Antitrust Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Antitrust Case Study - Research Paper Example The agreement was signed on 17th February 1983 by the chairmen of Toyota and GM, and triggered one of the biggest and most controversial antitrust investigations in recent history. The vital question was whether it was plausible that the joint venture would actually lead to an increase in domestic small cars that were manufactured more efficiently, with good insights that GM and other firms could use in their plants, or whether it could lead to the regulation of pricing and other conduct between GM and Toyota and merely supplant less-anticompetitive options that GM could have employed in order to realize its objectives. The examination of these question shed light on a number of issues: the changes in behavior that could crop up from the joint venture, the scale of the efficiencies resulting from the venture, economic impacts of the joint venture, and the options available to GM. Some new tools were developed in order to evaluate and examine the joint venture, but they did not result in an agreement with regard to its consequences. Key words Antitrust, GM, Toyota, joint venture, small cars Analysis Most proposed joint ventures, acquisitions, and mergers above a particular size require that, under the stipulations of the Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notification act of 1976, the Department of Justice and the FTC (Federal transition Commission) be notified. This process provides both agencies with time to investigate a proposed arrangement before it is consummated. In this case, the FTC was mandated to carry out the investigation. In April 1983, Toyota and GM filed initial information and responded to calls for additional information during the summer (White, 1991). The investigation was referred to as one of the most intensive and extensive antitrust examinations ever conducted. The final judgment was delivered by five FTC commissioners, and was founded on different memoranda from a consulting economist, the Bureau of Competition (the legal personnel), and the Bu reau of Economics. The two bureaus recommended that the joint venture be approved, but the consultant’s report recommended that it should be contested. In December 1983, and based on these analyses, the FTC commissioners voted 3-2 provisionally to allow the joint venture to be effected, subject to a few minor revisions. Final approval was confirmed by the same margin (3-2) in April of 1984. The fact that there were no court proceedings means that Toyota and GM did not formally account for their positions. In addition to this, there was no direct merging of the issues between the critics and proponents of the joint venture, and not even a public disclosure of evidential paperwork (Cole & Andrea, 1987). The only thing that existed was a set of documents amounting to 1364 pages that the FTC released in January of 1984. Cooperative Behavior and Market Definition This is the first issue in the analysis of the joint venture, and involves the possibility of cooperative behavior in t he appropriate market. This called for a determination of the geographic market and appropriate product and then an evaluation of the likelihood that the companies in that market might cooperate in a way that would hurt market efficiency and consumers. Clearly, if the

How dependent are Americans on foreign oil Essay Example for Free

How dependent are Americans on foreign oil Essay 1.0 Introduction â€Å"We have a serious problem. America is addicted to oil.† George Bush made this assertion in his 2006 State of the Union address. By 2025 the United States will increase its daily consumption of oil to 28.3 million barrels per day. These estimates by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) show that by then, the US will depend on foreign countries for 70% of its oil needs. The United States of America (USA) depends on foreign nations for 66% of the oil it consumes. According to the EIA, currently the US consumes almost 21 million barrels of oil a day. Unfortunately, this amount of oil is not produced locally so the US has to depend on foreign nations for its consumption of oil. The dependence on oil by the US has a number of effects which include: impact on the nation’s economy; determines US foreign policy; shapes national security; and influences the relationship between the US and other nations (Ebe 2). The aforementioned effect which dependence on foreign oil has caused creates problems for the US. One of the major problems is the fact that the US is dependent on other nations for its energy supplies. Since the US is dependent on these nations for oil, the events in these oil producing nations determine to a large extent, what happens in the US. There is need for the US to resolve this energy situation, because dependence on other nations for oil rids the US of its sovereignty as an independent nation. 1.1 Statement of problem Oil is a very useful resource as it used by many industries. Many industrialized nations of the world, like the US, need large amounts of oil to keep their economies going. Over time, the US has become dependent on foreign nations for its oil needs- while local oil production has plummeted, demand is on the rise. Since the US is so dependent on foreign oil, what are the implications of this dependence? 1.2 Dependence on foreign oil: an effects analysis The dependence on foreign oil by the US has a lot of implications. The effect of this situation makes an impact on the economy, foreign policy, national security and international relations. These four perspectives are explored in further detail below. Effects on the US economy. Dependence on foreign oil supplies has had a profound effect on the US economy. One major evidence of this fact is the constant fluctuation of prices of gas due to changes in prices of oil. In other words, once the price of oil changes, then the price of gas in the US shifts accordingly. This has a profound effect on companies and other businesses that use gas. In the past year, oil prices have soared due to a number of factors in the world. Once these prices climb, it means that the consumer in the US has to pay more for goods and services that are related in one way or other to oil. Changes in the prices of oil in the world create shocks which are felt when prices of goods and services increase. However, the US economy would not have had to deal with these shocks if there wasn’t a high dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, the constant increase in the price of crude oil in global markets leads to the transfer of huge amounts of money to other cou ntries in foreign trade. US foreign policy. Concerns about US dependence on oil have had an influence on its foreign policy. Various governments are aware of US dependence on foreign oil and have taken moves to protect the integrity of the US. Most people around the world believe that the US meddles in the affairs of other countries especially those in the Middle East because of the oil reserves in these places. If there is instability in the Middle East, it will drastically affect the supply of oil to the US. Thus, in order to protect it’s and ensure the constant flow of foreign oil (upon which the US is dependent), the US government takes measures to ensure peace and rule of law in these places. Haley (9-10) echoes the voice of critics who contend that the U is keen on maintaining stability in the Middle East because of the implication which crisis will cause the US since it relies so heavily on foreign oil. This is evident in the Gulf war and the recent invasion of Iraq. These actions by the US hav e created hatred in the hearts of people in the Middle East towards the US. Impact on national security. The dependence on foreign oil by the US has an impact on its national security as well. It can be argued that the dependence on foreign oil by the US has led it get involved in the affairs of other nations of the world. For example, the Middle East is a region which the US does not ignore and it is in this region that the largest reserves of crude oil abound. The US cannot afford to ignore this region because it needs the oil that is produced from these areas. Sadly, many of these countries are places where there is a lot of unrest and oppressive governments and the US gets a share of violent attacks because it relates with these nations. This situation has brewed hatred in the hearts of many and motivated attacks against the US both home and abroad. With the terror attacks on September 11 2001, the US is aware of the threat to national security and the lives of its citizens at home and abroad. Terrorist groups are aware that oil is the centre of the US e conomy and when they target this sector, they will inadvertently cripple the US economy and bring it to her knees. Relations with other nations. The relationship between the US and other nations is also affected to some extent by the dependence on foreign oil by the US. Apart from the US, other countries in the world have vested interests in oil because they too depend to a large extent on oil. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and other â€Å"iron curtain† countries, China has risen as an industrial giant. These industries are largely fuelled by oil and in order to achieve its aim and remain in the lead, China has improved relations with many oil producing countries and opposes restrictions imposed on these places by the US at the United Nations general assembly. These relationships between the US and other nations are founded upon dependence on oil. The dependence on foreign oil by the US has led to complex relationships between the US and other nations. At close observation, the root cause of these relationships is often not noticeable, but exploring deeper brings out the dependence on oil by the US. On the other hand it is important to look at this issue in another perspective. Most of the countries which produce oil are undemocratic. Infact, some of them have oppressive rulers and since the US depends on foreign oil, these governments become prominent. The fact that they are producers of oil propels them to lime light because the US needs this foreign oil so badly. 1.3 Relevant statistics Certain statistics are important in order to understand the dependence on foreign oil by the US. There was a time in the past when the US was the world’s largest producer of crude oil. But all that has changed now. According to the EIA, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of crude oil and will remain so for a while because it holds 24% of the worlds oil reserves. Conversely, the Middle East holds 66% of the world’s oil reserve and supplies 30% of oil in the world. The dependence on foreign oil by the US has been worrisome to past administrations. According to Randall, President Richard Nixon established â€Å"Project Independence† to stop America’s dependence on foreign nations for oil. Furthermore, President Gerald Ford approved the regulation of petroleum prices, established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. On his part, President Jimmy Carter signed the national Energy Act to encourage the development of local sources of energy. 1.4 Probable solutions There is growing need to decrease America’s dependence on foreign oil due to the many problems which the phenomenon poses. It is imperative to develop alternate sources of energy in the US so that dependence on oil can gradually be lifted. Dependence on foreign oil may not be lifted totally but a gradual lifting of this dependence is important. Apart from oil, there are alternate sources of energy which should be explored in the US with the backing of the government and private sector so that these initiatives can be widely adopted. In the first place transportation is a major consumer of gasoline, so cars should be made to run on other sources of power such as electricity which is cleaner and will lower carbon emissions in to the atmosphere. Apart from electricity, wind energy too can be harnessed to power industries. Furthermore, dams built on rivers can generate vast amounts of electricity. Biological fuels too are important and these too need to be developed and used to lessen America’s dependence on oil. The current economic crisis in the world is an indicator to many people to cut costs. However, with the rising cost of crude oil, cost cutting will mean learning to do without crude oil and using other alternate sources of energy. Most of the alternate source of energy mentioned here are not harmful to the environment and the other benefit about them is that they are renewable as well. It does not matter how vast a country’s oil reserves are. There will come a time when these reserves will deplete. If the US continues to depend on foreign oil, what will be done when these countries no longer have oil to sell? The situation is best imagined. 1.5 Conclusion Obviously, the US needs to look else where to satisfy her energy needs. The switch from oil to alternative sources of energy may take a while but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. This switch has become all the more important considering the amount of hatred which is shown to everything American, especially by terrorists from the Middle East. Much of the world knows that the US economy is affected by oil supplies- cripple this and you bring the world greatest nation to its knees.

Free Hamlet Essays: Hamlets Inability to Take Action :: The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

Hamlet's Inability to Take Action "To be, or not to be, that is the question."(Hamlet) This is the question that plagues Hamlet through the entire play. Should I live or should I die, should I take revenge for my father's death? These are all issues that Hamlet battles within himself. Hamlet's indecision is followed by inaction. The reason for this struggle with indecision can be based on many factors or on a combination of a few. As illustrated through his speeches and soliloquies Hamlet has the mind of a true thinker. Reinacting the death of his father in front of Claudius was in itself a wonderful idea. Although he may have conceived shcemes such as this, his mind was holding him back at the same time. His need to analyze and prove everythin certain drew his time of action farther and farther away. Hamlet continuously doubted himself and whether or not the action that he wanted to take was justifiable. The visit that Hamlet recieves from his dead father makes the reader think that it is Hamlet's time to go and seek revenge. This is notthe case. Hamlet does seem eager to try and take the life of Claudius in the name of his father, but before he can do so he has a notion, what if that was not my father, but an evil apparition sending me on the wrong path? This shows that even with substantial evidence of Claudius' deeds, Hamlet's mind is not content. With his thinking mind Hamlet does not become a typical vengeful character. Unlike most erratic behavior of individuals seeking revenge out of rage, Hamlet considers the consequences of his actions. What would the people think of their prince if he were to murder the king? What kind of effect would it have on his beloved mother? Hamlet considers questions of this type which in effect hasten his descision. After all, once his mother is dead and her feelings out of the picture , Hamlet is quick and aggressive in forcing poison into Claudius' mouth. Once Hamlet is certain that Claudius is the killer it is only after he himself is and and his empire falling that he can finally act. On top of Hamlet's over analyzation of the situation an his constant reviewing of all the reasons why he should not act, there is another force which he cannot control.

Health care challenges Essay

Our country is set to face a new way of managing health which could potentially change the environment on how nurses deliver care. As our nation prepares for the implementation of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nursing as a healing profession has to be open to what the future of health management holds. The goal is to have all registered nurses reach a high level of understanding and acquire tools necessary to provide the best possible way at a low cost. It is both moral and professional obligation of our leaders to ensure that highly competent and well trained nurses are available throughout this transition. To achieve this goal, nurse educators are the key players to train both novice and seasoned nurses to the change based on the new policies and evidence-based research. However, our Nurse Educators are overwhelmed with their current workload hence causing faculty shortage in the country. A recent study published on 2011 aimed to explore the relation of nursing faculty shortage to their workload, determine if there are evidences that the faculty workload is not equitable and the implication/effect to the nursing research and nursing academic. According to this study, there are multiple factors that influence the nursing faculty shortage such as lack of interest from the nurses to try academic careers, time spends to clinical practice defers pursuance into academic positions, low salaries, high educational costs, nursing education dissatisfaction and most importantly low institutional funding for additional nurse educator positions. Nancy Falk stated in her article that â€Å"despite current critical shortage and growing demand for nurses and nurse educators, federal funding falls far short of addressing these healthcare workforce challenges. Workforce projections suggest that the US will face a shortage of 285,000 nurses by 2015 and 500, 000 by 2025.† (Mason, Leavitt & Chaffee, 2012, p 58). Also, American Association Colleges of Nursing reported on 2011-2012, that nursing schools turned away 75,587 applicants who are qualified for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs because of inadequate nursing faculty including clinical preceptors. These challenges ultimately impact the future of patient care if not addressed. Faculty leaders must work in partnership to create a strategy that will help prevent further faculty shortage by focusing on balanced faculty workload to avoid burnout. This article emphasized on the continuous support by government officials especially adequate funding to nursing education. AACN is allocating its resources to protect federal funding for academic development programs, identify strategies to prevent nursing educator shortage. Additional solution is to create a mentorship program for nurse faculty. This strategy was confirmed by various literature and studies to promote nursing faculty recruitment and retention. Mentorship brings encouragement and direction to clinical educators who are new to the role and prevent burnout. Health care system will be lost without nurses in our society. Statistic shows that there are currently 2.9 million nurses in the United States but nurses with special skills such as in education is extremely needed. Nurse Educators, in some ways, affect the lives of everyone. It is through this role where highly competent, compassionate healers such as nurses are produced. â€Å"The future of the nursing profession depends on a steady supply of nurses to provide the quality care to patients† (Cowen & Moorhead, 2011, p. 60)

Hofstede’s cultural dimensions of Australia and China Essay

Mismanaging cultural differences can render otherwise successful managers and organisations ineffective when working across cultures. As stated byOsland (1990, p. 4) â€Å"The single greatest barrier to business success is the one erected by culture†. Hofstede (1983) defines culture as â€Å"the mental programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another† (Hofstede 1983 p. 25). Through the comparison of Chinese culture and Australian culture using Hofstedes five cross-cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation an insightful view into the differences and similarities of the cultures can be obtained (Chong & Park 2003). Human Resource Management (HRM) activities such as: recruitment and selection, career planning and development, employee motivation, and compensation and benefits need to be performed in alignment with national culture as effectiveness of a human resource management practice hinges on the degree to which it fits the values and beliefs of people in the host country. By exploring the differences and similarities of Chinese and Australian culture from a HR perspective strategies aimed at achieving organisational goals can be better achieved. The inherent weaknesses of Hofstedes framework will also be discussed to emphasise the importance of other methods for determining culture. Greet Hofstede’s (1980) landmark study involved more than one hundred thousand IBM employees in forty countries. From those results, and later additions, Hofstede developed a model for classifying national cultures and analysing work behaviour according to five underlying dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation (Chong & Park 2003). Hofstedes analysis of each country can provide a better understanding into the national culture that is specific to each country. The significant findings of Hofstedes analysis of Australia include a low power distance score of 36 (ITIM International 2003). Societies with low power distance are characterized by the norm value that inequalities between people should be minimized, and, to the extent that hierarchies exist in such societies and their organizations, they exist only for administrative convenience. Subordinates and superiors regard each other as like people, who have equal r ights and representation (Hofstede 1983). In  comparison China has a relatively high power distance of 80 (ITIM International 2003). By contrast, high power distance societies are characterised by the acceptance of inequality and its institutionalisation in hierarchies which locate people in their â€Å"rightful places†. In high power distance societies, superiors are expected to lead and make decisions, and subordinates are generally afraid and unwilling to disagree with their superiors (Hofstede 1983). As a result of the significant difference in power distance between Australian and China Human Resource activities such as performance appraisals will require different approaches. In Australia and many western cultures performance appraisals are generally linked to the job description and individual career development plans. In Australian 360 degree feedback is often incorporated using feedback from management and peers. Constructive criticism is also another important component in the performance appraisals used i n Australia which is vital for identifying gaps in learning and development and is accepted by employees as the norm (Harrison 1995). By contrast performance appraisals in China are less frequent as both managers and workers in Chinese enterprises want to avoid blunt confrontations; it is understandable that they would try to minimise the frequency of such conflict-prone encounters in the workplace (Huo 1995). Peer evaluation, frequently used in Australian organisations, virtually does not exist in the China. This may be attributed to the traditional authoritarian leadership style prevalent in Chinese enterprises where only supervisors are deemed qualified to evaluate subordinates’ performance (Huo 1995). Performance appraisals generally involve two-way communications which is not embraced by Chinese culture as the large power distance found in China indicated that to challenge authority of superiors is not considered appropriate for subordinates (Huo 1995). Therefore when conducting a performance appraisal in China it is expected that the evaluated will be more subjective. A straight forward form of apprais al would be better received and employee participation should not be forced. Of significant interest is Australia’s high individualism ranking of 90 (ITIM International 2003) . High Individualism implies a society believes that people should largely remain independent from groups, and that people should have a self-concept of being an independent individual rather than a  dependent member of a group(Harrison 1995). In comparison China ranked extremely low with a score of 20 in the individualism ranking (ITIM International 2003). This is as a result of the society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group with an emphasis on a Collectivist society as a result of the Communist rule (Hofstede 1980). As a result of the different stance of each culture on individualism human resource activities such as compensations and benefits will need to be approached in a different way. In Australian rewards are geared towards pay for performance which motivates the individual to stand out from the crowd in particular at more senior management levels. Compensation is not just related to salary but can include bonuses, commissions, and other merit based reward programs for individual contributions. In contrast Chinese tend to focus on the goals of the collective rather than individual goals. Group approaches have been a dominating influence on Chinese social and working life, including team work, group decision making, group reward, group cohesiveness and group consultation (Satoe & Wang 1994). Chinese employees do not want to stand out from the crowd. Thus it has been suggested that Western business practices, such as personnel incentives, do not work (Myers, 1987). Therefore when conducting business within the Chinese culture compensation and benefits should be based on a collective theory where there are less individual incentives rather a focus on the performance of the group or work units. In a field experiment which combined team duties with group incentives, the team responsibility system proved to have a positive effect on members’ expectancy, achievement attribution, morale and satisfaction (Satoe & Wang 1994). The great distinction between Australia’s score of 31 for Long Term Orientation compared with Chinas score of 118 suggest great cultural differences (ITIM International 2003). Long Term Orientation is a measure of the degree the society embraces, or does not embrace long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values. As Australia has a low score this indicates that change can occur more rapidly as long-term traditions and commitments do not become impediments to change (Harrison 1995). In contrast to this a country with a high score such as China value long-term  commitments and respect tradition. This is thought to support a strong work ethic where long-term rewards are expected as a result of today’s hard work (Harrison 1995). These types of diverse cultural views towards long term orientation will impact of the way human resource activities such as recruitment and selection are carried out. In Australia it is common for employees to have several difference employers in there working career and even several changes in industry. Recruitment and selection practises in Australia are aimed at aligning the best fit between employees and the organisation in terms of goals and competencies. Recruitment and selection in Australian generally includes interviewing, psychometric tests, assessment centres and other measures of assessment. In contrast with this Chinese employment pattern has traditionally been life employment with three guarantees â€Å"guaranteed job assignment, guaranteed pay irrespective of performance and guaranteed tenure of senior positions† (Lewis 3003) . Selection criteria seem quite different from the West. For example, Easterby-Smith et al. (1995) found that selection criteria for managerial appointments in their case study organisations were â€Å"good moral practice; adequate competence; working hard and excellent performance records; political loyalty and harmonious relationships with others†. Longevity in a job in Australia is not necessarily seen as a good thing and can be construed as complacency whereas in China it aligns with the cultural drivers of loyalty and tradition. When conducting recruitment and selection in China it must be kept in mind that they traditionally do not place too much emphasis on the interview and almost never employ psychometric tests and assessment centres. Rather than acting out against the traditional job for life concept by replacing current staff with more qualified candidates managers should perhaps ensure sound training and development programs are in place to achieve a fit between employee and organisation. Hofstedes measures of Masculinity and uncertainty avoidance for both Australia and China were similar in score. Masculinity stands for a societal preference for competition, while femininity represents a tendency to place relationships with people above money to help others, to care for the weak and to preserve quality of life (Harrison 1995). Australia scored 61 compared with Chinas score of 66 (ITIM International 2003). Similarly the  measurement of uncertainty avoidance which indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations are quite close in score with Australia at 51 compared with China at 30 (ITIM International 2003). The small difference in uncertainty avoidance suggests that within Chinese culture there is a more relaxed and tolerant attitude towards the unfamiliar as compared with Australia where there is less tolerance towards uncertainty and ambiguity. This may impact on human resource activities such as career planning and development. In Australia career planning and development is generally quite structured and directed as employees like to have a clear career path while in Chinese culture they more comfortable with a less structured approach to career planning and development and expect they career will progress in time. Despite its widespread familiarity and influence, Hofstede’s work has been extensively criticized. One reason is that he used the employees of a single large multinational company to represent the cultures of different nationalities. It is clear that such a sample, no matter how large, may not be representative of the respective countries’ national cultures (Mcsweeny 2002). The national culture of China as identified by Hofstese is quite general and it must be kept in mind that the averages of a country do not relate to individuals of that country (Mcsweeny 2002). There are always exceptions to the rule and Hofsteds analysis does not allow for this and therefore should only be taken as general guidelines. It must also be kept in mind that these studies were conducted over 25 years ago. Due to the inherent weaknesses of the frameworks discussed it is vital that other factors be taken into consideration when analysing national culture. It is important to remember that the culture of a country changes over time, either by internal or external influences. Although the measures identified that China has a collective society and it is though as a generalisation that that collectivists are more cooperative was not supported by experimental results. It was found that subjects from the more individualistic region, Beijing, were more cooperative in working toward mutually beneficial outcomes than were subjects from the more collectivist region, Wuhan (Koch & Koch 2007). This research alludes to the conclusion that the Chinese generally have a collective society within the community  they are familiar with but to some degree are less willing to have a collective frame of mind with a group they are less familiar with. This type of social behaviour would be important for management of Chinese culture in circumstance such as group work where participants may not be as eager to participate as once thought within unfamiliar groups. With the inherent weaknesses of Hofstedes framework it is important to consider a broader range of issue in order to obtain an accurate and current insight into national culture. As Coen Heijes states â€Å"no matter how interesting standardised dimensions may be, without a specific knowledge of history, language and education, cross-cultural understanding is doomed from the start† (Heijes 2007 p.94). Hofstedes five cross-cultural dimensions: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and long-term orientation provide an insight into the national culture of both Australia and China. National culture is important to consider when performing human resource activities as the effectiveness of a human resource management practice hinges on the degree to which it fits with the values and beliefs of people in the host country. Human Resource activities that need to be aligned with cultural factors include: recruitment and selection, career planning and development, compensation and benefits, and performance appraisals. In comparing the performance appraisal process, Australians are likely to be more responsive to a 360 degree type feedback with much interaction between managers and subordinates where Chinese employees are likely to be more responsive to a more subjective performance appraisal with little contribution in the form of feedback from peers or personal contributions due to the difference in the power distance of each culture. Compensation and benefits in Australia can be geared towards pay for performance of individuals and may include bonuses, commissions, and other merit based reward programs for individual contributions. Whereas in the Chinese culture compensation and benefits should be based on a collective theory where there are less individual incentives and rather a focus on the performance of the group due to difference in Hofstedes individualism measures. Recruitment and selection practices comparisons between the two countries are impacted by the difference in long term orientations. The recruitment and selection process  in Australia is important due to the frequently changing roles of employees and the importance of finding a fit between organisation and employee whereas in China recruitment and selection aligns with the cultural drivers of loyalty and tradition. When conducting recruitment and selection in China it must be kept in mind that they traditionally do not place too much emphasis on the interview and almost never employ psychometric tests and assessment centres. The slight difference in uncertainty avoidance dimension impact on human resource activity of career planning and development. In Australia career planning and development is generally quite structured and directed as employees like to have a clear career path while in Chinese culture they more comfortable with a less structured approach to career planning and development and expect they career will progress in time. While Hofstedes dimensions cross-cultural dimensions have been critiqued as being to some degree too generalised, small sample sizes, out dated, over simplifying complex tasks. Therefore the framework discussed should only be used as a rough guide to understanding national culture. As suggested by Coen Heijes (2007) other factors such as political and legal systems, religion, education, language, ethics, and motivation among many others must be considered to obtain a current insight into national culture. Reference list: Easterby-Smith, M., Malina, D. and Yuan, L. (1995), â€Å"How culture-sensitive is HRM? A comparative analysis of practice in Chinese and UK companies†, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 31-59. Harisson, G. (1995), â€Å"Satisfaction, tension and interpersonal relations: a cross-cultural comparison of managers in Singapore and Australia†, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Volume 10, Number 8, pp. 13-19Heijes, C. (2007), ‘The Broad Dimensions of Doing Business Abroad’, The Business Review, Vol.8, No.1, pp 93-99Hofstede, G. (1980), Culture’s Consequences. International Differences in Work-Related Values, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, CA., . Hofstede, G. (1983), â€Å"The cultural relativity of organizational practices and theories†, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 75-89. Huo, P. (1995), â€Å"On transplanting human resource practices to China: A culture-driven approach†, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 16 No. 9, pp. 3-15. ITIM International 2003, Geert Hofstede BV, the Netherlands, viewed 12th August 2008, < http://www.geert-hofstede.com/index.shtml>Koch, B. Koch, P. (2007) ‘Collectivism, individualism, and out group cooperation in a segmented China’, Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Vol. 24, No.2, pp 207-225Lewis, P. (2003), â€Å"New China – old ways? A case study of the prospects for implementing human resource management practices in a Chinese state-owned enterprise†, Employee Relations, Vol. 25, No. 1,pp. 42-60Mcsweeny, B. (2002), ‘Hofstede’s Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences: A Triumph of Faith – A Failure of Analysis’, Human Relations, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 89-118Myers, H. (1987), â€Å"The China business puzzle†, Business Horizons, July-August, pp. 25-8. Osland, G.E. (1990), â€Å"Doing business in China: a framework for cross-cultural understanding†, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, Vol. 8,No. 4, pp. 3-15. Satow, T.Wang, Z. (1994), â€Å"Cultural and Organizational Factors in Human Resource Management in China andJapan: A Cross-cultural Socio-economic Perspective† Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 3-11

A Biography of Civil War General Stonewall Jackson

A Biography of Civil War General Stonewall Jackson Stonewall Jackson - Early Life: Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born to Jonathan and Julia Jackson on January 21, 1824 at Clarksburg, VA (now WV). Jacksons father, an attorney, died when he was two leaving Julia with three small children. During his formative years, Jackson lived with a variety of relatives but spent the majority of time at his uncles mill in Jacksons Mills. While at the mill, Jackson developed a strong work ethic and sought out education when possible. Largely self-taught, he became an avid reader. In 1842, Jackson was accepted to West Point, but due to his lack of schooling struggled with the entrance exams. Stonewall Jackson - West Point Mexico: Due to his academic difficulties, Jackson began his academic career at the bottom of his class. While at the academy, he quickly proved himself a tireless worker as he endeavored to catch up to his peers. Graduating in 1846, he was able to achieve class rank of 17 out 59. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the 1st US Artillery, he was sent south to take part in the Mexican-American War. Part of Major General Winfield Scotts army, Jackson took part in the siege of Veracruz and the campaign against Mexico City. In the course of the fighting, he earned two brevet promotions and a permanent one to first lieutenant. Stonewall Jackson - Teaching at VMI: Taking part in the assault on Chapultepec Castle, Jackson again distinguished himself and was brevetted to major. Returning the United States after the war, Jackson accepted a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute in 1851. Filling the role of Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Artillery, he developed a curriculum that emphasized mobility and discipline. Highly religious and somewhat eccentric in his habits, Jackson was disliked and mocked by many of the students. This was worsened by his approach in the classroom where he repeatedly recited memorized lectures and offered little help to his students. While teaching at VMI, Jackson married twice, first to Elinor Junkin who died in childbirth, and later to Mary Anna Morrison in 1857. Two years later, following John Browns failed raid on Harpers Ferry, Governor Henry Wise asked VMI to provide a security detail for the abolitionist leaders execution. As the artillery instructor, Jackson and 21 of his cadets accompanied the detail with two howitzers. Stonewall Jackson - The Civil War Begins: With the election of President Abraham Lincoln and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Jackson offered his services to Virginia and was made a colonel. Assigned to Harpers Ferry, he began organizing and drilling troops, as well as operating against the BO railroad. Assembling a brigade of troops recruited in and around the Shenandoah Valley, Jackson was promoted to brigadier general that June. Part of General Joseph Johnstons command in the Valley, Jacksons brigade was rushed east in July to aid in the First Battle of Bull Run. Stonewall Jackson - Stonewall: As the battle raged on July 21, Jacksons command was brought forward to support the crumbling Confederate line on Henry House Hill. Demonstrating the discipline that Jackson had instilled, the Virginians held the line, leading Brigadier General Barnard Bee to exclaim, There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Some controversy exists regarding this statement as some later reports claimed that Bee was angry at Jackson for not coming to his brigades aid faster and that stone wall was meant in a pejorative sense. Regardless, the name stuck to both Jackson and his brigade for the remainder of the war. Stonewall Jackson - In the Valley: Having held the hill, Jacksons men played a role in the subsequent Confederate counterattack and victory. Promoted to major general on October 7, Jackson was given command of the Valley District with headquarters at Winchester. In January 1862, he conducted an abortive campaign near Romney with the goal of re-capturing much of West Virginia. That March, as Major General George McClellan began transferring Union forces south to the Peninsula, Jackson was tasked with defeating Major General Nathaniel Banks forces in the Valley as well as preventing Major General Irvin McDowell from approaching Richmond. Jackson opened his campaign with a tactical defeat at Kernstown on March 23, but rebounded to win at McDowell, Front Royal, and First Winchester, ultimately expelling Banks from the Valley. Concerned about Jackson, Lincoln order McDowell to assist and dispatched men under Major General John C. Frà ©mont. Though outnumbered, Jackson continued his string of success defeating Frà ©mont at Cross Keys on June 8 and Brigadier General James Shields a day later at Port Republic. Having triumphed in the Valley, Jackson and his men were recalled to the Peninsula to join General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia. Stonewall Jackson - Lee Jackson: Though the two commanders would form a dynamic command partnership, their first action together was not promising. As Lee opened the Seven Days Battles against McClellan on June 25, Jacksons performance dipped. Throughout the fighting his men were repeatedly late and his decision making poor. Having eliminated the threat posed by McClellan, Lee ordered Jackson to take the Left Wing of the army north to deal with Major General John Popes Army of Virginia. Moving north, he won a fight at Cedar Mountain on August 9 and later succeeded in capturing Popes supply base at Manassas Junction. Moving onto the old Bull Run battlefield, Jackson assumed a defensive position to await Lee and the Right Wing of the army under Major General James Longstreet. Attacked by Pope on August 28, his men held until they arrived. The Second Battle of Manassas concluded with a massive flank attack by Longstreet which drove Union troops from the field. Following the victory, Lee decided to attempt an invasion of Maryland. Dispatched to capture Harpers Ferry, Jackson took the town before joining the rest of the army for the Battle of Antietam on September 17. Largely a defensive action, his men bore the brunt of the fighting at the northern end of the field. Withdrawing from Maryland, Confederate forces regrouped in Virginia. On October 10, Jackson was promoted to lieutenant general and his command officially designated the Second Corps. When Union troops, now led by Major General Ambrose Burnside, moved south that fall, Jacksons men joined Lee at Fredericksburg. During the Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, his corps succeeded in holding off strong Union assaults south of the town. With the end of the fighting, both armies remained in place around Fredericksburg for the winter. When campaigning resumed in the spring, the Union forces guided by Major General Joseph Hooker attempted to move around Lees left to attack his rear. This movement presented problems for Lee as he had sent Longstreets corps away to find supplies and was badly outnumbered. Fighting at the Battle of Chancellorsville began on May 1 in a thick pine forest known as the Wilderness with Lees men under heavy pressure. Meeting with Jackson, the two men devised a daring plan for May 2 which called for the latter to take his corps on a wide flanking march to strike at the Union right. This daring plan succeeded and Jacksons attack began rolling up the Union line late on May 2. Reconnoitering that night, his party was confused for Union cavalry and was hit by friendly fire. Struck three times, twice in the left arm and once in the right hand, he was taken from the field. His left arm was quickly amputated, but his health began to deteriorate as he developed pneumonia. After lingering for eight days, he died on May 10. In learning of Jacksons wounding, Lee commented, Give General Jackson my affectionate regards, and say to him: he has lost his left arm but I my right. Selected Sources Virginia Military Institute: Thomas Stonewall JacksonCivil War: Stonewall JacksonStonewall Jackson House

Psychology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Psychology - Assignment Example Psychology is the Science that create an understanding towards a logical thinking ability keeping humane in concise. It is a science which is not new but with us right from the human civilization. It is the way where an understanding is built up about the behaviour of a person, and methods could be devised to enhance what is lacking in the personality and how well an individual be groomed to have a sound and congenial influence on the society or social ambience of the individual. Besides the fact that lot of research has been carried out we are still at the tip of the iceberg to further dwell towards the understanding of psychology. So far an immense collection of theories that have been postulated over the years have been made and studied along with varies protocols and experiments that have been performed to resolve behaviour issues. Theories postulated are for different kinds of behaviour and not the same for all kinds of behavioural issue. Based on psychological theories humans are classified into various patterns and syndromes. Psychology helps these individuals to recover various therapeutic problems. Thus psychology encompass a study of behaviour including the activities and reactions; and the internal progression of views and judgments. The term "psyche" means soul and "logos" means a study. Thus psychology is not confined to any core study but it encompass a complete understanding of the nature as well as the way it was nurtured under a given set of conditions. Psychology sets its goal for its study as: Description of the issue or the subject, explanation, prediction of the possibilities and modifications that are possible. 1. Description- It describes the performance, that an individual displays and based on this analysis a psychologists try to comprehend if this attitude or behaviour is under normal or acceptable limits. For this, a psychologists analyzes, opinion and views, emotions, beliefs, mind-set, outlook and approaches,