Cultural Perspectives of the Country of Italy Essay

Italy has been a democratic republic since 1946 and it has a population of about 58 million. It is surrounded by Tyrrhenian Sea on the west and Adriatic Sea on the east. France, Austria are some of the countries that border Italy to the north. Italy is covered by sea and mountains â€Å"While Italy has a huge range of climates and natural features, ideal for mining, cultivation of crops, fish, livestock, and other natural resources, the majority of raw materials its industries require are imported† . The country of Italy has gone through many changes throughout its history and has been in the forefront of the European economic and political unification for a long time now. Though it has faced many obstacles, it has however remained patriotic and keen for union. Culture and lifestyle of Italy Italians are warm and welcoming people, who adore relaxing, celebrate and socialize with family and friends. Their celebrations and relaxations regularly happen around the table either at home enjoying their cuisines or out in a restaurant. â€Å"One thing visitors in Italy notice right away is the people’s openness and sociable nature. Italians have a love of life and enjoy life’s pleasure to the fullest† (Winter & Jermyn, 2003) Family is the guiding force and the focus for loyalty and this make the family very fundamental. Many families put a side a special day to spend time with other relatives for a special meal. The father is always regarded as the provider of all needs and interests and maintained his powers with firm orders. The mother was seen as subordinate and had the right to be heard in family plans and meditated between the father and often numerous children. The Italian’s family structure, food, native costume, music, and religion all play a major role in creating a definite culture that allows them to convey their behaviors in the general public as a whole. Italy is a country in Western Europe that is well known for its food and it is no accident that Italian cooking is so popular due to its rich flavor cuisine. Italians value home cooking so much and especially their pasta as their favorite cuisine. â€Å"Italians remain the largest known European consumer of pasta and cereals. â€Å"They have greatly eliminated such culprits as fats and animal proteins from their diets, as well as reduced their annual consumption of alcohol† (Mure. N. S. , 2008). Italians value the way they dress and it is a priority to them; their dressing is normally very conservative for both men and women. These dressing are always accompanied with elegant accessories which compliments their costumes very well. Religion The Romans worshipped many gods and goddesses before Christianity gained a firm grip on the Italians and that’s when the Roman Catholic Church came into existence and became the most powerful church in Italy. Catholic is the major religion with a majority of 85 percent of the population and just about 20 percent attend worship services unless there I any religious celebrations. The head of the church is the Pope who has full lawful, executive, and judicial powers and at the same time lives there. Their constitution allows for the freedom of religion and worship which is respected by the government. There has been a good relation among religions which has highly contributed to religious freedom. The history of the Roman Catholic Church is based as much on politics as it is on religion, and in some ways this holds true today. To expand the faithful, the catholic Bishops were confident to make their existence known among the ordinary people, and there were more urge to train more clergy and build more churches. â€Å"Though the mixture of religion with all the common events of life is anything but an error yet I could not avoid regretting that like heathens ancestors, the modern Italian had supplied the place of one great Master mover by a countless host f inferior agents† (Blunt 1823). The Vatican City is the head of the Catholic Church in the world that gave the region both spiritual and temporal power and that makes majority of Italians Roman Catholics though very few of them attend mass regularly. Rome has the most beautiful art of architectural and the best ancient churches are situated there. Cultural Holidays and the celebrations Italians always have a reason to celebrate in, whether it’s an historical event, holiday, or other festival. Italy has a large number of public holidays during the year and some of these have a religious background. The way they celebrate their holidays is one of the greatest tourist attraction worldwide. All this festivals are always accompanied by their cuisine which is always an essential part of the celebration. Sacred holidays like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving Day usually have their special foods that have been practiced over the generations. Same applies to other holidays that have also developed their own cuisine based on their tradition. These festivals are marked not only with indulging in good food but also share with the less fortunate in the society. Compared to other countries in the world, Italians public holidays are celebrated with parades that color the country and display their patriotism. Economy of Italy During the years, Italy’s economy has extremely prospered in that the country is able to import raw material for the countries industrial sector which has encouraged labor flexibility. â€Å"An economic miracle has indeed occurred in post way Italy, manifested by on of the highest growth rates in the world unbroken in its advance for nearly two decades and unmatched in its vitality in any previous period in its industrial history†(Hildebrand, 1965) Even though inflation has usually been a key test for Italy, it has been able to bring it down to levels that can be managed. Italy has very little to boast in agriculture but its economy has been highly lifted by the services and industrial sector which contributes the highest percentage of the economy. Growing family owned business has been the backbone of the economy and the northern part of the country concentrates with capitalistic economy, where the private sector companies account for the total productivity and profitability. Italy has the best world paintings which they exhibit and has been a good boost to the economy. †Venice is a beautiful sight to behold. Anyone wanting to linger in its romance, architecture and canals can find themselves immersed in Venice through the eyes of artist Marco Sassone† (Mure. N. S. , 2008). Industrialization of modern Italy from it inception until today, has been a classic case of even development. Italy has been known to be the largest producer of selected wines. People are invited to the wine tasting event which has attracted many people around the globe just to come and enjoy the art of grape cultivation and processing of the wines. Being a member of the European Union, Italy has taken an active role in European trade and has been the chief trade partner of majority of the European countries as well as America. Italy has the most favorable conditions for business investments and trading that has been able to attract many investors even though much of it is curbed by high levels of corruption and the mafias. Though since Italy adapted to the economic and monetary union requirements, it has experienced very low inflation rates. â€Å"Metals, fuel oil & railway equipment are fastest-growing Italian exports to U. S. while pharmaceutical preparations & precious metals lead American imports into Italy† (Workman 2007). Employment services have been customized recently and government has enacted a law that different organizations have to act as employment offices. Most Italians work for low wages and without any social benefits and protections; the most affected are women and the youth who experience higher rates of unemployment. This is going to create an aggressive room for the employment service and advocate to the public employment services to increase their effectiveness and to create networks with private organizations. Italy has a very well-organized and modern infrastructure and it has failed to come up with subways and more railways to facilitate the movement of goods. While most goods in Italy are always transported by road, the upgrading and improvement of the systems is a major interest to the government. â€Å"The government of Italy has began to address reform on the rail sector and has advanced more quickly than many European countries† (O. E. C. D. 2001). The railway system is also highly developed and this has made it the most preferred way of travelling for its punctuality, comfort and affordable to all commuters. The country’s impact on the US It is generally normal these days for other countries to adapt to the American culture and the introduction of this western culture to Italy has been very pervasive. Italy and America enjoy a warm and friendly relationship because of their efforts to fight terrorism. Most of the Italians have welcomed the American culture but despite all that they have been able to save their cuisine from the changes because they believe that their foods are healthier than the fast foods. Fast food restaurants have gained the peak in Italy which was mostly a common place in America. Italians have also tried to change their dressing and fashion which is most fancied by the young generation. Italy holds the most famous fashion designers in the world but despite all they still go for the American fashions because their clothes are very expensive for every citizen to afford. Most Italians went to America to escape poverty and they believed they would find a better life for their families and other went to work in search of better jobs to get enough money to go back to Italy. The ones that settle were able to completely mix with the Americans and were able to change their cultural behaviours in a way; some turned to criminals especially the mafias who decided to settle in America. There is so much to learn about Italy, their welcoming spirit and the wonderful and the architectural beauty of the country. The many musicians, the operas and even the painting are some of the things that make Italy a beautiful county. References Mure S. N (2008). Abbondanza: Specifically for those with a Passion for Everything that is Italian p. 1 Winter K. J. & Jermyn L. (2003). Italy: Cultures of the world, Volume 4 p. 57 Hildebrand H. G. , (1965). Growth and structure in the economy of modern Italy, p. 3-4 Workman D. (2007). Top Italian Exports & Imports: Most Popular Products Traded Between Italy & America. Retrieved December 9, 2009 from http:// international-trade-leaders. suite101. com Blunt J. J (1823). Vestiges of ancient manners and customs, discoverable in modern Italy and Sicily p. 2 Kwintessential: How Italian holidays are celebrated in Italy. Retrieved December 9, 2009 from http://www. kwintessential. co. uk Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2001). Regulatory reform in Italy, p. 31

Legalized Pot; Killing Our Country

Hempeficial, by Steven Jeffrey published in 2011 discusses the legalization of hemp and marijuana plants in the United States. Mr. Jeffrey thinks it is ludicrous that pot is illegal. In my opinion it is irresponsible to propose any initiative to legalize marijuana. My experience has proven it to be highly addictive, damaging to young brains and can rob the economy of the intellect necessary to keep us moving ahead. It is a myth that cannabis is not addictive. Studies of long- term users show a significant dependency correlation. A friend of mine, who is a neuroscientist, once told me that approximately 173,000 people have some form of dependence to or use cannabis or its sister plant hemp regularly. Jeffrey states â€Å"hemp has been used for at least 5,000 years†. That is a classic case of addiction, not be able to stop. Marijuana is very damaging to the brain, especially young brains. My husband, who is a doctor, points out that it is not uncommon for people who use, to complain about memory loss and not being able to think clearly. That the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, corrupts the natural process of endocannabinoids, a key family of chemicals that help guide the brain in proper maturation. Yet Jeffrey refers to this as an â€Å"innocuous plant†. These chemicals are vital keys to the formation of memory, learning and decision-making. In this way, marijuana is even more damaging to a person because it pilots the brain to become stagnant. The primary concern is it has a lasting effect on young people. Jeffrey agrees that, â€Å"the evil female plant-marijuana. It gets you high, it makes you laugh†. My neighbor, a mother of three, told me she is very concerned that her once straight A students do nothing all day now except get high and laugh. When young people fail to show initiative to do something with their lives, we lose that portion of innovative ideas for new and improved technology. Our nation has stopped growing along with the smokers. Even Jeffrey states that other countries are â€Å"literally laughing at our stupidity†.

Como Agua Para Chocolate

Verbal and Visual Representation of Women: Como agua para chocolate / Like Water for Chocolate By MARIA ELENA DE VALDES Como agua para chocolate is the first novel by Laura Esquivel (b. 1950 ). Published in Spanish in 1989 and in English translation in 1992, followed by the release of the feature film that same year, the novel has thrust this Mexican woman writer into the world of international critical acclaim as well as best-seller popularity.Since Esquivel also wrote the screenplay for director Alfonso Arau, the novel and the film together offer us an excellent opportunity to examine the interplay between the verbal and visual representation of women. Esquivel's previous work had all been as a screenwriter. Her script for Chido Guan, el Tacos de Oro ( 1985 ) was nominated for the Ariel in Mexico, an award she won eight years later for Como agua para chocolate. The study of verbal and visual imagery must begin with the understanding that both the novel and, to a lesser extent, the film work as a parody of a genre.The genre in question is the Mexican version of women's fiction published in monthly installments together with recipes, home remedies, dressmaking patterns, short poems, moral exhortations, ideas on home decoration, and the calendar of church observances. In brief, this genre is the nineteenth-century forerunner of what is known throughout Europe and America as a woman's magazine. 1 Around 1850 these publications in Mexico were called â€Å"calendars for young ladies. Since home and church were the private and public sites of all educated young ladies, these publications represented the written counterpart to women's socialization, and as such, they are documents that conserve and transmit a Mexican female culture in which the social context and cultural space are particularly for women by women. It was in the 1850s that fiction began to take a prominent role. At first the writings were descriptions of places for family excursions, moralizing tales , or detailed narratives on cooking. By 1860 the installment novel grew out of the monthly recipe or recommended excursion.More elaborate love stories by women began to appear regularly by the 1880s. The genre was never considered literature by the literary establishment because of its episodic plots, overt sentimentality, and highly stylized characterization. Nevertheless, by the turn of the century every literate woman in Mexico was or had been an avid reader of the genre. But what has been completely overlooked by the male-dominated literary culture of Mexico is that these novels were highly coded in an authentic women's language of inference and reference to the commonplaces of the kitchen and the home which were completely unknown by any man. Behind the purportedly simple episodic plots there was an infrahistory of life as it was lived, with all its multiple restrictions for women of this social class. The characterization followed the forms of life of these women rather than t heir unique individuality; thus the heroines were the survivors, those who were able to live out a full life in spite of the institution of marriage, which in theory, if not in practice, was a form of indentured slavery for life in which a woman served father and brothers then moved on to serve husband and sons together with her daughters and, of course, the women from the servant class.The women's fiction of this woman's world concentrated on one overwhelming fact of life: how to transcend the conditions of existence and express oneself in love and in creativity. 3 Cooking, sewing, embroidery, and decoration were the usual creative outlets for these women, and of course conversation, storytelling, gossip, and advice, which engulfed every waking day of the Mexican lady of the home. 4 Writing for other women was quite naturally an extension of this infrahistorical conversation and gossip.Therefore, if one has the social codes of these women, one can read these novels as a way of life in nineteenth-century Mexico. Laura Esquivel's recognition of this world and its language comes from her Mexican heritage of fiercely independent women, who created a woman's culture within the social prison of marriage. 5 Como agua para chocolate is a parody of nineteenth-century women's periodical fiction in the same way that Don Quijote is a parody of the novel of chivalry. Both genres were expressions of popular culture that created a unique space for a segment of the population.I am using the term parody in the strict sense in which Ziva Ben-Porat has defined it: â€Å"[Parody is] a representation of a modeled reality, which is itself already a particular representation of an original reality. The parodic representations expose the model's conventions and lay bare its devices through the coexistence of the two codes in the same message† (247). Obviously, for the parody to work at its highest level of dual representation, both the parody and the parodic model must be pre sent in the reading experience.Esquivel creates the duality in several ways. First, she begins with the title of the novel, Like Water for Chocolate, a locution which translates as â€Å"water at the boiling point† and is used as a simile in Mexico to describe any event or relationship that is so tense, hot, and extraordinary that it can only be compared to scalding water on the verge of boiling, as called for in the preparation of that most Mexican of all beverages, dating from at least the thirteenth century: hot chocolate (Soustelle, 153-61).Second, the subtitle is taken directly from the model: â€Å"A Novel in Monthly Installments, with Recipes, Romances, and Home Remedies. † Together the title and subtitle therefore cover both the parody and the model. Third, the reader finds upon opening the book, in place of an epigraph, a traditional Mexican proverb: â€Å"A la mesa y a la cama / Una sola vez se llama† (To the table or to bed / You must come when you ar e bid). â€Å"The woodcut that decorates the page is the typical nineteenth-century cooking stove. The fourth and most explicit dualistic technique is Esquivel's reproduction of the format of her model.Each chapter is prefaced by the title, the subtitle, the month, and the recipe for that month. The narration that follows is a combination of direct address on how to prepare the recipe of the month and interspersed stories about the loves and times of the narrator's great-aunt Tita. The narration moves effortlessly from the first person to the third-person omniscient narrative voice of all storytellers. Each chapter ends with the information that the story will be continued and an announcement of what the next month's–that is, the next chapter's–recipe will be.These elements, taken from the model, are never mere embellishments. The recipes and their preparation, as well as the home remedies and their application, are an intrinsic part of the story. There is therefore a n intricate symbiotic relationship between the novel and its model in the reading experience. Each is feeding on the other. In this study I am concerned with the model of the human subject, specifically the female subject, as it is developed in and through language and visual signification in a situated context of time and place.The verbal imaging of the novel makes use of the elaborate signifying system of language as a dwelling place. The visual imagery that at first expands the narrative in the film soon exacts its own place as a nonlinguistic signifying system drawing upon its own repertoire of referentiality and establishing a different model of the human subject than that elucidated by the verbal imagery alone. I intend to examine the novelistic signifying system and the model thus established and then follow with the cinematic signifying system and its model.The speaking subject or narrative voice in the novel is characterized, as Emile Benveniste has shown, as a living prese nce by speaking. That voice begins in the first person, speaking the conversational Mexican Spanish of a woman from Mexico's north, near the U. S. border. Like all Mexican speech, it is clearly marked with register and sociocultural indicators, in this case of the land-owning middle class, mixing colloquial local usage with standard Spanish. The entry point is always the same: the direct address of one woman telling another how to prepare the recipe she is recommending.As one does the cooking, it is quite natural for the cook to liven the session with some storytelling, prompted by the previous preparation of' the food. As she effortlessly moves from first-person culinary instructor to storyteller, she shifts to the third person and gradually appropriates a time and place and refigures a social world. A verbal image emerges of the model Mexican rural, middle-class woman. She must be strong and far more clever than the men who supposedly protect her. She must be pious, observing all the religious requirements of a virtuous daughter, wife, and mother.She must exercise great care to keep her sentimental relations as private as possible, and, most important of all, she must be in control of life in her house, which means essentially the kitchen and bedroom or food and sex. In Esquivel's novel there are four women who must respond to the model: the mother Elena and the three daughters Rosaura, Gertrudis, and Josefita, known as Tita. The ways of living within the limits of the model are demonstrated first by the mother, who thinks of herself as its very incarnation.She interprets the model in terms of control and domination of her entire household. She is represented through a filter of awe and fear, for the ostensible source is Tita's diary-cookbook, written beginning in 1910, when she was fifteen years old, and now transmitted by her grandniece. Therefore the verbal images that characterize Mama Elena must be understood as those of her youngest daughter, who has b een made into a personal servant from the time the little girl was able to work.Mama Elena is depicted as strong, self-reliant, absolutely tyrannical with her daughters and servants, but especially so with Tita, who from birth has been designated as the one who will not marry because she must care for her mother until she dies. Mama Elena believes in order, her order. Although she observes the strictures of church and society, she has secretly had an adulterous love affair with an African American, and her second daughter, Gertrudis, is the offspring of that relationship.This transgression of the norms of proper behavior remains hidden from public view, although there is gossip, but only after her mother's death does Tita discover that Gertrudis is her half-sister. The tyranny imposed on the three sisters is therefore the rigid, self-designed model of a woman's life pitilessly enforced by Mama Elena, and each of the three responds in her own way to the model. Rosaura never questions her mother's authority and follows her dictates submissively; after she is married she becomes an insignificant imitation of her mother.She lacks the strength, skill, and determination of Mama Elena and tries to compensate by appealing to the mother's model as absolute. She therefore tries to live the model, invoking her mother's authority because she has none of her own. Gertrudis does not challenge her mother but instead responds to her emotions and passions in a direct manner unbecoming a lady. This physical directness leads her to adopt an androgynous life-style: she leaves home and her mother's authority, escapes from the brothel where she subsequently landed, and becomes a general of the revolutionary army, taking a subordinate as her lover and, later, husband.When she returns to the family hacienda, she dresses like a man, gives orders like a man, and is the dominant sexual partner. Tita, the youngest of the three daughters, speaks out against her mother's arbitrary rule but cannot escape until she temporarily loses her mind. She is able to survive her mother's harsh rule by transferring her love, joy, sadness, and anger into her cooking. Tita's emotions and passions are the impetus for expression and action, not through the normal means of communication but through the food she prepares. She is therefore able to consummate her love with Pedro through the food she serves.Tal parecia que en un extranio fenomeno de alquimia su ser se habia disuelto en la salsa de rosas, en el cuerpo de las codornices, en el vino y en cada uno de los olores de la comida. De esta manera penetraba en el cuerpo de Pedro, voluptuosa, aromatica, calurosa, completamente sensual. (57) It was as if a strange alchemical process had dissolved her entire being in the rose petal sauce, in the tender flesh of the quails, in the wine, in every one of the meal's aromas. That was the way she entered Pedro's body, hot, voluptuous, perfumed, totally sensuous. 52) This clearly is much more than communication through food or a mere aphrodisiac; this is a form of sexual transubstantiation whereby the rose petal sauce and the quail have been turned into the body of Tita. Thus it is that the reader gets to know these women as persons but, above all, becomes involved with the embodied speaking subject from the past, Tita, represented by her grand-niece (who transmits her story) and her cooking. The reader receives verbal food for the imaginative refiguration of one woman's response to the model that was imposed on her by accident of birth. The body of these women is the place of living.It is the dwelling place of the human subject. The essential questions of health, illness, pregnancy, childbirth, and sexuality are tied very directly in this novel to the physical and emotional needs of the body. The preparation and eating of food is thus a symbolic representation of living, and Tita's cookbook bequeaths to Esperanza and to Esperanza's daughter, her grandniece, a woman's cr eation of space that is hers in a hostile world. Not only was the film adaptation of Como agua para chocolate written by the novelist herself, but in this case the screenplay represents a return to her original discipline.There are many cinematographic elements in the novel, primarily the numerous cuts and fade-outs of the story in order to feature the cooking. The camera is intrusive and can engulf its subject in a visual language that is unique to the voyeur or can replace verbal referentiality by overwhelming the viewer. For example, the opening shot of the film, filling the entire screen with an onion that is being sliced, plunges the viewer into food preparation in a way that no spoken word could parallel for its immediate effect.Similarly, the numerous close-ups of food being prepared, served, and eaten heighten the dominance of the performance of cooking and eating as both sustenance and social ritual. Contrast these images and this emphasis on the joy, sensuality, and even l ust of eating the Mexican cuisine of Tita's kitchen with the scenes of the monks eating in Jean-Jacques Annaud screen version of The Name of the Rose or the raw meat displayed in the monastery's refractory, where the emphasis is on the denial of the flesh through mortification. Gabriel Axel film Babette's Feast, on the other hand, contains both poles of this opposition between gratification and mortification of the body. The minister's two daughters, who substitute religious practice for living and who eat as punishment for having a body, are suddenly exposed to the refinement of food as art, pleasure, and gratification. ) In the film Como agua para chocolate the preparation of food is expressed visually, and the consummation of eating is seen in the faces of the diners; but it must be also emphasized that there is a full spectrum of effects here, ranging from ecstasy to nausea.Perhaps the major difference between Esquivel's novel and the film version is that there is a visual inter text in the latter that evokes the Cinderella fairy tale by using the ghostly appearance of the mother and making her death the result of an attack on the hacienda by outlaws. In the novel Mama Elena does not die until long after the attack and lingers on in partial madness, convinced that Tita is trying to poison her. By cutting short her death to one sudden violent episode and having her visage return to taunt Tita until the latter is able to renounce her heritage, the film makes Tita the Cinderella-like victim of personal abuse.In the novel the rigidity and harshness of Mama Elena is overwhelmingly sociocultural and not peculiar to Tita as victim. The visual intertext of fairy-tale language creates an effective subtext in the film, bringing out the oppression of the protagonist and her magical transcendence. Instead of a fairy godmother, Tita has the voice of her Nacha, the family cook who raised her from infancy amid the smells and sounds of the kitchen. Instead of a magical tra nsformation of dress and carriage to go to the prince's ball, Tita is able to make love through the food she prepares; she is also able to induce sadness and acute physical discomfort.She is therefore able to keep Pedro from having sexual relations with Rosaura by making certain that Rosaura is fat, foul of breath, and given to breaking wind in the most nauseating manner. Mama Elena's ghost first appears one hour into the film and quietly gains the upper hand, since she threatens to curse the child Tita is presumably carrying. The final confrontation between Tita and the ghost comes ten minutes later: Tita defeats the ghost by revealing that she knows Gertrudis is illegitimate and that she hates Elena for everything she has never been to her.The film's visual language is able to evoke images of provocation, contempt, and abuse that are not in the novel. From the fortieth to the forty-fifth minute of the film, part of Tita's immensurably Cinderellalike duties are enacted. Tita is the only one permitted to assist Mama Elena in her bath and with her dressing. The despotic abuse of Tita by Mama Elena clearly borrows the visual images of the cruel stepmother. The magical intermediary is not a beautiful woman in a ball dress, but rather a wrinkled old woman, the cook Nacha, who had given Tita the love Mama Elena denied her.Nacha's voice and face guide Tita. It is Nacha who tells her to use the roses Pedro gave her for the preparation of quail in rose petal sauce, and it is Nacha who prepares the bedroom for the final consummation of love between Tita and Pedro at the end of the film. Tita's magical powers are all related to food, with the exception of the kilometer-long bedspread she knits during her lengthy nights of insomnia. Tita's cooking controls the pattern of living of those in her household because the food she prepares becomes an extension of herself.The culmination of this process of food as art and communication is food as communion. The transubstantiatio n of Tita's quail in rose petal sauce into Tita's body recalls the Roman Catholic doctrine of the communion wafer's becoming the body and blood of Christ, but on a deeper level it is the psychological reality of all women who have nursed an infant. When the baby Roberto loses his wet nurse, Tita is able to take the infant and nurse him in spite of the fact that she has not given birth.Her breasts are filled with milk not because she wishes she were the mother of the child, but because the child needs to eat and she is the provider of food. The viewer of the film Como agua para chocolate must develop her expressive capacity as she broadens her affective experience. Mexican women–and to some extent Latin American women–seeing the film relive their family history, and this is so not only because of the strong and open cultural links between Latin American women in this century, on which both the novel and film draw, but also and perhaps primarily because of the skillful u se of the parodic model.The intertext of women's magazines and the loves, trials, and tribulations featured in the stories they published is used by Esquivel as a discursive code that transcends whatever regional differences may exist. The social registers, the forms of address, the language of the female domain are somewhat lost in translation, because as in cooking, the substitution of ingredients changes the taste.The representation of women in Esquivel's novel and in the film touches on that deepest reservoir of meaning which is the human body as described, seen, and, on the deeper level, understood as the origin of identity. Women from other cultures and other languages can develop an empathetic relationship with Tita, her cooking, her love, and her life. Men of any culture, but especially Mexican men and Latin American men, have the greatest deficiency in experiencing this film and therefore have the most to learn.They must gain access to some fragment of the expressive code o f visual and verbal images that are the infrahistoric codes of their mothers, wives, and daughters. If they cannot gain access to the expressive system, they will not have access to the affective experience of these lives. The imagery of nourishing the body in both the novel and the film provides us with the means for articulating the experiences of cooking, eating, making love, and giving birth in previously unsuspected ways, and thus allows the male intruder a peek into reality.Women's recuperation of artistic creativity within the confinement of the house, and especially the kitchen and the bedroom, is presented by Esquivel not in an ideological argument but rather by means of an intertextual palimpsest which is the hallmark of postmodern art. 6 I want to conclude with three observations on feminist art in this context. 1) This is not a protest movement; it is a celebration of the space of one's own which may have been hidden from view in the past but is now open to all. ) At the center of postmodernism there is the vesting of creative weight on the reader, and this makes intertextuality a means of providing an interpretive context; in the case of Esquivel that context is our grandmother's kitchen and bedroom. 3) The maturity of feminist criticism has moved beyond the need to go headhunting among the misogynist hordes of patriarchy; the challenge today is to celebrate women's creativity in the full domain of the human adventure, from the so-called decorative arts to the fine arts and science.

Dentist Application Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dentist Application - Personal Statement Example In today's world, the field of Medicine is of immense importance to individuals and countries, alike. In this whole process, dentistry in an inevitable part, since apart from medication, the right guidance from professionals in terms of improvement of natural features, is very important to help patients overcome their fear for and grief towards the acceptance of diseased conditions. It also realises that the aesthetic needs of today's world. The main reason behind applying to the University, is because of the fact that I want to learn more and obtain more knowledge about the subject. I possess a thirst for knowledge regarding this subject, and would like to quench it by taking up this course, as per my passion. Firstly, talking about my professional strengths, I am a person who seeks to make the most out of every opportunity that comes my way, as I strongly believe that Opportunity knocks the door only once! I also keep myself up-to-date with the current happenings and researches, br eak-through and inventions in the field of Pharmacy and Healthcare, to make way for improvised quality of output to patients, from my end. Secondly, coming to my personal strengths; very evidentl... Therefore, being a team-worker and working in cooperation is extremely vital.I seek to expand my knowledge base on every possible occasion and am good at crisis management. I am capable of handling complex situations, without becoming panicky and by maintaining my calm and composure, which is a pre-requisite for every professional in the field of Pharmacy. Apart from my humanistic perspective, I do have certain personal reasons for taking up pharmacy in particular. For instance, I was intrigued by human psychology and its acceptance of trying circumstances. I am a compassionate person and enjoy extending a helping hand to those in need. In order to further my goal, I have volunteered at various health camps, which encouraged me to pursue my Dentistry with your esteemed institution. Every field works on a principle of core values. I feel that equality, human dignity and justice are of utmost importance to me. Service to the utmost honesty of one's conscience is what is important, to a doctor or a paramedic. Secondly, attaching the respect and dignity deserved by every human to the patient, is equally necessary. For this, empathy and comprehending the fact that every human is God's creation, is a must. Thirdly, providing justice to every patient is important for me, because I aspire to devote myself to service of humanity, as a tool to give back what I can to the society. Thus, these are my goals and aspirations, which I aspire to achieve by making the most of my strengths and minimising my weaknesses. 3) How

Virtue Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Virtue Ethics - Essay Example s of character make one a good man?† According to Christianity, morality is divine command; the fact of applying reason in identifying what’s moral and what isn’t. Jesus was on different occasions asked if there was a particular right way of doing things, like the proper method of worship, or what to do to gain eternal life. In His responses to all such questions, Jesus said there were no specific ways of doing things right; that there were not set of rules or laws. Renaissance came up with moral law, which is what determined the right or wrong thing to do. Many later day philosophers, such as Anscombe (1958), have disagreed with the renaissance view, insisting there shouldn’t be any law because, in any case, there can’t be a law without a lawgiver. Virtues are defined by Aristotle as character traits manifested in habitual action. He says no virtue exists in the extremes. Rather, virtue comes in between the two extremes. For instance, courage comes in between cowardice and foolhardiness. In both Christianity and philosophy, virtue ethics is not dictated by any set of laws. In both cases, virtue ethics is not in what one does or their action, but rather lies in their

Teenage Sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Teenage Sex - Essay Example Upon gathering related research articles from the UAH-Salmon Library, the moral, ethical, health, and social issues related to teenage sex will be tackled in details. Eventually, significant ways on how my cultural background and the place where I grew up affect my attitude and values regarding teenage sex will be provided in this study. Prior to conclusion, the pros and cons of incorporating sex education in the school system will be thoroughly discussed. Morality means that the act of a person should not go against religion which could lead a person to experience â€Å"defilement†, â€Å"sin†, and â€Å"guilt† (Farley, 2006, p. 175). In relation to morality, ethics is a moral philosophy which is commonly used when judging whether or not a specific human action is classified as moral or immoral. Religions like Catholics, Protestant, and Jewish acknowledges that the act of making love should be done within the context of marriage (between the husband and wife). Therefore, it is immoral and unethical for high school students to engage themselves in teenage sex. Teenage sex is a serious socio-economic problem because the act of engaging in sexual activities at an early age could lead to unplanned pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is one of the most common reasons why a young woman would drop out from school (The National Campaign, 2010). Because of the tight competition in the labor market, there is a strong possibility that a pregnant teenager who is not able to finish school will have more difficulty finding a decent job. Therefore, teenage pregnancy could lead to serious economic problems after a teenage mother gives birth. In relation to unprotected teenage sexual activity, the health of the mother is compromised because of the increased risk of becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Almost all teenage women who become

DQ1charwill and DQ2. DD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DQ1charwill and DQ2. DD - Essay Example When selecting dimensions of job satisfaction, it is essential to be vigilant since it may contribute to either retaining or sending away the employees. An example of a dimension is the satisfaction with the fulfillment of job. This is a sense of accomplishment that the employees seem to have possessed after using their skills maximally and it further motivates them to put more effort (Stewart, 2012). As a result, it contributes to the employees` retention. The writer portrays a good character towards the employees because in his company, individuals get challenged constantly and have the freedom of giving their opinions for the better of the company. An example of a job satisfaction dimension that does not contribute to the retention of employees is `satisfaction with a group.’ Due to the fact that most employees prefer personal work, when placed in to groups, the outcome at many times affects the company negatively because of different personality (Hellriegel, & Slocum, 2011 ). There are other additional several steps or methods that the company may employ to ensure that high-quality employees are retained. Firstly, the company can retain employees of high quality by availing favorable opportunities to them that may help them the earn more (Fannie, 2012). Another step is to appreciate the ethical practices, conducting proper communication with them and adopting an acceptable culture within the organization. In addition, job satisfaction also has other dimensions such as hygiene and motivation that also might help the company to retain the

Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Analysis - Assignment Example The problem of labor mobility training can best be solved when program designer embraces training from the learners’ point of view. Moreover, such training can be handled in different timelines depending on the institution and the department in, which training is to be conducted (Swain et al. 2014). Based on the continued development from previous units, labor mobility students are organizational employees sourced across different managerial departments ranging from supervisors to midlevel managers (Swain et al. 2014). Such a class of person is best suited for the above training programs because they are mostly responsible for the productivity of the organization. Despite the fact that no pedagogical consideration may be required for such trainees, the management must ensure proper knowledge are in place. Besides, labor-mobility training program should be aided using decision management system(DSS) as part of the managerial learning process. Training designs would only commence when the decision has been made prior to the analysis process and must end with the models that are perceived critical for the training needs. With consideration to the learning objectives, trainers must come up with valid concepts that clarify what is contained within the training program. Moreover, trainers must determine how comprehensive is the training curriculum and how it should be moderated. In addition, appropriate training material must be allocated must be unveiled depending on the learning procedure (Saks & Belcourt, 2006). Evaluation is considered to be the last stage of the ADDIE model. The procedure gives the trainers opportunity to trace back to the initial training process where they get to understand if any improvement has taken place. As part of the labor mobility training process, organizations incur a lot of expenses for the training process with the expectation of improving productivity. As such, the training department must come up with result oriented

Romanaticized Blackness by Whites to The Folk Essay

Romanaticized Blackness by Whites to The Folk - Essay Example He touches several other related topics as well. Throughout Hale’s book she has mentioned how the white Americans were much more open to the ideas of sharing the same hobbies, the same interests with the colored population and so they are termed as ‘outsiders’. This sudden change over several years caused a great transformation in the society and culture. The rebellion was such that a person’s race did not count, the discriminatory acts were slowing down. On the other hand, Baldwin’s stories clearly display that there was no such thing as fairness and justice between the races. The blacks were still treated wrongly, judged because of their skin color, the facts ignored because a white man was not to be blamed. It always had to be the colored man’s fault and he was unjustly punished for it. One of the stories Baldwin has written is Rockpile. The Grimes family consists of mixed ethnicity. The members are all white except on boy called John who i s Reverend Gabriel Grimes’ step son – son of his wife’s with another man before their marriage. Despite being a man of God, Grimes does not treat John fairly just because of his skin color. The incident related in the story is how Grimes’ son Rory gets injured due to his own fault, but John receives all the censure for it because he is black. Rory gets into a fight with some African American boys and hurts himself. "They fought on the rockpile. Sure footed, dangerous, and reckless, they rushed each other and grappled on the heights (†¦) Immediately, one side of Roy's face ran with blood, he fell and rolled on his face down the rocks" (Long and Collier 541) The story mostly shows the tumultuous relationship between the two. They were fighting with each other for no reason other than their color. John was thought to be guilty because of no other basis than the fact that he was black so obviously it was his entire fault. The unfairness is clearly shown here and it is quite a different version of what Hale is talking about in her own book. Times were quite difficult then. The sufferance during the Great Depression led to the white people unemployed. Only the blacks still had employment opportunities as they were willing to work for cheap wages and long hours. As more and more people were sacked, the menial tasks set aside for the blacks were given to whites. This was one of the early signs of prejudice and racism. Hale writes that the white Americans called themselves the outsiders during these times since they were not working. It was the ‘in’ thing even though they still had much more privileged lives than the blacks who were even working. The latter had very less income; the divide between the rich and poor was great. The poor automatically became even poorer whilst the rich continued to prosper despite the troubled times. The economic divide between the two races was great and yet the whites continued to compare th eir problems with those of the blacks. They did not realize that they were in a much greater, luckier position. Another story written by Baldwin is Sonny’s Blues. It is referring to the songs which were preferred in that time period. The story is about two brothers who are not really close but the narrator is showed as being worried for his sibling despite the distance. Sonny is a gifted pianist but he is troubled because he has no idea what to do with his talent. He gets into drugs till he becomes really addicted to them and puts everyone concerned

Alternative Approaches to Discipline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alternative Approaches to Discipline - Essay Example In a world fraught with strife and violence, Non Violent Communication (NVC) comes as a welcome change. NVC is a unique communication process as it is based on the principle of giving and receiving with compassion. It comprises four essential components such as: observations, feelings, needs and requests. In order to communicate non-violently or rather compassionately, one has to incorporate the aforementioned components while speaking to others. For instance, if one feels hurt about some incident and wants to talk about it, he or she must first state the incident, then talk about how he or she felt about it, followed by what particular need in him or her triggered such a feeling and also, follow it up with a request so that the person feels he or she is understood. NVC is an effective communication process as it draws the listener to an individual’s feelings, needs and expectations in such a way that the former feels compassion and tries to empathize with the speaker. Alterna tively, if someone is in trouble, a person who practices NVC can go a long way in redressing grievances by lending a patient ear and supporting with an empathetic heart. Rosenberg mentions an incident wherein he was called a ‘murderer’ and in a short while, was honored by the accuser, through an invitation as a guest for Ramadan dinner. The reason for this is that incident clearly manifests he had listened to him compassionately and had a heart-to-heart conversation with him (Rosenberg & Gandhi, p. 13, 2003). This shows that NVC is an effective and reliable mode of communication. On the other hand Polland’s discipline approach is extensive in nature where he gives an overview of the behaviors that children and adolescents exhibit at various stages of their development. Therefore, formulating a disciplinary action involves considering the age of the child or adolescent, the particular situation he or she is in and also arriving at a decision based on logical groun ds. For example, according to Polland, it is not a suitable punishment when a parent prevents a child from watching TV for dirtying the ceiling because such a punishment has no link with the misdeed. Instead, suggests a punishment of making the child clean up the ceiling so that he or she realizes how tedious a job it is and refrains from repeating it. A lot of insight goes into choosing a disciplinary action. It is made very clear in this discipline approach that there is no right way of disciplining. Parents by way of reasoning are expected to choose the right disciplinary action. The NVC approach and the discipline approach for children and adolescents share commonalities as well as differences. Both the approaches encourage open communication through questioning, listening and acknowledging the feelings of others. For example, in NVC one doesn’t not assume reasons for the other person being unhappy , but constantly questions and patiently listens to all that the person ha s to say and then arrives at a conclusion as to what needs and feelings made the person think or feel so. Similarly, in the discipline approach adopted by Poland, parents are always instructed to listen to everything the children have to say, even though they might lie. Therefore, the underlying principle on which both the approaches are based is the same: acknowledging individual’s feelings and then responding. The NVC process can

Martinez Company Essay Example for Free

Martinez Company Essay Introduction Martinez Company is introducing a new product that may be manufactured by using either one of two methods, capital intensive, or labor intensive method. For the capital intensive method, the manufacturing costs per unit are; direct material at $5.00, direct labor at $6.00, variable overhead costs at $3.00 and fixed manufacturing costs at $2,508,000 for the period. For the labor intensive method costs per unit are; direct materials at $5.50, direct labor at $8.00, variable overhead costs at $4.50 and fixed manufacturing costs at $1,538,000 for the period. The research department of Martinez Company recommended an introductory unit sales price of $30. The selling expenses are approximately $502, 000 annually in addition to $2 for each unit sold regardless of the manufacturing method used. The second part of the research is to determine how many units the company will have to sell annually for both methods to be equal. To determine this number the company will need to calculate the indifference point. The calculation is the total fixed cost of both methods is subtracted and then  divided by the contribution margin per unit for each method. Indifference point = (3,010,000-2,040,000)/(14-10) = 242,500. So the company would have to sell 242,500 units for both methods to be equally profitable. This is good information because based on the manufacturing cost of each production method the company will have to sell a specific number of units to maximize profitability. Based on this number the company will select each method in accordance with the projected number of units to be sold. Capital-Intensive Manufacturing vs. Labor-Intensive Manufacturing In the future, the Martinez Company will need to use either capital-intensive or labor intensive method for production. Capital intensive manufacturing method focuses on a high level of capital investment, while labor intensive focuses on a high level of labor investment. Capital intensive manufacturing method is mostly used on a large scale production with automated processes. Labor intensive method is mostly likely used on smaller scale production with personalized products. The capital manufacturing method is also based on whether the organization is producing a standardized product or an exclusive product. The labor intensive manufacturing method should be used when a substantial amount of customer interaction is needed. Capital intensive manufacturing method can be used when the work is too dangerous for employees. With labor intensive manufacturing method there are lower fixed costs and higher variable costs. With the capital intensive manufacturing method there are higher fixed costs and variable costs. In this case, the capital intensive method would be the preferred choice if the sales are expected to be higher than the indifference number of $242,500. Capital intensive manufacturing method limits competition by serving as a barrier to entry and as a capital intensive business, the Martinez Corporation can benefit from this. Barriers to entry are obstacles that prevent new companies to function in capital-intensive industries. Capital intensive manufacturing minimizes human error resulting in a more effective and efficient productivity. Another great advantage with capital intensive manufacturing method is the minimal labor impact.

Fair Value Accounting Essay Example for Free

Fair Value Accounting Essay This paper attempts to answer the question: â€Å"Is it reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess? † This paper in effect settle whether the use of fair value accounting by listed companies in the major stock exchanges in the US, particularly those found in Wall Street, which the caused fall in prices of the stocks of these companies, was required of companies without justification; hence, it should be blamed for the mess. 2. Analysis and Discussion Any mess in the Wall Street is defined for this paper as one causing the stock prices of companies list in major stock exchanges of the US to fall and that it resulted to losses to investors. To have reasonable basis to blame fair value accounting for any Wall Street mess, does not simply mean that fair value accounting was the necessary cause of fall in the prices of corporate stocks but that the requirement of fair value accounting must not be fair. The question that must be decided therefore is whether fair value accounting is fair as basis of valuing corporate assets, liabilities and equity. A situation or condition is fair if it gives what is due to a person. If the concept of fair value is used in the context of an asset purchased or liability assumed in business, fair value implies that said asset or liability must neither be overpriced nor underpriced whether perceived or otherwise. The law of economics would have fair value as one representing that market price or that equilibrium price of a product or service (Samuelson and Nordhaus, 1992) which is also the value of something from a seller that is not forced to sell or from a buyer that is not forced to buy. Investors, creditors, and other persons expect to be treated fairly as they enter into transactions in terms of value that they will give in exchange to what they will receive. To illustrate, a person or company planning to invest in stocks will appreciate what is fair if the said person or company will earn sufficient return above cost of capital in exchange for the risks being faced by such person or company (Brigham, 2002). To have what is fair, the investors must know the accurate and reliable information about of the company to guide them about their chances of gaining or losing money. These users deserve to have the opportunity to have the true or accurate value of asset, liability or equity being dealt with in a business transaction as basis for valuing the stocks that they will invest with. Financial reports prepared companies, as guided by Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) accounting standard under fair value accounting, will provide these users the opportunity. Specifically, fair value accounting was made pursuant to FAS 157 as issued by US FASB for companies to reflect the accounting information on the real values of assets, liabilities and equity in the balance sheet as contrasted with presenting the information using the historical cost accounting (Meigs and Meigs, 1995). A group of analysts and portfolio managers actually formed part of those who influenced the passage of the fair value accounting for more relevant information in decision making (Chasan, 2008). Under FAS 157 defines fair value is defined as the price that would be received â€Å"to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants in a measurement date† (Sortur, 2007). If companies have restated their financial statements from historical cost accounting to fair value accounting, the purpose was laudable since in simple terms, the intention is to make the information more relevant, more accurate and more reliable for decision makers. If stockholders got affected in terms of lower price of stocks as a result of restatement of financial statements, the error was when they were made the purchase of their investments under the historical cost accounting. Since fair value accounting may also increase the value of the stocks if fair value is higher than cost, it could not be asserted that it should be blamed for the fall of prices but not praised for increased in price increase of stock prices. 3. Conclusion It can be concluded that it is not reasonable to blame fair value accounting for any of the Wall Street mess since fair value accounting is only bringing out what is fair to investors who deserved to know accurate and reliable information for making decisions. Fair value accounting is an accounting standard made by FASB that was made as a requirement from the corporation which must present truthful and reliable information for investors. As an alternative to historical value of accounting, fair value is expected to have present company more reliable information about their assets and liabilities in accordance with market prices. Its implementation may have caused companies to present their financial information and if the information presented were more truthful, the consequence of causing problems to companies should only be secondary to the purpose of providing objective and more reliable financial information. Any fall in stock prices from Wall Street may in fact have been caused by companies having to restate their financial statement pursuant to fair value accounting but the intention was to reflect to truer value of assets and liabilities of the corporations whose stocks got affected. Losers should not blame fair value accounting since the latter is just a guide to have more truthful information and they would have a change also of higher stock prices under fair value if warranted by market forces. If there was no basis for such more truthful information, then restatements of financial information using fair value would not have been made in the first place. If buyers and sellers are not being compelled to complete their transaction, fair value accounting must be held as fair and cannot be blamed for the mess. In fact, fair value accounting should have been introduced years ago for it could have saved some abuse and a lot of problems (Rees-Mogg, 2007). References: Brigham and Houston (2002), Introduction to Financial Management, Thomson-South Western, USA, 2002 Chasan, Emily (2008), Is fair value accounting really fair? {www document} URL, http://www. reuters. com/article/reutersEdge/idUSN1546484120080226, Accessed November 21, 2008 Meigs and Meigs (1995), Financial Accounting, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Rees-Mogg (2007), Why FAS 157 strikes dread into bankers, {www document} URL http://www. timesonline. co. uk/tol/comment/columnists/william_rees_mogg/article2852547. ece, Accessed November 21, 2008. Samuelson and Nordhaus (1992), Economics, McGraw-Hill, Inc, London, UK Sortur (2007) Fair Value Measurement, The Chartered Accountant {www document} URL, http://icai. org/resource_file/96471564-1574. pdf, Accessed November 21, 2008

Quality Systems Of Tesco Plc And Waitrose Marketing Essay

Quality Systems Of Tesco Plc And Waitrose Marketing Essay Operations management encompasses all activities in an organisation that transform its inputs into desired outputs. Operation Managements activities consist of planning, designing, implementing and controlling the firms operation through an efficient and effective use of its resources to produce and deliver goods and services so as to satisfy its customers needs (Slack, Chambers, Johnston, 2004). Quality is very important in the mind of the customer because it influences the choice in purchasing that product. A quality product is one which satisfies customer demand completely and which is done right the first time itself. The quality of a product can be classified in two categories, which is firstly the design quality and secondly the performance quality of a product. Design quality involves the purpose of a good or facility. A shopper usually classifies the quality of a product through its look, process and dependability. Furthermore, performance quality involves the extent to which products and services correspond to the plan of the design. Quality management is essential to effective operations management, particularly continuous management. More recent advancements in quality, such as benchmarking and Total Quality Management, have resulted in advancements to operations management as well. Quality management ensures that there is quality in a products and services. Although there are different approaches to solve quality issues, all the goal are the same which is to create a high quality, high performing product or services which is in conformity with customers expectations. Quality management is very important in companies for various reasons. It ensures product quality in the sense that product can be produced as per stated promise, which is durability, performance and reliability. Customer satisfaction where surveys can be conducted to understand the qualities customers want from the product, as well as how it can be improved. Increased revenues as quality products and services give the company a spotless reputation in the industry and this can lead to new customers and also selling additional products and services to existing customers. Moreover unnecessary processes can be eliminated and the employee can do the same job in less time thus decreasing the additional salary paid him. Quality management also helps to reduce wastage as companies that house inventory has to incur the holding costs and also tracking of the inventory which ultimately will be included in the price. Therefore, to keep inventory at a low level without incurring any waste, manuf acturers can work closely with suppliers using a Just-In-Time philosophy and thus becoming more responsive to customers. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is a system of collecting data for a research project which provide critical insight into the subject matter of the research. The basis upon which the research approach is selected depends upon the requirement of the research topic and its main objectives. (Fraenkel and Wallen. 1993). According to Saunders et al the two main types of research approaches are quantitative and qualitative research. For the purpose of collecting data on the quality aspect of the operational management, the researcher has adopted both qualitative and quantitative approach. Primary data was obtained from Tesco branch of Thornton Heath which was selected for this purpose and was compared with the Waitrose branch of Croydon. Research techniques such as face to face interviews using open ended questions with the store managers of both supermarkets were used. In addition observation of the processes across various branches of Tesco and Waitrose was done for a period of two weeks. These two particular research techniques were chosen because it enables the researcher to get more detail and additional information which could not have been obtained otherwise if another research methodology for example questionnaire was used. Moreover it enables the researcher to have an insight in the quality problems existing in the operation management. The information obtained during the interviews and through physical observation is used to generalise the quality system and philosophies adopted across all branches as Tesco and Waitrose because as a franchisee these supermar kets are much known for standardisation across all their levels of area of business. Secondary data is another method of obtaining data which is readily available at relatively no cost from sources such as the company website, books, and academic journals at relatively no cost. Some of the limitations of the research techniques used for this research were that the store managers refused to answer some of the questions. HISTORY OF BUSINESS TESCO Supermarkets giant Tesco was founded in 1919 after the First World War by Jack Cohen when he started selling surplus groceries from a stall in the East London and made  £1 profit from  £4 sales. Tesco got its name from the initials of TE Stockwell where he was a partner in the firm of tea suppliers and CO from his surname. He managed to cope with adverse economic conditions and subsequently with rapid changing technology, increasingly sophisticated consumers and competitions. The first official store was opened in 1929 and the company kept flourishing throughout the twentieth century. In 1992 the company launched its slogan ; every little helps, followed by Tesco value in 1993 and in 1995 it overtook Sainsburys and became the UKs largest food retailer. . It managed to become the first British trader with a companys loyalty card when the Tesco Clubcard was introduced, and has also developed many innovative products and services to make more profit. Today, Tesco has 2482 stores in the U.K and 2329 stores in other countries, with an overall staff number of 472,000 worldwide. WAITROSE Waitrose is the UK leading chain of quality food retailer and is part of John Lewis Partnership since 1937.Founded in 1904 by William Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor in a small town called Acton in West London, today Waitrose is the country most successful, innovative and largest chain of supermarkets differentiating itself from its competitors by providing high quality products and excellent customer services. It mainly targets the high income earners. As to date, Waitrose has 228 branches across the United Kingdom and a 4.3% share of the market, making it the 6th largest grocery retailer in the UK. Waitrose has been expanding in the domestic market by adopting a strategy of growth by acquisition and very recently it has started to franchise its licence. Its first overseas store was opened in Dubai in April 2008 and its plans to focus more on its overseas market in the near future. The main competitors of the chain of supermarket are Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Sainsbury and many more. COMPARISION OF TESCO AND WAITROSE Quality Philosophy Tesco quality philosophy is to deliver the best possible service to the customers by providing high quality products at cheaper price. Its target market is the middle income with young children. Waitrose is committed to bring the best quality of food. Its price is at a premium. It has built its reputation on its quality and the freshness of the food. Its targeted market is the high income earners and compared to Tesco, its stores are located in affluent areas. Quality systems Quality systems Even though Tesco and Waitrose cater to different segments of income group customer both the store stress on quality. They take different aspects into consideration while choosing the products that need to be displayed on their shelves. Below are the various methods that both the stores consider Tesco Tesco takes regular feedback from their customers regarding the quality of the products and the service they received from the stores. Based on the feedback, the Quality control team ensures that the products that reach the stores are of high quality. This ensures the product consistency and good value for the customers, every time. Tescos quality and life of the products are constantly monitored and sample checked across various steps in supply chain from production to the stores. According to Tesco Would I buy it strategy is employed which empowers anyone involved with the production, packaging and shelving. The persons involved in these stages have the right to reject the product which below the specification. Apart from the above methodology, the products are also tested independently every month. This ensures that the delivered product is up to the quality. They also have a technical standard guideline which has to be followed by everyone involved in the supply chain. They consult industry bodies, environmental experts and food safety experts to advise on production aspects. Tesco over the past few years has effectively introduced six sigma methodology across various departments and has successfully reduced the carbon di oxide emissions and also saving energy. Waitrose Similar to the approach taken by Tesco, Waitrose also takes the customer feedback into consideration while doing quality testing. Waitrose looks for producers who can offer quality products and sets very high standards while preparation of the food products. According to Waitrose they uphold high standards of food safety and hygiene, by the usage of latest farming techniques. These include HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical Control Points) systems, ICM (Integrated crop management) system and LIFE (Linking Environment and farming). HACCP is used in food production to identify potential hazards and to control the risks in future. ICM is used to ensure that best horticulture practices are followed and LEAF is independent charitable organisation that helps farmers to reduce the environmental impacts. Recently Waitrose have successfully implemented SAS software to improve the stockholding and cut wastes. This helps them in forecasting customer demand and ensures right product is shelved at the right time. According to Waitrose, this has helped them to reduce stockholding by 8% and wastage by 4%, thus increasing the customer satisfaction through high product availability. Quality Approaches The quality approaches of Tesco and Waitrose will be compared and contrast as follows: Quality of product Compare Quality of products depends on the requirement and satisfaction of customer. Much focus is being placed on quality of products by most of the organisation and Tesco and Waitrose are no different. Both companies offer the range of organic foods which are becoming more and more popular nowadays. The Bags for life scheme is becoming popular in supermarkets so as to cut down the number of traditional carrier bags and therefore, reducing the number ending up in landfill sites. Once the Bag for life is worn out customers can replace it free of charge. Tescos front line initiative if there is more than one person queuing at a single check out then another one is open and also customers are encouraged to give instant feedback on the service thus helping in improving the offer and the service. On the other hand, Waitrose has the quick check method where customers can scan their items and pack them as they are shopping and when finished, they pay at the quick check till without having to unpack and repack their goods. For any business to grow or to compete with others it has become mandatory to use the latest technologies across various levels. Tesco can launch an application with barcode reader integrated with Tesco club card and mobile number. The customer can select the items and scan it through the barcode reader app. At the end of the shopping he/she just scans her app on the till or enter the reference number (could be registered mobile number) provided by the app. This is automatically updated on to the customers club card. This way queues can be reduced by large at the tills. There by increasing the customer satisfaction. Also, Tesco can implement Drive-Thru shopping; where in customer shops online and pays for it online if necessary. The customer just drives at the specified time with the reference number and picks up his goods at the counter just like the Mc Donalds drive thru.

Essay --

During the Meiji Restoration, Japan transformed into a strong industrialized nation by adopting the Western political, cultural, and technological ideas. Japan was the â€Å"only non-Western country to industrialize in the nineteenth century and that, moreover, she did so in an extremely short time† (Sugiyama 1). Japan’s social, political, and economic aspects were all affected by the Western technologies to transform Japan into an industrialized nation (Wittner 1). By adopting the Western ideas during the Meiji Restoration, Japan has turned into a powerful industrialized nation by becoming an â€Å"international political player in the 1880s† (Wittner 1). Prior to the Meiji Restoration, the Western powers viewed Japan as the backward nation because â€Å"in terms of military strength and economic development, Japan was indeed far behind the Western nations† (Hane and Perez 84). The Meiji government feared that Western nations would colonize Japan because they had already done it to other Asian countries by using military forces (Hane and Perez 84). The Meiji government’s fear came out to be true when the Western powers imposed unequal commercial treaties on Japan. Because of these unequal treaties Japan was â€Å"deprived of the right to regulate tariffs, and Western residents in the treaty ports were granted the privilege of extraterritoriality† (Hane and Perez 84). However, these unequal treaties were significant to the Meiji Restoration because they became the foundation of Japan’s industrial revolution by providing Japan with the access not only to Western technologies but also to political, cultural, and social ideas (Hane and Perez 82). Moreover, the treaties were important to Japan’s economic future because they increased the Japan’s econom... ...Restoration was the telephone. Iwadare Kunihiko established Nihon Denki (Nippon Electric Co., also known as NEC) by teaming up with the Western Electric (WE) of the United States (Odagiri and Goto 161). Kunihiko and NEC adopted WE’s technology and communication equipment, which helped expand the production of telephones (Odagiri and Goto 162). The telephone production was important for Japan’s industrialization because communication became easier. Many people were able to keep in touch with their friends and families who live far away by simply calling them. The telephone was also important for business because it sped up the commercial transactions. As more people are using the telephone, more private owned telephone companies were operated to raise profits. The American telephone technology brought industrialization in Japan by increasing the telephone production.

Around the World in a Heart Shaped Balloon :: Personal Narrative Writing

Around the World in a Heart Shaped Balloon When I was a little girl I adored going to the movies. I especially loved movies with a romantic plot, and a happy ending. As a child, I remember sitting in the theatre and being mesmerized by everything that was happening on the screen. Films like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast made a concrete impression on my mind. Even at such a young age I loved the romance of these stories. The thought of one day being carried off by a handsome prince was a very fascinating concept for me as a little girl. Beauty and the Beast was my favorite. My grandparents took me to see it for the first time. After that, I was hooked. I got anyone I could think of to take me to the movie theatre. That year for my birthday I received everything Beauty and the Beast. I received a comforter, sheets, pillowcases, posters, a Beauty and the Beast lamp, even a night light! I was in heaven. Now that I think about it, my family may have gone a bit over the top, but at the time I was the happies t kid on the entire block. That year we painted my walls light pink, and I had a white bunk bed, and white furniture, and everything else was Beauty and the Beast. This was just the beginning of my love affair with fairy tale romance. In the years following my Beauty and the Beast craze I went through a number of different phases. Each one very different, but all of them centered around romance. There was a period of time where I loved movies like Disney's Robin Hood, and Ever After. All the different tellings of the mystical King Arthur story, which we’d been studying in school, captivated me. And, for a brief time I became mildly obsessed with the Medieval Times, and magical romance. The Shakespearian play â€Å"A Mid Summer Night’s Dream† is filled with magic and romance. It became the inspiration for me to plan out a mural on an entire wall of my room. I took a pencil, and began to sketch out my vision. A forrest scene with brightly colored fairies surrounding the marriage of the beautiful Fairy Queen to a half man half donkey creature. On the opposite side I wanted to paint the two love sick couples in the play sleeping in the grass beneath the trees.

Fortinbras, Laertes and Horatio, as Foils to Hamlet Essay -- GCSE Cour

Fortinbras, Laertes and Horatio, as Foils to Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What a piece of work is a man!" (II, 2, 305). In his statement Prince Hamlet, in his role as the star character in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, acknowledges the complexity of man; as "infinite in faculties. . . express and admirable. . . like an angel [or] like a god. . . and yet. . . [a] quintessence of dust" (II, 2, 307) is man described. Shakespeare emphasizes the observation by casting Hamlet as "a man," exposing his strengths and weaknesses through the contrast provided by Fortinbras, Laertes and Horatio, as foils to the tragic hero.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   At his first appearance, young Fortinbras is shown to be inferior to Hamlet; being "of unimproved metal, hot and full" (I, 1, 96) unreasonably "[sharking] up a list of landless resolutes" (I, 1, 98), he is in sharp contrast to the "sweet and commendable" (I, 2, 87) Hamlet introduced in the next scene. As the play develops, however, Hamlet's weakness are highlighted as Fortinbras works to earn his name, "which seems to symbolize the strong arm of the soldier" (xxvii). Fortinbras' uncomplicated, simple-minded determination towards final revenge of this father's death contrasts with Hamlet's intermittent efforts towards the same goal. The Norwegian's first appearance in the play, which does not occur until act IV, scene 4, is conveniently placed as Hamlet is on another of his "lows." Fortinbras' triumphant and majestic entry into Denmark evidences his ability to plan and act, circumventing obstacles in his plan as they arise, which contrasts with Hamlet's inability to do the same. Hamlet condemns himself and exposes one of his weaknesses -- his inability to act when required or possible -- by questioning "Wh... ... the deadly duel in the final scene. The scholar's strong code of honour and ethics, which pushes him to commit suicide at Hamlet's death, contrasts with Hamlet's lack of morals, sending his old acquaintances Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in England and mercilessly "wringing [his mother's] heart" (III, 4, 35) during the closet scene.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By exposing and emphasizing Hamlet's many strengths and weaknesses as they appear throughout the play, Fortinbras, Laertes and Horatio act as foils to the tragic hero. Although they assist in the understanding of Hamlet, they do not completely dissect the inner workings of the main character, thus testifying to the complexity of an individual. Indeed, what a piece of work is a man!    Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Betty Bealy. Toronto: Canadian School Book Exchange, 1996.   

Marine Phytoplankton Essay

Phytoplankton From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Diatoms are one of the most common types of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words cpur?v (phyton), meaning â€Å"plant†, and TIXay? «?q (planktos), meaning â€Å"wanderer† or â€Å"drifter†. [l] Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. However, when present in high enough numbers, they may appear as a green discoloration of the water due to the presence f chlorophyll within their cells (although the actual color may vary with the species of phytoplankton present due to varying levels of chlorophyll or the presence of accessory pigments such as phycobiliproteins, xanthophylls, etc. ). Contents [hide] * 1 Ecology * 2 Aquaculture * 3 Blooms * 4 See also * 5 References * 6 External links [edit] Ecology Phytoplankton are the foundation of the oceanic food chain. Of these, the best known are dinoflagellate genera such as Noctiluca and Dinophysis, that obtain organic carbon by ingesting other organisms or detrital material. The term phytoplankton encompasses all photoautotrophic microorganisms in quatic food webs. Phytoplankton serve as the base of the aquatic food web, providing an essential ecological function for all aquatic life. However, unlike terrestrial communities, where most autotrophs are plants, phytoplankton are a diverse group, incorporating protistan eukaryotes and both eubacterial and archaebacterial prokaryotes. There are about 5,000 species of marine phytoplankton. [8] There is uncertainty in how such diversity has evolved in an environment where competition for only a few resources would suggest limited potential for niche differentiation. [9] In terms of numbers, the most important groups of phytoplankton include the diatoms, cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates, although many other groups of algae are represented. One group, the coccolithophorids, is responsible (in part) for the release of significant amounts of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) into the atmosphere. DMS is converted to sulfate and these sulfate molecules act as cloud condensation nuclei, increasing general cloud cover. In oligotrophic oceanic regions such as the Sargasso Sea or the South Pacific Gyre, phytoplankton is dominated by the small sized cells, alled picoplankton, mostly composed of cyanobacteria (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus) and picoeucaryotes such as Micromonas. [edit] Aquaculture Diagrams of some typical phytoplankton. Main article: Algaculture Phytoplankton are a key food item in both aquaculture and mariculture. Both utilize phytoplankton for the feeding of the animals being farmed. In mariculture, the phytoplankton is naturally occurring and is introduced into enclosures with the normal circulation of seawater. In aquaculture, phytoplankton must be obtained and introduced directly. The plankton can either be collected from a body of water or foodstock for the production of rotifers[10], which are in turn used to feed other organisms. Phytoplankton is also used to feed many varieties of aquacultured molluscs, including pearl oysters and giant clams. The production of phytoplankton under artificial conditions is itself a form of aquaculture. Phytoplankton is cultured for a variety of purposes, including foodstock for other aquacultured organisms[10], a nutritional supplement for captive invertebrates in aquaria. Culture sizes range from small-scale laboratory cultures of ess than 1 L to several tens of thousands of liters for commercial aquaculture[10]. Regardless of the size of the culture, certain conditions must be provided for efficient growth of plankton. The majority of cultured plankton is marine, and seawater of a specific gravity of 1. 010 to 1. 026 may be used as a culture medium. This water must be sterilized, usually by either high temperatures in an autoclave or by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, to prevent biological contamination of the culture. Various fertilizers are added to the culture medium to facilitate the growth of plankton. A culture must be aerated or agitated in some way to keep plankton suspended, as well as to provide dissolved carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. In addition to constant aeration, most cultures are manually mixed or stirred on a regular basis. Light must be provided for the growth of phytoplankton. The colour temperature of illumination should be approximately 6,500 K, but values from 4,000 K to upwards of 20,000 K have been used successfully. The duration of light exposure should be approximately 16 hours daily; this is the most efficient artificial day length[10]

The Breakfast Club – Analysis Essay

The Breakfast Club – Analysis Essay This past weekend I set out to accomplish this extra credit assignment. I viewed the task as just another mediocre film from the 80’s to watch for school. However, I can now say that I am utterly delighted to have viewed the Breakfast Club. This film eloquently covered every serious topic that a high school student has ever pondered: sex, social stratification, tobacco use, parental frustration, marijuana and even suicide.The film begins by an unlikely group of teenagers bound together by collegiate authority in Saturday detention. Each member of the circle brings a different aspect of high school life to light. The â€Å"Breakfast Club† is composed of five members: the athlete, the brain, the princess, the basket case, and the criminal. Although very distinctive character traits, I feel that every high school student could relate to certain aspects of at least one character. Initially, the five students act very typical to the ir assigned social class.The jock boasts, the princess talks about how popular she is, the brain actually begins the assigned 1,000 word essay. The basket case, well acts like she belongs in a home for the mentally insane, and the criminal smokes a cigarette inside. Almost an hour into the film, the characters social guard begins to falter. The group is able to find common ground on certain topics, specifically how all of their parents aren’t perfect, and how they all secretly hate their lives.Even though all of the adolescents come from different backgrounds, they are all going through the same struggles. I felt that this central message speaks to anyone who has ever been in a similar situation, undergoing the process of a changing life and struggling for social acceptance. The most notable aspect of the film was the transformation and unification of the students. They engaged in discussions about sex, suicide and pressures placed on them by their parents, all while under th e influence of marijuana.The gothic â€Å"basket case† emerged into a beautiful woman with the help of the â€Å"princess†. She was once a very shy, compulsive liar but with her new â€Å"preppy† makeover she exuded confidence and ultimately kissed the â€Å"athlete†. Additionally, the divide between the â€Å"criminal† character and â€Å"princess† was completely bridged. The two actually kissed in the school’s parking lot and Princess gave him one of her diamond earrings. Perhaps oversimplified, I still felt that the film called out very important issues for teenagers.I feel that although this film may have included teens, parents should take note of the film’s underlying meaning. What was brought to light in The Breakfast Club could only be interrogated out of teenagers under any other circumstances. This film illuminates the keyhole into the secret lives of teenagers. Personally, I was touched by the transparency of the cha racters and could heavily relate to the frustration they experienced when being forced to deal with their misguided disciplinarian principal. I would most definitely recommend this movie to anyone, especially parents.

The liberalization of the international financial system Essay

The age of globalization has ensured that businesses are focusing more and more on international trade as the primary means of enhancing their competitiveness. For example businesses en masse are moving their operations offshore to China and India to take advantage of the low cost of operation in those countries. The liberalization of the international financial system has also facilitated the growth of this trend for foreign direct investment. However this investment takes place in more than one form. It can be in the form of money or it can also be in the form of employees. When it comes to relocating employees, the human resource department of the company which is sending its employees abroad must take into account as to how they are going to determine the international compensation system. The scenario under analysis is of that an US national going to Japan to work there as an expatriate. In order to determine what the compensation of the US national should be, the parent company based in the US must take several issues into account. Of course there are some cost categories that will have go into the calculations such as allowances for goods and services, housing, income taxes and reserve. Under the heading of goods and services are the basic needs such as food, clothing, transportation, furniture, recreation etc. An important part of the calculations is also the cost category associated with housing in the host country. There are differences between the income taxes in the parent country and those in the host country and these differences the international pay system will have to take into account. Last but not the least, the parent company has to make significant contributions in the form of reserve such as pension funds, benefits schemes, education taxes, social security taxes etc. So these are the four major elements that will have to go into determining the pay for Robert Lords in Japan. The human resource department of Riordan Manufacturing does not have problems determining what the components of the international pay system will be as they are all specified in the company policy. Usually companies sending their employees abroad in the form of expatriates have to decide between the going rate approach and the balance sheet approach (http://www. rocw. raifoundation. org/management/bba/IHRM/lecture-notes/lecture-21. pdf). According to the going rate approach, the parent company conducts a survey in the host country and develops a grasp of the cost of living in the host country. The approach is basically to match the pay of the parent country national to the host country national. If Riordan Manufacturing were to follow the going rate approach, then it would probably have to hire an international consulting firm to conduct a survey in Japan that would determine what the salary of a Japanese national would be. This is a Japanese national working in the same position with similar duties and responsibilities to those addressed by Robert Lords. However Riordan Manufacturing does not follow the going rate approach. The going rate approach has several disadvantages. For example, managerial salaries in the US are the highest in the world. Therefore, according to the going rate approach, expatriates to China from the US would be given a much lower level of compensation. The nature of the assignment also varies from one country to another. The going rate approach would not take those differences into account but the employees are very sensitive to these differences. In such cases, the application of the going rate approach in structuring an international pay system can result in loss of employee morale. In fact, if the management of Riordan Manufacturing were to follow the going rate approach, it would have a hard time persuading any of its employees to take off to China because Chinese managerial salaries are much lower than they are in the US. The approach followed is the balance sheet approach. The result therefore is one of equity in the international pay system at Riordan. However this equity exists from the perspective of the employees of the company and not from the perspective of the host country nationals. As a result Robert Lords’ pay would not be equitable with the pay of a Japanese national. The balance sheet approach is the exact opposite of the going rate approach in that the company does not have to undertake surveys in the host country to determine what the pay of nationals in that country in similar positions is. Under this system the pay that Lords is going to receive in Japan is going to be exactly the one that he was receiving in the US. Of course there would be a few adjustments to take into account the differences of living in the host country. For example, if the cost of housing in the host country is higher than it is in the parent country, then Riordan Manufacturing would pay for the difference in the compensation to the parent country national. Under this approach therefore, the pay that Lords is going to receive will not be equitable with that of a Japanese national in a similar position. However when Lords comes back to the states, his salary will be readjusted back to its former level and the element of equity will be maintained. What determines equitable pay is a valid question in this respect. Maintaining purchasing power of the expatriate is one measure of maintaining equity. The purchasing power that the expatriate used to enjoy in the parent country remains the same when he moves to the host country. Therefore, the employee enjoys the same level of compensation regardless of the national compensation system of the country he moves to. Managerial salaries in Japan are lower than they are in the US. As a result, Japanese nationals working in a position with duties and responsibilities similar to those relevant to Lords’ position will have lower pay. Previously businesses used to perform within the confines of their own national boundaries. But now, because of globalization, they are operating across national borders. For example, Riordan Manufacturing performs production activities in China. However strategic flexibility still remains the most important concept in achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. In fact it has grown in importance inasmuch as different marketplaces internationally have different factors driving supply and demand. Therefore, the organizational culture of a multinational company must develop passion for strategic flexibility. This is the duty of the human resource department. The human resource department is responsible for motivating employees to behave in a way that will contribute to overall organizational effectiveness. The most effective means of doing that is to design a compensation system that values employee behavior that values strategic flexibility (http://digitalcommons. ilr. cornell. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1164&context=cahrswp). As mentioned before, strategic human resource management has the two options of the going rate approach and the balance sheet approach in designing an international pay system. However none of these approaches are appropriate for promoting strategic flexibility or, in other words, for promoting business practices tailored to the cultural and economic values of the country it is operating in. On the one hand, there is the going rate approach which in Lords’ case would simply calculate the pay of a Japanese national in a similar position and on the other hand there is the balance sheet approach which would simply calculate pay based on what Lords would earn in a similar position in his home country. Both follow national characteristics. The going rate approach follows the Japanese national system while the balance sheet approach follows the US national system. As a result neither of these approaches is geared towards promoting strategic flexibility. If the objective of the management is to develop the kind of compensation system that would emphasize certain characteristics of the national culture that are better aligned with the organizational strategic map, then it would have to develop different compensation systems for different countries. In this respect, the management of Riordan Manufacturing must study the social contract in the Japanese national system and design the international compensation system in a way that stimulates aspects of Japanese culture in employee behavior most suitable for organizational effectiveness. The age of globalization means that a multinational company like Riordan Manufacturing must take into account the different cultural attributes of the country it is operating in. This is because demand is greatly influenced by cultural expectations. Therefore the product that the multinational company is producing must conform to the cultural expectations of the country in which it is selling the product. If it is important for product development to conform to cultural expectations around the world, then it is vital for the compensation system to conform in the same manner. The compensation system lies at the core of the employee motivation system. Previously, compensation consisted of solely financial gains. However financial gain can be easily matched by other companies. In a globalized system of free trade where money can flow from one country to another without friction, merely financial gains are no longer sufficient to motivate the employees to stay with the company. As a result, modern compensation systems emphasize the development of relationship between the employer and the employees. If Riordan Manufacturing is going to move to Japan with its operations, then it must develop that relationship between the employer and the employee and developing that relationship means that the management must carefully study the social contract that governs the organizational culture in Japan. International compensation systems have multiplied in complexities precisely because the measures of organizational effectiveness must inevitably vary from one country to another. The measures of organizational effectiveness have changed. In today’s business world, availability of information is the most important competitive advantage that a company might have. An example of the value of information in enhancing organizational competitiveness is the process of internal benchmarking that has recently been gaining popular support. Internal benchmarking compares the different organizational procedures across operations around the world and prepares a lit of best practices which might be applicable organization wide. A critical aspect in successfully performing internal benchmarking is the tacit knowledge that lies hidden in employees. This is valuable intellectual capital that an organization would lose if the compensation system were to emphasize solely financial gains. In the interests of organizational effectiveness, the management of that organization must make sure that practices are undertaken so that there is minimal turnover in the company. As a result, particularly in developing an international pay system, the management in multinational companies has been introducing an element of choice in their compensation systems. The international pay systems have three levels of pay: one is core which includes cash and basic benefits. Then there are crafted choices such as training, flexible scheduling, base/bonus mix and stock options and finally there are the choices given employees such as assignments, tax deferrals, stock purchases etc. It is in the aspect of crafted choices that we must consider the role that the social contract plays in the Japanese national compensation system. Designing a compensation system in the US and in Japan must necessarily include differing challenges because the cultures in the US and in Japan are greatly different. The Japanese system values the collectivist approach more. Therefore the performance-based or the ability-based approach followed in the US emphasizing individual risk-taking is not very effective in Japan. Group based policies have greater value in Japan. Status is an important aspect of the social contract in Japan. Therefore if the element of strategic flexibility means motivating employees to think and act in the best interests of organizational effectiveness as applicable to the host country, then an American company must design the compensation system applicable to its operations in Japan in a way that maintains employees’ group status. This is an example of the role that the social contract in Japan plays in designing international pay systems. From the above it will be clear enough that designing an international pay system is no longer so simple as selecting between the going rate approach or the balance sheet approach. If Riordan Manufacturing is moving to Japan with its operations then blindly following the balance sheet approach is no longer a feasible approach. The management of the company must do the additional homework of studying the social contract in Japan. An important feature of the social contract in Japan is the lifetime employment contract in Japan where the management ensures job security for the employees. Any American company attempting to design a pay system that is in alignment with the strategic map in Japan must necessarily take the lifetime employment guarantee into consideration. The Japanese management system follows this system because it is an effective means of developing company loyalty. Both the employees and the management have a sense of ownership in the long term performance of the company. As a result, the Japanese compensation system emphasizes the long term rather than the short term in offering bonuses. Rewarding systems in Japan are tied to the long term maximization of market share. The Japanese system also values bonuses more because they are not taxed to the same extent that regular salary is. Trade unions have always had a strong effect on employee benefits. In the US, unionized workers enjoy a greater level of employee benefits than non-unionized workers. However the trade union system in Japan is different because unlike the US, trade unions are formed not industry-wide but on the basis of organizations that the workers are tied to (http://japanhop. com/prosper/070-japanese-labor-unions. html). For example, Toyota employees will form a corporate trade union that is specific to the company itself. In the US, the employees from the auto manufacturers would form a trade union that represents the entire industry. In that respect the social contract in Japan is different. Because trade unions in Japan are company specific, there is a greater level of cooperation between the employees represented by the trade union and the management of that organization. Trade union strikes are rare in Japan and when they do occur, the management and the union cooperate on finding a solution that minimizes negative consequences to the company. Therefore pay systems are not adversely affected by the presence of trade unions formed along corporate lines. There is a minimum wage regulation in Japan that must be taken into account in structuring the international pay system. Mostly importantly, the management of an organization and the trade union of that organization collaborate in designing the salary system of that organization. Such a salary system emphasizes the role of overtime pay which in Japan represents a large percentage of the annual pay. Allowances also are a strong feature of the Japanese national compensation system. These are some of the example of the differences between the American compensation system and the Japanese compensation system that have arisen as a result of the different social contract prevalent in Japan. BIBILIOGRAPHY Workforce (Jan, 2001). Three ways to design international pay: Headquarters, Home country, host country – human resources employment abroad strategies. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0FXS/is_1_80/ai_69294699. Executive Resources Limited (2002). Compensation, employee benefit, and organizational consultancy. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://www. erlimited. com/expatriate_services. php Rethinking International Compensation. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://instruct1. cit. cornell. edu/courses/ilrhr769/97_24. pdf Winston J.Brill & Associates (2006). Fundamentals of International Compensation. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://www. winstonbrill. com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/551-600/article557_body. html Tokyo Electron (2006). Review of the Dividend Policy and Executive Compensation System. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://www. tel. com/eng/news/2005/0419_001. htm Labor Unions in Japan. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://japanhop. com/prosper/070-japanese-labor-unions. html Japanese salary systems. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://japanhop. com/prosper/080-japanese-salary-systems.html Various approaches to international compensation. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://www. rocw. raifoundation. org/management/bba/IHRM/lecture-notes/lecture-21. pdf How Canadian companies are paying expatriates. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://www. orcinc. com/ics/download/orc_ics_molnar_cn_05q2. pdf Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies. Rethinking International Compensation: From Expatriates and National Cultures to Strategic Flexibility. Retrieved January 12, 2008 from http://digitalcommons. ilr. cornell. edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1164&context=cahrswp.