Political or social issues Essay

Ethnocentrism refers to people’s habit of applying selfness in daily life activities by considering themselves just than others, pulling towards themselves and therefore make all judgments based on their own values, feelings, ideas, ideals, traditions and cultural practices. It is an aspect that brings issues of prejudices, hatred, ethnicity and stereotypic practices. On the other side, it strengthens and maintains belief structures and behaviors as well as creating rationale pride. It also creates personal volunteering spirit for one’s group or society aimed at collective benefits. The mostly realized effect of ethnocentrism is that it creates negative effects especially when it comes to communication and understanding one another. This is because people from different cultures have different opinions and perceptions when it comes to different issues in life such as cultural, political or social issues. It is therefore difficult for people to reach a consensus as everyone considers him/her right, thus misperceptions and misunderstandings (Felix, 2004). b. Explain the difference between individualistic cultures and collectivist cultures and your personal experiences with culture shock. Hofstede compared ethnocentrism American and Indian college students and came up with two major aspects which mostly deepened American’s student’s socio-cultural conformity. One of the aspects was individualistic culture, where a culture is developed to value oneself more than others and when it comes to a group; its members are considered more than non members. The other aspect was power distance dimension which mainly focused on societal equality and inequality. This is the view that high powered people are entitled to more privileges than the low powered. According to his research the above two aspects made America score 91% and India 48% of ethnocentrism in students. Collectivist culture is the culture in which benefit to all is the principle. It applies in countries or society where people value mutualism by caring for one another (Violet, 2001). Reference Felix, G. , (2004) Social Psychology. London, Blackwell Publishers Violet, T. , (2001) Sociological Theories and Approaches. West, CT, Praeger

Cost Descriptions Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Cost Descriptions Paper - Essay Example However, the variable cost per unit is fixed for a specific level of production or cost. It will vary in total amount proportionately with some measures of business activity, like costs associated with power, maintenance, etc. Whereas Direct Cost are those cost which can be traced to a specific cost objective or costs which is easily traceable by per unit and allocated through cost centers. Like direct material, direct labor etc. Manufacturing Cost is the name of aggregate resources of direct material, direct labor and FOH which is allocated in manufacturing the product. Manufacturing costs are also referred to as production costs. Manufacturing cost also describes how much cost is incurred on each unit produced. By estimating the manufacturing cost, the management is able to value the units produced in a year, cost of goods sold and inventory, which ultimately, is reported in the income statement and balance sheet of the company. Manufacturing costs include all cost from acquisition of material to conversion into finished goods. Packing material, fuel expense, lubricants, depreciation on factory equipments, wages, repair and maintenance, all contribute to the manufacturing cost. Product Costs are those costs which are identifiable with the product either directly or indirectly. Product cost mainly consists of direct materials, direct labor, and factory overhead. ... Moreover, if the product is sold it is recorded as Cost of Goods Sold in the books of accounts and then COGS is matched against the revenue (matching principle) generated by selling the product. In short, product costs are those costs which are treated as inventory that is ready for sale. They are treated as assets until the products are sold (Garrison, 2004). All those cost which are not attributed to product cost are treated as Period Cost. Period cost is treated as expensed and directly reported to income statement in the period when they are incurred. Period cost are not debated over purchase or cost of goods manufactured. Period cost include all selling expenses, general and administration expenses, interest expense and income tax expense (Garrison, 2004). In short, Period costs are reported on the income statement separated from the cost of goods sold section. The period cost is deducted from gross profit. Period cost is not essentially the part of the manufacturing process so therefore period cost is not treated as a cost of inventory (Meigs et al, 1999). An Opportunity Cost means to get or select the benefit of one alternative by rejecting the other opportunity. It is the cost associated with the best forgone alternative. The opportunity costs is not present in the books of accounts but it is relevant and appropriate with respect to managerial decision making. Like if a students decides to attend summer school rather than accepting a job of making $500 a week, than the true cost of attending school is more than just books, meals, housing etc and the opportunity cost is $500. Sunk Costs are not relevant in decision making because these costs have been incurred and cannot be changed. Like in the oil exploration

Business plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Business plan - Assignment Example This makes the incoming businesses have a competition disadvantage within the industry. In spite of the fact that completion increase cause adverse effects to existing businesses, it is also helpful as it will help Good health fitness center become more efficient and thus provide quality services (Abrams, 2003). According to the Good Health Fitness Center, it is evident that the power of suppliers merely has an effect on the business. This is because the ways of transacting is service oriented. To offer a service in the fitness center, instructions get and the only material supply needed is readily available in its market. These supplies include things like weights, food and gym instructors (Cyr, 2007). The target market for Good Health Fitness Center mainly comprises of the middle aged and the old who want to reduce their weight. A case study of Canada would show that they make the largest share of the population. This means that, it is a threat to the business because of the large number. Baring in mind that this is the technology era, Good Health Fitness Center may face several other threats in the market. Substitutes for health fitness exist. However, the business will survive this threat by launching a campaign against the substitutes which include steroids and slimming pills. It is imperative to let the public and potential customers, of the impending danger, and side effects of using the substitutes. This way, the business will survive the threat (Abrams, 2003). Within the fitness industry in Canada, for example, there are many businesses with the same goal of having as many customers as possible. However, the intensity of rivalry does not seem too intense as customers can choose which programs best works for them from different centers (Abrams, 2003). Good health fitness center has various sources of competitive advantages. One of the sources would be by ensuring a well-equipped and developed marketing team. This forms a good competitive

Admission Essay Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Admission Essay - Personal Statement Example n identifying major failures of businesses that have taken place throughout the history and it will even help me analyze how corporate governance and better corporate practices can assist organizations in avoiding such failure and save one self from entering the phase of bankruptcy in case of complete failure. This course will even help me in learning how organizations from different fields such as steel and auto industry have failed and what the repercussions of these failures were. In these subjects I will even learn what other options are available to organizations other than accepting bankruptcy. Assignments that I will do during these courses will help be conduct in-depth research in the field of corporate governance as well as organizational restructuring. These subjects along with various other legal topics and courses will assist me in understanding the technical details of law and the rules and regulations surrounding business environment. In future I aim at working for the legal department of an organization and want to ensure that the organization experiences success under my

PHIL 102 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

PHIL 102 - Essay Example Simply, it is assumed to be a moral good in itself. Kant, a deontologist and philosopher, asserts that there are certain things that people are entitled to do, regardless of their repercussions. For instance, he perceives that people have an obligation of always standing for the truth. It is pertinent for anyone to find their moral obligations via the use of hard logic or reasoning. According to Kant, people begin to instill knowledge of the categorical imperative when they start to question and contemplate on the nature of ethics. Moreover, Kant asserts that acting with regard to morals is practically intricate and should not be easy especially in cases when one has a conviction to do something else. This apparently implies that acting morally may encompass people to act within a state of emotional detachment. For instance, reasons why smokers find it hard to quit smoking knowing that it is a morally wrong act, is questionable. In his categorical imperative, Kant states that moral truth is a concept beyond human experience and it is practically intricate to depend on senses to learn its meaning. In addition to moral truths being priori, they aid people to infer what it actually means to act morally and more so, comprehend why doing something or behaving in a certain manner is a morally good thing to do and this is through use of reason. Kant explains that, reason leads for moral actions but does not follow. Kant argues that the contemporary ethical debate starts with an assumption that a person requires free will for them to be morally accountable. Regardless of the fact that one may do good under instruction, Kant argues this to be a moral accident and not necessarily a moral act. Therefore, to qualify in acting in a truly moral manner, someone ought to choose to execute something by themselves. However, for Sigmund Freud, we cannot ever be completely sure of our actual motives. Moreover, it is

Urbanization in ancient Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Urbanization in ancient Greece - Essay Example One key characteristic of these settlements was lack of governmental authority beyond the boundaries of the village (Chant et al, 2000). In addition, these villages did not have any workshops or public buildings. Such egalitarian societies persevered on even after the introduction of agriculture. The egalitarian societies were stratified and turned into functionally specialized units by the formation of states and urbanization (Chant et al, 1999). This process took place independently in numerous regions of the world, probably starting from the Southwest Asian region, which was very fertile. The formative era referred to the period between the years 7000 to 5000 BC, which was characterised by urbanization and state development, which complemented each other. Upon the stratification of the egalitarian society, there emerged craftspeople, farmers, soldiers, administrators, merchants and priests, with the cities becoming the civilization focus (Chant, 1999). In the development of Greece cities, the natural environment as well as the existing technologies played a key role. These cities were built in around the eighth century by the Greeks. Distinguishing how the shape of the buildings in the cities was influenced by the natural environment or the available technologies is not easy. This is because there exists a very dynamic relationship between the natural environment and technology, with each shaping or being shaped by the other. Military technologies and needs were very important determinants in the layout and growth of Greek cities. Some of the initial cities in Greece grew as a result of pressure since the people needed to defend themselves form their enemies. As a result they were generally located on rocky positions, which were regarded as defensible. They were also positioned some distance from the harbour, with heavy fortification (Chant et al, 2000). Wall-building proved to be the most expensive and laborious task and involved very impressive engineering accomplishments in the architecture of Greece. Stone was in abundance and was used the building material, with its properties determining the style of construction. For instance, lintels and posts were frequently used in the construction of public monuments. Stone, which was the building material of choice, needed lifting technologies that utilized people as opposed to hoists (Chant et al, 1999). Cranes were not in use until much later, in 515 BC and beyond. They came into use as a result of labour shortage and not because of their capability of lifting larger blocks of stone. The unplanned growth of the earliest settlements was substituted by a bit more formal buildings, mainly after Persian attacks in the fifth century. With the advancement of technology in the military, it became necessary to adopt a defensive layout for the city streets. In the process of the reconstruction of these cities, there was development of numerous town planning theories, most of which were put into practice, with the grid plan becoming very common. Aristotle advocated for a city design of a defensive nature, which uses both the irregular and regular features. This, he argued, was aimed at reconciling the strain of moving both the equipment and troops easily, and to confuse any attackers (Chant, 2000). Natural Environment The location of earlier settlements was mainly determined by the natural

Effecting communication and information Essay Example for Free

Effecting communication and information Essay Recruitment and Retention Process and Documentation WHSmith was established in 1792 by a man named Henry Walton Smith, and his wife Anna, but was established under the name H W Smith. After their deaths, the business was passed on to their two sons; Henry Edward, and William Henry Smith. The business was renamed to WHSmith as William was the older of the two and he was the more able businessman. WHSmith today, as one of the biggest retail groups in the UK, it is made up of two core businesses; high street retail, and travel retail. They have approximately 17,000 employees working in either of the 543 High Street stores or the 129 Travel stores in the UK. The manner in which a person is employed within WHSmith would obviously have to start with a job opening. This opening can be due to one of many reasons. For example: If a new store is opened or if someone has left his or her job. From there on, the steps taken would start off with WHSmiths Human Resources Department making a job specification, which consists of the job details. Here is an example of a job specification for an opening at WHSmith as an assistant manager: Job Specification Vacancy Role Title: Assistant Manager London (North/South/East/West) Role Level: Assistant Manager Region: London Location: London Salary: i 17,000 i 23,000 Details: You will be required to work six days a week. In your role as assistant manager, it will be your duty to assist the retail manager in his day-to-day work. This job is very demanding and you never know, it may be the just the job for you. In a position as assistant manager, you will be given two weeks paid holiday a year. Person Specification: Role: We are looking for a good team player, with proven retail management experience, good communication, a target driven approach plus the ambition and potential to succeed. The Assistant Manager is responsible for achieving store sales targets by leading, motivating and developing the store team to achieve sales targets and customer service standards and to support the Store Manager. The next step would be for them to produce a person specification, which outlines the type of person they are looking for (for example: qualifications, previous experience etc. ). WHSmith would then plan on advertising the job in a number of different places so as to attract attention towards the job opening. Advertisement is very costly and it would be in the best interests of WHSmith to get the job details and specifications absolutely spot on. Once all of this information has been gathered, it is then advertised in a number of places (i. e. the internet, job centre etc. ). WHSmith have recently started to recruit online with an Internet based job recruiting process. The next step involves people applying for that specific job by providing their relevant documents, which will then be analysed by WHSmiths Human Resources department. Applicants are then short-listed and a number of the applicants are selected. I have provided a WHSmith job application form with my assignment. The selected applicants will then be asked to provide references from two or more reliable sources. These would be from people like previous employers and former educational teachers. Those who are selected as people who seem like suitable candidates for the job will then be invited for a formal interview at a WHSmith. A senior member of staff would usually carry out this interview. The data that is derived from the interview is then analysed and compared to the prepared person specification. After a long, time-consuming process, and a lot of money being spent, the successful candidate is then offered the job. In the case of WHSmith and the job specification I have given, this candidate would have to have previous experience in a retail management position, and would basically be the person that they see as the best man/woman for the job. P2 Employability, Personal and Communication Skills Assistant Manager Role The Assistant Manager is responsible for achieving store sales targets by leading, motivating and developing the store team to achieve sales targets and customer service standards and to support the Store Manager. The job role is related to the Person Specification. Person Specification The person specification asks for someone with the following traits: We are looking for a good team player, with proven retail management experience, good communication, a target driven approach plus the ambition and potential to succeed. These skills are all placed on the person specification for a reason. The Personal Skills outlined here are: Â  Someone who is a team player An assistant manager will be required to work with the manager as part of a team. They also have to be a team leader, as outlined in the job role. Â  Someone with a target driven approach In a high position like this, it is necessary that an assistant manager knows how to tackle set targets and that they approach these targets whole-heartedly. Â  Someone with the ambition and potential to succeed If an assistant manager does not wish to progress, then they will not give the job their full attention. It is better that they want to, and are able to succeed so that they can have a positive impact on the business. It is also their job to motivate the store team and it would be hard to do so if he/she wasnt motivated him/herself. The Employability skills outlined here are: Â  Someone with proven retail management experience It is absolutely vital that someone who wants to work as an assistant manager, has some previous experience managing a store or people, and was good at doing so. The Communication skills outlined here are:Â  Someone with good communication It is essential that, as an assistant manager, you are able to communicate well. This is due to the fact that an assistant manager is required to communicate messages to both the manager, and the store team. P3 Electronic and Non-Electronic methods for communicating business information There are many different methods of communication. These can be divided into two different categories: Electronic (non-written), and Non-Electronic (written). Methods of communication that would come under Written Communication would be things like: Â  SMS (Text Message) Methods of communications that would come under Electronic Communication would be things along the lines of: Meetings Both Written Communication and Electronic Communication have their advantages. These advantages differ depending on the audience which is being addressed. The recipient is very important when it comes to the type of communication that is being used. Within The Organisation Within the organisation the methods of communication that I would use would be things like: Meetings In an organisation, it is inevitable that there will be meetings held. These are usually used to discuss improvement, the current status of the organisation, and to get staff to contribute their ideas. Customers These are the methods of communication that I would use to communicate with the customers: Publicity Materials To tell the truth, this is an obvious one really. The way to get customers is through publicity. If your organisation is a well known one, it is more likely to prosper. Â  Advertisements In my opinion, advertisements should be used by all major and even small organisations. These should outline things like services provided and special offers to attract more customers. Suppliers Here are some of the methods of communications I would use to communicate with suppliers of goods etc. : Â  Letters These are a great way of communicating and people have been using them for centuries. I would use letters to communicate with suppliers because it is not a long time consuming method of communicating. You just write what you need to say, put it in an envelope, post it, and the recipient gets it the next day! Easy Peasy! * Telephone This is one of the simplest, most direct ways of communicating with people today. Talking with suppliers on the telephone would mean that all of the business involving matters like deliveries, times, amounts, and other things can all be sorted out in a matter of minutes. P4 Sources of Information External Source. This information is external (outside of the business) information that I have taken from the BBC website. Here is the link, as evidence of information: http://newsvote. bbc. co. uk/1/shared/fds/hi/business/market_data/shares/3/23473/twelve_month. stm I have provided information on WHSmiths share prices. From this graph we can see the rise and fall in WHSmiths share price value in the year 2007. The current (exact) value of their shares on the 13th of December 2007 at 14:22 is i 324. 75. We can see that the peak of their share value this year was in March. The lowest point was in late November. Internal Source This information is internal (within the business) information that I have taken from WHSmiths Annual report. Here is the link, as evidence of information: http://www. whsmithplc. com/grp/WHSPLC-IR-AR07. pdf I have provided information on WHSmiths Profits for the years 2006 and 2007. From this information we can see the increase in profits and the percentage increase. Year 2006 2007 Increase in Profit Percentage Increase Profit i m (Before Tax) i 51 i 66 i 15 29. 41% We can see that their profit for the year 2006 was i 51million, the profit for the year 2007 was i 66million, the increase in profit was i 15million, and the percentage increase is 29. 41%. Here is a column graph showing the information. Secondary Source Secondary information is information that I will be using. This information is already in existence, but has been gathered by other people, and not myself. I will be using information from WHSmiths annual report. This information was gathered by WHSmith, within the corporation. Here is the link as evidence of information: http://www. whsmithplc.com/grp/WHSPLC-IR-AR07. pdf I have provided information on WHSmiths Carbon Emissions for the last five years. From this we can see the increases and decreases in Carbon Emissions. Year 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 Carbon Dioxide Emissions (kg) 0. 9 0. 76 0. 82 0. 79 0. 71 We can see that, in the period 2002/3, their Emissions were very high. In the period 2003/4, these Emissions are reduced significantly. In the period 2004/5, these Emissions are increased, and in 2005/6 they are again decreased. In the period 2006/7, these Emissions are decreased furthermore. We can see that WHSmith have successfully reduced their Carbon Emissions. P5 Presentation of information I have been asked to present the data aquired in three different methods. Here is the Share Price information presented in a line graph: Profit i million (before tax) I will be using a column graph and a line graph to present this information. Column Graph Line Graph Carbon Dioxide Emissions I will be using a column graph and a line graph to present this information. Column Graph Line Graph I will now be using a power point presentation to present all of this information.