Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Propmore Corporation Case

11/30/2012 â€Å"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. †Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Andrew Carnegie Healthcare team and professionalism Teamwork is a small group of people, who are contribute their complementary skills, interests, and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group, in order to achieve common goals and mutual responsibilities.Teamwork is a collection of actions by individuals, who use their knowledge and skills to meet the needs of client/patient more completely, efficiently and competently than would be possible by one individual's action. Teamwork is not limited to working together, but it collectively means to achieve whatever is planned, by helping each other. Everyone involved must work together for a common goal – helping the patient/client. Effective healthcare requires teamwork.A health care system that supports effective teamwork can improve the quality of patient care, enhance patient safety, and reduce workload issues that cause burnout among healthcare professionals. Team work most effective E. It is essential to be professional if you want to be successful. But what does â€Å"being professional† actually mean? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines professionalism as â€Å"the conduct, aims or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person†, and it defines a profession as â€Å"a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive preparation†.These definitions imply that that professionalism include a number of different attributes, which together define a professional. First and foremost professionals are known for their specialized knowledge. They have made a personal commitment to their profession and to developing, improving and keeping up to date with latest research in the area of practice. A nother quality of professionalism – caring, respect and concern for people and their values.Because a dietetic practice involves customer service, an understanding of individual differences is important for effective practice. Furthermore, professionals are must strictly follow to the ethical standards of professional practice. The Standards of Practice (SOP) and Standards of Professional Performance are guide and tools for dietetic professionals and provide them with a plan for evaluating, implementing and adjusting work performance in different areas of practice.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Wearable tracking system for analysis of footballer efficiency

â€Å"My function in the application of systems technology in the group project† The inclusive purpose of this Part A Group undertaking was to develop a racy, wearable trailing system for analysis of footballer efficiency during a lucifer. I was portion of Group B of Group 8 ; my group’s assignment was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform of the GPS-based system. The group consisted of four people including myself. In drumhead the complete purpose of this undertaking was to develop a wearable GPS-based trailing system that can temporal enter the football players efficiency during an increased continuance of a 5 minute football lucifer. The possible donee for this system is the primary stakeholders who were identified as the football manager or lookout as they benefit from the football players efficiency. They would be able to place if the football participant is worth their salary merely by analyzing their public presentations during lucifers. Accelerometer is an electromechanical device which measures acceleration due to motion and gravitation. The dynamic acceleration which is engendered by quivers from motions allows the capacitive accelerometer to specify in which way the user is traveling and what velocity. The inactive acceleration which is generated by the gravitative pull the measurings portrayed the angle of joust in relation to the Earth’s gravitative pull. A big sum of clip and attempt throughout this undertaking has been spent on team-working – organizing the Group B squad, redacting the paperss achieved between us into a consistent manner and linguistic communication suited for non-technically minded readers. The intent of the group undertaking was to derive organizational, proficient, and systems technology accomplishments and cognition which I had expanded my apprehensions throughout this undertaking. This study is structured into separate subdivisions – the first depicting the paperss created to help from a systems position. The 2nd focal points on the systems technology methods that have been applied ; why they were selected ; how they were tailored ; how good they worked and how these applications could be improved. The 2nd focal points on the functions I played within this undertaking with what I contributed besides. The overall end of the group undertaking was to develop a robust, wearable trailing system for analysis of football player effectivity during a lucifer. The purpose for my tutorial group – Group B nevertheless, was to incorporate the accelerometer with the mbed development platform to enable extraction of the needed informations for tracking the system’s acceleration forces over clip. In this undertaking, I took the enterprise to be the squad leader/manage whose duty was to pull off and put to death the sub-system developments. I made sure that my fellow squad members followed the Management Plans integrating the applications of the systems technology procedure used for this undertaking. As the tutorial group director I had the duty to set up the squad into a construction so that all members felt non merely that they had something to lend, but besides a say in the concluding sub-group study. That manner when it came to the testing of the overall system they wouldn’t feel that they had cheated their manner without lending to anything. One of the chief deliverables for this was in the signifier of a written study, which as a consequence of its size, and in an attempt I tried to include all group members, featured an input from each of them. To back up this undertaking I created a System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) and a Project Management Plan ( PMP ) with a small aid from my squad members. The intent of these direction paperss to place and depict the overall systems technology procedures and methods to be used during the development of this Group undertaking. I was entirely responsible for the PMP due to the fact that I was the sub-group director so it was my responsibility to pull off the undertaking and put to death it with organizational and proficient abilities. To guarantee that there was communicating about the systems development throughout the undertaking I incorporated a communicating direction program. The communicating program involved a directory which had more than one contact information for each forces involved in our sub-group. I found it utile as I was able to update them utilizing the societal networking such as WhatsApp and Facebook to look into their electronic mails when needed. So following the communicating program was successful. I allocated two of my co-workers from the group to bring forth the Work Breakdown construction. The intent behind utilizing this was to be after our work more expeditiously. The undertaking was characterised by time-limited activated with assigned fixed clip frames. The WBS affected the undertaking because it helps do the development of the sub-system consistent supplying effectual undertaking executing. By treating the undertakings at manus more clearly I was able assign duties. The functions provided were given to each of the members based on their strengths and what they were willing to make every bit good. In order to follow the communicating program described in the Group study, I created a Facebook page for the Super Group to maintain up to day of the month with the other members of Group A and Group C of this undertaking. The page was rather successful as the pupils involved in our Super Group were now cognizant of the meetings up-coming with their anterior dockets. Members from each group were made admins so that they could add their fellow group members who I had missed out from their tutorial groups. With this page we were able to hold a successful football lucifer with the to the full incorporate system attached to one of the participants. As system technology procedure are characteristic within the overall system life rhythm. This attack is iterative to the system design and development. The lifecycles used was SEMP, CONOPs, System Requirements, Software coding and Hardware fiction, Unit proving, Subsystem and system confirmation, Validation ( Testing ) . However, to develop the accelerometer I customised this to accommodate my group’s life rhythm procedure of the sub-systems development. This diagram was designed like this as I believed that this would be a suited manner in implementing the following activities. The first phase of the customised VEE diagram is the Requirements. As a group we recognised the user, system, functional and non-functional demands of the sub-system this helped with implementing the following phase of Management Plan paperss. This phase encountered the Project Management Plan ( PMP ) and the System Engineering Management Plan ( SEMP ) . The intent of such paperss provided a comprehensive baseline of what needed to be achieved within the undertaking, how they were achieved, who would be involved and how it will be communicated throughout the undertaking. Cardinal direction: intents – hazard registry Once these were written to a satisfactory criterion, our coder executed the 3rd phase of our life-cycle. This contains the cryptography and testing of the sub-system. We could non go on to the following phase until the concluding execution of the accelerometer was verified by me. Until so, I took the chance to leap to the study composing phase and get down the initial bill of exchanges of the Group and Individual studies. After I verified our sub-system coding the integrating of the trailing system could be accomplished. The integrating merely took approximately two hours as it was rather easy one time all the sub-system cryptography were verified. This meant that in comparing to the Gantt chart which we achieved we were in front of agenda. This had an advantage as my sub-group were able to concentrate on the group study at manus utilizing up the clip allocated for the integrating of the system. When it came to the proving I didn’t take part in the lucifers its ego but I was the one entering the lucifers. I shared the images and picture with the other members in our super-groupo via facebook because I was the one videoing the testing. This means that the images seen in Group 8 sub-group group studies are most likely to be similar. In decision the biggest obstruction, for me in my sentiment, was successful completion of this undertaking was team-working by trying to finish our assignment in clip with the other sub-groups in this undertaking. I found it disputing to do certain that my co-workers kept to the deadline of the undertakings that were allocated to them. Although at the terminal of everything the system constructed performed really good, bring forthing informations required. It was compacted plenty to be worn without set uping the footballer’s public presentation but it could hold been improved if we was provided with a lodging device for the system. As the system was attached to my co-worker with a brand displacement lodging device wrapped around him with tape.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Bilingual Education and Bilingualism

Discusses the spread and decline of various languages. This paper discusses the pros and cons of bilingualism focusing on the homogenizing of the worlds languages and the struggle to keep some languages and cultures alive. It mentions the effects of colonial powers, the necessities of learning other languages for trade purposes and the reluctance of younger members of minority groups to learn their original tongue. Contains information such as the top nine countries language wise contain 3,300 languages. The paper also discusses the gradual process of change in a language. From the paper: ?Bilingualism is a reality today and it will become a greater reality as time goes. The extent to which it is prevalent is evidenced by the presence of bilinguals in every country today, as well as in every social class and every age group. International travel, communication and the mass media, emigration and planetary economics have created a so-called global village whereby inhabitants speak more than their own native language.

Outsourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Outsourcing - Essay Example The location comes into it when the third party operates from beyond the borders making it off shore outsource process. The process of off shore on the other hand pertains to relatively large scale hand over of resources and other functions. There are number of salient features to this concept and these include restoring function, crisis management, economic utility, broader options and variety of field selection. The potential downsides to it include more hassle of handling the global operations, ensuring for overall safety of operations and other potential embezzlements and privacy breaches. The given concepts do bring along trends of cross cultural interaction as well. India in this regard serves as a hub towards the growing outsourced market. India’s I.T based sector is seeing a gradual expansion in this regard. Business Process Outsourcing’ (BPO) is another generic concept which pertains to the outsource practices in numerous disciplines. It entails the business engagement activities between the stakeholders. (Sharma 2004). Another understanding of BPO is making use of the modern techniques and technology for an overall better output yield. BPO stands distinctive from the generally prevailing off shore outsource process. Application Service Provider’ (ASP) is an aided tool in the entire process where BPO entails a whole set of digital system including state of the art web browsers and other online databases. Incorporating BPO against ASP brings about element of risk to the incumbent organization in authority. The outsourced entities and domains within the organizations that are subjected to the practices of outsource and off shore business ventures include the ones that are in front line of action in the organization, namely the information system based networks, the human resource aspect which brings about the cultural context, the financial handling aspect. In short the BPO enables keeping a regular check upon

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Hayek's Economic Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Hayek's Economic Theory - Essay Example history. The Hayekian business-cycle theory is a fusion of the Austrian theories regarding money, capital as well as prices, generally conceptualized as the Austrian theory of business cycles, which itself was based on Mises’ theory of money and credit (Boeettke, 1992). The Austrian theory of trade cycles was inspired by Knut Wicksell’s contributions on the relationship between money and interest while Ludwig von Mises became the first economist to bring together Wicksell’s monetary dynamics with Bohm-Bawerk’s capital theory, which led to the first Australian trade-cycle theory. Hayek developed and made the theory official while reinforcing it with insights from David Ricardo and John Stuart Mill in 1967. Generally, Hayek argues that any monetary disturbance such as an increase in the stock of money reduces the interest rates to levels below the equilibrium thereby stimulating an increase in capital and reallocation of resources in the manufacture of intermediate (capital) goods rather than consumption goods (White, 1999). Consequently, this triggers a rise in the cost of capital goods and a subsequent drop in the price of capital goods, and later the entire structure of the production system, which entails the conversion of raw products into finished products for utilization by consumers, is completely shifted (Zera, 2013). In that respect, the Hayekian Economy theory demonstrates how a monetary disruption can prompt an inter-temporal disco-ordination in economic activities, the manner in which the disco-ordination eventually becomes recognized and addressed through money-induced disco-ordination. Hayek conceptualizes that the injection of new money through credit markets inhibits the level of interest thereby inducing an inter-temporal misallocation of resources, thus, leading to the production of capital goods that are

Saturday, July 27, 2019

World history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

World history - Essay Example The Germans were not happy with Theodore Roosevelt and were the first to say they would go to war. The other cause of the war was the assassination of an Austria-Hungary president. Serbia was not happy with the Austria-Hungarian rule (Class Notes). Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand from Austria Hungry by a Serbian nationalists led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on all Serbian nationals. Countries that supported either Serbia or Austria-Hungary also went to war (Ross 27). The other cause of World War I was nationalism. As mentioned earlier, there are countries that supported Serbia and Austria-Hungary when they were at war. Russia defended Serbia to strengthen their alliance. In addition, Russia also called France to support them against Austria-Hungary (Class Notes). Germany saw that Russia was mobilizing and declared war on Russia. Germany also decided to support Austria-Hungary against the Serbia. Lastly, the other cause of world war one was militarism (Ross 24). In 1900s, countries such as Germany and Great Britain had a lot of military buildup. In addition, the two countries also increased their navies during this time in preparation for war. Russia also joined the two in its military buildup. The increase of militarism between all these countries which has access to powerful weapons contributed to the start of world war one. Unlike the First World War, the second was as a result of long-term and short-term causes. One of the long-term causes of the war was that the League of Nations was not able to deal with some of the main international issues which were causing conflicts. The League of Nations was an international organization created after the First World War to deal with international conflicts. For example, the conflict between Abyssinia and Manchuria was not under control because the league showed it was not able to deal with the two powers (Class Notes). The other long term cause was the anger that was felt all

Friday, July 26, 2019

Markiting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Markiting - Assignment Example This is where the reader learns, what he has already anticipated from the title. The body should fully justify the topic, and this article’s body does just the same. This piece truly gives its readers, what it promises in the title. The reader gets to know the about the ‘failed bid’ of ‘Sharon Angel’ in the first paragraph. Each paragraph contains a strong topic sentence, which connects it with the last paragraph and smoothes way for the next one. The very first line of the article; ‘Is a vote worth $97?’ invites the reader to find out, what is the story behind it. This article also uses strong action verbs where appropriate, to move the audience along with the flow. This article, although written in past tense, provides an interesting account of the mid-term elections, and keeps the audience hang on to every word. This piece of writing also has an element of honesty. The writer has justly manifested what he/she believes to be the truth. This article contains integrity of opinions and feelings. It is also open and direct. It is neither lengthy nor ambiguous. This is a reader-friendly article. It is written in a kind of informal style, and immediately puts the reader at ease. It does not contain too many, too hard words, nor does it beat about the bush. It contains simple and short paragraphs making it easier to understand. This article is very edifying, providing complete information in easy terms that even a layman would understand. The theme of the article was kind of methodological, and required statistics and facts. It was not a fictional topic, where one could depict one’s opinions and thoughts. The writer made effective use of research to provide accurate facts and figures to clearly describe the ‘most expensive midterm election in U.S. history’. The writer has also provided the visual representation of the elections, and clear, concise tables that summarizes all the figures that could not be

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Utopianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Utopianism - Essay Example German intellectuals living in (and hating) the loosely organized Bund provided much of the vocabulary for nationalism, stating that each nation had a particular Volksgeist, or national spirit. They strongly advocated a fierce wave of patriotism. Soon, almost every European language group wanted to have their own nation. Quickly outlawed by reactionary forces, nationalist groups formed secret societies such as the Italian Carbonari and German Buschenschaft. These societies distributed propaganda leaflets and plotted rebellions which later formed a very important part of literature. Often, nationalism combined with other ideological issues, from liberalism to socialism. A natural outcome of Nationalism was Radicalism. Radicalism appeared almost simultaneously in the 1820s in England as the "Philosophical Radicals". They were a principled and unconventional group and consisted partially of workers and partially of industrialists. Their greatest leader was Jeremy Bentham. The Radicals w ere against the church and anti-monarchy. They were generally opposed to traditional ways. They were a force by themselves until 1832, after which they merged with the British Liberals. The European counterpart to Radicalism was usually referred to as Republicanism, which grew out of the French Revolutionary tradition. Republicanism sought complete political equality in the form of universal suffrage. Republicanism also opposed monarchy and the Catholic Church.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

MSc International Development Studies Personal Statement

MSc International Development Studies - Personal Statement Example Earning a MS degree from one of the top ranked universities of the world would give me a competitive edge in my professional career. I have decided to apply in name of university because this educational institute has an experienced faculty not only in the department of International Development Studies department but also in all other fields of study. Studying under the guidance of such teachers will allow me to gain invaluable information about my intended major and grow intellectually in an appropriate manner. I want to become a successful economic development manager or a foreign correspondent, which would be possible if I get a higher degree in the field of International Development Studies. I want to be skilled in managing social organizations and people. I possess almost all qualities of a successful social organization’s manager, such as, openness, integrity, boldness, honesty, attentiveness, creativity, intelligence, care for others, visionary outlook, and effective leadership and communication skills. Some of my core strengths and abilities include: As far as my short-term and long-term goals are concerned, I have planned them according to my personal and professional interests. For example, my short-term goal is to earn a MS degree in International Development Studies from some reputable institute of the world to expand my knowledge and concepts. My long-term goal is to work for some high profile social or economic organization at an executive position. I have the experience of working as a project leader during my internships at a NGO in Mexico and at Center for Migration and Refugees Studies in Egypt. In addition, I have also participated in Erasmus Mundus Exchange Programme of the Lebanese American University and have done a Diploma in International Cooperation and Development from Italian

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Globalization and Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Globalization and Environment - Essay Example The treaty signed helps in offloading one commodity and acquired the other. There are different rewards and detriments that are coupled with globalization (studentresearch 1). The concern of this writing will be the outcome of globalization on the environment. Globalization is inescapable in many countries of the sphere. Every country requires offloading its excessive production in a market with the highest return. The country will also want to buy a commodity that is produced scarcely in the country. When buying, the country will choose from the available options and will go to the high quality and low-cost commodities. The final segment of this trade will ensure that the country makes profit. The profit made will be useful for investment, and the invested segment will lead to economic growth and prosperity. During the investment trend, countries have come to invest on what they can produce best. Producing the best commodities leads to specialization. In the course of economic growth and investment, there is a high trend of population growth. The populace growth can be as a result of numerous measures. Investors can immigrate into the country to look for an investment opportunity (Jorgenson and Givens 849). This measure is considered to have a small weight on the escalation of the population. Secondly, there is always a positive population growth in every country resulting from a high birth rate and low mortality rates. The final answer to the equation is always an increase in mortality rates. The growth of persons in the area has some consequence to the environment. An increase in population usually leads to increased pressure to the environmental resources. Reserves like land, water, and forestry are highly affected. The effect makes comes in when must settlement of the increased population. The population will opt to move to the unsettled area that mostly act as a source of the water reserves. When the

Stereotyping Black People Essay Example for Free

Stereotyping Black People Essay Stereotyping is when something is believed about a group of people that is untrue or only partly true. When someone stereotypes against a group of people they tend to not understand that group or do not want to understand them. Black people, to me, are the most stereotyped race. They are stereotyped as being lazy, loud, they steal, love chicken and watermelon, the women get pregnant and the men are well-endowed. As humans we tend to allow negative stereotyping to determine our thoughts, feelings, and our lives in general. People start to believe things that are not true and teach others that it is acceptable and tolerable to do so. According to April Kemick, from the University of Toronto, it has been proven that stereotyping has a lasting effect on people’s lives. Black people are stereotyped and have to deal with what others think in their daily life. There is a negative stereotype that all black people love to eat chicken and watermelon. I want to challenge this. Looking at its backgrounds, the stereotype that all blacks eat chicken and watermelon came from the south as blacks were claiming their freedom and independence from slavery and Jim Crow laws. As blacks transitioned from slavery to freedom, many black families lived in unfortunate and unaffordable situations. Eating chicken and watermelon was less expensive, convenient and economical for poor black families. Black families could raise their own chickens and plant their own watermelon providing food for their families. They used these sources of food for survival not to be stereotyped. When I think about this stereotype, I image it to be as foolish as saying all Chinese people love to eat fish and oranges. What is so negative about that exactly? Fish and oranges have a lot of nutritional value, just as chicken and watermelon do. Chicken, when skinned, baked or grilled, is a great source of lean ample protein. It is rich in trace minerals like zinc, cooper, manganese and selenium. Eating chicken helps to slow down the aging process, no wonder black people look so young, and it is easy to digest. Some studies have proven that eating chicken legs and feet can contribute in the reduction of high blood pressure. Watermelon also has nutritional benefits being as it is full of vitamins like Vitamin A, C and B6. It is very low in calories and rich in potassium, even the seeds provide iron and fiber. Watermelon also aids in the anti-inflammation of arthritic joints. It is an antioxidant proven to help prevent heart attacks and cancer. Chicken and watermelon have plenty of wonderful qualities to keep a person healthy! There is a great deal of jokes and humility towards black people about this stereotype. There is a photo of a black man looking shocked and horrified because a watermelon is being chucked at him. On the bottom of the photo in bold letters it says â€Å"Flying watermelons if they only came with fried chicken this guy would shit himself. † There is also a white man standing behind him and another white person ready to catch the watermelon. In another photo there is an old white man holding KFC with two black men trying to beat him up to take his KFC. In the back ground there is a crowed of black people staring in awe of what is going on. In bold letters at the bottom of the photo it says â€Å"Bravery at its finest. † These photos represent what others think about black people. It is not right to only classify black people who love chicken and watermelon. Being a middle eastern I love to eat chicken and watermelon. Chicken and watermelon are so good! I would say that eating chicken and watermelon is not a negative stereotype at all. Maybe eating more chicken and watermelon is the solution to our obesity epidemic here in America. There is nothing wrong with eating chicken and watermelon. The stereotype is ridiculous being as it is a food that everyone enjoys regardless of race or culture. The chicken and watermelon experience surpasses all racial and ethnic appearances. If people say that it is funny or weird that black people eat chicken and watermelon maybe they should look at themselves first. Chicken and watermelon are two great and healthy food sources. This is the most ridiculous, immature and uncalled stereotype to be judging black people by. It does not make sense to me why others would do that. Just leave them be and let them eat what they want, it is their own dictions to make. They are not affecting others by eating what they please. It sucks that people are judged by the way certain people act in their race, not all act like their stereotypes. To change a person’s view of a stereotype, be regularly different from it. Beware of your own stereotypes that people think of your race and show them wrong. Stereotyping can be reduced by bringing people together. When they discover that other people are not as the stereotypes are believed to be, the instant evidence creates conflict that leads to changing thoughts about the other group. Stereotypes are true to a certain extent. It may be true to some of the people in the race but it should not be a general impression of the race. Everyone is their own person and has a unique touch to them. People are not mindful to other races or even try to know the race well. Stereotyping is hard to break but people should try and make an adjustment so others can see that stereotyping are judgments people make because we do not know how to interact with one another.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Analysis of the Proscenium Arch Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the Proscenium Arch Essay a)The Proscenium Arch StageThis stage is the traditional stage, where the audience is seated in one large block facing the stage, with a definite division between the audience and the stage. This division is usually in the form of an arch or a frame, called the proscenium arch. Advantages: This stage is the most common, and most of the worlds scripts were designed with this kind of staging in mind. It also allows much more realism and special effects, as the audience only watches from one side, so tricks can be concealed and props/scenery/actors can be positioned, ready for action, only just out of the audiences view. A curtain at the back allows actors to run from one side of the stage to the other without being seen, while elements of the play can easily be brought into view or taken out from above, below, or the sides. Disadvantages: The proscenium theatre is the most expensive to build and maintain. Because of the high production costs, plays for the proscenium stage are often written for small casts and minimal scenery. Also, the proscenium stage is not flexible; it cannot provide intimate contact with the audience, or give a different stage orientation. b)The Arena Stage/Theatre in the RoundAn arena stage is an open stage where the audience surrounds the stage, similar to the Colosseum. The stage may be any shape and provides access for actors and audience alike with aisles through the seating. Some stages have tunnels instead of aisles, to hide actors as they move towards and away from the stage. Advantages: The arena stage is best for amateur groups with low funding, as it is a cheap stage to produce, the focus is solely on the actors, scenery costs are reduced to a minimum, and the audience, being close to the stage, can easily hear the actors voices. Disadvantages: A stage surrounded by the audience means that no matter which direction an actor is facing, he/she is always giving his/her back to part of the audience. Also, large productions that require realistic scenery, concealment tricks or special effects are impossible to run on such a stage.  The simplicity of the stage, which is intentional, means that plays cannot look as realistic as on another stage, as less scenery and special effects can be used. c)The Thrust StageIn a thrust stage, the stage itself projects into the audience, so the audience are seated on 3 sides of the stage, similar to a catwalk design. Advantages: The two main advantages of a thrust stage are intimacy and lower cost. More audience members can be closer to the stage and viewing the action from three sides emphasises the three dimensional aspect of the scene. The audience has a sense of being in the same room as the actors and since audience members are seated facing each other, there is a greater sense of community and shared experience. Costs can also be lowered; as less scenery changing is required (scenery is only changed for the backstage, which does not require lots of movement devices). Disadvantages: Spectacular effects and large scenery changes in productions such as musicals are not easy to do in this kind of open stage. The thrust stage is not suited to large-scale productions, as large props and scenery cannot be easily moved around, and vertical scenery must be avoided, as it can block audience sightlines. d)The Traverse StageThe traverse stage is a long stage, similar to a corridor, where audience are seated on opposite sides of the stage, which divides the audience seating in half. The stage is like a road that runs through the viewers, giving them a wide view of the scene. When designing for this stage, more thought must be put in as to how actors use their space, as movement in the second dimension is limited. Advantages: The audience can clearly and easily see everything that is going on, there are 2 clear entry points and only one stretch of stage in between, making it easy to view the performance. Disadvantages: Movement is heavily restricted, and if an actor is facing one  part of the audience, their back will be to the other. Placing scenery and large props is difficult, as it is important not to block or interfere with the sightlines of the audience, and sightlines from two opposite sides is hard to design for. e)The Open StageOpen stages include the thrust stage, the arena stage and the black box stage (a type of extremely flexible staging where the audience and elements of the stage can be moved to any form).The open stage is named after the fact that there is no clear division between the stage and the audience both are architecturally in the same room. Advantages: Obviously no arch/frame gives much more intimacy between the audience and actors, and the viewers can be closer to the action. Viewers can fully appreciate the play and be in the same room with the actors, giving them more of a sense of being part of the scene. Disadvantages: Since the area is open, rather than the audience viewing the play through one view port, more consideration of the different audience views must be taken into account when designing and performing the play. Many stage tricks, special effects and scenery changes are much more difficult because the audience has a more three-dimensional view, and there are not as many mechanisms for movement of actors and props.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

CBN and FDI Outflows to China

CBN and FDI Outflows to China Introduction and Research Problem Since its economic opening in 1979, China has become one of the worlds largest recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI). In 2007, inflows to China totalled over US$82 billion, bringing Chinas cumulative FDI to almost US$700 billion for the period 1979 to 2007 (CSB 2007). But what has particularly captured both academic and popular attention is the extent to which Chinas massive levels of FDI may be attributable to diasporic ethnic Chinese capital, what Harvard academic John Kao famously termed the Chinese commonwealth (Kao 1993: 24). It has often been asserted that some two-thirds of all the foreign investment that has poured into China originated from ethnic Chinese living outside of China (e.g., Wolf 2002: 134). This unprecedented level of intra-ethnic investment presents something of a headache to mainstream FDI theories, which, at the level of the firm, tend to explain internationalisation as an incremental process resulting from, variously, the pursuit of market power, an internalising of technological improvements, and the accumulation of foreign market knowledge and experience. Protesting against this type of theorizing as under-socialised and Western-centric, many Asia scholars (who are frequently also Asian) developed an alternative account drawn upon insights from network theory and some sociological studies of Chinese firms done in the 1990s. Their account—which in this dissertation is referred to as the Chinese Capitalism corpus—spans a variety of disciplinary frameworks including anthropology, economic geography and sociology, development economics, management, and Southeast Asia Regional studies, but has at its heart the premise that ethnic Chinese enterprises domin ate the economic activity of East Asia and FDI flows into China in large part because of their ability to draw upon dense, interlinked networks of social/family/political relationships that span national boundaries. These linkages are commonly known as Chinese business networks (CBN). The assertion that ethnic Chinese engage in pervasive networking on an international scale has become so ubiquitous in popular and academic literature that it is usually considered a stylized fact. But is it true that—despite citizenship in countries with differing social structures, political economies, and histories—the Chinese diaspora is linked by transnational webs of strong personalistic ties? And have these webs actuated and facilitated massive flows of FDI to China? If so, this would suggest that ethnic Chinese business operates in a distinctive manner, that it is proper to speak of a Chinese Capitalism in which flexibly linked Chinese enterprises might even form a competitive substitute for formally structured Western and Japanese multinational enterprises (MNEs). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the concept of CBN might simply be a cultural myth which obscures, possibly exaggerates and distorts, the internationalisation of ethnic Chinese enterprises (Mackie 2000). If so—if intra-ethnic networking is ill-defined, over-stated and under-researched—what should we make of the prevalence of the CBN discourse in economics-based discipline s? And, if they are not advantaged by networks, how should mainstream FDI theories be amended to account for the fact that at the turn of the 21st century we find so many Singaporean enterprises in China? The main purpose of my research was to move this debate forward. I did so by investigating claims of extensive intra-ethnic networking among the ethnic Chinese with an eye toward enhancing mainstream internationalisation theorising. More specifically, I tested whether evidence of CBN could be found in the transnational expansion into China of randomly-selected Chinese-Singaporean small-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This chapter has two main objectives. The first is to present my dissertations research question and to explain why it is important. The second is to provide an overview of how and why I investigated it as I did. To this end, the following section discusses the general context of my research problem and reviews the conventional theoretical frameworks that address the phenomenon of internationalisation. Section 1.1.2 explains why it is important that claims of extensive intra-ethnic networking be investigated. Next, the focus is narrowed to the specific research question that was tested. The concept of CBN is carefully defined in Section 1.1.3, and it is conceptually operationalised into testable sub-hypotheses in Section 1.1.4. Background of CBN Claims With some US$30 billion cumulative FDI invested in China between 1979 and 2006, Singapore ranked as Chinas seventh largest source of foreign investment, after Hong Kong, Japan, the Virgin Islands, the United States, Taiwan, and South Korea (CSB, 2007). In 2006, about 70% of the Association for East Asian Nations (ASEAN) FDI originated in Singapore, and between 1990 and 2006, over 15,000 Singaporean projects were set up in China. These figures are all the more remarkable given Singapores small size. Furthermore, as significant as Singapore now is as an investor to China, it is likewise true that China has become important to Singapore as an investment market. Since 1997, China—a vacuum cleaner for foreign direct investment, as Lee Kuan Yew has frequently called it—has each year received the largest share of FDI by Singaporean entities, replacing Malaysia as Singapores top investment destination (Hamlin 2002). In 2002, FDI to China accounted for over 17% of total Singaporean investment abroad (Department of Statistics 2002). It is clear from these figures that not only are Singaporean transnational enterprises (TNEs) a significant force in the rearticulation of China into the global economy, but that China has become an important factor in the regionalisation of Singaporean firms. How can we account for this tremendous and unprecedented diasporic transnational investment? Two corpuses of literature that purportedly shed light on this phenomenon are critically examined in this dissertation: the mainstream internationalisation construct and what I refer to as the Chinese Capitalism perspective. Three strands within the mainstream internationalisation literature are highlighted in this dissertation. The first is theories of the MNE, which grew out of Stephen Hymers seminal work on post-war multinational investment in Europe and has its roots in the utilitarian tradition of classical and neo-classical economics. This corpus of literature has expanded over the decades to encompass a range of views, but at its core is some version of the argument that MNEs are enterprises which, in response to market imperfection and a desire to exploit proprietary advantages, have internalised activities by investing abroad. A distinctive sub-group of these theories has arisen in response to the spectacular increase in developing-country MNEs since the 1970s. Within Developing-Country MNE theories, the leading argument is that emerging MNEs from developing countries follow an incremental internationalisation process driven by gradual internal technological accumulation. Internationalisation Process Models is the second important strand within the mainstream approach. With its roots in behavioural theories of the firm, it offers a more explicitly dynamic approach to understanding the process by which firms engage in FDI. Though there is some variation in the explanation employed in the models—for instance, some stress learning and others focus on technological accumulation—and though the process is variously described as cyclic, stage-based, or evolutionary, a key premise is that internationalisation is incremental by nature, as the firm acquires knowledge necessary for further internationalisation. A third major strand within the mainstream approach has explicitly incorporated the concept of network into internationalisation theorisations. It is important to note the schism in the network literature between viewing networks as a form of governance structure versus focusing on networks as social relationships. This has caused a number of definitional problems and contributed to a seemingly irreconcilable divergence between mainstream economics/business theories and an approach that has grown out of the sociology discipline. Of the former, perhaps the most important for this thesis is the Late Industrialisation framework, which treats the concept of networks as a distinctive mode of organisation through which learning and the adaptation of borrowed technology were combined to promote economic development in a number of late industrialising countries in the 20th century. These three strands within the mainstream internationalisation construct dominate much of the research on MNEs and FDI but they have their shortcomings. In particularly, many Asia scholars (who were frequently Chinese-speaking Asians) have objected that mainstream internationalisation theories, with their under-socialised and Western roots, cannot adequately explain the phenomenon of ethnic Chinese investment in the motherland (Yeung 2000: 10). These scholars have instead drawn upon the insights of network theory and several sociological studies of ethnic Chinese enterprises (that were done in the 1990s) to develop an alternative account—the Chinese Capitalism perspective—to elucidate the specific case of ethnic Chinese transnational expansion. As its name suggests, this large corpus of literature is exclusively concerned with ethnic Chinese enterprises because it is argued that they differ in important respects not only from Japanese and Western firms, but from other d eveloping-country enterprises (Kao 1993). Central to the Chinese Capitalism perspective is the premise that ethnic Chinese firms dominate FDI flows into China, and indeed much of the economic activity of East Asia, because of their ability to form and draw upon dense, interlinked webs of social/family/political relationships that span national boundaries and rest on trust and reciprocation (Hamilton 1996a: 17). These relationships—Chinese business networks (CBN)—are variously ascribed to cultural and/or institutional factors and ostensibly give ethnic Chinese TNEs a strong advantage, especially when entering culturally Chinese markets such as China, while non-ethnic Chinese businesses meet with less success (EAAU 1995). As Hamilton-Hart wrote: Investment and trade flows linking Southeast and Northeast Asia have been promoted by network-like relationships among firms and individuals. These relationships have fostered regionalization by reducing the costs and risks of transnational investment (Hamilton-Hart 2002: 1). Describing this advantage in an especially enthusiastic manner, Redding wrote that ethnic Chinese capitalism is essentially an economic culture characterized by a unique capacity to co-operate (emphasis added: Redding 1990: 79). And Hamilton, concluding that the Chinese diaspora will elbow out non-Chinese entrants in the China market, wrote: Many Westerners honestly believe that they have a real chance to sell to the one billion plus Chinese consumers, but I do not believe it will work out this way (Hamilton 1996a: 19). Journalists and management gurus have similarly embraced the concept of Chinese business networks (e.g., Seagrave 1996; Backman 1999; and Drucker 1994). The concept of CBN has historical roots in the centuries of mass migration that have fostered transnational ethnic Chinese communities which span the world. Many historians have argued that commercial and financial networks based on fictive and agnatic familism, pang or speech-group solidarities, and regionalism, were historically important social channels in some settings, such as for those emigrating to Southeast Asia from southern China. But the Chinese Capitalism literature, taking new life from the treatment of networks within the sociology discipline, extended this historical observation further. It not only asserted that CBN remained important at the turn of the 21st century, but it emphasized CBN as a distinctive characteristic or skill of the ethnic Chinese. Research Significance The skill or special ability to combine a firms resources with the complementary resources of its partners can no doubt be an important organisational capability. Among the benefits, networks lower business transaction costs, provide for better risk assessment, and lead to prompt decision-making. But is there evidence that networking has been a primary factor in ethnic Chinese transnational expansion? Does it explain why Singaporean FDI has flowed so far afield to China? My research contributes to academic understanding in a number of ways. It adds to the scarce academic research that has been published to date on Southeast Asian SMEs, and it contributes to a more rigorous definition of CBN and some of the terms associated with it, such as guanxi. But its most significant contributions are to the following three areas: 1) theorizing on internationalisation and FDI in general, and ethnic Chinese businesses in particular; 2) assessments of whether Singaporean FDI outflows to China represent actual or faux economic development, and what that implies for evaluations of Singaporean state developmentalism; and 3) the use of CBN as a small state strategy to facilitate economic development and to accommodate an ascendant China. Chinese Capitalism and Internationalisation Theorising Further research into CBN is necessary to enhance theorising in both the Chinese Capitalism and mainstream internationalisation corpuses. As discussed in detail in Chapter 3, the Chinese Capitalism literature has to date suffered from a serious lack of empirical evidence. Articles that discuss CBN do often reference prior academic works, but when checked these references typically are revealed to be rather insubstantial. There is also a marked tendency to repeat, mantra-like, the same three or four original works on the subject, but because these studies were largely descriptive and based on a tiny sample size, they do not provide an adequate buttressing for the claim of extensive intra-ethnic business networking. Moreover, there have been virtually no rigorous cross-cultural comparative studies, and little consideration has been given to the drawbacks and costs of operating through networks. My investigation into CBN also speaks to the appropriateness of the academic niche that has developed for Chinese Business. A virtual phalanx of Chinese business experts has popped up since the late 1990s, and it is common to find universities that have dedicated a Chair—or even a department—to the business practices of this specific ethnic group. In contrast, one is less likely to find similar attention to Russian or Indian business studies. Of course, this is due in part to the staggering market potential represented by Chinas 1.3 billion population, but it can also be traced to the essentially culturalist assumption that ethnic Chinese have unique business practices such as CBN. In fact, CBN has become so widely accepted that much of the academic discussion has shifted away from directly considering ethnic Chinese ties towards as pseudo cross-comparative approach that is problematic because it contrasts the fact of CBN with the lack of networking in other cultures. Research into how, for example, Nordic or Indian networks are not as strong as CBN have become common. In short, though some of the details of CBN may be contested, the general premise of the Chinese Capitalism literature has largely been accepted and is influential. This has been especially true in the international business rubric, but references to CBN abound in economics-based disciplines as well. For example, in an Institute for International Economics special report describing the lessons South Korea should learn from CBN, Young argued: In the 1990s, they [the Chinese diaspora] formulated an international strategy to form a global network of overseas ChineseThe experiences of overseas Chines e networks would be good models for Korea (Young 2003: 50). And how did Young define CBN? They are led by the unique Chinese personal network, guanxi, which links individuals, hometown associations, business associations in the same industry, and associations of people with the same family name (Young 2003: 53). Mainstream internationalisation theories also have significant shortcomings. The economics discipline has a long history of neglecting—often completely omitting—the social, political, and historical context in which firms are embedded. A large gulf between mainstream economics and other social sciences has developed, making each seem increasingly irrelevant to the other. Economics many insights and strengths are too often viewed as inapplicable to other disciplines, and disciplinary cross-fertilisation has been hampered. Sloppy theorisations arise and thrive in such an environment. One of the most significant ways that evidence for CBN affects mainstream theorising lies in its suggestion that informally-linked enterprises might serve as functional substitutes for Western and Japanese MNEs. Large firms, especially multinationals, enjoy significant benefits of scale and scope as well as learning and productivity advantages that are unavailable to smaller, isolated firms (Nolan 2001). In contrast, the relatively small size of ethnic Chinese firms, which tend to be family-owned and -controlled, is considered by mainstream theorists to limit their competitiveness in international business. But perhaps the 21st century will indeed be a network age in which the economies of scale that dominated in the previous period seem to have given way to network economies (Young 2003: 33). If so, then the concept of CBN suggests that ethnic Chinese firms are informally bound together in such a way that they can duplicate, and maybe exceed, the benefits derived from the larger sco pe of MNEs (Borrus 1997). This intriguing possibility—that the limitations on competitiveness inherent in a family-controlled firm may be overcome by networking—provides a further reason for why my research into claims of extensive CBN is significant. Moreover, as my results demonstrate in Chapter 5, irrespective of whether extensive intra-ethnic networking is taking the place, the effects of the CBN discourse are profound and have affected FDI decision-making. Mainstream economic theory would be improved if economists took a more open-minded and sophisticated approach to appreciating, understanding, and incorporating such social dimensions. Singaporean Development(alism): Actual or Faux? My research contributes in another key way. Empirical evidence (or its absence) of CBN should factor into evaluations of Singapores level of economic development and, hence, assessments of the states developmental policies. FDI from Singapore to China has not only been large but it continues to grow. Though this transnational expansion has been actively promoted by the ruling Peoples Action Party (PAP) through various policies, programmes, and an official discourse on creating an external economic wing, the state would have us interpret Singaporean investment in China as growing economic maturation, a sign that Singapore is moving away from MNE-led development to a stage in which home-grown capitalists diversify into new areas. Outward direct investments are beneficial to both firms and the home country as they provide access to strategic assets, technology, skills, natural resources, and markets. It is especially important for a small state with limited market size and resources to be able to access international markets and connect with global production/knowledge systems. The degree to which Singapore has experienced the social and technological progress associated with economic development has been a contentious subject for the PAP-state (e.g., Krugman 1994), and it is perennially anxious to demonstrate its effectiveness. As discussed in Chapter 8, signs of declining popular support for the PAP in election results since 1988, in conjunction with a series of accumulation crises over the past two decades, have the state very worried. Though recognized as highly intrusive, the state has largely been given credit for developing Singapore from a sleepy entrepà ´t into a major communications hub with a population that enjoys one of the worlds highest per capita incomes. Since the 1990s, the Singaporean state has to a striking degree officially embraced and propagated a (selectively Confucian) culturalist discourse alongside calls for the development of an external sector to help insulate the country from downturns in the world economy. Is this yet another sign of an enduring comprehensive developmental state (Pereira 2007) cheerleading the march towards the next stage in Singapores economic development, this time, in part, by encouraging latent networking capabilities in its ethnic Chinese population? This might imply that after years of neglect, the PAP-developmental state has reached a stage where it is prioritising the engagement of local capitalists in its economic strategies (Haggard and Cheng 1987). For while the developmental state is expected to be the most powerful political and economic player during much of development, at some point state strategies should pay off and produce a vigorous and competitive domestic capitalist class (Periera 2007: 3). But what should we make of Singaporean FDI to China, and the states insistence that these flows are rooted in Chinese exceptionalism, if evidence suggests that CBN claims are over-stated? Justifications for Singapores domineering one-party state have always pointed to the Republics strong economic performance. If public proclamations about Chinese business networking turn out to be rather more wishful thinking than actual practice, then the government may be judged to have taken a serious mis-step, especially considering its own massive investments in China and the problems associated with some of them (, The New Frontier, Far Eastern Economic Review, December 6, 2001, BY Ben Dolven e.g., the Suzhou Industrial Park). The implication would be that Singaporean investment in China represents, at least in part, something other than the cool, independent economic rationalism upon which PAP political legitimacy rests; concerns might be raised about the optimum use of resources and the degr ee to which political considerations have lead the state to invest heavily in China itself, push its GLC sector to do so as well, and create a discourse in which local capitalists are encouraged to make the risky move to China. More importantly, high levels of Singaporean FDI to China might not represent maturation out of the MNE-dependency that is widely recognized to now seriously limit economic growth and make the island-state exceptionally vulnerable to fluctuations in a world economy beyond its control. And it may hint that the hither-to developmental PAP-state is losing some of the political insulation, technocratic skills, and discipline it needs to continue to lead Singapore. In summary, my research contributes to assessments of the PAP-developmental state. Should Singaporean FDI to China be interpreted as a sign of economic development, with all the benefits this implies for a small state that has to date been extremely exposed to world economic conditions? Or, alternatively, is it at heart a sort of faux development that does not bring the social and technological progress that accompanies actual development? This important topic—the role of the PAP-states CBN discourse in FDI decision-making—is discussed at length in conjunction with the results of my research in Chapter 8. CBN as a Small State Strategy My research also contributes to an understanding of how CBN and the discourse surrounding can be used by a small state wishing to punch above its weight in its engagement with the international environment, especially an ascendant China. By this I am referring to Singapores strategic use of culture and ethnicity to further its economic and national security/foreign policy goals. Chinas growing economic and military strength is increasingly presenting a dramatic challenge to world, particularly East Asian, power relations. Tapping into (or manufacturing) the Chinese-ness of a states population or subgroup may be an excellent strategy for accommodating a rising China, especially for small states such as Singapore which are looking for ways to compensate for their power deficit. A small state faces an integration dilemma when it considers Chinas growing markets and reach (Goetschel 1998: 28). It can insist on economic and security independence but risk being abandoned or isolated, with the disadvantages this would like cause. Or it can accept a constraint on its freedom to act in ways that are contrary to Chinas economic and security goals and instead try to accommodate, identify with, even in some sense integrate with, China. Stressing as it does not just civilisational fluency but actual networks with China, the CBN discourse functions as a novel way of enabl ing Singapore to do the latter. Whether Singapores strategy might successfully be imitated by other small states remains to be seen. It is interesting to speculate how, for example, Africas over 7 million ethnic Chinese and Perus 1.3 million, might factor into their states strategic possibilities for engaging China (e.g., Mung 2008). Singapore has tried to modify the international environment through its cultural discourse in another sense. As discussed in Chapter 8, this former British colony has for the two decades heavily marketed itself as the Gateway to the East. Its stated goal since Singapores regionalisation drive was announced in 1993 has been to be the regional hub, a place where MNEs locate their headquarters and higher value-added operations (such as research and development), while situating lower value-added parts in China and other areas of East Asia where labour is cheaper. The clear implication of the self-orientalising discourse of CBN is that Western firms are unlikely to be successful if they invest directly in China. They need instead to engage a mediating force, such as Singaporean firms, in order to become part of the transnational networks in which Chinese business is accomplished, or so the story goes. As a Singaporean government minister put it: Those who have knowledge of the culture and cultural nuances are able to lower business risks [for foreigners]. The Chinese overseas understand Chinese culture because they are ethnically Chinese themselves, but they also understand the world outsideThey are like modems. They modulate and demodulate and add value in the process. (George Yeo, quoted in Crovitz 1993: 18). With its middleman familiarity with both East and West and its purportedly dense transnational networks with China, the CBN discourse therefore places Singapore in the enviable niche position of knowledge arbitrageur (Tan, K.B. Eugene 2006). It is a striking example of the claiming of territoriality over knowledge (Brown and Menkhoff 2006), in both a conceptual and quite literal sense. Defining the Concept of CBN Unfortunately, a clear-cut definition of the concept of Chinese business networking does not currently exist. Much of the Chinese Capitalism literature is largely descriptive rather than theoretically precise, and to the degree that a definition is specified it varies significantly from author to author. Some scholars discussing networks have stressed their origin in qiaoxiang (usually defined as ancestral homeland ties), kinship, religious, and/or school ties (Hamilton 1996; Liu 1998, 1999; Yeung 2000d). Other scholars have used a broader definition that characterises Chinese business networks as long-term, but extensible, personalized networks, based on trust and upheld by the indispensability of reputation within such a system (Tracy et al. 2001: 262). These are contrasted with what are characterised as the generally weak, situational, and non-enduring ties of the West (Zahra et al. 1999: 45). A particular problem with the fuzziness surrounding CBN is that this concept is often—and unhelpfully—confused with guanxi. Like CBN, the latter term suffers from a lack of definitional rigor. Guanxi has commonly been translated as both connections and relationships, but neither of these terms adequately gives a sense of how this multi-faceted concept is commonly understood by Chinese. A more sophisticated definition is, the concept of drawing on connections in order to secure favors in personal relations (Luo 2007: 2). There are obvious similarities between the concepts of CBN and guanxi, but closer scrutiny of the academic literature as well as the results of my fieldwork led me to a conclusion, shared with a few researchers (e.g., Fan 2002), that guanxi is not identical to CBN. For example, it is not generally considered to be something that is exchanged between family members or childhood friends, nor is it usually described as having any sense of qiaoxiang or ancestral homeland sentiment. Also, unlike CBN, guanxi has on occasion been described quite negatively by a few researchers. Fan, for example, argued that guanxi and corruption are inextricably intertwined in 21st century China (2002). This assessment was supported by my fieldwork, as most of the SME owners I interviewed ascribed negative qualities to the practice of guanxi. Some of them described guanxi as a payment—on occasion they used the term bribe—that must be paid to local government officials as a cost of doing busine ss in China. Others equated it with an obligation to pay for lavish dinners and parties for customers or suppliers in the (frequently forlorn) hope of receiving enough business in return to justify these outlays. When one of my interviewees was asked to define guanxi, he summed it up as, If you want to do business in China, you must pay to play (Interviewee #6). In summary, though any attempt to definitively delineate these two unwieldy and messy terms (Luo 2007) is beyond the scope of this dissertation, the results of my research, combined with a close scrutiny of the academic literature, led me to the conclusion that they are not identical. While creating guanxi with someone may lead to a close networking relationship, it should not be confused with the networking relationship itself. So, though these concepts overlap, it is important to carefully define and distinguish between them. Yet in many accounts of Chinese business practices these two terms—guanxi and CBN—are used as though they were interchangeable. As discussed further in Chapter 5, the frequent conflation of what are actually two separate concepts adds to the confusion surrounding intra-ethnic networking and has important ramifications for my research conclusions. In light of the definitional jumble surrounding CBN, it was important in this thesis that the concept be defined in such as way as to convey the general intent of the Chinese Capitalism literature, yet be specific enough to be rigorously tested. To this end, I chose to draw upon the definition of Chinese business networking suggested by Gomez and Hsiao (2001). They argued that the Chinese Capitalism literature is characterised by an emphasis on Chinese exclusivity, a special conception of trust, and an explicit challenge to existing theories of transnational expansion. Thus, contrary to the very broad definitions typically put forth or assumed, the concept of CBN must necessarily imply a precise, strong connection among businessmen that goes beyond the common, and casual, use in the West of the term business networking (Gomez and Hsiao 2001). More specifically, Gomez and Hsiao claimed that the concept should be reserved for: The e

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Quarter Reflection :: essays research papers

Reflective Paper Well, I would have to say things have changed for the better†¦.I think. This quarter I actually had some interest in what we were doing. I could do a lot of opinionated things like our reflection things. Normally your 3rd quarter is the worst but not this year in Mrs. Dickson’s College prep. English Class, I ended up doing all my work, well that I know of, and I participated in just about everything. So here we go, I am gonna sum it all up in these next few paragraphs. Our Miami portfolios were good and bad for me. I had my stuff where I could write what I wanted to write, and we had the crap that they wanted us to write about. We had the stuff where we could choose a poem or lyric and basically analyze it, and I loved it. I spoke my mind and had fun. Then again there was the other writing about a moment in time or a deep thought. Which I hated because I couldn’t BS my way through it. I personally don’t think this helped me at all, because I feel the same about writing as I did before and I don’t seem to write any better because of it. Well so far we are not too far into the whole college project. I have not learned much about colleges yet or I haven’t learned anything new from what I’ve already known. I planned on going to college at U.C. anyway and studying criminology and trying getting into the CIA or the FBI. And last we have â€Å"The Great Gatsby† personally can tell you I haven’t read much of it, and I’m not going to lie, I probably wont read it all. I will take my chances on the test and go from what I know and I think that I will do fine. It really doesn’t change me as a thinker, because the people back then are almost like

Laertes and Polonius as Foils to Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Coursework Shake

Laertes and Polonius as Foils to Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Foils are the minor characters in a play that aid in developing the more important characters. By using the similarities and differences between two characters, the audience can get a better understanding of that major character. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many foils to develop the major characters of his play. Two foils that Shakespeare used to develop Hamlet's character were Laertes and Polonius.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the foils important to the play is Laertes.   Although Laertes does not appear   often in the play, he brings much to the plot and to Hamlet's character. These two are similar in many ways. They both seem to be about the same age, are well educated, and gentleman. One main thing that they have in common is they both are seeking revenge for their father's deaths. Both of their fathers were unnecessarily killed. Hamlet's father was killed by his father's brother for the crown and his wife, and Hamlet killed Laertes' father over mistaken identity. It was the revenge of these two that made up the plot of the story. Because of Laertes, the two could finally fulfill their revenge in the battle at the end that killed both Hamlet and the new king. If Laertes had not challenged Hamlet, the king would have died by some other way; however, the king died by poisoning just as he had killed his brother.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another similarity in the play is the fact that both Laertes and Hamlet died by the poisoned tip of the same sword. Laertes and Hamlet were the last two to die. This completed the circle of everyone that had been directly involved in the disgraceful scandal had died. [SS] The poison killed the King, Queen, Hamlet, and Laertes, Polonius was killed by Ha... ...of the foils Shakespeare used to develop Hamlet's character. The one that did the best in accomplishing this task was Laertes, though. Laertes and Hamlet had a common goal, and if it hadn't been for him[,] the story would have taken a totally different route. Polonius was a good foil in that he convinced everyone that Ophelia was the cause of Hamlet's madness. If he hadn't been Ophelia's father, this part of the story may not have been as effective.    Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Interpretations Of Hamlet. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Charney, Maurice. All of Shakespeare. New York, NY. Columbia University Press. 1993. Magill, Frank N. Masterplots. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1995. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Riverside Shakespeare. ED. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Haughton Mifflin Company, 1974.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Evolution: Science vs. Religion :: essays research papers fc

"What is the most profound question that human beings can ask about themselves? It has to be: Where do we come from? That leads, of course, to: Where does all life come from?" These questions have interested humanity for years. Many different views on the origin of humankind have been debated and remain in question today. ( Edey, pg.1 ) One view is known as "creation-science". It is commonly understood to refer to a movement of Christian fundamentalists based upon an extremely literal interpretation of the Bible. Creation-scientist's do not merely insist that life was suddenly created; they insist that the job was completed in six days no more than ten thousand years ago, and that all evolution since that time has involved trivial modifications rather then basic changes. The existence of fossils, according to a Creation-scientist, is attributed to Noah's flood. ( Johnson, pg.4 ) "Creationism", another view on man's origin, means belief in creation in a more general sense. A Creationist may believe that the earth is billions of years old, and that simple forms of life evolved gradually to form more complex forms including humans. In addition to that belief, however, is the belief that a supernatural Creator initiated the life process and continues to control it. ( Johnson, pg.4 ) The most reasonable view on the origin of mankind is known as naturalistic evolution. It means a gradual process by which one kind of living creature changes into something different; evolution that is not directed by any purposeful intelligence. Another part of the idea is that more complex forms have arisen from simpler forms. Tracing back to the simplest living thing, a bacterium, scientists may find the origin of mankind by finding something even simpler, something out of which bacteria themselves came. Recent work has revealed the existence of a group of bacteria that are as different from other bacteria as the latter are from plants and animals. This discovery compels the reorganization of all life forms into a family tree unlike the traditional ones. Out of this reorganization comes a strong suggestion that there is a single ancestor to all modern forms of life. ( Edey, pg.297 ) The abundance of evidence that there was life much earlier then ten thousand years ago makes it easy to disprove the view of the Creation-scientists. It is hard to disprove the Creationist's view because it is similar to the view of naturalistic evolution. The only difference is simply that a Creationist believes in a divine Creator as opposed to life beginning naturally. An argument against Creationism can be found, however, in the imperfections of nature. "Perfection could be imposed by a wise Creator or by natural selection. Perfection covers the tracks of past history. And past history -- the evidence of descent -- is the mark of

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Case Study: Google in China Essay

Google issued a statement mentioning the attacks across the Internet generated from China and declaring its unwillingness to censor search results any more and indicating its decision of exiting China. Several months later, the company moved from Beijing to Hong Kong, out of Mainland China, and still has provided services to users in Mainland China, but also has faced many difficulties. This case is very typical and meaningful for foreign companies, which have willingness to launch their business successfully in China. Culture, local laws and differences between western market and Chinese market should be taken into consideration. Case A 1. Why did Google issue the statement of January 12? Google issued the statement to express the company’s unwillingness to tolerate censorship in China and the decision to exit from China. The Chinese government made the decision to control the information flow on the Internet and insisted on removing information from search results that it is considered politically objectionable, which leads to the insufficiency and inaccuracy of the search result. This is not what Google wants. The statement doesn’t aim at accusing of the cyber attacks across the Internet and helping users make their computers much safer, but declare that Google won’t compromise to the censorship in China any more, which violates the missions and principles of the company—To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful and do no evil. 2. Can Google take comfort from the reactions of stakeholders so far? In my opinion, it depends on different stakeholders. For competitors, such as Baidu, there is no doubt that Google exiting from China is great news by getting rid of such a strong competitor. And also I don’t think the shareholders of the company were happy to see that, as the stock price of Google falling as low as $573.09 on January 13 comparing to $714.87 in December 2007. And cutting themselves off from one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and giving up such a huge market would lead to negative impact to the revenues of the company. Those shareholders would give extra pressure. However, the statement won some respect and support from democrats and human rights activists, and also won the trust of its users and the employees outside China, not the ones in China.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

The Purpose of Performing Environmental Monitoring Programs

pull in the spirit for death penalty surroundal monitor fancys and the secondance of trustworthy experimental see and choice trust in these plans accounting entry supervise is a common cats-paw everyone uses in mundane life may it be to maintain path of conditions, stocks, commerce forms, or lodging costs. Decisions be so made base on the tuition we accumulate by means of this procedure. Monitoring keeps us informed, it helps us with determinations and qui vives us to every come-at-able jobs that may originate in the time to come or may h aged occurred in the yesteryear. environmental monitor explains the processs and projects that need to coming back topographic point to supervise the prize of the environment. Although environmental monitor plans over the old ages, use up been criticized for costing excessively often while presenting excessively little , it operates as an indispensable scientific process/ mistreat by uncovering every manikin of tendencies t hat may take to new scholarship and/or better apprehension of the environment.Aimfor murder environmental monitor plansThe aim for executing environmental supervise is to mensurate the positivistic/negative impacts of homo or earthy impact on the environment. It canful be employ in the readying of Environmental Impact Statement ( EIA ) and in any environmental scene where human influences on the vivid environment may or may non be appargonnt, or has the casualty of negative or positive limiting that may originate over clip. The intent for executing any kind of plans and policies would ofttimes be endeavored around the authorized province of the environment and w grim look to deter tap tendencies in environmental parametric quantities centred on on-going or service line informations sets.Examples of these administrate plans can be seen in the instance tidy sum of the Investigation of shadowings pee let out at the fire warden U tap and the Australia peace-loving LNG- Receiving Environment Monitoring Program Condamine River.The intent of the monitor plan at the Ranger U mine was for the Supervising Scientist to find the sum to which the environment ( collide withing people ) have been effected by the possible impacts of U minelaying due to a leak which occurred in one of the shadowings water return shrill at the Ranger U mine during the 19992000 moisture season. The ERA predicted that approximately 2000 3-dimensional meters of procedure shadowing piss had seeped from a vacuum tube. However the flow rate of the metro was non measured hence taking to dubiety in the appraisal of the entire batch of the leak as well-nigh of the shadowings piss may non hold entered the disused pipe section. The plan aims to find if the redress construct were successful and whether the escape had impacted the Kakuda national Park, which is located downstream from the spot.In the second instance survey on the Australia peaceable LNG- Receiving Env ironment Monitoring Program Condamine River, the intent of the observe plans was for look for workers to place and trace the extent of any unfavorable environmental impacts on the local waterways of the already ill conditioned Condamine Catchment. Agricultural development and H2O resource development within the dowery have contri just nowed to the hapless wellness in the disrupt. Furthermore, the profusion and copiousness of macroinvertebrate communities in the part is lower compargond with the expected natural posture due to the hapless H2O prize. wherefore the plan aims to find if the increased cryst aloneize of treated coal seam splash ( CSG ) H2O to natural waterways as a portion of the Australia Pacific LNG Project give hold further negative cause on the part and to supervise any alterations in the receiving H2O among many former(a) purposes.The importance of good experimental invents observational stick outs argon frequently calculated entirely controlled nosin ess of the natural order of events by research workers. Experimental designs refer to a structured, planned mode, which is used to happen the alliance between incompatible operators ( X variables ) that affect a chthoniantaking and the different results of a undertaking ( Y variables ) . A method created by Sir Ronald A Fisher in the 1920s and 1930s.The importance of experimental design comes from the chase for illation sing cubic yard or relationships as opposed to unless depicting why an event occurred, as research workers are seldom center to just explicate the events they observe. They necessitate to do tax write-offs as to what created, contributed to, or triggered events. In order to obtain dependable information, close to signifier of intricate experimental design is required. The intent of the design is to govern prohibited option or irrelevant relationships, effects and causes, in order to deduce the actual and existing factor.Seen in the Ranger U mine instanc e survey where a leak occurred, the informations that instigated the probes were non everyday monitoring informations but research informations. The statutory monitoring informations, which were conveyed to the governments in advance the incident, did non supply any suggestion of the leak because there were no systematic monitoring plans designed to supervise the unity of the inessential containment system. Therefore a new monitoring plan was initiated to quantify the tonss and concentrations of pollutants that were go forthing the Ranger Project Area which were attributable to minelaying processs on the site. This allows the appraisal of H2O timber informations with suited benchmarks and besides permits the designation of tendencies in H2O bore. This leave behind let pleader to take book actions in a timely mode.In the instance of Australia Pacific LNG, good experimental design is of import in this survey because the watercourse H2O was non merely for imbibing intents, the H2O lumber is besides a major factor in the control of fish accomplishment and H2O irrigation for agribusiness intents in the part. no matter of whether the CSG discharge was beingness released into the river or non, the flavour of the H2O in the river at the different receiving environment and background sites were monitored throughout the monitoring plan. The outgrowths were so reviewed to find the most appropriate location for the extra CSG discharge, as the subdivision of Environment and Resource Management ( DERM ) had non soon enough identified the location of the discharge. Interim and annual interpretative studies depicting the consequences was perfect afterwards from each one monitoring event, which allows the analysis of spatial and laic tendencies. This provided recommendations sing the definition of the receiving environment, supervising plan design and direction of discharges if required.The consequences of any monitoring instances will ever be evaluated an d scrutinized, as research workers ever want to sort ideal conditions in which legitimate factors would hold the most influence on the consequences and every bit good as those that do non. This is to observe interfaces and interactions amongst the factors. Effective environmental monitoring plan, frequently adhere to both(prenominal) basic yet of import constructs. well-nigh illustrations include swaning good aims, holding a grade of preciseness, reproduction and generalization controls, blur Designs and ideally the experimental method should be both sinless ( i.e. , give the received mean ) and precise ( i.e. , have a low criterion divergence ) , although sometimes one is more of import than the some other for their plans. The choice of any experimental design depends on your aim as seen in the above illustrations. The pattern of invariably update the hypothesis and comparing the inferred provinces of nature with existent informations may take on to the right(a) replies b ecause good experimental design allows the quantification of uncertainty. spirit Assurance ( QA )In monitoring plans, timber assurance/quality control travel are of import constituents of the plans because these activities demonstrate the rightfulness and preciseness ( how near to the existent consequence you are vs. how consistent your consequences are ) of the monitoring plans. Quality Assurance ( QA ) by and declamatory refers to the procedure to guarantee that dependable consequences are obtained and recorded. It starts prior to try aggregation ( method proof and certification ) , is indispensable for forensic intents & A legal unanimity and is super utile for long-run informations analysis. QA should depict how researches would put down their monitoring attempt from accurate recording of all processs, preparation of voluntaries, survey design, informations organisation and analysis to specific quality control measures. Quality Control ( QC ) entails all the stairss rese arches will take to standardise the legitimacy of specific sample distribution and analytical processs.QA plans should affect internal cheques for quality control and appraisal. Spaces are typically used as they are intended to bring out taints that may lend to inaccuracy and the biasness of consequences. For illustration, filtration quadrangles cheques for possible cross-contamination through substandard field filtration techniques while travel propertys retrieve any prevailing pollution prove from the container during conveyance and storage. Other spaces include equipment space which consequences include entire field and research science laboratory beginnings of taint and instrument spaces consequences, which show merely laboratory beginnings of taint. The analysis of Standard indication Material ( SRM ) is besides an of import as it measures the methods truth, as SRM are prepared from reagents of highest pureness, or samples that have been spiked with analyte. It is an confidence that the consequences win in the monitoring plan are comparable with consequences from other research labs.At the Ranger U mine, to attest that the consequences of the perpetual monitoring informations are valid, extended sets of quality control ( QC ) substructure are in topographic point i.e. equipment and construction direction, deal and standardization enfranchisement, along with in-built dorsum up systems to vouch that the sets of QC substructures remain functional at all times. Two multiprobe and an car sampling station were installed at each site and were attached to informations lumbermans that collect the measured informations and controlled the physical process of the instruments through a elaborate and all-embracing logging plan. This logging plan ensures the quick polish of any issue in the instrument or detector through trying triggers every bit good as a figure of dismaies.In the Australia Pacific LNG instance survey, H2O quality monitoring of samples were done at deepnesss of astir(predicate) 30cm from the surface at each site. subject sampling was done by a suitably trained and experient individual in conformity with Australian StandardWater Quality taste, and in conformity with theMonitoring and Sampling Guidelines 2009.Which in sum-upSamples were cool directly into the sample bottle wheresoever possible, and the bottles were non rinsed prior to try collectiona?Powderless baseball mitts were used when roll uping all H2O samples, and economic aid will was taken non to touch the intimate of any trying containers, or to put unfastened bottles / jars or their palpebras onto the land or other contaminated surfacesA field space was collected from one site during each trying event, to measure sample intervention processsSamples were placed in an esky and maintain under the appropriate retention conditions for each parametric quantity until it was delivered to the research lab within the appropriate retention clip ( as advised by the analytical research lab ) in conformity with the protective covering and conveyance protocols outlined in theMonitoring and Sampling Manual( DERM 2009a )A concatenation of detention signifier was completed for all samples sent to the research lab for analysis, anda?A NATA-accredited research lab analyze samples, and research lab extras and spaces were analyzed in conformity with NATA-accredited protocols.The consequences from the QA were crosschecked with a second lab and an mistake rate of & lt 10 % will be considered acceptable ( in conformity with the National River Health Program protocols, DERM 2009a ) . If consequences were deemed unsatisfactory & gt 10 % , it will ensue in a farther 10 % of samples being checked by a 2nd lab, and so on.ConcluZionThe intent for executing environmental monitoring plans is frequently to set up tendencies in environmental parametric quantities based on current or baseline informations sets. The chief end for executing environmental mon itoring is to supervising informations from legion spatial and temporal graduated tables interpret informations into ratings of current ecological status and forecasts the hereafter hazards and benefits to our natural resources. Although H2O quality records can be extremely variable in footings of temporal and spacial frequence of sampling, good experimental design and good quality confidence plans can guarantee a monitoring plan is successful and the consequences dependable. However, supervising plans can non be run indefinitely. At some point researches would necessitate to inquire if the monitoring plan is still relevant and have we learnt all we needed.Mention

Mcdonald?S a Good Image with Bad Ethics

McDonalds A Good motion-picture show with Bad Ethics Aimee Gibison Introduction McDonalds toilet has been g tracking and spreading planetaryly for the past deuce-ace decades. Although McDonalds at 10ds convenient, cheap and clean there atomic morsel 18 some negative aspects of the concern. In animosity of paying(a) their employees low wages and negatively encountering opposite cultures, McDonalds and kitchen ranges worry it, have managed to position themselves as a irresponsible piece of Americana. McDonalds promotes its positive image and products with greasy chips, and a clown named Ronald McDonald.The wrong practices of this titanic fast regimen batch argon cognise but do not front to detract from the all-American image that the potbelly seeks to project. History In the 1950s a juvenile style of alimentation was introduced by brothers, Dick and Mac Donald. Their businessal sensitive burger stand was soon transformed into one of the largest, well-known(a) transnational friendships. Ray Kroc, a milk fight machine salesman bought McDonalds from the Donald brothers and made the burger shack into a business characterized by conformity and uniformity. Kroc believed fervently in the ethic of throng intersection (Schlosser, 2004).Under the influence of this mass production ethic, McDonalds developed new, uniform production methods such as using frozen beef cattle patties, instead of crisp ground beef, and developing a genetically- modify potato rather than using topically heavy(a) produce to ensure that all McDonalds fries have the same uniform taste. McDonalds Corporation (McDonalds) is the worlds largest nourishmentservice retail chain. The company is known for its burgers and fries which it changes through 31,000 fast-food restaurants in over 119 countries (McDonalds Corporation, 2006).With so many McDonalds located world-wide, many find it somewhat rattling to see a familiar place when traveling in unfamiliar places. By homo genizing products and appearance of the stores, McDonalds sells this feeling of comfort and familiarity. Spreading Out to red-hot Markets Because it is internationally known and commercializes a homogeneous image, McDonalds remains a household name with offerings known for a uniform taste. But McDonalds is seek to reach a broader market as well. The corporation is trying to reach tabu to a salubrious crowd of customers by releasing salads with fruits and ve ownables.To reach international customers, the company has also supplyed specialty foods for different countries. The McArabia (chicken patties on unleavened bread with garlic sauce and onion), the McPepper (a double-patty burger veteran(a) with black pepper sauce), the Bulgogi Korean pork cook fall out sandwich, a teriyaki pork burger with lemon-flavored mayonnaise, and, soon to find its manner onto the bill of f ar, the Mushroom Pinwheel, a five-pointed pastry concoction alter with chicken and mushrooms, are all sp ecialty menu items for different cultures in some Chinese or Middle eastern linked Statesern countries (Old McDonalds has some smarts in China, 2006).McDonalds also donates a portion of their mesh wee-wee to Ronald McDonald houses, located across America, which helps children with life threatening illnesses. Efforts like this portray a corporation committed to the globe assistance of their customers. However, while the overall image of McDonalds is that of a wholesome, family oriented business, there are contradictions to this image. The Ethical Problems unfit Business Domestically Although McDonalds get tos the effort to gage children with life threatening illnesses, the diet offered by this corporation and others contributes to obesity, heart disease, asthma, and possibly mad scare disease.What miscellanea of message are we giving our children when we promote healthy eating, and at least 59 of the nations 250 childrens hospitals have fast-food restaurants? (Tanner, 2006 ) Environmentally, McDonalds practices are also questionable. Unlike a fresh ground beef patty at a local butcher shop, a typical fast-food hamburger patty comports meat from to a greater extent than one pace different cattle, brookd in as many as five countries (Schlosser, 2004). This raises the possibility of a particular(a) patty containing contaminants of unknown origin.As noted previously, instead of locally grown potatoes, the corporation uses their own genetically modified potatoes. The practices of using food from extreme distances, is problematic environmentally. From a public health perspective, the use of beef from quintuple sources makes contaminated sources far more difficult to trace. meet on Foreign Cultures Not only do McDonalds products harm individual and environmental well-organism, they are also having an influence on some East Asian cultures with the corporations entry into those countries. Critics study that the rapid spread of McDonalds and its ast-foo d rivals undermines indigenous cuisines and helps produce a homogenous, global culture (Watson, 2006). Chinese parents postulate to connect their children to the world outside of China, so they retaliate them with a trip to McDonalds, but in so doing they are also taking away from their culture. In twenty years Yunxiang Yan, a UCLA anthropologist predicts, young mess in Beijing (like their counterparts in Hong Kong today) will not even care about the foreign origin of McDonalds which will be percentage middling food to people more interested in getting a quick repast than in having a cultural experience (Watson, 2006).Another major limiting brought to the East by the entry by McDonalds and American corporations into Asian countries, is the new obsession with American culture. Prior to the arrival of McDonalds, festivities marking youngsters specific fork over dates were unknown in most of East Asia. In Hong Kong, for instance, lunar-calendar dates of birth were recorded for use in ulterior life- to help match prospective marriage partners horoscopes or choose an auspicious burial date (Watson, 2006).With the carriage of McDonalds restaurants in Asian countries, and the accompanying American cultural norms, children in these countries are recognizing the potential for rejoicing of individual birthdays. McDonalds exploits this cultural change to market party packages to Chinese children who want to celebrate this new occasion. In many respects, McDonalds emergence in Asia is permanently altering culture, and norms of the past are organism lost in their McDonalds party packages and galactic Macs.In addition to contributing to cultural changes in China, McDonalds has offended other cultures through some of its actions. The chain has stirred up controversy with some United States Hindus, many vegetarians, and some lacquerese. McDonalds, the fast food teras currently embroiled in a row c erstwhilerning undisclosed beef flavoring in cut fries, has mad e a formal apology to those it has offended (McDonalds resolves french fry dispute, 2002). This may seem like a petty dispute, but is not a small issue to Hindus who believe that the cow is sacred.In chemical reaction to this offense to Hindus, vegetarians, and others, McDonalds offered an apology, and paid the groups ten million of dollars in settlement. In addition, fast food giant McDonalds is facing criticism in Japan after a number of its orchard apple tree pies were prime to contain a forbidden food alter agent (McDonalds apple pies set in motion to contain banned food people of color in Japan, 2006). In 15 McDonald locations across Japan there has been an apple pie recall due to the use of an illegal coloring agent known as azorubin.McDonalds has claimed that the effect is not harmful, using consumers in the European heart and Australia as examples where people consume apple pies containing azorubin, patently without ill effect. McDonalds has, however, recalled the p ies and announced that they will no longer purchase their pies from the China-based factory using azorubin. competition in the United States Another controversy arose in a Southlake McDonalds because of a bacon ranch salad. Chrissy Haley, wife of an assistant coach of the Dallas Cowboys, found a rat in her salad after ordering that salad and a Happy Meal for her child.According to newspaper reports, Haley and her nanny found the dead rat under a large lettuce leaf in a shared salad. McDonalds has yet to respond, apologize, or even ask if the women are okay. Both women have had blood and stool samples tried repeatedly over the last five and a half months and are undergoing sessions with Dallas clinical psychologist Dr. Rycke Marshall (Whitt, 2006). Chrissy Haley, who has tried negative for any illness, is suing McDonalds for $1. 7 million, for both(prenominal) the dead rodent in her salad and McDonalds response (or lack thereof) to the incident.The corporation has chosen not to succor during the course of the law suit, which was set to reach philander in September 2007. Labor Relations in addition health issues, the company also has issues with its workers. The corporation pays lower limit wage to their workers, who essentially do assembly line, factory-type work. If the work done by burger manufacturers and drive-thru cashiers were reclassified as factory work, that would add about 3. 5 million manufacturing jobs to the U. S. conomy, at a time when such jobs are rapidly being exported over seas. From a statistical point of view, it would make the U. S. seem like an industrial powerhouse once again, instead of an ageing superpower threatened by low-cost competitors (Schlosser, 2004). In the 31,000 McDonalds world wide, most of the workers get paid minimum wage in spite of the fact that the company is now worth more than a billion dollars. The Backlash There are an increasing number of people who speak out against McDonalds and similar corporations.Georg e Ritzer is well known for his efforts to raise awareness of the impact of globalization and global corporations by speaking at different colleges just about the country. In the article Nuggets of Wisdom author Madelyn Pennino refers to an Elizabethtown College assembly at which Ritzer spoke to students about the illusion created by McDonalds, of spate prices and convenience for people ordering a super-sized meal (2006). In reality, this bigger, faster, and cheaper choice is actually not actually convenient. Efficiency has become inefficient Ritzer said referencing the gigantic line waiting in the drive thru (Pennino, 2006).One of the goals of Ritzer and other anti-McDonalds activists is to spread awareness of real costs of doing business with the corporation and to make sure that the name McDonalds does not become synonymous with America around the world. Conclusion Over the past four decades McDonalds has been transformed from a local burger shack serving fresh beef patties, i nto a huge corporation using mass production methods to produce and sell their products. One of the results of this international expansion has been a number of books, articles, and even documentaries outlining practices deemed unethical.There are many things that great power be done to address the ethical problems raised by the behavior of multinational corporations laws, legal action and public pressure arising from activists. In the end, public awareness might be the most important tool. If individuals are instruct about McDonalds practices and their impact on health, environmental pollution and culture change, we can choose to not patronize its restaurants. The action may not unopen the McDonalds down, but it might limit the impact of the corporation. References McDonalds apple pies found to contain banned food coloring in Japan. 2006, September 23). MarketLine Business. McDonalds corporation. (2006, November 26). MarketLine Business. McDonalds resolves french fry dispute. (2 002, June 6). MarketLine Business. Old McDonalds has some smarts in China. (2006, December 11). Chicago insolate Times. Retrieved action 2, 2007, from LexisNexis. Pennino, M. (2006, October 19). Nuggets of wisdom Author paints picture of out fast-food culture. Intelligencer Journal. Retrieved March 2, 2006 from Lexis Nexis. Schlosser, E. (2004) Special report on slow up food. In J. Johnson (Ed. , Global Issues, Local Arguments. Upper turn on River, NJ Pearson Education. Tanner, L. (2006, December 4). Study finds allowing fast food in kid hospitals sends mixed message to families. Chicago. Retrieved March 2, 2007, from LexisNexis. Watson, J. L. (2006) Chinas Big Mac attack. In J. Johnson (Ed. ), Global Issues, Local Arguments. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson Education. Whitt, R. (2005, November 23). I smell a McRat McDonalds serves up a rodent then scurries for cover. Dallas Observer. Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from Lexis Nexis.