Female Participation in the Labour Force

Female Participation in the Labour Force INTRODUCTION Female participation in the labor force has been a compelling issue throughout the history. It is also a very dynamic topic in all countries independent of that development level. It’s because, the place of women in work life can be considered as brand-new subject compared to that of men in all societies. Therefore, from 1980’s the states which are more classified as welfare states like Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands have been trying to implement some social policies in order to increase women participation in the labor force. In this paper, I would like to propose a study to find out the relation between female participation in the labor force and social policies implemented by states. My plan is more to focus on women’s point of views and their perception of family policies. More specifically, I am interested in mothers and what sort of influences that family policies have on mothers in terms of their participation in work life. The reason makes me sceptic about this issue is that family policies can have negative results on mothers which is considered as ‘’mommy track’’ in the literature. (Ejnà ¦s, 2011, p.242) [1] As I mentioned before both women studies and welfare state studies are new phenomena and there is barely a research especially on mothers and the consequences of the policies rather than type of policies. For this reason, I believe there is a lack in the literature that allows me to make a research on this crucial issue. If there is a significant relationship between female participation in the workforce and family policies done by state? Even though my starting point is thinking that these policies have negative results on women’s participation in labor force. In literature there is quite disagreement in interpreting policies’ results as good or bad. However, even current literature is rich about consequences of family policies, there is still lack of study which looks at the issue from mothers’ point of views. Hence, through this study I would like to contribute to literature while showing mother’s perception of family policies. The proposal begins with literature review. Second, it describes offered methodology and then finally I will elaborate what kind of further studies can be done depending this research. LITERATURE REVIEW Although traditional family structure, which encourages male participation in the labor force for breadwinning, is chancing recently, parenthood still has a huge negative effects on female. That is because women are still recognized as most important caregivers. Most of the time, the place of women has been fixed within the private sphere, in other words within their home life. Thus, literature of family policies’ effects on the labor force mostly focuses on women and especially mothers. As I mentioned above, despite the fact that researchers use the same subject for their research, there is a disagreement about how do they describe the effects of family policies. Now, I will summarize some important works which try to understand issue of family policies and its effects on the female participation in the labor market. OECD (2005) focuses on the consequences of policy reforms and policies that regulate female participation in the labor market. The author accepts the flexibility of working-time arrangements, family taxation, to support to maintenance and care of children as indicators of policies that affect female participation in the labor market. OECD claims that more flexible working-time causes more opportunity to access to part-time works for women increase female participation. Moreover, if second earners of home and single earners are taxed in the same way, it would be an increase in female labor force. In addition to that according to OECD findings childcare subsidies and parental leave promote female participation but there is a trick in parental leave if it is more than 20 weeks, it begins to create negative consequences on participation rate. On the other hand child benefit reduces women participation in the labor market after the birth. Basically, they claim that longer prental leave du ration and high child benefits lead to ‘sit back and earn’ idea in families. The author uses OECD’s database and analyze 17 OECD countries for panel data regression. (OECD, 2005) Mandel and Semyonov (2006) try to understand women participation in labor market and their occupational achievement among welfare state. They assumed that the state has two dimension; as a legislator and as an employer. For both two perspectives, they claimed that family policies in welfare states increase women participation in the workforce. However, this situation does not solve the problem of gender inequality and gender wage gap. Either women get paid with lower salaries because of their ‘excuse time’ or maternal leave is given one-sided which creates an unequal division of labor between father and mother to take care their babies. They analyze 22 countries and their findings depend on Welfare State Intervention Index and Luxemburg Ä °ncome Study. (Mandel Semyonov, 2006) Warnecke (2008) conduct a research about that although Spanish government try to regulate family policies such as maternal leave, child benefits and child provision, why there is a still lower female participation in the workforce. She claims that all social policies’ consequences differ in different countries and on different group of women in one country. In the Spain case; the maternal leave has a negative impact on mother’s decision about returning work force. That is because there is a social support for a traditional division of labor in Spain. Woman who uses maternal leave start to see her child as a main occupation and do not want to reenter her position in the worklife. The author uses one case study as a method for her study.(Warnecke, 2008) Another one case study analyzes Sweden. Evertsson and Duvander (2011) analyze Sweden because that there is flexibility about length of maternal leave. They claimed that if the length of the maternal leave, which is one of the most important family policy as they claim, is more than 3 years, women would become less willing to go back to their job. In addition to this, employers become skeptic about women’s productivity and work effort. Accordingly, even though some women want to go back to their job, they have hard times to find one and because of the less opportunity of finding a job, their salaries are considered as favour by employers and they are generally lower compared to male workers who are count as more constant and reliable for companies. (Evertson Duvander, 2011) Ejnà ¦s (2011) aims to show relationship between family policies and mothers’ choices between work and childcare and perceived occupational consequences of that choices. He analyzes maternal leave and child care in 5 different countries depending on Round 2 of the European Social Survey. He uses â€Å"multivariate logistic regression model† for his research. (Ejnà ¦s, 2011, p. 246) His findings show that long maternal leave policies discourage women to go back to their work but on the other side of the coin, short maternal leave and lack of child care force women to choose early return or unemployment. In the case of mother’s perception, long maternal leave and childcare provision reduce mothers’ negative feeling about their career. METHODOLOGY First of all, family policies and mothers’ perception of career are the main concepts in this research. Family policies aim to increase women participation to labor force and they are regulated by state. These policies try to regulate market itself by taxation or women’s participation to work force. In this research, I will use length of maternal leave as an indicator for family policies. That is because only maternal leave has direct effects on mothers’ daily life. In addition to that, generally, most of the researchers consider that maternal leave is the most important measure. (Henning, Gatermann, Hà ¤gglund, 2012) I will use OECD (2005) database for operating family policies. Another concept is mothers’ perception about their future and present career. I mean that I will research mothers’ feelings and opinion about their present and future career after the maternal leave. What are the effects of state policies on mothers’ subsequent lif e outcomes? I will use mothers’ feeling and opinions about that they whatever they will come back to labor market or not as an indicator. I will use my survey’s result for operating mothers’ perception. Secondly, my research question is the following: is there a relationship between the length of maternal leave and the perception of mothers’ about their career? Accordingly, my hypothesis is that there is a relationship between the length of maternal leave and the negative perception of mothers’ about their career. In this hypothesis, the length of the maternal leave is the dependent variable and mothers’ perception is the independent variable. I measure mothers’ perception in the nominal and ordinal level by doing survey. I use ratio level of measurement for length of maternal leave. I will use qualitative methods to conduct this research. That is because mothers’ perception about their career is an empirical variable. I mean that it is a human behavior and linked to how mothers feel and act. In addition to this, I want to show that deeper causes of mothers’ non-reenter in labor market and I will not use numerical and statistical variables for my research. This kind of variable is measured by qualitative methods. Although qualitative method is the most appropriate method for my research, there are some possible disadvantages. First of all, qualitative methods are more expensive from quantitative methods and it takes more time than other methods. Secondly, in qualitative methods, researches’ bias effect is inevitable but I try to reduce this effect by my research design which I you will show next paragraph. Finally, qualitative methods are not generalizable easily because it is not statistical. I will plan to conduct a survey. This survey should be a personal interview. My target of survey must be mothers who have at least one year work experience before having baby. That is because I want to eliminate mothers who have already no willingness about their future and present career. In addition to that, I will choose mothers that are in the decision making process about their career. This process corresponds to one month ago before that maternal leave is finished. Moreover, interviewers of my research should be women. That is because mothers are more comfortable about their feelings in front of their fellows. As I mentioned above, I have a target group for my research, so my sample must be non-probabilistic and it should be purposiveness. I want to choose sample groups through Austria, France, Denmark, and United State of America, Australia and United Kingdom. I choose first three of them because that they have the longest maternal leave process. I choose United State of Ameri ca, Australia and United Kingdom because that they have the shortest length of maternal leave. (OECD, 2005) After that for each country, I will try to access mothers who have at least one year work experience by using data from public employment offices or ministries of labor. Possible questions that the survey includes will try to figure out women’s perception with as little bias as possible. For instance, participants will be asked how much time they have spent at home just because to take care of their children. This question aims to understand that to what degree women have dependency to their homes and children. Subsequently, the participants will be asked some questions about family policies of their countries. Potential questions for this section would be: (1) How maternal leave affects your feeling and opinions about your business life? (2)Why do you work before having baby? (3) Does your children have any health problem? (4) Do you have any relatives who can help you about childcare? (5) What do you think about the length of maternal leave? (6) Do you think maternal leave changes your perception about your career? (7) Are you divorced/single parent? Question 3 and 4 aim to understand if mothers are not returning their work because of economic difficulties or not and the rest of the questions intend to focus on mothers’ perception and their psychological condition about maternal leave and working after birth. Finally, I want to discuss my measurements’ reliability and validity. It should be known that each respondent has different characteristics. This diversity might reduce our survey reliability. For making my survey is more reliable I will use split half method- designing the same question in different words to eliminate different characteristics of respondents. I assume that these qualitative questions combined with field work will give me consistent results about women’s perception of maternal leave and their participation in the labor force. CONCLUSION AND FURTHER RESEARCH TOPICS In this section, I will discuss further research question that would be asked based on my potential results. First of all, I am aware that even though women perception will give us a different angle while critising family policies of the states, the culture and family structures that women are part of are very influential on women decisions. For this reason, more anthropological researchs can be done to figure out the divergence of reentering decisions of women. Each country can be elaborated with their different cultural rituals and it can be seen that to what extend that particular culture fosters gender stratification. Secondly, I will conduct my research in country-level. But, it is possible that even within a country, the regions can affect policies, perceptions and opportunities of women to return the work life. Thus, regional-level survey may help us to see regional differences if there is any. Finally, I believe the most important aspect of my research is to be based on my main target group, mothers. Thus, in any case the attempt to understand mothers’ perception on maternal leave will be valuable for further researchs both culturally and politically. REFERENCES Ejnà ¦s, A. (2011). The Ä °mpact Of Family Policy And Career Ä °nterruptions Of The Negative Occupational Consequences of Full-Time Home Care. European Societies, 239-256. Evertson, M., Duvander, A.-Z. (2011). Parental Leave- Possibility or Trap? Does Family Leave Lenght Effect Swedish Womens Labour Market Opportunities? European Sociological Review, 435-450. Henning, M., Gatermann, D., Hà ¤gglund, A. E. (2012). Pros and Cons of Family Policies for Mothers Labour Market Participation . Ä °nternational Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 502-512. Mandel, H., Semyonov, M. (2006, may). A Welfare State Paradox: State Ä °nterventations and Womens Employment Opportunities in 22 Countries. American Journal Sociology, 1910-1949. OECD. (2005). Female Labour Force Participation: Past Trends and Main Determinants in OECD Countries. OECD ià §inde, Economic Policy Reforms 2005: Going for Growth (s. 161-174). OECD Publishing. Warnecke, T. L. (2008). Women as Wives, Mothers or Workers: How Welfare Eligibility Requirements Ä °nfluence Womens Labor Force Participation -A Case Study of Spain- . Journal of Economic Ä °ssues, 981-1004. [1] Ejnà ¦s citied this concept from Fraser,N., 1994,’After the family wage; Gender eqiuty adn the welfare state’, Political theory 22(4): 591-618

The internationalization of IKEA into China

The internationalization of IKEA into China Introduction When dealing with international marketing is one of the key points you should consider whether the product or marketing to be standardized or adapted to each local market. The question is one of the most debated in the international marketing literature by authors such as (XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXX). The focal point of this task is the issue between standardization and adaptation in the international campaign. First reviewed a theoretical perspective on the issue, based on Levitts controversial and much omdoskiterede article from XXXXX, XXXXX, followed by an outline of the criticism has been against Levitt and the whole theory about standardization. A critical evaluation of the whole issue of standardizing versus adaptation follows then And finally rounded off with conclusions and further reading. Teoretiske koncepter standadisering versus adaption According to Levitt the most radical of the proponents of standardization thinking there is much in favor of a standardization strategy. In Theodore Levitts article from 1983 (FIND XXXX Overview about Globalization Thoughts Fra pdf med GlobaliseringXXXXX), where he discusses the globalization of markets and the standardization of products and production processes, Levitt stated, Only global companies will achieve long-term success by concentrating on what everyone wants in rather than worrying about the details of what everyone thinks they like His basic idea was to show the need for standardization in industry processes and products to be able to increase the relative quality of falling costs and so the price per item . This idea was founded by awareness of globalization and the coupled development of subsequent homogenization of consumers and their needs. In his book from 1995 The Globalization of Markets in Global Marketing Management. Cases and Readings Levitt argues, first, that markets the world over converge and as a follow consumer preferences worldwide becoming more more uniform. A global demand pattern emerges which can be satisfied through a global and standardized XXXXXudbudXXXXX. Second, a standardization of products and marketing provides an opportunity to achieve economies of scale in production and lower costs. This leads to low price of the products thus freeing resources to product development. Standardization implies that you refrain from accommodating local preferences, and instead concentrate on developing the core qualities of the product. Whatever the preferences in a given time might be for a local custom product, consumers will end up prefer global, standardized products, because of their basic quality and cheap price. If companies want to succeed in the global competition, they should assume that the needs arou nd the world are basically alike. Theodore Levits article in Harvard Business Review in 1983, XXXXX The Globalization of Markets XXXXX since it was created was one of the most controversial marketing hypotheses. Most of the discussion has gone on the accuracy of the Levite central idea, namely that the most successful, future business strategy will be the completely standardized, which takes no account of what is regarded as superficial differences between world markets. Rather than being paralyzed by differences in individual markets to develop global business opportunities to see the similarities between consumers across various markets. Faced with this view highlights the supporters of an increased focus on locating and individual market adjustment that supporters of globalization, including working from an unrealistic understanding of globalization pace where the marketing function apparently globalizing at a faster pace than the consumers, it postulates that turn tilXXXXX Usunier, Jean-Claude, 1997: Marketing Across Cultures, Prentice Hall XXXXX The cultural differences between markets are weighted more heavily than the proponents of globalization expresses particular in connection with marketing communication. The differences between markets outweigh the similarities. Nobody and nothing is solved culture. Both products and consumers should be seen and understood in their cultural context XXXXX Mooij, Marieke those, 1998: Global Marketing and A dvertising: Understanding Cultural Paradoxes, Sage. XXXXX . For example, the companys marketing communication contains a number of standardization immediately obvious benefits of resource characteristics. The idea of one global theme for the companys marketing communication is tempting, but may pose a risk to cultural and linguistic differences between the markets examined. Several brands have thus different image to different markets. Thus connected instance Honda with properties like reliability and quality in the U.S. while the Japanese market, where these properties are considered self-evident, see Honda as an expression of speed, youth and energy XXXXX Aaker, David A. and Joachimsthaler, Erich, The Lure of Global Branding , Harvard Business Review, Vol 77, No. 2, 1999. XXXXX A sales argument would not necessarily have the same appeal in all markets, simply because the text is translated into the language market. Theories that argue against Levitts thoughts on globalization illustrate that standards in general do not meet consumer needs and lifestyles. These theories imply that consumers are becoming more diverse globally, which means that products and services must change with the adjustment and use of standards in the direction of regional segments. The critics of global marketing mean that cultural, political, and economic differences in different countries call for an adaption to local markets XXXXX (Boddewyn, Soehl and Picard 1986; Hill and Still 1984; Quelch and Hoff 1986; Sorenson and Wiechmann 1975; Wind 1986). XXXXX The thought of standadisation is an oversimplification of reality. There are variations between different countries in terms of consumer needs, purchasing power, commercial infrastructure, culture and traditions, laws and regulations, and technological progress. These factors are still to different from country to country so its necessary to adjust the marketing strategy for each market XXXXX (Terpstra Sarathy, 2000) (Standardization versus adaptation of international marketing strategy: an integrative assessment of the empirical research)). XXXXX Common to the authors, highlighting the limitations of standardization strategy is that they point to the cultural differences as one of the key barriers to a standardization strategy. The key concept that has been used to describe the importance of culture in marketing strategy is cultural bind. This suggests that products can be more or less tied to the cultures they consumed, and that the degree of cultural bonding determines whether they can be standardized or not. Food and clothing should therefore be strongly culture-bound products, which are difficult to standardize, while industrial goods are kulturfri, and therefore easier to standardize. In between you place the consumer durables, which more than kulturfri eg food but more culture bound than industrial goods XXXXX (Usunier 1993). XXXXX The classic debate on standardization versus adaptation is increasingly proving to be based on some outdated terms. Culture is the habits and ways of thinking, we take for granted. This is also the understanding of culture that underlie the traditional debate on the Levites point: to what extent can something fit into the existing culture. This papers argument is that it is not so much a question of whether the market is (or marketing) is substantially different from the culture, it must fit in. What matters is rather whether it can operate in different discourses on cultural identity in local markets. Cultural Understanding yesterday to predict the problems and potential misunderstandings arising from different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, the fundamental question of the relationship between marketing and culture in this perspective, to what extent an individual, current marketing strategy or tactic is applicable in another cultural context. The main problem with the Levites argument is that the globalization process basic viewed as driven by demand. This is summarized in the following lines: The uniformity of preferences will inevitably lead to standardization of products of industrial and commercial and business enterprises XXXXX Levitt, Theodore (1983), The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review (May-June) , 92-102. pp 93, XXXXX. But, as we have seen, there is both a strong tendency towards standardization and perhaps even more likely that globalization is carried forward by competitive supply rather than demand side, and that those in each case are not independent of each other. This has opened Levits argument for a critique from various scientists, whereas Levits lack of understanding of the concept of culture and persistent cultural differences in the globalizing world. Yet other theorists XXXXX Robertson, Roland (1992), Globalization: Social Theory and Global Culture, London: Sage. XXXXX Robertson, Roland (1995), Glocalization: Time-Space and Homogeneity-Heterogeneity, M. Featherstone, S. Lash R. Robertson, eds, Global Modernities, London: Sage, 25-44. XXXXX has tried to move beyond this dichotomous debate a counterpart to the debate that has been conveyed in marketing literature on standardized or customized wine promotion (see Wind Douglas comment XXXXX Wind, Yoram and Susan P. Douglas (1988), The Myth of Globalization , Columbia Journal of World Business, Vol 12 (Winter). XXXXX to Levite thesis). Here it is suggested that you talk about glocalisation since both homogenizing (globalizing) and heterogeniserende (localising) processes is an essential part of globalization. Robertson emphasizes this when he sees the local (and location) as a fundamental rather than a conflicting part of globalization. Thus in one sense, such as Levitt argues a homogenization of demand but it is a demand for differences rather than according to uniform, standardized Western products. Levite mistake is to have considered culture as something that exists independently of the market, an external factor, whose consequences (special preferences, etc.) could and would be overcome by so-called objective product qualities. Rather, it shows above that culture is something that is demanded and also very much created the market. In the following we will therefore argue that culture is not such a market external factor, but something that is reflexive. This means that culture is not something that can be taken for granted as if it had an unchanging essence Critical assessment XXXXXXX Contingency Theory: from Product and Promotion adaption in Export Ventures XXXXXXX The term globalization is the last decade become one of the most used and abused buzzword. Just within the marketing area is the concept of globalization somewhat more advanced in years, since it was used by a discipline of great old masters in a seminal article as long as 20 years ago. We refer of course to Theodore Levits article in Harvard Business Review in 1983, The Globalization of Markets XXXXX Levitt, Theodore (1983), The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review (May-June), 92-102. XXXXX This has since been one of the most controversial marketing hypotheses. Most of the discussion has gone on the accuracy of the Levite central idea, namely that the most successful, future business strategy will be the completely standardized, which takes no account of what is regarded as superficial differences between world markets. XXXXX Bauman, Zygmunt (1999), Culture as Praxis, 2nd edition, London: Sage XXXXX Levite argument is the idea that companies can gain competitive advantage by exploiting economies of scale XXXXX Levitt, Theodore (1983), The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review (May-June), 92-102. pp 92]. XXXXX On the one hand it is true that globalization leads to new market conditions, where such is impossible for companies to sit international market development ignored, though they only operate domestically. On the other hand, it has demonstrated how local companies can push their global competitors precisely by emphasizing their local roots. The fact that the local should be a quality in itself, completely overlooked by Levitt XXXXX Ger, Gà ¼liz and Russell W. Belk (1996), Id Like to Buy the World a Coke: Consumption-scapes of the Less Affluent World , Journal of Consumer Policy, 19 (3), 1-34. XXXXX The usual argument for standardization is still out on that brand names and products have a defined meaning which affects the customer when he / she meets these products or brands. But as so aptly demonstrated, is even Coca-Cola (king of global brands) importance universe subject to local interpretations. And even Coca-Colas management has said it is a multi-local rather than a global product XXXXXAskegaard, Soren Fabian Csaba (2001), The Good, the Bad and the Jolly: Taste, Image and Symbolic Resistance To The Coca-Colonization of New Zealand , S. Brown A. Patterson, eds, Imagining Marketing, London: Routledge, 124-140 .. XXXXX also express statement that Coca-Cola is welcomed by alle XXXXX Levitt, Theodore (1983), The Globalization of Markets, Harvard Business Review (May-June), 92-102. pp 93, a XXXXX oversight of the global on Coca-Cola are both preference for and resistance to brand as expressed through the concept of Coca-Colonization which conceals the fact that the American / western lifestyle brand represents, not welcomed by everyone. Neither or Stadardisation and adaption à ¤r tvà ¥ Extremes in marketing. I sin article Kelloggs Internationalisation versus globaliseringen of the marketing mix (2001) Claudio Vignali cites Terpstra, V. and Sarathy, R. (1994) for writing att nà ¤r adopting a helt localized marketing strategy only coincidental ligheder EXIST. Completely standardised marketing is identical in all markets. Neither extreme in Usually used. I wish to give some examples of how various multinational companies engaged in or have used the global market. The examples are taken from international journals, and gives each of them an insight into situations that underpins kompleksitetetn in a global markedsfà ¦rinbgs maneuver. First beskrivesd viorksomheder and products briefly, then Objectives, Strategies, and challenges etableret and encounters and Endelig the responses, resultater, og er rekommendationer Collected. The two cases chosen are, respectively, McDonalds and IKEA. These cases are particularly interesting b ecause it has two large viorksomheder whose basic concept is tight concept management and standardizing for obtaining econmicies of scale in both marketing, sales and production. These descriptions provide examples of how, despite that we have a standardization strategy must adapt to local markets because of culture. Foreign Markets: An Integrated Approach Research shows that standardization of marketing solutions determines the use of the same marketing mix in throughout the global marketplace, but standardization is often not used to companies due to differences in language, culture, consumer preferences, laws and regulations, marketing infrastructure and competition structure in various countries. Complete adaptation of marketing solutions are not suitable because in this case, companies can not use the advantages of scale economics, marketing knowledge and information acquired in other markets. But adaptation helps companies to evaluate and effectively use cultural differences foreign markets and different products, their properties and potential use. Recent research shows that changes in the global market affected by globalization has changed also solutions of international marketing: looking for a successful international performance companies do not have to choose one end, and companies that can combine multiple options to meet consumer needs in the global market and to pursue their goals more effectively. The purpose of the global m arketing strategy is to find an optimal combination of integration and rationalization of operations and settlement systems in a global market. Standardization in International Retailing: Transferring Storebrand Image Salmon and Tordjman (1989) introduced one of the most recognized classifications of international sales strategies. This classification can be viewed in terms of global / multinational strategies and the implications for standardization or adaptation of marketing activities and the seat of decision making for the international distributor. The authors define a global strategy that faithful replication of a notion abroad, which corresponds to a formula already established in the country. According to the authors, a company that has decided to choose this strategy is a homogeneous consumer audience with similar lifestyles and expectations. These companies were seen as McDonalds and IKEA. The means to achieve such a strategy is to use a standardized marketing lists. This implies that companies use a standardized or similar retail mix in each of the foreign markets they have entered. Specific product range and stor e format, services, marketing and advertising strategies, pricing policies and store layout is more or less standardized, in whatever country they operate. But as the authors note, are global retailers over the two controversies. The first is the need to adapt to local markets and thus satisfy consumer expectations, and the second is to utilize their corporate resources in order to benefit from the economies of scale derived from a standardization strategy. The authors state that the original concept or the uniqueness and distinctiveness of a product, combined with business acumen, is the competitive advantage for global retailers succeed. Besides this, these products have a long life, thus reducing the risk associated with them as fashion items. McDonalds is the world, aos largest fast-food restaurant chain. It has more than 30,000 restaurants in over 100 countries. McDonalds Corporation is the worlds largest seller of hamburgers and other fast foods. Although largely an American operation, and one of the best known American symbols, most of income from activities outside the USA. In its 2000 annual report XXXXXXXX, states that 62 percent of their annual revenue is allocated to operations outside America. This provides an interesting situation for a company that has built his empire out from doing all the food produced the same. Hamburg They have exactly the same size, the same amount of pickles are put on each bun, and milkshakes are measured with extreme precision. McDonalds business model is basically the same regardless of which country it goes to, but there are local differences, the company may face. The case of McDonalds ice dircribed pà ¥ article McDonalds: Think global, act local the marketing mix (Vignali XXXXXXXX. McDonalds expand globally mens Adjusting sina local communities. McDonalds er standadised in large scale, men de har allso adapted to the local Markets fordi of Religious Laws, Costume eller kultur. In Israel two mà ¸der Kosher Tradition Big Macs gà ¥r utan cheeseburger served two separate Meat and Diary products. In India de har serve Vegetablke McNuggets Mutton-based Maharaja Mac (Big Mac) as Hindus do not eat meat. Muslims Do Not eat pork and McDonalds ice rewarded med halal certificate att sometimes advocates total Absence of pork pà ¥ muxlim lande. In its 2000 annual report is based on three elements: A) Adding restaurants, B) Improve revenue and profit existing restaurants, and C) to improve international profitabi lity in a culturally sensitive way. This implies that a McDonalds opening in a foreign country does more than just change its menus. It adapts its operating manual for the convenience of the local franchisee. Quote from report: Maximizing sales and profits at existing restaurants will be done through better management, reinvestment, product development and refinement of effective marketing and lower development and operating costs. Improved international profitability will be realized as economies of scale are achieved in different markets, and since it is covered by the global infrastructure. .. Another case of a largely standadised company is IKEA. I artiklen A standardized approach to the world? IKEA in China,( Johannson, U. and Thelander, A., 2009), giver forfatterne et indblik i de udfordringer IKEA har haft med global markedsfà ¸ring i en casebeskrivelse af deres introduktion og markedsfà ¸ring i Kina. IKEA har med stor succes standardiseret al markedsfà ¸ring og roll out i store dele af verden, men Kina blev en speciel udfordring, hvor standadiseringskonceptet ikke var gangbar pga. markedets, isà ¦r, kulturelle forskelle. IKEA expanded to China in 1998. The main target group are women, because they were considered those who make decisions at home. IKEA believes its core customer to be around 30 years old. This target group are the generation born under the one child policy and they are believed to be impulsive, easy to influence, very social and committed to leading international consumer brands. In most countries image of IKEA is a company with low prices. In China the opposite is true. The main strategy has been to reduce prices and make the IKEA in China for the low cost concept (roughly) as known ra worldwide. IKEA stores in China is closer to town than stores in other parts of the world where they are usually located well outside city centers. In China, consumers have less access to cars and butikkernw have to be public transport routes. Nevertheless, IKEA built 700 parking spaces under a shop in Shanghai in anticipation of that shopping patterns will change. In China there is not a DIY culture Chinas consumers are using the store as social venues. For them it is a pleasant environment and a completely removed from other furnishings stores in China where you do not have permission to feel and touch the product. People in Shanghai shop may still be seen apparently sleeping in beds and on sofas and read a book with their feet on the tables. Rather than address the issue, IKEA staff hopes that these same people will later return as customers. While IKEA is often seen as a model for standardization among retailers, it is clear that it has had to make significant adjustments in China. Offers an attractive and unusual product was never alone will be enough. IKEA claims that the worst is now getting established in China, and that experience will stand it in good Instead, as it expands into other culturally-different markets. IKEA will argue that it has adapted, while remaining true to its business concept. But its experience also shows that there are limits to how far a company can go with standardization, and how far along this road consumers are willing to be taken. XXXXXStandardization / Adaptation of Marketing Solutions in Companies Operating in Foreign Markets: An Integrated ApproachXXXXXX Research shows that standardization of marketing solutions is crucial for applying the same marketing mix throughout the global marketplace, but standardization is often no use to companies because of differences in language, culture, consumer preferences, laws and regulations, marketing infrastructure and competition structure in different countries. Complete adaptation of marketing solutions is also not useful because in that case, firms can not use the benefits of scale economics, marketing knowledge and information acquired in other markets. But adaptation helps companies to evaluate and effectively use cultural differences foreign markets as well as separate products, their properties and potential use. Recent research shows that changes in the global market affected by globalization has changed also solutions of international marketing: looking for a successful international performance companies need not select one end, and companies that can combine multiple options to meet consumer needs for global market and pursue its goals more effectively. The objectives of the global marketing strategy is to find an optimal combination of integration and rationalization of operations and settlement systems in a global market. Standardization versus adaptation of international marketing strategy: an integrative assessment of the research empirisk To overcome the above polarization, a third group of researchers offer a contingency perspective on the standardization / adaptation debate. In their view: (a) standardization or adaptation should not be viewed in isolation from each other, but as two ends of the same continuum, where the degree of corporate marketing strategy standardization / adaptation can vary between them (b) the decision to standardize or adapt marketing strategy is tailored to the specific situation and this should be the result of a thorough analysis and assessment of relevant contingency factors prevailing in a particular market at a given time and (c) the appropriateness of the chosen level of strategy standardization / adaptation shall be assessed on the basis of its impact on company performance in international markets (Quelch Hoff, 1986; Onkvisit Shaw, 1987, Jain, 1989; Cavusgil Zou, 1994) . Therefore, the challenge for the international firm is to determine what specific elements of the strategy is possible or desirable to standardize or adapt the conditions under which and to what extent. Konklusion og videre là ¦sning Konklutionen I To what extent should a consumei goods multinational corporation vary its marketing from country to countryl Konklusion à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Should marketers attempt to standardize their products and marketing communications so as to minimize the costs of doing business internationally? Or should they adapt their products and messages depending on the market in which they wish to operate? XXXXXInternational markedskommunikation XXXXXStandardization/Adaptation of Marketing Solutions in Companies Operating in Foreign Markets: An Integrated ApproachXXXXXX I denne artikel har vi prà ¸vet at efterkomme opfordringen til at komme ud over at  »pjaske rundt pà ¥ overfladen af sà ¸en «, nà ¥r det drejer sig om at studere relationen mellem marketing og kultur [11].Inden for marketing er indstillingen til kultur, mà ¥ske ikke overraskende, dybt forankret i den vestlige modernismes tendens til at  »Ãƒ ¦ndre forskel til essens « [20: 80]. Imidlertid minder  »skaberne « (etnoskaber, teknoskaber osv.) os om, at kultur praktiseres og konstitueres ud fra praksis [1]; [12]; [20: 81]. Endvidere bliver vi mindet om marketings rolle som et globalt system, der frembringer forskellige identitetsrum: livsstil, kultur, subkultur, etnicitet, hybridisering, kreolisering osv. I lyset af dette bliver markedsfà ¸rte varer til materielle manifestationer af ideen om kultur, af  »det kulturelle ideoskab «, som vist ved eksemplet med belizisk madkultur [36]. Dette bà ¸r ikke lede os til at forveksle và ¦sentliggà ¸relse med và ¦sen. Det er ikke, fordi mange forbrugere enten sà ¸ger efter eller har en opfattelse af deres egen faste kulturelle identitet, at vi som forskere kan konkludere, at en sà ¥dan eksisterer, og markedsanalytikere har hidtil và ¦ret tilbà ¸jelige til at ignorere de indviklede forhold, der gà ¦lder inden for kulturelle udviklingsprocesser.  »Sà ¥ là ¦nge kulturel mangfoldighed bliver forstà ¥et som en mangfoldighed af kulturer, kan kulturstuderende kun se tvà ¦rkulturel kommunikation og tvà ¦rkulturel sammenligning som et af deres centrale problemer « [6: xlv] . For et marketing- og forbrugerforskningsmiljà ¸, der interesserer sig for den kulturelle dimension i international marketing, betyder dette, at komparativ analyse ikke là ¦ngere er det mest indlysende mà ¥l for forskningsaktiviteter, men snarere et udgangspunkt. Kultur, snarere end en forklarende struktur af và ¦sentlige trà ¦k, bliver et paradigme, pà ¥ basis af hvilket marketingpraktikeres og forbrugeres praksis og tilgang fà ¥r betydning for forskerne. Kultur er ikke et studieobjekt, men et nà ¸dvendigt perspektiv for at fà ¥ indsigt i det menneskelige samfunds struktur og forandringsprocesser. Referencer

The Unfulfilled Elisa in John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums Essay

The Unfulfilled Elisa in John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a short story in The Long Valley, a collection of short stories by John Steinbeck. This story dramatizes the efforts made by a housewife, Elisa Allen, to compensate for the disappointments which she has encountered in her life. Steinbeck makes it clear that Elisa yearns for something more in her life then the everyday routines of farm life. While Elisa is portrayed as strong, in the end, her strength serves to be insufficient in having the courage to effect any real change in her life since her fragile self-esteem proves to be too susceptible to outside forces. From the beginning of the short story, Steinbeck emphasizes that Elisa is a strong, competent woman who finds her considerable energy channeled into things, such as her garden, which never give her the sort of recognition or satisfaction that she craves. For a brief moment, she senses that she is capable of much more and feels her own strength only to, once again, have a man bring down her efforts, and her self-esteem. The story opens with Elisa working in her garden. Steinbeck makes a point of telling the reader that she is thirty-five. Her age at once implies a woman almost at her middle-age who may be reexamining the dreams of her youth as she contemplates the second half of her life. Steinbeck emphasizes Elisa’s strength as he writes, â€Å"Her face was eager and mature and handsome† (Steinbeck 279). Her husband, Henry, comes back to the house having just completed the sell of some cattle. He is complimentary towards her gardening and comments on her talent. He sugg ests that she put her talent to work in the orchard growing apples, and Elisa considers his offhand comment seriously,... ...’s nature which yearns for expression. For a moment, she feels she touched on such a shared intimacy with the tinker and it is easy to see why she could have been so easily mistaken because the tinker does imply that he also has that sort of aesthetic sensibility when he describes the chrysanthemums which will bloom later in the summer, â€Å"Kind of a long-stemmed flower? Looks like a quick puff of colored smoke?† (282). When the tinker casts her plants aside, it is almost as if he cast aside Elisa’s dreams as well. It’s not just this brief episode that makes Elisa’s cry, but what is really upsetting her is the thought of a future where she feels unfulfilled and unchallenged. Work Cited Steinbeck, John. "The Chrysanthemums." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 6th ed. New York: Harper Collins, 1995. 239-47.

Jane Goodall :: essays papers

Jane Goodall Jane Goodall is one of the world’s most admired women, acclaimed scientist, and conservationist (www.nationalgeographic.com). The work that she does is called ethology, which is the study of animal behavior. Such a successful woman has numerous admirable qualities. She has contributed greatly to society as well as to the animal kingdom. Her research paved the way for countless primate studies, and has changed the way many people view chimpanzees. Trying to narrow down only three admirable qualities about her is difficult, since she has so many. To me, her most admirable qualities are her patience and persistence to understand animals, her research involving chimpanzees, and her contributions she has made to the world by establishing various institutions. Studying chimpanzees is not an easy task. Subsequently, Jane Goodall made it look as simple as doing everyday activities. When she started the research, the chimpanzees fled from her in fear. It took many months for her to get close to them. With patience and persistence, she searched the forest everyday, deliberately trying not to get too close to them. Everyday she did this for many months. On some days Jane would observe the chimpanzees through binoculars from a peak overlooking the forest, just so she wouldn’t disturb their natural behavior. Gradually over a long period of time the chimpanzees became accustomed to her. At this time, she would be able to move up to them and just sit there and study them. She believed that this was her breakthrough in her research. Jane tells us â€Å"I must find a way to watch free, wild animals living their own, undisturbed lives. I wanted to learn things that no one else knew, uncover secrets through patient observation. I wanted to co me as close to talking to animals as I could (www.nationalgeographic.com).† To be able to have such patience and persistence is remarkable. Jane’s scientific discoveries have laid the foundation for all future primate studies. Her interest was studying the chimpanzees to gain insight into humans’ evolutionary past. Her observations have changed the way researchers and everyday individuals view chimpanzees. Jane had observed chimpanzees making and using tools for different reasons, such as using straws for extracting termites from nests. Her studies have showed many similarities between humans and chimpanzees, this discovery had amazed the world. The longer her research continued, the more it became obvious how like people chimpanzees really are. Some people believed that her research would last only a few months, however it has become the longest field study on any animal species in their natural surroundings (www.

Chaos and Literary Comparison Essay -- compare and contrast essay examp

Chaos and Literary Comparison   Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: I will show how chaos is can be found in art, specifically in literature, and analyze John Hawkes's Travesty to show the similarities between literature and chaos.    John Hawkes describes the "artistic challenge" as conceiving the inconceivable. In accordance with that thought, Wallace Stevens says, "Imagination is the power that enables us to perceive the normal in the abnormal." It is arguable that chaos, deterministic disorder, is both abnormal and inconceivable to the untrained mind; even to the person accustomed to chaos, the imagination is key to his/her perception of chaos. Therefore, chaos can be found not only in nature and scientific studies, but also in art, specifically literature. This assertion can be proved most easily through an analysis of John Hawkes's Travesty.    The short novel takes place in a speeding elegant sports car. The driver, who is the narrator, refers to himself as Papa. Papa is driving his daughter and a poet and family "friend," Henri. While driving, Papa informs them that he is aware of Henri's affair with both Papa's daughter and wife, and he is going to crash the car and all of its passengers into the stone wall of a desolate farmhouse. His purpose for this violent action is not, as would be easily concluded, to get revenge--that would simply be a bonus; his real purpose is to produce art. Papa is somewhat of an artist, and he has decided that the ultimate aesthetic is produced by the melding of the automobile into a new complex array according to his mental blueprint:    One moment the car in perfect condition, without so much as a scratch on its curving surface the next moment impact, sheer impact. Total destruction. In... ...s difficult to understand without the help of an active imagination. If imagination spurs art, then art and chaos can be easily intertwined. Hawkes has produced a story, a piece of art in itself, that incubuses chaos, but it also contains an explanation of chaos as artwork and how the two relate. Often people only see the final product of both chaos and art; it is possible and easy to forget about the process and the plan behind them.    Works Cited Conte, Joseph M. "Design and Debris": John Hawkes's Travesty, Chaos Theory, and the Swerve. Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science. New York: Viking, 1987. Hawkes, John. Travesty. New York: New Directions, 1976. Hayles, N. Katherine. Chaos Bound: Orderly Disorder in Contemporary Literature and Science. Ithica: Cornell UP, 1990. Stevens, Wallace. The Collected Poems. New York: Knopf, 1954.

Socratic Seminar Questions

English 1-2 1984 Socratic Seminar Questions 3. Reading and writing for pleasure promotes independent thought, but it is not dangerous. It lets you express how you are really feeling inside. It is something private that you decide whether or not someone may look at it. In the beginning of the book 1984, Winston writes in his notebook. He hesitated about it for a while before he actually began writing. He let out what was going through his mind, it was going really well but then he suddenly stopped writing. The thought that he could get caught terrified him. Big Brother considers writing and reading for pleasure to be dangerous.If people were to read and write they would realize what has been going on, and this would bring an end to Big Brother. 4. Revisionism still exists today, and we have been victims of it without us even knowing. When we were younger we would learn about Christopher Columbus and how he sailed on three ships and how he reached the Americas were he kindly greeted th e Native Americans. But is this really what happened? What they didn’t tell us was how Columbus committed genocide. He deliberately slaughtered so many of these indigenous people. Him and his crew raped, tortured, burned, and killed these Natives.We have been victims of revisionist history. I do agree that knowledge of history is powerful. If you are able to control history, you control the past. In 1984 Winston works in the Ministry of Truth were he changes the history to make it seem like Big Brother is always right. That is why the people had a blind fold over their eyes. They couldn’t realize what was really going because of the rewriting of history. 6. Thought crime, according to the book 1984 is thinking of anything that the Thought Police and the Party says is illegal. Illegal is anything that creates individuality. Individuality for the party is not good.I do believe a form of â€Å"thoughtcrime† exists in our society today. We have our own way of thinki ng that might not go along with what society or the government believes. The government has laws that many people do not agree with. But we really can’t do anything about it. We have our own thoughts that the government may not like, but the government can’t do anything about that either. 5. In the book 1984 technology helps the Party control Oceania. Today technology functions through television, radio, phones, cameras, satellites, and the internet. I believe it is used for evil. Yes, technology an be very helpful, but is it really needed? Back in time people didn’t have much technology and they were still happy. Technology now a day is used for evil things. Many people cyber bully. Because of cyber bullying many children have committed suicide. This is what technology has led to. Music is also a big part in technology that is very influential in technology. The music we hear daily have messages behind them. Most of the music is about sex, revenge, getting drun k, doing drugs, and many other things. This is what our brain is recording, these messaged are in our head. That is why I think technology can be evil.

Pride and Prejudice Argumentative Essay Essay

Part I assign three of the identity categories below and figure of speech or describe at to the lowest degree 3 related classifys for from each one run a flair Ethnicity Religion gender Sexual predilection Age Disability Category emboss 1 pigeonhole 2 Stereotype 3 Religion Fanatical Christians Islam extremists every mormons argon poligamists Gender Men should neer cry Women foot be in power because of Pink is for girls their periods Age As you get older you cannot learn aged hatful atomic number 18 not as sharp as Old tidy sum argon not interested in new things younger people wind .Part II come each question in 50 to cytosine words related to those stereotypes. post citations for whole the sources you use. What atomic number 18 the irrefutable aspects of stereotypes, if any? some(prenominal) stereotypes commit been found to have a positive prognosis of certain groups by other minority groups, Asian Americans atomic number 18 admired for placi ng a high entertain on intellectual and professional consummation and having strong family ties, Hispanic Americans defecate abstruse pride in their culture and consort strong to achieve a improve life (R.Schaefer, 2012), African Americans have make a valuable contribution to American Society and will work hard when given a chance (National congregation of Christians and Jews 1994).Another positive aspect of stereotyping (and I had to dig to find it) is that middle-class or afflcuent African Americans feelings of self esteem and self-image ar more positive than those of comparable Whites. Our text edition does not tell us why just that it has been measured and exists and that one positive aspect. What are the negative aspects of stereotypes?Stereotyping has caused people to view certain groups of people in a negative light, even though people do not express such(prenominal)(prenominal) views openly, mischief and stereotyping still exists. In an member written by Tim Gi ago, National Media Should apprehend Using Obscene Words, Tim describes how the circumstance Redskins is so readily used in footb wholly and how derogatory it is to nab for autochthonal Americans. He the likes ofns the use of this term to such terms as nigger, grievous bodily harm, kike, and wop, and expresses how ridiculous it is to hear the fans doing the tomahawk chop.This is modern day stereotyping in a negative federal agency and it should be stopped. Why do sizable corporations have the right to offend and stereotype? This should be stopped. Part III Answer each question in 50 to 150 words related to those stereotypes. Provide citations for all the sources you use. Define stereotypes and blemish. What is the difference amidst stereotyping and prepossess? Use examples to illustrate the differences. consort to racial and Ethnic Groups, by R. Schaefer, stereotypes are unreliable, exaggerated generalizations well-nigh all members of a group that do not take individual d ifferences into account.Prejudice is a negative attitude toward an correct category of people, such as a racial or ethnic minority. The difference amid prejudices and stereotypes is that prejudice is learned over time by people who influence a mortal as they are growing up and books, movies, Internet and tv also influence a part in a psyche becoming prejudice. Stereotypes are beliefs about people which are generally trustworthy that are based on something previously accepted about them. Examplese of some stereotypes are all women are bitches, or all Arabs are terrorists.Examples of prejudices are being dismayed if you are on the bus and pull in a cordially ill person get on the bus because you are afraid that they may become violient. Statistic generate that mentally ill people are no more or less(prenominal) prone to violence than normal people, gratify see this link about mental illness and violence http//depts. washington. edu/mhreport/facts_violence. php What is the relationship between stereotyping and prejudice? Stereotyping and prejudice are not the same but can have the appearance _or_ semblance similar in a elbow room, save the difference is important.There can be a stereotype about girls just now like pink and boys only like to play with guns but a prejudice is when you are racist or have a negative attitude toward an entire category of people (R. Schaefer, 2012). What can be done to prevent prejudice from occurring? renewing training and awareness is a way to prevent prejudice from occurring in the workplace. learning about diversity is a way to prevent it at schools. Much canvass has been done about the prevention of prejudice but unfortunately if the training and/or education is not followed up with apply and further education and training it can lead to people going underpin to their old habits.This means that we must be diligent about fighing prejudice in our society, in our homes, at work, and in our schools. www. wikipedia . org apparitional fanaticism http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Religious_fanaticism Main Street promenade www. latterdaymainstreet. com A Community for Anyone Interested in Mormonism. Religious Stereotypes Venn Diagram According To Google spread out Mormon Edition www. religious-stereotypes-venn-diagram-according-to-google-expanded-mormon-edition Cracked. com 5 Gender Stereotypes That Used To Be the Exact opposite By J. F. Sargent April 24, 2012.http//www. cracked. com/article_19780_5-gender-stereotypes-that-used-to-be-exact-opposite. htmlixzz2KNtJBSML www. discoveryfit&health. com 10 Stereotypes just about Aging (That Just Arent True) by Tom Scheve and Christine Venzon http//health. howstuffworks. com/wellness/aging/aging-process/5-stereotypes-about-aging6. htm Racial and Ethnic Groups, Thirteenth edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. published by Merrill Prentice Hall. Copyright 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.