Workplace Violence And Health Care - 1641 Words

Workplace Violence in Health Care Morgan L. Hofmeister Baker University School of Nursing Abstract This research paper discusses workplace violence, specifically the nursing population. Using results from previous research conducted, negative factors impacting a nurse and solutions to this issue are explored. There is a lack of reporting causing this issue of workplace violence to be difficult to determine interventions and bring about public awareness. Looking at the historical background of workplace violence in health care settings, researching the emotional and physical effects on nurses, discovering the effects on work competency, and uncovering the facts on federal legislation of this issue warrants the importance†¦show more content†¦Besides using governmental data and statistics to compile information regarding workplace violence in health care settings, voluntary surveys are taken (Stokowski, 2010). These surveys and reports of violence are usually unreliable due to the nurse’s lack of ability to remember the incident, fear of affecting patient satisfacti on scores, uneducated on the reporting policy, or concern for questioned competency (Stokowski, 2010). It is said that seventy percent of physical abuse towards nurses are unreported and many nurses never seek treatment (Stokowski, 2010). The hesitancy to report is sensible when incidents reported reviewed are often questioned by the nurse’s actions and solutions are addressed to prevent another occurrence (Stokowski, 2010). These approaches administered by health care facilities imply that the nurse is at fault. Sadly, nurses are often reprimanded or fired defending themselves against violence (Stokowski, 2010). Physical Impact An Emergency Nurses Association study found that, â€Å"every week between eight to thirteen percent of emergency department nurses are victims of physical violence† (Trossman, p. 6, 2010). The physical repercussions of violence can include a physical injury, anger, chronic pain, loss of sleep, disability, muscle tension, anxiety, irritability, and nightmares (Gates,Show MoreRelatedViolence Against Student Nurses and Newly Registered Nurses1070 Words   |  5 PagesViolence against student nurses and newly registered nurses Abstract Workplace violence toward student nurses and newly registered nurses must be eliminated. Nursing students and new nurses are particularly vulnerable to acts of violence. This article discusses the status of the workplace violence of nurses, the effects of violence on students and new nurses, and some strategies can be used to reduce the workplace violence to nurses. Keywords: student nurses, newly registered nurses, workplaceRead MoreHaley Mccullian, Human Resources Consultant, At Mercy Fitzgerald839 Words   |  4 Pagesproblems in the nursing field involving workplace violence in the emergency room. The purpose of this report is to educate the workforce on potential causes, effects, and theories revolving around the current organizational challenge. Workplace violence is a dangerous and complex occupational hazard in today’s health care work environment. It poses challenges for nurses and other health care employees, hospital administration, unions, and health care regulators. Violence from patients, visitors, and coworkersRead MoreEssay Workplace Violence in Nursing890 Words   |  4 PagesWorkplace Violence in Nursing Professional Position Paper Nurses continually strive to bring holistic, efficient, and safe care to their patients. However, if the safety and well-being of the nurses are threatened or compromised, it is difficult for nurses to work effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the position of the American Nurses Association (ANA) advocate that every nursing professional have the right to work in a healthy work environment free of abusive behavior such as bullying,Read MoreHealth Policy Issues Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesHealth Care Policy Issues There are many trending topics in health care that arise and affect our workplaces every day. The professional meeting I had the opportunity to attend was the North Texas Organization for Nurse Executives (N-TONE) fall forum. Several health policy issues and opportunities to address them were brought up at the meeting with the main issue to be covered in this overview being workplace violence. TONE is a member of the Texas Nurses Associations Nursing Legislative Agenda CoalitionRead MoreThe Occupational Safety And Health Administration968 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Violence in the workplace has been an increasing problem for many years, but it is hitting the healthcare profession hardest.(1) Nearly 24,000 assaults in the work environment occur every year, with nearly 75% occuring to healthcare providers.(2) In 2001, it was reported that physicians were assaulted at a rate of 16.2 assaults per 1,000 physicans, nurses were assualted at a rate of 21.9 assaults per 1,000 nurses, and other healthcare workers (with varying job titles) were assaultedRead MoreThe Effects Of Workplace Violence On The Us Healthcare System Essay1138 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Workplace violence (WPV) has been an increasing problem for many years, but it is hitting the healthcare profession hardest.(1) A crime survey done in 2014 by the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) found that violent crimes in the US healthcare system increased by 25% from 2012 to 2013.(2) Nearly 24,000 assaults in the work environment occur every year, with nearly 70-75% occurring to healthcare providers alone.(3, 4) Due to this increased risk of assaultRead MoreThe Issues Of The Nursing Profession1693 Words   |  7 Pagesthough nursing has great benefits such as health insurance, great pay, and the fact that you get to help people, nursing has many issues. Some of the issues of the nursing profession include work place violence, short staffing and hazardous environments. Research shows that these issues have been inflating across the country, and require immediate solutions to stem this growing tide. Thesis Statement Even though nursing has great benefits such as health insurance, great pay, and the fact thatRead MoreThe Effects Of Workplace Violence On Nursing1329 Words   |  6 PagesEffects and Management of Workplace Violence in Nursing Gurdeep Kaur, Virender Kaur, and Ana Tolentino Jimenez California State University, Bakersfield Effects and Management of Workplace Violence in Nursing Workplace violence occurs due to an interpersonal conflict between two or more people that results from differences in their needs, ideas, goals, interests, or values (Marquis and Huston, 2015). Workplace violence is not limited to physical violence; it also includes negativeRead MoreThe Occupational Safety And Health Administration Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pagesadministrative law judge of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission would have to affirm the citation issued by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Commission’s judge would then rule the employer is in violation if the four required elements of the citation under the General Duty Clause exist. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) took an aggressive enforcement approach with workplace violence which leads to the issuing of eight General Duty ClauseRead MoreLateral Violence And Workplace : Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesLateral Violence and Workplace Incivility Introduction The lateral violence comes in many forms and in many ways, such as abuse in the workplace that occur between colleagues, it can be verbal or nonverbal aggression, intimidation, bullying, harassment, discrimination, stereotyping, gossiping, criticism, and other related mistreatment behavior at work. Institutional lateral violence also happens between manager and subordinate where they can use their higher position to perpetrate assault to their

The Importance Of A Healthy Lifestyle On Good Nutrition,...

CHAPTER 3 When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot become manifest, strength cannot be exerted, wealth is useless, and reason is powerless. –Herophiles 300 B.C. Growing up I had generally experienced good health. Sure I had my share of runny noses, upset stomachs and scraped knees but I was usually energetic, athletic, creative and optimistic about life. Health, fitness and well-being were important to my family. I came to value the importance of a healthy lifestyle: good nutrition, proper sleep, exercise and sportsmanship. Education was equally emphasized, â€Å"a sound mind in a sound body,† my grandfather repeatedly told my sister and me. My grandfather, Pop-Pop, was a gregarious, tall and handsome man with a gleam in his eye who greatly valued education. I listened carefully to the conversations at the weekly Sunday night dinner table when we visited my grandparents because I always learned something new. Even though the prevailing rule was â€Å"children are seen but not heard,† Pop-Pop always welcomed my questions about economics, politics, history, human nature, art and literature. In fact, he encouraged them. He was the smartest and wisest person I knew. I have never forgotten what my grandfather wrote in my autograph book when I was in second grade, â€Å"Good, better, best, never let it rest, until your good is your better and your better is your best.† I had been a good student, curious about everything and I always wanted to better myself. There was noShow MoreRelatedImportance of Physical Education in Schools2064 Words   |  9 Pages Importance of Physical Education in Schools SPO3001 Learn to Swim Table of Contents Page Introduction 3 Definition of Physical Education 3 What is taught in Physical Education? 4 Importance of Physical Education 5 The Importance of Physical Education as it relates to Swimming 7 Disadvantages of lack of Physical Education 9 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction Physical education plays a vital roleRead MoreHealth Of Health And Wellness1839 Words   |  8 Pageswellness and its importance. So I learned in this health class is about eating healthy and eating nutrition food like chicken and white rice great organic food ect .For example Heath and wellness are key components in my life. To me, so I m talk about me first then my family and so no health issues such as, illness, sickness or injury. Wellness is a synonym of health, however I would define it as living a happy, healthy lifestyle with little or no health issues. I feel the importance of health shouldRead MorePre, During And Post Competition Meals For Athletes3585 Words   |  15 Pagesbody to function at the highest potential. With the aim of keeping their bodies constantly healthy as well as themselves at an optimal shape for their sporting performances, they will ultimately wan to achieve two important things through their diet: a healthy nutrition and the maximum body energy. With a considerate attention and a keen commitment channeled on the field work coupled with a proper nutrition at the training table, any desired outcome can easily be acquired. For this reason, mostRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesTrue purpose of sports nowadays b. Sports and Media 8. Foreign Aid a. How effective is Foreign Aid? 9. Migration a. Is migration/having foreigners good? 10. Subjects a. Literature b. History c. Mathematics d. Universal language 11. Businesses a. Business morality b. Charities as businesses 12. Democracy a. Good vs. Bad 13. Social Issues (only stats provided) a. Gender b. Family c. Equality 14. Governance a. World Governance 15. Others a. CooperationRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesis currently working on a book in applied mathematical statistics. He is the recipient of a distinguished teaching award from Cal Poly and is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking and eating good food, tennis, and travel to faraway places. He is especially proud of his wife, Carol, a retired elementary school teacher, his daughter Allison, who works for the Center for Women and Excellence in Boston, and his daughter Teri, who is ï ¬ nishing a

Whirligig free essay sample

Jenny feels helpless as someone that she loves and close to is dying C] her grandmother. When the old woman tells Jenny to give her a ride around town, Jenny decides to help her because her mom wasnt there, and she somehow desperately needed to see this place. So Jenny and her grandmother get into the car, and drive around the town. Her grandmother tells her to go places that dont even make any sense, like a birch tree, and an old run down house. This old house was Earaches, her long dead sister.Jenny is confused at first about her grandmothers directions, and she is frustrated at not knowing what is going on in grandmothers mind. At the last stop, which was a spinning whirligig on an old, run down hostel, is when Jenny finally understands the Journey. Her grandmother explained that she wanted to see all these special things in her life, before she died. We will write a custom essay sample on Whirligig or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The whirligig gave her and Jenny a message that not everyone is evil, and when people died in the Holocaust, they would have wanted the people that learned of them to spread Joy and happiness, Instead of revving over their losses.She describes how the person who made the wind toy was of good spirit and intentions, and that life Is Just too precious to waste. When Jennys grandmother first asked Jenny to drive her to some place, Jenny wasnt all that up for It. She didnt understand what her grandmother was aiming for, and what she wanted. At first, Jenny agreed to do It because her grandmother seemed so anxious to go, and her mother wasnt there to drive her around. But by the end of the Journey, she finally understood why her grandmother told her to drive o these places, and realized that her grandmother knew her time was to come.A major theme of this chapter was that life Is precious, and even though there has been suffering, Joy and happiness should still take place, Instead of endless grieving and mourning over the losses. Jennys grandmother talks about this when they visit the whirligig, and how everyone still has a good Intention. I believe that after Jennys grandmother has passed on, Jenny will remember her grandmothers spiritual words, and spread peace and Joyfulness Into the world.

Verbal Learning Process

Verbal learning is the use of words or the process of speaking to express ones ideas or thoughts. It also entails learner’s acquiring and retaining ability of verbal information.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Verbal Learning Process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other words, verbal learning is said to be memorization due to day-to-day demands on use of acquired verbal information. According to Tulving and Madigan, the learning has proved to be one of most efficient ways of passing information to the learners and a better way by which learners comprehend information (1970). A student who engages verbal learning incorporates vocal words to bring out concepts; hence, it is a procedure of transforming information from short-term to long-term memory. The concept of how human beings are able to retrieve and use verbal information is complex and is greatly influenced by how these learners are abl e to memorize the same information. For example, one is able to write the alphabetical letters backwards after memorizing and learning how to pair the sequence of all the alphabetical letters verbally. The process therefore means that one is in a position to require repeating information verbally during the paring sequence. Hearing the alphabet sequence therefore assists in remembering the letters and eventually one is even able to write them down in reverse. In line with Tulving and Madigan, association, as one of the major concept in verbal learning is brought out during the learning process (1970). In most cases, a student of verbal learning will associate a stimulus to a response. A good example is when a person you meet for the first time tells you his/her name. The next instance you meet the same person (a stimulus), the mind is triggered and thus recalls the sound of that person’s name (a response). This shows that the mind can memorize sound and then associate the sou nds to objects or activities in future to give response.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The other concept of verbal learning involves comprehension, which often occurs faster and easily, unlike in sign language learning where once requires to know the sign language in the first place. From the above explanations, verbal acquisition of knowledge is not extensively caused by conscious regulations or rigid form of knowledge attainment like most people believes it to be. The process is an enduring form of learning where proficiency and fluency emerges later on particularly during specialization. Verbal knowledge acquisition also involves good listening skills. A learner should thus be keen enough and patient to ensure proper input of the attempts and thus avoid learning anxiety. In verbal learning, the ability to recognize improvement is only achievable through comprehension of input. Interaction is thus a vital aspect of acquiring the knowledge since the learner’s input is the contribution provided through interactive participation, while output is the comprehension ability especially use of the language. Personal interpretation is also a key factor of effective verbal communication. Modern verbal learning calls for real-time acquisition of skills since the communication practice is the key aspect as opposed to the normal form of classroom learning, where the leant knowledge concerns specified study topics (Tulving and Madigan, 1970). Verbal learning consequently takes various unique styles such as ability to influence fluency of rapport-building skills. The learning provides need to notice and generate functions that can evoke the conscious reaction of the mind. Lastly, there is need for engaging meta-lingual abilities, which involves the capacity to take in hand deep thoughts as a measure of improving the learning skills enjoyably. Accuracy in th e accusation therefore depends on comfort and individual’s passion to acquire the new skills. Verbal learning is however advantageous since it provides learner the opportunity to tryout the skills immediately.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Verbal Learning Process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference Tulving, E., Madigan, S. A. (1970). Memory and Verbal Learning. Canada: University of Toronto Retrieved from http://alicekim.ca/AnnRev70.pdf This research paper on Verbal Learning Process was written and submitted by user Alvin Norman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The perks of being a wallflower Essay

The perks of being a wallflower Essay The perks of being a wallflower Essay The perks of being a wallflower Theme: Friendship, Drugs, and Sex. Summary: The perks of being a wallflower is a novel written from the point of view of a high school freshman, the main characteristic is Charlie. Structure of the novel is based on Charlie's role as a stranger sent letters to another person. In the first year of high school, his friend Michael committed suicide, he felt very alone. In the following days, he met a student named Patrick, and Patrick introduced his sister Sam to Charlie. After this, they became good friends, and he grew to love Sam. He has a aunt in this world who is his favorite love. But unfortunately, his aunt died in a car accident. He has a complete family, his brother is a student at Pennsylvania State University and is a footballer. His parents were very ordinary people. He also has a sister. Because a party, she met a guy and and it went to bed. Later, Charles told his parents that his sister had a boyfriend. In later days, his sister was pregnant, and then broke up with her boyfriend. In a gathering, he knows Patrick and Brad sex in the bed and knew he was gay. In a gathering, he knows Patrick and Brad in love and knew he was gay. Charlie and Patrick often smoke, and even gave Charlie marijuana. One day, Charlie was very upset, so he decided to smoke marijuana. In that one night he collapsed in the street and was lectured police. Then Charlie's parents brought him to the house. Charlie marijuana because he kissed Sam on the ball,

Great Rift Valley - Crack in the Planets Crust

Great Rift Valley - Crack in the Planet's Crust The Rift Valley of eastern Africa and Asia (sometimes called the Great Rift Valley [GRV] or East African Rift system [EAR or EARS]) is an enormous geological split in the crust of the earth, thousands of kilometers long, up to 125 miles (200 kilometers) wide, and between a few hundred to thousands of meters deep. First designated as the Great Rift Valley in the late 19th century and visible from space, the valley has also been a great source of hominid fossils, most famously in Tanzanias Olduvai Gorge. Key Takeaways: Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a huge fracture in the crust of the earth in the eastern part of Africa.  Crustal rifts are found all over the world, but the one in East Africa is the largest.  The rift is a complex series of faultlines that runs from the Red Sea down into Mozambique.The Lake Turkana basin in the rift region is known as the Cradle of Mankind and has been a source of hominid fossils since the 1970s.A 2019 paper suggests that the Kenyan and Ethiopian rifts are evolving into one single oblique rift.   The Rift Valley is the result of an ancient series of faults, rifts, and volcanoes deriving from the shifting of tectonic plates at the junction between the Somalian and the African plates. Scholars recognize two branches of the GRV: the eastern half- which is that piece north of Lake Victoria that runs NE/SW and meets the Red Sea; and the western half- running nearly N/S from Victoria to the Zambezi river in Mozambique. The eastern branch rifts first occurred 30 million years ago, the western 12.6 million years ago. In terms of rift evolution, many parts of the Great Rift Valley are in different stages, from pre-rift in the Limpopo valley, to initial-rift stage at the Malawi rift; to typical-rift stage in the northern Tanganyika rift region; to advanced-rift stage in the Ethiopian rift region; and finally to oceanic-rift stage in the Afar range. That means the region is still quite tectonically active: see Chorowicz (2005) for much more detail concerning the ages of the different rift regions. Geography and Topography The East African Rift System stretches from the Red Sea to Mozambique. It is marked by the African Great Lakes and is currently the largest rift of the world. S. Brune; Kartengrundlage: Nasa-World-Wind The Eastern African Rift Valley is a long valley flanked by uplifted shoulders that step down to the central rift by more or less parallel faults. The main valley is classed as a continental rift, extending from 12 degrees north to 15 degrees south of our planets​ equator. It extends a length of 3,500 km  and intersects major portions of the modern countries of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique and minor portions of others. The width of the valley varies between 30 km to 200 km (20-125 mi), with the widest section at the northern end where it links to the Red Sea in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The depth of the valley varies across eastern Africa, but for most of its length it is more than 1 km (3280 feet) deep and at its deepest, in Ethiopia, it is over 3 km (9,800 ft) deep. The topographical steepness of its shoulders and the depth of the valley have created specialized microclimates and hydrology within its walls. Most rivers are short and small within the valley, but a few follow the rifts for hundreds of kilometers, discharging into deep lake basins. The valley acts as a north-south corridor for the migration of animals and birds  and inhibits east/west movements. When glaciers dominated most of Europe and Asia during the Pleistocene, the rift lake basins were havens for animals and plant life, including early hominins. History of the Rift Valley Studies Following on the mid- to late-19th-century work of dozens of explorers including the famous David Livingstone, the concept of an East African rift fracture was established by Austrian geologist Eduard Suess, and named the Great Rift Valley of East Africa in 1896 by British geologist John Walter Gregory. In 1921, Gregory described the GRV as a system of graben basins which included the valleys of the Red and Dead Seas in western Asia, as the Afro-Arabian rift system. Gregorys interpretation of the GRV formation was that two faults had opened up and a central piece dropped down forming the valley (called a graben). Since Gregorys investigations, scholars have re-interpreted the rift as the result of multiple graben faults organized over a major fault line at the plate juncture. The faults occurred in time from the Paleozoic to Quaternary eras, a time span of some 500 million years. In many areas, there have been repeated rifting events, including at least seven phases of rifting over the past 200 million years. Paleontology in the Rift Valley In the 1970s, paleontologist Richard Leakey designated the East African Rift region as the Cradle of Mankind, and there is no doubt that the earliest hominids- members of the Homo species- arose within its boundaries. Why that happened is a matter of conjecture, but may have something to do with the steep valley walls and microclimates created within them. The interior of the rift valley was isolated from the rest of Africa during the Pleistocene ice age  and sheltered freshwater lakes located in savannahs. As with other animals, our early ancestors may have found refuge there when the ice covered much of the planet and then evolved as hominids within its tall shoulders. An interesting study on the genetics of frog species by Freilich and colleagues showed that the valleys micro-climates and topography are at least, in this case, a biogeographic barrier that resulted in the splitting of the species into two separate gene pools. It is the eastern branch (much of Kenya and Ethiopia) where much of the paleontological work has identified hominids. Beginning about 2 million years ago, barriers in the eastern branch eroded away, a time which is coeval (as much as that clock can be called co-eval) with the spread of Homo species outside of Africa. Rift Evolution Analysis of the rift reported by German geologist Sascha Brune and colleagues in March 2019 (Corti et al. 2019) suggests that although the rift began as two overlapping disconnected rifts (Ethiopian and Kenyan), the lateral offset that lies in the Turkana depression has evolved and continues to evolve into a single oblique rift.   In March of 2018, a great crack measuring 50 feet wide and miles long opened up in the Suswa area of southwestern Kenya. Scientists believe the cause was not a sudden recent shift of the tectonic plates, but rather the abrupt erosion to the surface of a long-standing subsurface crack that developed over thousands of years. Recent heavy rains caused the soil to collapse over the crack, exposing it to the surface, rather like a sinkhole.  Ã‚   Selected Sources Blinkhorn, J., and M. Grove. The Structure of the Middle Stone Age of Eastern Africa. Quaternary Science Reviews 195 (2018): 1–20. Print.Chorowicz, Jean. The East African Rift System. Journal of African Earth Sciences 43.1–3 (2005): 379–410. Print.Corti, Giacomo, et al. Aborted Propagation of the Ethiopian Rift Caused by Linkage with the Kenyan Rift. Nature Communications 10.1 (2019): 1309. Print.Deino, Alan L., et al. Chronology of the Acheulean to Middle Stone Age Transition in Eastern Africa. Science 360.6384 (2018): 95–98. Print.Freilich, Xenia, et al. Comparative Phylogeography of Ethiopian Anurans: Impact of the Great Rift Valley and Pleistocene Climate Change. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16.1 (2016): 206. Print.Frostick, L. Africa: Rift Valley. Encyclopedia of Geology. Eds. Cocks, L. Robin M. and Ian R. Plimer. Oxford: Elsevier, 2005. 26–34. Print.Sahnouni, Mohamed, et al. 1.9-Million- and 2.4-Million-Year-Old Artifacts and Stone Tool-Cutmarked Bones from Ain Boucherit, Algeria. Science 362.6420 (2018): 1297–301. Print. Simon, Brendan, et al. Deformation and Sedimentary Evolution of the Lake Albert Rift (Uganda, East African Rift System). Marine and Petroleum Geology 86 (2017): 17–37. Print.

Coursework for Empirical Methods of Economic Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

For Empirical Methods of Economic - Coursework Example Figure (1) Ignoring the age variable will result in direct relationship of number of years of education completed with the amount of wage earned in a month. Therefore, the direct relationship is shown as follows: Figure (2) ii) Referring to equation (1) specifying a linear function of wage, with respect to age and education, if Ey is kept constant, i.e. number of years of education remain same, then the direct relationship of wage (Wt) and age (At) will be determined. The specific organizational principle will be applied here, i.e. the experienced workers will be enjoying more wages than those who have lesser experience, and the variable for counting the experience is the age of the workers. The more the age, the more will be experience of the workers, and hence they will enjoy larger amount in terms of their monthly wage. Keeping the education years (Ey) constant, and allowing the wages to change at a different rate, with respect to change in the age of the workers, the graph would still show a direct relationship between Wt and Ay, as follows: Figure (3) As shown above, the education variable is kept constant, and even then the wage will increase as the worker’s age increases. ... In this case, the figure (1) can again be considered, where the wages will increase depending upon the increase on the wage as well as the age. The only exception in this section and the previous one is the dependability of age of the worker on his age, whereas both were independent in the former approach, but the results will be the same whether the age factor is going to depend on education years or not, because the wage factor is going to change depending upon the change in age as well as education years altogether. Q (b). For the equation used in question a(i), the data is put in the EViews, and the estimates have been made about the relationship between the wage, age, and education years. The following graph will be showing a relationship of the three variables provided in the equation 1 given above. Figure (4) The figure shows that the data given in the excel sheet provides a direct relationship between the wage that is calculated on the basis of the ages and educational years of each of the workers working in the company. The blue lines highlight wages, red age, and green lines show educational years in case of first model discussed above. The wage will rise whenever the educational years, or age, or bother together will rise. Concerning the second model made in an answer to the question (a) above, the changes in wage were made as a direct function of the changes made in the age of the workers, and it was supposed that the educational experiences were either kept constant or had been ignored, and a direct function was applied on the age and its change on the wage of each of the worker. The graph given in figure (5) below will

Benefits of a four-year residential colleges Essay

Benefits of a four-year residential colleges - Essay Example The consideration of the four-year residential colleges by Murray is quite significant in that the study on its benefits and weakness derive its importance. Since not everybody can access university education subject to limitations of resources, pass marks required, and the need for skills, it is thus necessary to analyze other alternative sources of practical and vocational education that include the Four-Year Residential Colleges. According to Murray, the question as to whether too many people are going to colleges, forces us to consider the importance and nature of a liberal education. He notes that since universities seek to provide knowledge and skills that lead to productivity and capability among citizens then unlimited number of people should seek this knowledge (Murray 222). He however realizes that all Americans should acquire basic or the core knowledge that denotes their identity. This knowledge emanates from elementary school to eighth grade and is necessary for all. Hen ceforth, Murray notes that the core knowledge approach should proceed after the eighth grade to at least high school level thereby allowing interested students to pursue relevant courses in social sciences and humanities. He equally acknowledges the need to access liberal college education by academically able students. Indeed, he denotes that college education is tough, more beneficial and thus has stricter requirements. However, he establishes the fact that most of the students who have ability in liberal education conspicuously lack interest in it subject to its boredom and difficultness. As such, he reckons that many academically able students choose to pursue practical and vocational education that takes four-years in a residential college (Murray 222-225). Subject to the importance of college education that entails studies in medicine, law, accountants, software developers, journalists, teachers, football coaches and other courses, college education is thus inevitable in any n ation. Nevertheless, the time it takes, the resources, the level of knowhow required, and the significance of distinct courses in the society warrants a consideration unto the benefits of Four-Year Residential Colleges. Four-Year Residential Colleges offers a wide variety of living, dining, and entertainment options for all level of students. It equally creates a learning atmosphere that allows superb interactions between junior students, upper-class students and graduate students thus encouraging fruitful discussions relating to both college-based academic and nonacademic programs. Additionally, residential colleges offered better library services, many scholarship opportunities, and utmost interaction between students and teachers. Nevertheless, the need to have Four-Year Residential Colleges faces huge demerits that surpass the benefits. Hence, the notion that Four-Year Residential Colleges are not beneficial after all (Murray 228-230). Indeed, the four years spent in residential college studying courses like interior design, hotel management, social work and other courses excluding medicine and law are not reasonable. Indeed, such courses can take a lesser time hence diluting the benefits of Four-Year Residential Colleges. In addition, the advantage of having a physical library in the Four-Year Residential Colleges faces extinction by the fact that capable students can easily

Riordan Manufacturing HR System Analysis Essay Example for Free

Riordan Manufacturing HR System Analysis Essay The new HRIS system architecture will be implemented and integrated into the existing IT infrastructure which will be supported by the corporate office in San Jose. I recommend that the company consider a three-tiered implementation approach. HRIS base requirements and enhanced HR functionality being deployed to a consolidated organizational-wide instance of the HRIS located at corporate office and a single virtual network in Tier 1; implementing the HRIS base requirements to US based locations in Tier 2; and providing enhanced HR functionality and support to the worldwide locations in Tier 3. In addition to the above, Tier 1 would also incorporate the deployment of a centralized data warehouse to accommodate consolidated management analysis and reporting. Under the new HR Information System, all employee information will be recorded and stored. Riordan will benefit from this system with features such as grievance tracking, payroll, security, with limited access for low level employees, and a central server connection that will work with most other servers; cross-platform access will also be available just in case a department manager (IT manager) uses a MAC instead of Windows, they would have access to the data and finally Riordan’s HR staff will be able to access all employee data at any time and at all Riordan locations. Understanding and finding the right software for Riordan Manufacturing, several options made their selves known; there are two programs which stood out, Trak-IT HR and Perfect HR. The programs mentioned above have all of the necessary tools and functions that a company like Riordan needs to upgrade their Human Resource Department Information System. There are some differences between programs; Perfect HR does have a Payroll Management system that will be needed for the Human Resource Department at Riordan (Aspetuck Systems Inc. 2007). Here is a little information from Trak-It HR, â€Å"Since 1988, !Trak-It Solutions has been developing and enhancing our HRIS software to meet the ever-changing needs of the Human Resource professional in small and medium-sized companies.† (! Trak-It  Solutions. 2007). Trak-IT HR software is recommended because it will be able to handle all of the requirements that Riordan’s Human Resource Department needs; as it is very easy to navigate through and will be very easy to train individuals in the HR department, the system uses the latest technology for HR Departments such as Graphic Toolbar, Pull-Down Menus and Shortcut Keys† (!Trak-It Solutions, para. 2). This will make it easy for the user to navigate through with ease and has easy to follow navigations. Application architecture will include a new HRIS architecture which will include a DBMS (Data Base Management system), OOP (Object-Oriented Programming) combined with web services in an intranet application, which will be coded using open source technology. In this scenario the assumption will be that the HRIS system is not capable of storing or producing the additional information needed by the HR department. Currently, the HR department uses the HRIS system to store basic employee information. To implement this system it will require updating (training) all employees that will use the Riordan Human Resource information; this would include, Managers, Recruiters, Employee Relation Specialist, Human Resource Personnel, Payroll Personnel and whoever else is a part of the Human Resource Department. Any Upgrades must be based on the employees (User) position and should be determined on h ow often these users use this system. All Human Resource Personnel should receive an upgrade at start-up of the new system. A User-centered deign for interface will be used, this design will enable the system to adapt to the HR department as a whole and will still remain easy to understand and be user friendly. â€Å"Security is a process and not a state, ongoing refinement and assessment is needed for prolonged success† (Security Innovation Inc. 2007). With a new Information System comes security issues and this system will be in need of some sort of a security system. Using an outside source for security would benefit Riordan and if Riordan decides to go with an outside security company rather than having an in-house security system, this would reduce the technical help needed in order to run the security system, giving Riordan more time to concentrate on their Human Resources, ensuring employee benefit. We have touched on Riordan’s new HRIS system and security measures needed for this system and when security measures are in place the HRIS System will run smoothly. Data Base Integrity must be included in this process; the following security controls are to be recommended within the  DBMS (Data Base Management System), Identify security controls (Critical Assets) for Riordan HR system; Data Encryption, Transition Control, Backup and Recovery Protection, and the last one is most important when all other security bases are covered and Data Validation Controls are also needed for ensuring that all numeric fields are correct. During security implementation process, threats will be identified as well as any disaster recovery. To ensure that the appropriate and correct data is kept safe as well as all HR financial data, the security involvement by outside security firm will follow any security specifications that are needed for the new HR system. They will also run monthly security checkups as well as providing weekly security scans which will be done by a security team trained by outside security and will be constantly informed of any security threats and security measures. References !Trak-It Solutions. (2007). !Trak-It HR. Retrieved April 20, 2011 from http://www.hris-software.net/index.html Security Innovation Inc. (2007). Solutions for sustainable security. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://www.securityinnovation.com/company/index.shtml Aspetuck Systems Inc. (2007). Human resources software and payroll software solutions. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://www.perfectsoftware.com/

Why are Military Takeovers so Frequent in Postcolonial African Politics

For many years, the African continent has been a center for political unrest. Much of that political unrest is blamed on the extended period of European colonization that the continent was forced to endure. Because of ethnic differences, natural resources, and ineffective governments, Africa has been subject to many military takeovers in the postcolonial period. Military takeovers are not unique to Africa. Like of many similar countries, the developing countries in Africa are naturally more susceptible to coup d’Ã ©tats than their developed counterparts. The perfect storm of economic and social inequities, coupled with the inability to provide for the basic necessities of its citizens often results in a regime change through any means necessary. Military coups are typically not beneficial to the citizens, however; the combination of these factors makes the idea of regime change appealing and as a consequence the prospects of a military takeover are augmented. Unlike other regions, Africa displays an even higher rate of governmental turnover. In fact, since gaining independence, the majority of the 54 African countries have experience a military takeover. Much of the plight of Africa was determined by its colonization. Almost all of the African was under European colonization at some point. In fact, only two countries on the continent did not experience colonization, Ethiopia and Liberia. While colonization effectively ended about 50 years ago, the effects of colonization are still visible on the continent. One of the main reasons for political instability in Africa is a result of a lack of unity within nations. Traditional African society was based on tribal affiliations. The relationship between two African tribes was som... ... stable, most African governments appear to be trying to become better. In the future, African governments may be able to avoid the military interventions that hinder their development. Works Cited "Divide and Conquer, A European Legacy in Africa." ÂÂ » The Corkonian Anthropologist. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. . Jenkins, J. C., and Augustine J. Kposowa. "The Political Origins of African Military Coups: Ethnic Competition, Military Centrality, and the Struggle over the Postcolonial State." International Studies Quarterly 36.3 (1992): 271-91. Print. Johnson, Thomas H., and Robert O. Slater. "Explaining African Military Coups D'Etat, 1960-1982." The American Political Science Review 78.3 (1984): 622-40. Print. Wood, Ethel. AP Comparative Government and Politics. Reading, Penn.: Woodyard Publications, 2009. Print.

History of Music Essay

I. Introduction Music—sounds arranged into meaningful— expressive patterns. The composing and playing of music is both a science and an art. Musicology is the study of music as a field of knowledge, with emphasis on history and theory. The raw materials of any kind of music are certain characteristics of sound—pitch (highness or lowness), timbre (tone color), intensity (loudness), and duration. These raw materials are organized by means of the basic elements of rhythm (the pulse, or beat), melody (the tune), and harmony (the blending of tones). Music is often called the universal language because its meaning and appeal are largely the same for people everywhere. It has almost limitless variety. Music can express the widest range of human experience and feeling—joy, and grief, love and hate, amusement and reverence. It may be vocal or instrumental, and may be performed by soloist or by orchestra, band, or chorus. Moreover, Jazz is a form of music that developed in the United States between 1900 and 1915. The origin of the word is uncertain. The music was created originally by the American Negro, but within 40 years it was being performed and created by people of every national and racial background. By the 1940’s no phase of contemporary American music, serious as well as popular, remained untouched by jazz. Jazz bands, magazines, and festivals are found in Japan, in South America, in North Africa, and throughout Europe (O’Meally, 2002). Jazz is difficult to define, and not even jazz musicians and critics agree on a definition. It is a performer’s art, a way of playing. Jazz cannot be written down to show the precise manner in which it is played. It is most accurately preserved not in published scores but on phonograph records. This paper discusses a brief history of the development of some â€Å"mechanical† aspects of music such as musical styles, particular instruments, the recording industry, growth of jazz, etc. II. Discussion A. The Nature of jazz Rhythm. The infectious, compelling rhythms of jazz are based mainly on the 4/4 march tempo. In conventional music, the first and third beats of a four-beat measure are accented. In jazz, however, the second and fourth are accented, producing a syncopated rhythm.   Additional complex contrasting rhythms are built upon the simultaneous use of another form of syncopation in which a tone is held through a beat stringer than the one in which it began. Underlying these multiple rhythms is a regularly accented basic rhythm called â€Å"the beat,† or â€Å"swing†Ã¢â‚¬â€a pulsating, rhythmic feeling that is hard to define and cannot be represented in writing by notes (Lopes, 2002). Improvisation is the composing of music while in actual performance without previous rehearsal. It is a basic element of jazz. The improvising musician may compose a new theme, or melody, or may create new variations and patterns on an existing melody. While one member of a band develops a theme another will expand it. Each musician in the band adds something of his own and several musicians improvise on the same theme at the same time. Jazz is not entirely improvisational, however. Although jazz cannot be notated exactly, much of it is written down, or arranged.   Some passages are left unwritten for solo improvisation. This improvisation and the overall rhythmic interpretation of the music make an arranged piece into jazz (Jones, 2000). Instruments. Another characteristic of jazz is the way musical instruments are played. Brass instruments, such as the trumpet, often take on the tone colors of a singing or speaking voice. Mutes are used to give different sounds to the trumpet, trombone, and other instruments. The rhythm section of a jazz band is not limited to drums. The piano, guitar, and string bass are also used as percussive instruments (Jones, 2000). B. History of Jazz A blending of African and European musical traditions, jazz goes back many years. Revival hymns of the Western frontier, Negro work songs, and minstrel shows are among its many sources. From them came the blues and ragtime. The blues, a vocal music, developed in rural areas; ragtime, a piano music, developed in the cities. After the Civil War many blacks began playing brass-band instruments, and brass marching bands developed. Blues, ragtime, and brass-band music, by the end of the 19th century, blended into a music that today would be classified as jazz. While no one city can be called the birth-place of jazz, New Orleans was one of the most colorful centers of early jazz (Jones, 2000). New Orleans. Around 1898 a brass band led by the cornetist Buddy Bolden played what would probably be recognized as jazz. Bolden’s band, Kid Ory’s Creole Band, and others marched in parades, played for funerals, weddings, and dances, and performed while riding in advertising wagons. These early bands consisted of one or two cornets, a clarinet, a banjo, and drums. About 1910 the bands began playing in the brothels and gambling houses of the notorious Storyville section in New Orleans (Jones, 2000). Dixieland. Many white musicians, influenced by the Negro bands, organized their own bands. Jack â€Å"Papa† Laine, with his Ragtime Band and his Reliance Brass Band, was one of the first white jazzmen. The musicians in these bands read music, and all their pieces were written out. Although they could not capture the bittersweet mood of the blues, they played an orchestral type of ragtime that was later called Dixieland (Benford, 2004). The Jazz Age. In 1917, the federal government closed down Storyville. King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, and other New Orleans-born musicians went North and helped spread jazz across the country. By the early 1920’s, the center of jazz had shifted to Chicago, where it flourished in dance halls and speakeasies. Eddie Condon, Gene Krupa, and other Chicago musicians played an intense, driving variation of Dixieland that became known as â€Å"Chicago style† (Benford, 2004). During the Jazz Age, jazz bands became larger, the saxophone was added, and new jazz styles evolved. Virtuoso soloists and new jazz styles evolved. Virtuoso soloists, such as Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke, became more important as the improvised breaks grew longer. Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and other blues singers performed and recorded with jazz bands (Lopes, 2002). III. Conclusion Jazz, however, was not yet considered respectable, mainly because of the places in which it was played. The general public heard, instead of true jazz, carefully rehearsed arrangements of jazz-like pieces. Paul Whiteman, called the â€Å"King of Jazz,† was a pioneer in such music. Furthermore, modern jazz is not a single movement or school. Various schools with distinctive styles have developed (Lopes, 2002). Jazz continued undergoing many changes in the 1970’s. Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea helped popularize jazz-fusion (or jazz-rock), a style that uses electronic synthesizers and electronically amplified instruments.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 8

I found Damon dancing with Hilda, ushering her around the dance floor with the lightest touch. Wherever his fingers touched she bent, curling into him a trifle more than was acceptable and falling against him more than was necessary. Other girls looked on enviously, clearly hoping to dance with him next. He pretended to devote all his attention to the poor girl, but glanced up just long enough to shoot me a dazzling smile. I waited impatiently for the dance to end, wishing I could compel the musicians to stop. But whatever Damon's powers of compulsion, mine were severely lacking thanks to my meager diet. As soon as the last beat was played, I marched up to my brother. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to†¦ ?† he asked, innocently, indicating Hilda. â€Å"Because I'm sure she will. If you'd like her to.† Hilda studied her dance card, the picture of confusion. â€Å"Let's go get a drink,† I said, taking him by the elbow. â€Å"Exactly what I was thinking,† he agreed, mock-seriously. He snapped his fingers, as if at a dog. â€Å"Hilda†¦ ?† â€Å"Leave her alone,† I ordered. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"Fine. A waiter will do just as well.† But he allowed me to place an iron grip on his arm and guide him through the crowd, past the refreshment room, through a library and into a poorly lit study. â€Å"What the hell are you doing here?† I demanded the moment we were alone. â€Å"Trying to enjoy myself,† Damon said, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. He dropped his accent immediately. â€Å"Did you see the spread? The salmon's from Scotland. And Adelina Patti is here, too – Father would have just died. Oh wait.† He snapped his fingers. â€Å"He did die. You murdered him, in fact.† â€Å"Only after he tried to kill us,† I pointed out, clenching my fists. â€Å"Correction: after he succeeded in shooting both of us. We're dead, brother.† Damon grinned at me. He was circling me. Casually, as if he didn't mean to, as if he was just walking around idly, making conversation while admiring the decor. It reminded me of how he'd paced the ring at the circus back in New Orleans, when Gallagher had forced him to fight the mountain lion. Damon picked up a small statuette and turned it over in his hands, but his eyes stayed locked on mine. I squared my shoulders, feeling the predator's response as he challenged my personal space. â€Å"I'm asking you again, Damon: What are you doing here?† â€Å"Same thing as you, brother. Starting a new life, far from home, and war, and tragedy, and all of those other things immigrants like us are escaping. New York is where the action is. I figured if it's good enough for my brother, it's good enough for me, too.† â€Å"So you did follow me,† I said. â€Å"How?† â€Å"You stink,† Damon said. â€Å"Don't act surprised! It's not just you. Everyone stinks. We're hunters, Stefan. About halfway up the coast, it wasn't hard to figure out where you decided to go after New Orleans. I just made sure I got here first. There isn't a train yet that can beat me on a horse. Well, several horses. A couple of them died of exhaustion. Like your poor, poor Mezzanotte.† â€Å"Why, Damon?† I said, ignoring his casual cruelty. â€Å"Why follow me here?† Damon's eyes narrowed and a flash of rage shot through them, exploding from the hidden depths of his soul. â€Å"I told you I was going to torment you for the eternity you blessed me with, Stefan. Did you think I would break my promise so quickly?† I was used to Damon's fits of pique. His anger had always been like a summer storm, quick and violent, causing damage to anyone or anything nearby – and then it was over and he was buying a round at the tavern. But this fury was new, and it was all because of me. I averted my eyes so he couldn't see the pain and guilt written there. â€Å"What do you want with Lydia? What does she have to do with anything?† â€Å"Ah, Lydia,† Damon sighed, infusing his voice with pretend longing. â€Å"Charming, isn't she? Definitely the best catch of the three sisters. Not that Margaret doesn't have her own charms, of course, but she's a bit sarcastic for my tastes, and, well, married.† He shook his head. â€Å"But then there's Bridget. Such a lively girl! Such verve!† â€Å"†¦ anyone seen Stefan?† As if on cue, we could both pick out her whining, childish soprano from four rooms away. â€Å"†¦ and such an irritating voice,† Damon finished, wincing. â€Å"First thing I would do, brother, is compel her to silence. You'd be doing the world a favor.† I clenched my jaw. â€Å"You were obviously involved with the Sutherlands long before we crossed paths here.† â€Å"Oh was I?† Damon asked. He put down the small statue he had been holding and turned it this way and that on the desk, as if deciding which way it looked best. â€Å"Poor girl was getting soaked – did she tell you the story? She loves it. For all of her pretending to be hard-nosed, she's a weak-kneed romantic as bad as the rest of them. A sudden storm out of nowhere, a dry cab for Lydia†¦ rich, rich Lydia†¦ with a sheltered upbringing and open, welcoming family.† â€Å"Oh, you are a master of subtlety. Controlling men's fates,† I said, rolling my eyes at Damon's preening. â€Å"I am a master. Who do you think left Bridget for you to find?† he demanded. He stuck his face toward my own so that our noses almost touched. â€Å"Who do you think wounded her – just enough – for poor, old, predictable Stefan to find? Stefan, who's sworn off drinking from humans, who I just knew would rescue the damsel in distress rather than finish her off.† A cold chill crept up my spine. â€Å"And then of course I compelled the entire family to welcome you and take you in,† he finished with a careless wave of his hand, as if it had been nothing. A sense of resignation and understanding flooded my body. Of course he had compelled the family. The Sutherlands' easy acceptance of me into their home had rankled me, and I should have realized earlier that something was hugely amiss. How did a man of Winfield's stature let a stranger, a vagrant, into his home, and never ask anything about his family or acquaintances? A man of his kind of wealth had to be careful about whom he allowed to get close. And Mrs. Sutherland – she was such a cautious mother, yet she allowed me to escort her and her daughter on a walk in the park. Though this was hardly the time, I couldn't help but wonder if her seeming affection for me had been true, or if it all had been due to Damon's Power. â€Å"What do you want, Damon?† I asked again. Here we were, back in the thick of it, but this time I understood just how dangerous my brother was and just how far he'd go to get revenge on me. â€Å"Nothing terrible, Stefan!† he said, grinning and stepping back, throwing his hands in the air. â€Å"But think of it! Me with Lydia wrapped around my finger. You with the adoring Bridget†¦. We'll marry the sisters and, just as you always hoped, we'll be brothers again for eternity – or at least as long as they live.† â€Å"I'm not marrying Bridget,† I blurted out. â€Å"Yes, you are,† Damon said. â€Å"No, I'm not,† I repeated. â€Å"I'm leaving New York. Tonight.† â€Å"You are staying here and marrying Bridget,† Damon said, coming to within an inch of my face, â€Å"or I will start to kill all the people in this place, one by one.† He was deadly serious, all traces of cavalier, joking, devil-may-care Damon gone. The smoldering anger was back. â€Å"You can't do that,† I growled. â€Å"Even you aren't strong enough to take down an entire ballroom.† â€Å"Oh really?† He snapped his fingers over his shoulder. A maid appeared from the next room, as if waiting for his signal. She already had a kerchief tied around her neck from where he had fed on her previously. He gestured with his chin at the window, and she gamely went over and began to unbolt the latches. â€Å"I can compel Bridget and her entire stupid entourage in there to go jump off a balcony,† Damon growled. â€Å"I don't believe you,† I said as calmly as I could. Only Lexi seemed able to control more than one person at once. And Damon wasn't nearly as old as she. â€Å"Or I can stalk them one by one and rip their throats out,† he offered instead. â€Å"It makes no difference to me.† The maid stepped up onto the sill and began to climb onto the rail. â€Å"Bastard,† I murmured, rushing over to grab the poor girl before she killed herself. â€Å"Get out of here,† I growled at her, unsure if I was compelling her or not. Suddenly she looked confused and scared, the spell broken. She bolted out of the room, sniffling. â€Å"Why?† I demanded when she had gone. â€Å"Why do you want to marry Lydia? Why is it so important that I marry her sister?† â€Å"If I have to live forever, I might as well do it in style,† Damon said, shrugging. â€Å"I'm sick of living from person to person, meal to meal, having no place to call home. When I marry Lydia, I'll be rich. A houseful of servants to attend to my every whim†¦ to feed my every need,† he leered. I wasn't sure he was just talking about blood. â€Å"Or, I could just take the money and run. Either way, I'll be a lot better off than I am now. Winfield is swimming in money.† â€Å"Why involve me?† I asked, feeling weary. â€Å"Why not just go off and do whatever it is you need to do, ruining people's lives?† â€Å"Let's just say I have my reasons.† Damon flashed me a harlequin's grin. I shook my head in exasperation. Just past the door of the study, a couple walked arm in arm through the library, in search of a quiet place to talk. Beyond them were the happy noises of the dancing throng, laughing conversations, the tap of heels on the floor. I watched distractedly, picking out Winfield's booming voice as he lectured someone on the basic tenets of capitalism. â€Å"What will you do with them?† I asked. With Damon as son-in-law, Winfield Sutherland's life expectancy had just been drastically reduced – and Lydia's as well. â€Å"Once I have their money? Pfff. I don't know,† Damon said, throwing his hand up in the air. â€Å"I hear San Francisco is fairly exciting – or maybe I'll just go and take that grand tour in Europe you'd always dreamed of.† â€Å"Damon – † I began. â€Å"Or I could just live here, like the king I do so want to be,† he continued, cutting me off. â€Å"Enjoying myself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had a horrible image of Damon satisfying his every carnal desire in the Sutherland household. â€Å"I won't let you do this,† I said urgently. â€Å"Why do you care?† Damon asked. â€Å"I mean, it wasn't me tearing through New Orleans†¦. What was your body count toward the end there, brother?† â€Å"I've changed,† I pointed out, looking him in the eye. â€Å"Yes, of course,† he said. â€Å"Just like that. Whatever could have†¦ oh!† He grinned. â€Å"It's Lydia, isn't it? Once again following in my footsteps, brother. Everything I have you just want. Like Katherine.† â€Å"I never loved Katherine. Not the way you did.† I was attracted to her, of course – who wouldn't have been? She was beautiful, charming, and a terrible flirt. Damon hadn't minded her dark side, and in fact seemed to appreciate it. But when I was with her under her heady spell, I just wanted to ignore her vampire side. And when the vervain cleared my thoughts I was repelled by what she was. All of my feelings, deep feelings, for her, had been the stuff of glamour. For Damon, it was all real. â€Å"And I don't love Lydia,† I said. â€Å"But that doesn't mean I want to see her – or anyone – hurt.† â€Å"Then you do exactly as I say, brother, and everyone will be fine. But if you step out of line, even once†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon dragged a finger across his throat. â€Å"Then their blood will be on your hands.† For a long moment, all was silent as Damon and I glared at each other. I had vowed to never harm a human again, to never allow a human to come to harm because of me. I was trapped as neatly and as permanently as if I were still a sideshow vampire at a circus, tied with vervain ropes – and Damon knew it. I heaved a sigh. â€Å"What do you want me to do?†

The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamian cultures essays

The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamian cultures essays The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamian cultures over a period of time illustrated correspondence within both civilizations. Both cultures resembled through influence of similar geographical features, written records, government and architecture. The Ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamian cultures are geographically influenced by location and adaptation of survival skills. Both cities are located near rivers. People lived near these rivers because the rivers provided a lot of things that made life possible like water for farming, fishing, water for building and hygiene. In the mind of the Egyptians, the Nile was the supreme fertilizer and re-newer of the land. Each September the Nile floods its valley, transforming it into a huge are of marsh or lagoon. By the end of November the water retreats, leaving behind a thin covering of fertile mud ready to be planted with crops. -A history of world societies fifth edition; pg.19. At the Nile River flooding was a blessing because when the waters retreated it left behind a layer of rich silt that made farming easy. Furthermore, both cultures made transportation from province to another accessible along the river to trade a variation of goods. The survival skills of both civilizations a llowed them to cultivate their new environments during seasonal changes. Both cultures have had similar forms of writing; the Mesopotamians used a pictograph system known as Cuneiform. Whereas, Egyptians used a method of pictographic writing called "Hieroglyphic." Symbols for ideas and determinatives were also commonly used, and helped to elaborate on and make sense of what was being written about. Through their style of writing both civilization were able to communicate as well as distinguish themselves from other cultures. The Egyptians enjoyed such prosperity that they developed writing of their own, mathematical skills, and religious beliefs that influenced the lives of ...

Average National SAT Scores for 2012

Average National SAT Scores for 2012   Over a million high-schoolers registered for the SAT  in 2012. Their average scores provide some interesting insights into this group. Whether they wanted admission to the  top public universities  or another school of their choice, see how they performed. Overall SAT Scores for 2012 The mean is the average score of every student who took the SAT from the fall of 2011 through June of 2012. Here are the mean scores for all testers by section: Overall: 1498Critical Reading: 496Mathematics: 514Writing: 488 (subscores: multiple-choice: 48.1 / essay: 7.3) See how these compare: SAT Scores for 2013 SAT Scores by Gender As is often seen, boys were better on average in the Mathematics section and they also slightly outperformed girls as a whole in the Critical Reading Section. But females outperformed them on average in the Writing section. You can compare your scores with the average for your gender. Critical Reading:  Males: 498. Females: 493Mathematics:  Males: 532. Females: 499Writing:  Males: 481. Females: 494 SAT Scores by Reported Annual Income Higher parental income is associated with a higher SAT score. This doesnt necessarily mean that wealthier families produce smarter children. But it likely has some relationship to parents sending their children to better schools and being more willing to purchase SAT prep. They may also be more willing to spend money on retakes of the examination. $0 to $20,000: 1323$20,000 to $40,000: 1398$40,000 to $60,000: 1461$60,000 to $80,000: 1503$80,000 to $100,000: 1545$100,000 to $120,000: 1580$120,000 to $140,000: 1594$140,000 to $160,000: 1619$160,000 to $200,000: 1636$200,000 and more: 1721 SAT Scores by AP/Honors Classes It is helpful to know which courses in school tend to produce the highest SAT scores. You could guess that students who take AP courses or rigorous Honors courses are going to score higher on the SAT, but the degree to which they score better is significant. The question is which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do these students score higher due to their natural abilities, or do the courses themselves prepare students better for the SAT? Check out the stats: AP/Honors Math 1698: Mean SAT score for those enrolled in AP/Honors Math1404: Mean SAT score for those not enrolled Percentage of SAT Testers Enrolled in AP/Honors Math by Ethnicity All students: 36 percentAfrican American: 25 percentAmerican Indian: 31 percentAsian: 47 percentHispanic: 31 percentWhite: 40 percent AP/Honors English 1655: Mean SAT score for those enrolled in AP/Honors Math1404: Mean SAT score for those not enrolled Percentage of SAT Testers Enrolled in AP/Honors English by Ethnicity All students: 42 percentAfrican American: 34 percentAmerican Indian: 40 percentAsian: 44 percentHispanic: 39 percentWhite: 46 percent AP/Honors Natural Science 1698: Mean SAT score for those enrolled in AP/Honors Math1414: Mean SAT score for those not enrolled Percentage of SAT Testers Enrolled in AP/Honors Natural Science by Ethnicity All students: 35 percentAfrican American: 24 percentAmerican Indian: 28 percentAsian: 43 percentHispanic: 28 percentWhite: 38 percent 2012 SAT Scores Summary The statistics say youd have the best advantage on the SAT if you were a male of Asian ethnicity whose family who made more than $200,000 per year. You could always prepare regardless of your ethnic heritage or familial status. These statistics represent the mean but do not, of course, represent the individual. If you have nothing in common with the groups scoring the highest on the SAT, it does not mean that you cant secure a top-notch score. Start with some free SAT practice quizzes, grab some free SAT apps, and prepare yourself the best way you can.

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 62

Marketing - Essay Example I believe that the leap from use of synthetic drugs to natural supplements among many customers will make the product highly sellable. Since the drug is made from natural products, it can be taken by children and adolescents or those who have no osteoporosis for the prevention of bone problems. The product is safe for all ages and genders as well as patients with other ailments so that a large number of customers is promising. The forecast for the product is positive with people largely embracing alternative medicine because of the side-effects of many synthetic drugs. The product guarantees no similar side-effects except for allergic reactions to a limited number of products. Since some of the ingredients are from animal products, the possibility of allergic reactions should be considered but not seriously because the drug has more benefits than disadvantages. Therefore, some customers may not buy the product for this reason. However, the number is minimal so that there would still be more than ninety percent success for the

Lesdership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

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TUI ( tuarism industry ) - Case Study Example Most of the countries in the European Continent have a pleasant weather throughout the year with rainfalls is summers and snowfalls and brisk winds in the winters. These countries therefore have a excellent features for attracting tourists. Many businesses in the tourism industry of UK and the rest of Europe depend upon tourism. These businesses are museums, cinemas, hotels, night clubs, restaurants, leisure parks, spas, resorts etc (Aston, 2009). The UK tourism industry is worth  £ 114 billion. The tourism industry of Europe is backed by the European Travel Commission (ETC), which is a non-profit making organization and has its main office in Brussels. This organization has 39 member organizations (European Travel Commission, 2009). The role of these organizations is to promote tourism internationally to European countries. These European countries have now started to focus on â€Å"Ecotourism† as mentioned in the European Travel Commission website. The focus on ecotourism and sustainable tourism was initiated when the tourism industries of Asian countries were booming and the Europe tourism industry was stagnated. The tourist destinations in Europe are not a booming business but they are very stable when compared to other tourist destinations of the world. The industry creates a lot of opportunities for the locals as they get more job creation and business opportunities. The single European market has been able to attract more tourists since the European Union (EU) came into existence (Pompl, 1993). The rich culture of the continent and the diversity makes it the most viable option for tourism whether it is for business reasons of for vacations. The general population in the world is tilting more towards family oriented fun and travel (FCCA, 2005). Individuals with families want to spend more time with their families on vacations and leisure time. The increase in youth activities together with their ability to

Disney Corporation Losses EuroDisney Paris

Disney Corporation Losses EuroDisney Paris Cultural Euro Disney The word ‘management originated in America and ever since assumptions have been made about the universal acceptability and success of their business practices. There are a number of international ventures which have failed miserably due to Americans not considering the cultural aspects when entering into business in a new country. Euro Disney is a perfect example of the failure of American business processes in another country. The primary aim of this article is to explain how Euro Disney suffered the costs of cultural miscalculations. Geert Hofstedes work on culture has served as the theoretical basis of this article. His dimensions of culture have been used to explain differences in American and French cultures the problems that occurred at Euro Disney. American businesses make assumptions about the transferability of their business, management, marketing, economic and structural models of organizing which frequently fail to take into consideration cultural differences. An example of the consequences of such an approach to intercultural business practice can be found in the Disney Corporations recent European venture, now called Disneyland, Paris. Lack of cultural sensitivity and the negative infiltration strategy used by the Disney Corporation resulted in a great loss of time, money and reputation for which the corporation has only recently begun to compensate. It is the primary thesis of this article that the initial losses experienced by the Disney Corporation may have been prevented if only its representatives had known then what they know now: simply put, that organizations are not distinct, separate entities capable of functioning outside their physical, social and cultural environments. That insight, of course, calls for a different approach to international business, one which begins with the most basic aspect of human organizations, namely effective, meaningful, communicative interactions between people. As international business is becoming critically important in this world of globalization, so is the need to understand cultures, cross cultural psychology and people across nations. There is a lot of focus on cultural studies and plenty of research is done in this area. Yet, there is a lot of scope for further studies due to the gaps in the research. Today there are several models which help understand how people from different nations are expected to act; the one by Geert Hofstede has become the most influential (Hong, Zhang Stump 2007, p. 60) The cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede have served as the specific theoretical framework for this study. Although there are many criticisms to the Hofsteds model and his dimensions yet there is no other study that compares so many other national cultures in so much detail. Simply this is the best there is. (Mead chapter 2: pg 51) With the advancements in communication and technology, the physical distance between countries is diminishing (Angur et al. , 1994; Jandt, 1995; Samovar and Potter, 1995). This physical distance is not the only thing that needs to be bridged in order to when practicing international commerce. Hofstedes dimensions reflect a nations value system. From further reading into this dissertation have tried to show how American business management tends to assume that they have the best business people that lead to them having the best business practices. While they may work very successfully in their or cultural setting, they do not work across borders. Importance of the study: Scope of the study: Why did you choose this topic? There are many studies that have been conducted in the area of cross cultural psychology, but none that have tried to connect the problems faced at Euro-Disney to Hofstedes dimensions. These dimensions have served as the specific theoretical framework for this study. Purpose, what are we trying to do These dimensions reflect a nations value system. Power distance and Uncertainty Avoidance affects how an organization is structured and how it functions. The two main problems that an organization can face are How to distribute power, and How to avoid uncertainty. Through this research, have tried to show how these two factors were taken for granted at Euro Disney. Furthermore, this research aims at studying the implications of the four dimensions on the working of MNCs and How will it help others and how can they use it for further research My work is a sincere effort to contribute to cultural literature. I hope it proves to be beneficial for further research studies. Overview of the study: Chapter 3 (Case of Euro Disney): This chapter describes all the stages of the research process in carrying out the present study. In particular this chapter gives a clear definition of the research method employed including sampling and data analysis. Chapter 2 (Literature review): This chapter will begin by outlining the existing literature on the concepts of brands, brand image, private brands and consumers perceptions toward private brands. Also in an attempt to meet the main research objective, the other areas (sub-objectives of this research study) such as  consumers attitudes preferences, brand loyalty, brand awareness toward private brands and positioning strategies of private brands have been rigorously discussed, which will provide full support to this research study. Chapter 4 (Discussion): This chapter discusses the results of the research, in particular, presenting statements made by informants with regards to themes that emerged from the transcripts. The chapter ends with a summary taking into account the exploratory nature of the research, and the importance of insight. Chapter 5 (Conclusion Recommendations): This chapter deals the conclusion of the present research study. It will be presented in light of research findings from Chapter 4. By referring to existing literature the discussion will highlight major findings in conjunction to identity development. At the end of the chapter, recommendations for further research will be given. Literature Review As Americans, the word â€Å"Euro† is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For  Europeans it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and  commerce. Renaming the park â€Å"Disneyland Paris† was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world (Eisner). Culture 500-700 Layers of culture 200 Cultural studies Cross cultural management 500-600 Importance of hrm in a cross cultural context International Business and importance of CCM Importance of culture in a international context 500 Theoretical background : Hofstedes diemsions of culture 1300 Case 1100 Reasons 1000 Discussion :using hotsedes dimensions explaining differences cross continents and cultures 2000 Conclusion 600-700 limitations of the study, limitations of hofsteds model American business leaders often assume that physical distance is the only gulf that needs to be bridged in international commerce. (473 pg1. last line) As a matter of fact bridging this gap is just one of the steps in international business. It is much more complicated and a number of factors need to be kept in mind. According to Adler (1986:13)in 473 it is the lack of academic interrogations by cultural scholars that has lead to ‘American parochialism Culture Culture is an umbrella word that encompasses a whole set of implicit, widely shared beliefs, traditions, values and expectations that characterize a particular group of people(Consumer behaviour in travel and tourism By Abraham Pizam, Yoel Mansfeld, p393). There are as many definitions of culture as there are people who have tried to define it. While some phrase it in terms of ‘metal programs others define it as the characteristics a person possesses. Hofstede (1994) defines culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (p. 180). While according to Kroeber and Parsons, culture is transmitted and created content and patterns of values, ideas and other symbolically meaningful systems as factor in the shaping of human behaviour and the artifacts produced through behaviour(pdf 473 page 2) According to Schein culture is ‘A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. Organizational Culture Leadership by Edgar H Schein October 1996. According to Schein Culture exists at three levels, artifacts, exposed values and basic assumptions. Pizam (1993) also believes that there are levels of culture in the society. Firms and organizations are a part of the society/system and thus culture has an impact on them. Pizam argues that organizations are culture-bound, rather than being culture-free (Pizam, 1993: p. 219)-MMp2 Today there is growing importance of culture in cross border interactions. The role of human resources is very crucial as well. Effective human resource decisions and cultural sensitivity form two pillars for the success of an international business venture. The phrase ‘Cross cultural management was first coined by †¦in the year†¦. There are examples of companies who failed due to HRs ignorance and cultural miscalculations. Theoretical background:- Hofstedes Dimensions Cultural dimensions by halls,trompenars, hofstedes, globe study. Although there are many criticisms to the Hofsteds model and his dimensions yet there is no other study that compares so many other national cultures in so much detail . Simply this is the best there is. ( Mead chapter 2: pg 51) As international business is becoming critically important in this world of globalization, so is the need to understand cultures and people across nations. There is a lot of focus on cultural studies and plenty of research is done in this area still there is a lot of scope for further studies due to gaps in research. Today there are several models which help understand how people from different nations are expected to act, the one by Geert Hofstede has become the most influential (Hong, Zhang Stump 2007, p. 60) Hofstedes Dimensions of national culture- Power Distance Index (PDI): Large versus Small power distance The basis for this dimension is the fact that inequality exists at all levels and areas of the society. Inequality exists in areas such as wealth, social status, power and prestige. The word ‘power distance is taken from the work of Mulder (Reference hofstede p71). According to Mulders Power Distance Reduction theory, subordinated try to reduce the gap in power between them and their superiors. On the other hand the superiors try to maintain or increase the power distance. The PDI norm deals with the desirability or undesirability of dependence versus independence in society (Hofstede p. 93). Power distance is described as the degree to which there is unequal distribution of power in a society. This is accepted by the members of a society, organizations and nations which are less or more powerful. Behaviour of members of such institution is affected by the degree of power they posses. A high power distance index is characterized by hierarchical orders, close supervision, autocratic decision making and unequal distribution of power. Everybody has a place in the system which needs no clarification or justification. According to Hofstedes dimensions, Malaysia has the highest score on power distance (104) thus implying that the management would use a top-down information flow and there would be autocratic and paternalistic decision making. In a low PDI society, subordinates with the senior management together make decisions and have strong work ethics. It is characterised by equal distribution of power. Sweden is low on PDI (31)Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) It deals with how members of a society view themselves compared to the rest of the society and is measured from completely collective (0) to completely individualistic (100). Individualism stands for a preference for a loosely knit social framework in society wherein individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. Collectivism, on the other hand, stands for a preference for a tightly knit social framework in which individuals can expect their relatives, clan, or other in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (it will be clear that the word collectivism is not used here to describe any particular political system). Hofstedes own definition is:Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between the individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivism as its opposite pertains to societies in which people from birth onward are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout peoples lifetimes continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. † Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 76 The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among individuals: an extremely fundamental issue, regarding all societies in the world. It relates to peoples self-concept: T or we Thus, typical traits of countries scoring high on individualism is a frequent use of the word I (in comparison to emitting it, like in Spanish), tendency to live in small households and the expectation on people to have personal opinions on most matters. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were USA (91), Australia (90) and Great Britain (89) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Guatemala (6), Ecuador (8) and Panama (11) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, pp. 78-79). Masculinity (MAS) versus Femininity Masculinity stands for a preference in society for achievement, heroism,assertiveness, and material success. Its opposite, Femininity, stands for a preference for relationships, modesty, caring for the weak, and the quality of life. Hofstedes definition goes as follows; â€Å"A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles overlap; both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. †Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 120 Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) is somewhat unluckily named, since the name tends to give people associations with highly political matters although the dimension doesnt deal with those. A better name might have been Gender role stability, since this is what the dimension actually deals with. This fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the way in which a society allocates social (as opposed to biological) roles to the sexes. Some societies strive for maximum social differentiation between the sexes. The norm is then that men are given the more outgoing, assertive roles and women the caring, nurturing roles. As in all societies most institutions are populated by men. Such maximum-social-differentiation societies will permeate their institutions with an assertive mentality. Such societies become performance societies evident even from the values of their women. these societies are referred to as masculine. (In the English language, male and female are used for the biological distinctions between the sexes; masculine and feminine for the social distinction. A man can be feminine, but he cannot be female. ) Other societies strive for minimal social differentiation between the sexes. This means that some women can take assertive roles if they want to but especially that some men can take relationship-oriented, modest, caring roles if they want to. Even in these societies, most institutions are populated by men (maybe slightly less than in masculine societies). The minimum-social-differentiation societies in comparison with their opposite, the maximum-social-differentiation societies, will permeate their institutions with a caring, quality-of-life orientated mentality. Such societies become welfare societies in which caring for all members, even the weakest, is an important goat for men as well as women. such societies are referred to as feminine. Masculine and feminine are relative qualifications: they express the relative frequency of values which in principle are present in both types of societies. The fact that even modern societies can be differentiated on the basis of the way they allocate their social sex role is not surprising in the light of anthropological research on non-literate, traditional societies in which the social sex role allocation is always one of the essential variables. Like the Individualism-Collectivism dimension, the Masculinity-Femininity dimension relates to peoples self-concept: who am l and what is my task in life? MAS is the only dimension where there are systematic differences between the biological genders in how they answer. The difference is correlated with two factors; age (older people tend to score more on the feminine side) and how masculine the country is overall (in feminine cultures both genders tend to score equally, whereas men score much higher than women in masculine cultures) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). Masculinity is represented by the high end of the scale. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were Japan (95), Austria (79) and Venezuela (73) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Sweden (5), Norway (8) and the Netherlands (14). (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, pp. 120-121). Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Uncertainty Avoidance is the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. This feeling leads them to beliefs promising certainty and to maintaining institutions protecting conformity. Strong Uncertainty Avoidance societies maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant towards deviant persons and ideas. They try to minimize the possibility of unstructured situations (situations that are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual) by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; there can only be one Truth and we have it. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. Weak Uncertainty Avoidance societies maintain a more relaxed atmosphere in which practice counts more than principles and deviance is more easily tolerated. They are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplative, and not expected by their environment to express emotions The UAI deals with how people within a given culture handle anxiety. It needs to be stressed that UAI is not the same as risk avoidance risk is focused on something specific whereas UAI deals with the unspecific general. The definition of UAI is â€Å"the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations† (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 167). The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is how a society reacts on the fact that time only runs one way and that the future is unknown: whether it tries to control the future or to let it happen. Like Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance has consequences for the way people build their institutions and organizations. Typical of countries with high UAI is a need for written and unwritten rules. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were Greece (112), Portugal (104) and Guatemala (101) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Singapore (8), Jamaica (13) and Denmark (23) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). Long-Term Orientation (LTO) versus Short-Term Orientation This fifth dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars. It can be said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth. Values associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift and perseverance; values associated with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition, fulfilling social obligations, and protecting ones face. Both the positively and the negatively rated values of this dimension are found in the teachings of Confucius, the most influential Chinese philosopher who lived around 500 B. C. ; however, the dimension also applies to countries without a Confucian heritage. The dimension was defined by Hofstede as:â€Å" Long-term orientation (LTO) stands for the fostering of virtues oriented toward future rewards in particular, perseverance and thrift. Its opposite pole, short-term orientation, stands for, the fostering of virtues related to the past and present in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of â€Å"face†, and fulfilling social obligations. † Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 210 Cultures that score high on LTO tend to have so called Confucian values and not surprisingly the three highest scoring countries in the Bond-Hofstede study were China (118), Hong Kong (96) and Taiwan (87). The lowest scoring countries were Pakistan (0), Nigeria (16) and the Philippines (19) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). The case of Euro Disney Its first of Walt Disneys theme park, Disneyland, opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. The Anaheim Park was an instantaneous success. The success story repeated itself with the opening of the theme park in Florida in 1970s, and with Tokyo Disneyland in Japan in 1983. Japans success made the corporates believe that they knew everything about opening a theme park in another country and making it a success. So, in 1992, they turned to Paris, the self-proclaimed capital of European high culture and style. Paris was chosen out of 200 locations around the world because of its demographics and the subsidies Walt Disney was offered by the French government. The Greater Paris area  was a high-density population zone (over 10 million) with people who had a relatively high level of disposable income. It also has the ability to attract substantial number of tourists. There was sufficient land available to meet the demand of the park and necessary supply of water and electricity was economical. The French government was very enthusiastic about getting Disney to Paris because they believed that the project would create 30,000 French jobs. They also gave the company more than $1 billion in various incentives. The Walt Disney had tasted nothing but success until 1992. From its very inception, Euro-Disney faced a number of problems. First was the allegation that Euro-Disney was an assault on the French culture. The cause: lack of cultural sensitivity. People looked at it as a symbol of American clichà ©s. The French framers even blocked the entrance with their tractors on the day of its opening. It was evident that the human resource department had done everything possible to ignore the aspects of cultural awareness and had misunderstood the French laws. They overlooked the traditions and habits of the French people when strategizing the park and how it would operate. The ethnocentric recruiting practice was one of their biggest mistakes. If a company follows ethnocentric hiring practices, the employees of a multinational company who are from the home country will be given preference. Following this, Euro-Disney filled all important positions with employees from the home America. The chairman of Euro Disney was an American who was said to have strong ties with France. What they did not realize was the fact that because he had strong ties with France did not mean he thought like the French. Because of this, they went on to implement Euro-Disney without much consideration to local culture. They filed to credit the local employees for their contribution to the initial planning process. Recognizing performance is the basis for building an affinity to the workplace and a sense of belonging. When operating in a culturally different environment, it is important that a company ‘act globally, but think locally. This was Disneys biggest mistake. They refused to acknowledge the fact that Europe and USA were both ‘Western cultures, but starkly different in their cultures. The theme parks in America did not serve any alcohol, but for the French, serving a glass of wine with lunch was a given. While the French culture is feminine in nature, the American is Masculine. Disney assumed that Europeans would not take breakfast and so they downsized the operation, but surprisingly Europeans did want breakfast. More surprising was the fact that did not want the typical French breakfast. They wanted bacon and eggs! Another big problem was the while Disney was successful in hitting the planned 9 million visitors a year mark, the visitors didnt stay for as long as expected. Most stayed for a day or two as opposed to the four to five days that Disney had hoped for. Europeans thought of theme parks as a full day excursion and not as a weekend destination. The company had spent billions of dollars building the luxurious hotels but because people opted for day excursions, the occupancy levels at the hotels were always low. Because of this, Euro-Disneyland had cumulative losses of $2 billion at the end of 1994[1]. Almost everything that Walt Disney had projected for Euro-Disney was the complete opposite of the reality in Europe. A puzzle of errors: miscalculating everything! Here are the factors that led to the downfall of Euro-Disney from the very start. I have discussed these in detail as we move further into the dissertation. Still beset by high costs and low attendances, Euro Disney will find it hard to hit its target of breakeven by the end of September 1996. Costs in the year were reduced by FF 500m by introducing more flexible labour agreements (more part-timers, increased job sharing and the use of more students in the peak season) as well as outsourcing contracts in the hotel operation. But the company admits that the lions share of cost reductions has now been realized. Now it hopes attendances are rising. . . Getting people to spend more once they are at the park might be more difficult. Euro Disney is pinning its hopes on economic recovery in Europe. Itll have to start paying interest, management fees and royalties again in five years time. Management will not say whether itll be able to cope then. 1 â€Å"Euro Disney,† Financial Times Lex column, 30 October 1996(14ED) 1. Miscalculation of drinking habits. Misunderstanding French drinking habits was a serious problem faced by Euro Disney. The management decided to continue with their policy of not serving alcohol in their theme park. Though it worked well in other places but the same did not hold true for Euro Disney. It rather proved to be disastrous because a French meal is incomplete without a wine. Wine is an essential part of the French Culture and is famous all over the world. This miscalculation became a cause of astonishment and consequently the company had to change its policy and serve alcohol. 2. Misunderstanding of breakfast and food norms. Disneys fault of ignoring the cultural differences in food made them commit another blunder. Disney believed that like Americans French would also prefer snacks and hence they downsized their restaurants. This proved to be a wrong decision because French preferred to sit down and eat complete meals rather than carrying away snacks in their hand like Americans. In fact, the data shows that they were trying to serve 2,500 breakfasts in a 350-seat restaurant at some of the hotels. Further, guests wanted bacon and eggs rather than just coffee and croissants (Burgoyne, 1995). This difference between the companys thinking and the actual French culture lead to long lines in front of the restaurants and on top of it when French were denied wine it complicated the matter even further and on the whole French did not have a pleasant â€Å"Disney experience†. 3. Misunderstanding of vacation habits. The Walt Disneys thinking of Americanize European habits put them into another trouble. The company miscalculated the vacation time because the Europeans preferred few longer holidays in comparison with the Americans who took several short breaks. So the companys theory of Americanizing brought loss to them. 4. Miscalculation of per-capita spending. Insufficient market research lead to miscalculation of the per capita spending by the visitors at the park. While the Americans and Japanese who never left the park empty handed, the Europeans did. The European visitors wanted to spend more time on the rides rather than shopping for food and souvenirs which resulted in lower expected revenue. As a matter of Fact spending was about 12% less than predicted. [ ] 5. Miscalculation of transportation preferences. There was a big miscalculation in the transport preferences which was again due to the non- understanding of the differences in the American and the European culture. While availability of boats, trams and trains proved to be beneficial  to carry visitors in America from their hotels to the park but with the Europeans this was not the case. Most of the Europeans preferred to walk . Also, as per the calculation it was assumed that most of the Europeans would travel by their own vehicles and hence a lot of parking space was allotted for the cars. Whereas most of the Europeans came by buses and bicycles and the facilities for the bus drivers to park their buses and the rest came out be inadequate and as a result the company was forced to reduce the space for parking lots and provide more space for the buses and the bicycles. 6. Misunderstanding of French labor laws. 7. Violation of French labor law. 8. Miscalculation of risk factor 9. Incorrect global staffing policies and hr orientations :Ethnocentric and polycentric 2. Misunderstanding French traditions and habits: celebrating Halloween instead of French festivals. 3. Nationalistic sentiments of  French people: Change in name from Euro Disney to Disneyland Paris 4. Staffing and training problems 5. Rigid Disney dress code 6. Operational errors 7. Labour costs 8. Labour disputes 9. communication problems 10. cultural operational issues Power distance  · Incorrect global staffing policies and hr orientations: Ethnocentric and polycentric The French were confused when Disney appointed mostly American-born managers into the front-line supervisory positions at Euro Disneyland many of whom were not fluent in the French language. Individualism  · Rigid Disney dress code  · threatening highly individualistic French cultural traditions Individualism is the cultural dimension that measures to what extent people to look after themselves and their immediate family members only Americas individualism score of 91 is the highest in the world. Frances score of 71 is also high, 65% more than t Disney Corporation Losses EuroDisney Paris Disney Corporation Losses EuroDisney Paris Cultural Euro Disney The word ‘management originated in America and ever since assumptions have been made about the universal acceptability and success of their business practices. There are a number of international ventures which have failed miserably due to Americans not considering the cultural aspects when entering into business in a new country. Euro Disney is a perfect example of the failure of American business processes in another country. The primary aim of this article is to explain how Euro Disney suffered the costs of cultural miscalculations. Geert Hofstedes work on culture has served as the theoretical basis of this article. His dimensions of culture have been used to explain differences in American and French cultures the problems that occurred at Euro Disney. American businesses make assumptions about the transferability of their business, management, marketing, economic and structural models of organizing which frequently fail to take into consideration cultural differences. An example of the consequences of such an approach to intercultural business practice can be found in the Disney Corporations recent European venture, now called Disneyland, Paris. Lack of cultural sensitivity and the negative infiltration strategy used by the Disney Corporation resulted in a great loss of time, money and reputation for which the corporation has only recently begun to compensate. It is the primary thesis of this article that the initial losses experienced by the Disney Corporation may have been prevented if only its representatives had known then what they know now: simply put, that organizations are not distinct, separate entities capable of functioning outside their physical, social and cultural environments. That insight, of course, calls for a different approach to international business, one which begins with the most basic aspect of human organizations, namely effective, meaningful, communicative interactions between people. As international business is becoming critically important in this world of globalization, so is the need to understand cultures, cross cultural psychology and people across nations. There is a lot of focus on cultural studies and plenty of research is done in this area. Yet, there is a lot of scope for further studies due to the gaps in the research. Today there are several models which help understand how people from different nations are expected to act; the one by Geert Hofstede has become the most influential (Hong, Zhang Stump 2007, p. 60) The cultural dimensions by Geert Hofstede have served as the specific theoretical framework for this study. Although there are many criticisms to the Hofsteds model and his dimensions yet there is no other study that compares so many other national cultures in so much detail. Simply this is the best there is. (Mead chapter 2: pg 51) With the advancements in communication and technology, the physical distance between countries is diminishing (Angur et al. , 1994; Jandt, 1995; Samovar and Potter, 1995). This physical distance is not the only thing that needs to be bridged in order to when practicing international commerce. Hofstedes dimensions reflect a nations value system. From further reading into this dissertation have tried to show how American business management tends to assume that they have the best business people that lead to them having the best business practices. While they may work very successfully in their or cultural setting, they do not work across borders. Importance of the study: Scope of the study: Why did you choose this topic? There are many studies that have been conducted in the area of cross cultural psychology, but none that have tried to connect the problems faced at Euro-Disney to Hofstedes dimensions. These dimensions have served as the specific theoretical framework for this study. Purpose, what are we trying to do These dimensions reflect a nations value system. Power distance and Uncertainty Avoidance affects how an organization is structured and how it functions. The two main problems that an organization can face are How to distribute power, and How to avoid uncertainty. Through this research, have tried to show how these two factors were taken for granted at Euro Disney. Furthermore, this research aims at studying the implications of the four dimensions on the working of MNCs and How will it help others and how can they use it for further research My work is a sincere effort to contribute to cultural literature. I hope it proves to be beneficial for further research studies. Overview of the study: Chapter 3 (Case of Euro Disney): This chapter describes all the stages of the research process in carrying out the present study. In particular this chapter gives a clear definition of the research method employed including sampling and data analysis. Chapter 2 (Literature review): This chapter will begin by outlining the existing literature on the concepts of brands, brand image, private brands and consumers perceptions toward private brands. Also in an attempt to meet the main research objective, the other areas (sub-objectives of this research study) such as  consumers attitudes preferences, brand loyalty, brand awareness toward private brands and positioning strategies of private brands have been rigorously discussed, which will provide full support to this research study. Chapter 4 (Discussion): This chapter discusses the results of the research, in particular, presenting statements made by informants with regards to themes that emerged from the transcripts. The chapter ends with a summary taking into account the exploratory nature of the research, and the importance of insight. Chapter 5 (Conclusion Recommendations): This chapter deals the conclusion of the present research study. It will be presented in light of research findings from Chapter 4. By referring to existing literature the discussion will highlight major findings in conjunction to identity development. At the end of the chapter, recommendations for further research will be given. Literature Review As Americans, the word â€Å"Euro† is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For  Europeans it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and  commerce. Renaming the park â€Å"Disneyland Paris† was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world (Eisner). Culture 500-700 Layers of culture 200 Cultural studies Cross cultural management 500-600 Importance of hrm in a cross cultural context International Business and importance of CCM Importance of culture in a international context 500 Theoretical background : Hofstedes diemsions of culture 1300 Case 1100 Reasons 1000 Discussion :using hotsedes dimensions explaining differences cross continents and cultures 2000 Conclusion 600-700 limitations of the study, limitations of hofsteds model American business leaders often assume that physical distance is the only gulf that needs to be bridged in international commerce. (473 pg1. last line) As a matter of fact bridging this gap is just one of the steps in international business. It is much more complicated and a number of factors need to be kept in mind. According to Adler (1986:13)in 473 it is the lack of academic interrogations by cultural scholars that has lead to ‘American parochialism Culture Culture is an umbrella word that encompasses a whole set of implicit, widely shared beliefs, traditions, values and expectations that characterize a particular group of people(Consumer behaviour in travel and tourism By Abraham Pizam, Yoel Mansfeld, p393). There are as many definitions of culture as there are people who have tried to define it. While some phrase it in terms of ‘metal programs others define it as the characteristics a person possesses. Hofstede (1994) defines culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (p. 180). While according to Kroeber and Parsons, culture is transmitted and created content and patterns of values, ideas and other symbolically meaningful systems as factor in the shaping of human behaviour and the artifacts produced through behaviour(pdf 473 page 2) According to Schein culture is ‘A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. Organizational Culture Leadership by Edgar H Schein October 1996. According to Schein Culture exists at three levels, artifacts, exposed values and basic assumptions. Pizam (1993) also believes that there are levels of culture in the society. Firms and organizations are a part of the society/system and thus culture has an impact on them. Pizam argues that organizations are culture-bound, rather than being culture-free (Pizam, 1993: p. 219)-MMp2 Today there is growing importance of culture in cross border interactions. The role of human resources is very crucial as well. Effective human resource decisions and cultural sensitivity form two pillars for the success of an international business venture. The phrase ‘Cross cultural management was first coined by †¦in the year†¦. There are examples of companies who failed due to HRs ignorance and cultural miscalculations. Theoretical background:- Hofstedes Dimensions Cultural dimensions by halls,trompenars, hofstedes, globe study. Although there are many criticisms to the Hofsteds model and his dimensions yet there is no other study that compares so many other national cultures in so much detail . Simply this is the best there is. ( Mead chapter 2: pg 51) As international business is becoming critically important in this world of globalization, so is the need to understand cultures and people across nations. There is a lot of focus on cultural studies and plenty of research is done in this area still there is a lot of scope for further studies due to gaps in research. Today there are several models which help understand how people from different nations are expected to act, the one by Geert Hofstede has become the most influential (Hong, Zhang Stump 2007, p. 60) Hofstedes Dimensions of national culture- Power Distance Index (PDI): Large versus Small power distance The basis for this dimension is the fact that inequality exists at all levels and areas of the society. Inequality exists in areas such as wealth, social status, power and prestige. The word ‘power distance is taken from the work of Mulder (Reference hofstede p71). According to Mulders Power Distance Reduction theory, subordinated try to reduce the gap in power between them and their superiors. On the other hand the superiors try to maintain or increase the power distance. The PDI norm deals with the desirability or undesirability of dependence versus independence in society (Hofstede p. 93). Power distance is described as the degree to which there is unequal distribution of power in a society. This is accepted by the members of a society, organizations and nations which are less or more powerful. Behaviour of members of such institution is affected by the degree of power they posses. A high power distance index is characterized by hierarchical orders, close supervision, autocratic decision making and unequal distribution of power. Everybody has a place in the system which needs no clarification or justification. According to Hofstedes dimensions, Malaysia has the highest score on power distance (104) thus implying that the management would use a top-down information flow and there would be autocratic and paternalistic decision making. In a low PDI society, subordinates with the senior management together make decisions and have strong work ethics. It is characterised by equal distribution of power. Sweden is low on PDI (31)Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV) It deals with how members of a society view themselves compared to the rest of the society and is measured from completely collective (0) to completely individualistic (100). Individualism stands for a preference for a loosely knit social framework in society wherein individuals are supposed to take care of themselves and their immediate families only. Collectivism, on the other hand, stands for a preference for a tightly knit social framework in which individuals can expect their relatives, clan, or other in-group to look after them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (it will be clear that the word collectivism is not used here to describe any particular political system). Hofstedes own definition is:Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between the individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after himself or herself and his or her immediate family. Collectivism as its opposite pertains to societies in which people from birth onward are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, which throughout peoples lifetimes continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. † Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 76 The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among individuals: an extremely fundamental issue, regarding all societies in the world. It relates to peoples self-concept: T or we Thus, typical traits of countries scoring high on individualism is a frequent use of the word I (in comparison to emitting it, like in Spanish), tendency to live in small households and the expectation on people to have personal opinions on most matters. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were USA (91), Australia (90) and Great Britain (89) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Guatemala (6), Ecuador (8) and Panama (11) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, pp. 78-79). Masculinity (MAS) versus Femininity Masculinity stands for a preference in society for achievement, heroism,assertiveness, and material success. Its opposite, Femininity, stands for a preference for relationships, modesty, caring for the weak, and the quality of life. Hofstedes definition goes as follows; â€Å"A society is called masculine when emotional gender roles are clearly distinct: men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success, whereas women are supposed to be more modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. A society is called feminine when emotional gender roles overlap; both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. †Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 120 Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS) is somewhat unluckily named, since the name tends to give people associations with highly political matters although the dimension doesnt deal with those. A better name might have been Gender role stability, since this is what the dimension actually deals with. This fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the way in which a society allocates social (as opposed to biological) roles to the sexes. Some societies strive for maximum social differentiation between the sexes. The norm is then that men are given the more outgoing, assertive roles and women the caring, nurturing roles. As in all societies most institutions are populated by men. Such maximum-social-differentiation societies will permeate their institutions with an assertive mentality. Such societies become performance societies evident even from the values of their women. these societies are referred to as masculine. (In the English language, male and female are used for the biological distinctions between the sexes; masculine and feminine for the social distinction. A man can be feminine, but he cannot be female. ) Other societies strive for minimal social differentiation between the sexes. This means that some women can take assertive roles if they want to but especially that some men can take relationship-oriented, modest, caring roles if they want to. Even in these societies, most institutions are populated by men (maybe slightly less than in masculine societies). The minimum-social-differentiation societies in comparison with their opposite, the maximum-social-differentiation societies, will permeate their institutions with a caring, quality-of-life orientated mentality. Such societies become welfare societies in which caring for all members, even the weakest, is an important goat for men as well as women. such societies are referred to as feminine. Masculine and feminine are relative qualifications: they express the relative frequency of values which in principle are present in both types of societies. The fact that even modern societies can be differentiated on the basis of the way they allocate their social sex role is not surprising in the light of anthropological research on non-literate, traditional societies in which the social sex role allocation is always one of the essential variables. Like the Individualism-Collectivism dimension, the Masculinity-Femininity dimension relates to peoples self-concept: who am l and what is my task in life? MAS is the only dimension where there are systematic differences between the biological genders in how they answer. The difference is correlated with two factors; age (older people tend to score more on the feminine side) and how masculine the country is overall (in feminine cultures both genders tend to score equally, whereas men score much higher than women in masculine cultures) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). Masculinity is represented by the high end of the scale. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were Japan (95), Austria (79) and Venezuela (73) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Sweden (5), Norway (8) and the Netherlands (14). (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, pp. 120-121). Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Uncertainty Avoidance is the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. This feeling leads them to beliefs promising certainty and to maintaining institutions protecting conformity. Strong Uncertainty Avoidance societies maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant towards deviant persons and ideas. They try to minimize the possibility of unstructured situations (situations that are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual) by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; there can only be one Truth and we have it. People in uncertainty avoiding countries are also more emotional, and motivated by inner nervous energy. Weak Uncertainty Avoidance societies maintain a more relaxed atmosphere in which practice counts more than principles and deviance is more easily tolerated. They are more tolerant of opinions different from what they are used to; they try to have as few rules as possible, and on the philosophical and religious level they are relativist and allow many currents to flow side by side. People within these cultures are more phlegmatic and contemplative, and not expected by their environment to express emotions The UAI deals with how people within a given culture handle anxiety. It needs to be stressed that UAI is not the same as risk avoidance risk is focused on something specific whereas UAI deals with the unspecific general. The definition of UAI is â€Å"the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations† (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 167). The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is how a society reacts on the fact that time only runs one way and that the future is unknown: whether it tries to control the future or to let it happen. Like Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance has consequences for the way people build their institutions and organizations. Typical of countries with high UAI is a need for written and unwritten rules. The three highest scoring countries in the original study were Greece (112), Portugal (104) and Guatemala (101) whereas the lowest scoring countries were Singapore (8), Jamaica (13) and Denmark (23) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). Long-Term Orientation (LTO) versus Short-Term Orientation This fifth dimension was found in a study among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars. It can be said to deal with Virtue regardless of Truth. Values associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift and perseverance; values associated with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition, fulfilling social obligations, and protecting ones face. Both the positively and the negatively rated values of this dimension are found in the teachings of Confucius, the most influential Chinese philosopher who lived around 500 B. C. ; however, the dimension also applies to countries without a Confucian heritage. The dimension was defined by Hofstede as:â€Å" Long-term orientation (LTO) stands for the fostering of virtues oriented toward future rewards in particular, perseverance and thrift. Its opposite pole, short-term orientation, stands for, the fostering of virtues related to the past and present in particular, respect for tradition, preservation of â€Å"face†, and fulfilling social obligations. † Hofstede Hofstede, 2005, p. 210 Cultures that score high on LTO tend to have so called Confucian values and not surprisingly the three highest scoring countries in the Bond-Hofstede study were China (118), Hong Kong (96) and Taiwan (87). The lowest scoring countries were Pakistan (0), Nigeria (16) and the Philippines (19) (Hofstede Hofstede, 2005). The case of Euro Disney Its first of Walt Disneys theme park, Disneyland, opened in Anaheim, California, in 1955. The Anaheim Park was an instantaneous success. The success story repeated itself with the opening of the theme park in Florida in 1970s, and with Tokyo Disneyland in Japan in 1983. Japans success made the corporates believe that they knew everything about opening a theme park in another country and making it a success. So, in 1992, they turned to Paris, the self-proclaimed capital of European high culture and style. Paris was chosen out of 200 locations around the world because of its demographics and the subsidies Walt Disney was offered by the French government. The Greater Paris area  was a high-density population zone (over 10 million) with people who had a relatively high level of disposable income. It also has the ability to attract substantial number of tourists. There was sufficient land available to meet the demand of the park and necessary supply of water and electricity was economical. The French government was very enthusiastic about getting Disney to Paris because they believed that the project would create 30,000 French jobs. They also gave the company more than $1 billion in various incentives. The Walt Disney had tasted nothing but success until 1992. From its very inception, Euro-Disney faced a number of problems. First was the allegation that Euro-Disney was an assault on the French culture. The cause: lack of cultural sensitivity. People looked at it as a symbol of American clichà ©s. The French framers even blocked the entrance with their tractors on the day of its opening. It was evident that the human resource department had done everything possible to ignore the aspects of cultural awareness and had misunderstood the French laws. They overlooked the traditions and habits of the French people when strategizing the park and how it would operate. The ethnocentric recruiting practice was one of their biggest mistakes. If a company follows ethnocentric hiring practices, the employees of a multinational company who are from the home country will be given preference. Following this, Euro-Disney filled all important positions with employees from the home America. The chairman of Euro Disney was an American who was said to have strong ties with France. What they did not realize was the fact that because he had strong ties with France did not mean he thought like the French. Because of this, they went on to implement Euro-Disney without much consideration to local culture. They filed to credit the local employees for their contribution to the initial planning process. Recognizing performance is the basis for building an affinity to the workplace and a sense of belonging. When operating in a culturally different environment, it is important that a company ‘act globally, but think locally. This was Disneys biggest mistake. They refused to acknowledge the fact that Europe and USA were both ‘Western cultures, but starkly different in their cultures. The theme parks in America did not serve any alcohol, but for the French, serving a glass of wine with lunch was a given. While the French culture is feminine in nature, the American is Masculine. Disney assumed that Europeans would not take breakfast and so they downsized the operation, but surprisingly Europeans did want breakfast. More surprising was the fact that did not want the typical French breakfast. They wanted bacon and eggs! Another big problem was the while Disney was successful in hitting the planned 9 million visitors a year mark, the visitors didnt stay for as long as expected. Most stayed for a day or two as opposed to the four to five days that Disney had hoped for. Europeans thought of theme parks as a full day excursion and not as a weekend destination. The company had spent billions of dollars building the luxurious hotels but because people opted for day excursions, the occupancy levels at the hotels were always low. Because of this, Euro-Disneyland had cumulative losses of $2 billion at the end of 1994[1]. Almost everything that Walt Disney had projected for Euro-Disney was the complete opposite of the reality in Europe. A puzzle of errors: miscalculating everything! Here are the factors that led to the downfall of Euro-Disney from the very start. I have discussed these in detail as we move further into the dissertation. Still beset by high costs and low attendances, Euro Disney will find it hard to hit its target of breakeven by the end of September 1996. Costs in the year were reduced by FF 500m by introducing more flexible labour agreements (more part-timers, increased job sharing and the use of more students in the peak season) as well as outsourcing contracts in the hotel operation. But the company admits that the lions share of cost reductions has now been realized. Now it hopes attendances are rising. . . Getting people to spend more once they are at the park might be more difficult. Euro Disney is pinning its hopes on economic recovery in Europe. Itll have to start paying interest, management fees and royalties again in five years time. Management will not say whether itll be able to cope then. 1 â€Å"Euro Disney,† Financial Times Lex column, 30 October 1996(14ED) 1. Miscalculation of drinking habits. Misunderstanding French drinking habits was a serious problem faced by Euro Disney. The management decided to continue with their policy of not serving alcohol in their theme park. Though it worked well in other places but the same did not hold true for Euro Disney. It rather proved to be disastrous because a French meal is incomplete without a wine. Wine is an essential part of the French Culture and is famous all over the world. This miscalculation became a cause of astonishment and consequently the company had to change its policy and serve alcohol. 2. Misunderstanding of breakfast and food norms. Disneys fault of ignoring the cultural differences in food made them commit another blunder. Disney believed that like Americans French would also prefer snacks and hence they downsized their restaurants. This proved to be a wrong decision because French preferred to sit down and eat complete meals rather than carrying away snacks in their hand like Americans. In fact, the data shows that they were trying to serve 2,500 breakfasts in a 350-seat restaurant at some of the hotels. Further, guests wanted bacon and eggs rather than just coffee and croissants (Burgoyne, 1995). This difference between the companys thinking and the actual French culture lead to long lines in front of the restaurants and on top of it when French were denied wine it complicated the matter even further and on the whole French did not have a pleasant â€Å"Disney experience†. 3. Misunderstanding of vacation habits. The Walt Disneys thinking of Americanize European habits put them into another trouble. The company miscalculated the vacation time because the Europeans preferred few longer holidays in comparison with the Americans who took several short breaks. So the companys theory of Americanizing brought loss to them. 4. Miscalculation of per-capita spending. Insufficient market research lead to miscalculation of the per capita spending by the visitors at the park. While the Americans and Japanese who never left the park empty handed, the Europeans did. The European visitors wanted to spend more time on the rides rather than shopping for food and souvenirs which resulted in lower expected revenue. As a matter of Fact spending was about 12% less than predicted. [ ] 5. Miscalculation of transportation preferences. There was a big miscalculation in the transport preferences which was again due to the non- understanding of the differences in the American and the European culture. While availability of boats, trams and trains proved to be beneficial  to carry visitors in America from their hotels to the park but with the Europeans this was not the case. Most of the Europeans preferred to walk . Also, as per the calculation it was assumed that most of the Europeans would travel by their own vehicles and hence a lot of parking space was allotted for the cars. Whereas most of the Europeans came by buses and bicycles and the facilities for the bus drivers to park their buses and the rest came out be inadequate and as a result the company was forced to reduce the space for parking lots and provide more space for the buses and the bicycles. 6. Misunderstanding of French labor laws. 7. Violation of French labor law. 8. Miscalculation of risk factor 9. Incorrect global staffing policies and hr orientations :Ethnocentric and polycentric 2. Misunderstanding French traditions and habits: celebrating Halloween instead of French festivals. 3. Nationalistic sentiments of  French people: Change in name from Euro Disney to Disneyland Paris 4. Staffing and training problems 5. Rigid Disney dress code 6. Operational errors 7. Labour costs 8. Labour disputes 9. communication problems 10. cultural operational issues Power distance  · Incorrect global staffing policies and hr orientations: Ethnocentric and polycentric The French were confused when Disney appointed mostly American-born managers into the front-line supervisory positions at Euro Disneyland many of whom were not fluent in the French language. Individualism  · Rigid Disney dress code  · threatening highly individualistic French cultural traditions Individualism is the cultural dimension that measures to what extent people to look after themselves and their immediate family members only Americas individualism score of 91 is the highest in the world. Frances score of 71 is also high, 65% more than t