Mozart Operas and Pre-Revolution Chinese Operas Contain Surprising Article

Mozart Operas and Pre-Revolution Chinese Operas Contain Surprising Relationship - Article Example Also, the music takes greater importance in these works than the acting or singing, which is obvious in Mozart’s operas, but much less so in Chinese operas. Each of these styles is driven by the music, rather than by the story or even the vocal performances. Finally, both styles of opera have an understated simplicity, making the viewer of the opera believe that he or she could have come up with the plot, which allows for more enjoyment of the music and the experience as a whole. This is not to say that the plots of these operas do not have their complexities, but the basic plot is usually easy to follow, allowing for the casual viewer to simply enjoy the experience. The works of Mozart are widely regarded as some of the greatest in history. Even individuals who do not follow the opera or classical music closely have most likely heard his name and have also heard his music at some point during their lives. What these individuals probably do not know, however, is how politically driven much of Mozart’s work was. An example of this was Mozart opera entitled The Marriage of Figaro, which was originally banned in Vienna because it is a satirical look at aristocracy. Mozart had some very famous battles with the upper class over the course of his career, which got him into trouble because of his volatile personality.

Write Mythological Poetry Explication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Write Mythological Poetry Explication - Essay Example From the stony salr in the beginning, the story moves to Frigg’s (33), then later to the three salr which is filled with anguish and pain Nà ¡strÆ’ndo (37,38) and ultimately to the bright salr in the new world. It is, therefore, evident that salr is not only a kenning for the earth, but should also be understood as a reference to â€Å"places† or â€Å"rooms† that outlines a way from the stony and hard beginning. The hard beginning was characterized by sorrowfulness and sadness, for instance, sorrowful Fensalr that is was moistened with Frigg’s tear, and then later the reader comes across salr of anguish or pain and in the end, the poem ends with a glimpse of the bright salr at Gimlà ©. This text line creates a movement through different â€Å"rooms† that can be taken to be figurative expressions of mental â€Å"rooms† or rather emotional conditions. As seen in the text, the sun in the vision of ragnarÆ’k goes dark and later disappears in the ocean before the new world or earth emerges. Towards the last part of the poem, a picture of this world where salr at Gimlà © is solo fegra is portrayed as more beautiful than the sun. This aspect can be taken to stand for a vision of ideality of eternity or even â€Å"heaven.† The reader can thus interpret the sun stretching its right arm around the â€Å"edge of heaven† as an allusion this final vision of â€Å"eternity† and â€Å"ideality.† The beginning of the poem both suggests as well as conceals what will follow. Accordingly, a complete understanding of the beginning is never available in the text until the reader has reached the end of the poem.

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Example for Free

Define and Discuss ‘Retail Experience’ Essay Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? David Olu RETAIL MANAGEMENT Define and discuss ‘retail experience’. Use a case study example to demonstrate its application. How does the retailer create and enhance value? When people go shopping they want to encounter an enjoyable experience which will satisfy their needs so in recent years retailers have tried to take the shopping experience to another level in order to encourage consumers to build a relationship with the brand. The purpose of this essay will be to outline what is meant by the term â€Å"retail experience†. The main focus will be on a particular case study involving Apple in order to explain how the retailer goes on to enhance value. Retail experience can be seen as a process in which a retailer packages an experience together with products. (Berman B Evans J 2010) highlight that â€Å"A Retailers image depends heavily on its â€Å"atmosphere†. When looking at atmosphere it is the psychological feeling a customer gets when visiting the retailer.’’ It is noted that atmosphere can influence hedonic value this is an important aspect of the experience, because this is what plays a vital role in gaining a customer’s interest and it can help in leading the customer into the buying process. All of the major retailers will aim to provide a relaxing environment for their consumers because shopping is considered as fun and pleasurable (Jones, 1999). There are some key factors that contribute to this, first we look at music because it provides entertainment for shoppers Turley and Chebat (2002). Followed by lighting the appropriate use of it,  such as product spotlighting and dim ambient lighting, and thirdly the use of bright and vibrant colours. Swinyard (1993) reiterated this by pointing out that â€Å"Mood states are present in virtually every shopping encounter, and could have a significant effect on shopping behaviour†. And In Relation to this (Kemp and Kopp 2011) also put forward that Emotions shape our everyday existence, including our consumption and purchase behaviour. So this could mean that a consumer in a bad mood may tend to view shopping activities differently from one in a good mood. When a customer enters the store atmosphere they are not able to experience the music in seclusion or smell the scent without seeing the colours as well they do not walk on the floor-covering without feeling the ambient temperature. The typical customer experiences amounts of all these and other incentives as an on-going, collective experience. So it can be argued that most buying environments are purposefully designed to produce specific emotional effects in shoppers. Berman Evans J (2010) argued that â€Å"The presentation merchandise and the displays that bring shoppers into the store are very important in creating a retail image. So other factors which have to be considered when looking at retail experience is the layout of the shop itself because if the shop is nicely laid out it will encourage customers to spend more time in the shop than originally planned. So retailers have to consider the layout of the products and how they can appeal to customers and also clearly labelled displays if they have any in order to make the customers indentify what is on sell clearly. So it is always essential for a business to ensure that the shop is properly organised. A store exterior provides a powerful impact on a business’s image this should be planned effectively a store exterior consists of the total physical exterior of the store itself, with a storefront most retailers can present a traditional, trendy, upscale environment, in relation to retail experience customers who happen to pass a shop they usually judge a store by its exterior so this can be used to draw in customers with things like display windows showing products will be able to catch a customer’s attention  straight away most retailers make use of mannequins in order to grab people’s attention. Customers always want to feel valued and welcomed when they visit a shop so when they enter the shop they expect a good customer service from the members of staff this is crucially essential for an organisation to manage. Because not only will shoppers appreciate the store due to the products offered, or atmospherics’ but they will have more of a strong interest due to the kindness of the salesperson (Lombart and Jeandrain, 2003). If the members of staff are always available and helpful it will create a customer satisfaction and this can be considered as a key determining factor with benefits of repeat shopping and buying behaviour if managed effectively so with this it means that customers will always have a good experience, when they encounter polite and helpful members of staff and this will also create a positive image for the business. Promotion is another tool in which retailers will aim to provide satisfaction to their customers so in order for them to do this they implement special offers as a strategy to achieve this, if an organisation regularly provides promotion as part of its experience it will find that they will attract more customers. So for example retailers like Tesco or Asda regularly offer promotion and they go head to head on offers in order to gain draw in more people. Not only will offering promotions attract repeat custom it will also allow the organisation to generate profit. All different kind of Retailers will try to use different ways in order to bring that retail experience that their consumers desire so retailers who connect with customers through experiences which are personally relevant , memorable, interactive and also emotional are more likely to increase sales and brand loyalty and this is why experience stores such as Apple have emerged, reason being that they want customers to bond with the brand, at first hand , a â€Å"try before you buy† approach . Apple is one of the biggest leading technology companies in the world apple provides customers with an attractive and relaxed environment where they can  handle. â€Å"Apple has been developing its experience stores since 2001 and by the end of 2008 the company had opened some 250 increasingly sophisticated stores† (Jones, Comfort, 2010). Benghazi (2012) States that entertaining browsing experiences might help a browser to learn more about the offers and characteristics. Customers will be able to use knowledge in order to make a decision on whether they should purchase the product or not so in regards to this Apple provide their consumers with a live interaction of their products for example the Apple store in London’s regent street lets customers get involved in â€Å"Getting started workshops† this includes showing customers how to set up a new Mac, connecting to the internet and sending emails. This goes to show that Apple are trying to involve their customers with a firsthand experience of the brand and the products they offer, the experience goes beyond the store itself the company provides summer camps for children and youth workshops. Children aged 8-12 years get what is known as a â€Å"hands-on Mac experience, during a 3 hour workshop 8-13years olds can compose a song â€Å"in a garage band†, construct a photo album and create key note presentations. This illustrates on how Apple are trying to expand retail experience to their customers by going beyond the in store experience this will in return generate a positive outcome for Apple. Within regards to the designs of the stores, the interior represents three values, which are transparency, community and service. There is the open spacious interior containing the computers, IPods and IPhones which are neatly placed on tables this portrays transparency. Community is encouraged by the store through its theatre and its lounging areas and then the commitment into services is branded into customers minds as they are able to visit the genius bar, each store is looked at as a place where people can feel comfortable and are not intimidated by technology. Apple stores may be designed to sell but also at the same time they are designed to teach, customers who walk into an apple store just for a casual play of the products can find that the experience can quickly turn into some serious learning. When we look at a typical apple store it has three  spaces the first one is usually for play and for purchasing, and the other one is for learning a customer would typically come across these areas in that order. The shop is laid out in a simple manner enabling the customers to move around freely to admire the products within the store. Like any other store, apple stores consist of members of staff who wear a blue t-shirt with the apple logo in the middle making them easily recognisable to the public as the staff with a casual look. There always there to help customers with their knowledge on how to use the products. The members of staff always ensure to ask customers if they need help if the customer looks lost, this type of retail setting allows customers and members of staff to interact as the members of staff are always asked questions in regards to the products, and the questions that the customers ask the staff guide the learning and they reveal what has been learned and what else is there left to be learned. So in a sense Apple have able to take the relationship between the customers, staff members and the store to a different level of retailing and learning. The Apple store has built relevance into every section of the shop, the members of staff are aware that they have to start with the customer and with whatever knowledge the customer knows and then progress on from there. Despite the technology the apple store experience is more focused on forming a relationship with the products rather than just focusing on products. An Apples store experience generally provides a powerful image about the brand Apple is able to combine products together with service effectively in order to reward their customers with a unique experience in which customers are able to feel like learners who are able to develop valuable skills. The Apple store learning experience is greatly adapted and focused on the interests and the needs of the individual customer. Conclusion Retail experience is vital for all of the retailers to establish in order to looking at Apple they have successfully established an environment where customers would want to come back again and again so in conclusion Apple has shown that they value their customers by ensuring that their customers experience the products at first hand and by also taking that experience out  of the store by providing their customers with things like summer camps. It is vital that Apple continue to bring this experience to their customers because it will mean that they will generate repeat custom and also they will be able to attract new customers. Bibliography Books Berman, B. and Evans, J. (2010) Retail management a strategic approach. 11th Ed. New Jersey: Pearson education Inc, p.508, 509,510,512. Internet Sonera, T. (2006). Apple case study. Available: www.buyukdemirci.com/Apple/Apple_case_.pdf. Last accessed 18th November 2012. Journals Ballantine, P. et al. (2010) Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 38 (8), p.1, 2. Burns, D. and Neisner, L. (2006) Customer satisfaction in a retail setting: The contribution of emotion. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, 34 (1), p.50, 51. Jones, P. et al. (2010) Retail experience stores: experiencing the brand at first. Marketing Intelligence Planning, 28 (3), p.243. KEMP, E. and KOPP, S. (2011) Emotion in consumption. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10: p.1. Kronrod, A. et al. (2012) Hedonic Consumption and compliance with assertive messages. Journal of Consumer Research, Inc., 39 (1), p.52. Nsairi, Z. (2012) Managing browsing experience in retail stores through. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management, Vol. 40 (9), p.678. Swinyard, W. (199300) The Effects of Mood, Involvement, and Quality of Store Experience on Shopping Intentions. Journal of consumer research, 20p .271. Washor, E. et al. (2009) At the Core of the Apple Store: Images of Next Generation Learning. The Phi Delta Kappan, 91 (2), p.61, 62, 63

Holistic and Academic Education

Holistic and Academic Education Holistic education is a discipline of education based on the premise that each person finds, meaning, identity and purpose in life through connections to the natural world, to the community, and to humanitarian values such as peace and compassion. Holistic education aims to call forth from people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning. This is the definition given by Miller, editor, founder and author of the journal Holistic Education. The term holistic education is often used to refer to the more democratic and humanistic types of alternative education. Flake, C. L (1998) describes this further by stating, What distinguishes holistic education from other forms of education, at its most general level, are its objectives, its focus to learning through experience, its goals and the significance it places on primary human values and relationships, within a learning environment. The concept of holism refers to the idea that all the properties of a given system in any field of study cannot be determined or explained by the sum of its component parts [Forbes, S. H, 1996]. The system as a whole instead determines the behavior of its parts. There is no single source for a holistic education movement. There is neither a major form of expression nor a predominant proponent. It is difficult to define clearly a holistic education. There are a number of perceptions and values, however that most schools claiming to be holistic would follow [Miller.R, 2010]. A holistic way of thinking rather than defining human possibilities narrowly, literally tries to integrate and encompass multiple layers of experience and meaning. Teaching Methodologies There are several methodologies adopted by schools that preach holistic education: Religion as a part of life: Holistic education cultivates religious values as a part of the life. There are classes that insist and preach moral values such as divinity, spirituality, realization of self, morality, mortality, serving the community and much more. Live Workshops: Education through experience is the main motto of holistic education. Everything is made live in the form of workshops. Scholars from various disciplines interact with the students and conduct real-time workshops rather than imparting the bookish knowledge. Children or students literally do what they learn and learn what they do. This make the children gain experience in each and every subject they learn. Science Fairs and Exhibitions: The institutions spent a lot of amount in gather people of same likes and interests at a single place and share their views on thoughts. Knowledge is the only resource that multiplies on sharing. Knowledge transfer is accomplished in holistic education due to many fairs and exhibitions. Special Training Programs: Training programs to develop various technical, managerial and behavioral skills are conducted often by these institutions. Some of the most significant training programs are leadership training, team building training, communication training, psychological training, orientation training and religious training. Mentors The teachers in the holistic schools are not strict as that of regular academic schools. Rather than threatening the students by exercising strict control over them, these teachers act as real friends and mentors of the students. The children can get guidance from their mentors very easily and without a hesitation. The barrier between the teacher- student relationships is completely broken in holistic education. Thus holistic education is far beyond the styles adopted by conventional academic learning. With acts like terrorism, crime and violence increasing in the society, holistic learning, obviously is the need of the hour. Aims and objectives of the study Primary Objective: To understand the key concepts and options of holistic education. To analyze the difference between academic and holistic education. To identify the need for holistic education. To study the process of education followed in holistic institutions in India. To evaluate the effectiveness of holistic education systems. Secondary Objective: To create awareness about holistic education among people of India. To emphasis the need for holistic education in India. To encourage the people to seek holistic education rather than conventional academic education. Review of literature The Indian educational history has always been glorified by the presence of universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila and Taxila, from the ancient period. India has got the privilege of establishing universities, even before there were universities in continents like Europe. The contributions of Arya Bhatta, Chanakya, Kalidasa and Baskaracharyya could not be forgotten by the whole world. Be it mathematics, science, literature or technology, India would be in the list of one of the historic contributors irrespective of the discipline of education. Indians have produced many of the most successful and remarkable insights, thoughts and inventions. However, on examining the post independent era, the scenario of growth in the present Indian education is remarkably low and in fact pitiable. The 65 years of post independence has not made much difference in Indian education, especially in rural India. Independent India however has stood unique by setting up over seventy education commission or education committee. Out of the 94 developing countries in the world, the position of India is 76th in terms of overall educational development index [EDI]. The percentage of students enrolled in first standard (Class I) and reached to fifth standard (Class V) is 77 in other developing countries. Controversially in India it is only 60%. [Krishnamurthy, 1994]. This statistical data is significant enough to understand the deteriorating situation of present India. India ranks a low 105 out of 127 nations in UNESCOs Education for All Development Index (EDI) for 2004, despite its much-prevalent Education for All (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) initiative. The worst part of it is that the United Nation body says it is doubtful if India would be able to achieve the EFA (Education for All) goal. The EFA goals concentrates on 100% enrolment in primary schools by the year 2015 and it is one of the U Ns Millennium Development Goals (MDG). All this has happened only because of the conventional educational system that focuses much on making the children to pile up with loads of books rather than understanding the true value of education. The conventional academic education ruins the imaginative power of kids. Especially the academic educational system in India is so strict that it does not give place for creativity and human values. On the other hand, an alternative educational system also known as holistic education is emerging in India. Unlike the conventional system, holistic education concentrates on learning through experience. This gives a new definition and style to education. By this system, children can learn by doing whatever they love to do. This system induces an interest for learning among children and education is being made a fun by this process. Holistic learning is also known as transformative learning. Jack Mezirow (2000), Neuman (1998), Boyd Meyers and Edmond OSullivan, (1988) have contributed to the research of transformative learning and have identified a new framework or pedagogy that is to be demonstrated in holistic programs. According to Mezirow, the goal of education is to help the individual become a more autonomous thinker by learning to negotiate his or her own values, meanings, and purpose rather than uncritically acting on those of others[Mezirow ,2000]. According to Edmond OSullivan, transformative learning involves experiencing a deep, structural shift in the basic premises of thought, feelings, and actions. It is a shift of consciousness that dramatically and permanently alters our way of being in the world. [Edmond OSullivan, 1988]. OSullivan E., has identified five themes as the fundamental to transformative learning. The connection or relationship that humans have with the natural world also known as the consciousness of the environment Conscious world citizens, equality, peace, world citizenship, interdependency, narratives of inclusion and interconnectedness Integral curriculum; integral development-from the personal to the planetary, contextual-holistic vs. content-informational An experience of belonging: community, a place, roots A sense of the sacred: integrative dimension of experience, awe, respect for life, connections to the spirit [Jack Mezirow, 2000], On the other hand has specified ten elements that provide a strong foundation for transformative learning. A sense of safety, openness, trust; egalitarian, nonjudgmental and non-competitive environment A learner centered approach Critical reflection and explorations of alternative personal perspectives Affective learning, emotions and feelings discussed Solitude, self dialogue Handling disagreement, confronting rather than avoiding Experiential learning Acknowledging many ways of knowing and learning; multiple intelligences Questioning our assumptions, beliefs The use of rational discourse, dialogue [Boyd and Meyers, 1988], include supporting students to recognize their spirit-a knowing or a truth that resides in them, in promoting transformative learning. [Neuman, 1996] expands the acknowledgment of the importance of feelings and emotions to the transformative aspects of learning experiences. Research methodology Two forms of research are undertaken in order for the purpose of satisfying the objectives of the study: Primary Research: Data collected through first-hand sources Secondary Research: Second-hand data collected through different sources Primary research- Quantitative Research Quantitative research method will be followed in order to create a detailed analysis of consumers perception regarding emails and direct mails as marketing medium in India. Quantitative research offers several advantages to the study: Brower et al (2000, pg. 366) assert that quantitative researchers pursue- and insist that they generate- value-free, unbiased data. Similarly, McLaughlin et al (2002) highlight the following uses of quantitative approach: Research and establish explicit hypotheses Uses accurate measures of concepts Uses tests of statistical significance Uses controls for other explanatory variables Provides a clear theoretical context Case-studies The term case-study usually refers to a fairly intensive examination of a single unit such as a person, a small group of people, or a single company. Case-studies involve measuring what is there and how it got there. In this sense, it is historical. It can enable the researcher to explore, unravel and understand problems, issues and relationships. It cannot, however, allow the researcher to generalize, that is, to argue that from one case-study the results, findings or theory developed apply to other similar case-studies. The case looked at may be unique and, therefore not representative of other instances. It is, of course, possible to look at several case-studies to represent certain features of management that we are interested in studying. The case-study approach is often done to make practical improvements. Contributions to general knowledge are incidental. The case-study method has four steps: Determine the present situation. Gather background information about the past and key variables. Test hypotheses. The background information collected will have been analyzed for possible hypotheses. In this step, specific evidence about each hypothesis can be gathered. This step aims to eliminate possibilities which conflict with the evidence collected and to gain confidence for the important hypotheses. The culmination of this step might be the development of an experimental design to test out more rigorously the hypotheses developed, or it might be to take action to remedy the problem. Take remedial action. The aim is to check that the hypotheses tested actually work out in practice. Some action, correction or improvement is made and a re-check carried out on the situation to see what effect the change has brought about. The case-study enables rich information to be gathered from which potentially useful hypotheses can be generated. It can be a time-consuming process. It is also inefficient in researching situations which are already well structured and where the important variables have been identified. They lack utility when attempting to reach rigorous conclusions or determining precise relationships between variables. Sample size This study takes into consideration ten different holistic schools functioning in India. Secondary Research Secondary data is the information what was collected in the past for some other purpose. Usually, researchers start their investigation by studying a rich variety of already accessible data, to see if they can make a breakthrough in the study partly or wholly, without the use of expensive, time-consuming first-hand research. The following forms of secondary data will be used to research purpose: Books Journals and articles Newspapers Magazines Online web portals Annual Reports Government Agencies Independent Agencies Government official reports Limitations of the study- .5 page This concentrates on the holistic educational practices in India and not any other type of education. This study focuses exclusively on alternate schools. This study involves the holistic schools in India alone. This study is applicable for holistic schools that have been successfully serving the society for not less than eight years.

Dubliners :: essays research papers

Dubliners is considered a champion among books written in the English language. James Joyce's characterization of not only the people in the stories, but of Dublin itself, demonstrates his great ability as an author. Dubliners is not a book with a normal story line, a plot, and a definite climax and resolution. Instead, it is more of a setting, an atmosphere, an "epiphany" as Joyce called it. To understand the book, it is recommendable to focus on Irish history, and more specifically, Charles Stewart Parnell. He is a figure alluded to in this and other books by Joyce. He has been referred to as the "uncrowned king of Ireland."The series of short stories included in Dubliners depict a broken morale in and around the city of Dublin. The early 1900's marked a time of disheartened spirits not only in Dublin but all of Ireland. England still clutched Ireland under it's own control.. The citizens were bitter and dismayed.It wasn't until 1922 that Ireland freed itself from England. Up until that time, Ireland was occupied and ruled from Britain. The occupation had begun hundreds of years before, but from the end of the 18th century, a distinct Irish nationalism began to evolve. From 1801 onwards, Ireland had no Parliament of it's own. It was ruled by the Parliament in Britain which consisted of the House of Commons and House of Lords.Meanwhile, in the 1840's, a small group formed out of the Young Ireland movement. The leader, Thomas Davis, expressed a concept of nationality embracing all who lived in Ireland regardless of creed or origin. A small insurrection in 1848 failed, but their ideas influenced the coming generations. This small nationalism was illustrated in the stories "Evelyn" and "A Painful Case." In the latter, Mr. James Duffy, despite his dislike of the "modern an pretentious" Dublin, decides to stay at least in the suburbs and commute back and forth to his house. Also in the story of "Eveline", we see her refusing to leave with her fiancà © because of her ties to her home and her city. She couldn't leave; she couldn't abandon it. The small or perhaps hidden pride in the city of Dublin displayed itself in subtle methods throughout the book. After the potato famine in Ireland, a group was founded in 1858 known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Also known as the Fenians, they formed a secret society which rejected constitutional attempts to gain independence.

Death Row and Women :: Feminism Law Culture Essays

Death Row and Women In Hamurabi Law, if someone is accused of murder they must take a leap into the closest river. If the accused drowns, the accuser shall take possession of his house. If the accused emerges unhurt, then the accuser is put to death and his house is given as compensation to the accused. While the system of capital punishment in the United States is not quite as random, it has its own problems that can oftentimes cross the fine line between arbitrary and absurd. The discrepancy between white and colored male inmates is often the subject of debate regarding this issue, and while that subject certainly does deserve notice, little attention is paid to women as a group on death row. It is interesting to explore how society represents and identifies with women on death row in a completely different manner than men or even other minority groups, even though they face similar discriminations in other facets of life. Why is it that we are able to see females not as killers, but first as women o r mothers? Our preconceived conceptions of â€Å"motherhood† and â€Å"womanhood† make a great difference in how we perceive female criminals, and in certain cases can be the difference between life and death. According to statistics from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, of the 455 criminals on death row in the state only 7 of them are women . This should tip us off to the manner in which we treat female criminals, even in the most pro-death penalty state in the country. Overall, women account for one in eight of people arrested for murder in America, but this ratio sinks to only one in seventy people currently on death row . This discrepancy must be a direct result of something, and is most probably attributed to society’s perception of women that place these female criminals as women first, killers second. â€Å"It’s a reflection of society’s view that women are less prone to evil than men are†, claims Jenni Gainsborough of the ACLU National Prison Project. We also seem to feel sorrier for women than we do men, and assume that if a woman has committed a crime it is because she has faced abuse in the past (usually inflicted by a man). This is true to s ome extent as it is claimed that 95% of women in prison were victims of abuse , but the point is that we generally stress the importance of female abuse while oftentimes neglecting abuse endured by their male counterparts.

Development of a Multinational Personnel Selection System Essay

1. Based on your reading of the textbook chapter what strengths and what shortcomings do you see in the newly developed multinational personnel selection system? The newly developed multinational personnel selection system seems to be okay at first glance. It is great that the system is two-tiered, with the first tier consisting of three modules: viewing the applicants’ resume, an unstructured phone interview with the applicants, and three references from former employees. These three modules from the first tier are mostly related to background research of the applicant. Through the application documentations of the candidates, it is possible to screen out candidates with obvious mismatches related to the job and also screen through some important aspects like past experience and related skills. Next, by doing a phone interview, interviewers would be able to figure out some basic characteristics and impressions about the applicant. The last procedure of the first tier, references, will be very important because it would be to best source of information about the applicant. As stated in the textbook, references can provide â€Å"(1) education and employment history, (2) character and interpersonal competence, (3) ability to perform the job, and (4) the willingness of the past or current employer to rehire the applicant.† The second of the selection process consists of a panel interview, a biography oriented in-depth interview, a simulated group exercise, and a test. These modules will allow the interviewees to figure out competencies of the applicants and the validity of those skills and also some in-depth information. The in-depth biography oriented interview will most likely provide valid data about the candidates. The testing procedures will the test the candidate for â€Å"general intelligence† and the â€Å"big five.† Overall, the new procedure seems like it is able to take in to account most of the information that is mentioned in the textbook. However, there still are some blind spots to be used on a global level. To start with, the reference procedure may cause some unexpected problems. The staff members assumed that getting references from former employers and colleges would let them screen out cheaters and imposters. This may be true in western culture, however, considering Asian culture this may not be the case. As generally accepted, Asians tend to try to be in harmony with others and care a lot about what others will think about them. If this is true, there is possibility that the former employees will leave out negative remarks in the recommendation due to these reasons, especially if the applicants are able to see the references. Next, although the biography-oriented in-depth interview will provide much important data about the applicant, the interview should be oriented towards job requirements. If it is too general, the information will become more of a general explanation or impression of the applicant and may not be able to provide valid data. This way it will also be possible to reduce the chance of faking. Third of all, the simulated group interview seems to be insufficient. It is stated in the article that the candidate will have a group discussion with three other role-players. Although this may let the observers evaluate certain aspects, I believe that having role-players may diminish the applicant’s potential. Let’s say that the interviewee is good at brainstorming or developing new ideas. He/she may not be able to fully show his/her potential due to the fact that the other members in the group are just playing their role; they will not be convinced by the new ideas or provide improvements to raw ideas. This may not let the observers know the full potential of the interviewee’s abilities. Therefore I think that a leaderless group interview would be better in order to evaluate the candidate. Last, and most importantly, there is no mention about how the procedures will be adapted and implemented in different countries. Considering that this was a new procedure for a multinational personnel selection system, it seems like the staff has left out the most important part. Without any adaptation among different cultures, the new procedure would not be that different compared to any other local hiring procedure. To conclude, the new multinational personnel selection system seems to cover most of the important aspects that are mentioned in the textbook and the procedures seem mostly valid. However, unless there is a adaptation system that may work globally, the new system does not seem so ‘new’ compared to other hiring procedures. 2. If you were asked to consult with the project team, what would you recommend to them? The most important recommendation would be that the members should consider some cultural differences while in discussion. Throughout the meeting the staff members show typical characteristics of Asians and westerns. The Chinese employees have a hard time standing up to others and feel embarrassed when opposed. On the other hand the members from overseas, especially Mueller, show typical western character. They are strong in their opinion and openly disprove of others opinions if they think it is wrong. Even the leader of the team, Koch, seems to be part of this situation. In fact, he is irritated by the Chinese employees behavior and does not understand how serious it is. Under these kinds of circumstances it seems impossible to have a productive meeting. What the team should do first is try to understand and consider each other’s culture. This would be the first step to properly come up with system for multinational hiring. How would they make be able to make a system that considers different cultures if they don’t even understand their own team members? The next recommendation would be that the members should listen and respect what the others are saying. While reading through the article, it seemed like most of the members were just trying to appeal that their ideas are the best. Everyone opposed each other’s idea and backed their own suggestions. It was an endless stream of interruption. Unless they learn to listen and respect others’ opinions, the meeting would never be productive. Another recommendation would be to Koch. I would like to tell him to be in control of the situation. It is the leader’s role in a meeting the control the members. If Koch had been more involved in the meeting and was able to control the situation, the meeting would not have lasted that long. It would also have been more productive as there would not have been lengthy arguments. I believe that the leader’s role is very crucial in this kind of situation. He/she should be in charge of the meeting and not let it stray from its topic. The previous recommendations were related to the meeting. Now I would like to make recommendations about the new system. Although a new system that may be used globally sounds very tempting, it sounds almost impossible to make. The cultures of different countries are very diverse and some are extremely different from others. I would recommend making 2~3 systems for Asian and Western regions with similar cultures. This would be more efficient rather then trying to make one system that can be applied to everyone.