People have different reasons and point of views why it is important for them to enroll in college. Basically, achieving a degree is a stepping stone to reach one’s goals. For me, I enroll in college, definitely, because it is a given fact and expectation that after high school, I need to choose a course and to enroll in an institution where I want to obtain my degree. First, I figure out what I want, what I really want to do in life. Whatever my decision is, it is anchored to what I yearn to do and to achieve in life. Definitely, I do study hard in order for me to achieve high grades and to have flying colors during graduation. I want to satisfy my parents’ expectations on me so I certainly do my best in every subject. I make sure that I devote my time equally; however, it is not always applicable in my schedule because there are times when I find it arduous to understand some of the topics in some of my subjects so I give more time on the difficult ones. I believe that learning is an on-going process. The strategies of my professors in presenting the lessons each day have a great impact on me. Whatever the technique is, it may be visual aids like movies, slide shows, etc, it definitely helps me in comprehending the lessons very well. Professors, indeed, affect my moods and enthusiasm. I like creative and unconventional professors. The professors and their teaching techniques and strategies contribute to my enthusiasm and motivation to do very well in class. Nevertheless, if I do not like the professor due to his/her temperament and conventional ways of teaching, I still do my best to grasp every learning and knowledge that s/he bestows. Because there are a lot of ways to learn, I believe that it is not just confined to the four-corner rooms of the university. Outside or extracurricular activities such as fieldtrips, research or case study competitions, internships or on-the-job trainings will definitely help me realize my potentials and will definitely aid me to reach for my goal. Gaining experiences outside school’s four-corner rooms enable me to be more confident, more competitive and more competent. I have been brought up by my parents in an authoritative way. They are neither over-protective nor over-domineering. They make me speak and explain my side every time I commit a mistake; in return, they do listen and reprimand me accordingly. For me, they are the best paragons. Because of that, I yearn to do the same for my children. I will not be the authoritarian parent just like some of my friends’ and classmates’ parents. If it is already time for them to enroll in college, I will just let them choose what course they want to take. I will not intervene with what they want because definitely, intervention to a person’s likes and wants affect his/her enthusiasm to perform well. The drive and the motivation to reach for their goals will, indeed, slow down. Advices, motivations and anecdotes from my experiences in college will help my children in challenging them to excel higher. If I have made it, I believe that they, too, can. From the very start, I will condition them to manage their time properly but not intervening too much to what they really want to do because I might suffocate them. They will just probably yearn to be a bird, not the droopy one†¦ but the free bird that spreads its wings and soars high. Enrolling in college and obtaining a degree are the stepping stones to have a good future, a stable job and a career. It helps people in realizing their goals and visions in life. My current career and our status in life is the best evident that I can show them with regards to the benefits of pursuing a degree in college. They need not be bums or dependents for the rest of their lives. Graduating in college allows a person to stand on their own feet. Whatever course they want to take, it is important for them to know that it is a competitive world out there. If someone yearns to have a high paying job, s/he must choose the in-demand courses like those under Technology, Business, etc. Each one must be acquainted with marketing strategies such as knowing the appropriate advertisements. Or being aware of the latest technology, which is now evolving to be wireless.

Applications of Machiavelli Essay Example for Free

Applications of Machiavelli Essay There are many ideas people can learn from history’s great thinkers and achievers. The Renaissance Era had the fastest progress in history. During this era, many thinkers and achievers such as Niccolo Machiavelli, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo introduced new ideas and new forms of art. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian politician and diplomat. The reason his theories are advanced is that he is already used critical thinking while he lived in a country where most people explained things using God and religion. He was also a philosopher, and his many theories about managing a kingdom were quite innovative in Renaissance times. The Prince is a manual about how to manage a kingdom successfully. The Prince was written for Lorenzo de Medici of the Medici Family, which was the best known family in the Renaissance Era. Medici Family made great contributions to the culture because it traded and paid for many works of art in that period. The Medici Family was rich and powerful in Italy, and it was the Renaissance equivalent of a major corporation. Machiavelli lived hundreds of years before the major corporation of today, but The Prince can still be used as a guide to getting ahead in business, just as it is a guide for building a successful princedom. The Medici Family had existed for hundreds of years, and it was powerful and rich just like the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company may also last for hundreds of years since it has been successful for over a hundred years. The Prince tells readers how to use power correctly; it also tells readers how to sustain the kingdom’s power and prevent the kingdom’s  decay. More specifically, Machiavelli tells readers that what kind of personality and morality a successful prince should have. The Prince contains some of Machiavelli’s ideas which were very advanced for that period. These ideas are still useful now and can also equally be applied to the Coca-Cola Company. The Coca-Cola Company is the leader in the beverage industry, and it is a very successful global company. Managing the Coca-Cola Company is similar to managing a kingdom. Therefore, Some of Machiavelli’s theories could be used by the Coca-Cola Company. In the chapter â€Å"How princes should honor their word† and â€Å"The constitutional principality†, I found some appropriate ideas which may be helpful to The Coca-Cola Company. Thesis statement: Although Niccolo Machiavelli died hundreds of years ago, some of his ideas such as showing only the good qualities, keeping a good relationship with people, and making the product indispensable to people are helpful to the Coca-Cola Company. Honor the word: In The Prince, Machiavelli makes some recommendations to the king about how princes should to honor their word. The recommendations can also apply to the advertising of the Coca-Cola Company. Machiavelli said, â€Å"A prince, therefore, need not necessarily have all the good qualities I mentioned above, but he should certainly appear to have them.†(57) No one is perfect, including the prince. Machiavelli believes that a prince should show his good qualities, and hide his bad qualities. It is like the advertisements of the Coca-Cola Company. A good advertisement should show all the advantages of the products or services advertised, and hide the disadvantages. Furthermore, we use our genuineness to earn other people’s trust. However, Machiavelli has a unique perspective on how to earn the trust of people. In chapter eighteen of The Prince, â€Å"†¦princes who have achieved great things have been those who have given their word lightly, who have known how to trick men with their cunning, and who, in the end, have overcome those abiding by honest principles.† (56) If princes want to earn the trust of people, they need to use some type of scheme instead of being honest. This idea can also be used in advertising. A good advertisement is impressive, and it shows only the advantages to the customers instead of showing  everything about the product to the customers. According to Interbrand, Coca-Cola is the most valued brand in the world. Coca-Cola has good sales performance because it attaches great importance to its products’ advertisements. It placed advertisements in magazines, on TV, in websites, and on street signs. In China, the Coca-Cola Company hired a number of well-known Chinese movie stars and athletes to make commercials for Coke. Coke is a great drink for summer because it is thirst quenching and cool. One of the short commercials was very impressive. A group of teenagers was running on the street, and they were sweating hard. Everyone was tired and thirsty. At this time, a van with a Coca-Cola logo passed by. They recovered their energy by drinking Coke. The whole advertisement focused on the teenagers’ athletic bodies and their expressions of enjoyment. This advertisement showed the advantages of Coke, which are the wonderful taste and the cool refreshment; however, it did not show the disadvantages of Coke including high amounts of sugar, caffeine, and chemical additives. After watching the commercial, people have the desire to buy Coke. As Machiavelli advised, The Coca Cola Company is using cunning to trick customers into drinking their soft drinks by showing only the positive aspects of Coca Cola. Relationship with people: Machiavelli has written about the relationship between the prince and the people. â€Å"I shall only conclude that it is necessary for a prince to have the friendship of the people; otherwise he has no remedy in times of adversity†(34) If a prince does not have a good relationship with the people, he will soon lose his power. A prince brings peace and prosperity to the people, and the people give their support to the prince. The â€Å"people† in The Prince are similar to customers in modern society. If a company wants to hold a great market share in the industry, it must focus on its relationship with customers. The Coca-Cola Company has a positive image for customers. The product is shown as â€Å"energetic and youthful†. When people visit the Coca-Cola Company’s official website, they can feel the company’s enthusiasm. The Coca-Cola Company has a short film on its home page which shows polar bears. This film is about the happy life of polar bears. The bears in the film are really cute and kind, and they are enjoying Coca Cola. It definitely leaves a good impression on the customers. Also, the Coca-Cola  Company has successful marketing strategies. The Coca-Cola Company has a great amount of loyal customers because it serves more than 200 countries in the world; customers can buy their products everywhere because they have the most advanced distribution channel. As a result, Coca-Cola is the most valued brand in the world; it has held about a 48% market share of the beverage industry. The Coca-Cola Company is the leader in the industry because it has a good relationship with customers. Make products indispensable: According to The Prince, â€Å"Therefore a wise prince must devise ways by which his citizens are always and in all circumstances dependent on him and on his authority; and then they will always be faithful to him.†Ã¯ ¼Ë†35) That is to say, If a prince wants the people always be faithful to him, he should make people dependent on him. The Coca-Cola Company has a similar idea. When it was introduced, Coca-Cola contained cocaine, and this is the origin of the name â€Å"Coca Cola†. Cocaine is a stimulant from the leaves of the coca plant. People become addicted to cocaine by the long-term use of it. After cocaine was prohibited, The Coca-Cola Company put caffeine in Coke instead of cocaine. However, caffeine still can make people become addicted to Coke, thus, they become dependent upon having Coca Cola for the unique flavor and for the caffeine. One of the most important people in the Coca-Cola Company’s history is Robert W. Woodruff. He was the CEO of the Coca-Cola Company in 1923. Woodruff had the same idea as Machiavelli, which is making customers â€Å"dependent† on Coke. He mentioned that if the customers could not get Coke immediately when they were thirsty, Coca-Cola would lose in the competitive marketplace. The first vending machine was invented, and the Coca Cola Company began to sell coke in retail stores and convenience stores. Woodruff’s idea was to satisfy all the customers no matter when and where the customers wanted Coca Cola. The Coca-Cola Company made a very successful commercial in 1937, which was groundbreaking for that period because the theme was lifestyle. In this commercial, The Coca-Cola Company highlighted the importance of Coke in life instead of the attributes or ingredients of Coke. The most famous advertising slogan from this commercial is â€Å"The Pause That Refreshes†. Woodruff spent a lot of money and time on promoting Coke, but it was well worth the effort. The Coca-Cola  Company still spends lots of money on advertising even in nowadays. In 2012, the Coca-Cola Company spent more than three billion dollars on their advertising and increased the sales of firm and brand recognition. The Coca-Cola Company now has many loyal customers, and Coke plays an important role in our daily lives. Conclusion: Machiavelli wrote The Prince for the Medici family. The Medici family was like the big corporations of today. Because of this, Machiavelli’s ideas are just as important now as they were during the Renaissance era. As Machiavelli advised, princes should only show their good qualities and hide the bad qualities. Through its advertising, the Coca-Cola Company is using cunning to trick customers into drinking its soft drinks by showing only the positive aspects of Coke. Moreover, Machiavelli believes that if princes have a good relationship with people, people will always support them. In modern society, the Coca-Cola Company has many loyal customers because it has a good relationship with them. Furthermore, Machiavelli advised that people will always be faithful to a prince if people are dependent on him. The Coca-Cola Company is using caffeine in its products, so when people drink Coca Cola, they become addicted. Also, the Coca-Cola Company spent a lot of time and money promotin g its products. As a result, the Coca-Cola Company has a great number of loyal customers. All in all, many of the ideas in The Prince are similar to the ideas of the Coca-Cola Company, although The Prince was written during The Renaissance hundreds of years before Coca Cola was introduced. Works Cited Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. London: Penguin Group, 1961. 106.