Motivation across cultures

Motivation across cultures EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of the study was to find out what motivates employees across cultures. To thoroughly study various motivational theories and international researches and studies done to relate these theories to an international perspective. To study the various aspects and psychological process of motivation and to study how to motivate employees. Research Methodology:- RESEARCH TYPE:- DESCRIPTIVE STUDY METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION:- I have used secondary data for my research. And this has been collected from:- Various internet sites. News papers. Books. Journals. Motivation Across Cultures objectives of the study DEFINE motivation, and explain it as a psychological process. EXAMINE the hierarchy-of-needs, two-factor, and achievement motivation theories, and assess their value to international human resource management. DISCUSS how an understanding of employee satisfaction can be useful in human resource management throughout the world. EXAMINE the value of process theories in motivating employees worldwide. RELATE the importance of job design, work centrality, and rewards to understanding how to motivate employees in an international context. The Nature of Motivation Motivation A psychological process through which unsatisfied wants or needs lead to drives that are aimed at goals or incentives. Motivation is the activation or energization of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation may be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but, theoretically, it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation. According to various theories, motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, hobby, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, morality, or avoiding mortality. The Nature of Motivation The Universalist Assumption The first assumption is that the motivation process is universal, that all people are motivated to pursue goals they value what the work-motivation theorists call goals with high valence or preference The process is universal Culture influences the specific content and goals pursued Motivation differs across cultures The Assumption of Content and Process Content Theories of Motivation Theories that explain work motivation in terms of what arouses, energizes, or initiates employee behavior. Process Theories of Motivation Theories that explain work motivation by how employee behavior is initiated, redirected, and halted. The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory The Maslow Theory Maslows theory rests on a number of basic assumptions: Lower-level needs must be satisfied before higher-level needs become motivators A need that is satisfied no longer serves as a motivator There are more ways to satisfy higher-level than there are ways to satisfy lower-level needs The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory With some minor modification researchers examined the need satisfaction and need importance of the four highest-level needs in the Maslow hierarch Esteem needs were divided into two groups: Esteem including needs for self-esteem and prestige Autonomy including desires for authority and opportunities for independent thought and action The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory The Haire study indicated all these needs were important to the respondents across cultures International managers (not rank-and-file employees) indicated the upper-level needs were of particular importance to them Findings for select country clusters (Latin Europe, United States/United Kingdom, and Nordic Europe) indicated autonomy and self-actualization were the most important and least satisfied needs for the respondents Another study of managers in eight East Asian countries found that autonomy and self-actualization in most cases also ranked high. The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory Some researchers have suggested modifying Maslows Western-oriented hierarchy by reranking the needs Asian cultures emphasize the needs of society Chinese hierarchy of needs might have four levels ranked from lowest to highest: Belonging (social) Physiological Safety Self-actualization (in the service of society) The Hierarchy-of-Needs Theory International Findings on Maslows Theory Hofstedes research indicates: Self-actualization and esteem needs rank highest for professionals and managers Security, earnings, benefits, and physical working conditions are most important to low-level, unskilled workers Job categories and levels may have a dramatic effect on motivation and may well offset cultural considerations MNCs should focus most heavily on giving physical rewards to lower-level personnel and on creating a climate where there is challenge, autonomy, the ability to use ones skills, and cooperation for middle- and upper-level personnel. The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation The Herzberg Theory Two-Factor Theory of Motivation A theory that identifies two sets of factors that influence job satisfaction: Motivators Job-content factors such as achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and the work itself. Hygiene Factors The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation The Herzberg Theory The two-factor theory holds that motivators and hygiene factors relate to employee satisfaction a more complex relationship than the traditional view that employees are either satisfied or dissatisfied If hygiene factors are not taken care of or are deficient there will be dissatisfaction There may be no dissatisfaction if hygiene factors are taken care of there may be no satisfaction also Only when motivators are present will there be satisfaction Views of Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction The Two-Factor Theory of Motivation International Findings on Herzbergs Theory Two categories of International findings relate to the two-factor theory: One type of study consists of replications of Herzbergs research in a particular country Do managers in country X give answers similar to those in Herzbergs original studies? The others are cross-cultural studies focusing on job satisfaction What factors cause job satisfaction and how do these responses differ from country to country? Two-Factor Replications A number of research efforts have been undertaken to replicate the two-factor theory they tend to support Herzbergs findings George Hines surveyed of 218 middle managers and 196 salaried employees in New Zealand using ratings of 12 job factors and overall job satisfaction he concluded the Herzberg model appears to have validity across occupational levels A similar study was conducted among 178 Greek managers this study found that overall Herzbergs two-factor theory of job satisfaction generally held true Cross-Cultural Job-Satisfaction Studies Motivators tend to be more important to job satisfaction than hygiene factors MBA candidates from four countries ranked hygiene factors at the bottom and motivators at the top while Singapore students (of a different cultural cluster than the other three groups) gave similar responses Result:- Job-satisfaction-related factors may not always be culturally bounded Lower- and middle-management personnel attending management development courses in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan ranked the importance of 15 job-related outcomes and how satisfied they were with each Result:- Job content may be more important than job context Job-Context Factors In work motivation, those factors controlled by the organization, such as conditions, hours, earnings, security, benefits, and promotions. Job-Content Factors In work motivation, those factors internally controlled, such as responsibility, achievement, and the work itself. Achievement Motivation Theory The Background of Achievement Motivation Theory Characteristic profile of high achievers: They like situations in which they take personal responsibility for finding solutions to problems. Tend to be moderate risk-takers rather than high or low risk-takers. Want concrete feedback on their performance. Often tend to be loners, and not team players. A high nAch can be learned. Ways to develop high-achievement needs: Obtain feedback on performance and use the information to channel efforts into areas where success will likely be attained Emulate people who have been successful achievers; Develop an internal desire for success and challenges Daydream in positive terms by picturing oneself as successful in the pursuit of important objectives. International Findings on Achievement Motivation Theory Polish industrialists were high achievers scoring 6.58 (U.S. managers scored an average of 6.74) Managers in countries as diverse as the United States and those of the former Soviet bloc in Central Europe have high needs for achievement Later studies did not find a high need for achievement in Central European countries Average high-achievement score for Czech industrial managers was 3.32 (considerably lower than U.S. managers) International Findings on Achievement Motivation Theory Achievement motivation theory must be modified to meet the specific needs of the local culture: The culture of many countries does not support high achievement Anglo cultures and those that reward entrepreneurial effort do support achievement motivation and their human resources should probably be managed accordingly Hofstede offers the following advice: The countries on the feminine side . . . distinguish themselves by focusing on quality of life rather than on performance and on relationships between people rather than on money and things. This means social motivation: quality of life plus security and quality of life plus risk. Select Process Theories Equity Theory When people perceive they are being treated equitably it will have a positive effect on their job satisfaction If they believe they are not being treated fairly (especially in relation to relevant others) they will be dissatisfied which will have a negative effect on their job performance and they will strive to restore equity. There is considerable research to support the fundamental equity principle in Western work groups. When the theory is examined on an international basis, the results are mixed. Equity perceptions among managers and non-managers in an Israeli kibbutz production unit:- Everyone was treated the same but managers reported lower satisfaction levels than the workers. Managers perceived their contributions to be greater than other groups in the kibbutz and felt under compensated for their value and effort. Employees in Asia and the Middle East often readily accept inequitable treatment in order to preserve group harmony Men and women in Japan and Korea (and Latin America) typically receive different pay for doing the same work due to years of cultural conditioning women may not feel they are treated inequitably These results indicate equity theory is not universally applicable in explaining motivation and job satisfaction Goal-Setting Theory A process theory that focuses on how individuals go about setting goals and responding to them and the overall impact of this process on motivation . Specific areas that are given attention in goal-setting theory include: The level of participation in setting goals Goal difficulty Goal specificity The importance of objective Timely feedback to progress toward goals Unlike many theories of motivation, goal setting has been continually refined and developed There is considerable research evidence showing that employees perform extremely well when they are assigned specific and challenging goals that they have had a hand in setting Most of these studies have been conducted in the United States few have been carried out in other cultures Norwegian employees shunned participation and preferred to have their union representatives work with management in determining work goals.Researchers concluded that individual participation in goal setting was seen as inconsistent with the prevailing Norwegian philosophy of participation through union representatives In the United States employee participation in setting goals is motivational it had no value for the Norwegian employees in this study Expectancy Theory A process theory that postulates that motivation is influenced by a persons belief that Effort will lead to performance Performance will lead to specific outcomes, and The outcomes will be of value to the individual. Expectancy theory predicts that high performance followed by high rewards will lead to high satisfaction Does this theory have universal application? Eden found some support for it while studying workers in an Israeli kibbutz Matsui and colleagues found it could be successfully applied in Japan Expectancy theory could be culture-bound international managers must be aware of this limitation in motivating human resources since expectancy theory is based on employees having considerable control over their environment (a condition that does not exist in many cultures) Motivation Applied:- Job Design, Work Centrality, and Rewards Quality of Work Life: The Impact of Culture Quality of work life (QWL) is not the same throughout the world. Assembly-line employees in Japan work at a rapid pace for hours and have very little control over their work activities. Assembly-line employees in Sweden work at a more relaxed pace and have a great deal of control over their work activities. U.S. assembly-line employees typically work somewhere between at a pace less demanding than Japans but more structured than Swedens. Sociotechnical Job Designs:- The objective of these designs is to integrate new technology into the workplace so that workers accept and use it to increase overall productivity.New technology often requires people learn new methods and in some cases work faster. Employee resistance is common. Effective sociotechnical design can overcome these problems. Some firms have introduced sociotechnical designs for better blending of their personnel and technology without sacrificing efficiency Eg:- General Foods- Autonomous groups at its Topeka, Kansas plant, Workers share responsibility and work in a highly democratic environment Other U.S. firms have opted for a self-managed team approach Multifunctional teams with autonomy for generating successful product innovation is more widely used by successful U.S., Japanese, and European firms than any other teamwork concept Work Centrality:- The importance of work in an individuals life can provide important insights into how to motivate human resources in different cultures Japan has the highest level of work centrality Israel has moderately high levels The United States and Belgium have average levels The Netherlands and Germany have moderately low levels Britain has low levels Value of Work Work is an important part of most peoples lifestyles due to a variety of conditions Americans and Japanese work long hours because the cost of living is high Most Japanese managers expect their salaried employees who are not paid extra to stay late at work, and overtime has become a requirement of the job. There is recent evidence that Japanese workers may do far less work in a business day than outsiders would suspect In recent years, the number of hours worked annually by German workers has been declining, while the number for Americans has been on the rise. Germans place high value on lifestyle and often prefer leisure to work, while their American counterparts are just the opposite. Research reveals culture may have little to do with it A wider range of wages (large pay disparity) within American companies than in German firms creates incentives for American employees to work harder. Impact of overwork on the physical condition of Japanese workers One-third of the working-age population suffers from chronic fatigue The Japanese prime ministers office found a majority of those surveyed complained of :- Being chronically tired Feeling emotionally stressed Abusive conditions in the workplace Karoshi (overwork or job burnout) is now recognized as a real social problem Job Satisfaction EU workers see a strong relationship between how well they do their jobs and the ability to get what they want out of life U.S. workers were not as supportive of this relationship Japanese workers were least likely to see any connection This finding suggest difficulties may arise in American, European, and Japanese employees working together effectively Reward Systems Managers everywhere use rewards to motivate their personnel. Some rewards are financial in nature such as salary raises, bonuses, and stock options. Others are non-financial such as feedback and recognition. Significant differences exist between reward systems that work best in one country and those that are most effective in another. Incentives and Culture Use of financial incentives to motivate employees is very common in countries with high individualism. Financial incentive systems vary in range Individual incentive-based pay systems in which workers are paid directly for their output Systems in which employees earn individual bonuses based on organizational performance goals Many cultures base compensation on group membership. Such systems stress equality rather than individual incentive plans An individually based bonus system for the sales representatives in an American MNC introduced in its Danish subsidiary was rejected by the sales force because It favored one group over another Employees felt that everyone should receive the same size bonus Eg:- Indonesian oil workers rejected a pay-for-performance system where some work teams would make more money than others. Workers in many countries are highly motivated by things other than financial rewards The most important rewards in locations at 40 countries of an electrical equipment MNC involved recognition and achievement. Second in importance were improvements in the work environment and employment conditions including pay and work hours. Factors that concern employees across cultures French and Italian employees valued job security highly while American and British workers held it of little importance Scandinavian workers placed high value on concern for others on the job and for personal freedom and autonomy but did not rate getting ahead very important German workers ranked security, fringe benefits, and getting ahead as very important Japanese employees put good working conditions and a congenial work environment high on their list but ranked personal advancement quite low Conclusion The types of incentives that are deemed important appear to be culturally influenced. Culture can even affect the overall cost of an incentive system. Japanese efforts to introduce Western-style merit pay systems typically lead to an increase in overall labor costs. Companies fear that reducing the pay of less productive workers may cause them to lose face and disturb group harmony. Hence, everyones salary increases as a result of merit pay systems. Factors that motivate employees varies across culture. People from different cultures give different preferences to the factors involved. So while deciding the ways to motivate the workforce the factors that concern to that culture specifically should be kept in mind. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation http://www.squidoo.com/selfmotivation http://www.willingly.net/intrinsic_motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://www.mood.ws/motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://ironfistkungfu.com/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=65Itemid=66lang=en http://www.answers.com/topic/motivation http://daymix.com/Motivation/ http://academic.uofs.edu/organization/faculty-senate/curriculum/HADM331.doc http://www.squidoo.com/hypnosis-motivation http://www.borrowimmediate.com/Intrinsic_motivation/encyclopedia.htm http://imotivatemyself.com/ http://www.motivationproducts.com/ http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Arousal http://www.verzu.com/search?q=Motivationalqt=3 http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler200/ws/redir/_iceUrlFlag=11?rfcp=TopNavigationrfcid=407qcat=Webqkw=Motivationnewtxn=falseqcoll=Relevance_IceUrl=true http://www.webcrawler.com/webcrawler200/ws/redir/qcat=Web/qcoll=relevance/qkw=Motivation/rfcp=RightNav/rfcid=302363/_iceUrlFlag=11?_IceUrl=true http://msxml.excite.com/info.xcite/ws/redir/qcat=Web/qcoll=relevance/qkw=Motivation/rfcp=RightNav/rfcid=302358/_iceUrlFlag=11?_IceUrl=true http://kf.mysearch.myway.com/search/redirect.jhtml?qid=8D1A3BDA72F94F392B39773BD138270Daction=clickp=GGmainss=subptnrS=KFst=barcb=KFpg=GGmainord=15searchfor=Motivationtpr=jrel3redirect=GGmain.jhtmlct=RR http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0072920378/62068/5_5.doc http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/people_and_organisations/motivation_theory/4-herzbergstwofactortheory.php?style=printable http://www.projectalevel.co.uk/as_a2_business_studies/motivation_in_theory http://www.intimatecuisine.com/_cite_note-0 http://www.flashcardmachine.com/international-management-final1.html http://www.examstutor.com/business/resources/studyroom/people_and_organisations/motivation_theory/4-herzbergstwofactortheory.php

Moral Theory: Cultural Relativism

In a fast shrinking world there is very little that a society can do to hide from the scrutiny and judgmental eyes of others. The media and the Internet make it very easy for the rest of the world to know of any indiscretion or any wrongdoing committed by a person or a group of individuals. The problem with judging others though is not as simple as it may seem. There is simply no universal rule to be followed when it comes to some of the more complex ethical issues such as euthanasia, abortion, recreational drug use, etc. Determining what is right and wrong, in this modern age, has been simplified to a moral relativism never before seen since the Western World accepted religion as a standard for living right.The idea that no one can judge others – especially those coming from a different culture – is also known as cultural relativism. This is rooted, in a more general sense, to a concept called moral relativism. This makes the discussion more complicated because accordi ng to Timmons, relativism, â€Å"†¦ is used as a label for a quite a variety of views and ideas that differ in important ways† (2002, p. 38). Timmons adds, that relativism should be understood from the following perspective, â€Å"†¦rightness or wrongness of actions ultimately depends on the moral code of the culture to which one belongs† (2002, p. 38).The PositiveBased on the above-stated definition the proponent can glean at least three ideas that can go in support and against cultural relativism. When it comes to those in favor of relativism then the following are easy to adhere to:1.Cultural relativism allow other groups of people to experience a degree of freedom that they so crave without the interference of outside forces who may not have a clear understanding of what they are doing.2.Cultural relativism makes a person outside the cultural sphere to give the insiders the benefit of the doubt which in some cases is needed to give other people room to ex plain themselves or to execute a plan to its completion.3.Cultural relativism allows for healthy boundaries. This means that other nations or other people groups would do well to mind their own business.The NegativeNow when it comes to the other side, one can also easily find that there are two sides to every idea. When it comes to cultural relativism the negative connotation is ambivalence that at best leads to instability and at worst will lead to chaos as explained in the following:1.Cultural relativism allows for excuses when in fact what is needed is responsibility.2.Cultural relativism allows gross misbehavior that can often lead to violence, violation of human rights etc.3.Cultural relativism can be the cause of misunderstanding that can escalate to war and other international incidents.Expounding on the ideas described above it is better to begin from the positive side of cultural relativism. It is a common contention that cultural relativism is a position that one should ta ke when discussing the evils of legalism – the familiar scene when those who are in a position to demand conformity abuses their power and forces others to follow. The dogmatism and legalism that came from religion is a painful reminder that without a proper view of cultural relativism then there are interest groups who will impose harsh laws and statutes that would make it impossible for others to follow.With regards to the second point, there are cases wherein people groups and even individuals need the benefit of the doubt from others in order for them to fully express themselves or even to execute a plan to perfection. The Western mindset can criticize the oriental mindset but there are times in history when the Western World could have benefited from the wisdom of some Asian practices if they just took the time to give them the benefit of the doubt. Americans for instance ridiculed some of the business practices of post-war Japan and later found out that their way of doi ng things allow them to produce quality products that even surpassed the competition.With regards to the third point, there is no need to look further and begin examining U.S. foreign policy and the way it has been criticized all over the world. There can be good reasons why the mighty United States of America is meddling with the affairs of other countries. But the reaction is already evident in the now infamous September 11 and the Iraq debacle.Understanding, the positive side of cultural relativism would do well to heal conflicts between two different groups but at the same time too much of a good thing can also backfire. Moral looseness can spell chaos, disaster, and tyranny. With regards to the first idea as to why cultural relativism must be opposed a case study was presented by the sociologist James Q. Wilson in sharing an experience he had with his class. Details are shown in the following pages.According to Wilson, he had an interesting and somewhat disturbing discussion wi th his students in the subject of relativism. He said that the students in reaction to the issue of the holocaust asserted an extreme form of relativism in that they refused to acknowledge that the evil that was the holocast.This is very serious for Wilson and the proponent of this study agrees with him. There is clearly a demarcation line between allowing room for cultural relativism and simply turning a blind eye towards something as significant as the murder of six million people. This is an example as to how cultural relativism can be taken too far.Furthermore, the two points raised concerning the negative aspect of cultural relativism can also be seen in the case study presented by Wilson. Cultural relativism can result in behavior that is destructive and harmful for the general public. In this case a group of people – the Nazis – were given blanket authority to harm fellow Germans, who happened to be Jews. This is the disturbing thing about relativism. The Jews w ho were massacred were not people belonging to another nation. They were in fact Germans, with valid citizenship who happened to belong to a particular heritage or to a particular religion. Yet, the Nazis did not consider this and instead went on to murder their own.On the third and last point, cultural relativism can be allowed but only on certain terms. If cultural relativism is allowed without boundaries, it can result in something as serious as a world at war. And the Nazis rise to power is the case in point. The German people allowed this group of radicals to dictate their politics and their moral code. So at the end they were forced to pay a steep price for it. Even today their history is tainted with the blood of six million Jews and it is more jarring that some of them are trying to erase the stigma by using cultural relativism, an idea that was seen in full bloom in Mr. Wilson’s class.ConclusionCultural relativism, an idea rooted in moral relativism is a view that in essence encourages respect and creating boundaries in dealing with people coming from a different social background and culture. This simply means that relativism allow for a more understanding environment, a world where people learn to be more gracious and open minded when it comes to other people’s actions. Those who agree with cultural relativism points to the necessity of first understanding the other person’s social background, culture, and the details of the circumstances that made him or her do something even as disturbing as the holocaust.This view plays an important role in creating a world more open to discussion and less prone to hostility. But there is another side to cultural relativism that can create the same set of problems that it hoped to solve. Those who are espousing cultural relativism aims for a global society that is more humane, more forgiving and more open to discussion. The opposite can happen as seen above.The explanation can be partly seen in the analysis of Catherine Wilson who remarked that in order to perform, â€Å"†¦just and benevolent actions, to approve just and benevolent actions in others, and to attribute merit to those who perform them †¦ requires a social system that regards actions as items for judgment and criticism† (2004, p. 4). In other words this world cannot function having only cultural relativism as a guide. Humanity requires something more stable than just a simplistic answer such as relativism.Relativism is like a band-aid to something as serious as gangrene. One can simply patch up a festering wound denying the fact that something is rotting underneath hoping to show that everything is fine will not solve the problem. The sociologist James Wilson was right to be appalled by the naivete and simplistic formulations of his class. Six million people murdered not including millions more who suffered in death camps could not be simply be dismissed as part of freedom of expression bas ed on the unique circumstances surrounding the event.It is the height of hypocrisy for the students to turn a blind eye from the suffering of Jews in Word War II and yet become so livid when others are violating their own freedom. How come they can easily allow the Nazis to trample the rights of the Jews when they could not stand their own parents telling them what to do. This is simply inconsistent and goes against human nature. Cultural relativism can be allowed in areas where cultural preferences and highly debatable issues are at stake but not when lives are on the line and especially when heinous crimes were committed. ReferencesDreier, L. (2005). Contemporary Debates in Moral Theory. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.Posner, R. (1999). The Problematics of Moral and Legal Theory. Boston, MA: First HarvardUniversity Press.Soccio, D. J. (2004). Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy. 5th Ed. Belmont,CA: Wadsworth.Sorell, T. (2000). Moral Theory and Anomaly. Malden, MA : Blackwell Publishers.Timmons, M. (2002). Moral Theory: An Introduction. Maryland: Rowman & LittlefieldPublishers.Wilson, C. (2004). Moral Animals: Ideals and Constraints in Moral Theory. New York: OxfordUniversity Press.

Snake

Analysis of Theme in â€Å"Snake† A theme found in the poem â€Å"Snake† is that the respect man has for nature hinges on the difference between instinct and learned behavior. D. H. Lawrence expresses this theme through the use of similes and conflict. The literary elements used in the poem help clearly point out this meaningful message. As the poem begins, the narrator comes across a golden-brown snake as he approached his water trough. At first, the narrator shows respect and admiration for the creature.As stated in line (27), â€Å"But must I confess how I liked him, How glad I was he had come like a guest,† shows He felt honored by the snake’s presence. It is the narrator’s natural instinct to feel this way. The narrator then goes on to compare the snake to cattle by saying in line (16) â€Å"He lifted his head from his drinking, as cattle do, and looked at me vaguely, as drinking cattle do. † The use of this simile represents the respect the narrator has for the snake and reflects on the snake’s harmless behavior. Soon after, the narrator’s natural admiration and respect for the snake is interrupted by the voice of his education.Here begins the main internal conflict the narrator faces. The narrator listens to the voice in his conscience say, â€Å"The voice of my education said to me, he must be killed, for in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous. and voices in me said, if you were a man, you would take a stick and break him now, and finish him off. (Line 22)† The narrator’s decision to listen to the voice of his education instead of his true feelings is what ultimately brings about the main consequence, which is the sense of guilt resulting from such a petty action.The consequence the narrator faced for killing the snake he had once admired was the feeling of regret and guilt. Although he showed respect and felt honored by the snake’s presence, both were overshadowed by the action of the narrator. The peaceful atmosphere immediately shifted when the narrator thought in his mind, â€Å"And immediately I regretted it. I thought how paltry, how vulgar, what a mean act! I despised myself and the voices of my accursed human education. (Line 63)† The negative feelings felt by the narrator were brought forth by something that man usually views as insignificant, the elationship between nature and man-kind. All that was left for the narrator to do was to extinguish his self-inflicted sense of sin against nature. The poem concludes on line 72 when the narrator utters, â€Å"And I have something to expiate: a pettiness. † The poem â€Å"Snake† clearly sends the message that the respect man has for nature depends on the difference between the inner conscience and the impulse of learned human behavior. The theme shines light on the importance of the relationship between nature and mankind because at the end of the day, they are both more similar than we assume.

The Root Causes Of Sudan s Civil Wars Peace Or Truce By...

The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil Wars: Peace or Truce by Douglas H. Johnson is a phenomenal investigative account of North and South Sudan. The book should be praised for providing an insightful introduction into Sudanese domestic and foreign affairs. Although particular sections in the book are tough to understand with no background knowledge, Johnson makes his argument available to a broad set of readers. Johnson offers a precise and detailed argument that explains how the country resulted in war by the past and present history of the country. The book argues that Sudan has maintained a corrupt relationship with its borders. Johnson explains his analysis by the examples of the First Civil War, in addition to his main focus on the†¦show more content†¦Johnson explains that the civil war was a battle on the access to resources. Essentially, the book illustrates that armed forces would raid the oppositions resources to deny them of having assets. Firstly, thi s demonstrates that there were more causes to the ongoing civil wars then just the separation of the Arabic North and Christian South. Secondly, the book exhibits the idea that because of the US and the IMF provided financial aid and then aid towards the wars, would cause a tremendous problem between both sides for Johnson uses many sources to help disprove the theory of the Northern Arabs against the Christian South. Is the argument convincing? Why or Why not? The book’s argument is convincing because it demonstrate the gradual process of the Sudanese Civil Wars through border issues for two reasons. Johnson allows the audience to gather information by introducing the country, the colonialised background, and how the countries modern issues is an effect of past casualties. The book is a successful read by allowing the general progression of his argument to flow throughout the book. In addition, this approach makes the book easy for the readers to grasp the full concepts . Moreover, the argument is also influential because he describes a reasoning that many scholars have not viewed. Most authors have assumed that the conflicts of Sudan are because of religious divides between Northern Arabs and SouthernShow MoreRelatedRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pageswidely recognized authority on the movement, contends that there is â€Å"ambivalent routinization.†6 However, 4 INTRODUCTION he neither indicates what necessitates the use of the term ambivalent nor explains what it signiï ¬ es. Jack Anthony Johnson-Hill, by viewing the essence of Rastafari as an experience of liminality—that is, a threshold experience of leaving â€Å"Babylon† but not yet arriving in the â€Å"promised land†Ã¢â‚¬â€has eliminated the possibility of routinization.7 Neville G. Callam argues

Gender, Cultural, And Religious Context - 1672 Words

â€Å"Art is a product of its time. It is a result of the social, political, and religious context in which it was made† (Cruz). For the aforementioned reason, it is imperative to take into consideration the culture, time period, and the gender of the artist because those individualities have a major influence on the depiction of the women in art. For example, gender is a cultural classification, hence, various artists might have portrayed the identity of the female in a different way. Moreover, gender roles are a set of stringent behaviors and expectations set by the society based on the biological sex of a person. The art works were predominantly created by male artists, thus women were represented based on what the society considered to be†¦show more content†¦For example, Figure 1 depicts a sculpture entitled: Bhudevi. It was created during the Chola Period in Southern India, specifically in Tamil Nadu in the late 11th-early 12th centuries Bronze. In India, Bhudev i is considered to be the Goddess of Mother Earth and one of the wives of the Hindu god Vishnu. One conspicuous attribute is her body figure, which seems to be the epitome of female image in India during that time period. She has a small nose and chin, fat deposition in the cheek area (round face), fuller hips and large breasts, which are considered to be signs of fertility. As a matter of fact, she is the â€Å"Fertility-form in which she is the Mother Earth† (â€Å"About Bhudevi†). She has a ring on the pointer finger of her left hand, which can be symbolized as the Earth that is rotating. Her graceful gestures, such as having one of her hands faced down, depict the feminine nature of women, while having the other one pointed diagonally to lead to her husband, Vishnu. This gesture implies that Vishnu is her husband and that he holds a position of power. The way she is posed portrays her femininity because she is positioned in a way so that her curves are enhanced. Sh e is also depicted naked, which according to some Hindus, the erotic nature portrays Kama-one of their goals in human life. Furthermore, Bhudevi

The Colonization Of America, Australia And Antarctica

During the 1400s, Europeans knew little of the world surrounding them. Outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, little was known, with rumors and imagination filling the gaps. They had no real concept of the size or shape of Africa and Asia and had no clue of America, Australia and Antarctica. Europeans began their explorations of the world starting in the late 1400s, with Columbus’ discovery of the Americas. Here, he discovered that this land was already inhabited and had been civilized for centuries by a native people. These were the Native Americans, who have been there since 13,000 B.C. These Natives used nature to their advantage, and lived in harmony with other tribes, having strong family ties. The Natives had different values†¦show more content†¦Beginning in the summer of 1675 the King Philip s War started and never stopped, as Native American resisted colonial expansion. These Europeans had eliminated approximately forty percent of the Native American popu lation in New England. This war later led to the Natives struggling in their own communities. Colonists had succeeded and the Native American population declined drastically in New England. Much of the Native American population died to new mysterious diseases, including smallpox, typhus, cholera, and measles. These diseases were brought by the colonists and in fact the population of Native Americans in New England fell in 1675, from 10,000 to 125,000. The Europeans also took over land through trade and by expanding their land claims. The next encounter with natives and colonists was in New York and New France. The first French colonists had arrived at the St. Lawrence Valley with around 400 soldiers, 300 sailors and only a few women. Many though passed over the following two years due to scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. France then sent an explorer in 1608, to Quebec, Samuel de Champlain, in order to establish the New France colony. Champlain already had experience with these natives and allied with the Hurons, who were located on the lower Great Lakes, as well as the Algonquins and Montagnais

Public Relations Todays More Complex Business

Question: Discuss about thePublic Relationsfor Todays More Complex Business. Answer: Introduction In todays more complex business environment, good communication is essential for the success and growth of any aviation organization. For airports this requires a heavy focus on effective communication with the public, customers and airport tenants, on issues such as: noise, pollution, flight delays, cost of parking, cost of landing fees, etc. Along with this, for airlines this requires a concentrated effort on clearly communicating with their customers on things such as: price, service and safety and their staff on job security and wages and with governments on a market that is fairly regulated. On the other hand, this research essay would be helpful to critically examine how effectively Australias largest airline has communicated with the public. Moreover, this essay would be useful to portray that how Qantas uses best practices in public relations to communicate with its staff, shareholders, government and customers in an effective and a proper manner. Qantas and Its Public Relations Practices Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services) is the largest domestic and global airline of Australia. Qantas is the third oldest airline in the world. It was founded in 1920 by Winton. In addition, Qantas is the world's leading long distance airline. Currently, Qantas is known as the one of the strongest brands in Australia (Qantas. 2016). Qantas operates domestic, regional and international services to satisfy its customers. The company is fully dedicated towards its customers. Along with this, Qantas builds strong relations and also makes effective communication with its staff, customers, shareholders, and government. This is the major key of success of Qantas. In the views of Lynes Dredge (2006), business organizations use a lot of management functions such as: human resources, research development, finance, marketing, legal, operations, etc. to operate their businesses and to enhance their capacity. Each of these functions plays a major role in the success and growth of the organizations. Apart from this, at present, public relation (PR) has become a unique function that business firms must adopt and implement for the success and growth of the business (Lynes Dredge , 2006). PR plays a significant role to develop and maintain relationships with all the key people and stakeholders by communicating with these groups effectively. In other words, it also can be said that, public relations is a strategic communication process that plays a major role to develop mutually beneficial relationships between associations and their publics. Communication is a major key that is essential to maintain a long-term and credulous relationship with public s and stakeholders of the company (Fitch, 2016). The authors Truscott, Bartlett Tywoniak (2009) state that, public relation (PR) is major point of an organization that is used by the business firm to make strong relations and communications with all its stakeholders. Public relation mainly involves media relations, corporate responsibility, social media, reputation management and crisis communications. Along with this, PR combines the broadcast, global print and online media for the success and growth of the business. The major objective of PR is to gain full media coverage, maintain a positive public image, develop brand awareness and also establish strong relationships with the different audiences of the organization (Truscott, Bartlett Tywoniak, 2009). According to the authors Kotler, Burton, Deans, Brown, Armstrong (2015), Qantas uses a lot of important practices of public relations to make effective communicate with staff, shareholders, government and customers. For case, the corporate PR practice is the major practice that Qantas uses to effectively communicate with staff, shareholders, government and customers. For case, with the help of this practice, the company develops corporate-wide strategies to communicate with the public (Kemp, 2013). Moreover, in the corporate PR practice, Qantas identifies the public, conducts required research, goal-setting, benchmarking, decides measurement criteria for the public relations program, executes the full range of required tactics to accomplish the goals, and also evaluates program success. This area of practice plays a critical role to develop a strong relationship between the Qantas and its staff, customers shareholders. The main reason behind it is that, the corporate area of PR pra ctice fully focuses its attention on the public (Kotler, Burton, Deans, Brown Armstrong, 2015). In the views of Prindle (2011), branding is also the other major practice of public relation. Qantas uses this PR practice to make effective communication with its customers and shareholders. In this area of practice, Qantas ensures that brand messages of the business are executed all the way through the entire organization. Moreover, it should also be noted down that, brand message is essential to develop effective communication with the internal and external audiences of the company. Along with this, branding practice is a part of corporate practice (Prindle, 2011). In this area of practice, Qantas uses research trust-building tactics for instance community outreach, positive media relations, etc. to communicate with staff, customers, shareholders, and government in an effective and an appropriate manner. The authors Gittell Bamber (2010) state that, Qantas uses employee engagement PR practices to effectively communicate with its staff. It is because of the employee engagement practice plays a major role to reinforce communication between the company and its staff. Along with this, the practice is also helpful to improve employee satisfaction level and to decline the impact of third-party hindrance on the employer-employee relationship. Qantas uses grassroots as well as diversity outreach as the major tools of employee engagement PR practice (Gittell Bamber, 2010). For this reason, it is clear that, Qantas takes care of its employees and this is essential to accomplish the desired goals objectives of the business in a specified time period. According to the authors Robbins, Bergman, Stagg Coulter (2014), in todays competitive marketplace, customer satisfaction is essential to success and growth. Qantas uses customer satisfaction PR practice to effectively communicate with its customers. It is well known that, Qantas is the biggest domestic and global airline because of it provides fully satisfaction to its customers. In this area of practice, Qantas identifies the perceptions and expectations of the customers; and also observes the issues that are faced by the customers. Qantas develops specific tools to help out its customers and to decrease challenges that have an effect on the satisfaction level of the customers (Driver, 1999). On the other hand, Qantas conducts post-transaction follow-up to make sure complete customer satisfaction. It also conducts employee focus groups so they may recognize internal obstacles that are reducing the satisfaction level of customers. Qantas also conducts research to find out that it n eeds to develop and perform training programs to improve the customer satisfaction level in an effective way (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg Coulter, 2014). As a result, it can be said that, Qantas is fully reliable to its customers; so it uses customer satisfaction public relation practice to effectively communicate with its customers. The authors Johnston Sheehan (2014) affirm that, Qantas uses issue management PR practice to effectively communicate with its staff, shareholders, and customers. The issues management practice plays a major role to accomplish client goals of the business. For case, with the help of this PR practice, Qantas recognizes major issues that may present opportunities or obstacles to the firm and also develops strategies to capture the opportunities or to reduce threats in an effective and a significant manner. Along with this, in this area of practice, Qantas expresses that staff, shareholders, and customers are the key audiences of the business (Johnston Sheehan, 2014). As a result, Qantas makes effective communication with all the people that are related to the business. According to Robinson, Fallon Cameron (2016), the public-private partnership projects PR practice is also used by Qantas to make effective communicate with its shareholders and government. This PR practice plays a major role in order to create positive responses as well as actions at all stages of the business process. In addition to this, Qantas uses message development, digital strategies, media relations, politicians, and so on as the major components of this public relation practice. Moreover, in this area of PR practice, Qantas fulfill all its legal obligations as well as business commitments; so it can establish strong relations with the shareholders and government (Robinson, Fallon Cameron, 2016). The authors Vaara, Kleymann Serist (2004) state that, Qantas uses granular segmentation practice in order to identify its audience and their drivers in an accurate way. Moreover, in this area of PR practice, Qantas evaluates its target audiences, for instance customers, partners, prospects, suppliers, etc. and also divides them into relevant sub-categories. Apart from this, with the help of this practice, Qantas conducts a research to know that where the target audiences go to gain the information that are related to the company or industry. Qantas also makes efforts to provide services to its target customers at the right place and at the right time (Vaara, Kleymann Serist, 2004). Thats why; it can be said that, Qantas uses this practice to cover the target audiences and also to make communication with them in an effective and an appropriate manner. In the words of Bray Waring (2009), Qantas also uses marketing integration PR practice to effectively communicate with staff, shareholders, government and customers. The PR practice combines all the public relations tactics into the overall marketing program. Along with this, with the help of this practice area, the firm ensures that the marketing public relations messages of the business are well-matched. Moreover, the marketing public relations messages influence the marketing programs and their tactics such as: media relations as well as special events (Watson, 2007). In this area of practice, Qantas develops an environment of sales relations in which public relations play a major role in order to retain existing customers and to attract new customers for the growth and success of the organization. On the other hand, Qantas also focuses on social impact marketing practices to change behaviors as well as opinions of people towards the services of the company. These practices play an important role in order to create long-term substantive impact on the wide social issues. Moreover, Qantas believes that these social practices go beyond the traditional PR techniques to accomplish the business goals and to establish a strong relationship with customers (Bray Waring, 2009). Consequently, Qantas make use of marketing integration practice to effectively communicate with employees, shareholders, government and customers. The author Ayish (2005) states that, in todays advanced technological business environment, Qantas also uses social media as a PR practice in order to make effective communication with its external stakeholders. For case, with the help of this PR practice, Qantas use social media platforms such as: Facbook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. to promote its services and to get customer feedback in a proper way. Along with this, with the help of social media, Qantas comes to know about the perceptions, expectations, needs, and preferences of customers. Qantas makes changes in its services to improve the customers satisfaction level (Ayish, 2005). In this way, the social media practice also helpful to Qantas to make effective communicate with staff, shareholders, government and customers. Conclusion On the premises of above discussion, it can be assumed that, the public relation practices are essential for the growth and success of the business organization. Moreover, it is also observed that, PR practices play an important role to accomplish the strategic as well as competitive goals and objectives of the business. Along with this, it is also scrutinized that, Qantas uses numerous effective PR practices to make strong relations with its staff, customers, and stakeholders. These PR practices also offer full media coverage and also improve the reputation of the firm at the global level. Moreover, the PR practices used by Qantas play a critical role to reduce the obstacles of business and to improve organizational performance effectiveness in an effective and a more comprehensive manner. In this way, it can be said that, PR practices of Qantas play a major role to improve the customers satisfaction level and to make effective communicate with staff, shareholders, government and c ustomers of the organization. References Ayish, M. I. (2005). Virtual public relations in the United Arab Emirates: A case study of 20 UAE organizations use of the Internet. Public Relations Review, 31(3), 381-388. Bray, M., Waring, P. (2009). The (continuing) importance of industry studies in industrial relations. Journal of Industrial Relations, 51(5), 617-633. Driver, J. C. (1999). Developments in airline marketing practice. Journal of Marketing Practice: Applied Marketing Science, 5(5), 134-150. Fitch, C. (2016). Professionalizing Public Relations: History, Gender and Education. USA: Springer. Gittell, J. H., Bamber, G. J. (2010). High-and low-road strategies for competing on costs and their implications for employment relations: international studies in the airline industry 1. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 21(2), 165-179. Johnston, J., Sheehan, M. (2014). Public Relations: Theory and Practice. Australia: Allen Unwin. Kemp, K. (2013). Flight Of The Titans: Boeing, Airbus and the battle for the future of air travel. Random House. Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L., Armstrong, G. (2015). Marketing. Australia: Pearson Higher Education AU. Lynes, J. K., Dredge, D. (2006). Going green: Motivations for environmental commitment in the airline industry. A case study of Scandinavian Airlines. Journal of sustainable tourism, 14(2), 116-138. Prindle, R. (2011). A Public Relations Role in Brand Messaging. International Journal of Business and Social Science 2(18), 32-36. Qantas. (2016). About Us. Retrieved From: https://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/company/global/en Robbins, S.P., Bergman, R., Stagg, I., Coulter, M. (2014). Management. Australia: Pearson Australia. Robinson, P., Fallon, P., Cameron, H. (2016). Operations Management in the Travel Industry, 2nd Edition. UK: CABI. Truscott, R. A., Bartlett, J. L., Tywoniak, S. A. (2009). The reputation of the corporate social responsibility industry in Australia. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 17(2), 84-91. Vaara, E., Kleymann, B., Serist, H. (2004). Strategies as discursive constructions: The case of airline alliances. Journal of Management Studies, 41(1), 1-35. Watson, T. (2007). Reputation and ethical behaviour in a crisis: predicting survival. Journal of Communication Management, 11(4), 371-384.