Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Fall of the Roman Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Fall of the Roman Republic - Essay Example According to Polybius, a Greek aristocrat born in Achaea but banished to Rome, and source of the historical account in that city in the second century especially where the elites are concerned, the nobility of Rome put the greatest premium on courage. Although courage was as important is all other states as well, this was the most true in the Roman aristocracy value system. The emphasis on courage was illustrated most especially during the funeral rites of the deceased in which their acts of bravery would be eulogized. According to Polybius, a kin of the deceased would wear his mask, and some other men would wear masks of all the dead ancestors of the deceased. The relative wearing the mask of the deceased, dressed in robes preceded each by the symbol of the particular ancestor, would then deliver a speech glorifying his achievements, after which eulogies for each of the deceased ancestors would follow. These after-death honors given to deceased and his ancestors served to inspire th e young men in doing their best in their endeavors so as to earn the same honor in their deaths.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Communication Skills Required For Holistic Nursing Care Nursing Essay

Communication Skills Required For Holistic Nursing Care Nursing Essay The communication skills required for holistic nursing care of patients in adult nursing. The American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) defines holistic nursing as all nursing practice that has healing the whole person as its goal. Holistic nursing recognises that there is a connection between a persons mind, environment, culture, emotions and body. holistic nursing is not necessarily something that you do; it is an attitude, a philosophy and a way of being. American Holistic Nurses Association 1998. The Oxford online dictionary defines the word holistic as: medicine characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease. Oxford Dictionary online 2010. There are two types of communication, verbal and non-verbal. Communication is the exchange of information, verbally or non-verbally. The Oxford dictionary defines the word communication as: the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Oxford Dictionary online 2010. verbal communication is speaking face to face to someone using words, sounds, speech and language. Verbal communication is separated into two types, public speaking and interpersonal communication. There are over 3000 languages spoken in the world and verbal communication is based largely on these as well as class, profession, age and social factors. some sources suggest that written communication is verbal as well as non-verbal. Non-verbal communication is email, letters, databases, social networking sites, text messaging as well as body language. Body language is an important means of communication, it includes gestures, eye contact, expressions and posture. How we communicate non-verbally is extremely important and sends strong messages as to whether you care and to what extent you are listening. We communicate this way by how we sit, the tone and pace of how we talk, how much personal space we use and the eye contact we make. There are five roles in non-verbal communication: Repetition the message we send can repeat the verbal message. Contradiction the message we send can contradict the verbal message. Substitution the message we send can be substituted by our body language. Complementing this adds to the verbal message e.g. a hug or a pat on the back. Accenting this underlines the message e.g. punching a wall or slamming a door. There are many barriers with communication such as: learning disabilities languages blindness/ deafness gender culture age professionalism the ability to digest information and bad news lost or incomplete records Language differences pose a large barrier in effective communication for nurses, although the option for a translator is often accessible, although it may not be readily at hand. There are also regional dialects that present barriers, for example, different regions refer to bodily parts and functions differently. Such as to pass urine may be commonly known as having a wee, taking a pee etc. Jemma Harrison 20174222 October 2010 cohort Adult Nursing 9th January 2011 Maintaining eye contact with someone who is blind or from a religion that doesnt allow this may also be a significant barrier. To overcome this you would need to ensure that the rest of your body language was correct and consistent. Asking questions that are open ended or asking the patient to repeat the question back would be the best way to ensure that the patient has clearly understood you and what information you are relaying to them. Another barrier may be if a patient had a learning disability and required a parent, guardian or advocate present. You need to ensure that you fully understand the disability your patient had and to what effect certain gestures may have, for example, eye contact with an autistic patient may be deemed aggressive. This is where a nurse needs to assess a patients holistic (or whole) needs, and what brings them to their care. A patient may have only been admitted with a knee injury but how was that injury sustained? This is were holistic nursing care is most important. A knee injury may not be a one off incident, it may be through lifestyle choices, e.g. are they sports fanatics, regular walkers etc. For a nurse to just assess that patients knee injury on face value may lead to the patient being readmitted with the same injury. Again, asking questions that require more than just a yes or no answer, these are called open questions, or asking the patient to non-verbally communicate how they sustained their illness or injury by filling out a questionnaire. The Nursing Times 2007 says that communicating correctly is a basic yet fundamental requirement of good nursing and the breakdown of communication can quickly ruin the already delicate nurse/patient relationship. Other barriers in nurse/patient communication is that nurses are often pushed for time, facing targets, have a lack of privacy or lack of training. This can often make holistic nursing impossible. The communication skills required for holistic nursing (given the correct conditions) are: having the correct patient information. Observe a patients body language. Maintain eye contact where possible. Listen properly. Avoid difficult to understand medical terminology. Be emotionally prepared. Be honest, empathise and show compassion. There has been extensive research into effective communication with patients Dougherty and Lister 2007 highlighted the importance of providing patients with the correct information, communicated in the correct way aided the patient to a quicker recovery. An article in the Nursing Times 2007 by Hamilton. S.J et al highlights a framework of communication skills effective in holistic nursing called the five Is. INTERACT with the patient. Establish the INTENTION of the interaction. Decide on the INTERVENTION to be used. Assess the IMPACT of the interventions. Evaluate the IMPLICATIONS of the subsequent information obtained and act accordingly. In order to get the patient to express their fears and anxieties a nurse needs to display strong and confident non-verbal communication skills and talk to the patient not at them, seeking as much information as possible. Most communication barriers can be overcome if the nurse (or any individual) is ready to try. Repeat open questions, make time for the patient and complete all patient notes thoroughly and to a Jemma Harrison 20174222 October 2010 cohort Adult Nursing 9th January 2011 standard that complies with NMC guidelines. Also remembering that a patients needs may change often but the level of communication should remain the same. On my placement I realised just how effective holistic nursing can be given the time and location. I observed a drug counsellor attempting to discuss a patients rehabilitation and how they intended to take it forward and at what pace and level. The drug counsellor had to find out if what type of drugs the patient was using, how often and were there any underlying physical or emotional reasons why the patient was a drug user. The patient was very withdrawn and didnt appear interested. The counsellor repeatedly asked him questions but the patient stared at his feet and didnt answer. He became noticeably agitated and his body language appeared to become aggressive (he folded his arms). The counsellor suggested they took a break and had a cup of tea. During the break the counsellor asked some indirect questions about the weather etc., I noticed the patient started to relax and build a rapport with the counsellor, this I feel was the counsellor gaining knowledge of the patients whole being not just his drug problem (this is a strong example of holistic care in an adult medical setting). On returning to the treatment room the patient seemed more relaxed and began to answer the counsellors questions whilst maintaining a good verbal and non-verbal communication. This was the first barrier I noticed being over come the second was the patients inability to read and complete a questionnaire. The counsellor sat and read the questions to the patient and then asked the patient to repeat the questions before answering them, ensuring that he had understood what she was asking. Jemma Harrison 20174222 October 2010 cohort Adult Nursing 9th January 2011

Friday, October 25, 2019

Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf :: Whos Afraid Virginia Woolf Essays

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf For this book talk, I read an Edward Albee's play, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." I saw the movie version of this book, which I found excellent, so it inspired me to read the book. The book begins when George, who is an associate professor of a New England college, and Martha, who is the daughter of the college professor comes home after a faculty party. Although it is well after midnight and they are heavily drunk, Martha invites another couple, Nick who is a new and young professor in the college, and his wife Honey. The two couples continue drinking at the living room of George and Martha's house, and Martha starts complaining about George. She reveals George's failure to advance in the college even if he has an advantage as the son-in-law of the president. George tries to revenge by telling Martha's weaknesses to the guests, and the fight becomes impossible to stop making the new couple who tries to stay detached also become caught up in it. As the fight goes on and they become more drunk, Martha comes to mention about George and she's imaginary son, who has been a secret between them and a forbidden topic to tell others. Nick also tells their painful secret that he married Honey because she thought she was pregnant but that it turned out to be false. When everyone is tired and humiliated as a result, George, who was very angry about Martha's mentioning his son to the guests, he decides to tell something that will change their lives forever as a final revenge, and then the party comes to an end. The main theme of the book is the sadness and difficulties of the adult life. In the story, George and Martha cannot have a child because either of them is impotent, so they had to make up an imaginary son. Here's a quotation about their son form Martha. QUOTATION(p219) Martha's this description about him shows how much they cared for him and wanted the real one. Furthermore, they constantly fight with each other for trivial subjects even though they really want to communicate more seriously and understand deeper. The difference between their view of life also worsens their marriage because Martha always expects George to be more ambitious while George does not

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Representations of China in the Movie the Forbidden Kingdom Essay

The Forbidden Kingdom (Rob Minkoff, 2008)[1] is an American martial arts adventure film co-starred by Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The film tells the story of a Boston boy Jason, who is a big kung fu fan, is given the mission, as a traveler, of returning the staff to the Monkey King so as to free him from the statue in which he has been trapped by the Jade Warlord. With the help of Jackie Chan and Jet Li, Jason not only fulfills his mission in the end by defeating the Jade Warlord, but also masters kung fu and develops to a brave and responsible man. The movie was successful and popular, attracting large audience[2], due to the reason, as far as I see it, that it meets the Western audience’s expectation of China. The movie is full of stereotypes of China and Chinese, reflecting the orientalism’s attitudes from the West, especially from America (both written and directed by Americans) in this case. Orientalism, as studied in Edward Said’s book Orientalism (1978), is an academic term used to â€Å"describe a pervasive Western tradition, both academic and artistic, of prejudiced outsider interpretations of the East, shaped by the attitudes of European imperialism in the 18th and 19th centuries†[3], later adopted by America after the WWâ… ¡.In such a man-made theory, East is depicted as a less-civilized, exotic, brutal and inferior entity to the West, and â€Å"†¦the West is not only deï ¬ ned as the diametrical opposite of the East, but also as its protector and its carer† (Khatib, 2006: 64). What’s more, to the West that the â€Å"†¦Orient is something to be feared or controlled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Khatib, 2006: 65). All these ideas of Orientalism can be sensed or found in the movie The Forbidden Kingdom, which makes this movie a advocator of American Orientalism towards China. The movie begins with a dim, disorganized pawn shop owned by a shaky, weak and old Chinese man Hop, who clings tightly to his money and sells kung fu DVDs to Jason, the boy who is treated and bullied like an alien by his peers because of his enthusiasm towards kung fu. Hop is later attacked by the bullies who forces Jason to lead them to steal money from him. This opening of the story sets the main attitude about China by showing the typical stereotype that white people hold towards Chinese: a totally different Other, whose living style (the messy shop) and traditions (kung fu) are far beyond the understandings of the West, also with the characteristics of being sickly weak and easy to attack or take advantage of, often become the target of violence. When Jason is sent to the ancient China to fulfill his mission, what he experiences also applies to the theory of Orientalism: exotic Chinese water-mountain sceneries, extraordinary and dazzling kung fu skills, brutal killing by the army, vicious women (White-haired Witch), wicked Jade Warlord with darkened eye shadow, submissive women (concubines of Jade Warlord) etc. All of these images give audience an impression that China is an exotic yet less civilized territory, waiting to have her destiny changed by this American boy. As a result, the dominant power over the East (China) of America is subsequently delivered by the screenwriter, i.e. the chaos brought by the Jade Warlord is going to be ceased by the Traveler Jason, rather than someone from China herself, for example, the supreme power of the Heaven, the Emperor. Such plot indicates the attitude that the East (China) is unable to be independent; she needs the West (America) to dominate and have authority over her. The fear of the East from the West can also be easily detected in this movie. The Heaven is temporarily given by the Emperor to the Jade Warlord to govern, which means the whole china is under his control. But his power grows so fast and powerful that, according the American screenwriter, someone from the West needs to suppress this evil rise, and this time, Jason again, the ultimate messenger in this movie to carry out the American’s will in Orientalism. Being far away from China, western people get images of China mainly from what is available in the media. However, what is presented is only small or even misleading information about China. Although Orientalism is viewed as â€Å"false assumptions underlying Western attitudes toward the (Middle) East†[4], it is still applied in media and proved by Western governments nowadays in order to remain the power over the East in spheres of politics, economy and culture. We should hold an alert and critical attitude towards such information, trying to go beyond what is presented, so as to get to know the real image of the East.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Why Was Stalin Able to Become Leader of Russia by 1926?

Why was Stalin able to become leader of Russia by 1926? (7) In January 1924, Lenin, the Leader of the Russian communist party died. Trotsky, the leader of the Red army seemed like Lenin’s successor at the time as he played a major role in the civil war. Meanwhile, Stalin held two positions: People’s commissar for Nationalities (responsible for the different nationalities in the Soviet empire) and General Secretary (responsible for the day to day running of the party. He was also a member of the Politburo, the party leaders who ran the country after Lenin’s death.They consist of Stalin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Kamenev, Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky. As Lenin’s funeral was organized by Stalin since he was regarded as the party’s administrator because of his position as General Secretary, Stalin was able to deliver the oration. This enabled him to portray himself as the chief mourner, and heir to Lenin. Stalin also telegrammed Trotsky the wrong date. Many saw Trotsky’s absent as disrespect for Lenin who had assumed a God-like status so his reputation was damaged. As a result, Lenin’s funeral gained Stalin support and made Trotsky unpopular, contributing to his success in being the leader of Russia.Apart from that, the fact that the Politburo decided not to publish Lenin’s Testament which contains criticisms of them also contributes to Stalin’s success. This is because in his testament, Lenin had wanted Stalin removed from his position. Members of the party may not have supported Stalin if they had read the testament containing criticisms of him. They would probably support Lenin’s desire for Stalin to be removed from his position. Apart from enabling Stalin to gain support during Lenin’s funeral, his position as General Secretary also contributes to his success in becoming Russia’s leader in many ways.As it enabled him to access personal files of party members, Stalin gained information wh ich he could use against his rivals. Furthermore, it also gave him the right to appoint new party members so he appointed his supporters. During Lenin Enrolment between 1923-5, over half a million new members joined the party as it gave them privileges. This made them loyal to Stalin as he had allowed them into the party. New members could easily identify with Stalin because of his humble, peasant background and support for Stalin grew. On the other hand, Trotsky was unpopular.He came from a wealthy Jewish background and had a late conversion to Bolshevism. He was an intellectual who appeared arrogant. He also did not cultivate support but worked alone. This could be because of his poor judgment regarding other people. Trotsky also believed in the ‘Permanent Revolution’ but in contrast, Stalin promoted ‘Socialism in one country’. Many feared that Trotsky’s idea of world revolution would ruin Russia so support increased for Stalin. In 1924, Trotsky sa id the party’s bureaucracy was too big and was working for its own benefit.He was isolated by Stalin as Stalin had joined with Zinoviev and Kamenev to form the ‘Triumvirate’. This happened before Lenin’s death and the aim of this alliance is to prevent Trotsky from being the next party leader. They campaigned against Trotsky by publishing his disagreement s with Lenin during 1903-7. They also used Stalin’s position as General Secretary and the 1921 ban against factions to remove Trotsky’s supporters from their influential positions. This led to Trotsky being constantly isolated and outvoted.In 1925, Trotsky was forced to resign from his position of Commissar for War. Stalin, as a member of the ‘Triumvirate’ has partly defeated the Left Opposition. However, In April 1926, Zinoviev and Kamenev realized that Stalin is exploiting his position as he used it to appoint his supporters into the party. They joined forces with Trotsky to f orm the United Opposition. They planned to restore Party and Soviet democracy and end the NEP (New Economic Policy). They were defeated in 1926 at the central committee meeting because Stalin called in his support and banned them from speaking.He also used his control of Party Congresses and elections to outvote them. They worked secretly but were then accused of factionalism (breaking the party) and were expelled from the party. The United Opposition was successfully defeated by Stalin and the party is now full of his supporters. As a conclusion, Stalin’s political schemes with the aid which his position as General Secretary offered enabled him to remove his rivals, gain support and power so he was able to become leader of Russia by 1926. Beatrice 11. 1

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Example

Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Example Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay Seven Dimensions of Culture Essay In 1998, management consultants Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner published their â€Å"Seven Dimensions of Culture† model to help explain national cultural differences in organisations and to show how managing these differences in a heterogeneous business environment is a major challenge for international managers. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner gathered data over ten years using a method that relied on giving respondents dilemmas or contrasting tendencies. Each dilemma consisted of two alternatives that were interpreted as indicators for basic attitudes and values. The questionnaire was sent to over 15,000 managers in 28 countries. At least 500 usable responses per country were received, enabling the two authors to make substantiated distinctions between national cultures. The two consultants distinguished seven connected processes formulated as dilemmas. A culture distinguishes itself from others by ‘preferring’ one side of a dilemma’s continuum. The seven, universal dimensions of cultures are: 1. UNIVERSALISM versus PLURALISM â€Å"What is more important – rules or relationships? † The degree of importance a culture assigns to either the law or to personal relationships. In a universalistic culture, people share the belief that general rules, codes, values and standards take precedence over the needs and claims of friends and other relationships. In a pluralistic culture, people see culture in terms of human friendship and intimate relationships. While rules do exist in a pluralistic culture, they merely codify how people relate to one another. 2. INDIVIDUALISM versus COMMUNITARISNISM â€Å"Do we function as a group or as individuals? † The degree to which people see themselves function more as a community or more as individuals. In a principally individualistic culture, people place the individual before the community. This means that individual happiness, fulfilment and welfare prevails and people take their own initiative and take care of themselves. In a principally communitarian culture, people place the community before the individual. Thus, it is the responsibility of the individual to act in ways which serve society. In doing so, individual needs are automatically attended. 3. SPECIFIC versus DIFFUSE â€Å"How far to we get involved? † The degree to which responsibility is specifically assigned or is diffusely accepted. In a specific culture, people first analyse the elements individually and then put them together, the whole is the sum of its parts. People’s lives are divided accordingly and, only a single component can be entered at a time. Interactions between people are very well-defined. Specific individuals concentrate on hard facts, standards and contracts. A diffusely oriented culture starts with the whole and sees individual elements from the perspective of the total. All elements are related to one another. Relationships between elements are more important than individual elements. 4. AFFECTIVITY versus NEUTRALITY Do we display our emotions? † The degree to which individuals display their emotions. In an affective culture, people display their emotions and it is not deemed necessary to hide feelings. However, in a neutral culture, people are taught not to display their feelings overtly. The degree to which feelings become manifested is therefore minimal. While emotions are fel t, they are controlled. 5. INNER DIRECTED versus OUTER DIRECTED â€Å"Do we control our environment or work with it? † The degree to which individuals believe the environment can be controlled versus believing that the environment controls them. In an inner-directed culture, people have a mechanistic view of nature; nature is complex but can be controlled with the right expertise. People believe that humans can dominate nature, if they make the effort. In an outer-directed culture, people have an organic view of nature. Mankind is viewed as one of nature’s forces and should therefore live in harmony with the environment. People therefore adapt themselves to external circumstances. 6. ACHIEVED STATUS versus ASCRIBED STATUS â€Å"Do we have to prove ourselves to receive status or is it given to us? The degree to which individuals must prove themselves to receive status versus status simply given to them. In a culture with achieved status, people derive their status from what they have accomplished. Achieved status must be proven time and time again and status will be given accordingly. In a culture with ascribed status, people derive their status from birth, age, gender or wealth. Here status is not based on achievemen t but it is accorded on the basis of the person’s being. 7. SEQUENTIAL TIME versus SYNCHRONIC TIME â€Å"Do we do things one at a time or several things at once? The degree to which individuals do things one at a time versus several things at once. Cultures developed their own response to time. Time orientation has two aspects: the relative importance cultures assign to the past, present and future, and their approach to structuring time. In a sequential culture, people structure time sequentially and do things one at a time. In a synchronic time culture, people do several things at once, believing time is flexible and intangible. Past-oriented cultures A culture that is oriented towards the past views the future as a repetition of previous events and experiences. Characteristics include: respect for ancestors and collective historical events. Present-oriented cultures A culture primarily directed to the present does not attach great value to the past or future. Instead, individuals are directed by the daily demands of every day life. Future-oriented cultures A culture concentrated on future prospects and does not deem the past as significant for future events. Planning is a major activity among individuals in this culture. The seven dilemmas help managers better understand the ‘other side’ e. g. when trying to make trans-national projects or mergers work. Better understanding reduces the number of cultural driven misunderstandings and conflicts thereby reducing coordination costs. The model helps marketers understand how consumers in different countries behave differently towards the same product. pros: Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner provided a tool to explain how national culture differs and how culture can be measured. Their research showed that cultural differences matter and that reconciling cultural differences can lead to competitive advantage to companies in consolidating / globalising industries. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s model gives employees who deal with cross-cultural relations a tool/context to better understand value sets and behaviours. Trompenaars’ research shows that the way business is conducted in one part of the world is different from the way it is done in another. Culture is an important aspect in doing international business. For example, Office Depot has learned that Japanese customers do not like to buy their supplies in large, well-stocked stores that offer discount prices. Japanese prefer stores where service is personal and are willing to pay higher prices for this. cons: The model fails to recognise the influence of personal characteristics on behaviour. The model distinguishes the differences between cultures, but does not provide recommendations on how to work with specific cultures. Additional dilemmas may be added to the seven original dimensions of culture. No assurance can be given that this list is complete. Trompenaars and others such as Hofstede emphasised that companies should acknowledge the differences between the cultures in which they operate. However, other authors including Ohmae (Borderless World) and Levitt (Globalisation of Markets) argue that national borders are diminishing and that the world should be seen as a whole and not made up of different countries with different cultures. Professor Trompenaars has studied how people in specific countries resolve dilemmas. After analyzing problem resolution behaviors, Dr. Trompenaars has identified 7 basic dimensions for culture. International trade consultants and lawyers consider these cultural dimensions when designing sales strategies where buyers and sellers originate from different cultures. This is particularly true for emerging markets unaccustomed to dealing with businesspersons from so-called more developed countries. Below is a brief summary of the seven cultural dimensions. Achievement vs. Ascription In an achievement culture, people are accorded status based on how well they perform their functions. High achievers are given status in achievement-oriented countries including Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Achievers must continue to prove their worth, as status is accorded based on their actions. In an ascription culture, status is attributed based on who or what a person is. This is based on age, gender and social connections. Individualism vs. Communitarianism People make their own decisions and achieve success alone in highly individualistic countries including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Emphasis is on personal responsibility and decision-making, and negotiations are made on the spot. Communitarianism is a culture like Japan that places the community before the individual. Success is achieved in groups, decisions are referred to committees and groups jointly assume responsibilities. Internal vs. External In an internalistic culture like the United States, people believe that what happens to them is their own doing. Many Asian countries have an external culture in which the environment shapes their destiny. Because they don’t believe they are in full control of their destinies, often externalistic people adapt to external circumstances. Neutral vs. Emotional In neutral cultures like Japan and the United Kingdom, emotions are held in check. People don’t show their feelings. In an emotional culture, feelings are expressed naturally and openly. People smile a great deal, talk loudly when excited and greet each other with enthusiasm. Mexico, Netherlands and Switzerland are high-emotion countries. Specific vs. Diffuse In what is called a specific culture, individuals are open to sharing a large public space with others and a small private space they guard closely and share with only friends and associates. Specific cultures like Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States show a strong separation between work and private life. Invitations to public spaces are common. A diffuse culture features similarly sized public and private spaces. Like most introverts, diffuse culture people guard both spaces carefully, because entry into public space also affords entry into private space. China, Spain and Venezuela are examples of diffuse cultures where work and private life are closely linked but intensely protected. Time Orientation In sequential cultures like the United States, people tend to do one activity at a time. Appointments are strictly kept, with a strong preference for following plans. In synchronous cultures like France and Mexico, people usually do more than one activity at a time. Appointments are approximate, subject to change at any moment. Universalism vs. Particularism Universalistic countries focus more on formal rules than relationships. Nations characterized by high universalism believe that their ideas and practices can be applied worldwide without modification. Australia, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom are universalistic countries. America is also highly universalistic, which explains why U. S. multinationals repeatedly ignore relationships in a foreign culture. For example, Starbucks unsuccessfully launched its coffee shop in China’s Forbidden City while Germans rejected Wal-Mart’s standard big box stores. Particularistic countries place more emphasis on relationships than rules. Countries that practise high particularism include China, Indonesia and Venezuela. Particularistic peoples believe that circumstances dictate how ideas and practices are applied. Therefore, ideas and practices cannot be applied the same everywhere. References This article presents independent insights based on research from International Management, Culture, Strategy and Behavior (6th edition, Hodgetts-Luthans-DOH) and Trompenaars’s Seven Dimensions of Culture.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Attila The Hun

Attila the Hun (circa 406-53), king of the Huns from 433 to 453 when he died from an untimely death. One of the most feared and notorious barbarians of all time, Attila is believed to be of distant Mongol stock, and while alive ravaged much of the European continent during the 5th century AD. No one represents the unbridled fury and savagery of barbarism as much as Attila the Hun did. Attila, as the greatest Hun leader, is the stereotypical sacker of cities and killer of babies. In his own day he and his Huns were known as the "Scourge of God†. The Huns themselves were a people of mystery and terror. Arriving on the edge of the Roman Empire in the late fourth century, riding their war horses out of the great steppes of Asia, they struck fear into Germanic barbarians and Romans alike. No one knows exactly when Attila the Hun's was born. But he was the nephew of the king of the Huns, a tribe of nomadic herdsmen. The Huns were fierce mounted warriors who tended and rode horses, which was a big part of their daily life. By the time Attila was born, the Huns, originally from the dry, level, treeless, grass-covered lands of southeastern Europe and Asia had gradually migrated westward. They eventually settled on the Danube River in the Great Hungarian Plain, on the border of the Roman Empire. After their uncle's death in 433, Attila and his brother Bleda ruled the Huns together. Attila eventually killed Bleda and took possession of the throne in 445. As the sole king of the Huns, Attila moved to extend the Hun Empire by conquering other barbarian populations throughout eastern and central Europe. Each conquest brought greater wealth and power to the Huns. The new ruler was much more aggressive and ambitious than his predecessors had been, and arrogance sometimes made him unpredictable. He also claimed to own the actual sword of Mars, and that other barbarian chiefs could not look the King of the Huns directly in the eyes without flinc... Free Essays on Attila The Hun Free Essays on Attila The Hun Attila the Hun (circa 406-53), king of the Huns from 433 to 453 when he died from an untimely death. One of the most feared and notorious barbarians of all time, Attila is believed to be of distant Mongol stock, and while alive ravaged much of the European continent during the 5th century AD. No one represents the unbridled fury and savagery of barbarism as much as Attila the Hun did. Attila, as the greatest Hun leader, is the stereotypical sacker of cities and killer of babies. In his own day he and his Huns were known as the "Scourge of God†. The Huns themselves were a people of mystery and terror. Arriving on the edge of the Roman Empire in the late fourth century, riding their war horses out of the great steppes of Asia, they struck fear into Germanic barbarians and Romans alike. No one knows exactly when Attila the Hun's was born. But he was the nephew of the king of the Huns, a tribe of nomadic herdsmen. The Huns were fierce mounted warriors who tended and rode horses, which was a big part of their daily life. By the time Attila was born, the Huns, originally from the dry, level, treeless, grass-covered lands of southeastern Europe and Asia had gradually migrated westward. They eventually settled on the Danube River in the Great Hungarian Plain, on the border of the Roman Empire. After their uncle's death in 433, Attila and his brother Bleda ruled the Huns together. Attila eventually killed Bleda and took possession of the throne in 445. As the sole king of the Huns, Attila moved to extend the Hun Empire by conquering other barbarian populations throughout eastern and central Europe. Each conquest brought greater wealth and power to the Huns. The new ruler was much more aggressive and ambitious than his predecessors had been, and arrogance sometimes made him unpredictable. He also claimed to own the actual sword of Mars, and that other barbarian chiefs could not look the King of the Huns directly in the eyes without flinc...