Importance of Peer Review Essay Example for Free

Importance of Peer Review Essay A student in a graduate program must conduct research during the course of study. The purpose of this assignment is to discuss how one can determine which references are credible and which are not. Importance of Peer Review As a scholar-practitioner it is of utmost importance to know that information is obtained from a source which is peer reviewed. When a journal or article has been designated as peer reviewed this means that the information has been submitted to several of the authors peers for content review. The reviewers must agree that the information has been gathered through the use of proper research methods, and that it is accurate and original. Knowing that Articles Retrieved are from Peer-Reviewed Journals The articles I downloaded for this week’s application are peer reviewed. The Walden University library has a search feature which allows one to find only peer reviewed articles quickly and easily. This is the procedure I followed when obtaining my articles. If an article is obtained from a source other than the Walden library, verification of peer review can be done through Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory. Importance of Peer Reviewed Articles My area of interest is nursing education. It is important that the information I share with students has been peer reviewed. I want to make sure it is accurate and credible. Summary In summary, it is essential for students in a graduate program to always make sure resources utilized for research are peer reviewed. The information obtained for assignments must be reliable and accurate. References Cornell University. (April 5, 2011). Cornell University Library. Retrieved from http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill20.html Walden University. (2011). Walden University Library. Retrieved from http://library.waldenu.edu/689.htm

Are Computers Making People Dependent On Technology?

Are Computers Making People Dependent On Technology? Technology comes in many forms and no aspect of our lives is untouched by some form of technology or another. Technology is defined as the practical application of science to commerce or industry. Technological development into present day has been meteoric to say the least. With the advancements of nearly every aspect of human life having some tie with technology, one might start to see a synergistic relationship between humans and technology. However, while some would believe this relationship has been beneficial for us, we believe there have been detrimental effects from our growing dependence on technology. Technology is changing our culture in such a way that we may be expected to be available and online at anytime of the day or night. The technologies that started out to provide assistance in completing our daily tasks have now become a vital part of survival. This paper argues that humans have formed a detrimental symbiotic relationship with technology in its many forms. This paper will investigate the changes that technology has affected, and show that we are becoming less dependent on ourselves and more detrimentally dependent on our technological accomplishments. The way society does business and commerce is very dependent on the reliability on technology and thus, technology failures will cause markets to stop and bring the whole economy to a halt. Vital banking transactions and services may stop and cause wastage in human resources and time. For example, even though the exact reason is still disputed, London Stock Exchange (LSE) had to stop trading on the 8th September 2008. The two main reasons were due to the network software issues that link data from many programs as explained by LSE while the other was due to buggy software upgrade as speculated by external professionals. This had left traders unable to conduct any business which intriguingly could have been one of the best days for markets around the world after a bail out of two large United States mortgage lenders. Reliability of technology cannot be guaranteed at all times. Technology crashes can also cause big companies to lose billions of dollars. An example event known as the Flash Crash (Nanex) on 6th May 2010 illustrates this point. Just hours before the market closed, the market plunged drastically by an average of 5.7% causing major markets around the world to go into a state of panic anticipating an imminent European financial crisis and caused great loses to companies. An investigation was done by Nanex (Nanex) stating that the crash may be due to a software design flaw in time-stamping procedures that accumulated to become a problem. Backlogged requests caused a long queue in the computer server and produced non consistent results to the requester. This further evidenced that such a dependency on technology is detrimental to the society as sudden reliability issues can create chaos all around the world or even cripple an economy. Research shows that people consume 12 hours of media a day, on average, and compared to just five hours in 1960. Rising income in the developed world has led to an increase number of peoples ability to afford personal computers, and connecting them to the World Wide Web (WWW). Rising incidences of internet addiction in one of the worlds largest growing economies, China, illustrates our point. Of the greater than 300 million internet users in China, there are over 40 million who play online games (Sheridan). That makes over 40 million young, impressionable youngsters in China online daily, playing games, mingling in chat rooms, replacing their reality with an online substitute. Communication and socializing becomes something which can be replaced by actions online. One can imagine how suggestible adolescents can find a life online to be appealing. Common adolescent angst from the real world can be replaced by a life online. Addiction is a term describing a physical or physiological de pendence on something habit forming. One may argue that this addiction, to computers in this case, may simply be a phase. However, it can be seen as a serious condition when one considers the fact that centres for dealing with this type of addiction are springing up, some of which are a sub-facility under centres that treat addictions which have long been accepted as severe, such as drugs and alcohol. If the treatment for this is similar to other addictions which are widely accepted as bad, why is this phenomenon not receiving as much attention? Multitasking is a skill often prized in todays fast paced society. However, studies have shown that our brain on computers operate differently from a natural brain. The attention of the present generation is often split between multiple information sources, and it seems vital to be able to be able to manage them all, be they instant messaging (IM), checking e-mails, reading the news, taking phone calls, and so forth. However, some scientists say that these short bursts of information, leading our attentions in many directions, are changing the way we think and operate. Research shows that people who are heavy multitaskers have problems focusing and selecting relevant information. Researchers claim that after prolonged exposure to this kind of operation, the brain is re-wired and the problems associated with multitasking, such as lack of focus are then carried into the natural state of the brain. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Ophira, Nass , and Wagner), a group of over 250 students were surveyed to study the effects of multitasking. The results clearly illustrated our point; that the lightest multitaskers were able to perform better than the heavy multitaskers in simple psychological tests. The tests highlighted the fact that multitaskers were less able to filter out unrelated information. Furthermore, other tests conducted showed that the heavy multitaskers continuously sought new information, instead of using older, more valuable information. Our reliance on technology has dramatically improved communication, making it more robust, efficient and informative. In the current times, the ease of communication has allowed vast amount of data and information to be transmitted all over world instantly. For example, soldiers fighting the war in the Middle East are able to call using Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol and webcam technology to communicate with family members. This has allowed families to be assured that their loved ones are safe especially when news of casualty can be broadcasted within minutes, 24 hours a day. However, with the current efficiency of instant messaging and social networking, more and more people are becoming overly dependent up to the point of addiction. Issues have been raised over employees spending up to 40 minutes per week on social networking sites during working hours, costing employers an estimated US$2.25 billion. The loss in productivity arises not only from the direct loss in the hours working but also from the reduced productivity of employees from social networking sites becoming an additional distraction. On the other hand, social networking sites are also becoming excellent resources for human resource manager as it offers revealing information of potential and current employees social activity. Furthermore, it has been linked to another issue of society becoming dependent on social networking and posting potentially sensitive personal information such as where one is at or what one is doing. The dependence on technology for communication in the society has also meant that humans are increasingly communicating through a device; which reduced human to human first hand interaction. The decrease of interpersonal interaction in turn reduces ones interpersonal skill which is one of the most basic and fundamental way of communication (Wheeler). Interpersonal communication cannot replace communication through emails, text messages and calls as 55% of the communication is conveyed through body language. Eye contact, gestures and facial expressions and the use of tone and inflections in voice communication are often lost through modern communication technology resulting in less expressive communication or miscommunication. In conclusion, we believe that we have presented facts which support our argument that we have grown detrimentally dependent on technology. We have explored the many facets of technological development which are firmly embedded in most aspects of modern life, and we have strived to analyze how the effects of these developments are detrimental on society. We maintain that the ramifications of our reliance on new medicine, social media, and technology in education, commerce and communication are a disservice to society. While we think that these bindings are detrimental, we do not support a complete disconnection from them. We conclude with the fact that while there are indeed benefits to be had from these advancements, but we, as a society should learn to harness the useful ones, instead of allowing them all to run our lives.

Power distance

Power distance So you want to do business abroad and actually make a profit? Dont forget to ask yourself this: What do I know about the culture? To explain the biggest differences between cultures in this essay we are going to use a method developed by Geert Hofstede (geert-hofstede.com) using his four dimensions; Power distance, masculinity/ femininity, individualism/ collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. With this we will explain the difference between the Dutch culture and the cultures of India and Italy when doing business. Power Distance What Is Power Distance? Power distance measures how much the less powerful members of institutions and organizations expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. In cultures with low power distance, people expect and accept power relations that are more consultative or democratic. In cultures with high power distance, the less powerful accept power relations that are autocratic or paternalistic. Power Distance In India And The Netherlands With a population of over 1 billion it is hard to describe life in India because the Indian people have many different religious, regional, cultural, social, and educational variations in structural and functional patterns of family life, making it hard to generalize. However because the majority of Indians are Hindu, we will primarily focus on the Hindu way of life. India has a high power distance; it scores a 77 on the index. While the Netherlands only scores a 38 with around 16 million people. India is a very interesting country to look at because they have ‘used the caste system ¹ for a long time. With that, they automatically create a massive distance between the highest members of the caste: Brahmins (priests) and the lowest members of the caste the pariah (outcasts, â€Å"untouchables†) there are a total of 5 levels in the caste system and each of the people in a lower caste listen to members of the caste above their own. This makes equality, like in the Netherlands, impossible. This because the social position of a person is determined by heredity, for example if you are born a pariah you will never be a Brahmin and you are expected to life your life in the caste, making it your social group as well. Although the system was officially abolished it continues to play a crucial role in Indian society. Family Life A Joint Family is an extended family arrangement prevalent among Hindus of the Indian subcontinent, consisting of many generations living under the same roof. All the male members are blood relatives and all the women are mothers, wives, unmarried daughters, or widowed relatives. However in the last couple of years the people in the urban areas of India seem to have been shifting more towards a nuclear family household (consisting of 2 parents and children) School/ Education In India higher educations are more like the western European way of teaching, so the power distance is not extremely large in the schools, Teachers are however expected to lecture the students. It has been like this since India was a British colony and it keeps improving towards the level of equality which we are experiencing in Holland right now. However, in India the respect for most of the teachers is higher than the respect students in Holland show towards the teachers. Work/ Business As said before the Indian culture prefers a high power distance, in business there will be a large structural difference between the boss of a company and an employee, splitting them by so many layers that they will rarely or never actually talk to each other. And if they do it would be very formal. Also its necessary to avoid forum like situations where you as a manager ask the ‘lower ranking employees for feedback or advice because this will be seen as weak leadership. Opposed to Holland where we consider it a good thing when managers come to us for our opinions. The State The state consists of many layers in India though it is somewhat similar to the political system in the UK. In India, a persons time is valued based on power. A high-power individual must never be kept waiting. In India, a high-power individual can and will demonstrate their power by keeping a lower power individual waiting. In the Netherlands this is just not acceptable. Power Distance In Italy And The Netherlands Italy scores a 50 on the power distance index of Hofstede which puts it somewhere in the middle worldwide. According to Hofstedes dimensions Italy looks a lot like Germany in. Italy was the pinnacle of European development in the early days (Roman Empire). Italians still seem to expect a lot of differences in power between people. They would say the boss in a company should act like he/she is the boss. Family Life The Italian family is important. Grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins are often invited to share family celebrations and Sunday dinners. The family members do not usually live near each other. When children grow up, they usually live in the house until they marry. Sometimes the children would move in to help their parents. The father is always the head of the family. Friends of the family are also a very big part of Italian society. School/ Education In Italy the schools are even more similar to Holland, you are allowed to question the teachers as long as you do it with the proper amount of respect. The teachers will however have a lecture prepared. Work/ Business Power distance in Italian companies is not extremely really high because a lot of the businesses there are family businesses, nonetheless communication at the office is formal and subordinates are rarely allowed to call their superiors by their first name. The boss of the company is really the boss and he/she should be treated with a lot of respect. Good manners and courtesy are prized qualities in Italy. When doing business in Italy ensure your conduct is always polished. There are etiquettes and protocols for many social and business situations; however, it is important to remember that Italians rate considerateness above behavioral formulas. When you are meeting and departing, always shake hands. This is valid for both individuals and groups. When you do business in Italy, you dress to impress. It is no coincidence that Versace, Gucci, Prada and Dolce Gabbana are all Italian fashion houses. Italians like to make an impression with their clothes. What you wear speaks volumes about the kind of person you are. The State Italians are often cynical about persons in positions of authority. Italians love to ridicule authority and people in positions of power. Breaking petty rules is a source of amusement for many Italians. Individualism And Collectivism What Is Individualism And Collectivism? In relation to Hofstedes cultural dimension study, Individual/ Collectivism will be determined. The meaning of individualism expresses exactly a nation, which do care for him/ herself and his/ her direct family. The word â€Å"I† is a very important factor in this form of life, which is completely different in a form of collectivism. This attitude to life shows that these people care about their whole in-group which includes family, friends, uncles, aunts and grandparents. The word â€Å"we† has obviously a higher meaning to them. Hofstedes charts visualize that countries with high power distance (PDI) belong to the collectivists and countries with low power distance belong to the individualists. According to Hofstede individualism countries have the tendency to be a rich. Countries in a collectivism country have most likely the opposite tendency. Individualism And Collectivism In India And The Netherlands A comparison between India and The Netherlands gives a good impression and shows the differences between those two countries. First of all it is important to have a look at Hofstedes charts. India scores, according to Hofstedes, power distance (PDI) as its highest points for cultures, with a ranking of 77 compared with a world average of 56.5. This fact shows a clearly result of a collectivism country, which India is. It makes itself felt in terms of friendships, which were chosen by their parents, not having conflicts, by being indirect or sharing the income if someone has a good job for example. It absolutely represents the loyalty of the in-group members. As a counter-example The Netherlands will be represented. In opposite to India, Holland scores its highest points in the category individuality (IDV), which is 80 points and ties Canada as the fourth highest worldwide IDV ranking. Some examples to clarify the culture are being very direct, let the children choose friends whoever they want or spend their money however they think it will be right. These facts enunciates that Holland doesnt have this in-group attitude like India but rather the absolutely priority to their immediate family. At school children from India see the teacher as a higher person, whatever the teacher says is right without to question it, which shows that they are depending on their teacher. Furthermore it is normal to focus on a social network, where the synonym â€Å"we† more important than â€Å"I†. Dutch children are joining a completely different way of getting taught in school. It is more important to learn how to develop their own abilities, to be independent and learn how to discuss problems. They also expect the teacher to know everything with every detail. The next part relates to work and business in India. Since they have in-groups it is not normal to work with people who are not part of their in-group. It is very common that the children from India start to work in their fathers, or uncles business. Otherwise they wont find another job because in a collectivist country they are so depended on their in-group. Dutch people raise their children to work at a place wherever and whatever they like. Its more important for them to let them pick up their own experience and realize their dreams. This is the logical way of thinking for individual countries. In addition it promotes the economy to have people who are independent. The final aspect is about the states in individualism/ collectivism countries. Since India is a part of collectivists it is to say that there are more differences between poor people and rich people. Further the human rights are lower than those ones from individualist countries. In contrast The Netherlands which belongs to the individualists are more equal regarding the differences between poor and rich people. It is very important to have the same human rights like every single person in the country. Equality has different meaning for those two mentioned countries. Individualism And Collectivism In Italy And The Netherlands The comparison between Italy and The Netherlands will show the differences between those countries. It is important to take a closer look at Hofstedes charts. It shows Italys highest score, which is about 71 points â€Å"Individualism† and shows the similarity between Holland and Italy. Italy is an individualist country, like The Netherlands, but its Power distance (PDI) is also high. Family life is important for Italians, not just the immediate family, but also uncles, aunts and grandparents play a big role in the childrens life, which shows the differences to comparing to Holland. Sons from Italy leave their parents house in their 20s which is pretty much same like in The Netherlands. Furthermore children are supposed to tell the truth, even if it hurts. This is a typical attribute of individualist thinking countries, which Dutch and Italian people are. They also get raised as independent children with personal opinion because this could useful for a successful life. In those two mentioned country the school and education is pretty much the same. Pupils or students have to be independent, competitive and they are supposed to determine their own goals. It is very common to discuss issues in the class without being silent, so they can develop their skills. Work and business is also a similar matter between Italy and The Netherlands. They are highly educated business people and make business with foreign countries. Employees and employers are committed to contracts which show the human rights, but there is law that people can get laid off, or they could quit the job. The last aspect is about the state and in this point those two countries are also pretty much similar. Human rights are very high, education is important and everyone has his privacy. In conclusion individualist countries appreciate the individual interests and do not deal with collectivism.   Masculinity And Femininity In India and The Netherlands Hofstedes dimension masculinity pertains to societies in which gender roles are clearly distinct. That means, men has to be assertive, competitive and have to air toughness while women stand for nurturance. They are responsible for the household and the children. High earnings and status symbols present a certain social standing for the man. One gets the recognition deserved while doing a good job and is allowed to reach a higher level in his job. In feminine societies these gender roles overlap. Both, men and women are suppose to be modest (both, men and women have the same rights but also the same duties) both parts focus on their relationship and they are also more concerned to the quality of life. With a ranking at 56, the masculinity of India is with the world average just slightly lower at 51. A high rank means that the country is a masculine country. The lower it is, the lower is the masculinity and goes more to femininity. You also can see that India is a masculine country on different examples in Family Life The man is the head of the family. He is the one, who makes the decisions. Who says what to do. Children are obedient towards their parents. Younger children have to listen to the older children. The man is more dominant than the woman. The woman takes care of the household and the children. Whereas women are going to shop for food, household and clothes, the men are looking for cars, a house or things and objectives, which are standing for status. Even when the trend goes more femininity, step by step, traditions like a marriage portion are still common, in rural areas. The woman has to give money which depends of the family earning to marry the man. However, not always the woman (wife) has to do what the husband says. India consists of a lot traditions and one of them is, that the wife has to follow the instructions of the mother of her husband for the first few years. Even when both genders are equal, rightly, the woman is still undervalued. It is not rare that the girls get less or qualitative less food than the boys because the boys have to get strong for hard work, which a girl is not able to do. That is the reason why girls get more jobs like home helpers and get married early. In comparing to the Netherlands which occupy a score of 14 points rank 72, this country is very feminine. Men and woman are modest and focus on their relationship. Both shop for food and both discuss which car to buy. They do not have one dominant â€Å"leader† of the family both act non- dominant. School/ Education Indias school-systems are free for the grades from one till five. However, more boys go to school than girls. Girls are going to marry early, so they let them work and send the boys to school. An example what makes it visible is, that 48% of the Indians over fifteen cannot read and write. 62, 3% of women and 34, 5% of men are illiterates. The education is also more masculine because the pupils or students try to make them visible in class and compete openly with each other. Job choices are strongly guided by perceived career opportunities. The best student is the norm; failing in school would be a disaster. The atmosphere of ego boosting is exiting, the best one wins. Indian children try to learn jobs where they can make money. The Netherlands have more students which present the average. Failing in school is not the end of the world and they learn jobs, basic on their talent and what they like. They underrate their own performance, they do not want to appear too eager and it is okay when the teacher is also just a â€Å"human† and do not know everything. Work/ Business Most of the time, even when it changes in the big cities and step by step also all over the country, the men are working and earn the money for their families. One fourth of the population lives under the poverty line. They live for the work whereas in the Netherlands the people work to live. That means that money and status are not so important like the leisure time. The Indians work in a competitive atmosphere, the higher the position, the better is the money and their status. Only the best are successful in the hard business. The State The state is a performance society. You will be paid for that what you accomplish. The more you can the higher is the earning. The higher the earning is the higher is your status in society. In the Netherlands it is quite different, the community is more important. The solidarity is higher; people help more each other and also the weaker ones. India focuses a lot to the growth in economy, more than in the Netherlands. Masculinity And Femininity In Italy And The Netherlands Italy counts over 60 points and stands on rank 52 in the index from Hofstede but only for the European countries. Italy is also a masculine society but not so high like India. Italy is less masculine but more feminine than India but not so feminine like the Netherlands. Family Life Women expect men to get the leadership in family life and earn the money for the family. Gender roles are also clearly distinct here. The woman is responsible for the family and especially for the household and the man is making career. Children suppose to be obedient, whereas the boys should be tough and the girls more emotional. Most of the time the father is dominant but it is not unusual when there are non-dominant partners in a relationship. Family is very important and children are their future. Parents try to give their children the best perspective and are always around them; often the â€Å"bambinis† sit on the table till late in the evening. The parents take very care of the children and control them also a lot what they are doing. It is normal, that fights are sometimes loud and the Italians also like to make jokes and do not care when the neighbor or strangers hear it whereas love is not shown to the outside. Often a fight between a man and woman sound hard for a n on-Italian but that is their mentality and normally after five minutes all is forgotten. Men are often seen like machos but it is unusual that parents have a divorce. School/ Education The teachers are authority persons to the students but the communication is still friendly and the teachers also make jokes. It is very important that the Italian students pass school with high grades. Often they learn till late in the evening and the parents still control them to repeat the homework and if they understand well. The education is more masculine than in the Netherlands, failing in school or not passing a test is a disaster whereas the Dutch students are more comfortable and they just need to pass, independent from the grade. According to this fact, teachers in the Netherlands, take more attention to weaker students and try to push them by giving them attention, than openly praise the good students. The students are decent in their CVs, whereas in Italy, they sell themselves in interviews to show they are the best. The Netherlands are a permissive society in which the environment should be preserved as small is beautiful. Furthermore the government depends on a coalition between different parties and women are more often elected than in Italy and India. Work/ Business Usually the woman take care of the family and the men is going to work. However women also work, but the earnings of the men are most of the time higher and the high positions are often occupied by the men. Money is important, men like to show their status with cars for example but leisure time and spending time with their families is also important. You cannot really define if it is more masculine or more feminine. It is more feminine than in India but still more masculine than in the Netherlands. The State The community is important, Italy has solidarity. They care about the weak people in the population and aid also a lot of financially help to poor countries. The country is a community and they represent it to the outside. Uncertainty Avoidance What Is Uncertainty Avoidance? The term uncertainty avoidance denotes how members of a culture deal with unknown or ambiguous situations. Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance try to avoid such uncertainties. Members of other cultures maybe experience equal situations as uncertain or chaotic as well, but respond more relaxed and unstressed. Each country has got own rituals and values how they deal with punctuality, formalities and religious affairs. Cultures with a high certainty avoidance index (UAI) are more prepared to evade risks than cultures with a low UAI. The higher the score of the UAI is, the higher the need of people to have laws and regulations which give them a guideline and a feeling of private and public security. High uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized as â€Å"What is different is dangerous.† However, the weakest uncertainty avoidance sentiment can be summarized on the contrary as â€Å"What is different is curious.† In Italy the uncertainty avoidance and individualism/ collectivism are the highest scores, adequate the four dimensions of Geert Hofstede with a value of 75 on the index. It is clear to see that Italy has one of the highest scores at all. On the other hand there are the Netherlands with a relative low UAI amount of 53 which is almost the mean of 39 countries. Uncertainty Avoidance Italy And Netherlands Family Life Because of the high score Italy has achieved, one can see that the family life seems to be as more stressful as in the Netherlands. In the early stages Italian children learn the difference between dirty and clean and between safe and dangerous. They make more experiences with law and rules and know soon what they are allowed to do and what not. Italian mothers and nannies would never allow to see their children in dirt or danger. It is common that family has a very great significance in Italy. In contrast to Italian families Dutch families are quite different. They are more relaxed about that and let their children make experiences on their own. Dutch dont care about their health as the Italian do. Example: Dutch people dont ask for a doctor or a medical certification if they are ill. Often they are already satisfied with the view of a nurse. Religion plays a pretty important role in the Italian family life. 90% of all Italian inhabitants are Roman Catholic. This huge number shows one that they have great Christianity. Religion gives them some sort of security, confidence and for several people a guideline. Health and keeping good are also important things Italian care about. Unlike Italy Holland is not that religious. Nearly half of all Dutch people are atheists. School / Education In Italy there is high uncertainty avoidance. In such countries it is pretty important for the students to believe in that a teacher knows almost everything. The students want to know right answers in detail and the teachers are supposed to have all the answers. In the Netherlands it is quite different. Teachers are rather considered as advisers. The students just want to have good conversation and discussion with the teacher and they dont have problems if a teacher says â€Å"I dont know†. Italians are almost the same as the German and favored a structured and detailed assignments. Work / Business In work life one can see that Italian employees and managers look for long-term employment. In contrast to Italy the Dutch people are short-term orientated and more flexible. If they are dissatisfied with their job they have no problem with looking for another job. Besides the Italian employees and managers favor a well structured and organized work process that they would not confronted with any problems. Many Italian prefer to do business they already know. Example: Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with the person on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call. The State One reason why Italy is scared of the unknown is because it is a very old cultural country that has survived many economical changes, wars and political upheavals. These facts might have bred in Italians a greater anxiety of the unknown. In Italy a mass of laws and rules are the result of uncertainty avoidance. It gives a feeling of security and also it can be seen as a guideline. In Holland there are not that much laws and rules. They think that laws and rules should be established just in case of necessity. Furthermore they believe that many problems can be solved without any laws. The Netherlands have just a few laws and rules to avoid the uncertainty, although the government and the regulation system is very well developed. If there is a law that is not working, the Dutch government would change or withdraw it easily and quickly. The fact that Italy has so many laws and regulations is that many people are not interested in politics. In contrast the Dutch people are very intereste d in politics, because there not many laws, so they are not overloaded by them. For example, Dutch people ask, why there is a change in ordinance. Uncertainty Avoidance India And Netherlands Family life Based on Hofstedes scale Indias UAI is the lowest of the three countries we have to compare. India scores a 40 on the index. This value makes clear that the inhabitants have the least fear of the uncertain. But its quite hard to generalize, because there are many variations in the different patterns of life. One reason for this fact may be that a large part of the inhabitants grow up under the poverty line. Indian are born in the caste system which forms their guideline, therefore they have another way of feeling of losing a job. Mostly they live with a large amount of family members in one house. Their religion, beliefs and rituals are important attempts to avoid uncertainty in the present and in the oncoming life. Approximately 80% of all Indian inhabitants are Hindu. But in Holland it is very different. In Holland religion is not that import as in India or in Italy because there are almost 45% atheists. School / Education Indians who live under the poverty line probably dont fear to have no school education because the most of them grow up without education at all. But for middle class parents it is important that their children get an academic achievement, because its a direct step to achieve prestige and a better status. Another point is that the dutch pupils dont mind what credits they get. They are just interested in whether they passed or not. Work / Business In countries like India people only work hard if there is a need for it, but they also love to relax. So time is not an ever-present concern for them. Furthermore they live day to day, so one can see that they are very similar to the Dutch because they are both short-term orientated. Day to day can also mean that they fight to survive day after day. The State Indian politics are nearly the same as the British. Since its a bicameral system there are multiple parties. A big difference between the British and Indian system is that in India there are political parties that address, only certain groups in the caste system. And with that they create a certain kind of certainty for the people in the caste. Conclusion After our detailed investigation, about how the four dimensions of Hofstede affect the different countries, we can give some marketing and general advices for doing business in India, Italy and the Netherlands. In contrast to The Netherlands, India and Italy are both masculine countries. For example someone wants to publish a new product especially for woman like a magazine. In the Netherlands it wouldnt be difficult to bring such product on the market because its a feminine society. Nobody would have a problem with the content mentioned in the magazine. In India or Italy it might be more problematic. In India the men would object against magazines like this because the society is directed to males being the higher authority. The men have a big influence on decisions being made. The society status is very important for the family. In The Netherlands it doesnt matter who makes the decisions mainly its good for the family. Generally you have to invest a lot of time and effort in order to build up serious and long-term business relationships in Italy but even more in India. Therefore you (as a business man from abroad) should never try to talk about business straight from the beginning. But rather focus on building a relationship, in most cultures on the world people need to trust each other first before they can do business with each other. Work on that relationship and you will have a good business partner who will always prefer you over the loud screaming cheaper company. In the end, the failure to communicate on the intercultural market will result in the failure of your business as an international company. Always take cultural differences into account. Sources Cultural and Organizations – Software of the Mind http://www.globalvolunteers.org/italy/italy_people1.asp http://www.geert-hofstede.com http://www.wikipedia.org/ clearlycultural.com http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/italy.htm Uncertainty avoidance table Caste System india Hofstedes Dimensions for each country

Oedipus is to Blame in Oedipus the King Essay -- Oedipus Rex Essays

Oedipus is to Blame in Oedipus the King      Ã‚   In the story of Oedipus the King, Sophocles portrays the main character, Oedipus, as a good natured person that has bad judgment and frailty.   Oedipus makes a few bad decisions and is condemned to profound suffering because of his pride.   I agree with Aristotle that he brings it all on to himself because of his own personal pride.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One day Oedipus finds out that there is a prophecy that depicts him killing his father and marrying his mother.   The prophecy may have been proven untrue if he wouldn't have put himself on such a high pedestal.   It all started one day when he met up with King Laius:      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Seated in it.   The groom leading the horses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Forced me off the road at his lord's command;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But as this charioteer lurched over towards me   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I struck him in my rage...I killed him (1.2.764-772).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oedipus met the King Laius on a bridge and was too proud to let him pass first, and then the King pushed him out...

Fear In the Damp and Dark Gap Essays -- In the Damp and Dark Gap

Fear In the Damp and Dark Gap The usual signification of the French feminist's "gap" transformed by Jack Bushnell from silent entrapment to a meaning that signifies the "gap" as that which frees the other and allows for the generation of a voice of the other's own Circus of the Wolves. The famous masculine--self and feminine--other opposition will be freely utilized with the man and the circus representing the former and Kael and nature the latter. Gaps appear literally and figuratively throughout the text and with each appearance its meaning slowly, slowly, alters in the previously stated manner. Jack Bushnell says in a "Note from the Author" that the of the wolf (other) is "a natural world as distinct and separate from the human (self) world as possible." The place of the Other, in other words, is separated, banished, and excluded from the sphere of self. The circus and the man be self insofar as they confine, harness, and attempt to stand the beauty and wonder of the ot her by conforming the other into the mold and way of self. Before going further, it should be noted that any appearance of anthropomorphizing the wolf is only that –appearance. It is the place of the Other that receives the essences of human and not Kael in and of himself. Since Kael occupies the place of the Other the anthropomorphic transgression will seem to apply to the wolf when no actual transgression has occurred. Still, however, Kael must come to sense his occupation of the place of the Other. Kael falls into the gap constructed by his oppressors "...the damp and dark at the bottom of the hole frightened Kael." Kael's fear is of confinement and the discovery of himself as other... ...e frees himself through the gap left by his oppressors. The man allows for Kael's escape. He has come to know the beauty and power of the other and can no longer confine it. By obtaining the knowledge that reveals the nature of the gap, Kael has discovered the means of utilizing the "gap" to the ends of freeing the other from the oppression of self. He has found the power of his own language, and its ability to take the self away from its world and into the place of the Other, Jack Bushnell has found in Kael a character that can infuse the gap with the emotive gynergy of other, thus disallowing its existence as a simple lacunary absence without voice. The place of the Other radiates its own incandescent brilliance, seething with the growing volume of the new choral power......O... Â  Circus of the Wolves, Lothrop, Lee, and Shepherd 1993

Dilema at Day-Pro Essay

The crossover point is the rate at which the NPV of the two projects are equal. NPV has a direct relationship between NPV and Economic Value Added. The NPV shows how the shareholders’ wealth would be increased if the project is accepted. The goal of the company is to increase shareholders’ wealth, thus NPV shows the better way in choosing the right decision to achieve their goal. NPV method implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the cost of capital, whereas the IRR method assumes that the firm can reinvest at the IRR. NPV method is better because it selects the project that adds the most to shareholder wealth. Tim can show that the MIRR is the more realistic measure to use in the case of mutually exclusive contracts by explaining that by using MIRR, they can avoid the multiple IRR problems and at the same time explain that since reinvestment at the cost of capital is generally more correct, the MIRR  which assumes that CFs from all projects are reinvested at the cost of capital rather than on the project’s own IRR (in the case of IRR), is a better indicator of a project’s true profitability. Tim could also state that with the use of MIRR, the company can avoid some conflicts encountered when comparing NPV with IRR. With the use of MIRR, they can minimize the conflict between the two, just like when the two projects being compared have equal size and same life, both NPV and MIRR leads to the same decision. The company can also arrive at the same decision when the two projects being compared have equal size and different life. Using Profitability Index can help in deciding which project to choose because it gives the ratio which allows us to measure the proportion of money returned to money invested. Thus by profitability index, it allows us to compare investment opportunities that requires us different initial investments. The higher profitability index will be chosen because it gives higher possible return in the amount that is to be invested. In short, in the dilemma of Day-pro, Synthetic Resin must be chosen because it gives a higher return in spite of the high initial investment. However, in using this method, the analyst will ignore many factors, such as risk, cost of capital, and liquidity of the project. Thus, the company must consider or decide first on what factor they will base their decision in choosing a project. Being more conservative in revenue projection will give us an idea that the project is less liquid because they projected a longer period of time before the company can earn back the invested amount. Moreover, it also indicates that they considered the possible risks that may occur in the project along the way. The chance of overestimation and underestimation of the project is less possible that make it more realistic. Thus, the Synthetic Resin project is more reliable and accurate. Knowing that the synthetic resin would require extensive and longer time before it could be implemented, it will cause doubt on the part of the Board to choose this  project because it only says that Synthetic Resin project is less liquid compared to epoxy resin and the company will be tied longer to this project before it can regain the invested capital. However, looking at the other side of the coin, synthetic resin gives a higher return in spite of its flaws and its risks. On the other hand, Epoxy Resin seems to be more liquid and less risky and the return of this project is less compared to the Synthetic Resin. As a result, the board might be more attracted to Epoxy Resin. Still, the decision of the board depends on what they give importance or emphasis in choosing a project. And since the Board has a strong preference in using rates or return as its criteria, we would recommend to the Board to choose Synthetic Resin.

Brigadier General Muhammad Siddiq Salik: Biography

Brigadier General Muhammad Siddiq Salik (1935) (September 6, 1935 – August 17, 1988), was a 1 star general in the Pakistan Army and former director-general of the Inter Services Public Relations who headed ISPR from August 1985 till his death. Brigadier-General Salik is most known as a close associate of former Pakistani President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. Siddique Salik was born in village Manglia Kharian, Gujrat District, Punjab. He belongs to a noble Jat family. Salik schooled in Lahore and graduated from Punjab University earning a degree in English literature and international relations. Before receiving his commission in the Pakistan Army, Salik had taught English literature in few colleges in Lahore. Salik fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In 1971, Salik, as Major, was stationed in East Pakistan, when the 1971 Pakistan-India (fought between 26 March-16 December) and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 (fought between 3 December-16 December) took place. Captured by Indian troops on December 19, 1971, Salik was initially incarcerated in Agra jail before being shifted to various other prisons as a Prisoner of War. He was eventually handed over to Pakistan under the Simla Agreement which vouched for exchange of prisoners. Salik was a celebrated writer. He wrote an insightful book titled Witness to Surrender (Urdu version: â€Å"Meinay Dhaka Doobtay Dekha†) based on his recollection of the war. In 1977, General Zia became President of Pakistan following a bloodless coup. Zia-ul-Haq removed civilian officers from top posts and appointed a new military junta, which included Salik amongst its members. On August 17, 1988, Salik was traveling with President Zia in his plane as his press secretary and director general inter services public relations, alongwith U. S. ambassador Arnold Raphel, when the plane crashed under mysterious circumstances killing all on board. Salik authored six Urdu and 3 English books. Among these, the â€Å"Witness to Surrender† (ISBN 81-7062-108-9) recounts the 1971 Pakistan-India war, as seen by Salik who was posted there as the Public Relations Officer. His other books include humaa yaran dozak(a recollection of his years as a risoner of war after the fall of Dacca, East Pakistan), ta damay tehreer (Urdu), emergency, pressure cooker (both novels in Urdu), Salute (biography of his years in army), State vs Politics, A Case study of Pakistan. All his books became best sellers. Brigaidier Siddique Salik is survived by his widow,three daughters and a son. His son Sarmad Salik is a known Islamabad based journalist. He has been director news of state run TV channel Ptv and director current affairs of Ary news besides having worked for national and international newspapers and TV networks.