Mccall's Make me wana Holler Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mccall's Make me wana Holler - Essay Example The narrator of McCall’s book undergoes a transformation of literacy when he becomes familiar with historical black authors while in prison, and changes his life to meet new goals in forming his life as an author. This is a book that deals deeply with three main themes: double standards (whites/blacks), internalized oppression vs. institutional discrimination (racism and classism are against McCall in the narrative), and labeling (because of his race and where he is from, the narrator is labeled as a deviant, and therefore perpetrates deviant behavior expected of him). Looking at these themes, one can also see how the work relates to socio economics and education. The author McCall doesn’t get much from the educational system in his area. Instead, he learns through his peers. And in a world of oppression where young black males like McCall are often driven from conventional modes of opportunity and access to productive careers and college, McCall instead fell in with his peers, in an unstructured environment. â€Å"By the time I reached the 7th grade, Id learned that a dude s life had no meaning unless he hung with someone. I discovered the strength and solace in camaraderie. It was a confidence booster, a steady support for my fragile self-esteem† (McCall, 22). At this point, the narrator feels that society has already excluded him from the mainstream because he is African American, and so it makes him insecure and drives him to these bonds leading to heightened courage and anti-social behavior in McCall’s teen group. This is also related to education, as it has been found that white and Asian students tend to do better than African-American or Latino students or students in low socio economic areas (Singham, 2003). This is perhaps a reflection of a larger problem of opportunity, access, and structural inequality, which is also shown in McCall’s thought provoking work. McCall’s story also addresses the problem of

Recommended procedures for improvement Essay Example for Free

Recommended procedures for improvement Essay As systems turn out to be more programmed and mechanized, those in charge of information system have a tendency to consider that more power will construct their processes better organized. In pulling manufacturing and design en route for computerization, the inclination is to provide as much power as probable to the mechanism and leave the lingering job tasks at hand. This automation viewpoint reduces the information and perceptive capacities of workers and pushes them to dislike the technology. Premises in the field of information system management are significant whether one’s orientation is in the direction of research or practice (Tapscott, 3). The responsibility of an organization is to help out in withdrawing the complication of the world and explaining and predicting proceedings. Given the information that the purpose of information system management management is to lessen the convolution of the empirical world by means of technology can benefit from sound improvement. While the complexity of the information system plan will vary based on the size of the district, it has to include a mission statement and rational, quantifiable goals and objectives that can be attained, in most cases, with obtainable resources. The Alachua’s budget also has to reflect the financial obligation to major technology initiatives included in the plan. Additionally, the planning process must include proceedings that allow decision makers to gauge the benefits of investments in information system and abandon or alter failed strategies for more triumphant ones. Methods of making a Web site secure from hackers It is not that software has turned out to be less protected, and it’s not almost certainly because of potential attackers having increased in number. The reason that hackers are more common is likely because many people do not know how to protect their Web sites. To make a website free from hackers, simply: (1) know your enemy, (2) create ‘strong’ passwords, (3) use good software, (4) update recurrently, (5) use a hardware server-side firewall and (6) facilitate WPA or WEP encryption on wireless network connections. Digital Signature Digital signatures are just like written signatures these are used to provide verification of the related input, typically called a ‘message’ (may be anything) a message sent in a more complicated cryptographic protocol or from an electronic mail to a contract. In cryptography, a digital signature or is a kind of asymmetric cryptography used to reproduce the security properties of a signature in digital than in a written form. Digital signatures usually give two algorithms one for signing that involves a user’s secret (private key), and one for validating signatures that involves user’s public key and the output of the signature method is known as the digital signature. â€Å"Terms and Conditions† or â€Å"Conditions of Use† -Websites and its related services are administered by the Terms and Conditions of Use, and the constant access to websites and its services is put through the user’s agreement to be bound by the Terms and Conditions of Use, as they may alter occasionally. Terms and Conditions of Use is a provision placed on a website notifying users regarding how the website deals with a user’s rights and responsibilities. Some websites characterize their Terms and Conditions of Use allowing users to routinely assess its services offered. If a user does not agree to Terms and Conditions of Use, a user may not use the website or its services. Plans of Alachua County in information system must state who is responsible for implementing and updating the technology plan. The Alachua County District’s technology plan must includes information on individual needs, equitable resource allocation, cost-effective acquisitions, technology funding, infrastructure and networking issues, technology-related professional development, support needs, and information management and delivery. On the other hand, the district’s does not make use of this best practice for the reason that the plan is not complete, is not based on a valid needs assessment, and is not evaluated and updated in a scheduled manner. The constituency should guarantee that the goals listed in the plan are detailed, quantifiable, manageable, rational, and time-bounded. The county also should ensure that the plan is monitored and updated based on valid data related to the district’s technology needs, skills, usage, and fluency levels among district employees. Strategies in the county’s strategic plan relate to technology and are considered the goals for the technology plan. In the district technology plan, the objectives are ambiguous (e. g. : guarantee, renovate, generate, etc.). Few of the objectives are assessable and are not based on detailed standards, making it complicated to document whether the objective was acquired. Additionally, it is imperative to note down that all decision-making in information system management is derived from some embedded premise. For the reason that the consequences by means of vague assumption information system management are better for all assumptions that give understanding may perhaps have even greater importance to all organizations (Tenkasi, 27). If one relies barely on the capability to forecast events devoid of understanding them, there is a greater prospective for making underprivileged, or at least unproductive decisions. The recommendations given are good examples of research that has hardened models of managing information systems in local areas and even in worldwide perspective. Yet there is still a need for more investigations to be able to accomplish a more constructive course of action in business information technology management. Information technology systems and management necessitate of a solid abstract establishment to direct both practice and research. Even though many of the recommendations being proposed by scholars and scientists in this field may possibly be compelling prescriptions for those who are on the lookout for something further than unsystematic information management, unless information management turns out to be strongly stranded in theories of organization. Works Cited: Tapscott, D. (1998) Growing Up Digital:The Rise of the Net Generation. McGraw Hill. Tenkasi, RV (1995) Technology transfer as collaborative learning. NY: Free Press Wesier, P. J. (2003). The Internet, Innovation, and Intellectual Property Policy. 103 Colum. L. Rev 534.

Tobias Wolff Essay -- Papers

Tobias Wolff Tobias Wolff, a boy of a troubled childhood, and a very tough father. Tobias Wolff had no intentions of being a writer from the start; it just seemed to of popped into his life. The Amazing part about this writer is that he was not supported by anyone but himself. His father was against everything that he did, and his brother, Geoffrey, also a writer would always take his fathers side, leaving Tobias on a side of his own. â€Å"I wasn’t fair, I always took my father’s side.† Said Geoffrey (Wolff, G; Duke of 144) Geoffrey was known as the ‘Good Brother’ as his father would say. This was wrong for a father to do, parents can’t play favorites, because it leads to one child feeling left out, or rebelling against it like Tobias Wolff did. I feel that the reason for the father favoritism towards Geoffrey Wolff was because Tobias was the younger brother, and younger brothers may be known to be more rebellious. Although, there was nothing said about how Tobias acted in his childhood, he might have been a rebellious child, which may of turned his father towards Geoffrey. Tobias decided to enlist himself into the army once he couldn’t deal with his father anymore. No, he was not drafted into the army; he chose to enlist himself into the army acting on his own free will. Many say that Tobias did this to escape his troubled childhood and mainly his father. Shortly after Tobias enlisted himself into the army, he was called to battle in the Vietnam War where he experienced many different styles of life. Shortly after the war ended Tobias wrote a novel, most people say it was his best work, titled In Pharoh’s Army: memories of the lost war. The reason this came to be such an amazing work was it contained his wartime experiences... ...Irving. The vintage book of Contemporary American Short Stories, Article 17. http://web7.infotrac.galegroup.com†¦rn_17_0_a16559373?sw_aep=pace_main; Spring, 1995; March 22, 2000 Meyer, Michael. The Compact Bedford introduction to Literature, â€Å"Powder,† Tobias Wolff, p.525. 2000 by Bedford/St. Martin’s. Wolff, Tobias. In the Garden of North American Martyrs. 1945, The Ecco Press, New York. 175pgs. Smith, Joan. â€Å"The Salon Interview – Speaking into the Unknown,† http://www.salon.com/dec96/interview961216.html , 3pgs. Wolff, Tobias. Hunters in the snow, http://www.bnl.com/shorts/stories/huntsnow.html , 1997 B&L Associates, Renton, Washington, 12 pgs. (Gary Lindquist---Comments). Wolff, Tobias. This Boys Life, 1989 Grove Press, New York, NY, 288pgs. Wolff, Geoffrey. The Duke of Deception - memories of my father, Random House inc. 1979, 275 pgs.

Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

CAPITAL PUNISMENT - IMMORAL OR NOT As a minority of US bishops once said, â€Å"We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.† The Catholic Church has spoken out repeatedly and passionately about the need to protect human life of every stage of existence. All issues and matters relating to the dignity and worth of human life fall with the realm of the fifth commandment, â€Å"You shall not kill.† The Catholic Church consistently communicates the importance of human life. As the late pope John Paul II once stated, â€Å"May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world. A sign of hope is the increasing recognition that the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.† Capital punishment is one of those moral issues that divide society. Most people in favour of the death penalty think that it should only be for those that have committed brutal premeditated crimes, mass murders and convicted multiple rapes. But Christians teaching, whatever the religion, believe that the criminal should be given the chance for rehabilitation. Early references to penalties for murder and capital punishment can be found in the bible. The first mention of appropriate punishment for murder is found in Genesis 4: 11 – 15 â€Å"Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer...

Boy Cry

In his telling novel, Real Boys, William S. Pollack spends much of the work making a strong social commentary on some of the issues and problems associated with growing up. For the author, growing up is something that has gotten more and more difficult over the years and certain problems must be handled by society. The book succinctly discusses the various roles that educators, parents, friends, and society plays in raising a child to be a man. It discusses what can be done on both an individual level and a parental level, while addressing how children respond to different motivations from the outside.The impressiveness of raising these important social questions is bested only by this book’s ability to answer those questions. The most important aspect of young male development to the author is the context in which a boy is raised. By this, it means that a boy in North America has a hard time coming to a firm understanding of both who he is and who he is supposed to become. Th e book talks at length about the many â€Å"codes† by which a boy is required to live in the United States. Instead of being able to find himself within the context of his life, a boy must adhere to a double set of social standards.In addition to adhering to new age principles, boys must do their best to uphold the long standing male tradition of being â€Å"tough† and being â€Å"manly†. As Pollack shows with his real life examples, this type of pressure does not allow a boy to realize the proper context. This is important because it eventually stunts development and, according to the author, can lead to some very serious consequences. Among those are drug use, violence, learning disabilities, and psychological disorders. The author makes the point to state some solutions for these problems, instead of focusing solely on the problems.That is one of the important and interesting aspects of the book. One of the solutions has to do with a likely source in a boyâ⠂¬â„¢s development. According to the author, parents have to play a pivotal role in a child’s development if that child is going to become a success in society. This is where the idea of parental gatekeeping comes into play. Parents must not only do what they can to raise a child financially and physically, but they must also make a commitment to raising the child’s psyche. This does not mean that parents are always supposed to be the child’s biggest fan, nor are they to be his biggest detractor.In order for a boy to eventually grow into a man, the parents have to be something of a middle man in this. They must let enough good in to encourage the boy in his development, while keeping him grounded enough to stay on the right track. This is a slippery slope, but one that parents must tread down if they want to raise a boy properly. Another neat thing in the book is that the author takes the time to not only address widespread developmental issues in regards to boy s, but also to address specific problems that stand in the way in today’s society.Among those are some touchy topics that most parents and all schools have trouble dealing with. Though it might seem like a small thing on the surface, the author makes sure to mention that one of the biggest developmental problems facing boys in American society is friendlessness. Though it is not something that affects all children, it has an impact on a significant number of individuals. As such, there are lots of boys who grow up through elementary and middle school without knowing what it is like to have a friend.This affects boys in a couple of different ways. For one, they struggle with confidence issues as all of the individuals around them thrive. In addition, they miss out on learning some of the important things that go along with friendship. They do not learn how to handle their emotions or work with other human beings to figure out interpersonal problems. These things might seem min or to some, but to the author, they are huge stumbling blocks that society has failed to take down. In the book, the author does not speak in pure generalities.Though he makes several general points that can be applied to boys across the board, his primary objective is to identify specific problems that have specific solutions. When addressing the problems of boys, he spends a great deal of time and energy breaking down the problems that exist in schools when it comes to development of boys. Above all of the other parties responsible for raising boys to be men, he feels that schools have the great influence and thus, are doing the worst job at this point. In the book, he mentions some specific ways that parents must feel that their kids are being wronged.In his book, Pollack makes mention of some of the questions that parents must ask when he writes (1999), â€Å"Do the school’s teachers and administrators know about the boy code? Do they understand the mask? Are they sympat hetic to boys? Does the school teach subject matters and use classroom materials that interest my boy? † (p. 231). The author goes on to discuss that the answer to these questions is, all too often, no. The author places a significant amount of focus on the job that teachers and administrators are doing within the schools.In addition to not being well equipped to handle the emotional rigors that boys go through during their developmental years, schools are having a hard time zeroing in on the academic problems that boys are facing. The author specifically mentions the subjects of reading and writing as weak areas for boys, and goes on to talk about how school administrators are not doing enough to catch these problems and work to improve them. Because schools are not noticing academic issues at the beginning, boys are being allowed to struggle their way through school.This is one of the primary reasons why boys struggle on the outside of school. With their self-esteem shot and their confidence destroyed by problems within school, they are forced to then face their own development in a world that is becoming tougher and tougher on people their age. Fundamental problems, according to the author, are causing even great consequences on the outside of schools. All in all, the book is an excellent commentary on the many problems that young men face in a changing world. Getting from boyhood to manhood used to be easy, but now it is more of a challenge.Unfortunately, the world has not accommodated for the extra challenge, so boys are expected to handle their issues with the greatest of ease and the greatest of strength. That, in effect, is the message of the book. According to Pollack, parents, teachers, school administrators, and society at large is failing the young male population in North America. Until more is done to correct the problem, more and more young boys will find drugs, violence, and a handful of other issues to fill their plate in lieu of their o verriding issues. References Pollack, W. (1999). Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. Owl Books.

Columbus was not an imperialist essays

Columbus was not an imperialist essays No matter what is thought of Christopher Columbus, there is no argument that he changed the course of history. Without Columbus and the European supremacy that followed, the United States of America would possibly not exist. He did what no other explorer dared do. He was determined to find the New World when everybody else was afraid to. This is what made Christopher Columbus defined as a courageous hero. Some people say he is the basis (how our country was discovered) of our country. There were other people who also uncovered America but Columbus was the most attributed. Although he was always judged to be vain, ambitious, greedy, and ruthless; traditional historians viewed his voyages as opening the New World to Western civilization and Christianity. Columbus should not be regarded as an imperialist because it is not true, he did not go there to conquer the people. Columbus accidentally lurched upon the land while looking for a short route to South-Eastern Asia. The Native Americans didnt actually discover the land, they just migrated there. Columbus had a purpose, to extend European relations and earn recognition for discerning the New World. He was very determined in finding the route to Asia but instead what he found was even better. He earned reverence from people as he was knighted by the queen. Among all interpretations is that his voyages were one of the turning points in history. If a person has a national holiday named after him then he or she must be exceptionally significant in history. There are many states that celebrate Columbus with statues throughout the nation and some that dont. Everyone has a different view on this, was Columbus a hero or villain? The idea that makes him a hero is the fact that he actually accomplished what he strived to achieve and more. He brought new wealth back to Europe, making him more credible. And of course he found the land itself which credits Co ...

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East

Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East Introduction A decade into the 21st century, women in nearly all progressive countries across the world continue to be disadvantaged in their careers relative to men. Despite sustained efforts by governments and industry to promote gender equality in the workplace, women persist to experience occupational segregation, wage disparities, fewer promotions, and less significant wage increases (Schweitzer et al., 2011).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This view is reinforced by Schreuders et al. (2009), who observes that occupational segregation, particularly in science and engineering fields, has been a matter of concern for governments and scholars worldwide. Available statistics demonstrate that in spite of their talent, ability, and opportunity, women continue to be underrepresented in these critica l sectors of the economy (Schweitzer et al, 2011), with Bhatia Amati (2010) suggesting that the segregation is the direct consequence of social, political, and economic systems that continue to reinforce gender stereotyping and role expectations. On her part, Bystydzienski (2004) posits that it is the lack of encouragement, mentorship, support and appropriate socialization to enter and remain in the sciences, engineering, or technology-related fields that is entirely to blame for the few number of women exhibiting interest in these fields. Although many research studies (e.g., Baron Cobb-Clark, 2010; Coder et al., 2009; Franzway et al., 2009; Morganson et al., 2010) have been initiated in a focused attempt to understand the reasons behind the noted occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, only a handful (e.g., Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) have attempted to evaluate the trajectories of these dynamics from an industry-specific perspective. Furthermore, the se studies do not attempt to place the findings in a broader, historical, and institutional context, not mentioning that they lack the comparators necessary to understand the problem within a wider social and geographical context. It is these gaps in knowledge that provide the impetus to undertake the present study, which aims to understand why there are few women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Background of the Study Schreuders et al. (2009) observe that â€Å"†¦unlike other historically male-dominated occupations that have seen gains in achieving gender equity, many sciences, math, and engineering fields have remained peculiarly unbalanced in terms of gender† (p. 97). Other research studies (e.g., Kusku et al.; 2007; Coder et al., 2009; Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004) demonstrate that underrepresentation of women in engineering and technology-related fields continue to widen as women engineers and technicians find themselves swimming against the tide of prejudice intrinsically reinforced by the social, cultural, psychological and economic realities of life. These assertions are supported by well-documented data. A survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and cited in Coder et al (2009) indicates that while women made up an estimated 43% of the information technology (I.T.) workforce in 1983, the female percentage dropped to a paltry 26 % in 2008 in spite of the fact that the total I.T. workforce had more than doubled for the indicated period. Of course many research studies have been progressed to understand the dynamics involved in this type of occupational segregation, but it still remains unclear exactly why women remain a minority in engineering and technology-related fields (Coder et al, 2009). Indeed, extant literature demonstrates that many women hold the necessary educational background and resources to venture into these technical fields, but end experiencing impediments for reasons not fully under their control (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). This notwithstanding, various theoretical orientations have been advanced to explain the perceived lack of gender representation in engineering and technical fields, and what could be done to contain the situation from further deterioration. The present paper will heavily rely on two of such theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist theory and the pipeline theory. In considering how women view their abilities and position themselves in relation to their male counterparts, this Research is profoundly influenced by social constructionist doctrines as the experiences and characteristics accredited to women, portrayed by academia and industry as contributing to their current occupational segregation in engineering and technology-related fields, are not timeless and universal b ut are socially, historically, psychologically, and politically located (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Why there are Few Women in Telecommunications Industry in Europe and Middle East specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To deduce that all women judge, think, or relate in distinctive and universal ways when making career choices, particularly in fields traditionally considered as male-dominated, inarguably denies the contextuality that frames behavior (Benson Yukongdi, 2005). Consequently, this study attempts to understand the reasons why there are few women in telecommunication industry by comparing experiences of women in two continents, Europe and the Middle East, with a view to comprehensively cover the differences that may arise from the diverse contextual and geographical backgrounds. The present study will also draw upon the pipeline theory to analyze why women are yet to ac hieve equal representation in engineering and technology-related fields, with specific reference to the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. As highlighted by Schweitzer et al. (2011), â€Å"†¦the pipeline theory suggests that increasing the number of women in male-dominated fields should lead to more equality in the labor market†¦ This presumes that women and men in the pipeline expect comparable career outcomes† (p. 422). However, as has been demonstrated in a number of research studies concerned with evaluating the reasons behind gender-based underrepresentation in the labor market, the movement of more women into the pipeline has not resulted in enviable treads for women careers, particularly when it comes to engineering and technology-related disciplines (Schweitzer et al, 2011; Coder Rosenbloom, 2009). Much attention will, therefore, be focused on understanding why women are yet to achieve comparable career outcomes with their male count erparts in the telecommunications sector, and the various alternatives that could be implemented to remedy the disparity.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Issues of meritocracy and social-cultural orientations will be comprehensively discussed and evaluated with a view to synthesizing the obstacles that come into play to hamper more women representation in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East. Advocates of meritocracy are of the opinion that â€Å"†¦in true meritocratic systems everyone has an equal chance to advance and obtain rewards based on their individual merits and efforts, regardless of their gender, race, class, or other non-merit factors† (Castilla Bernard, 2010 p. 543). Inside organizations, a fundamental strand of this study will concern how organizational policies and strategies affect employees’ opportunities and careers, particularly those policies and strategies designed to reduce discrepancies for women working in technical-oriented disciplines. In equal measure, previous studies have identified aspects of entrenched masculine culture, social-cultural dynamics, and weak copin g mechanisms as major reasons for lower representation of women in technical disciplines such as telecommunications engineering (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004; Morganson et al., 2010). Indeed, Franzway et al (2009) posit that â€Å"†¦although women are as competent as their male colleagues in the technical dimensions of engineering, the gendered expectations and processes within engineering organizations are an entrenched problem for women’s careers† (p. 91). The rationale of the Research This study arises from the need for organizations and governments to develop policies, plans, and strategies that can be used to inform effective policy-making with regard to inclusion of more women into career fields traditionally considered as male-dominated. The paucity of statistical data on the underrepresentation of women in technical fields in other countries, with the exception of the United States (Blau Kahn, 2007), have often served as a reinforcing agent for ineffective and undirected policies that continue to be developed by organizations and governments in their bid to reverse the gendered disadvantage. Second, the study is informed by the need to develop tangible alternatives that can be used by organizations to not only encourage more women into engineering and technical fields but also to retain them. Extant Research demonstrates that women have unique capabilities and talents that could be used by organizations to attain optimal productivity and competitiveness (Kotsilieri Marshall, 2004). Equally, evidence has been adduced to the fact that more women than men are likely to leave employment in technology field (Franzway et al, 2009), due to a myriad of reasons which will be covered comprehensively in this study. Moreover, the results of this study can be used by educational institutions to develop academic and career paradigms that will encourage more women into the technical disciplines, with the hope that a high uptake of women will transl ate into equal representation in the labor market. Aim Objectives of the Study The general aim of this study is to critically evaluate the reasons why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. The following forms the specific objectives of the study: To critically analyze how women are impacted negatively as a result of employment discrimination in the telecommunications industry; To critically evaluate the interplay between meritocracy and social-cultural and psychological variables in entrenching occupation discrimination along with gender, and; To analyze and report on probable alternatives that could be used to alleviate gendered occupation discrimination in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Research Questions Based on the above objectives, this study aims to address the following research questions: What are the current practices and polices used by telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle Eas t to ensure gendered occupation equality in the field? What issues within the meritocratic and social-cultural, psychological, geographical and political contexts could be serving as obstacles to gendered occupation equality for telecommunications firms in Europe and the Middle East? What are the current trends in occupation discrimination in telecommunications organizations in Europe and the Middle East? What are the alternatives being sought by organizations and governments in the two continents towards addressing the women underrepresentation in telecommunications industry? Scope of the Study Although the study makes frequent mention of women in science, engineering and technology-related fields, its analysis excludes all the other women working in the above-mentioned fields apart from those specifically working in telecommunications and information technology (I.T.) fields. The study does not deal with the position of the management of the selected organizations regarding occup ational segregation but focuses attention to understanding the dynamics involved from the female worker’s perspective and the official policies and strategies relating to occupational segregation of women in telecommunications industry within a wider continental context. This implies that the results gravitate more towards attempting to understand why there are few women in the field within a specific social, geographical and political context. Structure of the Dissertation The above forms the introduction section of this study, which has laid the groundwork for the subsequent sections. This section, among other things, have demonstrated the direction that this study takes by discussing the problem, stating the research aim and objectives, and discussing the rationale of the study. The following section will revolve around critically discussing the available literature on occupational segregation of women in science and engineering fields, with particular reference accorded t o Europe and the Middle East. The methodology, the third section, focuses on discussing the study design, population and sample, data collection techniques, and how the data for this study has been analyzed. The results are presented in section four, under findings, analysis and discussion. This study concludes by outlining some conclusions, recommendations and future research areas in section five. Conclusion The present study aims to analyze why there are few women in the telecommunications industry in Europe and the Middle East. Towards this purpose, the study relies on two theoretical conceptions, namely the social constructionist perspective and the pipeline theory, to evaluate the impact of occupational segregation in this critical sector, and the alternatives that could be developed to reverse the trend. Consequently, the deliverables include, but not limited to: understanding how women in the telecommunications sector in Europe and the Middle East view their abilities and p osition themselves in relation to men; understanding why women are yet to achieve equal representation in technology-related fields; understanding how issues of meritocracy and social-cultural, political, psychological, and geographical orientations impacts women representation in these fields, understanding how organizational policies and strategies within the wider continental context could be modified to encourage more women into science, engineering and technical-related fields. List of References Baron, J.D., Cobb-Clark, D.A (2010). Occupational Segregation and the Gender Wage Gap in Private- and Public-Sector Employment: A Distributional Analysis. Economic Record, 86 (273), pp. 227-246. Benson, J., Yukongdi, V (2005). Asian Women Managers: Participation, Barriers and Future Prospects. Asian Pacific Business Review, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bhatia, S., Amati, J (2010). ‘If these Women can do it, I can do it, Too’: Building Women Engineering Leaders through Graduate Peer Mentoring. Leadership Management in Engineering, 10 (4), pp. 174-184. Blau, F.D., Kahn, L.M (2007). The Gender Pay Gap: Have Women gone as Far as they Can? Academy of Management Perspectives, 11 (2), pp. 283-291. Bystydzienski, J.M (2004). (Re)Gendering Science Fields: Transforming Academic Science and Engineering. NWSA Journal, 16 (1), pp. 8-12. Castilla, E.J., Bernard, S (2010). The Paradox of Meritocracy in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 55 (4), pp. 543-576. Coder, L., Rosenbloom, J.L., Ash, R.A., DuPont, B.R. (2009). Economic and Business Dimensions: Increasing Gender Diversity in the I.T. Workforce. Communications of the ACM, 52 (5), pp. 25-27. Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J.E., Gill, J (2009). Engineering Ignorance. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 30 (1), pp. 89-106. Kotsilieri, F., Marshall, J (2004). Hellenic Women Managers in the Telecommunications Sector: Living in Transition. New Technology, Work Employment, 19 (3), pp. 177-191. Mo rganson, V.J., Jones, M.P., Major, D.A (2010). Understanding Women’s Underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: The Role of Social Coping. Career Development Quarterly, 59 (2), pp. 169-179. Schreuders, P. D., Mannon, S.E., Rutherford, B (2009). Pipeline or Personal Preference: Women in Engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 34 (1), pp. 97-112. Schweitzer, L., Ng, E., Lyons, S., Kuron, L (2011). Exploring the Career Pipeline: Gender Differences in Pre-Career Expectations. Industrial Relations, 66 (3), pp. 422-444.

The Christmas Story From the Gospel of Luke in Spanish

The Christmas Story From the Gospel of Luke in Spanish The classic story of the first Christmas from the Gospel of Luke has enchanted readers for centuries. Here is that story from the traditional  Reina-Valera Spanish translation of the Bible, a translation whose cultural importance is comparable to that of the King James Version of the Bible in English and comes from the same era. Lukes Christmas account is one that many English readers will recognize as beginning with And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. Boldfaced words are explained in the vocabulary guide below. San Lucas 2:1-20 Acontecià ³ en aquellos dà ­as que salià ³ un edicto de parte de Cà ©sar Augusto, para levantar un censo de todo el mundo habitado. Este primer censo se realizà ³ mientras Cirenio era gobernador de Siria. Todos iban para inscribirse en el censo, cada uno a su ciudad. Entonces Josà © tambià ©n subià ³ desde Galilea, de la ciudad de Nazaret, a Judea, a la ciudad de David que se llama Belà ©n, porque à ©l era de la casa y de la familia de David, para inscribirse con Marà ­a, su esposa, quien estaba encinta. Acontecià ³ que, mientras ellos estaban allà ­, se cumplieron los dà ­as de su alumbramiento, y dio a luz a su hijo primogà ©nito. Le envolvià ³ en paà ±ales, y le acostà ³ en un pesebre, porque no habà ­a lugar para ellos en el mesà ³n. Habà ­a pastores en aquella regià ³n, que velaban y guardaban las vigilias de la noche sobre su rebaà ±o. Y un ngel del Seà ±or se presentà ³ ante ellos, y la gloria del Seà ±or los rodeà ³ resplandor; y temieron con gran temor. Pero el ngel les dijo: No temis, porque he aquà ­ os doy buenas nuevas de gran gozo, que ser para todo el pueblo: que hoy, en la ciudad de David, os ha nacido un Salvador, que es Cristo el Seà ±or. Y esto os servir de seà ±al: Hallarà ©is al nià ±o envuelto en paà ±ales y acostado en un pesebre. De repente aparecià ³ con el ngel una multitud de las huestes celestiales, que alababan a Dios y decà ­an:  ¡Gloria a Dios en las alturas, y en la tierra paz entre los hombres de buena voluntad! Acontecià ³ que, cuando los ngeles se fueron de ellos al cielo, los pastores se decà ­an unos a otros: Pasemos ahora mismo hasta Belà ©n y veamos esto que ha sucedido, y que el Seà ±or nos ha dado a conocer. Fueron de prisa y hallaron a Marà ­a y a Josà ©, y al nià ±o acostado en el pesebre. Al verle, dieron a conocer lo que les habà ­a sido dicho acerca de este nià ±o. Todos los que oyeron se maravillaron de lo que los pastores les dijeron; pero Marà ­a guardaba todas estas cosas, meditndolas en su corazà ³n. Los pastores se volvieron, glorificando y alabando a Dios por todo lo que habà ­an oà ­do y visto, tal como les habà ­a ido dicho. Vocabulary and Grammar Notes Acontecer usually means to happen. It is found mostly in older literature; modern speakers would more likely use pasar, sucedir, or ocurrir. Aquellos is a demonstrative adjective meaning those. Aquellos suggests a more distant point in time than another demonstrative, esos, which also is used for those. By itself, parte is often the equivalent of part in the sense of portion. However, the phrase de parte de is used to indicate who something is coming from, somewhat like on the part of. Todo el mundo, literally all the world, is a common idiom usually translated as everybody. Realizar is usually better thought of as meaning to make real rather than to realize. It is a common  way of saying that something came to be. Iban and fueron are  forms of the verb ir, to go, which has a strongly irregular conjugation. Belà ©n refers to Bethlehem, one of many city names that are substantially different in English and Spanish. Alumbramiento can refer to either physical illumination or the delivery of a baby. Similarly, the idiom dar a luz (literally, to give light) means to give birth. Primogà ©nito is the equivalent of firstborn. Primo- is related to primero, the word for first, and -genito comes from the same root word as genetic. A pesebre is a manger. Although pastor can be the equivalent of pastor, here it refers to a shepherd. A rebaà ±o is a flock. Although Seà ±or here is the equivalent of Lord, it usually is used in modern Spanish as the equivalent of Mr. Se presentà ³ is an example of a reflexive verb usage, which is more common in Spanish than in English. A literal translation would be presented himself, although it could be more simply be translated as appeared. Pueblo here is a collective noun meaning people. It is grammatically singular but plural in meaning. De repente is an idiom meaning immediately. De prisa is an idiom meaning hurriedly. Al verle is an example of using al with an infinitive. Here the indirect object pronoun le is attached to the infinitive ver. Al in this type of construction is often translated as upon, so al verle means upon seeing him. Meditndolas is an example of attaching a direct object pronoun, las, to a gerund, meditando. Note that the addition of the pronoun requires the addition of an orthographic accent to the third syllable.

What Exactly do Group Workers Do and What do Their Groups Seek to Coursework

What Exactly do Group Workers Do and What do Their Groups Seek to Achieve - Coursework Example However, with the advent of organizational set up in the twentieth century, both private and public companies encouraged teamwork for achieving the technical output as it demanded more scientific inquiry compared to yesteryears (Gerald Corey, 2007). This necessitated us to recruit more people for combined work or group work. Hence it is high time to analyze the desirable attributes of group workers for achieving success. The group workers are initially trained before taking up their main task in the areas of organizational skills, teamwork and coordination (Irvin D Yalom and Molyn Leszch, 2005). They will be made aware of the necessity of understanding the group requirements. The group worker would certainly understand the time frame and nature of his responsibility as part of the whole team (Gerald Corey, 2004). He would be assigned short-term targets and evaluation would be made at certain time intervals to assess his performance rate. The evaluation would also be made to ascertain whether his individual contribution is in proportion to the group requirement or not? At times, the group size may be very large and enhance there is need to divide it into subgroups. While making subgroups, some flexibility is to be given to select the subgroup. Of course, the care should be taken to ensure that the subgroup involves the homogenous mixture of persons from different specializations to look after the main technical work. To make it more specific, I would like to share my practical experience with working n some non-government or voluntary organizations. Voluntary organizations in which I had association work mainly for rural development. They aim at organizing the farmers and other rural poor for achieving higher net income by higher agricultural productivity.

Reflective Chapter Entry II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflective Chapter Entry II - Essay Example An example is when someone hears something that someone else has said, or a sound from a certain device. Listening is giving attention to a sound or to someone when they are speaking. Critical listening is giving maximum attention to a sound or to a person when they are speaking. Critical listening involves taking notes, critical thinking as well as making critical judgments. An example is listening while keeping eye contact and not interfering. Emotions can be effectively expressed in nonverbal communication in various ways. I would personally consider using nonverbal communication to express my emotions. This involves, using polite body language and gestures. The first step would be to identify my emotion then share it and listening to the response. A relationship is developed through finding common interests and participating together. This also involves creating a friendly and welcoming environment. To maintain a relationship, frequent communication is very important. In a relationship decline, critical listening and expression of emotions is very crucial. For a relationship to be repaired emotions must be expressed and the concepts of eye contact and body language can be used to make it

Project Planning Documentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project Planning Documentation - Essay Example In this scenario, this report outlines some of the major objectives of implementation of ERP technology. Introduction According to Al-Mashari (2003) the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can be viewed as one of the most modern and effective developments since 1990s. Additionally, with the growing attention of a number of businesses towards moving from a traditional functional approach to IT and business IS based corporate working environment, ERP systems have turned out to be one of today’s most popular business information system solutions. In addition, the well-known qualities of ERP business solutions motivated businesses to put into practice ERP systems. In this scenario, some of the well-known qualities of ERP systems include standardization and integration capabilities; besides, this is flexible in the both server and client architecture and their capability to take effectual organizational reengineering and management of foundational and support processes (Al-M ashari, 2002; Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). Seeing the importance of an ERP system for a business, ABC Corporation has decided to implement a corporate-wide Enterprise Resource Planning package which will form (define) the core technology, database, and development environment to be utilized by the organization. This report will present recommendations for the acquisition and implementation of a corporate-wide business information system RFP from ABC Corporation in Toledo, Ohio. In addition, this report will offer a detailed analysis of the major problems and objectives of ERP technology in the context of ABC Corporation. Problem Situation ABC Corporation is currently running and managing its business tasks using the distributed financial management system in conjunction with various disparate platforms. However, with the rapid growth of ABC Corporation is the past few years, the business has experienced expansion in its business circle and data. In this scenario, the old and other business management systems are not capable of offering any reasonable support for the business management. Due to a large number of business management systems the firm is not able to deliver effective performance and a centralized business platform. The business of ABC Corporation is facing a number of IT related problems, some are outlined below: Vulnerability to arrange errors because of slow processing in the course of customer service. Lack of correct performance information Lack of incorporating financial support Dirty data Less supportive for corporate decision support More load on central corporate management staff No central data repository Different formats of data No standard format of data Less support for efficient extraction of information Manual calculations and compilations Long waiting for time for management reports More data duplication Lower quality data Objectives This section outlines the objectives of ABC Corporation which they want to achieve t hrough the implementation of an ERP system. In this scenario, some of the major objectives of this ERP technology based system at ABC Corporation are outlined belo

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency - Assignment Example Virtues are the good behavior and morals aimed at promoting good and peaceful coexistence between people and doing good both to oneself and others (David, 77). I prefer that ethics is a real requirement for living in life since without it, the human actions are random and useless. There would be no way to choose between a good goal and a wrong one if there will be none to choose upon. I personally view myself as believing in having virtues to be very important in life. This is because moral goodness is important for peaceful coexistence amongst people in the society. An example is the importance of the virtue of chastity especially among women in my community (David, 34). This will create peace in the community. Another example is the importance of the virtue of patience in society. Moral agency is also important to me very much. It is good to act properly in accordance to the community’s notion. Since everyone has the freedom of choosing what to do, I am always for the choice of doing the right just to avoid problems in

International Business Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

International Business Finance - Essay Example If you have an existing business that creates a tangible product, exporting is the most common method. Start-up costs and risks are limited, and profits maybe realized early on. For some this may be the beginning a new venture, the other choices are options that may reduce some of the start-up risks. There are two basic ways to export: directly or indirectly. Direct Exporting In direct exporting, your company finds a foreign buyer and then makes all arrangements for shipping your products overseas. This method requires a lot of footwork and infrastructure, and entails more risk, but the potential profit rewards are often higher. If you choose to export directly, you have several options: Sales Representatives or Agents are essentially, the employees that are hired as foreign-based representatives or "agents" who work on a commission basis to locate buyers for your product, the same that is done domestically. Distributors will strike a deal with a foreign distributor, who purchases me rchandise from the organisation and resells it with a mark-up. The distributor maintains inventory and provides after-sales service to the buyer. Indirect Exporting An organisation uses an export intermediary to perform most of the details of the export arrangement. Many small businesses choose this option, at least at the outset. There are several types of export intermediaries: Commissioned agents are brokers who link your product or service with specific foreign buyers, allowing the primary company to fulfil the order, handle packing, shipping, and export documentation. Export Management Companies (EMCs) and Export Trading Companies (ETCs) are companies that operate in the country where the goods export. EMCs generally represent your product to promote it to other prospective overseas purchasers, while ETCs usually work according to demand, finding a need and sourcing your product for foreign buyers. Both types of companies usually take care of all aspects of the export transacti on (including conducting market research, promoting your product overseas, accessing proper distribution channels, and locating foreign distributors), making them a viable option for smaller companies that lack the time and expertise to break into international markets on their own. EMCs and ETCs usually operate on a commission basis, although some work on a retainer basis and some take title to the goods they sell, making a profit on the mark-up. Importing and exporting, on any scale, from a tiny home office or from the World Trade Centre. It is not required to have a license from the United States government in order to do international trade, but the country with which company does business may require a license. There are several issues needed in an international business plan (Rajan, 1998). Discuss the different types of risk that impact on an organisation trading on an international basis. Political risk arises from the possibility that a host government will take actions harm ful to foreign investors or that political turmoil will endanger investments. Political risk are particularly acute in developing countries, where unstable or ideologically motivated governments may attempt to block return of profits by foreign investors or even seize their assets from the host country. An example is Venezuela. President Chavez at the time at a desire to broaden the country's socialist revolution in Venezuela and issued a

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics, Virtue and Moral Agency - Assignment Example Virtues are the good behavior and morals aimed at promoting good and peaceful coexistence between people and doing good both to oneself and others (David, 77). I prefer that ethics is a real requirement for living in life since without it, the human actions are random and useless. There would be no way to choose between a good goal and a wrong one if there will be none to choose upon. I personally view myself as believing in having virtues to be very important in life. This is because moral goodness is important for peaceful coexistence amongst people in the society. An example is the importance of the virtue of chastity especially among women in my community (David, 34). This will create peace in the community. Another example is the importance of the virtue of patience in society. Moral agency is also important to me very much. It is good to act properly in accordance to the community’s notion. Since everyone has the freedom of choosing what to do, I am always for the choice of doing the right just to avoid problems in

Thoreaus Ideas of Sound Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thoreaus Ideas of Sound - Essay Example The incident of hearing the railroad cars moving along the tracks prompted an extended meditation on the relationship of man to nature. Thoreau originally responded to the sounds of the train as normal people would. He was bothered by the disruption, feeling a great distaste for the loud, clanging noise. It bothered him that it was this train that disturbed the natural peace and quiet of Nature. These thoughts led to the concept that some aspects of the modern human world were not always horrible. The trains, for example, allowed people to get from one place to another, especially if they were great distances from each other.   However, almost in the same breath, Thoreau realises that trains have taken away from a more simple time of life, when travels were done by means of walking or loading wagons - methods that did not involve disturbing Nature. Furthermore, these methods of transportation actually allowed these people to become closer to Nature. It aggravated Thoreau to realise that while people had come along way in regard to technology and amazing inventions that they had really set themselves quite far back by abandoning Nature for these wonderful creations.  It became rather confusing trying to decipher how Thoreau really felt about the existence of the train, especially as it was so close to his new home. He understood its purpose in the modern world, yet he found it difficult to comprehend why people would want to trade such peaceful methods of transportation for something.

Literacy in India Essay Example for Free

Literacy in India Essay In today’s perspective, literacy does not mean about the writing and reading capabilities only. It has gained a broader meaning. It claims to guide people towards awareness and the change which is needed in order to achieve a better way of living. The National Literacy Mission was set up by Govt. of India on May 5th, 1988 with the aim to eradicate illiteracy from the country. The targeted group for the same was people belonging to the age group of 15 to 35 years. The literacy rate of India has been recorded 64. 84% (2001 census) against 52. 21% in 1991. It has been increased by more than 12% in a decade. Also, the literacy rate is supposed to be around 70-72% by the end of 2010 (As estimated by National Sample Survey). But the goal is yet to be achieved completely (i. e. to obtain 100% literacy). Right to education is one of the fundamental rights for the people. Education for all is the mission of UNESCO that has to be achieved by 2015. Currently, India falls below the threshold level of literacy rate i. e. 75%. The National Literacy Mission Authority has been working to achieve its goal since its establishment. NLMA (National Literacy Mission Authority) works under the ministry of Human Resource Development. The Govt. of India has launched several schemes to achieve the goals of NLM. The initial target for NLM was to focus on the people belonging to the age group of 15 to 25 years. There were 80 million people falling under this age group. It was a big challenge to address such a huge lot of people about literacy and its benefits. In a way, it was quite different from all technology based or economic missions. It was conceived as a social mission by all and that helped NLM to achieve the success. The other significant factor was the political will of leaders at different levels at that time. The politicians and bureaucrats understood the importance of this mission and it has gained a whole hearted success in several states viz. Kerala, Tamilnadu, Rajasthan, Manipur etc. The idea was to convince people about their active participation, mobilization of social forces. Soon it became a national consensus. Thanks to the advertisements, sensitization of local leaders and people’s participation. Given below are some of the pioneers of success for National Literacy Mission: Literacy campaigns have been launched in almost 600 districts of India. The sanctioned products are supposed to cover 150 millions of neo-literates. 125 million people have already been made literate under this mission. Female participation (60%) is better than the male participation (40%). No. of volunteers have been increased significantly to promote the programme and help the community. One of the biggest characteristic of literacy mission was to stimulate the entire community for putting the faith that learning literacy should become the integral part of their lives. The method of operation has been to build and develop on environment which is helpful to learn by the communities through their traditions culture.

The Silent Era Of Hollywood Film Studies Essay

The Silent Era Of Hollywood Film Studies Essay The Silent Era of Hollywoods History was a great milestone in paving the way for todays film industry. With great actors and innovative technology, silent films poked fun at society and helped America get through some tough times. Happening between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Great Depression, silent films helped American audiences sit back and relax for an hour or two and laugh at society. Slapstick comedy made fun of high society and authority, absorbing the audience. Actors like Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks took the audience on adventures beyond any they had ever seen. In a world of black and white, silent films brightened up the lives of Americans everywhere. Whether it was a comedy, horror, or suspense, on television or at the theater, everyone in America has seen at least one movie. But have they ever stopped to appreciate how far the movie industry has come to produce outstanding special effects, eye-popping 3-D, and out-of-this-world colors? Where did all the film studios come from? Who paved the way for todays actors? Advancements and dilemmas in a world of silent black and white helped shape the movie industry forever. Early Beginnings. In 1873, a photographer was asked to find a way to photograph running horses to study their gait. Eadweard Muybridge set up twelve cameras and snapped his pictures. Each one had a half-second period of movement. He never went on to create films, but he certainly paved the way for many others. Émile Reynaud built a toy he called the Projecting Praxinoscope in 1877. It was a spinning drum where viewers saw various images in mirrors. In 1882, he found a way to project moving pictures using a lantern and mirrors. In 1888, Kodak started introducing film on paper rolls. This caught the eye of inventor Thomas Edison. He and his assistant cut the film and punched four holes onto one side so that gears could pull the film strips through the camera (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, pgs. 5-8). Early film was definitely primitive with choppy editing and jerky movements, but without it movies would have never come to existence. It took many years to perfect it, and by the time America needed enterta inment, film makers were ready. The Silent Era. Looking back, the roaring twenties was a great decade for directors, actors, and audiences in America. Post-World War I and Pre-Great Depression, America was the leading producer of movies, dealing with many of the societys problems and taboo topics. Scott Mintz of Digital History, described the silent movie era: American films were born in an age of reform, and many early silent movies took as their subject matter the major social and moral issues of the Progressive era: birth control, child labor, divorce, immigration, political corruption, poverty, prisons, prostitution, and womens suffrage. The tone of these films varied widely some were realistic and straightforward; others treated their subjects with sentimentality or humor; and many transformed complex social issues into personal melodramas. Yet there can be no doubt that many silent films dealt at least obliquely with the dominant issues of the time (2007). Film Studios. By 1926, over 400 feature films touching on societys problems were made and were emerging from eight different studios, five major and three minor. The Big Five produced 90% of films in America (Scott, 2005). Warner Bros. Pictures was the first of the five. Created by four Polish brothers, Jack, Harry, Albert, and Sam, Warner became prominent after first introducing talkies in the latter half of the decade. The studio later became infamous with Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes cartoons. The next great studio was Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in 1916. In 1935 it became known as Paramount Pictures, and generated many silent film stars such as Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, and talking stars including Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (Dirks, 1996). Paramount made a total of 101 movies in 1921 (Scott, 2005). The third studio was known as RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum) Pictures. It struggled in the 1920s until talking films came to the surface. The next studio is more commonly known as MGM o r Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Metro Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Louis B. Mayer Pictures Company merged together in 1924. They are best known for the Tom and Jerry cartoons. The final big studio was a merger of two big studios, Fox Film Corporation/Foundation and 20th Century Picture Company. It became known as 20th Century Fox (Dirks, 1996). The last three studios may have just been minor then, but today two of them are top-selling studios. Universal Pictures was formed in 1912 and became known for the Woody Woodpecker cartoons. The C.B.C Film Sales Company was founded in 1920 and later became known as Columbia Pictures. They established fame with the first Batman serials. The last of the little three was United Artists, formed in 1919 by the top film stars of the time, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, and D.W Griffith (Dirks, 1996). Movie Palaces. Not only did the film companies create innovative movies, they also constructed deluxe palaces to showcase their films. By starting these movie theater chains, the movie industry skyrocketed. Between 1922 and 1930, investment jumped from $78 to $850 million, and movie patrons doubled from 40 million people a week to 80 million (Thompson Bordwell, 1994). The Strand Theater opened in 1914 with 3,300 seats. The 6,200-seat Roxy Theater opened in New York City in 1927. It closed in 1960 and became known as Radio City Music Hall in 1965. On the west coast, Sid Grauman built three theaters in Los Angeles: the Million Dollar Theater (2,345 seats), the Egyptian Theater (1,760 seats), and the infamous Chinese Theater (2,258 seats). Grauman decided to start a tradition of Hollywood stars leaving their imprints in front of the theater (Dirks, 1996). Many of todays stars have their imprints at the theater, including one of the best known silent film stars of all time: Charlie Chaplin. Charlie Chaplin. Charles Spencer Chaplin was born in London in spring 1889. His parents were both actors and singers, giving Charlie each a piece of their talents. Unfortunately, the sudden death of his father and the mental illness of his mother forced him out on his own at the age of 10. Having his first stage performance at the age of 14 in Sherlock Holmes, Charlie started doing vaudeville comedy and was immediately taken to America to showcase his talents (Overview). Easily recognized by the toothbrush moustache, bowler hat, and funny walk, Chaplin starred in 87 short films and became known for his trademark Little Tramp character (see figure 1) (Smith, Mini Biography). Chaplin became ambitious and starred in a drama that ridiculed high society. His audience, however, avoided a film without the Little Tramp. He brought the character back in two of his greatest films, The Gold Rush (1925) and The Circus (1927) (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, pgs. 166-167). Figure : Charlie Chaplin as The Tramp Not only did Chaplin star in almost 100 films, he also wrote and directed, financed and produced, and composed all the music for them. During his spare time he wrote four books and composed many other songs. His films always focused on the economic and social problems of the time, making him relatable to the public while still being a comedian. He died on Christmas day in 1977. He was married and divorced four separate times and was survived by nine children (Smith, Mini Biography). Douglas Fairbanks. Another co-creator of United Artists, and a great actor in the action genre was Douglas Fairbanks. Born in Denver, Colorado in 1883, Fairbanks moved to New York in 1900. He made his Broadway debut there in 1902 and quickly prospered in his career. Wanting to move on to bigger and better things, he was under close watch of D.W. Griffith and became a huge movie star. He starred in many social and romantic comedies, making him very appealing to his audience. During a World War I Liberty bond tour, he met his future wife and equally popular actress Mary Pickford. After divorcing their respective spouses, they were married. Divorces were frowned upon during this era, but at the time they were so popular that America forgave and forgot their divorces. The couple was known as the king and queen, the royal couple of Hollywood. He is best known for action films such as The Mask of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921) (see figure 2), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Bagdad (1924), and The Black Pirate (1926) (Stars, 2004). Figure : Douglas Fairbanks in The Three Musketeers In 1927, Fairbanks and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was founded. Together they created the Academy Awards, to acknowledge, appreciate, and reward excellence in film (Dirks, 1996). Fairbanks died suddenly of a heart attack in 1939, and was given a special Oscar for recognizing the unique and outstanding contribution of the first President of the Academy to the international development of the motion picture (Stars, 2004). Early Innovations in Color. Making these award-winning movies was no easy feat since technology was moving fast. In the 1910s, directors and cinematographers were placing semi-transparent fabrics over their lenses to give the shot a soft, blurry look. By the 1920s, special lenses were created that focused all attention on the main actors and scenery, while blurring out the background. Another major advancement was the development of panchromatic film stock. Film was only sensitive to purple, blue, and green. Yellow and red barely registered, making any object of that color appear black (like an actress lipstick, see figure 3), while blue and purple appeared white. The sky with clouds rolling by was hard to film since the blue washed out to white with the clouds. By 1925, Eastman Kodak starting producing panchromatic stock and film studios were quickly switching over (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, pgs. 177-178). While vibrant shades of gray and black becoming popular, a world famous icon was still just an idea. Figure : Mary Pickfords lips appear black and she clearly stands out from the background A Mouse for All Ages. Walt Disney started his own arts firm in 1919. After many failed attempts at short cartoons, he and his brother Roy started the Disney Brothers Studios in Hollywood. It would later grow into one of the biggest corporations in the twentieth century. A character Disney created was taken over by another during a legal battle (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, p. 179). In retaliation, Disney created Steamboat Willie, starring Mickey Mouse for the first time in 1928. Steamboat Willie was also the first cartoon with synchronized sound. Strangely enough, the first sound was not Mickeys voice, but background noises and music. Mickey didnt speak until his ninth cartoon when he said hot dogs!, using Disneys voice for Mickeys (Dirks, 1996). Lets Hear it for the Movies. As the decade came to a close, the arrival of sound was a major disturbance. Silent films could be distributed all over the world, having no language barrier. Now that actors were beginning to talk, the movies had to stay strictly in the US and audiences started to realize the actors lacked an appealing speaking voice. Many directors had to have their actors imported from Broadway, knowing they already had excellent speaking voices. Cameras were bulky and created a lot of noise, and immobile microphones attached to the actors limited their mobility. Soon the silent film studios became almost extinct and boom mikes, mounted cameras, and sound-proof stages were the most innovative equipment (Dirks, 1996). With the new microphones, actors could move freely and speak at their normal pace, giving films a new rhythm. The Bell Howell Rotambulator was also invented, giving cameras movement they never had before. The dolly could raise the camera vertically from 18 inches to 7 feet and pannin g, tilting, and tracking were simpler and easier (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, pgs. 241-242). Coloring a Black and White World Black and white was also becoming obsolete. People had tried in the past to paint or hand-tint the film strips, but their efforts were futile after realizing the films looked unrealistic. Kinemacolor was introduced and used alternating red and green filters, black and white film was projected through them. In 1915, the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation was developed. They added the green and red color to the negative film strips and printed them together. A two-color system starting in the 1910s had evolved into a three-color system in 1932, due to Technicolor (Dirks, 1996). Effects of the Great Depression In addition to new advancements slowly deteriorating the Silent Era, The Great Depression also hurt everyone, including the film studios and their palaces. Theaters could no longer afford ushers, and they started selling popcorn, soda, and candy as an extra means of income. Since audiences had very little money to spend outside of necessities, theaters needed to create new sales pitches. Theaters began playing double and even triple features. Even though the last movie was a short, cheap B movie, audiences felt they were getting more for their dollar. Prize giveaways were also done at the door, giving away anything from pillows to dishes. Each week a new dish was given away, further persuading patrons to come back every week to collect and complete their dishware set (Thompson Bordwell, 1994, p 240). Never Forgotten. Even though many Americans think of silent films as ancient, boring antiques, they are so much more. In addition to addressing major social and moral issues, early films were laced with anti-authority themes, poking fun at bumbling cops, corrupt politicians, and intrusive upper-class reformers. Highly physical slapstick comedy offered a particularly potent vehicle of social criticism, spoofing the pretensions of the wealthy and presenting sympathetic portraits of the poor (Mintz, 2007). Silent films let audiences know that it was alright to laugh at the morally corrupt world after the first World War. They opened the door for great actors and actresses to pave the way for todays movie stars. Silent films are a major part of Hollywoods history and should never be forgotten.

A Glimpse of Dorothy Parkers Life Essay -- Biography Biographies Writ

A Glimpse of Dorothy Parker's Life Dorothy Rothschild, later to become the famous writer Dorothy Parker, was born on August 22, 1893 to J. Henry Rothschild and Eliza A (Marston) Rothschild in West End, New Jersey. Parker’s father, Mr. Rothschild, was a Jewish business man while Mrs. Rothschild, in contrast, was of Scottish descent. Parker was the youngest of four; her only sister Helen was 12 and her two brothers, Harold and Bertram, were aged 9 and 6, respectively. Just before her fifth birthday, Dorothy’s mother became very ill and died on July 20, 1897. Three years later in 1900, Mr. Rothschild remarried to a 48 year-old spinster widow, Eleanor Frances Lewis, who Dorothy referred to as â€Å"the housekeeper.† The new Mrs. Rothschild entered Dorothy in the Blessed Sacrament Convent School, where the Catholic ways of thinking were instilled in her. Fortunately or unfortunately, in 1903 Dorothy’s stepmother dropped dead of an acute cerebral hemorrhage and consequently Dorothy di d not have to continue at the Blessed Sacrament Convent. A few years later, in the fall of 1907, Dorothy entered Miss Dana’s school, a junior college, where she studied several different disciplines and was exposed to current events and cultural activities. This environment nourished Dorothy’s intellectual appetite, but this too was short-lived; Miss Dana died in March 1908. Dorothy, now aged 14, was only at the school for one year, the fall of 1907 to the spring of 1908 (Miss Dana’s school had to file for bankruptcy). In 1913, Mr. Rothschild died leaving Dorothy, age 19, to find her own way and support herself. In search of a way to support herself, Dorothy turned to Mr. Crowninshield, an editor at Vanity Fair who published her ... ...ceiving the credit she deserves. Bibliography â€Å"Dorothy Parker†. Grolier Incorporated 1993. [2004] Available Online: http://www.levity.com/corduroy/parker.htm, accessed April 14, 2004. Keats, John. The Life and Times of Dorothy Parker: You Might As Well Live. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1970. Kinney, Arthur F. Dorothy Parker, Revised. New York, NW: Twayne Publishers, 1998. Melzer, Sondra. The Rhetoric of Rage: Women in Dorothy Parker. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1997. Pettit, Rhonda S. A Gendered Collision: Sentimentalism and Modernism in Dorothy Parker’s Poetry and Fiction. New Jersey: Associated University Presses, Inc., 2000. Related Links: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/parker/ http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/parker/parker.htm http://webpages.marshall.edu/~Armada2/Parker.html

Lifes Ways with Unfair Love :: essays research papers

Life’s Ways with Unfair Love   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forest Gump, a well-known film, not only shares the story of a man’s journey through life, but it also portrays the many facts faced each day. Life is not fair, but there is no reason not to except it and just get used to it. Throughout life there are many obstacles and experiences that we all go through at one time or another. Everyone has feelings and those feelings are bound to be confusing at some point in our lives. Missing someone you love and then feeling hurt by watching him or her love somebody else can be one of the toughest things to deal with in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Love is hard and always will be. Feelings can get so caught up each day that it is hard to know which way is the right way to feel. It can be easy to get so used to what our mind is trying to tell us to do that we do not give our heart the chance to show us what actually to do. With all the criticism and opinions, we have no reason to carry our hearts on our sleeves when we know how we truly feel towards someone. Any feeling can be confusing, especially when something seems so right. Feelings begin to turn into thoughts that eventually become unexplainable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The feeling of finding someone who makes your heart feel happy is something that nobody imagines letting go of or ever losing. Seeing the world though someone else’s eyes and having to look away just seems so unfair. After the first time someone makes you feel loved, you realize what you had previously missed. Missing someone can have you thinking of all the right reasons you were brought together and all the reasons why you fell apart. Some days hurt much more than others, but knowing that someone at one time wanted to know your every thought with just one look can mean more than words itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Watching someone change his or her feelings towards you for someone else can sometimes make you feel as if your heart is never going to stop from aching. How can â€Å"promise† be the word that it is when people spend a lot of their time breaking it? You spend hours wondering if that special person still smiles the same way they used to or if they even care the same way they use to feel.

Bata Shoes Ltd Case study Essay

how has Bata interacted with foreign political systems Question 1 Following the First world War the Austro-Hungarian empire was fragmented into Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia. During this period the Czechoslovakian state was conceived as a parliamentary democracy, with the constitution of 1920 giving the central government a high degree of control over local government. Czechoslovakia, in particular, saw rapid economic growth during the 1920 brought about by foreign investment and advances in manufacturing technology. The country proved particularly tempting for foreign investors such as the British, French, Belgian and Dutch due to low labour costs and readily available natural resources. Only in the shoe industry the foreign capital played no important role. Thanks to a monopoly position of Bata Works Czechoslovakia held the first place among the world’s leading shoe exporters in 1930’s after overtaking Great Britain and the USA. In 1938 interference by Hitler resulted in the old Slovak and Ruthenian demands for autonomy finally been granted. Czechoslovakia was deprived of one third of its territory containing some of its most important industrial centres and most fertile farm-land, leaving the country economically crippled. Following this Bata realised his business did not have good future prospects if it were to remain in Czechoslovakia. He sought to continue operations and preserve the business by moving to Canada as the country was viewed as a safer operating environment, both economically and politically. Bata move to Canada, along with one hundred of his staff and families, would see the company and its workers having to adapt to operations in a different political system to Czechoslovakia, the first of many adaptations they would have to make as the company expanded across the globe. The relocation in Canada was a big change for Bata, as the government there gives significant political power to the provinces which each have their own  trade barriers. This is a big contrast to Czechoslovakia, where the central government has great power over the provinces. However, Canada was seen as very politically and economically stable in comparison to Czechoslovakia despite the political differences mentioned above. With operations in over 60 countries across the world, Bata Limited runs as a decentralised operation in order to allow its managers to adjust operating procedures to local environments. However tight control of Bata’s core philosophies and strategies are in place, even though these may be different from that of the country the operation is in and the managers and workers employed there. This could potentially cause problems if pursued too rigorously. However, the text states that Bata does interact with foreign political systems with Thomas G. Bata travelling extensively to check on quality control and to ensure good relations with the governments of the countries in which Bata operates. This interaction is particularly important as I feel Bata offers a number of key benefits to many of the countries it chooses to invest in such as increased economic stability due to their labour intensive operations and policy of purchasing materials locally. The countries Bata operates in vary in the amount of political and economic freedom they offer to their citizens and companies operating there. The case states that Bata does not won 100 percent of the factories it has in some countries. It appears that Bata prefer to own 100 percent of their factories, but are willing to compromise if the political situation requires. This includes taking minority ownership, or in some cases providing licensing, consulting and technical assistance where it does not have an equity interest in a country. Bata seem to work this policy well as they have the flexibility to cope with these different operating environments. I believe this is a sensible policy as it allows Bata intrusion into markets that may become freer and more prosperous in the future. Bata serves its markets by producing in each market all it will sell there. It will buy raw materials locally and achieves economies of scale due to its processes being very labour intensive. One may suggest that the lack of  exports would make Bata a less attractive prospect for the host countries as little outside money is feeding into the economy. However, since operations are labour intensive there will be a great benefit from the job opportunities created. The main issue that causes problems to arise in some countries is if raw materials are imported into the countries in question rather than being brought locally. In such cases the case states that Bata â€Å"must adjust to local laws and requirements for operation†. However, by normally buying raw materials within the countries Bata operates in it appears to work well with the governments concerned. The main driving force behind Bata choosing not to export goods is the security that operating domestically brings, such as the avoidance of problems associated with exporting like if an importing country were to restrict trade. Bata obviously feels that stability is of key importance to its strategy, particularly in many of the less economically developed areas in which it operates. In these countries there are not the laws to protect workers rights and safeguard income in times of unemployment, so if a factory were to close the effect would be very hard hitting to the workers and would potentially ruin Bata’s political relations permanently. Bata operates in countries with varying degrees of freedom. Tom Bata Snr. prefers to operate in democratic countries as these offer the chance to discuss issues, whereas totalitarian regimes do not. However, Bata have still operated under some Totalitarian regimes such as South Africa, Chile and Uganda. In Uganda Bata has had its operations nationalised and de-nationalised twice while operating under a violent and repressive regime that saw the expulsion of many skilled foreigners. Bata took the view that people would still need jobs and shoes whatever political system they were living under, a similar view that has been expressed recently by many people talking about Iraq. Therefore operations would continue. Bata benefited as the way it operated fitted in with the Ugandan governments policy of becoming more self sufficient, rather than relying on imports. This is because Bata obtained its raw materials from with the country and offered the stability of selling  in their home market. Bata also helped the government with a second policy that aimed to promote links between agriculture and industry, with the raw materials coming from rural areas. The continued presence of Bata in Uganda, despite the expulsion of many foreign workers, reinforces its faith in local workforce, which in turn helped build trust. By fitting in with these policies Bata was able to operate in Uganda while many other companies were forced to leave, and benefit from a 98% share of the shoe market. Bata followed a similar model in Chile where Pinochet ruled the country for a period of time while the company operated there. Again Bata saw no need to leave to country as it viewed its investment there to be long term, in which time various political systems would come and go, but people would always need jobs and shoes. Many of the benefits offered by Bata to Uganda were also of benefit to the Chilean government and people. The regimes in both Uganda and Penochet Chile both suffered from poor human rights records. Bata was therefore put under some pressure to withdraw from these countries by various parties including governments and international organisations. However, Bata was always able to argue that it had been in the countries far longer than the regimes in place and had seen many come and go. Its simple reason for being there was the fact that people needed shoes, and it was in a good position of providing this basic need. South Africa caused far greater problems for Bata. Here the same type of extreme regime was seen as in countries such Uganda and Chile. The difference for Bata was that South Africa attracted far more public attention across the globe. The Canadian government took a very negative view of Canadian countries having interests in South Africa. Maybe more importantly public opinion and knowledge about the regime in South Africa were to have a big effect on the company. Bata possibly realised that if it continued to operate in South Africa it would risk alienating itself from its consumers in countries such as Canada and the US and set itself up for ridicule by the large number of international organisations opposed to apartheid. In this situation it was important for Bata to interact with the various political systems involved to withdraw operations from South Africa while causing minimum disruption. It sold its holding in South Africa in 1986. It did not identify the buyer or the sales price, and it denied that apartheid was the reason for its pulling out, citing that all factors had been taken into account with respect to its investment. Bata ensured that the Bata name and trademark could not be used by the buyer and that the jobs of the workers in its plants would be preserved. Why they now operate in Czech Rep, but not Slovakia. Question 2 Czechoslovakia has being subject to turbulent time in the period following World War II. With the advent of communist rule countries were often formed from different ethnic groups held together by totalitarian rule, as was the case here. The break-up of the communist bloc in 1989 resulted in the disintegration of countries such as Czechoslovakia, that would be split into two independent nations; The Czech Republic and Slovakia. The fact that both of these countries are now free from communist rule does not necessarily mean that they are free. Freedom House is an organisation that monitors the political rights and civil liberties of countries around the world and rank them to the degree that freedom exists. Below is a summary of the assessment they give to the Czech republic and Slovakia. Since 1972, Freedom House has published an annual assessment of state state of freedom by assigning each country and territory the status of â€Å"Free,† â€Å"Partly Free,† or â€Å"Not Free† by averaging their political rights and civil liberties ratings. Countries whose combined averages for political rights and for civil liberties fall between 1.0 and 2.5 are designated â€Å"free†; between 3.0 and 5.5. artly free? and between 5.5 and 7.0 ot free.? As we can see from the chart above, both countries are now considered politically free. However, economically Slovakia still lags behind the Czech Republic. It has being politically free for less time and lacks consistency in the freedom scores it achieves, suggesting that the political system may be subject to some instability. Bata express concern relating to Slovakia not being economically free in the case. As The Czech Republic is clearly further along in its progress to economic freedom than is Slovakia, Bata is likely to face considerably less government intervention in its business. Private property ownership and protection, property rights, and economic competition are likely to be more common in the Czech Republic making the operating environment more stable. In Slovakia, Bata is likely to face greater political risks. There is likely to be more political instability in Slovakia, usually an indicator that there is also a lack of economic freedom. It also appears from the case that Slovakia may not have a very positive attitude toward foreign investment, despite Bata roots in the region. Bata would benefit from investment in both the Czech republic and Slovakia. From a nostalgic point of view, Bata will be able to return to the home country. Bata will also gain access to large facilities and a huge market in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The Czech Republic and Slovakia would also benefit from Bata’s investment themselves. They would gain access to Bata global design, production, and marketing expertise. They will be able to design better, more fashionable, and more reasonably priced shoes. The Czech Republic and Slovakia might be able to get Bata to invest significant capital into the plant to get it up to world-class standards. Bata will create new jobs for Czech and Slovakian workers, especially as the processes are quite labour intensive. Bata also has a policy of buying raw materials locally, benefiting the host countries economy as a whole. There are some disadvantages of investment for both parties too. Bata may be forced to pay compensation for its own plants if the company chooses to invest in Slovakia. There is also a slightly higher risk of political instability and economic restrictions in the country. There are also disadvantages for the countries involved. Bata may actually have better production processes than are currently employed in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Therefore they may actually require less workers than are currently employed in the factories so workers would be made unemployed. Bata do not export goods so do not bring as much foreign capital into the country as maybe would be expected by a company of their size. Bata reentered the Czech Republic and not Slovakia because the two countries have very different economic environments. The Czech Republic is moving more quickly than Slovakia toward a free market system. Slovakia are also in dispute with Bata regarding the ownership of the companies former factories in the country. The Slovak government appear disinterested in helping to solve the problem by implementing new laws to make it very difficult for companies in the same situation as Bata to regain their former property without either reaching agreement with the new owners or by taking expensive  legal action. When looking at this evidence it looks advantageous for Bata not to seek to reinvest in Slovakia at present. Explain the current situation and relate to probable causes mentioned above The political environment can have a dramatic impact on the operations of a firm. For example managers in most western European countries may be accustomed to a stable political system and a relatively homogenous population. This is often not true in other countries. A political system integrates the parts of a society into a viable, functioning unit. Sometimes that is a very difficult task. A country political system influences how business is conducted domestically and internationally. The basic political ideologies of a country are the body of ideas, theories and aims that constitute a socio-political program. The ultimate test of any political system in its ability to hold a society together despite pressures from different ideologies tending to split it apart. History, culture, language, religion, geography and political ideologies help define national borders. Forms of government range from Democracy to Totalitarianism. Democracies usually have economic freedom and laws that safeguard individual and corporate rights and are often preferred by investors. The more developed democracies tend to have the following characteristics. Freedom in the areas of political rights and civil liberties are particularly important in democracies. These are measured by the organisation Freedom House using a number of indicating factors, and the results compiled to rank countries according to their degree of freedom. In 1998, 88 of the worlds countries were â€Å"free† and 50 were â€Å"not free†. Free countries are high in both political rights and civil liberties, whereas those countries who deny their citizens basic political rights and civil liberties are not free. In addition 53 countries were partly free, with limited political rights and civil liberties, often in the context of corruption, weak rule of law, ethnic strife or civil war. Despite the large proportion of countries claiming to operate democratic governments, many new democracies around the world are not yet stable with few political parties and corruption threatening the system’s survival. Examples include Indonesia and some countries from the former Soviet union. Businesses should be cautious when looking to invest in these areas. In contrast to democracies, totalitarian regimes offer far less political and economic freedom. Forms of totalitarianism include fascism (Mussolini Italy), authoritarianism (Chile under Pinochet), and communism. Communists believe in the equal distribution of wealth, which entails total government ownership and control of resources. Political systems have a great impact on management decisions. This includes political risk and government intervention in the economy. Political risk occurs when there is a possibility that the political climate in a foreign country will change in such a way that the operations of  international companies in that country will deteriorate. Types of political risk include government takeovers of property, operating restrictions, and agitation that damage the company performance. Such problems can be caused by changing opinions of political leadership, civil disorder, and changes in external relations (such as animosity between the home and host country governments. We can see many examples of the above in the Bata case. The companies operations were taken over in Czechoslovakia with the advent of communist rule. They are subject to operating restrictions in several countries where they are not allowed to have 100 percent ownership of their plants. Animosity between the home Canadian government and the South African host government during the Apartheid era was a contributing factor that lead to Bata’s eventual withdrawal from South Africa. Civil disorder and strike action has affected the companies operations in several countries over the years. Government intervention in the economy occurs because some governments adopt an ndividualistic paradigm?and keep intervention in the economy at a minimum. Others adopt a ommunitarian paradigm?wherein the government plays a larger role in the economy. They thrive on a respected, centralised bureaucracy with a stable political party or coalition in power. If a U.S. firm moves from the United States (individualistic) to Germany, Japan, or South Korea (communitarian), it may have to develop new strategies for its relationships with government, suppliers, customers, and competitors. Bata show evidence of adapting to different environments as the case states that the company is â€Å"run as a decentralised operation in which its managers are free to adjust operating procedures to local environments†. This highlights how the company acknowledge the need to be flexible in order to fit in under varying restrictions depending where in the world they are. Stable democracies are usually seen as the safest operating environment for businesses. In the Bata case Tom Bata Snr states that he prefers a democratic system â€Å"a democracy offers the potential to discuss and change proceedings, whereas under totalitarianism it is sometimes wisest to remain silent†. However, one must remember that not all democracies operate in the same way. For example the degree to which citizens are involved in the  political process and the degree of centralised control. In the case Bata relocate from Czechoslovakia to Canada. Here the provinces have significant political power at expense of the federal government. Many provinces have their own trade barriers. Companies often have difficulty determining how to operate in decentralised democratic systems because they face many different laws and regulations. For example different tax laws. For this reason one assumes that Bata carefully chose exactly which state it would relocate to when it moved to Canada. Bibliography ?Kurian, George Thomas 1992. Encyclopedia of the Third World, fourth edition, volume III, Facts on File: New York, N.Y., pp. 2009-2011. ?Source: Byrnes, Rita M. (ed.) 1992. Uganda A Country Study, Library of Congress: Washington D.C. p. 123 ?The history of Slovakia (1929 – 1938) From Wall Street Crash to Munich http://www.adc.sk/english/slovakia/index.htm ?Skilling H. G. ed.: Czechoslovakia 1918-88. MacMillan Academic and Professional LTD., 1991. ?J.D. Daniels and L.H. Radebaugh, International Business, Environment and Operations, 9th Edition – 2001, Prentice Hall. Ch 3 ?D. Holt and K. Wiggington, International Business, Second Edition ?2002, Harcourt College Publishers, Ch 3 ?Freedom House, http://www.freedomhouse.org/ ?R. Griffin and M. Pustay, International Business, A managerial perspective, Third Edition ?2002, Prentice Hall