Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemingway Essay Introduction To be a writer you must need to be passion, but most important feel the passion for what you do. It’s not something that grows in one day. Ernest Hemingway and Russell Banks were dedicated writer who enjoyed writing. They both wrote about true stories where the readers will feel identify by the story. Proposal Ernest Hemingway and Russell Banks both wrote about abortion, but in huge different style. As author they have different style in write, and different way to think. In one hand we have Ernest Hemingway with â€Å"Hill like White Elephants†. In this story the theme is abortion, but you have to be carefully to identify the theme, because it is kind of confuse about what the couple were talking; the story seems like if the author was tried to hind it. Hemingway’s typical style is a dialogue between characters; it is continuo he used signal phrase placements in his stories. Also Hemingway used a descriptive language as example: â€Å"the girl stood up and walked to the end of the station. Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro†(275). On the other hand we have Russell Banks with â€Å"Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green Rowboat†. He also wrote about abortion, but he tried to put it a little bit more dramatic; including racism between the couple who were one black and one white. Russell used a more narrative style in his stories, and less dialogue the readers can see dialogue when the story is unfolds contrary to Hemingway. However Russell used more descriptive language. He emphasized in every detail about the story in the landscape, and in the same way for characters. Russell descriptive by used color as example: â€Å"by the time he closed his door the water was smooth again, dark green plain beneath the thick gray-blue sky†(1). Conclusion Each author have a different way to write that’s make them unique and distinct from each other, but in most cases authors used the same theme but in different ways and based in they own experiences.

Human Resource Management In Multinational Banks

Human Resource Management In Multinational Banks The case study, Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania, refers to the east located African country Tanzania, which is a developing region and has a high rate of unemployment, poverty and consists of a poor national institutional system. The country ranked poorly on the Corruption Perception Index. The country has also low influence of foreign banks. In the history the country went through different regimes including European partition and the scramble for African colonies. A strong influence on the country has the first elected leader, President Julius Nyerere, of Tanzania. The local Swahili language is known as Ujamaa, which became an official language. The Ujamaa philosophy rely its principles of government on three tenets of traditional African family system which are: mutual respect of each member of the family and society sharing of property and income obligation of all to work The African country wanted to attract foreign direct investment and other MNCs by implementing private policies to improve the socio-economic and institutional conditions and increase the inhabitants living conditions. 1. Is the role of the head offices a prerequisite for business strategy success for MNCs in cross-market integration? Explain your answer in detail. In my opinion and based on various literature the role of head offices is prerequisite for business strategy success for MNCs in cross-market integration. The head offices of MNCs represent the position where most or nearly all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The head office is the entity at the top of a corporation by taking full responsibility to manage all business activities. The service initiated by corporate head offices refers to corporate functional policies that are uniformly applied to both domestic and international operations. They are established specific to meet the needs of international units on an ongoing basis. One major role of the head offices which influences the business strategy success is characterized by coordination and controlling the host nation. These factors are highly visible particularly in the finance and accounting areas. For example, 70 percent of investment decisions are typically made by corporate head offices. So the head offices can keep in mind the general view of the organization. It seems to be best performed when public relations and dealings with host country governments are totally delegated to the local management. Corporate head offices of MNCs in cross-market integration are necessary to determine overall objectives and to specify organization wide strategies. The head offices are responsible for the policy guidelines and make their decision on the allocation of corporate resources to the various operating divisions. Relating to the case both bank centralized organizational system similar by controlling strategic management and business activities, including HR functions in the host nation. The Citibank head office was responsible for major corporate decisions at its country head office. The head office control was intended to achieve business integration globally and transparency in managing work and HRM policies.The head office of the Citibank was also in charge of the recruitment of expatriates for core business activities. The Standard Banks head office had full operational control over the country head office. To conclude, for MNCs in general and multinational banks particularly in this case study, the role of the head offices can be seen as prerequisite for business strategy success in cross-market integration. 2. Does the transfer of corporate business culture have a significant impact on MNCÂ ´s global business competitiveness? Be specific (you may provide examples from other companies). To understand the fallowing question I think it is necessary to define the term corporate business culture which can be used as a synonym for organizational culture. Corporate business culture refers to the shared values, attitudes, standards, and beliefs that characterize members of an organization and define its nature. Corporate culture is rooted in an organizations goals, strategies, structure, and approaches to labor. It is an essential component in any businesss ultimate success or failure. It is an unwritten value-set that management communicates directly or indirectly that all employees know and work under. It is the underlying soul and guiding force within an organization that creates attitude alliance, or employee loyalty. A winning corporate culture is the environmental keystone for maintaining the highest levels of employee satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability, stated John OMalley in Birmingham Business Journal. Figure 1: Artefacts of organizational culture (Reference: Organizational Behavior, Steven L. McShan, 2010 ) Positive corporate culture is a prerequisite for success and offer significant competitive advantages over rivals. Corporate business culture includes three important functions. The first function represents the control system. Corporate business culture is a deeply embedded form of social control that influences employee decisions and behaviour. Secondly the organizational culture is the social glue which bonds people together and makes them feel as a part of the organizational experience. Employees are motivated and want to internalize the organizations culture because it fulfils their needs for social identity. The third function represents the sense-making process. This is defined by the understanding of the employees of what goes on and why things happen in the organization. Successful MNCs have strong corporate business culture which means that employees understand and embrace the dominant values. This can influence the organizational performance and results as the employees well-being. For example The Standard Bank LTD promotes a family working environment which is part of their corporate culture. They also value their employees work expectations and treat them fairly which results in a willingness and motivation of the employees work. These make a balanced working environment and outstand on the global business competitiveness. Another example is Wal-Mart, which is a multinational retailer, benefited from the positive effects of corporate business culture. The MNC creates an environment of trust and respect their staff which persists to this day. Employees are called by their first name and the founder of Wal-Mart encouraged change to maintain the competitive edge. A further example which is related to our lecture is the Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airline has a very strong corporate business culture. HR policy doesnt provide layoff when the business is not going well. One main point which includes the corporate culture is the relaxed atmosphere, where people can be more flexible, loyal and productive. Job security promotes a willingness and motivation of Southwest Airlines employees. This results that employees convince relatives, friends or family members to work for this MNC. The productivity and effort of the employees helps the Southwest Airlines to keep labor costs low and savings are transmitted to travellers in form of lower prices. These factors of corporate culture might help the MNC to outstand from their rivals. Related to our lecture we learned that work behaviour is culturally determined and a lot of debates can make whenever corporate culture supersedes or supplants other cultures. What is understood and meant by corporate culture translates into universal work behaviors and standardisation of work practices An organization with a strong corporate culture can standardize more and the local culture has less influence but still local adaption should be taken into account. Figure 1: The linkage between culture and behaviour (Reference: slides from the lecture) This figure demonstrates the connection between the corporate business culture and the home and host culture and the behaviours. Standardization of work behaviour should take into account the choice of mode of operation in determining standardization of work practices. Other important points are the ownership and control. For instance wholly owned subsidiaries provide greater opportunities for transferring work practices than in International Joint Ventures. The standardization of work practices depends on different aspects: receptivity of local workforce to keep corporate norms of behavior. effectiveness of expatriates in the role of agents of socialization time of localization appropriateness to the local environment To conclude, related to the theory and the mentioned examples it is visible that the transfer of corporate business culture have a significant impact on MNCs global business competitiveness. 3. How and why did the MNC banks implement global HR best practices in their cross-market integration? Do their actions in fact reflect best practices? A precise definition of the term best practice is necessary to discuss in detail the mentioned question. A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using the best practices in any field is a commitment to using all the knowledge and technology at ones disposal to ensure success. Citibank LTD is an American bank and is one of the most global companies by providing financial services and products. The MNC bank offers different kinds of specialized financial services and products. The bank implemented best practice by applying modern sophisticated technology in its business operation in Tanzania. These services were used to standardize services, to monitor work performance and forms of financial transactions, to inform its customers of global financial market trends, currency fluctuations and price changes in commodities. The main corporate decisions of the Citibank were made by the head office in New York which had a systematic control of operations in the host nation. The bank used an e-check system which was used on a daily basis to monitor incoming and outgoing phone messages and record messages and telephone numbers. Employees werent given high flexibility. For instance every employee had to eat at the companys canteen. They were not allowed to bring their lunch meals from outside. Security checks made sure that employees didnt bring their own food to the workplace. The company gave bonuses to those people who attended the recreational scheme regularly, which is an organized process for socializing between employees and bank representatives. Expatriates role in the Citibank was to provide training to the local employees. One lack in the banks best practice was that the back-up function of the corporate culture which was directed from the head office, let the branch representatives and expatriates only a small space to change their policies or make local adaptations. The best practice included training program but this was also provided from the head office in New York. The purpose of training local employees was to ensure that head office policies were systematically followed. The first bank used Western-style HRM practices and didnt take local practices into account. The second bank, Standard Bank LTD was based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The mission of the bank was to offer guidance and expertise in the financial industry for its customers needs. Similar to the Citibank also the Standard bank was controlled from the head office in South Africa. In my opinion the second bank fallowed the best practice better in a way to take into account local adaptation and responds. They provided local and foreign magazines, videos and textbooks. The Bank tries to come closer to local institutional policies by focusing on a collective working environment, HR functions started to address more openly. The bank used the collective management and leadership terms to characterize its HRM practices in Tanzania. The Standard Bank implemented best practice by integrating the employees in the organizational process and culture. For both MNC banks it seems that they performed best practices. In my opinion Citibank and also Standard Bank didnt reflect totally on it. The Citibank used different modern sophisticated technology and offered various benefits but didnt take into account local circumstances. This bank didnt refer to the local culture, because the main power was in the head office in New York. This is one main lack in their performance. The Standard Bank was more successful by performing best practice because they tried to adapt locally in different ways. One lack of their best practice regarding to the Citibank was that they didnt use modern technical systems and didnt offered as many benefits as Citibank did. In my mind best practice might be achieved when both performances of the two MNC banks are combined. A mix between both banks policy can result in a balance of their performance and they could approach better the best practice in their cross-market integration. 4. How can the MNCs best reconcile the need for global integration and local responsiveness in their HRM policies? Human resource management policies are important and vital for organizations that are serious about resolving personnel issues and finding HR solutions. HRM policies are intended to help maximize the effectiveness of the Human Resource function. Types of HRM Policies: policy recruitment attendance policy leave of absence policy performance planning and evaluation performance probationary period compensation Different studies have established the need for MNCs to gain a balance between the global integration and local responsiveness in their HRM policies. It is important for the MNCs to implement HRM policies to complement the existing culture in the country where the subsidiary exists. A study of European MNCs illustrates the global integration and local responsiveness in MNCs HRM practices. This study is based on 600 UK and Ireland MNCs. They found that MNCs differ in their HR policies by noting that localization is more influenced in career traditions and labor market. MNCs sustain more similar to training frameworks. The implemented study found that host country regulation increase, when home country influence was reduced. The MNC must be aware of the local responsiveness by developing local staff through recruitment, training and development and retention. Cultural awareness training should be provide, because it has various applications domestically which can increase the effectiveness of MNCs One key factor to harmonize global integration and local responsiveness is to create and develop a consistent corporate business culture across multiple locations and maintain the critical balance between a strong corporate business culture and local cultural differences. Related to these points, communication plays an important role in all locations of the common corporate business culture. The Identity of local culture should maintain in the context of the corporate business culture. Another main reason for MNCs to best reconciles the need for global integration and local responsiveness is to integrate and adapt strategic human resources management. MNCs must become more differentiated, integrated and coordinated. Various successful MNCs implemented options like cross-national management training, cross-national assignments and cross-national project teams, to develop different values and culture to pursue global responsiveness of corporate vision and objectives. A very appropriate example of MNCs illustrates McDonalds. The organization operates globally but responds with their products and also regarding to the HR policies locally. For instance McDonalds adapt local taste to their products to satisfy their customer needs and employ local citizens in very subsidiary. The MNC build a standardize products line to succeed globally but they also take into account the local responsiveness to reach a high level of effectiveness and efficiency. However, MNCs should standardize as much as possible to save money, efforts and work but the local culture and cultural differences should be taken into account in their HRM policies.

The Old Man and the Sea :: essays research papers

The book â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† was written by Hemingway in 1951. Just as Hemingway himself said, the work is the best one he ever wrote in his life. The book was so successful that it enabled Hemingway to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The story of is quite simple: an Cuban fisherman finally fished a very big marlin after eighty four days’ taking no fish, but the fish was too big, the old man spent three days conquering the marlin. However, on his way home, he and the big fish were attacked by a lot of sharks. At last, when he came back, only the head, tail and vertebra of the fish remained. I was really moved after reading the book. I regarded the old man as a hero. After eight four days’ taking no fish, he decided to go farther on the eighty-fifth day. When meeting a big marlin, though he knew the fish was much more powerful than he was, he still determined to fight it unless he died. Because he thought he was born a fisherman. He won, for he finally killed the fish. Just as he said: â€Å"Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky. But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.† The old man had been ready very well. He had caught the chance. However, â€Å"Every day is a new day†, a pack of sharks broke all his hope. He never gave up, he fought with the sharks even after loosing his tools. This proved his bravery again, â€Å"Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.† After the first shark took away about forty pounds of the fish, the old man said like that. I thought it also showed the topic meaning of the book. The old man really gave me a vivid lesson, not only by his heroic behaviors, but by his simple words. Isn’t it the attitude we should take forwards our lives? The old man is also very optimist at the same time. After the first shark’s attack, he said to himself â€Å"Think about something cheerful, old man. Every minute now you are closer to home. You sail lighter for the loss of forty pounds.† Other than complaining about the unfortunate things happened to him, the old man encouraged himself and used an optimist attitude to comfort himself.

Career Integration Research Assignment: Athletic Training Essay

The field of athletic training is one of the fastest expanding careers today. This could be due to the much greater demand for health care providers. Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries. They work with a diverse group of patients, from young children to professional athletes. Athletic trainers are usually part of a sport medicine team, which tend to include a physician, physical therapist, and even a sport psychologist. Many athletic trainers work in educational facilities, such as high schools and colleges. However, much of their time is spent on the sport fields. The profession requires the trainers to apply their wide range of medical knowledge and, in order to do so, athletic trainers must have strong interpersonal and communication skills to converse with the athletes, coaches, physicians, and parents (Occupational outlook handbook, 2012). Athletic trainers are mainly responsible for injury recovery and prevention. However, these responsibilities are physical concerns, but what about the mental concerns? There is a movement within the athletic training field to approach sport injuries with a more holistic perspective. Many athletic trainers have had inadequate education in sport psychology to institute any sort of psychological methods in their rehabilitation programs. This paper will discuss some of the prospective ideas and various methods of rehabilitation tactics that could be used in the field, as well as how to properly train athletic trainers to administer both these mental and physical treatments. These mental treatments will be related back to sport and exercise psychology concepts; examples of this include strategies for setting realistic goals, methods fo... ...es to increase rehabilitation adherence. Athletic Therapy Today, 13(3), 18-19. Naylor, A. (2009). The role of mental training in injury prevention. Athletic Therapy Today, 14(2), 27-29. Occupational outlook handbook. (2012, March 29). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Athletic-trainers.htm Podlog, L., & Eklund, R. (2009). High-level athletes' perceptions of success in returning to sport following injury. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 10(5), 535-544. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.02.003 Stiller-Ostrowski, J., & Ostrowski, J. (2009). Recently certified athletic trainers' undergraduate educational preparation in psychosocial intervention and referral. Journal Of Athletic Training, 44(1), 67-75. Wiese, D., Weiss, M., & Yukelson, D. (1991). Sport psychology in the training room: A survey of athletic trainers. Sport Psychologist, 5(1), 15-24.

An Inspector Calls - The Role Of the Inspector Essay -- English Litera

An Inspector calls - The Role Of the Inspector. The character of Inspector Goole is the catalyst for the evening's events and is quite a mystery and fascination to many people. He is described and comes across as able to create 'an impression of massiveness, solidity and purposefulnessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦' He speaks carefully, weightily and has a disconcerting habit of looking hard at the person he addresses. I will be carefully looking at how he manages to be so powerful and authoritative, mainly concentrating on the specific language and use of rhetorical speaking that he uses throughout the play. I will also mention the mystery of whether the inspector was an impostor and look at the broad possibilities, of which he may be, One of the most effective things that the Inspector manages to do is to have large power and control over the other characters and is seen by the reader as an immense man, despite the stage directions clearly stating that 'he need not be big'. He appears to be 'massive' because of the stares he gives people, and how he makes them feel so uneasy. He often stares the truth out of a character by doing so until they admit to have not been sincere with their story. He has a disconcerting way of speaking, a certain tone and pace of his voice, but also cleverly structures sentences as if he has planned it all out and using rhetorical speaking. He asks question after question, to the Birlings always receiving information but never giving anything, the most striking thing being that he is never once surprised at what he hears, as if he knows everything even before he hears it. On the account for the inspectors knowing and understanding the history of Eva Smith, Sheila says: 'Why - you fool - he knows... ...ew it all already, and then involved himself giving his view on their actions, criticising and blaming them. He seems very unprofessional and gets too worked up and emotional on such small things: 'Don't stammer and yammer at me again, man. I'm losing all patience with you people' This is a very unprofessional thing to say and shows that he does not treat the Birlings with the professional respect that should be expected. For dramatic effect he also goes into unnecessary detail of how Eva suffered and at some points gets quite personal and delicate with what he tells the Birlings about her. Again this is very unprofessional. No one will ever know exactly who the Inspector is, whether he is a time traveller from the future, Eva smiths ghost? And this leaves a great sense of mystery about the play, which I believe is one of its great qualities.

Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion

Ethnic Groups are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. According to University of Phoenix Understanding and Managing Diversity, Section I (2014), â€Å"United States has always been a nation of Immigrants, with a mixture of ethnicities, races, and religions that have not always lived and worked together amicably' Having such a mixture of cultural diversity its surprising how difficult it is to end the Prejudice and Stereotypes. Race Is defined for minorities In two forms obvious differences Like hair ND skin color.Physical defined as prominent body parts like the shape of a nose. According to University of Phoenix Racial and Ethnic Groups, Chi. 1 (2014), â€Å"Society has defined what we flans obvious and physical. Ethnicity, are types of Orleans or distinctive cultural patterns in races† In the united States Hispanics or Latino include Mexican Americans like Puerco Rican and Cubans and known to have Black or White skin color. Religion Includes groups Like the Church of Jes us Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Morons), Jehovah Witnesses, Amiss, Muslims, and Buddhists.The most nominate in the United States are Protestants followed by Roman Catholics. Gender Is simply male and female. I identify the most with the African American culture. I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood dominated by African Americans, Hispanic, and white. I lived In my neighborhood until I was 16 and to this day still have a strong bond with my childhood friends. We have gone through school together, gotten married together, and now we are having kids together. I feel very fortunate to be part of such a diverse social circle. I find myself favoring the minority group because this is what is familiar o me.I believe this can make me sort of prejudice to outsiders that may not identify with my social circle. Our commonality was our parents were on a fixed budget, we weren't able to vacation, and we were used to second hand clothes and material items like bikes. We all understood whe re we came from and we also knew we were all cool kids. We created a sentimental bond that to this day Is very obvious when you see us together. Some people notice a black man and white women and some people see two friends deeply connected. Diversity is defined by the various differences that exist among people.If a workplace employed 100 white women they are still diverse in age, educational experience and religious background. I believe society might not think 100 white women are diverse. Organizations seem to hire employees of other races to give the observation they are diverse when they are already are. Inclusion is an approach that makes each employee feel welcome and a part of the team. Organizations may seem diverse by meeting the racial quota but that doesn't mean the organization is an inclusive work environment. â€Å"In the workplace, organizations are shifting their views on diversity and Inclusion.Whereas 30 years ago, promoting women and minorities was the focus, to day's message is positive and reflective. Many corporations ask internally, does every employee In our organization feel valued† (â€Å"What Is the Difference toy 2 mission of if an employee isn't happy he or she won't be creative and productive. My organizations goal is to make employees happy to get a Job well done. According to University of Phoenix Understanding and Managing Diversity, Section I (2014), â€Å"Diversity is about business and the bottom line and about leveraging the skills and talents of all employees to enable the organization to compete.Diversity is not about reaching quotas and hiring unqualified minorities for the sake of having diversity' As the times change so should the direction of the training to be successful. A good example of change was the passing of Equal Pay Act (1963) that males and females are paid the same wage for Jobs of equal skill and responsibility. It is challenging to create a workplace the supports proactive behavior and train emp loyees to believe the story that supports the behavior. Employees want to feel they make a contribution to the organizational goal and not Just tolerated.This has even employees in the 21st century the ability to choose their Jobs versus decades ago where minorities and women that may not have had a choice. My director thinks that men are more logical than women who tend to be more emotional. She manages me a woman and another coworker who is male. He tends to lack in his responsibilities and when he does not participate whole in our group projects I am very tactful at sharing his approach. My director has mentioned that women tend to hold grudges and can't let things roll of their backs like men do.She feels I am being negative towards my coworker but I only give feedback based on acts not assumptions. What she doesn't realize because of her personal beliefs s continues to make poor business decisions based her emotions versus the facts. It is very frustrating to work alongside a p erson who doesn't give an honest work day. She has mentioned because my coworker comes from a good family (money) and had a college education he is worth the investment. I find this very prejudice behavior and have learned to use these types of experiences as a tool to better my managing skills so hopefully I move up in the organization. Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. There are primary and secondary dimensions of cultural diversity. The primary dimensions are the ones that are the thought of most when thinking about diversity. These are things that describe an individual’s identity. The things included here are things such as age, gender, race, etc. If you are reflecting on the many ways your employees can vary (by race, gender, age, education, sexual orientation, geographic origin or employment, tenure), that’s a mixture whose components are people, individuals categorized along multiple dimensions† (Harvey & Allard, 2009 P. 12). The secondary dimensions are functions or organizational units. â€Å"One may argue that functions are composed of individuals, which is true, but the general manager of multiple functions does not experience this as a mixture of people but rather as a mixture of organizational units† (Harvey & Allard, 2009 P. 2). Some dimensions of cultural diversity are east to recognize, while other are not. We all should be very open to the meaning of diversity, and be looking for and sensitive to the differences in each other. With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common. Although I only have a small percentage (3/8th’s) of Cherokee Indian in me, I would say that it is the ethnic group that I identify with the most. The history, religion, and way of life of the Native Americans have always fascinated me. Native Americans are very proud people. They are also very connected with nature, and enjoy living off of the land. While there are many Indian reservations now that are very modern there are still many who stay true to their roots, and still live their lives as closely to the ways of their ancestors as possible. I feel that these roots are very strong and just having a trace if Native American blood in you is enough to keep your love of nature and enjoyment from being in the wild strong. Regardless of the way current Native Americans live, the simple fact that this blood if flowing through their veins is something that all Native Americans are proud of, even ones like me who just have a small amount. What is the difference between diversity and inclusion? Diversity and inclusion are very closely related. Diversity represents having people of different races, genders, ages, disabilities, sexual orientation, color, native origins, religions, etc. together in a group. You can see diversity in just about every place you go. Think about flying on a commercial airplane. You will most likely have a very diverse group of people flying with you. Just having a diverse group does not mean that all people in the group are treated equally, or valued for their abilities, and unique qualities. This is what inclusion is. So in the same example of flying on that commercial airplane, you would see inclusion in the treatment received by all persons on the plane from the flight attendants. You could very well see the lack of inclusion from some of the passengers on the plane as well. So the difference is that diversity is just having a group of different types of people together, and inclusion is the equal treatment and respect of each individual in the group. What is the importance of workplace diversity training? Workplace diversity training is extremely important. With the rising number of minorities in the workplace it is almost guaranteed that you will be working in a diverse group of people. Not being properly educated on diversity, and how to effectively work in these diverse groups can be very detrimental to your own career success, as well and your co-workers and employers success. Communication is essential in all work environments, and poor communication between people in a diverse group is the biggest cause of conflict. Not being properly educated and careful in word choice could possibly result in coming across as insensitive, rude, or hateful to a co-worker. This miscommunication will more than likely create conflict and animosity between the people or groups of people involved, which will affect their job performance and may end in disciplinary action up to possible loss of employment. The point of diversity training is to prevent this type of miscommunication from happening, and keeping all employees happy, and working well together. What is your experience with workplace culture? Could there be, or could there have been, more inclusion? When I was working as a Service and Parts Director in a large automobile dealership I had a couple of employees who were from Africa, and were devout Muslims. As part of their religion they would lay down rugs on the floor and pray to their God several times a day. This act of faith upset many of the other employees and caused animosity between them. This had been going on before I started working there, and when I took the department over I realized that this was a major problem that I had to correct. I realized that both groups of employees were very talented and important and that not only did I need all of them, but I also needed them to get along and work together. Through mentoring, and diversity training I was able to open the minds of the employees who disliked the Muslim faith. Within a month of starting this mentoring and training both groups started working well together and even became good friends. Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion SOC/315 October 10, 2011 Michelle Curtain Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion What are the dimensions of cultural diversity? Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. Diversity can be defined as â€Å"the ways in which people differ that may affect their organizational experience in terms of performance, motivation, communication, and inclusion† (Harvey/Allard, 2009). These differences and similarities are broken-down into two dimensions. Primary dimensions are considered to be more fixed, visible, and relevant to an individual’s identity. Secondary dimensions are considered to be more fluid, and less central to one’s social identity† (Harvey/Allard, 2009). Primary dimensions of cultural diversity can include age, mental/physical abilities, ethnic heritage, gender, sexual orientation, and race. Secondary dimensions of cultural diversity can comprise of one’s geographic locatio n, family status, income, religion, and language among many other characteristics. Secondary dimensions are determined more by choice and are less visible.Another dimension is indentifying people and placing them into minority groups based on race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. â€Å"A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. A subordinate group is characterized by â€Å"unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage† (Schaefer, 2011). With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common.To describe myself I am a white, 35 year old male. This is a very large group I fallen into, however even with these similarities I have with other members one may see myself not part of this group based on my differences. I believe due to my background of growing up in West Virginia, I associate more often with people from the same area of that country. A large portion of my friends I met in Arizona are from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. We seem to all share the same perspectives on life and feel as if we have known each all of our life due to sharing the same culture.I would also describe myself as indentifying with people that share the same taste in music as I. A description often heard is a â€Å"head†, as in Deadhead or Phishhead, for people that like the music from bands such as the Grateful Dead or Phish. The majority of the people that listen to this genre of music religiously follow the bands to numerous cities across the country to see multiple shows. What is the difference between diversity and inclusion? Diversity represents groups of people containing different characteristics such as skin color/race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and citizenship.How ever, inclusion allows people to be included in these groups so one can be valued based on one’s skills, distinctive traits, and point of view. â€Å"Leveraging diversity requires a culture of inclusion to support it† (Harvey/Allard, 2009). Inclusion ensures people can work as a team and be themselves. By doing so, everyone works well with one another and can see the benefit of having different characteristics on the team. â€Å"Inclusion is engaging the uniqueness of the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, capabilities, and ways of living of individuals and groups when joined in a common endeavor† (Institute for Inclusion, 2010).While being diverse is important to everyone, the available benefits are not automatically seen until inclusion is put into play. Diversity and inclusion when combined can result in more effective decision making and greater innovation by everyone involved. What is the importance of workplace diversity training? Workplace diversity training is vital for any business in order to become and continue to be successful. A business can receive priceless benefits by incorporating diversity training in the workplace. Such benefits include retaining more quality employees, a decrease in workplace incidences and increased team and individual morale.These benefits can be achieved by teaching employees how to identify and resolve issues regarding stereotyping in the workplace before it can get out of hand. Communication and listening are important factors as well and without them, one could see an increase with workplace issues such as discrimination or harassment lawsuits. Workplace diversity training allows one to be them self and be accepted in order to build strong, long lasting working relationships so everyone can benefit. By continuing workplace diversity training a business will ensure their employees will maintain growth and increase production.Also, by having this ongoing training the business can ensure all new employee s will work well with current employees. What is your experience with workplace culture? Could there be, or could there have been, more inclusion? â€Å"Culture is the environment that surrounds you at work all of the time. Culture is a powerful element that shapes your work enjoyment, your work relationships, and your work processes† (Heathfield, 2011). My company makes is a priority to have a good workplace culture throughout the entire business. My workplace culture is very diverse by having a wide variety of people from different backgrounds.Very few people that work for the company are actually from Arizona. By having this diverse culture within the workplace, the employees are able to share their experiences in order to better themselves and the organization. These differences also enable the company to relate to customers with same backgrounds as the employees. When that connection is made, the employee can relate to the customer’s needs or desires by relating p ast experiences to understand where one is coming from. I believe my workplace culture uses inclusion very often and reasonably well. As employees, we are all divided up into teams.Each team member learns from one another by seeing other’s point of view in a way that was never seen before. Reference Harvey, C. P. , and Allard, M. J. (2009). Understanding and managing diversity (4th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Heathfield, S. (2011). Culture: Your Environment for People at Work. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com/od/organizationalculture/a/culture. htm Institute for Inclusion. (2010). Implementing Inclusion. Retrieved from http://www. instituteforinclusion. org/ Schaefer, R. T. (2011). Racial and ethnic groups (12th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson

Mary Kay EC Systems Essay

Founded in 1962, Mary Kay (marykay.com) has about 1.8 million consultants selling its cosmetics and fragrance in 34 countries. In 2008, the company had about $2.4 billion in wholesale sales. As a company that has based its reputation on personal contacts in door-to-door visits and home gatherings, one might think that Mary Kay would not benefit from EC. Actually, the opposite is true. Currently, more than 95 percent of Mary Kay’s independent salespeople place orders via the internet. The Problem The cosmetics market is very competitive, but it is growing rapidly, especially in developing countries. Mary Kay is trying to capitalize on this trend. The My Kay business model enables rapid growth into new markets. By the early 2000s, consultants found that more and more customers wanted to shop online. With a long and global supply chain and the need to manage almost 2 million consultants, it was clear that automation was needed, but Mary Kay’s existing computer system was old and lacked web or e-commerce applications. Therefore, a major overhaul of the information systems was needed. Finally, it became clear that the emergence of social computing might provide a golden opportunity for Internet marketing by the company. The Solution Mary Kay’s IT department is now split into three divisions: e-commerce, supply chain, and back-office support. Because of pressure from the consultants, the restructuring focused on e-commerce. The company’s goals and objectives were set based on industry best practices and this will determine what, how, and when the company is operated, and these also apply to EC initiatives. Mary Kay’s EC solution included the creation of an electronic service desk that supports consultants in 30 countries in a standardized way. Mary Kay also introduced a global electronic ordering system, called Atlas, that allows the consultants to  communicate with company warehouses. An intelligent data repository that dynamically maintains a logical model of the EC environment that can be accessed by Mary Kay IT staff. Mary Kay and its consultants are also making extensive use of social computing. The following are some representative examples of how Mary Kay uses social computing: The company posts job opening announcements on several sites, including MySpace Jobs (jobs.myspace.com). Movies and videotapes are available on YouTube (youtube.com) and on movies.go.com. Several blogs are available, both for and against the company (e.g., marykayandrews.com/blog) Auctions and fixed price items are available for sale on eBay. Mary Kay provides a consultant locator on the Internet (marykay.com/locator). All of these developments are supported by an extensive hardware and software infrastructure, including a wireless remote management system at the 760,000 square-foot corporate headquarters, an extensive wide area network, and a large data center. Some of the EC systems are used enterprise wide (e.g., service desk, ticketing system for consultants for events, and  service requests made by consultants). Others are functional (e.g., accounting, finance, marketing, and inventory control). The company uses an intranet for internal communications as well as dozens of other EC applications. In addition to providing better support to consultants, the EC initiatives produced other benefits, such as greater efficiency, reduced costs and downtime, and improved service. In terms of human resources, it enabled the company to handle its rapid growth without a substantial increase in staffing. The changes also have allowed EC personnel to focus on strategic tasks. Mary Kay found that its engineers and technical people now have time to spend on new innovations.