Mr Birling and Sheila Essay

The play is about a middle to upper-class family, the Birlings, who lived in a town called Brumley. Its is based on a girl, Eva, who had commit suicide by drinking disinfectant. An Inspector who goes by the name of â€Å"Inspector Goole† had come to the Birlings house to investigate why Eva had committed suicide. It turns out that none of the members of the Birling family had committed a real crime but they had all driven her to suicide in some way. The moral of the play is to judge their consciences and there by our consciences to make us work together as â€Å"members of one body. † Two characters represent the historical context are Mr Birling and Sheila. At the end of the play they show opposite poles of society. Mr Birling represents the older generation that has held on to values of years and years back. Mr Birling is an ex-mayor, father of the family, a factory owner and he’s earned a knight hood. Sheila is Mr Birling’s daughter. She is also pompous. Sheila represents the innocent one in society and the future and present generation. At the beginning of the play the Birlings all appear like Mr Birling in there believes that they should all be individuals and not care about the rest of the community. This was because they were an upper class family. Mr Birling and Sheila portray the political theme of community and the individual. Priestly believes that we need to be responsible so that we can look after each other, we will not survive as individuals if we don’t work together. Priestly voices his opinions through the character of the Inspector. † But just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone – but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us. † This represents the moral of the play. Mr Birling and Sheila abuse the power, this causing Eva’s death. Mr Birling has power over Eva and when he thinks that Eva does not respect him and asks for a raise he uses his power to sack Eva. Sheila also uses her power to get Eva dismissed from Millwards. Because she is rich and spends a lot of money at the shop the managers respect her. If she is not happy there she won’t shop there and the company shall lose a lot of money. So because of Eva not making Sheila feel welcome at Millwards Sheila is unhappy. She then tells the manager that she shall no longer be shopping there unless Eva is dismissed. With that Eva gets dismissed because the company can’t afford to lose the Birlings. Mr Birling represents the older generation, showing us that society at the time was divided into different social classes, the upper, the middle, and the lower class. The upper class had no respect for the lower class and this shows during the play. When speaking about Eva trying to negotiate a higher wage for herself, Mr Birling says, â€Å"I’m talking as a hard headed practical man of business. † This is evidence that Mr Birling has no respect and feelings for the lower class, as he doesn’t care whether Eva has a larger income or not. Mr Birling is only concerned about keeping the wage bill as small as possible. That quote also shows the pompous side of him.

Single User System for Startup Business

The purpose of this exercise is to design a single user system, to solve the needs of a startup business. The business I chose is a service oriented, automotive oil change company. This system will need to satisfy the business needs of a small company, including database queries, inventory management, customer tracking, form generating, accounting, and many other functions. This must be accomplished in an easy to use, simple, single user format. This system should be a point of sale system utilizing separate databases. One for customer tracking used to notify previous customers via postcard printouts. In addition, these should be sent after a three-month period from their last service. There could be coupons issued as well. Accounting and inventory information, such as daily, weekly, monthly, etc. sales, current inventory needs, cost of inventory, profit margins, employee records, sales tax, etc. should also be stored. Another, dynamic database would hold manufacture specifications. This would provide real-time query access for make/model vehicle specifications for referencing filter part numbers as well as other technical information. This would need to be updated as manufacturers change specifications. This system should contain redundant features as it is business critical, providing dual, mirrored disk drives, as well as an efficient backup device. This would reduce down time due to drive failure. The need for this amount of safety lies in the necessity of maintaining fast, uninterrupted service. There would need to be two printers. One, a dot matrix for printing customer receipts, as well as a hard copy for business purposes. The second printer would be for the service personnel. This would print out the work orders with specific information, such as the make and model of the vehicle as well as the filter numbers and quantity of oil needed. This printer would be located in the service area. This system should be capable of printing and displaying timely accounting reports including sales figures and current inventory quantities. These should be available on screen (a color VGA monitor would be required), as well as in printed form. All this must be extremely user friendly. With very little training required. The projected employee skill and pay level is expected to be entry level minimum wage. When researching a business solution to fit this need, one company was mentioned in most interviews and research. Auto Dataa was highly recommended by the independent area shops that provide this service. Auto Dataa provides a complete software system specifically engineered for this market. This package is called POS-I-LUBEa. This is a all-encompassing point of sale software package that provides complete support of an automotive service company. This system provides comparative accounting reports, real-time inventory management, work order creation, reliable specification information via a secured connection, employee time-clock accounting functions, full cash register functions and professionally printed receipts, as well as a complete service history for each of your customers. This system will provide the ability to check inventory levels anytime. Supply payroll information with their time card feature. Generate accounting reports ranging from comparative sales figures from one period to another, period financial reports, profit margins, inventory costs, personnel costs, withholdings, sales tax figures, essentially all the accounting information necessary to successfully run the business. This is in conjunction to the real-time product specification query function and work orders. The time that is saved by the vehicle specification query, which previously had to be done through hard copy cross-reference, looking up make, model, engine, options, etc., now can be used to assure that you have a timely customer turnaround time, as this is all done automatically through this menu driven system. The customer history database can be queried to provide essential data for mass mailings and coupons. These are all time saving functions that work to improve customer satisfaction, while maintaining a strong presence in the marketplace. POS-I-LUBEa utilizes a Fox Pro database for it's customer history and tracking, as well as its accounting data. For the vehicle specification database, POS-I-LUBEa uses a licensed Check Chart subscribed database available through a secured connection. This is where the monthly fee ($250.00) comes into play. Recommended hard drive size is 1GB by the manufacturer Auto Dataa. This menu driven package is designed to be mouse driven, with no typing required, offering less opportunity for mistakes. This also make the system very user friendly with very little training required. This all-inclusive package offers greater reliability than many other products available in the marketplace. The STAR Pro VII @ $ 1847.00, and the Shopman Standard Version 3.0 @ $299.00 are alternatives. While the STAR Pro VII offers much of the inventory, report generating and accounting functions of the POS-I-LUBEa system it does not offer the database query functions to reference vehicle specifications. The budget priced Shopman Standard Version 3.0 only offers the repair orders and invoices. This reliability of the POS-I-LUBEa system is due partly to the fact that it is all inclusive and not pieced together from non-compatible software. The initial cost of this software is under $2,000.00, with a small annual fee for real-time database queries ($250.00). The hardware is user supplied and can fluctuate in cost depending on the specifications desired by the user. For the requirements that I desired, Della provided the best solution for the money. I decided on the Workstation 410 with the following features. Dual 9.1GB SCSI, Ultra2/Wide LVD (7200rpm) hard drives The dual hard drives add a redundancy that is essential when your business is so reliant on such a system in case of failure on one drive. The Zip drive is for maintaining current backups and off-site storage for disaster recovery. Total cost of Della system is $94.00 per month on their business lease plan. This fully meets, and/or exceeds the system specifications required by Auto Dataa (see operations manual). I chose the lease program as it offers a service agreement throughout the extent of the lease, as well as the option to periodically upgrade due to the moderate terms of the lease (3 years). In addition to this, there are the required periphrials, as follows. Okidata Microline 321 Turbo parallel printer @ $451.91 Star Micronics SP322C Printer @ $379.00 3COM 56Kb Internal Modem @ $95.00 Symantec PCanyWhere v9.0 @ 169.95 Indiana Metal Cash Drawer @ $315.00 The dot matrix printer is for the creation of the customer billing record and receipt, while the other printer produces the employee work order in the service area with all the vehicle specifications. As required by Auto Dataa, all software must be installed and tested by their technicians at their facility at an additional cost of $100. Shipping is not included and runs approximately $25.00. In addition to these costs, there are also the costs of printer cables, forms, multi-jack surge and phone line protector, or small UPC system with active system protection. This is figured into the cost as a miscellaneous expense of $400.00. The initial total cost to this system is under $4,200.00. With a monthly expense of $345.00 plus costs of forms, backup tapes, printer maintenance, etc. Overall, this is a very cost effective solution that can be written off as a tax deduction as a cost of doing business. The initial startup expense is very low due to the leasing program offered by Della. All systems testing should be completed when system is completely installed, less the inventory information, as preliminary testing has been done at the time of the software installation. This testing should consist of entering vehicle specifications while cross- referencing returned data with a known, reliable source, verifying printouts to both the service area as well as the customer billing form. Upon successful completion of testing, all inventory information must be inputted into the database, along with cost figures. After the inventory data has been inputted, more testing will be required in order to test the inventory tracking procedures and cost analysis. When the system is tested and proven, the training of employees may commence. Auto Dataa provides, at an additional cost, remote training, although with this menu driven system this is not usually necessary. The employees will be prompted for the information required in the service process. The accounting information is available for management and will require additional training. This will be the final step in the implementation process. Maintenance should consist of no more than servicing the printers and running the backups. This is the most complete as well as cost effective solution I have found, utilizing off the shelf hardware and materials at an affordable cost. The hardware is common, providing easy replacement in case of failure. This is important in such a service-oriented, time-based company. For more user information, please see the accompanying user's manual.

The Merchant of Venice-Shylock Analysis

In Shakespeare’s edgy and suspenseful play, â€Å"The Merchant of Venice†, the character of Shylock may evoke complex feelings within the reader. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedly takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in this way. He is not an inherently likeable character throughout   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice† by Shakespeare; he avoids friendships, he is cranky, and he is steadfast in his beliefs to the point of being rigid.Any character analysis of Shylock in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† should note his tendency for selfish behavior and thinking. Shylock is also a man who is unreasonable and self-thinking, demanding, as one of the important quotes in â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† goes, â€Å"a weight of carrion flesh† (IV. i. 41) from a man he suspects will not be able to repay him simply because it is his â€Å"humour† to do so (IV. i. 43). Bec ause he is the villain of this play, justice can only be served if Shakespeare’s Shylock is punished in a manner that is congruent with his violations of social norms and laws.At the same time, though, his punishment is problematic for it seems to mimic the very crime of which Shylock is really being accused, and that crime is absolutism. By insisting that Shylock must be punished in the way that he is in ‘The Merchant of Venice†, Shakespeare raises doubts about the purity of Christian love and mercy, which certainly creates implications for the very notions of both punishment and villainy.Shylock is a man who is hardly likeable in all aspects throughout   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice†. Already a marginalized member of Venetian society because he is a Jew and occupies the stereotypical profession of the money-grubbing guarantor, Shylock ensures that his peers and the audience will not like him because of his unreasonableness and unwillingness to let go of his tendencies to be greedy, even in a situation that seems to warrant mercy and pity.In several instances in   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Merchant of Venice† he takes a perverse pleasure in what he refers to in one of the important quotes from â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† by Shakespeare, â€Å"a merry sport† of exacting â€Å"an equal pound/Of†¦fair flesh to be cut off and taken/In what part of [the] body pleaseth me† as the terms of a loan agreement (I. iii. 151-146), terms which he refuses to justify. At the same time, though, the reader, when performing even a basic character analysis of Shylock, can feel a curious compassion for this character, who is so clearly disliked.Although he has imposed isolation on himself by declaring that he will not â€Å"eat/ with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. † ( I. iii/ ll. 33-34), one begins to understand why he has withdrawn from social life when he makes his moving speech in Act III, in which it is asked by Shylock who is the victim of racism, â€Å"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? † (III. i. 54).The reader begins to understand how Shylock has never been understood because no one has ever seen him for anything other than his Jewishness. Again, this complicates the reader’s relationship with his character and the subsequent punishment he receives because although he is not likable, one cannot help but sympathize with his plight as an outcast. It is Shylock himself who teaches the reader and his own peers the most about Christian love and mercy in   Ã¢â‚¬ The Merchant of Venice†.As he continues his Act III speech, he muses about the similarities between Jews and Christians   in one of the meaningful quotes, saying, â€Å"Fed†¦ the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means†¦ as a Christian is†¦. ,† and then confronts his Christian accusers and judges with three profound questions that invoke these themes in â€Å"Merchant of Venice†: â€Å"If you prick us, do we not bleed? † If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? † (III. . 54-62). The cycle of strange violence that Shylock has set into motion will not end once his punishment has been meted out to him, as he goes on to warn in the remainder of the speech. Rather than learn this lesson—namely, that revenge in the guise of justice will never result in anything other than more revenge—Shylock receives his punishment. Years later, we see the same kinds of issues played out in society, proving that we have learned little about what Shakespeare hoped to teach us through Shylock.

PEOPLE RESOURCING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

PEOPLE RESOURCING - Essay Example The group of six people headed by personnel dept. people, has done Job assessment. Initial investment cost was high. The same system of job evaluation is been maintained after change in the organizational structure also. This approach to job evaluation delivered a simple and controllable set of grades. But due to change in environment, competition and customers need organizational structure has to be changed accordingly. The present system seems to be inflexible and unsuited to the organizational needs. But due to change in the needs of the services of the people YBS later on YFS has to change accordingly. Analysis. Due to external as well as internal compulsions, organization has to change accordingly. In due course, organization YFS has to support the new business strategy to replace its old traditional hierarchy graded pay scales. YFS decided its pay structures flexible. The company first trying to define and categorized jobs accordingly with customer services in retail banking. An internal project team has been formulated and the team identified different nature of jobs, put them into separate categories, accordingly. After classifying jobs into different categories HR dept and live managers adjusted the existing job into classified categories and decided on the packages (cost to company) by analyzing the type of job offered to them. This process takes initially much more time and cost because almost all the activities have to be performed in the complete organization but later on time becomes half. IT has been proposed that the proposed system must evaluate generic categories for the job accordingly and time to time. The whole exercise has been done with complete details with keeping in mind the changing scenario of the market. The issue of pay, development, performance etc. has been properly addressed in the new system. The reward

Valuing Diversity Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Valuing Diversity Policy - Assignment Example All said, this can make for an interesting work experience, where anyone with an open mind, eyes and ears can learn from each other (Thiederman, 2008, 45). The variety of experiences and inputs that people bring to an organization like Home Hunters enriches its culture. As such, there is clearly a need for a policy that encourages and values, rather than stifles diversity in the workplace. This is the business imperative for diversity in the workplace. Though some regard diversity as a stumbling block, modern and expanding organizations like ours have to recognize, embrace and value diversity for what it means. A multicultural workforce working together can do so much more than another all coming from the same background, having the same beliefs and ideas and wanting to do things in the same manner from beginning to end, day in and day out. An organization is bound to stagnate and disintegrate in the absence of new ideas and new ways of doing things. Diversity also means that we look inward and outward of ourselves with a new perspective, be ready to face new challenges and create and harness new opportunities, in line with the ever-changing business scenario. We have our strengths and weaknesses, and will develop and choose strategies that give us the best chances of surviving and prospering in the marketplace. Now that Home Hunters has progressed to a national entity and the name of our company and its products and services are rapidly gaining acceptance and familiarity in a number of communities, it is imperative that we create and adopt a well considered diversity policy. Diversity is a cornerstone of equality at work, and encourages equal opportunity for all. It is anti-discriminatory because no one would be disqualified from seeking employment at Home Hunters because of his or her ethnicity, color of skin, language, religious or even sexual preferences. Diversity encourages affirmative action and equal opportunity for all. Encouraging diversity at Home Hu nters would also help build and maintain competitive advantage, as problems, opportunities and strategies can be examined and evaluated from a variety of perspectives before implementation. This is the value of diversity contributing to the richness of ideas. For a prospective home owner, nothing can be sweeter than to hear a sales representative explain to him or her, the pros and cons of buying a house in a certain locality in the native language. This creates a bond between buyer and seller and can be used to sell more houses to similar ethnic groups. All this is possible with diversity, and will certainly reflect favorably on profits and revenues. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIVERSITY POLICY: It is one thing to value diversity, but it is another thing to successfully implement a diversity policy across an organization. It takes a lot of thought and effort to consider which aspects of company policy need to be included or excluded from the diversity initiative (Barak, 2010, 6). Other p olicies made earlier may also have to be revamped in the light of the diversity initiative. Once the changes have been made and the new policy created, it would have to be evaluated by Human Resources and the Policy Committee comprising of the CEO and department heads in our organization. The need for a diversity policy has also been pointed out by the Good Governance Committee as one of the hallmarks of good and efficient governance in an

Ricardo Semiler and Semco Company and its Changes Case Study

Ricardo Semiler and Semco Company and its Changes - Case Study Example No. The older Semler, Antonio was already culturally rooted in his management ways of being too bureaucratic and autocratic. He also cannot separate his personal affairs to business and this made Semler & Company under his leadership a moribund. Moreso, he did not have the modern business perspective of the time to change his style of leadership unlike the younger Semler, Ricardo who went to Harvard business school. Yes, the transformation and change of the company would have still come even if things were going well. The external factors cannot change the trajectory of the company when Ricardo Semler assumed leadership of Semco because he really intended to change the autocratic leadership of the company. The crisis only highlighted how effective the change to the company. In a way the change was drastic. Upon assumption as the new CEO, Ricardo Semler fired two-thirds of the top management of Semler & Company and that included many close friends of his father. This would not have been possible under his father because Antonio Semler did not separate work from his personal relationships. The new set up of the company was also a total departure of the old autocratic style of leadership of the company. The young Semler felt that the old autocratic leadership thwarted people’s motivation and creativity. Thus, he decided that the authority to make decisions at Semco to be more evenly distributed. In the process, he dismantled the rigid bureaucracy and structure of the company to make it more flexible based on the new three values of the company – employee participation, profit sharing and free flow of information. To emphasize the change, even the name of the company was changed from Semler & Company to Semco. There were a lot of changes that can be considered drastic if it will be compared  to the old leadership.   Strategy wise, among them product was product diversification and the creation of Nucleus of Technological Innovation (NTI).   Leadership style also changed to democratic and participatory to the point that employees can already direct themselves- set their own budget, even their own salaries and even the hiring and firing decision of both employees and managers.

Media archeological analysis of a technological Essay

Media archeological analysis of a technological - Essay Example s and valve amplifiers are low current and high voltage devices that normally operate at relatively lower voltages and higher currents for a similar level of power. The trait of high voltage makes the tube and valve amplifies to be suited for radio transmitters. The valves amplifiers are used in the contemporary society in instances such as high power radio transmitters. Experts argue that valve amplifiers shall reduce noise that is typically experienced in Wi-FI systems, without losing their musical and the treble details. Various transistor amplifiers sound harshness and they emphasize the loud sound that is found in the CD players. The transistor amplifiers have a tendency of emphasizing the sibilance of the soft sounds. The valve amplifiers are classified into different classes. The class A amplifiers lack crossover distortion at the lowest levels. Moreover, the valve amplifiers permit an individual to heat the â€Å"silence† amid the notes, followed by silence (or the note dying echo in the concert hall) immediately followed by silence (or dying note echo in the concert hall. The classes â€Å"A† valve amplifiers have significant â€Å"silence† amid the instrument and notes that create an exceptionally stereo image on quality loudspeakers, If the volume of the valve amplifiers is adjusted. Valve and tube amplifiers are used mainly in guitars as well as in high-end-audio as a result of the sound quality that they produce, and as a result of their linear nature that results from their low distortion. Valve and tube amplifiers are vastly out of date in other places as a result of their higher consumption of power, weight and reliability when compared to other transistors. Telephony is another application where valve and tube amplifiers are used. This is for the reason that a solitary valve repeater amplifier can increase various calls at one instance, and thus it is cost effective. In the present society tube and valve amplifiers are mainly used for musical

Comparison-Contrast essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparison-Contrast - Essay Example For instance, she says that success is not the only way to make one happy saying that it is better for her children to be moderately successful, but very happy, rather than be high achievers haunted by the misery of being overly controlled. Amy Chua is a Chinese author, but working at the Yale school of law. Her works have served to highlight several aspects that define the Chinese parenting model. From her opinion, Chinese children are more likely to register success in their endeavors compared to the western children. This is because of the different models adopted during parenting. Chua highlights her experience of motherhood and parenting an effort to depict a typical Chinese mother. It emerges that Chinese mothers are very strict and employ different strategies that can propel the children to success. The convictions of these mothers are based on the fact that young children do not have an interest in working hard. The notion of working hard must be inculcated in them as they grow older. This is the reason why Chua highlights that Chinese mothers are more likely to override the passions and preferences of their children. Notably, Chua reveals that Chinese children do not have an opportunity to decide what is best for them, but rather parents make all the critical decisions surrounding the lives of their children. In one of Chua’s article that has caused a controversy about parenting between the western models and the Chinese model, Chua describes the parenting model adopted by the Chinese mothers. The article is titled, ‘Why Chinese Mothers are Superior’. This article highlights that parents have the responsibility of imparting their children with the required skills and competences. Chinese mothers demand that their children should be above average students. Therefore, they spend time and effort molding their children to become remarkable individuals in the society. However, the strategies for achieving this differ from

International Management Competencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

International Management Competencies - Essay Example For this reason, embracing Internet technology to gain information about the market composition may work positively for my organisation. Through this knowledge, it is easier for me as a manager to understand the manner of reaction of all customers to diverse ideas prevailing in the market. Following globalisation of businesses, it is advisable for me as a manager to ensure that all the accounting and book keeping methods follow the international standards. Burton (2012) argues that anybody in any part of the world who may be interested in knowing about the organisations financial status may have easy time interpreting the financial implications on the records. This would create an international business climate which would come along with numerous advantages in my position as a manager according to the explanations in the subsequent sections. The article elaborates about culture and business ethics having direct relations which can be viewed in different dimensions. There are issues such as law, religion and other means of relation which define the culture of a given business community. This relates to cross-cultural ideas which bring about change in the market culture and norms. This may vary from country to country depending on the dominant values in the field of business within that country. As a manager, it is crucial for me to determine the cultures and practice of various countries so as to make sound decision in every involvement with any country. On the same note, I realize that development of better communication and diversity within a country would mean that more tolerance would be exhibited compared to pure composition in a society. Burton (2012), in his research, supports that the best way to go as a manager is to ensure that all the instruments used in cultural impact determination are non bias. In determining all the dimensions, I must consider that functional role remains constant across all countries. When I am developing a design for a

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

Budgeting - Essay Example Robert Worley, a criminal justice professor at Texas pointed out that cutting prison’s amenities would have staggering impacts on the way everything would run in the prison system (Jennings, 2011). Based on the report Worley emphasized that a well fed and inmate that is happy for instance is the one that would have more positive drive to cooperate, making it easy on the part of the prison administrator to manage everything as smooth as possible. The federal government and specifically the states wrestle with the country’s challenging economic times and the criminal justice system has evidently struggled to create the necessary adjustment, so as not to compromise the standard quality service in ensuring the maximum safety of the society (Justice Policy Institute, 2013). One particular initiative in order to maximize the chance of survival is to consider allocating the right budget plan for the associated cost of incarceration. Policies are trying to balance everything, c reating a way and meeting halfway the relevant needs of every concern. Although it is not an assurance that all needs will be well considered, the government is trying to create the most efficient way on how to implement the allocated budget for the prison system without trying to create a high value for discontentment. The above report is of important consideration because it concerns many significant issues. One particular point is the issue about savings and the associated changes with this initiative. This means the government has to understand the value of sacrifice and the advantages and disadvantages linked up with it. It is a matter of understanding whether the associated costs would be far below the advantages to be generated. In the present time by which the US economic standing is currently recuperating, it is definitely hard to keep everything in order just as the way when everything from the past would run smoothly for everyone. Another significant concern is the idea o n how to implement the budget without creating a substantial impact on the entire prison system in Texas. This is a way too hard to employ as some prison experts and advocates would try to promote the idea of humanitarian cause. For instance, Worley tries to point out the idea of small changes and turnover concerns. In issues like this, it is therefore important to come up with a remarkable basis and to weigh things as remarkably as possible for the benefit of everyone and not only for the chosen few. The issue of budget cuts in the prison system is very controversial as there are other relevant issues that could relate in it that in the long run would also create some necessary impacts on the society. The article tries to conclude the report by showing the amount already set up for budget implementation and the associated savings that were generated so far. In other words, the author tried to showcase both sides of the coin and fairly have given the readers the opportunity to asses s the government’s prevailing initiative concerning the associated financial management in the prison system particularly in the state of Texas. Furthermore, the readers would have a better way to grasp the relationships between the small changes and turnover concerns. The author was trying to give us a clear perspective so as to direct us to the appropriate and necessary things to do. The ongoing move to go for budget cuts in th

Economic analysis construction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic analysis construction - Assignment Example Realizing that this increase in the available financial resources is not a sustainable growth strategy in the long-term, the UAE government has made several public commitments to reform its regulatory environment, strengthen the country’s macroeconomic foundations, sustain the rapid growth in the non-oil sector, and invest in human capital (World Economic Forum, 2). On the macro-economic level, economic recovery after the recent financial crisis is on a sustained track. UAE’s economic recovery has continued to gather momentum in the recent past, driven by sturdy expansion in trade, tourism, manufacturing and transport. Additionally, the construction and real estate sectors have also bounced back from the slump experienced during the recession. On the back of a notable rebound of consumer confidence, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2013 stood at 4.0%, following a 4.4% growth in 2012, according to the estimates provided by the International Monetary Fund (Bank Audi, 1). The GDP growth and the rebound in consumer confidence is a good development within the market the construction company intends to penetrate. This is because it will create opportunities that will drive demand in the construction sector for commercial and residential real estate. The Abu Dhabi Government committed to finance an additional AED 330 billion in early 2013 for major developments over the coming five years. The government’s commitment focuses on social development, specifically in the education, healthcare, housing, and selective strategic transport projects (Kerr, Ryburn, McLaren, & OrDentons 1). The UAE’s real estate sector continues to be characterized by unique patterns in two major cities. While Abu Dhabi’s market remains subdued, Dubai’s market has been experiencing renewed development activities, an increase in prices, and growing concerns about a bubble comeback

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Example for Free

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Accountability is defined by answering or accounting for one’s actions and results. It is something every leader should aspire to obtain and uphold. Accountability is easily talked about but can be very hard and uncomfortable to apply to one’s self. You will rarely hear someone stating that they should be more accountable for their actions, yet we do hear that from our peers and leaders on how we should take more accountability for our day to day actions and how they could eventually affect our futures. In the Army it is extremely important to be accountable for one’s self and their soldiers. From the purposes of a squad leader it is always important to know where and what your soldiers are doing. Prime case is if you notice that your soldier is not at accountability formation and they never have missed that formation before it would probably behoove you to try and get in contact with the soldier. Granted their tardiness most likely may be due to something as trivial as oversleeping, forgetting to turn on or wake up to their alarm or being stuck in traffic on slight chances it could be something terribly worse such as hospitalization or death. In my own experience I have seen a stellar soldier who one day did not show up to morning formation and his squad leader failed to recognize his absence and towards the end of the day is when everyone found out that the same soldier had committed suicide the night prior. I am not saying that the squad leader is at fault in any way for the soldier’s choice to take his own life, however his entire chain of command failed to recognize his absence which could have resulted in an earlier reorganization of the tragedy. But I digress from my tangent and shall go on further to discuss the importance of personal accountability ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest ranking officer. The bottom line is that accountability means letting your actions rise above your excuses. In the midst of everything accountability is really about being specific. Specific expectations and specific outcomes and specific consequences. All soldiers have learned since the beginning of their time in the military that there are certain expectations of them and the core facts are to be in the right place at the right time in the right uniform. If one soldier is constantly late or doing the wrong thing than as a leader it may be easier to turn a blind eye to the actions and dismiss them for forgetfulness but regardless of that one mustn’t sweep poor performance under the rug because it could cause friction in a unit or team. When one person’s performance is not up to par it brings the group down and gives the impression that this behavior is acceptable when in reality it is not, especially in the military world. As a leader you must always make your standards very clear and follow through with rewards and punishments, and that can only be done by being specific. Never beat around the bush about what your expectations are or what information needs to be put out. Failure to inform and plan is planning to fail. We tend to think of our actions and shortcomings as consequences to the now and that they may not have any effect on us in the future. Which in all means could be true but it might just be the seed to bad habits forming. Doing something mistakenly wrong once and never receiving reprisal may give the weak willed the false idea that they may repeat said actions and receive the same results, which could in turn show peers that this same behavior is tolerable and then it becomes a habit in the organization and reflects on leadership. When soldiers realize that their actions no matter how small either help or hinder their unit or organization and not just themselves their personal accountability becomes evident like a slap in the face. Once that becomes clear a soldier will recognize that their performance directly impacts their developmental opportunities which could include promotions, awards or schools. In all ones performance is a direct reflection of their commitment to their self and job. In the army one of the most important time of the day is morning accountability formation. It is where you get your orders and outlines of the day. For leaders it is pivotal for sending up personnel whereabouts. If a soldier is not present and it is not due to being on leave or on detail then there could possibly be a big problem. Accountability and duty go hand in hand. The Definition of that Army value is to fulfill your obligations and to accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care. To find ways to improve yourself for the good of the group. It also is very similar to integrity by basically understanding that from bottom to top and left to right and anyway in between everyone is going to and willing to do what is right even when no one else is looking. Even when taking personal accountability into mind you must always keep an eye out for your buddy and hold them accountable also. Doing the job correctly and ensuring others do it as well and do it safely, because we all know that even when not in combat we could potential be in a very dangerous situations given with our various equipment, weapons and training environments. Certain examples include live fire ranges- needing to be accountable of where you are and that you have the right equipment on. If you do not have your plates in your vest and heaven forbid a misfire happens and you are struck there is no one to blame but yourself and lack of personal accountability. Another example is out in a field exercise- making sure you bring all the necessary equipment and that you have ensured that it has all of its components and is in working order. If you fail to do so you could put your health at risk in regards to sleep tents, extra clean clothing and weather appropriate clothing articles. In leadership accountability plays a special role in setting standards of behavior and actions that will ensure that they, their peers and subordinates operate with integrity and great moral values. With this in mind as a leader you should always lead from the front and never put yourself in situations that you yourself would punish a subordinate for. Leading by example provides junior soldiers a person to aspire to be and what a great leader looks like. In my years in the military it has been like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding great non-commissioned officers. Too many are taking the easy road and falling well under the expectations that they themselves have imposed on their soldiers. I feel in the Army today many are too willing to become non-commissioned officers for the money and are not really thinking about the fact that they are leaders and they have to be the example. However, I have been honored to have to the experience of learning from a few great non-commissioned officers who have always tried to do the right thing at all times and are not afraid to admit when they are wrong or when they just don’t know, but they will find out. Keeping the mindset that you are now and forever, as long as you wear the uniform and those stripes, under a microscope be mindful of the actions you possess and the words that you say. Your actions justify to newly soldiers of what may or may not be right. Your words can both uplift and encourage or they can tear down a soldier’s views or spirit. Accountability formation is important for many reasons. It lets the commander and command team know where all of their soldiers are at that precise moment. It is also essential because it lets leadership know how many people are available for the day to perform daily duties or how many people they have readily available for additional tasking’s. At this formation most information on daily activities are put out. In this formation it is vital for leaders to look at their soldiers and assure that they are in accordance with all grooming standards held in AR 670-1. During this time there could also be a time for the urine lottery of a urinary analysis, if you are not at the formation to hear your name there could possibly be some consequences. Other types of accountability are with your gear for example weapons and ammunition. It is important that if you are entrusted with a weapon and ammunition to keep track of it and never leave it lying around. If there is a time that you are not able to keep up with these items you should either secure them in a locked safe place or entrust one of your fellow soldiers to keep track of it for you, this is a short time period solution. Losing or misplacing these things can get yourself in really hot water. Not only will you definitely be receiving punitive punishments for your ignorance you can also be allowing the military to take money from you. If it is lost you are going to pay in sweat, tears and cash. Looking beyond the fact of punishments that would immediately follow your actions what if that gear landed in the wrong hands. It could very well cause a very bad situation. Accountability doesnt just mean showing up on time. It means responsibility. It means that if you fail your small part of the mission (to be on time), you must be held liable for your failure. Lets say you were supposed to depart for a mission outside the wire on a deployment. You are late to the convoy brief, the convoy brief must be given to you again, everyone is late to mount up, and the convoy misses its SP time (departure). The Infantry unit waiting to link up with your convoy for additional protection might get ambushed because your convoy is late. All because you didnt arrive on time. I know that this example is a bit of an overreaction especially if you are just late or miss PT formation nevertheless it just goes to show a slippery slope that all actions have to impact the others around you. Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for that which falls under your domain—in other words, it’s doing what you say you’re going to do. Accountability is the cornerstone of integrity, which is the result of consistent honesty and responsibility in your actions. In the military, it is absolutely imperative that you do what you say you’re going to do and that you agree to be held accountable for those orders that are directed specifically to you or those in your command. A breakdown in leadership and responsibility can be bad anywhere, but it has the potential to be downright catastrophic in the military. Being in the military, you’ve obviously built some level of trust with those above and below you in order to get to your current rank. For those just starting out, the time in training helps superiors gauge your abilities and your commitment to the whole. Aside from all this, you have to build a trusted reputation with those with whom you work directly and are of equal rank. In the case of armed encounters, these are the people who will cover your back, and who need to be able to trust you to cover theirs. Nothing breeds trust like consistent, sustained accountability.

Microbiological transformation of steroids

Microbiological transformation of steroids 1. Introduction 1.1. Microbiological transformation of steroids. Steroids are small organic molecules that are synthesized in steroidogenic tissues and act on target sites to regulate a cascade of physiological functions [1]. Examples of natural occurring steroids include: sterols, steroidal saponins, cardioactive glycosides, bile acids, corticosteroids and mammalian sex hormones [2]. They are based on the steran skeleton which is composed of three six-carbon ring units and one five-carbon ring unit. The rings are labelled A, B, C, and D beginning from the far left (see fig. 1). In naturally occurring steroids, all four rings are in the chair conformation [3] with rings B, C, and D in trans- configuration with respect to each other. For rings A and B the position of the C-19 methyl group attached to C-10 and the hydrogen attached to C-5 determines the structure and their cis-/trans- configuration. Overall, neighbouring substituent are trans- if they are diaxial or diequatorial like in fig. 1a, and are cis- if they are axial-equatorial (fig. 1b). However, the two methyl groups attached to C-10 and C-13 are always axial in relative to rings B and D, with C-10 substituent being the conformational reference point [3]. Hence, the 5ÃŽ ±- steroid skeleton (see fig. 1a) is in the trans-trans-tans- configuration, and thus is broadly planar. The knowledge of the stereochemistry of steroid molecules is highly significant in understanding its biotransformation reactions which is the basis of this study. Steroids represent a class of natural products with diverse therapeutic properties. It has been observed that minor changes in the molecular structure of steroids can affect their biological activity [4,5]. Hence numerous research have been conducted to improve the activity of existing steroid compounds and to synthesize novel steroidal compounds with pharmacological activity, and thus the most significant area of these research is the transformation of steroids using biocatalysts. Biotransformation could be defined as the modification of an organic compound into a recoverable product by chemical reactions catalysed by enzymes originating from a biological system [6]. It should be noted that the organic compound which is the substrate is not involved in the primary or secondary metabolism of the biological system concerned, and thus distinguishes this process from biosynthesis. The biotransformation of steroids is one of the most important microbial processes that are highly regio- and stereospecific, involving chemical modifications (e.g. oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, isomerisation, epoxidation, etc.) to the parent steroid which are catalysed by the microbial enzymes. In addition, the features which govern their regiospecificity differ from those controlling chemical specificity, and so it is possible to obtain biotransformation at centres that are chemically unreactive [6]. For example, in the study conducted by Peterson and Murray using Rhizopus arrhizu s, it was observed that progesterone was hydroxylated at C-11 which is an ureactive site in this steroid molecule [7]. Therefore, these characteristics alongside the rapid growth and high metabolic rates of microorganisms give biotransformation reactions an advantage over conventional chemical processes as a tool in the production of therapeutic agents (e.g. anti-inflammatory, diuretics, anabolic, contraceptive, anti-cancer, anti-androgenic, postgestational etc.) in the pharmaceutical industry. The ever growing research into the study of microbial transformation of steroids have led to newer technology in this area of science such as: genetically modification of microorganisms to improve their steroid transforming capabilities, the immobilization of whole cells or isolated enzymes in a suitable matrix for repetitive economic utilization of the enzymes, manipulation of culture media to improve product yields by the use of enhancers e.g. cyclodextrin, and the improvement of the solubi lity of substrates are insoluble (or sparingly soluble) in water [8]. Furthermore, the advances in microbial steroid biotransformation have led to the discovery of new microbial reactions and novel metabolites which may be of interest within academia and clinical medicine. 1.2. The mechanism of Hydroxylation The hydroxylation of a compound is a very important metabolic process, in humans; this process is catalysed by cytochrome P450 enzymes and results in products with a higher polarity than the parent compound, and thus aiding its excretion from the body [1,3]. The process of hydroxylation, involves the conversion of a carbon-hydrogen to a carbon-hydroxyl bond, and when catalysed by the enzyme hydroxylase, the reaction is more regio- and stereospecific in contrast to the conventional chemical process [8-12]. As a result, microbial hydroxylation is rather used for the synthesis of hydroxysteroid. Fungal hydroxylation of steroids continues to be the focus of attention at different levels of research and product development. In spite of its popularity this process is not fully understood because few studies have been conducted on the hydroxylase enzyme due to the difficulty in isolating this enzyme [10,11]. However, most studies have shown that the cytochrome P450 enzyme is also responsible for steroid hydroxylation in filamentous fungi [9-11,13,22]. Cytochrome P450 (CYP 450) enzyme is an iron-haem system which carries out a wide range of biocatalytical transformation. These enzymes are also known as monooxygenases because they transfer one atom of molecular oxygen to an organic substrate. The catalytic mechanism for this reaction involves the binding of the substrate to the active site of the enzyme and then the displacement of a water molecule (see fig.2). This is followed by a reduction of the iron in the CYP 450-haem complex to its ferrous state (Iron II) by an electron transfer. The ferrous state then binds to molecular oxygen to form a ferrous-dioxy (Iron (III)-OOH) species. This species then loses a hydroxyl anion to form an iron (IV)-oxygen radical. This radical may withdraw a hydrogen atom from the substrate to generate a carbon radical and an iron (IV)-hydroxyl species. The carbon radical then accepts a hydroxyl radical from the iron (IV)-hydroxyl species to form a hydroxylated product and iron (III). A simple general reaction equation for this process is summarised below: (where R represents the substrate and NADPH is the electron transferring species). RH + NADPH + H+ + O2 → ROH + NADP+ + H2O In other to fully understand the mechanism of fungal hydroxylation of steroids, the relationship between the structure of the CYP 450 hydroxylase enzyme and its regio- and stereoselective characteristic has to be defined. However, as mentioned earlier not much studies have been conducted on the structural features of this enzyme, and so active site models was developed to grasp the concept of the regio- and stereoselective outcome of microbial hydroxylation reactions. The first model, postulated by Brannon et al suggested the possibility for a steroidal substrate to be bound by a single steroid hydroxylase in more than one orientation due to two- sites binding, which could result in hydroxylation taking place at more than one position given the appropriate geometrical relationship between the active site of the enzyme and the carbon atom of the substrate undergoing the reaction [9,14]. These four orientations are represented as normal, reverse, inverted and reverse inverted (see fig. 3) and has been observed in the metabolic handling of 3ÃŽ ²-hydroxy-17a-oxa-D-homo-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-17-one by a filamentous fungus; Aspergillus tamarii [15]. The other model, Jones model takes into account only the normal and reverse binding orientations [6]. It requires the existence of three active centres on the steroid hydroxylase enzyme. These active centres have dual roles and could act both as a binding site or a hydroxylating site [16]. However, these roles are mutually exclusive, and so hydroxylation would occur at the closest nuclear centre to the steroid. Hence the enzyme-substrate interaction proposed by Jones would suggest a triangular location with an approximate spatial correspondence to C-3, C-11 and C-16 atoms of the steroid nucleus [6] (fig. 4). This model could not explain the hydroxylation reactions by some microorganisms. Therefore another theory was developed by McCrindle et al using both models above and taking into account the 3- D nature of the steroid compound and hydroxylase enzyme [17]. In this model, the steroid ring acts as a planar reference point (fig. 5). Binding site A favours oxygen atoms below the plane of the ring and hydroxylation is alpha. Binding site B is similar to A but can also hyroxylate alpha (axial or equatorial) or beta (equatorial) atoms. Whereas, binding site C binds preferentially to oxygen atoms above the plane of the steroid ring and hydroxylate with -beta orientation. Overall, this model tends to fit the hydroxylation pattern of most microorganisms. The hydroxylation outcome of some steroids can be predicted based on the oxygen functions or directing groups on the steroid skeleton. As a rule of thumb mono- oxygenated substrates are dihydroxylated and their transformation products are often in low yields [16]. This is as result of the presence of one oxygen function on the steroid compound making it less polar and thus decreasing its solubility which hinders its permeation into the microbial cell. In addition to this, the presence of only one oxygen function allows the steroid to bind to the enzyme at only one centre, thereby increasing its rotation and oscillation about the active site which makes it more likely to be dihydroxylated. Whereas, di- oxygenated substrates are monohydroxylated because the presence of two oxygen functions reduces the chance of multiple hydroxylations due to the reduction in the possible number of binding orientations [16]. Furthermore, the presence of two binding oxygen groups increases the rate of r eactivity of microbiological transformation as the increased substrate polarity improves solubility and thus permeation into the cell membrane of the microorganism is very likely. A wide variety of organisms have shown this pattern of hydroxylation with a wide range of substrates [15,16]. Hydroxylated steroids possess useful pharmacological activities, for example, C-11 hydroxylation is regarded as essential for anti- inflammatory action, and 16ÃŽ ±- hydroxylated steroids have increased glucocorticoid activity [8,12]. Hence the steroid industry exploits the use of 11ÃŽ ±-, 11ÃŽ ²-, 15ÃŽ ±- and 16ÃŽ ±- hydroxylation mainly for the production of adrenal cortex hormones and their analogues [8]. A range of microorganisms have been observed to affect this type of hydroxylations. For example, 11ÃŽ ±- hydroxylation is performed using Rhizopus sp. Or Aspergillus sp., Cuvularia sp. or Cunninghamella sp. and Streptomyces sp. generates 11ÃŽ ²- and 16ÃŽ ±- hydroxylations respectively [8,18]. Further research has shown other hydroxylations (e.g. 7ÃŽ ±-, 9ÃŽ ±- and 14ÃŽ ±- hydroxylations) of having the potential for industrial exploitation [18]. 1.3. The mechanism of Baeyer- Villiger Oxidation Baeyer- Villiger oxidation is the oxidative cleavage of a carbon-carbon bond adjacent to a carbonyl, which converts ketones to esters and cyclic ketones to lactones [19,20]. The mechanism of this chemical process was originally proposed by Criegee [19]. It involves a two step process: a nucleophillic attack of a carbonyl by a peroxo species resulting in the formation of a Criegee intermediate, which then undergoes rearrangement to the corresponding ester. Commonly used peracids or oxidants include: m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid, hydrogen peroxide, peroxyacetic acid and trifluoroperoxy acetic acid. This chemical process is highly significant, because the products generated are compounds which are intermediates in the synthesis of natural products or bioactive compounds. However, the oxidants used in chemical Baeyer- Villiger oxidation (BVO) are expensive and hazardous and also the reaction generates a large amount of waste products [4]. Hence biological (or enzymatic) BVO offers a green er approach for the production of chiral lactones. Biological Baeyer- Villiger oxidations are mediated by flavin- dependent monooxygenase enzymes i.e. Baeyer- Villiger monooxygenases (BVMOs) [19,21,22]. As a result of the versatile nature of flavoproteins [19], BVMOs have been shown to perform a variety of catalytic reactions including BVO of steroidal systems. The mechanism of microbial Baeyer- Villigers oxidation (fig. 6) is based on results obtained with cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) isolated from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus [19,22]. This enzyme was shown to possess flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a prosthetic group and was also found to be dependent on NADPH and oxygen. The enzymatic process is initiated by the reduction of the tightly bound FAD by NADPH followed by rapid oxidation by molecular oxygen to produce flavin 4a- peroxide anion, which acts as the oxygenating species. Nucleophillic attack of the substrate carbonyl group by the flavin 4a- peroxide anion results in the Criegee intermediate. This intermediate then undergoes rearrangement to form the product lactone and 4a- hydroxy- flavin. The catalytic cycle is terminated by elimination of water to form FAD and the release of the product and co-factor. It should be noted that the mechanism for microbial BVO based on CHMO serves as a model for other BVMOs. However, ther e are some differences such as the co-factor NADPH can be replaced by NADH and the prosthetic group FAD can be replaced by FMN [19]. Overall, there are no significant changes to the mechanism. Microbial Baeyer- Villigers oxidation is highly regio- and stereoselective [4,19-22] and as result it is commonly utilized for the biotransformation of steroidal compounds. It has also been shown in various studies, the ability of microbial BVMOs to attack the different ring systems of the steroid skeleton. Glomerella fusarioides was observed to biotransform eburicoic acid through an attack on the ring- A system by way of BVO to form a lactone, followed by a ring- cleavage to produce carboxylic acid [19]. In addition, 3-ketosteroids were observed to undergo Baeyer- Villigers oxidation with an isolated Baeyer- Villiger monooxygenase enzyme from Pseudomonas sp. attacking the C-3 ketone group on ring- A [4]. Ring- B lactone formation has also been observed in the steroid system using tomato cell suspension cultures to produce 24- epibassinolide [19]. Ring- D lactonization is very common and has been demonstrated by quite a few fungal species such as Pencillium sp., Cylindrocarim sp., M ucor sp. and Aspergillus sp. These fungi were able to biotransform progesterone to testololactone by way of Baeyer- Villigers oxidation via the intermediate steroid androst-4-ene-3,17-dione [19]. So far, ring- C lactonization has not been observed, although studies have been conducted to view this ring attack but none have proven its possibility [4]. Overall, several research have been undertaken and are still been conducted to explore the catalytic repertoire of Baeyer- Villiger monooxygenase enzymes, and these studies have shown the ability of this enzyme to catalyse the oxidation of 3- keto and 17- keto steroids with full control of the regiochemistry of the produced lactone thus allowing its application as an alternative to the conventional chemical process. 1.4. The mechanism of alcohol oxidation Alcohol oxidation is an important reaction in organic chemistry. It leads to the production of aldehydes or carboxylic acids from primary alcohol and ketones from secondary alcohol. Tertiary alcohols are resistant to oxidation because it is impossible to remove a hydrogen ion or add an oxygen atom to the compound without breaking the C-C bond. The commonly used reagents for the oxidation of alcohol are Jones reagent, potassium permanganate and chromium- based reagents. However, the oxidation of primary alcohols to aldehydes creates a problem for the organic chemist because aldehydes are not stable when produced in the conventional chemical oxidation process thus the use of microbial cells is preferred to overcome this problem [22]. The enzymes used in the oxidation of alcohol by microorganisms are alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) which are dependent on the co-factors NAD+ or NADP+. The mechanism of this reaction consists of a series of equilibrium where the hydride from the alcohol subs trate is transferred to NAD(P)+ in the ternary complex enzyme- NAD+- alcohol complex [22]. In humans, this process is carried in the same fashion and is extremely important for several endogenous as well as drug metabolism. Therefore, microorganisms could serve as models for human metabolism using this process. An unprecedented level of regioselctivity of microbial oxidation of the alcoholic group in bile acids has been observed [23]. Some fungal species are known to have the ability to oxidise the C-3 and C-17 hydroxyl groups of steroidal compounds. Aspergillus tamarii has been shown to possess the enzyme 3ÃŽ ²- hydroxy- steroid- dehydrogenases which catalyses the 3ÃŽ ²- hydroxyl group to a C-3 ketone [5]. Oxidation of the 17ÃŽ ²- hydroxyl group has also been observed in a number of fungal species e.g. Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp. and Mucor sp [24,25]. In general, a number of microorganisms have shown the ability to oxidise the alcohol groups on a steroid compound to generate t he ketone analogue, which could serve as an intermediate in the synthesis of lactones. 1.5. The mechanism of carbonyl reduction The reverse reaction of oxidation is reduction. It involves the transfer of one hydride ion to the carbonyl group. In conventional chemical reaction, the catalysts commonly used are sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and Lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH4), aldehydes are easily reduced to primary alcohols using these catalysts. However, the high stereoselective reduction of ketones to chiral secondary alcohols is better performed with microbial enzymes [20,22]. This process is catalyzed by alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs), requiring the co-enzymes NADH or NADPH which transfers the hydride ion to the Si- or Re- face of the carbonyl group resulting in the formation of the corresponding (S)- or (R)- alcohol [22,25]. Microbial reduction of ketones to secondary alcohols normally proceeds in accordance with Prelogs rule to give secondary alcohols in the main (S)- enantiomer [25,26]. However, only a very limited number of microbial enzyme (ADHs) is available to allow anti- Prelog activity and have bee n demonstrated in the fungus Myceliophthora thermophila [27]. The ability of microorganisms to reduce the carbonyl groups on steroid compounds was reported in 1937 by Mamoli and Vercelloni who described the reduction of the 17- keto group in androst-4-ene-3,17-dione to testosterone by Saccharomyces cerevisiae [25]. Since then this process has been demonstrated for a wide variety of substrates and microorganisms of different species. Carbonyl reduction often accompanies other reactions in steroid biotransformation, and thus acts as one of the processes in the production of hydroxysteroids. 1.6. The microorganism: Myceliophthora thermophila Thermophilic fungi are among the few fungal species of eukaryotic organism that are able to survive at temperatures as high as 60 62oC [28]. However, Cooney and Emersons definition of thermophilic fungi is: fungi that have a growth temperature minimum at or above 20oC and a growth temperature maximum at or above 50oC [29]. These fungi have a widespread distribution in both tropical and temperate regions, inhabiting various types of soil and places where decomposition of plant material and organic matter occur thus providing the warm, humid and aerobic environment which are the basic conditions for their development [28,29]. The enzymes of thermophilic fungi have been studied to explore their contribution in biotechnology, and these studies have identified a remarkable range of extracellular enzymes (e.g. proteases, lipases, ÃŽ ±-amylases, glucoamylases, cellulases, cellobiose dehydrogenases, xylanases, ÃŽ ±- D-glucuronidase, polygalacturonase, laccases, phytase and D-glucosyltransf erase) and intracellular enzymes (e.g. trehalases, invertases, ÃŽ ²-glycosidases, lipoamide dehydrogenases, ATP sulfurylases and protein disulfide isomerases) [28]. The majority of these enzymes are appreciably thermostable which have resulted in its application in sugar and paper industries [30]. So far only two studies to date have been conducted to investigate the steroid biotransformation abilities of thermophilic fungi. The first study used the thermophilic filamentous fungus, Rhizomucor tauricus and it was observed that all transformations were oxidative producing mono- and dihydroxylated products with allylic hydroxylation been the predominant route of attack on the steroid compounds [30]. The second study was conducted using Myceliophthora thermophila [27] on which this present study is based. Myceliophthora thermophla is a thermophilic filamentous fungus classed as an ascomycete within the phyla of fungi [28]. It has another name which is sometimes used, Sporotrichum (Chrysosporium) thermophile [28,29]. However, M. thermophila is the sexual (telomorph) stage of the fungi, while Sporotrichum (Chrysosporium) thermophile is the asexual (anamorph) stage [28]. Its main habitat is in the soil and it is found in the following countries: USA, Canada, India, UK, Japan and Australia [29]. But this fungus can grow on simple media containing carbon, nitrogen and essential mineral salts such as Czapek- dox agar (CDA). The optimum growth temperature for M. thermophila is within the range 45 50oC [28]. It grows rapidly on CDA at 45oC, producing colonies that vary in surface texture from cottony to granular and its colour changes from white to cinnamon brown [29]. This fungus has also been observed to generate extracellular enzymes such as laccases, xylanases, cellulases and phytase wh ich have been exploited for use in the food industry and as biocatalyst in biotechnological processes [27]. This present study is a continuation of the research into steroid biotransformation by M. thermophila. Previously, a series of steroids (progesterone, testosterone acetate, 17ÃŽ ²-acetoxy-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-3-one, testosterone and androst-4-ene-3,17-dione) were incubated with this fungus, and a wide range of biocatalytical activity was observed with enzymatic attack at all four rings of the steroid nucleus and the C-17ÃŽ ² side- chain. This fungus demonstrated an unusual ring- A opening following incubation of the steroid 17ÃŽ ²-acetoxy-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-3-one, and thus generating 4-hydroxy-3,4-seco-pregn-20-one-3-oic acid. It was also identified to be the first thermophilic fungus to cleave the side- chain of progesterone. M. thermophila also demonstrated reversible acetylation and oxidation of the 17ÃŽ ²- alcohol of testosterone [27] (fig. 8). Further investigation into the diverse biocatalytical activity of this organism has led to the incubation of six saturated steroids namely: 17ÃŽ ²-hydroxy-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-3-one, 5ÃŽ ±-prgnane-3,20-dione, 3ÃŽ ²-hydroxy-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-17-one, 3ÃŽ ±-hydroxy-5ÃŽ ±-androstan-17-one, 5ÃŽ ±-androstan-3,6,17-trione and 5ÃŽ ±-androstan-3,17-dione with M. thermophila 1.7. Hypothesis The proposed hypothesis from previous study is outlined as follows: * Presumed lactonohydrolase activity evident from the isolation of an open lactone ring. * Enzymes responsible for the reduction of C3 ketone to a 3ÃŽ ±- alcohol and hydrogenation of the C-4-C-5 alkene are induced by progesterone. * Organisms ability for reverse metabolism, which is evident from the acetylation of testosterone to generate testosterone acetate and the reduction of the C-17 ketone of androst-4-ene-3,17-dione to produce testosterone which further undergoes acetylation. * Preference for stereochemistry of hydroxylation with attack at axial protons (6ÃŽ ², 7ÃŽ ±, 11ÃŽ ², 14ÃŽ ±). Therefore, the main aim of this study is to observe the effect of saturated steroids on the biocatalytical activity of Myceliophthora thermophila CBS 117.65 and to prove the hypothesis from the previous study.

McDonalds Change Management Analysis

McDonalds Change Management Analysis INTRODUCTION McDonalds is the worlds largest fast food chain serving more than eight million customers daily. It starts its operation by giving franchise right, affiliated company and starting its own unit. Source of revenue generations are rent, royalties received from franchise or sales units operated by McDonalds. Main products of McDonalds are hamburger, chicken, cheese burger, break fast item, soft drinks and deserts. It is rapidly growing organization; it generated 9% more net income in 2007 than the year 2006. In order to sustain its sell in the market and make company more profitable McDonalds is focusing to bring some changes. It is utmost priority of every organization that it should improve itself in order to strengthen its capabilities and sustain its competitive advantage. It strives for the attainment of this purpose in shape of introducing change management in the organization. In order to remain in the market with full potential management of the organization and lower staff must be ready to bring the change because environment is dynamic and it is rapidly changing and businesses are going to be complex. It is necessary for the organizations to bring changes to operate and keep itself competitive in this dynamic environment. Business world is continuously changing and new technologies and innovative products have been introduced on daily basis and most of the organizations are accepting theses change even they are not willing to accept. It is because of change benefits, changes bring improvement. When a person accept change and cope up with changes and equipped himself/herself then he/ she becomes d ifferent from other. His worth exceeds than that of the person who does not keep himself/herself up to date. If any employee enhances his/her skill with new technology, his/ her efficiency increase, can perform better than previous, increase the productivity of the organization. Thats why it has been observed in the most of the organizations that they adopt changes quickly because they understand the worth of change. They try to equip their employees with modern technology as their performance gets improved. Change is very important for every organization. Companies and business adopt change and incorporate it in their organization for fulfilling the needs of suppliers and customers and to remain competitive in market. We can define change as implementation of new activity; the main purpose of that activity is to enhance the productivity by applying new policies and procedures. Change management process and change implementation has different strategies to change, so the change process is very complex and comprehensive. The most important approach in change implementation process is one which brings accomplishment. Changes in organization are essential at different activates such as modification in management system, change in operations, change in organization structure and change in other activities which management may consider important. Change in necessary when management is facing problem in current system or for getting better the performance of the organization the management may modify the current system or implement change in any activity. The factors that may bring change may be internal and external. Different activities and different new strategies can be introduced tat different level, and these changes and modifications may be restricted or unrestricted, common or general in nature. Internal factors for change may include the following: Change in structure of organization Increase in business needs Alteration in business plan Modification in goals of business External factors for change may include: Technology growth Changes in economic conditions that affect the profitability or value of money Requirement of electronic and technological services It is the primary responsibility of the McDonalds to bring changes in order to achieve organizational goals and objective in effective manner, due to that it must plan from initial stage of change to proper implementation. For the effective implementations of the change and successful results of the change organization must focus on Individuals and their relationships and continuous improvement system is introduced in which change is carried on properly. In order to improve the organization and bring change successfully, McDonald should consider the issues wisely and come up with positive solution that may break hinders. At each stage organization should take action to overcome the resistance and implement change properly. NEED FOR CHANGE The extent of the change management in McDonald as companys marking plans is restricted to execution of incorporated marketing communication. For bringing new things and new activities in organization, the marketing, advertising and promotional operations of the organization must be focused. Normally different communication mediums are used for marketing and advertising and considered as aid for offering services and ideas and products. Different kinds and different types of communication media are used for marketing and advertising the products. The concentration shall be given on marketing, advertising and promotion in integrated marketing operation.   The part of new marketing plans of the McDonald, integrated marketing operation shall be highlighted by this change and new modification. The basic idea of the integrated market operations is to implement change related to health, which spread the information about current development in health and the increasing ration of fatness among children and adults for creating target marketing. The objective of integrated market operation is to launch new products for children, and to reduce the effect of growing bad perception about McDonald among the individuals. The marketing approach which focuses on the peoples heath will provide information to parents and children about the new product of McDonald McKids, and about differences between new product and existing products. If the integrated marketing communication system is successfully implemented, then it would provide successful marketing, advertising and public relations operations for efficiently introducing the new products of McDonald to general community. The organization should form a team for bringing new activities that would handle the necessary issues for this change. The new dietary material information of new product has also uploaded on McDonald (Bahrain) website. This change will mainly concentrate on marketing and sale promotion. Nowadays, the men u of McDonald for children has facing the problem of criticism. The integrated marketing communication has been implemented by the McDonald for changing the perception of people about the kid menu of McDonald. Through integrated marketing communication, it will also be ensured that the mission and vision that the McDonald is utilizing has been highlighted in every advertisement or promotion or not. RESISTANCE TO CHANGE It is the well known fact that when any organization brings changes, it faces difficulties while implementing these changes. Resistance may occur before implementing the change, during implementing the change and after implementing the change. thats why these changes are carefully managed as organizations can avoid adverse outcomes of the change because change is brought for the betterment of the organization and   management expects some thing better from that change, if it is not properly implemented and it get victimized of extreme resistance then the expected result would be inverse. It is the priority of the organization that it should manage the change proper way and for this purpose open talks with employees are conducted in order to know the view of the employees because change will directly effect on the employees and if they do not accept it, organization would not achieve desired results. Now it is the responsibility of top authorities to find out ways that can bring org anization up as well as they must terrace out he ways through which that change will be implemented successfully. McDonald is striving to encounter the environmental changes by bringing changes in its promotional activities, by making changes it can respond the external and internal factor that are rapidly changing. Change will be made in promotional activities in which organization will boost its image in the mind of customer. Because of that change McDonald is facing some problems to implement the change that is resistance from employees side. Problems that have been encountered by employees are misperception and negative reaction by the customer and employees, culture is not supporting for these changes. Major problem is reaction by employees and customer regarding the implementation of this change. a few of the employees are in favour of changes, they want that integrated marketing communication should be implemented. Others are resisting implementing that change. They are opposing change because they fear that company is going in wrong direction. They think company what ever is expecting would not attain it but it would encounter more problems due to this change. It is also a problem that those who suggested the change to be implemented are not able to properly convey the outcome the organization would gain from that change. Though technology is rapidly developing in these days, information technology has grown more rapidly than any other technology. specifically in the information technology, if organization purchases computers and uses it for marketing purpose as McDonald is expecting to bring the changes but the issue is that, with the passage of time these computer would be outdated and company will have to replace them. It may cause severe losses for the company. This issue has been raised not only by employees but also by customer thats why they are opposing to bring changes. This has created big issue for the McDonalds because it would not be able to achieve desired results that it is expecting from that change. Company may lose the key employees those who basically operate that change because due to resistance many of the employees may quit the McDonald and McDonald may require a number of other employees who can operate and run this change. It is purely technical task and only IT literate person can handle it. Every organization faces barrier when it comes with innovative idea as McDonald is going to implement new change it also facing barriers and organizations success depends upon the change. Barriers may not be in shape of resistance but they may be resources that required bringing change. Stakeholder may resist because they may not rely the proper usage of that communication media, there may short fall of amount because its implementation requires finance. MANAGING THE RESISTANCE It is the responsibility of McDonalds that how wisely it deals these issues because these issues are not as bigger as they are perceived, for this purpose it must ensure the employees that the change is not going to hurt them rather it would be beneficial for the organization and if organization will move in right direction then ultimate benefit will be given to employees. Major problem that is with this change in technology that McDonald is going to introduce is not long lasting because computer is rapidly changing, the growth ration in this sector is high. So stakeholder fear that if this change is brought then it would not be the permanent solution, organization may have to change in future. Thats why it should be considered wisely that technology should perform long lasting duration. Information regarding the change will be provided to the employees would be accurate and every one can easily understand. Third issue that McDonalds have to ensure that after implementation how this program will be carried on, the follow up of this program will be ensured by the top authority of management. Necessary training must be provided to the employees who would directly interact with this change and handle all the activities that would occur after change. McDonalds should provide necessary things to carry on the functions that would be run by the employees. There are differences in cultures among the employees who are working in McDonalds. They would not synchronize the activities with the changes because of their differences in culture thats why it would be more difficult for the management of McDonalds to implement the change properly. Apart from that this is most difficult type of conflict; the reason for this conflict would not be change. While implementing the change McDonalds must ensure that who would be responsible to manage the change if any cultural difference is found it must be observed and they must terrace out subcultures to overcome this problem. They must identify that that would be empowered by this change. For solving these types of problems, the executives of McDonald should form a successful culture of the organization, and tough organization by the use of good control of the stakeholders in organization; they should also provide their needs and wants which they require for the motivation of stakeholders which benefit the stakeholders as well as company. For certifying or confirming the continued success in change implementation, some elements are part of human capital management strategy and plan. These elements include processes and procedures for work, design and structure of organization, management performance and program for providing compensation. Some of the customers of McDonald have also created problems in implementation of change in organization. The McDonald should introduce governance process for ensuring the equality among employees and controlling the people of different cultures. The managing and controlling of people in organization is very difficult and challenging task, if we give careful consideration, attention and focus, on it then it will increase loyalty of employees and hardworking which will benefit the organization and employees. If the management provide reasonable time, advance information, incremental peoples for doing job effectively and provide extra hands and minds then the employees work more than what is expected from them. The not availability of any support in achieving the success from processes is the main clash in execution of change. Change can be implemented in different phases; it can not be implemented just by any decision. The people which are involves in change process must go through their experiences for realizing the objectives of the modification. For success in implementing change and solve these types of clashes the management of McDonald should that the information regarding the change objectives and purposes has been properly distributed to all stakeholders and these all stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers, staff should realize that they are m ain source and vital for these changes. The management must be able to identify and predict problems which may be faced by organization and those problems may hamper the employees and other stakeholders from supporting the change. RECOMMENDATIONS To shifting the behaviour and perception of the children about healthy fast food may be very complicated, so success of these changes is very doubtful. There Is also indications to be successful in change implementation because of good features of integrated marketing communication. McDonald should ensure that the new advertisement for the new image has been reached to every child in all countries where the products of the company are available, for this the company may use different types of media that disperse the information. These new advertisements for building image of McDonald should also reach to the parent because these are the parents who purchase the food for their children, and these advertisements should persuade the parents to encourage their children for eating healthy and dietary food. There are many ways for changing and innovation, the more concentration is given to research and development. Novelty can be achieved by less formal changes in the job by exchanging and merging professional experience or other approaches may also be used. Innovation can be defined as new ides, new goods, new activities, new services or practices initiated by organization which are useful in achieving the objective of the business. Innovation is much debated area in modern world, whether the innovation is based on new knowledge or expertise or based on needs of societies or communities and market requirements. The common factor in successful innovation is acknowledgement of demands rather than acknowledgement of technical problems. This innovation will positively result for McDonald; it should try its level best to implement this change any way. For the implementation of this change if it has to encounter few problems its must concentrate on it and try to resolve this problem. There are many possibilities for the McDonalds that it would bring revolution in the food industry and will gain competitive advantage. Thought it is food producing company if it crates this promotional activity not only it would attract customer but also affects positively in the minds customers. CONCLUSION It is utmost priority of every organization that it should improve itself in order to strengthen its capabilities and sustain its competitive advantage. It strives for the attainment of this purpose in shape of introducing change management in the organization. It is the primary responsibility of the McDonalds to bring changes in order to achieve organizational goals and objective in effective manner, due to that it must plan from initial stage of change to proper implementation. The extent of the change management in McDonald as companys marking plans is restricted to execution of incorporated marketing communication. For bringing new things and new activities in organization, the marketing, advertising and promotional operations of the organization must be focused. Normally different communication mediums are used for marketing and advertising and considered as aid for offering services and ideas and products. Resistance may occur before implementing the change, during implementing the change and after implementing the change. thats why these changes are carefully managed as organizations can avoid adverse outcomes of the change because change is brought for the betterment of the organization and   management expects some thing better from that change, if it is not properly implemented and it get victimized of extreme resistance then the expected result would be inverse. Information regarding the change will be provided to the employees would be accurate and every one can easily understand. Third issue that McDonalds have to ensure that after implementation how this program will be carried on, the follow up of this program will be ensured by the top authority of management. This innovation will positively result for McDonald; it should try its level best to implement this change any way. For the implementation of this change if it has to encounter few problems its must concentrate on it and try to resolve this problem.  

white noise :: essays research papers

The central conflict between Jack and Babette Gladney is basically the struggle for control and also the struggle for who is more afraid of death. Jack Gladney throughout the whole novel tries to think that he knows his wife Babette he tries to control her thoughts by saying she is supposed to act a certain way. Jack wants to be the one afraid of death and at the same time wants to get rid of his fear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story Jack confronts Babette about the medicine she is taking, he wants to know what it is and why she is taking it. He tells her that if she doesn’t tell him the reasons that Denise will. Jack is very understanding and tells her to take her time telling him. Babette tells him that Gray Research was conducting human experiments on fear and then decided not to conduct them on humans but on computers. She told Jack how she made a deal with â€Å"Mr. Gray† and in exchange to continue with the experiment with Dylar (the drug) she would give him her body. Jacks reaction to this was not the kind you’d expect when your wife is telling you she cheated on you. He was mostly calm, stayed laying in bed, and even offered Babette some Jell-O with banana slices that Steffie had made. Jack went on asking why Babette needed this drug and what it’s purpose was. He wanted to know why they couldn’t test on animals. Babette answered, â€Å"That’s just the point. No animal has this condition. This is a human condition. Animals fear many things, Mr. Gray said. But their brains aren’t sophisticated enough to accommodate this particular state of mind.†(195) Jack then was starting to realize what Babette was getting at. This is when the emotion kicks in for him. Now he feels all the emotions he was supposed to feel when she told him he cheated on him. He states, â€Å"My body went cold. I felt hollow inside.† (195) He was waiting for her answer. She tells him, â€Å"I’m afraid to die..I think about it all the time. It won’t go away.†(195) He responds with, â€Å"Don’t tell me this, this is terrible.† Jack’s reaction to Babette’s fear seems misplaced. He is more upset that she could possibly be more afraid of death than him than he seemed to be about her sleeping with Mr. Gray. He goes on trying to tell Babette that maybe she isn’t sure that she is afraid of death, â€Å"death is so vague.† He tries to tell her that it might be her weight or height that is her problem.

Lenin And Problems After The October Revolution Essay -- History Histo

Lenin and Problems After the October Revolution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The initial difficulties faced by the new Soviet Union were to severe that its survival seemed almost miraculous. The remains of the czarist regime left Lenin to face a country wrought with war, devastated economically. Russia's involvement in World War I, followed by its Civil War, wide spread famine and a change in political and social ideology were the problems confronting Lenin after the October Revolution. Lenin did succeed in ending both the war with Germany and the Civil War for Russia. Yet, the economic and social aspects of the revolution can be more critically assessed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lenin knew the importance of ending Russian involvement in World War I. On March 3, 1918 Russia lost 1/3 of its fertile farm lands, 1/3 of its population, 2/3 of its coal mines and oil fields and 1/2 of its heavy industry to German peace terms. Though the treaty of Brest-Litovsk was harsh, the terms were annulled once the Allied powers defeated Germany. Lenin managed to end the war that had for so long depressed Russia's resources and morale. He succeeded in focusing on the severe internal problems of the new government, and in â€Å" saving the socialist republic† . One of the largest problems that Russia faced prior to the October Revolution was finally ended, though its effects were still to be felt.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost immediately afterwards, in 1918, Civil War begins. The battling White Army divided amongst different leader...

Negotiation and Culture: Case Study

Culture and Negotiations Why do Japanese negotiators behave in the manner they do? How does culture affect negotiating behavior and outcomes? MASTER THESIS Author’s name: Patrycja J. Krause Student’s number: 258891 Academic advisor: Soren O. Hilligsoe Faculty of English Aarhus School of Business May 2006 I would like to thank my Mom, Barbara, for her understanding, encouragement and eternal support, as well as my advisor, Soren O. Hilligsoe, for his academic help, advice and faith in me keeping my deadline! Patrycja J.Krause Aarhus, May 2006 In loving memory of my Dad, Wladyslaw, for showing me the world – this one is for you. 2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 5. 1 5. 2 5. 3 5. 4 5. 5 6. 7. 8. INTRODUCTION METHOD WHY JAPAN? DEFINITION OF CULTURE AND VALUES HOFSTEDE’S VALUE DIMENSIONS POWER DISTANCE UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE COLLECTIVISM VERSUS INDIVIDUALISM FEMININITY VERSUS MASCULINITY LONG-TERM VERSUS SHORT-TERM ORIENTATION CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON HOFSTEDE EDWARD HALL CULTU RAL DIMENSIONS 4 6 7 9 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 19 20 21 23 25 26 28 30 40 43 47 59 61 64 65 . 1 CONFUCIANISM 8. 2 IE 8. 3 THE WA-CONCEPT 8. 4 ISOLATION 8. 5 UNIQUENESS 8. 6 WESTERN INFLUENCE 9. 9. 1 10. 11. 12. 13. JAPANESE NEGOTIATOR THE NANIWABUSHI STRATEGY BRETT & USUNIER CASE STUDIES CONCLUSION SUMMARY REFERENCES APPENDIX 3 1. Introduction This paper wants to provide a culture-based explanation, examination and analysis as to why Japanese negotiators behave in the manner they do in negotiation, as well as how culture affects negotiations and their outcome.The paper is, due to the focus on cultural differences, solely dealing with international negotiations. This paper is focusing on the cultural aspect of the negotiation, which is only one piece of a larger puzzle, but it is a crucial and decisive piece. It is now widely accepted that culture indeed has an affect on negotiation and its outcome, which reflects a given culture and the underlying values and beliefs that are central and fundamental in a culture.The culture can be defined as being both behavior, a meaning system and a communication style, and there is a link between the dominant world view present in a given culture (Japan), and the negotiating style that appears to be characteristic of that culture. This paper is not to depict a stereotypical image of a Japanese negotiator, but merely to show that culture indeed does influence the behavior, negotiations and their outcome. It should also be kept in mind that (a) the negotiation is a universal process, and (b) there are a number of contextual factors that too have an impact on the cultures’ impact on the negotiation – e. . the nature of the other party (member of an in-group or an out-group), and the individual difference, although a member of a collectivistic culture tends to suppress his personality and individuality in order to maintain group harmony. This paper is to focus on a Japanese negotiator, who is dominated by his cultu ral values, and his interaction (in a negotiation) with a member of an out-group (foreigners and people that do not have a long term relationship with the Japanese negotiator), and a member of the in-group (fellow Japanese with established long-term relationships).Several studies and surveys (e. g. Brett and Usunier) have shown that culture does affect the negotiation process and the final agreement or outcome of the negotiations. Nevertheless, while there have been a number of studies that have explored the behavior of negotiators from different cultures, only very few have dealt with the underlying reasons – why people from a given culture behave the way they do.Additionally, most theorists and scholars have relied on the value dimensions index, depicting the differences between cultures, developed by Hofstede between 1968 and 1973. Hofstede’s research has undoubtedly helped people understand other cultures, but there is also a need to understand the underlying reaso ns why people from a given culture behave the way they do – the so-called mental frames that are shaping the behavior of Japanese negotiators. 4Otherwise, negotiators tend to create their own interpretation of the behavior of the other party, which without the necessarily cultural knowledge may lead to prejudices and ultimately lack of trust (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 125-160). For instance, trust in individualistic societies is based on the fact that a promise that will be implemented on a specific time or day, whereas trust in collectivistic societies is based on emotions and relationships as well as on sacrifice.The other party may thus think the Japanese negotiator do not want to reach an agreement within a week because they are difficult and want to sabotage the negotiation or untrustworthy, rather than the Japanese are relationship oriented rather than task oriented. They thus want to establish a relationship before they reach an agreement and need more time in order to re ach an agreement because it is based on group consensus. The paper starts by giving a definition and an analysis of culture and values in general in order to delimit and define the cultural framework that is the fundament of this paper.The culture and values of Japan are then to be described and discussed in order to show which cultural factors and dimensions in Japan determine and influence the Japanese negotiator, as well as serving as a an introductory guide to Japanese culture and society – hopefully, the guide will present both useful and interesting knowledge to all those interested in cross-cultural negotiations and intercultural communication. Two frameworks are presented and used in order to gain deeper behavior knowledge of culture: Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension and Hall’s Silent Language and Beyond Culture.Next, the paper discusses and analyzes Japanese negotiating styles and techniques 1 , and how they are influenced by the Japanese culture and cultu ral values. For this purpose, different aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication are to be discussed as well, and the paper is to analyze the meaning of these aspects in the context of negotiations. Finally, the paper is to take a look at two real life cases involving Japanese negotiators in order to illustrate behavior patterns and negotiation styles and techniques of Japanese negotiators.The author of this paper would argue that in an increasingly interdependent world, the ability to negotiate successfully is an important skill, and understanding the mindset and the behavior of the Japanese negotiator is essential and fundamental for successful negotiations. 1 Mainly focusing on the male negotiator, being the dominant player during negotiations in Japan. 5 Being aware of the reasons why the Japanese negotiator behaves and communicates they way he does, one may be less surprised or shocked by Japanese behavior, and may be better at focusing on, and handling, the negotiation i tself.Knowledge of culture and cultural values of the other party works as an uncertainty avoidance in negotiations, and helps building trust in stead of tarnishing it with prejudices, which ultimately leads to a dead lock or even break downs. 2. Method The research concerning this paper was mainly carried out in the form of a desktop study method – all the data were carefully collected mainly from secondary sources, such as, studies, surveys, as well as statistics and articles.The paper is culture-based, and the chosen data depict this approach – all the scholars referred quoted and referred to are specializing in culture, intercultural communication, as well negotiating. In order to give a general overview of the Japanese culture as well as to determine what type of values are predominant in Japan, the paper refers to and applies Hofstede’s five value dimensions index – masculinity/femininity, collectivism/individualism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term versus short-term orientation and power distance.Additionally, the paper is also to refer to Hall’s theory on the difference between high and low context and cultures, and the concept of Chronemics, in order to identify the Japanese culture and how these differences and concepts influence a negotiation. Also, several historical concepts (e. g. the ie-concept, geographical isolation, Western influence, etc. and Confucianism, which is one of the cultural dimensions that have influenced the Japanese worldview, are to be described and discussed in order to explain why the Japanese negotiator behaves in the manner he does, and how the historical events and Confucianism affect the culture and the behavior in Japan. Hofstede’s work has been criticized over the years for being incomplete, static and too narrow. The paper is thus to discuss the critical perspectives on Hofstede in order to show that the author has been aware of the possible disadvantages, when using Hofstedeâ €™s five value dimensions index. Additionally, Brett and Usunier are also discussed in the paper when dealing with the connection and interaction between culture and negotiation – how does culture affect negotiations. Both Brett and Usunier argue that in order to reach an agreement, the negotiators need to be aware of each other’s culture and cultural values, as well as understand the reasons for the way the other part behaves during negotiations. Finally, two real life case studies have been analyzed in order to depict the culture-based theory described and discussed in this paper.The reason for using case studies was to give a more holistic portrayal of a Japanese negotiator, while analyzing the contents by seeking patterns and themes in the data while referring them to the culture-based theory (e. g. culture and values and how they influence ones behavior and negotiating style) in this paper. Additionally, using case study is the best way to obtain data for anal ysis when one is not able to make actual field studies by observing Japanese negotiators in action. Both case studies depict the Japanese negotiators interacting and negotiating with members of an out-group, the Americans.This is due to the fact that the author of this paper would argue that when observing two different cultures one observes reactions that may not be present when both parties had the same cultural background, which would ultimately result in a smoother negotiation. Additionally, this paper deals with international negotiations and the importance of knowing and understanding the other party’s culture and cultural values. The case studies are thus used to highlight the focus of the paper – why Japanese negotiators behave in the manner they do in a negotiation, as well as how culture affects negotiations and their outcome. . Why Japan? The author of this paper has chosen to focus on Japan and the cultural values and behavior of a Japanese negotiator due t o the following factor: Japan’s consumer market. In order to know how attractive Japan is as a business associate, and thus how important it is to know the Japanese culture and negation behavior in order to win the market and succeed in the country, a brief description of the Japanese consumer market will now be given – its size, its consumers and its products.Japan is a closely populated and highly urbanized country with one of the most powerful economies in the world, currently amongst the top three economies in the world, although still rebounding from the collapse of the country’s economy back in 1991. 7 According to the Statistical Handbook of Japan, consumption expenditures increased by approximately 0. 5 percent in real terms due to such factors as the indication of an economic recovery and improvement in consumer sentiment (Statistical Handbook of Japan, 2005 2 : 158).Statistical Handbook of Japan states: As of May 2005, the excellent performance of the corporate sector is continuing, and overall business is recovering gradually. Recovery of employment is lagging slightly. However, the unemployment rate, which was 5. 4 percent in 2002, recovered to 4. 4 percent in May 2005. As seen in this state of affairs, there is some improvement, although harshness still remains. The growth of consumer spending, which slowed between the end of 2004 and early 2005, is showing signs of a resurgence (Statistical Handbook of Japan, 2005: 33 3 ).Due to its geographical nature, Japan cannot supply all its needs for raw material for energy and fuel, metal products, and foods from indigenous resources, and is thus dependent on overseas supplies. In 1996 Japan had an overall deficit in food of about 30 % – in 2003 it was approximately 40 %. According to Statistical Handbook of Japan, the present food self-sufficiency rate of Japan is the lowest among major industrialized countries, so Japan has thus become the world's largest food importing natio n (Statistical Handbook of Japan, 2005: 69 4 ).This makes Japan an attractive market with its 127 million consumers, where women are a majority and retired people outnumber the youngest age strata, and are thus the most significant consumer group (Reischauer, 1995: 25). Additionally, the Japanese are well educated and households have a fairly disposable income, in which the majority of it is spent on food. According to the 2004 Family Income and Expenditure Survey, monthly consumption expenditure averaged ? 304,203per household with two or more family members excluding single-member households (Statistical Handbook of Japan, 2005: 158 5 ). Appendix 1 – Household 3 Appendix 2 – Economy 4 Appendix 3 – Agriculture 5 Appendix 1 – Household 8 Japan is the world’s largest net importer of agriculture and food products (in 2003 alone, the country has imported over 60 % of its food supplies), amounting to US$ 40 to 50 billion annually. Thus, the Japanese fo od market is powerful but demanding (Agri-Food Country Profile: Japan, 2003: 1 6 ). Needless to say, it is a relatively difficult task to target a foreign, and rather remote, market as it may require extra resources and special cultural knowledge.Therefore, it is valuable to study the values and the culture of Japan before entering the country’s market in order to promote and sell a product. 4. Definition of Culture and Values This chapter is to describe and define culture and values in general in order to delimit and define the cultural framework that is the fundament of this paper. At first glace, the human race behaves more or less alike – we smile, laugh and cry. We talk, gesticulate, and perform actions. Nevertheless, our behavior is influenced by our cultures – through the norms and rules existing in our society.Our cultures also affect our communication through the individual characteristics we learn when we are socialized into our culture. In short, our culture provides us with a system of knowledge that generally allows us to know how to communicate with other members of our culture and how to interpret their behavior. Culture can thus be defined as an underlying framework that guides an individual’s perceptions of observed events and personal interaction, and thus directly influences what people will do and what they can do. In short, knowing and using culture and its many dimensions is a must know negotiating with foreigners.Culture includes all learned behavior and values that are transmitted through shared experience to an individual in a society. According to Sir Edward Taylor, a classic definition of culture is as follows: â€Å"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by (individuals as members) of society. † (Taylor, 1871: 1). Culture is thus everything that people have (objects), think (ideas, values, attitudes, b eliefs), and do (behavior) as members of a particular society.Culture is made up of material objects, ideas, values and attitudes, and behavior patterns (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 14-19, Yokochi & Hall, 2001: 193). 6 Appendix 4 9 Additionally, according to Hall, a culture must have the following three characteristics: 1. It is learned; people over time transmit the culture of their group from one generation to another 2. It is interrelated; one part of a particular culture is deeply interconnected with another part – e. g. religion with marriage, or education and work with social status 3.It is shared; the basic concepts of a particular culture are accepted by most members of the group. In other words, culture develops through recurrent social relationships that form a pattern that is eventually adapted by members of the entire group, and transmitted to new members through the process of learning and interacting with ones environment and other members of ones culture (Hall, 1977 : 16). The most fundamental aspect of our culture consists of values. Values are acquired in the family, during the first years of our lives, further developed and confirmed in school, and einforced in work organizations and in life within a national cultural environment. Values determine what we consider to be good and evil, beautiful and ugly, natural and unnatural, rational and irrational, normal and abnormal (Ghauri & Usunier, 2003: 97-100, 137-138). Values too are a major influence and determination factor when it comes to behavior and communication during a negotiation. Values are defined by the particular culture, hence the importance of understanding the value concept and culture when negotiating with foreigners. One of the early U. S. esearches of values, Milton Rokeach, defines a value 7 as: â€Å"An enduring belief that one mode of conduct or end-state of existence is preferable to an opposing mode of conduct or end-state of existence†. According to Rokeach values are thus both guiding principles in life, and preferences for one mode of behavior over another. Values are depicted in the general norms of a culture (what is right and wrong), and they are depicted in what we want and what we consider important for ourselves. Values are also among the very first things children learn – implicitly – by observing the community, kyodotai in Japanese (e. . parents and people around them). 7 An attitude, on the other hand, refers to an organization of several beliefs around a specific object or situation. 10 According to the American development psychologist, Daniel Yankelovich, most important traditional values will remain firm and constant over time, and are thus stable and enduring through generations (de Mooij, 2004: 22-26). It is thus essential to remember that the intercultural communication and negotiation are never far from cultural considerations (Roth, 1982: 6).This assumption was mistakenly conceived from the converging technol ogy and the spread of the English language that was taking place globally (de Mooij, 2004: 1-18). One has to remember though that globalization is not an entirely new phenomenon. In fact, some would argue that it even dates back at least to the Marco Polo’s voyages in the 1300s, and the fundamental values of the many different cultures have not changed significantly since then. People still live in the local. We define ourselves by our differences.It’s called identity – self, family and nation† (de Mooij, 2004: 16). Human behavior is learned and growing up in a culture, a person is taught values, perceptions, wants and how to behave from the family and other institutions (Lasserre & Schutte, 1995: 49-59). For instance, in today’s Japan, group harmony is still dominating the nation's behavior, seniority by age is still respected, and promotion in most public and private organizations is based on the length of service, which is usually connected to th e age of the individual.Reciprocity is emphasized in social relations in order to maintain a long-lasting relationship. Values and traditions do not easily change in a society. 5. Hofstede’s value dimensions This chapter is to describe and discuss the Dutch professor, Geert Hofstede’s, value dimension index, which is based on the first international survey taking place in IBM in more than 50 different countries from 1968 to 1973 (Hofstede, 2001: xv), mainly focusing on Japan in order to determine what type of culture is present in Japan.According to Hofstede, the way people perceive and interpret their world varies along five dimensions, and are as follows: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism/individualism, and masculinity/femininity. Finally, Hofstede added a fifth dimension called long-term orientation in life versus short-term orientation. Each of the countries in Hofstede’s study has been ranked according to their scores in each dimension. 11 According to Hofstede a dimension is: â€Å"†¦an aspect of a culture that can be measured relative to other cultures. Additionally, Hofstede defines culture as: â€Å"The collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another† (Hofstede, 2001: 9). 5. 1 Power distance Power distance refers to the inequality among people, which the population of a country considers acceptable. There is inequality in all societies, and thus there will always be some people who have more power than other. In some cultures power is concentrated among a few people at the top, who make all the decisions, whereas people at the other end simply carry out these decisions.Such cultures are associated with high power distance levels. In other cultures, on the other hand, power is widely spread and relations among people are more equal. These are low power distance cultures. (Hofstede, 1991: 23) According to Hofstede’s value dimensio ns Japan scores 55 points – placing it in the middle of the index (Hofstede, 1991: 26). In countries which have a high power distance employees dislike to disagree with their superiors. Superiors are seen as paternalistic, and subordinates expect to be told what to do.There is also a large emotional distance between subordinates and their superiors (Hofstede, 1991: 28). When it comes to family and school, parents will teach children to be obedient and the children will treat their parents with respect, just as students will treat their teachers with respect. In high power distance societies inequalities among people are in general expected and desired (Hofstede, 1991: 37). In Japan this inequality is especially expressed in the oya-ko concept (literally meaning parentchild), which originally refers to a leader or a work group and its members.As work and home began to separate during the beginning of modern period of Japan oya and ko began to have a strictly kinship meaning â €“ with no economic aspect – such as it had until the Tokugawa period where the ie (extended household) was more than just a family or a kinship unit – it was an economic organization in which each of its members (not always related to each other by blood or marriage) contributed towards it (Harumi, 1971: 38-39). 12 5. 2 Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance describes the need or lack of need a society has towards written or unwritten rules and how it deals with structured or unstructured situations.At the organizational level, uncertainty avoidance is related to factors such as rituals, rules, and employment stability. People in less structured cultures face the future without experiencing unnecessarily stress. The uncertainty associated with future events does not result in risk avoidance behavior. On the other hand, in cultures where people experience stress in dealing with future events, high uncertainty avoidance cultures, various steps are taken to cope with the impact of uncertainty: e. g. long-time planning in order to minimize the anxiety associated with future events.Japan scores 92 points and is seen as a country with high uncertainty avoidance, where there are many regulations and a strong etiquette in order to avoid uncertainty (Hofstede, 1991: 113). 5. 3 Collectivism versus individualism According to several researchers within the field of culture, individualism versus collectivism is one of the basic pattern variants that determine human action. It is a pattern that is visible in every day life, as well as being present in the interaction between people. Individualism indicates the degree to which people of a particular culture learn to act as individuals rather than as members of a group.It is essential to remember that all people and cultures posses both individual and collective traits, but at the same time one of these traits is always more dominant or more visible than the other (Samovar & Porter, 2004: 59). A typica l collectivistic culture distinguishes between in-groups (relatives, clans, and organizations), and out-groups (the rest of ones network). Ones’ in-groups can be defined as ones’ extended family – like the one found in the Japanese society throughout the history; also known as ie.People from individualistic cultures are self-centered, and feel relatively little need for dependency on others. They seek the fulfillment of their own goals over the goals over the groups. Additionally, people from individualistic cultures are competitive, and show little loyalty to the organizations for which they work. 13 People from collectivistic cultures, on the other hand, have a group mentality (with e. g. joint decision making), where they suppress and subordinate their goals for the sake of the group. They are interdependent on each other and seek mutual accommodation in order to maintain group harmony.People in a collectivistic culture expect that their in-groups will take c are of them and in return they owe the in-groups a great deal of loyalty and submission (Samovar & Porter, 2004: 61). Children who grow up in collectivistic societies are expected to show lifelong loyalty to the group (Hofstede, 1991: 50-51). In short, individualism versus collectivism, deals with the degree to which one thinks in terms of I versus we – either ties between individuals are loose or people are part of cohesive ingroup throughout their lives (Samovar & Porter, 2004: 61).Contrary to the stereotype, Japan actually ranks in the middle of this dimension, with 46 points – but is still defined as being a collectivistic culture (Hofstede, 1991: 67). An interesting theory stated by Kumon Shumpei, a Japanese anthropologist, characterizes Japanese as contextualists rather than collectivists, as is the case in both Hofstede and Hall’s studies. A contextualist retains a personal identity, which the collectivist probably loses, but this personal identity is vir tually inseparable from the contextual identity.Thus, the individual changes, depending on the context he is in or the people he is with. One of the arguments Kumon makes to support the theory is that most Japanese belong to in-groups in order to reach a self-realization. But one could argue that even in these â€Å"self-realization in-groups† the members strive to maintain harmony and act for the benefit of the group, making them predominantly collectivistic (Hendry, 1998: 22-39). 5. 4 Femininity versus masculinity One of the main differentiations between masculine and feminine cultures is how gender roles are distributed in cultures.Thus masculine cultures create clearly distinct gender roles; men are supposed to be self-confident, tough and concerned with the material aspect of life, whereas women are expected to be modest, tender and dealing with the quality of life. Thus according to Hofstede Japan is a highly masculine culture (Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 77), whereas in mas culine countries both people are taught to be ambitious and competitive. It should be mentioned though that females’ ambitions are sometimes directed towards the achievements of their brothers and later in life their husbands and sons.According to Hofstede’s index, Japan is one of the more masculine countries, scoring 95 – ranking as number one (Hofstede, 1991: 96). 14 5. 5 Long-term versus short-term orientation Michael Harris Bond originally found the fifth dimension in the answers of student samples from 23 countries in 1985 in Hong Kong, and later it was incorporated by Hofstede in his value dimensions index. The reason why this dimension was not found in the original IBM data was due to the fact that the IBM questionnaires were composed from the minds and values of Westerners – whereas the fifth dimension was composed from the minds and values of Easterners.The fifth dimension, nevertheless, is present across all 23 cultures taking part in the survey (Hofstede, 2001: 71-73). Long-term orientation, also known as Confucian Dynamism, is composed of the following values: being determinate or firm, prudent, arranging relationships by status as well valuing interpersonal relationships, as well as having a sense of shame, saving ones face, having a great deal of respect for tradition and reciprocation of greetings, favors and gifts.Japan ranks as number 4 on the Long-term Orientation Index Values, with 80 points (Hofstede, 2001: 351356). 6. Critical perspectives on Hofstede There has been a great deal of critique of Hofstede’s value dimensions when dealing with culture analyses, which this paper will shortly discuss – simply to show that the author of this paper is indeed aware of the advantages as well as disadvantages when using Hofstede’s value dimensions in order to analyze a specific culture.One of the most recent Danish critical analyses was performed by Susan Baca at the Aalborg University where it is being argued that Hofstede’s IBM-based rapport which is supposed to depict characteristic traits visible in cultures cannot be used simply due to the fact that IBMemployees from a specific culture cannot be representative for the culture in question as a whole (Baca, 1999: 11). One can argue that since Hofstede published his IBM-based rapport several other culture-analytics (e. . Triandis, Brislin and Bond) have made further analyses, which do not exactly contradict Hofstede’s value dimensions. These analyses both support Hofstede’s dimensions, as well as having reached the same conclusions. One can also add that since the amount of IBM-employees amounted to hundreds of thousands it is only logical to conclude that one did find enough traits, which can be viewed as characteristic for the cultures in question. 15Another aspect of Hofstede’s survey-based value dimensions, which is being criticized is the fact that his model is static, and can ultimately not be u sed because surely the cultures in question studied by Hofstede must have changed over the time since he performed the survey from 1968 to 1973. This is one of the reasons why the paper is looking at the cultural and historical influence on Japanese behavior over time – in order to see if Hofstede’s value dimensions are still valid in the Japanese culture that this paper is dealing with.Susan Baca is also criticizing Hofstede for actually separating a given culture into several, isolated dimensions, strongly supported by Turner and Trompenaars. For instance, Hofstede is depicting the American culture as highly individualistic, but does not describe the interaction people have with each other among the different in-groups – and if one can categorize this interaction as being highly individualistic as well or not (Baca, 1999: 15). To this, the author of this paper can only say, using Hofstede’s own words that this paper’s main task is to study cultur es, and not individuals. (Hofstede, 2001: 15).Additionally, in order to back up Hofstede’s theory, this paper is also to refer to Hall’s theory on Chronemics as well as a more general cultural analysis of the Japanese culture. 7. Edward Hall Another cultural framework used in this paper in order to gain deeper behavior knowledge of the Japanese culture, is Hall’s concept of Chronemics as well as his theory on low-context and high-context cultures. According to the American sociologist, Edward Hall, the world is divided into monochronic and polychronic culture, also known as the concept of Chronemics. It is a nonverbal behavior that speaks to how people use time to communicate.Lateness, for example, can communicate messages of power (waiting in the doctor's office), attraction (arriving early for the first date), or identity (being â€Å"fashionably late†). Chronemics, like all other nonverbal behavior is culturally based. Different cultures have different rules governing the use and meaning of time. Hall's distinction between monochronic and polychronic cultures highlight the different ends of the cultural spectrums of how culture's view time. A culture’s conception of time can thus be examined from Hall’s monochronic and polychronic classifications. 16Monochronic cultures see time as a measurable, quantifiable entity, which is linear. Thus, being punctual, scheduling, planning tasks to match time frames are valued behaviors. In the monochronic culture time becomes a concrete and segmented reality where only one thing can be done at a time without interruptions. Additionally, in negotiations, monochronic people’s main focus is on goals, tasks and results, rather than relationships. Polychronic cultures, on the other hand, tend to view time as nonlinear – almost as a general guideline, which has no substance or structure. There is thus a circular or cyclical quality to time.Punctuality and scheduling is do ne but rarely found in monochronic cultures. Additionally, people from polychronic cultures are able to do many things at one time, and do not mind interruptions. Because time is not linear or segmented, matching specific activities with specific time frames is not done. Times and activities are fluid. Finally, in negotiations, polychronic people’s main focus is on relationships and people. Japan belongs to the polychronic cultures. In a negotiation context, the Japanese want to get to know their business counterparts, and they feel that the best way to do so is by engaging in long conversations with them.This reflects the fact that the Japanese culture is long-term relationship oriented. Negotiators from polychronic cultures are thus relationship-focused. Monochronic and polychronic time orientations tend to produce two other significant cultural phenomena: the difference between high and low context cultures, which refers to the fact that when people communicate, they take for granted how much the listener knows about the subject under discussion. Negotiators from monochronic cultures are thus deal-focused. Although Edward T.Hall classified Japan as a polychronic culture, Gesteland argues that the Japanese business people expect strict punctuality in meetings and close adherence to schedule. Punctuality in Japan might be ruled by the high level of uncertainty avoidance and the maintenance of group harmony, which is essential for the Japanese culture. Hall also discusses and distinguishes between high-context and low-context cultures. He views meaning and context as being interconnected. The difference between high and low context cultures depends on how much meaning is found in the context versus in the code. 17One can think of â€Å"code† as the message, and of â€Å"context† as setting or circumstance, including the people, in which the message appeared. In low-context communication, the listener knows very little and must be informed about every detail. In high-context communication, on the other hand, the listener is already ‘contexted', and does not need to be given much background information. According to Hall, low-context cultures, such as the American culture, tend to place more meaning in the language code and very little meaning in the context. Communication tends thus to be specific, explicit, and analytical.In analyzing messages, low-context cultures tend to focus on â€Å"what was said† and give literal meaning to each word. Low-context cultures tend to use a direct verbal-expression style in which the situation context is not emphasized, important information is usually carried in explicit verbal messages, people tend to directly express their opinions and intend to persuade others to accept their viewpoints, and self-expression, verbal fluency, and eloquent speech are valued. In high-context cultures, on the other hand, such as the Japanese culture, meaning is embedded more in the conte xt rather than the code.In this case, â€Å"what was said† cannot be understood by the words alone – one has to look at who said it, when they said it, where they said it, how they said it, the circumstances in which they said it, and to whom they said it. Each variable will thus help define the meaning of â€Å"what was said. † Hall states: People raised in high-context systems expect more from others than do the participants in lowcontext systems. When talking about something that they have on their minds, a high-context individual will expect his interlocutor to know what's bothering him, so that he doesn't have to be specific.The result is that he will talk around and around the point, in effect putting all the pieces in place except the crucial one (Hall: 1977, p. 98). This is also the case with the behavior of a Japanese negotiator – he expects the other party to know exactly what he wants to obtain from the negotiation, and what type of a deal he i s looking for. 18 In short, the difference between high and low context cultures depends on how much meaning is found in the context versus in the code, or, in high-context exchanges, much of the â€Å"burden of meaning† appears to fall on the listener.In low context cultures, the burden appears to fall on the speaker to accurately and thoroughly convey the meaning in her spoken or written message. Conclusively, according to Hall, Japan and the Japanese negotiator belongs to the polychronic culture type. Thus, in a negotiation context, the Japanese want to get to know their business counterparts by engaging in long conversations with them. This again reflects the fact that the Japanese culture is long-term relationship oriented. Additionally, Japan is a high-context culture, where meaning is embedded more in the context rather than the code.Japanese negotiators expect thus more from the other party and when something is bothering them, they tend to express this indirectly (fo r instance by using silence) (Cohen, 1997: 159-160, Rowland, 1993: 68-69). Finally, although Edward T. Hall classified Japan as a polychronic culture, Gesteland argues that the Japanese business people expect strict punctuality in meetings and close adherence to schedule. Punctuality in Japan might be ruled by the high level of uncertainty avoidance and the maintenance of group harmony, which is essential for the Japanese culture (Hall, 1973, 1977, Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 69, 179-180). 8.Cultural Dimensions This chapter is to discuss and analyze which values and cultural dimensions that are present and dominant in Japan in order to understand the behavior of a Japanese negotiator: Confucianism Ie The WA-concept Isolation – geographical & political Uniqueness Western influence 19 8. 1 Confucianism The cultural perspective has for some time provided the dominant paradigm in comparative studies management, organization and cross-cultural negotiations. Even before Hofstede’ s survey on cultural values, international studies of organization generally regarded culture as the key explanatory factor for cross-cultural differences.One of the most important influences on Japanese everyday life, culture and behavior was, and still is, Confucianism, which entered Japan via Korea in the 5th Century. Japanese culture and behavior reflect the values of collectivism and harmony, and are highly inspired and influenced by Confucianism. Confucius (Kongzi, 551-479 BC) writing around the time of Socrates but a while before Jesus Christ, based his ideas on absolute respect for tradition, on a strict hierarchy of primary relationships between family-members, and then again between the people and their rulers.His philosophy was intended to guide people’s everyday life, to regulate social behavior, and it established a mode of thought and habit that has persisted and that blended well with other belief systems that were and still are present in Japan, such as Buddhi sm and Shinto. The central concepts of the Confucian ethic were summarized in the Three Cardinal Relationships: ruler guides subject, father guides son, and husband guides wife), five constant virtues (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and fidelity, and the doctrine of the mean (harmony). In this teaching, emphasis is on the obligation of the inferior to the superior.The assumption is that society needs a hierarchical order in which every individual has his or her own place, and the peace and harmony prevail if everyone follows the proper manner of conduct. These concepts are the fundament of the Japanese society to this very day. Also, the Confucian teachings emphasized uprightness, righteousness, loyalty, sincerity, reciprocity, and benevolence as personal virtues. The principle of filial piety was especially useful during the Tokugawa period when family was the social and economic unity of society. Occupation and property belonged to the family.Continuation of the fa mily line was thus a primary concern because it was a necessity for keeping ones position and income. Individuals often sacrificed their happiness to ensure survival of the family. After Japan was centralized under the Meiji government in the 19th century, the concept of filial piety was expended to embrace the idea of loyalty to the emperor, who was regarded as the father of the nation. 20 The Confucian concepts of hierarchy in human society and respect for age were useful in the feudal society, also during the Tokugawa period, which was structured hierarchically.Its stability rested on individual’s dutiful fulfillment of obligations to their superiors and maintenance of proper conduct in daily life. The general rules of conduct were respect for seniors in social rank and age, and acknowledgement of the superiority of man over women. Additionally, Confucius laid down that Ren or benevolence was the supreme virtue the follower can attain. As a strictly natural and humanistic love, it was based upon spontaneous feelings cultivated through education. In order to attain Ren, you have to practice Li, which represents social norms.The latter can be interpreted as rituals, rites or proprieties and includes all moral codes and social institutions. As Li is a term for moral codes and social institutions, one could assume that the practice of Li is to enforce social conformity at the cost of the individual. However, an individual personality is not an entity cut off from the group. According to Confucius, in order to establish one self, one has to establish others. There is interdependence between the individual and the group that is essential in order to create harmony.The strong Japanese cultural preference for basing business transactions upon the quality of inter-personal relationships and for settling disputes through mediation rather than relying upon contracts and legal process can be seen to stem from this philosophy (McGreal: 1995). According to Confuci us, all societies deal with survival, production, distribution, and consumption – yet they all develop different systems in order to survive and obtain their ultimate goals and aims. Things have changed in the Japanese society when it comes to material and technological development.As far as human relations and communication with foreigners are concerned, things have not changed. One can say that Japan has modernized, but it has not westernized just yet (Kodansha, 1994: 202-218, McGreal, 1995: 5-7, Cohen, 1997: 159-160, Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 80, 119, 217, Samovar & Porter, 2004: 213-217). 8. 2 Ie Japan is a Shinto, Confucianism and Zen Buddhism inspired culture, Confucianism being the fundament, where everything and everyone is connected and relies on each other in order to exist. 21The concept of ie, or extended household/kinship unit in traditional Japan, thus containing more than close family members all living under the same roof – and under the authority of one m ale, describes this way of thinking, or the Japanese values, the best. The main focus in ie is on in-group benefits, harmony and family – where interdependence and togetherness is essential (de Mooij, 2004: 100-1003, Harumi, 1971). Although the ie-concept does not formally exist in the original form 8 , as it did during the pre-modern or feudal Japan, one still finds it in the underlying values of the Japanese people.The ie-concept 9 became dominant and visible during the Edo or Tokugawa period (16001867), where a strict political regime was introduced by the Tokugawa family, who, besides retaining large estates, also took control of major cities, ports and mines in Japan. Under Tokugawa rule, Japan entered a period of national seclusion (sakoku), where the Japanese were forbidden to travel to or return from overseas or to trade abroad. Only the Dutch, Chinese and Koreans were allowed to remain and they were placed under strict supervision.Additionally, to ensure political se curity, the daimyo were required to make ceremonial visits to Edo every other year, and their wives and children were kept in permanent residence in Edo as virtual hostages of the government. The cost of this constant movement and the family ties in Edo made it difficult for the daimyo to remain anything but loyal. At the lower end of society, farmers were subject to a severe system of rules, which dictated their food, clothing and housing. Social mobility from one class to another was blocked – social standing was determined by birth.Additionally, women in the Japanese society were fully submitted men 10 . Women were submitted either their fathers, husbands or in the case of widows, their eldest son – with no legal rights. Ie means extended household – thus containing more than close family members all living under the same roof – and under the authority of one male. Ie was formally abolished in 1947 with the introduction of the New Constitution, which p rescribed a more â€Å"Democratic† family system based on equal rights of husbands and wives. Inspired by Confucianism. 10 This submission was further supported by the Civil Code of 1898, which placed women in the family under the authority of men. 8 22 The patriarchal family structure, ie, was officially abandoned in 1947, but one can still sense its presence, in a revised form, in today’s Japanese society – both in the corporal system where the chief executive is the male, who has been working for the company longest time, and in family life where women take care of children and men provide for the well-being of the amily. Nevertheless, the rigid emphasis of these times on submitting unquestionably to rules of obedience and loyalty has lasted to the present day. Today the ie-concept is still visible in that Japanese businessmen do not entertain their business associates at home. There is both a practical and a social reason for not doing so. First of all, the typical Japanese home is small and a larger group of people simply cannot fit in. Second,† Home† for the Japanese is very private.It is generally only open to relatives, long-time friends, children’s friends and their own family – the so-called in-group. Additionally, salary has for many years been linked to the age of employees until they entered their forties to fifties age – a male worker had thus a lifetime-employment guarantee until they reached their fifties. However, this system does not operate in small-business sector. The seniority system is one of the special characteristics of Japanese employment practices.Since the 1990s, however, there has been a substantial increase in the number of companies, who are reconsidering this type of employment system, and progress is being made in introducing a new compensation system based on employee’s performance rather than their age and the amount of time they have worked for the company in ques tion (Sugimoto, 1997: 80, Kodansha, 1994: 117-118, Hendry, 1998: 22-39). In short, ie puts an emphasis upon continuity, succession practices, and some of the socioreligious (e. . volunteer organizations such as environmental movement groups) functions that still occupy an important place in Japan today (Refsing, 1990, 11-25, Bando, 1980: 27-29, Hendry, 1998: 22-39, Harumi, 1971: 38-39, Sugimoto, 1997: 80, Kodansha, 1994: 117-118) 8. 3 The Wa-concept According to Wierzbicka, cultural values and behavior of a particular culture can be found in a core concept. For Japan this core concept is wa, which means harmony, unity or the desire to be one with those of your in-group.The wa-concept illustrates the concept, with several aspects (please see below), that although people have differences, it is the most convenient when people want the same thing at the deepest level. 23 This deep level of sharing underlies the desire for harmony at the interpersonal level, as well as a high level of c onsideration of others within ones group, and creates a unity among members of the in-group. In Japan, individuals are thus expected to act in ways that protect the unity or wa of the in-group (Wierzbicka, 1992).The several aspects, which the Wa-concept consists of, are described and discussed below: Enryo is an aspect that is encompassed in wa, illustrates the effort of avoiding explicit opinions, assessments, or other displays of personal feelings. It is thus a form of self-restraint that proscribes the brining of attention to oneself and ones personal desires in order to avoid having others think badly of one. Japan has been categorized as a high-context culture, and in a communicative context, the meaning is often implicit. The focus is thus on the listener and his or her ability to understand implicit messages.Sasshi refers thus to the ability to guess or intuit another person’s meaning without that person having to express it directly. Implicit communication is essentia l in a collective culture where maintaining harmony and avoiding conflicts is essential. Amae refers to a form of mutual dependency, or a relationship in which one person is in a protective stance toward another (Wierzbicka, 1992). The desire for amae motivates one to belong to a group and depend on another person. Amae emphasizes thus a protective relationship and a mutual dependency between the members of the in-group.Giri refers to a type of obligation felt toward others who have done something good for the person. According to Befu, it is a â€Å"moral imperative to perform ones duties toward members of ones group† (Befu, 1986: 162). It is also a long-term relationship and a sense that one will be forever in the other person’s debt. This sense of obligation is very typical in a culture that stresses the wa-concept as well as in collectivist cultures, where members of the in-group are closely tied to each other. Awase refers to the ability to always be able to adjus t to the situation or the circumstances.The self is thus constantly changing and moving with the situation, whereas the group is constant and needs to be maintained. Thus, maintaining wa equals being flexible in situations, and not on consistently following ones principles. 24 Kenson involves discounting ones abilities and to avoid standing out in order to maintain the status quo of a relationship. Kenson is sometimes manifested in a verbal apology, and it demonstrates a desire not to disturb the nature of the relationship, and a desire to maintain group harmony.For instance, a speaker may begin his or her speech by apologizing to the audience for his or her low status or insufficient knowledge on the topic – this depicts humility. Kata refers to the constant and familiar way something is done. In Japan, there is a kata or form for almost everything – from the way one plays ball to the way one performs a tea ceremony. The Japanese thus value form over function and proc ess over outcome – an important element to remember when involved in negotiations with the Japanese.This again refers to the uncertainty-avoidance that is present in the Japanese culture, which illustrates itself in the form of strict rules and regulation (Wierzbicka, 1992, Gudykunst & Kim, 2003: 5354). 8. 4 Isolation Another dimension characterizing Japan is the historical separateness of Japan from the rest of the world 11 , and the strong belief in the uniqueness of the Japanese culture and society. Its distance from the Asian continent and from the rest of the world had a crucial influence over the formation of the Japanese society and culture.The isolation began during the Tokugawa period when the Tokugawa government was trying to create relative peace and security. Instead, the government was facing stagnation, corruption and isolation. Famines and poverty among the peasants and samurai weakened the system even further. Additionally, foreign ships (from Russia, Britain and the USA) started to examine Japan’s isolation with increasing insistence, and Japan realized that their defenses were outdated and ineffective. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry of the US Navy arrived with his famous â€Å"black ships† to demand the opening of Japan to trade, followed y other countries. This resulted in a stream of antigovernment feeling among the Japanese due to the fact that it failed to defend Japan against foreigners and of neglecting the national reconstruction and modernization. 11 The first contact with the West occurred about 1542, when a Portuguese ship, blown off its course to China, landed in Japan. 25 After 200 years of total isolation from the outside world – due to the fear of Western and Christian invasion or superiority, Japan agreed to open the country to the outside world.Nevertheless, 200 years of isolation has resulted in a rather great amount of regulations, etc. (one may argue that this is a hidden form of protectionism) that are there in order to adopt an e. g. Western product to the needs and circumstances of the Japanese culture. This separateness, or isolation, has also caused the Japanese to be extremely aware of anything that comes from outside, and they thus strongly distinguish between foreign and native culture, as well as its products and innovations (Reischauer, 1995: 32, Kodansha, 1994: 32-37, 131-132, Wakaba, 1996: 4-12). 8. 5Uniqueness The Japanese people have long believed that they are the children or descendants of gods, living in a divinely land. In the 18th century, the scholar, Motoori Norinaga, was responsible for resurrecting ancient myths about Japan and the Japanese. Before Norinaga’s time, Japanese scholar viewed China and its civilization as the most important in the world. Norinaga attacked this view, claiming that Japan was superior to any other country in the world. According to him, Japan was the country where the Sun Goddess was born, making it the epicenter of all other nations.With the appearance from the early 19th century of Russian, British, and other foreign ships in the waters of Japan, there was an intense debate on how to react, since the country had had a policy of isolation from the rest of the world for two hundred years. The military government thus attempted to promote hate and fear of foreigners by law 12 . In 1825, Expulsion Edict was implemented, prohibiting all barbarians and Westerners from entering Japan. If a foreign ship was seen, it was fired upon and driven off. If foreigners went ashore, they were captured and their ship destroyed. 2 Antiforeign attitudes in Japan have generally been limited to the official level. 26 The belief in superiority and uniqueness of all things Japanese have weakened but not entirely disappeared in the present-day Japan. Although this extraordinarily chauvinistic mentality was temporarily restrained after the defeat in WWII, the post-war â€Å"economic miracle† has reawakened the feelings once again. Nevertheless, the rigid, exclusive world view that has been present in pre-1945 Japan, no longer dominates the country.Ultra-nationalism has been discredited – at least in mainstream social, political, and intellectual life. The ideology that has its place is a set of rules by which society generally has learned to operate efficiently. The set of rules are learned from parent, the authority figures, the educational system and the mass media, and contain among other things social solidarity, or collectivistic behavior and thinking, hierarchical social structure, or power distance, role playing, or tatemae, reciprocal obligations, or group harmony.Although this set of rules is far weaker than the pre-war ultra-nationalistic ideology, it is still more rigid and omnipotent than those of e. g. Western societies. In Japan, the rights of the group are thus prioritized over those of the individual, and there are rules for most activities, creating a dependency on others and on group, which again reinforces an ideal of rules, group harmony and collectivism. The Japanese ideal portrays men and women behaving modestly, speaking prudently, and avoiding offending others and maintaining in-group harmony. For them, the deal of individualism is un-noble, risky and illogical. The Japanese desire people to be polite, courteous and indirect with each other. The Japanese are only frank on rare occasions, striving to put the best face, as well as save face, on themselves and situations (Cohen, 1997:146147, 184-186, 224). To express what one really thinks or feels in Japan is regarded as uncultivated and vulgar. The Japanese do not see themselves in first place as individuals, but as group-oriented members. The social group gives them approval, identity and companionship, status, and meaning as such with their lives.All the group members are interdependent. Matsumoto used a food model in order to describe human relations in Japan, calling it natto (ferme nted soybeans). Fermented soybeans sit in sticky glue of starch, and it is impossible to extract one without pulling out the others – they are all connected by the same glue. According to Matsumoto, the beans represent the closeness and interdependence present in the Japanese culture (March, 1996: 15-34, Kodansha, 1994: 32-37, 131-132, Wakaba, 1996: 4-12). 27 8. 6 Western InfluenceThe Japanese culture has been greatly influenced by Western cultures throughout the years, such as the British, the Prussian (e. g. in 1889, Japan created Western-style constitution greatly influenced by Prussia), the Portuguese, and the American. The Western influence entered the shores of Japan through trade, Christianity (missionaries) and war (WWII and the American occupation), as well as through cultural and business exchanges (e. g. through travels and international business). During the mid-16th Century, the Europeans made their first appearance on the shores of Japan.The first Portuguese to be shipwrecked in 1543 found an appreciative Japanese reception for their skills in making firearms. The Jesuit missionary, Francis Xavier, arrived in 1549, and was followed by more missionaries who converted local lords to Christianity (several hundred thousand converts particularly in Nagasaki) – keen to profit from foreign trade and assistance with military supplies. Initially, the Japanese emperor saw the advantages of trading with Europeans and tolerated the arrival of Christianity as a counterbalance to Buddhism.However, this tolerance gradually turned into suspicion of a religion, which he saw as a threat to his rule. This suspicion resulted in rulings against Christianity and the crucifixion of 26 foreign priests and Japanese believers in 1597. The prohibition and the prosecution of Christianity continued under the Tokugawa government until it reached its peak in 1637 with the brutal suppression by the authorities of the Christianled Shimabara Rebellion. This put an e nd to the Christian Century although the religion continued to be practiced secretly until it was officially allowed at the end of the 19th Century.Additionally, in order to eliminate Christianity's presence in Japan, it was required for every family to register a Buddhist temple, becoming a familiar scene in every community. Because of this religious policy, all Japanese today are Buddhist by default. The Western influence continued during the Meiji period (1868-1912) when the Japanese economy underwent a crash course in westernization and industrialization. An influx of Western experts was encouraged and Japanese students were sent abroad to acquire expertise in modern technologies.During the Meiji period, the process of modernization and industrialization took place in Japan, inspired by Western philosophers. An almost obsessive admiration and adaptation of Western ideas and culture had taken place during this period. 28 By the 1890s, the Japanese government leaders were concerne d by the spread of liberal Western ideas and encouraged nationalism and traditional Japanese values. Japan was becoming more confident and an equal player to the Western powers, resulting in the abolition of foreign treaty rights and, in the years to come, in nationalism.This continued till Japan’s defeat in WWII, and the American occupation. The main aim of the occupation was to reform the Japanese government through demilitarization, the trial of war criminals and the removal of militarist and ultranationalists from the government. Additionally, a new constitution was introduced, which dismantled the political power of the emperor, forcing him to publicly reject any claim to divine origins. Once again, Japan was influenced, if not ruled, by Western powers. Finally, in the late 19th century, Western Europe became its model for modernization.