Analyzing Timo

In the poor urban area of Richmond, California, the only thing more common than the violence is that deliquesce within the high school system – especially on the Richmond basketball team. With inflated rates of murder, violence and local crime students have affiliated themselves with negative forces that will have detrimental results. Many youth end dropping out of school and of that, majority will wind up in prison. However, Ken Carter makes it his objective to be the catalyst for a massive social shift. Taking the position of the Richmond basketball team coach, Coach Carter plans on inspiring the youth to continue their education and create safe, happy and successful lives for themselves. But, this of course is easier said than done. Many have tried to halt Carter’s process for social change and Timo Cruz, A player on the Richmond basketball team was the first. Cruz was the initial impediment against Coach Carter’s attempt shift the dynamic of the Richmond basketball team. When the team was first introduced to Carter and the new regulations he brought Cruz revolted against Carter’s authority. Doing this by roaring vulgar threats towards Carter and claimed he wasn’t aware of the struggles that accompanied living in Richmond. Cruz’s actions can be justified based on his living conditions. Residing in a low-income, hostile, violent neighborhood, Cruz has not been socialized to deal with issues with sophistication and maturity. Rather, in Cruz living conditions, it is far more beneficial to create a guise of strength and solve issues through force. Carter did not tolerate this hindrance to his objective nor was he fazed by Cruz’s foul behavior. This resulted in Cruz leaving the team and deserts his team members. At this point, Cruz has become alienated. Which has resulted in his drug affiliation with his emotionally absent uncle, Renny. No longer sharing the commonalty of playing on the basketball team Cruz feels a sense of division from their players – especially when they win. As an academic delinquent who had was only familiar with failure Cruz greatly desires to taste success and return to the team. However, Carter’s rules were firm and he wouldn’t allow any lack of consistency in his team. He assigned Cruz with the nearly impossible task of completing 10,000 pushups and suicides. When Cruz inevitable fails this task and his dreams of rejoining the team are crushed, the team members he had deserted early now help him complete the task based on the virtue of teamwork Carter invested in them. Cruz dependency on the basketball team can be seen in the most extreme case in the string of events that followed the shooting of his uncle, Renny. Cruz finds himself blood splattered at Coach Carter’s house, pleading for a spot of the Richmond basketball team. This is because through the basketball team, Carter had created a safe haven, shielding the members from the horror of their violet urban community. For Cruz, the being a member of the team was for more than playing the game, it was being accepted into a safe family. Now accepted, polarizing where Cruz was at the beginning of the movie, he is now a condition to Carter’s movement. It is also thanks to Carter’s social change that Cruz is now excelling in many aspects of his life where he had previously given up on. Member to an undefeated team, thriving academically, the prospect of attending college is now conceivable. Now, more than ever, Cruz has felt a sense of belonging and true friendship with his fellow players. From a sociological standpoint, Cruz can be defined as the extremist in the movie. His character is used to display the extremities in emotions and changes that occur within the story. In the beginning, Cruz passionately revolts against Carter’s administrative roles and represents an extreme social impediment that Carter must hurdle over. Then, ostracized for his actions, Cruz desires to feel acceptance and success of the Richmond basketball team. This desire only increases when his Uncle had been shot in front of him. At this point Cruz is contrasting his beliefs and is a strong condition to change. Timo Cruz was a youth in revolt, possessing a strong hatred towards Coach Carter and the change he was bringing to Richmond. However, over the duration of the film Cruz recognizes that the social alterations Carter has brought have only enforced positive virtues of; respect, teamwork and effect upon the basketball team. Ultimately, Cruz is the unsung role model of Coach Carter, if he has the capacity to change – anyone can.

Era of globalization cultural differences

IntroductionIn this epoch of globalisation in concern environment, companies are spread outing their concern all over the universe, i.e. in different states and each of them with different civilizations. One country in peculiar of turning importance is intercultural direction accomplishments. Culture in international concern presents is recognized to hold a major function to play in the international gross revenues, selling, enlisting, direction and amalgamations. â€Å" In short, civilization is behind everything we do or state. † ( www.kwintessential.co.uk ) Therefore, in the international and multi-cultural concern community, there are really much possibilities of misinterpretations which can hold a negative consequence on the people which will intern impact the productiveness of the organisation. This complexness requires a director to accommodate in order to offer modern solutions to these jobs. ( www.kwintessential.co.uk ) Culture is:Something shared by all or about all members of some societal group.Something older members of a group attempt to go through to younger members.Something ( as in the instance of ethical motives, Torahs, and imposts ) that shapes behaviour, or structures one ‘s perceptual experience of he universe. †Therefore civilization is all that one needs to cognize in order to be accepted in a society or an administration which is a sum sum of all the beliefs, values and norms shared by a group of people who have been brought up in a society to believe, experience, construe and respond in a peculiar mode. Or it is a human demand of accommodating to fortunes and conveying these accomplishments and cognition to the following coevalss. It can besides be said as civilization as mental scheduling is besides crystallisation of history in the custodies, heads and Black Marias of the present coevals. ( Hofstede, 2001 ) . This essay will speak about the cultural difference between India which is my place civilization and UK which is the opposite number. I have chosen UK because I have been to UK for my Supervised Work Experience ( SWE ) and during my stay in UK I ne'er paid attending towards the UK civilization dimensions and would now like to analyse with regard to the different theoretical accounts. But before that Lashkar-e-Taibas have a expression at some imposts or values that are followed in these states:India – HindooismSocial freedom amongst the sexes is non appreciated.Use of first name to turn to people is avoided.The method of recognizing depends on the societal position of the individual you are run intoing i.e. if a boy is run intoing his male parent normally he greets him by bowing down and touching his pess. Where as educated people, in concern meeting agitate custodies to welcome or recognize each other.If invited for dinner one may merely hold the dinner with the concern spouse and non the whole household and make non acquire disquieted if you host asks you several times to hold some more nutrient. It is Indian usage to do certain that the invitee does non acquire up hungry from the tabular array. Besides at the tabular array 1 should utilize the right manus in go throughing nutrient as Indian consider left manus as impure.United kingdom:British people are formal, sophisticated, value privateness and are sensitive.Within UK controlled concern environment, maintain decorousness and avoid familiarity in frock and conversation, volume and cheering is excessively forbidden.Family names and first name are preferred.British people are good negotiants as they are tolerant and good hearers.All right manners and good etiquette are expected at all societal occasions.Gift giving is non a normal usage in UK.( Harris, 2004 & A ; Rodrigues, 2001 )Hofstede ModelCross-cultural survey to happen out the differences in national civilizations, this was done by Hofstede acros s 60 different states which included matched samples of concern employees. These surveies together identified four independent dimensions of national civilization differences. The dimensions explored werePower distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism verses Bolshevism and Masculinity verses muliebrity. The first of four dimensions discovered by Hofstede is called power distance. Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful member of an organisation or an establishment accept and expect that the power is distributed unevenly( Hofstede, 2001 ) .The basic job which is prevalent here is to what extent in a civilization the grade of inequality between a less powerful single and a high powerful person is expected and accepted. India stands at the 10/11 place in the study with a mark of 77 whereas Great Britain is on the 42/44 place with a mark of merely 35. ( see appendices- ) For illustration– During my SWE the service operation caput of the whole hotel concatenation was really friendly, who was besides the caput of my section. I used to portion my personal jobs with her and even travel out for dinner. This illustration would be farther analyzed in the competences. The 2nd dimension is labeled as uncertainness turning away ( UA ) . It refers to the extent a civilization or organisation prepares its members to experience comfy or uncomfortable in an unstructured state of affairs ( Hofstede, 2001 ) . The issue involved here is the degree to which a civilization or society would accept rigorous Torahs and ordinances over uncertainness and hazard. States or civilizations hiting high on UA have long history and the population is homogenous. Risks even calculated are avoided and new thoughts and constructs are hard to present whereas states on low UA tonss are wholly opposite. Although there is non much of a difference in the ranks given by Hofstede but still India scores a higher rank than Great Britain, besides this dimension does non hold a major function in the nucleus competences. ( see appendices- ) The 3rd is individuality and Bolshevism which is the grade to which a civilization emphasis on that right of an person as compared to those of a group. Countries hiting high on individuality live in the â€Å" I † civilization and strive for personal ends and accomplishments. In such states it is acceptable to prosecute personal ends at the disbursal of other. Whereas a state hiting low in individuality has the â€Å" we † civilization. Individual desires and end could be suppressed for the good of the group. For Example– In UK civilization people ever consider themselves as an Individual, they are more daunted about themselves even if they belong to same household, whereas in India people consider each other as a portion of a group and that ‘s the ground articulation households still exist in Indian society. The last 1 is maleness and muliebrity which refers to the distribution of function between the two genders i.e. male and female. States with high maleness are observed to hold the undermentioned features i.e. Precedences in life for people are achievement, wealth and enlargement. Normally people settle struggles through aggressive means.Women and work forces have different functions in society. OftenProfessionals in these states work for longer hours and short holidaies. Whereas in counties which are low in maleness the followers is observed. Precedences are the household, relationships and quality of life.Conflicts are normally solved though negotiation.Men and adult females portion equal places in society. Masculinity/Femininity are every bit powerful but in regard to Hofstede, 2006 research both India and UK portion common Masculinity civilization as in both of these civilizations societal gender functions are clearly distinguishable. ( see appendices )Hall ‘s ModelThe critical differentiation is made by the anthropologist Edward Hall between high and low- context civilizations and how these contexts have an consequence on communicating. In High Context cultures high context communicating: information is either in the physical context or internalized in the individual with small communicating in the expressed words or message and on the other manus a low context civilization communicating most information is contained in expressed codifications, such as words ( Harris, 2004 ) . High context civilizations depend to a great extent on the external environment, state of affairss, and non-verbal behaviour in making and construing communications. In high context civilizations when persons communicate they try to happen out how much the hearer knows about what is being discussed. Peoples in high context civilizations emphasize on interpersonal relationships, besides developing trust is really of import factor or measure which should be made before get downing a concern. Peoples are collectivized and work on their intuition instead than on grounds and are more indirect every bit good as formal. India is high context civilization. Whereas in Low Context cultures the environment is less of import, and not -verbal behaviour is frequently ignored. While communicating is traveling on the hearer knows nil or small and need to be told about what is being discussed. Peoples in low context civilizations emphasize legal paperss instead than bury personal relationships or trust. Peoples are individualistic and work based on logical logical thinking and non on intuition, besides they are direct and informal. UK is a low context civilization. For illustration– During my SWE I was asked by my co-worker to assist her with the work burden. Alternatively of stating I can non, I said it would be hard. The illustration would be analyzed in the competences countries. The 2nd construct given by Hall was to make with the how different civilizations construction or pull off their clip i.e. polychronic verses the monochronic clip orientation. The polychronic civilizations believe in making many things at one clip and the monochronic civilizations believe in making one undertaking at given point of clip and clip is low-level to interpersonal relationships. UK belongs to monochromic civilization and India is a polychronic civilization.PigeonholingAnother of import factor or variable that the directors in the organisation demand to maintain in head is pigeonholing.â€Å" Stereotypes are set of attitudes that causes us to impute qualities and features to a individual based on the group to which that single belongs. † ( Harris, 2004 ) It fundamentally involves categorising and doing perceptual experiences about people based on one ‘s experiences and it guides one ‘s behaviour towards that group of people in a peculiar manner.TeamworkA squad is a figure of individuals associated in same joint action, while teamwork is described as concerted or co-ordinated attempt on the portion of individuals working together towards the realization of a end ( Harris, 2004 ) . A hotel house can merely last if the employees are ready to work and bring forth an effectual squad. As each and every operation in the cordial reception industry is interrelated to each other. For illustration front office is depended upon housekeeping section for clean suites and eating house is dependent on kitchen for cooking nutrient. Therefore in order to hold a successful multicultural squad member should hold complimentary accomplishments and should believe in favour of the squad. ( illustration see appendices- )CommunicationAll activitie s involve communicating. In the planetary epoch different managerial activities like motivation, taking, dialogue interchanging information etc are all based on the director of one civilization to pass on efficaciously and successfully to people of other civilizations. Communication can non merely verbal or written but besides non-verbal i.e. organic structure linguistic communication, looks etc( Adler, 1997 ) .In international Hospitality and Tourism industries linguistic communication plays a really of import function, as both of these industries include direct guest contact ; good linguistic communication and communicating accomplishments can either do or interrupt the feeling of the organisation – particularly hotels. ( illustration see appendices )Conflict and NegotiationConflict- â€Å" A province of inharmoniousness between incompatible or antithetical individuals, thoughts, or involvements ; a clang † ( www.ANSWER.COM ) Causes of strugglecommunicating failurepersonality strugglevalue differencesend differencesmethodological differencessubstandard public presentationdeficiency of cooperationdifferences sing authorizationdifferences sing dutycompetition over resourcesnon-compliance with regulations( www.geocities.com )These are some of the factors which causes struggle in an on the job environment of an organisation which needed to be resolved through assorted manners and agenciesForceNegotiateBargainAvoidAdjustment and Appease( Mead 1998:2005 ) The most of import tool is negotiation which ‘s is used to decide struggle â€Å" Negotiation is a procedure in which two or more entities come together to discourse common and conflicting involvements in order to make an understanding of common benefit †( Harris, 2004 ). In international concern dialogue, there can be misconstruing due the difference in the civilization to civilization in linguistic communication, cultural conditioning, dialogue manner, attack to job work outing etc. Negotiation plays a really of import function in Hospitality and Tourism Industries, such as dialogue on room rate with invitees and travel agents in different states etc. As India belongs to polychromatic civilization, while taking determinations people from India tend to affect other people ( co-workers ) into the dialogue procedure which makes the procedure longer. This besides confirms the stereotype associated with them. This besides happens as India a leftist and high PDI state. Whereas UK which is monochromatic civilization they see clip as an plus and measure to be scheduled, they emphasize on doing dockets and complete the work or taking the determination in clip. Negotiation can besides be effected by the communicating manner of the state i.e. as explained earlier the construct of high and low context civilizations i.e. misconstruing due to miss of lucidity amongst the two civilizations therefore taking to unsatisfactory consequences of dialogue.Measuring myself- Me, As a directorAfter finishing my brooding pattern assignment and following up the undertakings given to us. After making the Hofstede ‘s mensurating cultural differences approach theoretical account or exercising and I found that I measured maleness more than muliebrity which clarifies that the occupation which is given or I undertake is done to acquire personal sense of achievement and I look for new and ambitious chances for a high success.I would depict my ego as low power distance human being as I would wish to work with those troughs which makes determination by si ng all the employees view points instead doing their ain personal determination I would focused more on Bolshevism instead on Individualism as I look for more chances to better upon my accomplishments and develop new accomplishments by accommodating to new on the job conditions ( see appendices- ) Cultures are usually attributed to groups of people but, within group each person has his/her ain person characters which make the individual stand out from others. I would depict my ego as a good hearer, good perceiver, concerted with employees, Flexible and competitory ( see appendices- ) . These single features make me stand out from other members of different civilizations. The consequences of CCAI indicate that my strongest are is Personal Autonomy and my weakest country is Flexibility/Openness. While tonss in Emotional Resilience and Perceptual Activity about the same. ( see appendices- ) The country in which I lack the most is communicating among different civilizations ; while I can easy manage state of affairss in which things do non travel as per program or state of affairss and in which emphasis and tolerance occurs. I lack in country where I am expected to pass on among different civilizations, despite of the fact that, I would love to pass some clip with people from diff erent civilizations. By bettering my intercultural accomplishments such as communicating i.e. how to respond on different thoughts, people and experiences and I should non concentrate on what other people are stating and making instead do my ain determinations. This will do me a better individual while I am in different civilization and in my ain civilization. Besides I should larn to appreciate different people and disbursals. In the following six months by following up the action program I would better on my communicating accomplishment by reading novels and newspapers and besides at the same clip seek interact and discourse on different issues with people in college whom I usually do n't interact with, as it will besides assist me in appreciating different people as good. Completing this exercising would assist me in covering with different people at my hereafter work topographic point and besides pass oning efficaciously with them. ( see appendices- )Decision and RecommendationsThe chief focal point of this essay was to analyse similarities and unsimilarities among Indian and UK civilizations. This was done though usage of two theoretical accounts of cultural analysis done by Hofstede and Hall. It was realized that both the civilizations are excessively different from each other. As cordial reception and touristry industry are turning at a rapid graduated table and due to globalisation of the concern, t he demand for multicultural employees is increasing, but pull offing employees from wholly different civilizations like in India or UK would be great challenge faced by the directors in the industry. Besides international visitants frequently expect that service suppliers should understand and esteem their imposts, beliefs and civilizations, if non it may take to traverse cultural struggles. Following are the recommendations for UK and India based directors:Cross cultural preparation should be provided to the employees so that they can set in new civilizations. Information about other civilizations should be provided which will take to better understanding amongst the employees and enhanced teamwork.While pass oning with Britishers, Indian people should utilize simple words which are grammatically right should be used and direct communicating should take topographic point as British people belong to a low context civilization and prefer messages/communication to be structured straig ht, that they get immediate to the point and province decisions and bottom line.Proper apprehension of other civilizations and taking appropriate dialogue procedure can bring forth effectual and utile dialogue. A director must happen out the common and the uncommon values of his and opposite numbers civilization in order to carry on effectual and successful dialogue. While negociating between UK and Indian civilizations, directors should take attention of the organic structure languages, Gestures and usage of grammatically right linguistic communication for communications should be used besides, importance of clip should be taken into consideration.Cross cultural preparation should be provided to the employees so that they can set in new civilizations. Information about other civilizations should be provided which will take to better understanding amongst the employees and enhanced teamwork.Another consideration for planetary directors is that they should have/develop good hearing a ccomplishment.BibliographyAdler.N.J, ( 1997 ) , International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, 4th Edition, South-Western, United States.Abercrombie.N and Warde.A ( 2001 ) , The Contemporary British Society, Black good PublishersLtd, Great Britian.Brislin. W.Richard, ( 1981 ) , Cross Cultural Encounters, Pergamon Press, USA.Brislin.W. Richard and Cushner. K, ( 1996 ) , Intercultural Interactions, 2ed, Sage Publications, USA.Barker. C. ( 2002 ) , Making Sense of Cultural Studies, Sage Publications, London.Conflict: Definition, Synonyms, from answers.com ( online ) cited on 2 November URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.answers.com/topic/conflictFrancesco, A. M. & A ; Gold, B. A. ( 2005 ) International Organizational Behavior: Texts, instances and exercises Upper Saddle Row, New Jersey, Pearson/Prentice Hall.Grazia. V. ( 1981 ) , The Cultural Of Content, University of Cambridge, CambridgeHooker.J, ( 2003 ) , Working Across Cultural, Standford University Press, Califonia.Hofs tede.G, ( 1985 ) , The Cultural Relativity of Organizational Practises and Theories, London.Harris. P. , Robert.T. M & A ; Sarah. V. M, 2004, Pull offing Cultural Differences – Global Leadership Strategies for twenty-first century, 6th Edition, Elsevier, London.Hodgetts. R, Luthans. F, Doh. J, 2006, International Management – Culture, Strategy, and Behavior, 6th Edition, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi.Hofstede. G, 2001, Culture ‘s Consequences, 2nd Edition, Sage Publications, LondonKwintessential ( 2008 ) , Intercultural Training ( online ) cited on 3 December URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/intercultural-training.htmlMead, R. 1998 International Management: Cross Cultural Dimensions 2nd edition Cambridge MA. Blackwell PublishersMead, R. 2005 International Management: Cross Cultural Dimensions 3rd edition Cambridge MA. Blackwell PublishersRodriguez. C, 2001, International Management – A cult ural Approach, 2nd Edition, South-Western College Publication, United KingdomRobinson. M. ( 1999 ) , Cultural Conflicts In Tourism Inevitablity and Inequality, CAB Publication, USASchneider.C.Susan. and Basoux Louis.J, ( 1997 ) , Pull offing Across Cultural, Prentice Hall, Europe. Storry.M and Childs. P. ( 1997 ) , British Cultural Identities, Routledge New YorkSamovar. A.Larry and Porter.E. Richard, ( 2003 ) , Intercultural Communication, 10th edition, Thompson Learning, USASingh.Y. ( 2002 ) , Culture Change In India, Rawat Publication, Jaipur.Yokel: Causes of struggle ( online ) cited on 4 November URL: hypertext transfer protocol: //geocities.yahoo.com/causes of struggle

Cultural Interaction Analysis Essay

Mining is a process that is composed of three major logical, organized and sequential phases; exploration, development and production with unique risks, economic considerations and constraints characterizing each stage. Before deciding to develop a mine the mining company first considers the social, socioeconomic and environmental consequences of the decision. This paper discusses the problems that the foreign mining companies face while undertaking their mining processes in a community with different culture than theirs. The major hitches they faced mostly included; power differential, permeability and psychosocial factors like suspicion and fear between the company staff and the local community members. A Canadian gold mining company in Ghana faced these challenges during their stay in this West African country. The crises originated from language barrier and past experiences the local communities encountered with other mining firms. Although the official language in Ghana is English the larger percentage of local residents were illiterate and were only conversant with their local dialects. This made conversation a problem as the miners could not learn those languages easily. Even with the assistance of interpreters there was distortion of facts resulting into power differences. Similarly, sections of the community were so indifferent with the mining company since the previous mining companies had negative effects to their environment and families. Their children whom they taught were to earn their living from these mining companies were instead exploited. However, the major factors that affected the company-community relations and which also had an immense impact on how exploration activities were viewed by this community included: First, the cultural diversity between modern business practices of developed countries as represented by exploration activities and traditional communities. Second, was the extreme power differential that existed in any contact between the two interacting groups. The locals perceived the exploration activities in seclusion and with minimal knowledge of the larger picture within the mining industry and therefore they were not only uncertain but also fearful concerning the exploration activities. The local community rarely understood the risks that were associated with mineral exploration as well as the period of time required to prove the economic viability of the mineral deposits. They further assumed that a mining company would only invest huge amounts of money with a fixed time frame for advanced exploration. The mining companies were unable to bridge these power differentials that resulted into justifiable expectations as well as fears from the locals. But the expectations were antagonistic to the reality on the ground about the mine to be developed. These communities were unable to distinguish between a major company and a junior company whereby to them these companies appeared to be equally rich, powerful and potentially threatening. Additionally, the local community feared being marginalized due to language barrier and power impermeability and wished to be given a continuous update of day-to-day events of the company. They further expected to receive immediate answers to their worries from the company officials. Since these fears were not addressed in time by this Canadian company there immerged ill-founded rumors and misinformed messages which gained credibility within and among the community members resulting into increased fear and disquiet from the community (Ian Thomson and Susan A. Joyce 2000). This situations surrounded by fear and distrust between the community and the company severed the communication and understanding between the two giving way to outside interest groups and thus impairing further efforts for deliberations. The experiences and the extent to which the community felt uncertain about the future impacts of mining activities mining industry led into increased suspicions. The Communities viewed the mining industries differently depending on the previous exposure to mining explorations. Members of those communities without a history of mining were naive and inactive towards exploration activities which were taking place around them since they believed that good things like job opportunities and development of the area were to be associated with these explorations as well as mining activities. On the other hand, the responses of those communities which had an history of mining were diverse since some were willing to welcome exploration while others unwilling and instead turned hostile to the presence of foreign interest or as well as opposed a return to environmental and social destructiveness experienced in previous mining activities. Areas with small scale artisan mining were so much opposed to these mining activities since they feared being displaced, their traditional livelihoods being destroyed and alteration of their way of life within their community. The mining company did not take time to make the local community understood well the nature of their work as well as address the hopes, fears, traditions and social norms that may result into conflict and negative consequences to all parties. However, the mining company could prevent all these from occurring by forming a community relations team whose major role would be to mitigate the impacts as well as to build a harmonious relationship based on proper handling of expectations, prevention and resolution of conflicts. The community relations team should also be involved in incorporating the results of stake holders, mapping process, identification of Impact area and summarizing quantifiable objectives and targets based on management indicators that are measurable (Chuck F and Fernando R. 2007). Equally, the community relations programs and policies should cover local purchasing, local manpower, hiring training, land purchase and resettlement grievance resolution. The community should be consulted in every endeavor that the industry engages in as well as collaborating with the local communities to fully understand the social cultural values and aspirations and reach a consensus on the best priorities identified by the community. 2nd Analysis It has been established that Canadian mining companies have the largest stake in the mining industry in most third world countries. Official records indicate that this stake is at 30% of all mining prospects in Africa. South Africa too plays a huge role, it is home to many giants mining companies in Africa and consequently the largest mining company is the world DeBeers is based and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, it has mining interests expanding throughout the world. These two companies have dominated the mining industry mostly in the third world and have over the past years been on the focus over various issues but mostly centering on their relationships with the surrounding environment and the communities As afore maintained, mining companies have strained relations with the locals. This relation is centrally compounded by the difference in cultural dispositions and the overbearing ulterior motivates of mining companies. Profit remains the basic drive in business and the mining companies pursue it at whatever cost, many times with no consideration of the locals’ needs and priorities. An analysis of cultural interaction between the miners and the local communities must take this in to account. A look too in Latin America also produces this grim picture. Latin Americans have been up in arms over what they claim are exploitative tendencies from the mining companies. This is the basis of analysis of the culture between the miners and the neighboring communities. The relationship between employees and the neighboring community is also equally strained and both have a rough time interacting with each other. A look at the mining culture over time indicates that it tends to disregard the community interests and the relations between the two are usually digress to a point of hostility Jacobdeen Higgins is an engineer with one of Canadian companies based in Latin America. This is his fifth month in Ecuador, having been transferred to Quito after leaving an equally lucrative job in his homeland Canada. His relocation to Ecuador was after a promise of a hefty allowance as well as other fringe benefits. In his middle age, this is his first time to travel out of Canada and consequently his interaction with people from the developing countries. He has been born and raised in a country and a neighborhood that has not amply prepared him to interact with people of diverse backgrounds and mostly those that live with an income of below a dollar per day. This factor is further exacerbated by the nature of his occupation. He is a miner and the perception the locals in Ecuador have of miners is one of fear and hatred. They see them as exploitative and only seeking to deflower the vast virginal and resourceful land in Ecuador. The first issue Higgins has come to grapple with is the difference in the orientation of the local communities cultures and way of life with that of Canadian miners. There exist such fundamental variations in the two cultures such that the interests between them are always at a crossroad. The first barrier and major difference that Higgins has had to cope with is the language. This however is not unique to Canadian miners in Latin America but is a problem faced by most miners in foreign lands and aggravates an already sour situation. This is one predicament that miners tend to overlook. They do not take time to learn a few lessons on the cultural disposition of the local communities. Higgins is only fluent in English, it is his only language and beside that he can only catch a few French words. On the other hand Ecuador is a Spanish speaking country and in deed it is the official language. Besides that, there are other local dialects that would take years to learn. His company has based its operations in Napo province. It is a territory that is laden with mineral resources, but the company has centrally for the time being focused on gold. The communities residing in Napo province are yet to come in to contact with large mining companies with such huge machines and large workforce mainly composing of foreigners. Very few too understand or speak English. The majority of the leading personnel on these mining companies do not understand Spanish or worse still the local dialects Higgins has been at pains trying to interact with local community and mostly has to employ the use of interpreters who charge exorbitant prices. His position in the company requires him to source for laborers from the neighboring villages and small towns, in so doing the potential laborers have to undergo strenuous interviews to establish their skills and competencies. This is a nightmare he has to contend with in his daily activities. First comes the issue of hostility from the locals and then the tricky situation of the local language (www. mineralresourcesforum). Small-scale mining has been entrenched in the local community’s economic system. Artisan miners roam all over and wield so much influence in the community due to the lucrative nature of their venture. To them, and equally to the rest of the community, Higgins and his work colleagues are foreigners and should be accorded the treatment befitting intruders. This however is understandable as the large companies pose a threat to their livelihood. To the rest of the community the miners are a threat to their lands and open hostility is only way to pass this message. Others in the same community view Higgins with a mixture of dread and awe. He drives a big four-wheel state of the art vehicle, a luxury machine and a reserve of the top government executives and rich businessmen. He clearly does not understand the lives of the locals and does not understand why the locals are reluctant to leave their lands when there is a goldmine lying underneath. In his first days in Napo province, Higgins had been enthusiastic of this first chance to interact with the locals, however his friendly grins were usually met with cold stares and mostly harsh insults form the locals as he later came to learn from a political representative who nowadays acts as his guide just because he understands a few English words. Communication has been difficult to a point of frustration, attempts to reward with kind words or reprimand his employees are met with again cold stares; they just cant communicate with each other. This has resulted to a situation characterized by hostility from both the company and the local community. They rarely communicate with each other beyond a point of need. Higgins is now filled with disparage for the locals. He has been unable to understand their needs and neither their hostility, to him and to the rest of the miners. The minimal interaction he has had with the locals has not helped patch this ill feeling towards them. But for the cheap source of labor, Higgins would not wish to interact in any way. This is the notion and the perception held by both parties and emanates from the inherent cultural differences existing between the miners and the communities. Whereas miners such as Higgins are driven by personal economic motives, the locals on the other hand are wary of the miners and fail to see the long term economic benefits that may arise, they abhor the environmental degradations and social afflicts the mining will have on the surroundings and especially on their lands. 3rd Analysis This Canadian mining company has also to contend with the challenge of safety, more so, convincing the community of the appropriateness of the measures put in place to ensure the safety of the workers and the environment. The issue of communication not withstanding, safety concerns continue to bug the mining companies. It is not a secret the extent of devastation meted out against the locality of the mining operations. They leave huge dents on the surface of the earth and damage the natural habitat permanently. The surrounding communities are aware of this and they usually fight tooth and nail to have the companies relocate their activities or demand huge compensations, which in most cases pass unyielded to. Higgins is in the same position; he stands between a rock and a hard place. The company wants to mine, explore and exit within the allocated time but the neighboring communities are unrelenting in their adamant resolve not to give way. Miners culture has over time not demonstrated any considerations for the welfare of the environment, driven by surreptitious intentions, environmental needs take a back seat being overridden by profit maximization needs. Rarely does it have any room for plough backs directed towards environmental conservation. Being in an influential position as he is, Higgins is at the forefront in building a favorable relationship between the community and the company. He is also aware of the implications of the company’s mining operations but he is not in a position to call the shots within the management. He has a rough time trying to make his guide understand this. He also thinks that the devastations caused by the miners are exaggerated compared to the benefits that are reaped through mining. As the guide tells him, the local community’s hostility emanates from this fear. They fear the environmental impact of the mining project, the hazards that lie in wait resulting from the industrial wastes and air pollution from clouds of dusts emanating from the earth’s bowels. A look at the vast lands in Napo province reveals an expansive land untainted by the vulgarities of modernity. Most of the land is still in its virginal state and is characterized by uninhabited territories that remain revered and cherished by the locals. The mood on the ground is set against the mining companies operations. The vast natural habitat is a source of spiritual inspiration to the surrounding communities and has come to wither a lot of human onslaughts. To Higgins and the mining company in general, those perceived considerations do not hold any water. They are in business and will pursue their interests to the end. It is an economic venture that eventually stands to benefit the locals through employment opportunities. Producing more benefits than the natural habitat in its current state stands to do. Mining culture is impervious to environmental hazards consideration; its eyes are on the prize and not on the sideshows. It is not in line with the local communities worries on safety in the environment. Miners are hungry for profit and the only way to maximize it is through intensifying their explorations. Higgins’ guide cannot understand this selfish drive and likewise the local community’s does not. They value social interactions and solidarity more than economic ventures. The community is close knit and not highly commercialized to a point of neglecting social ties. The attachment with the environment is to a point of divinity. The environment is clean and the mining operations are a threat to this, they fear that it will bring pollution that in the end might result to diseases and other health complications. The safety of the environment remains the central factor. To most local communities where mining takes place, the environment is not the only safety consideration; safety within the mine is also taken into account. Higgins has had a rough time trying to explain the safety measures put in place to ensure that his (and that of other employees) safety in the mines, but the few incidences in the mines world over that have resulted to fatalities are a prove that the unexpected sometimes happen. His guide as well as the rest of the community are convinced otherwise. The prevalent perception and notion held by the majority of the local people is that the mines are not a safe place to work in, the sight of the complicated machines and the large pits confirms this, the miners recognize these machines and the large pits as a source of livelihood. Higgins is an engineer and understands the internal dynamics of these machines. He has operated these machines and been in the bottom of the pits for years and is convinced that they are safe. The necessary measures have been put in place to ensure this. This is the same headache facing Higgins as he tries to recruit more and more workers. The local community is adamant on the safety hazard of the mine. They claim that it can collapse any moment as a result of the spirits vexation towards humanity for destroying its habitat. Few people are volunteering for the underground mining due to the perceived hazards. The local community is also set against this. Families, even in the rampant poverty, are willing to see their family members involved in the mining activities. Pressure is being put by the families of the young men who are in search of quick bucks in the mines, they don’t want to see them volunteering for the underground operations. The local community, according to Higgins’ guide, knows that the dust from the mine can lead to health complications that can turn fatal in the long run. A look at the local communities cultural beliefs, practices and perceptions reveals that they are different from the mining culture. Miners are more concerned with the output and the benefits in the mines more than with the safety environmental consideration. Miners are trained scientists and rarely take a course on social relations. They do not understand the complexities of the local community and the diverse nature of their culture (Lia Bryant and Delrdre Tedmanson 2002). To them, mining is just but a renewed opportunity to make a killing. It is important that the mining culture undergoes a major transformation to ensure that miners are more responsive to the local communities’ needs and aspirations. They should enact mechanisms through which the mining companies should plough back a portion of their profit back into the community to ensure a trickle down effect to the people on the ground. The hostility that arises between the mining companies and the locals usually is fostered by the reluctance of the miners to take time and understand the local community. People are of diverse cultural backgrounds and have some ununderstandable attachment to their ancestral lands. This is not expected to change over night. Understanding the underlying cultural factors and language should be a prerequisite to mining activities. References Ian Thomson and Susan A. Joyce (2000-08-17). Minerals exploration and the challenge Of community relations: PDAC accessed online on 23/10/07 http://www. pdac. ca. pda/members/community/relate. pdf Chuck foster and Fernando Rivera (2007): Mining in Ecuador Hard assets investor. com Accessed online on 23/10/2007 http://hardassetsinvestor. com/index. php Lia Bryant and Delrdre Tedmanson (2002): Diversity in the mining industry: the International journal of knowledge, culture and change management. Accessed Online on 23/10/2007 http://ijm. cgpublisher. com/product/pub. 28/prod. 241 Doctor Mthethwa, Matthews Hlabane, and Ibinini Mara: Breaking communication Barriers between communities affected by mining and the mining industry in South Africa accessed online on 2007 October 23rd. http://www. mineralresourcesforum. org/docs/pdfs/communication. pdf

Succession Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Succession Planning - Essay Example While aging of the staff is major contributor to the commencement of the issue, it is also true that a lack of skill levels in the staff also makes succession planning a major issue. This is particularly true in the case of public sector. Nearly 50% of the people employed by the US government is eligible to retire, says Douglas Braddock (1999). One in five senior executives of Fortune 500 companies will have to retire before the year end. All this mean that succession planning is becoming more meaningful to government offices as much as it is for private enterprises. He further says that man power requirement due to replacements (34.7 million) in organisations will far outstrip the requirements due to increase in business (20.3 million). While on one side there is a vacancy coming up, on the other side there is no talented and qualified people to hire from. According to Manpower (Jan 2006), nearly 44% of employers find difficulty in getting the right kind of person with the required skill level to fill the vacancy that is existing in the company. The succession planning is different from the replacement planning in the sense that while replacement planning will look for one single person and find a replacement for him from the market. Whereas in the case of succession planning, the company needs to consider who would take his position and who in turn would occupy once the succeeding person is promoted and so on. This would mean that the existing people have to be evaluated and kept ready for promotion and also the succession streak right to the end of the entire hierarchy where some one will be taken in from outside to fill the gap. Aims and Objectives To examine the potential elements involved in having a succession planning strategy and to present options and recommendations to the Management Board. The objective is to demonstrate the business benefits and added value to the organisation by producing an acceptable business case. Literary Review Workforce Life Cycle Management The Life Cycle of the workforce has to be completely taken care of including the retirement and succession thereof. Every employee should have an appropriate standby option in case he is to leave the employment. While this is normally looked at as a replacement plan for the individual, similar planning is needed for the succession too. The workforce life cycle would aim at a career planning for every person in the company followed by a succession plan. This would ensure that every key position in the company is filled whenever there is a need without any delay. Every position would require selection of the right person with adequate skill levels. After selecting the right person, an appropriate training program should be designed and provided in order to ensure that the person selected is trained for the position he is destined to take over. The person should also go through on the job observation and training enabling him to take on the assignment when it should occur. This would cr eate a hot standby for important key posts. On non-key positions, standby is maintained for a group of requirements. This would take care of any requirement that might arise among the equal positions. However, this may not be exactly the same position and might require some time to take over the assigned job. Succession planning is defined by Wendy Hirsh (2000) as

Gender and language in ELT materials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender and language in ELT materials - Essay Example emic and social discourses around the world for several decades now. Gender issues such as equality have taken centre stage in the world today, and many efforts are being directed at eliminating all forms of discrimination against women; gender equality has now been acknowledged as a universal human right and was articulated as the third millennium goal of the Millennium Summit in 2000 (Deirdre and Maryann 2008, p.303). Education reflects the global efforts by addressing issues such as gender equality and inequality in society; however, there could be worrisome possibilities that education of women, men, girls and boys, has been compromised in the past because of both explicit and implicit gender bias. In this respect, gender bias and language in the English Language Teaching materials have been major areas of focus in the current practice, in an effort to crackdown on any forms of gender bias against the women in society. This paper aims at examining gender and language in ELT mater ials in the current practice, to highlight, among other things, the new understandings of gender inherent in the ELT materials, in addition to the language specifics of ELT materials. Gender biasness in ELT materials can be explained by the ambivalent sexism theory because they depict both hostile sexism -denoting an active antagonistic view of women that, both explicitly negative and restrictive, and benevolent sexism-beliefs that women should be cherished, adored and protected from harm (Mehta et al 2013, p.38). As far as benevolent sexism is explicitly positive, it restricts women by viewing them stereotypically and in limited low-status roles, thus is just as potentially damaging as hostile sexism. Ambivalent sexism is built on three major aspects namely dominant/protective paternalism, gender differentiation and, heterosexuality; dominant paternalism/competitive or heterosexual hostility and gender differentiation are elements of hostile sexism whereas protective paternalism is an element of benevolent sexism. Dominant paternalism is the mechanism through which attributes thought to be suitable for positions of power and structural control are assigned to men whereas protective paternalism is the idea that women are ‘weaker sex’ that should be protected and cherished. Heterosexual hostility is the belief that women use their sexuality to control men; competitive gender differentiation refers to the belief that men are the only sex with characteristics such as ambition and agency, which are essential for positions of power and high status. It is no doubt that language is a very powerful tool of socialization that often times shapes the social constructions of gender in many societies across the world today; for decades now, studies have been concerned with the social justice issues. One of the predominant themes of these investigations has always been the role of language in the location and maintenance of women in disadvantageous position in society (Corson 1992, p.230). It has been established repeatedly that education plays a major role in creating unjust

Bullying become normal in US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bullying become normal in US - Essay Example America having its cultural basis in the concept of enlightenment is experiencing most of bullying problems as compared to other western countries. This situation is a question mark for the governments, educational institutes as the basic idea during formation of America was equal opportunities to all the people of the country both economically and socially (UNESCO). Bullying causes division of society on the basis of race, religion or sexuality. This division can make one group of human beings in superiority complex while others in inferiority complex. A situation which is quite alarming to all the members of society as well as for the economic growth of the country; as economic progress demands full working power of individuals to attain a common goal of prosperity for the country. The first experience of Bully most of the American student have is the discrimination of students on the basis of color. White students have violent behavior towards black students and African Americans also. In opposition black people tend to form their own communities and somewhat try to compete with white students. This type of division from the start of professional career remains towards the end of their lives. It can be clearly seen throughout longitude and latitude of the country. Division of humans on any basis is unethical and moral less. Especially it is remarkable to know these facts even in this age when planet earth is supposed to be global village and America is regarding an ideal regarding liberty and related concepts. The division on the basis of race is opposed by both federal and local governments throughout the country. Yet there are many amendments required laws regarding this type of discrimination (UNESCO) (FEC). The curriculum of psychology also needs to be changed, in my opinion as there is continues flaws in the psychiatrist’s education as most of the experts yet cannot define normal or abnormal person in this regard. Major source of this differentia tion is done at the young age starting commonly from difference in fashions, hair styles and clothing. Most of the African America students have distress education career; also most of these children even now days are facing family economic problems like poverty continuous eviction notices and loss of jobs their parents continuously have. This creates an inferiority complex in such students and they tend to get in a hole with other students like them creating a unique community to live; right from the start of their lives. This affects the whole life of the children. Later they become middle class citizens having mediocre jobs and this situation is continuing for decades now. On the other hand white students make their own community. Clearly based on superiority they have socially over the black or African American students. It is the major cause of other psychiatric condition called superiority complex. It continues throughout their whole educational career and all over the life of people. America as we know today is divided extensively on this. Also there is bullying for other immigrants also. Second type of bullying faced majorly by American students is the division of people on the basis of sex. This bullying is faced by majority of female students even today. The consequences of this type of bullying are more devastating than the first one. This type of mental illness is much difficult to

Human Rights Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Human Rights Portfolio - Essay Example With the help of this industry, most of the young dwellers of the area, this previously did not have any job and thus no means to feed their family and themselves, would now be able to survive by providing labor in this industry. Now suddenly Government wakes up and says that since the environment will get polluted because of the industrial wastes produced by this industry therefore any operation of this manner should not be initiated. There definitely is a trade off between the two human rights- the right to food and the right to good environment. The former being the inherent right and the latter being contingent. But clearly, the right to food over here must be given preference over the right to environment. The primary responsibility of the Government here is to safeguard the right to food for its citizens and there by providing an alternate solution to stopping the work of the industry. The alternate means could be any of the plantations of more trees as an initiative by the Gov ernment or by the industry upon the directive of the Government. The Government should also give utmost care to proper disposal of industrial wastes by any such operation, but should not stop the operations of the industry which is providing the basic necessities of livelihood to the citizen. While there are human rights which I think are really inherent (right to food, clothes and shelter) there are several others which I think are continge... 1) Nations which provide most of the inherent as well as contingent rights to their citizens. These are generally the economically developed nations of the World. Not only most of the citizens have access to food, clothing and shelter but also they have the access to good quality of these basic necessities. Proper laws are in place to punish the individuals andor companies which are involved in malpractices related to tempering of the quality of the basic necessity. 2) Nations which provide most of the inherent rights to their citizens but are not able to provide the contingent rights. These are generally the developing nations of the world. 3) Nations which provide neither the inherent nor the contingent rights to their citizens. These are generally underdeveloped nations of the world. Seminar 2: Compare the dangers posed by, and the argument of necessity, regarding drug dealers, human traffickers and terrorists. Necessity is one of the major excuses those criminals across the globe have been using most of the times, as a deterrent to avoid severe penalty. Needless to say, in some of the cases, they are even able to dupe the law thereby avoiding the strictest of punishments. For heinous crimes, any argument of necessity should not be given any heed else it will be a severe deterrent against the path of justice. With the presence of the clause of necessity, the criminal, even after committing the atrocious act, still have a room of escape based on the prudence of the jury of a particular country. A drug dealer may resort to an excuse in which he says that due to economic crisis of his family, he had to resort to such a heinous crime and may seek to smaller punishments like getting jailed for a few years. After the tenure of the punishment is