Managing Diversities and Equal Opportunities †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Managing Diversities and Equal Opportunities. Answer: Introduction: The literary column has implied that gender inequality in the workplace of most of the Japanese firms has not been changed and the government is continuously trying to improvise the situation. The column is indicative of the fact that foreign investment can play a triumphant role in mitigating the issue as foreign companies have started to promote the significance to promote female employment. The column has been found extremely relevant as it not only shows the current place of gender diversity in the country but also has suggested a convenient way. The article indicates that it is a staple issue in Japan that the country lacks low number of female physicians in health care organizations. The article indicates that the female physicians need to have a working atmosphere that has gender diversity, part-time job option and flexible shift-timing. The article is significant enough for the present context as it implies the health care sector of Japan is also suffering from lack of gender diversity. The article has purposefully conducted a research to identify the role of foreign investment, foreign share ownership and local actors in constructing a global workplace with gender diversity. The article indicates that foreign share ownership and the experts of CSR have significant contribution than local heroes in improving the condition of gender diversity in Japan. The article is relevant based on the fact that it has indicated the indifference of most of local investors but also has pointed out how foreign share ownership can be utilized to mitigate the issue of gender diversity. The article investigates to identify to which extent, women managers and their participation impacts on workplace and productivity of an organization. The article findings show positive result and indicate that there is a strong relationship between women participation, gender diversity and corporate performance. The article is relevant for the present topic as it indicates the necessity of gender diversity for corporate performance. The article establishes the fact that employment barriers for the regular women workers in Japan have not been mitigated till now. The article have used an analytical design of workplace masculinity through which the article has recognized the particular way through which vertical segregation of sex is legitimized in organizations. With the help of the particular framework, the author has indicated that Japanese business firms need to improvise the prospects for women workers. The article has been proved to be one of the most relevant resources for the topic as it has fruitfully implied how women workers in Japan are being deprived for gender inequality. The distinct academic article has chiefly concentrated on the emerging contribution of foreign on the role and significance of female workers in Japanese workplaces. More precisely, it has been understood from the article that it is a true fact that among the foreign-acquired organizations in Japan, the role of female employees is started to get acknowledgement recently. However, the article strongly points out that instead of gaining acknowledgement lately, the fundamental condition of the women employees and the orthodox attitude towards them have not been changed. The findings presented in the article is indicative of the fact that change of ownership may bring necessary change in practice though, in order to change the orthodox patter of addressing contribution of female workers, it is required to acquire wide societal shift. The contents in the article are identified to be relevant to the considered topic and inform about the truth that till now the aspect of gender diversity has not been adopted appropriately by most of the Japanese organizations. The article informs that business firms having female outside authority or director serves lower costs the publicly traded organizational debt. Furthermore, it indicates that the governance of female outside director in stimulating corporate governance and firm characteristics have helped varied Japanese organization to avoid debt. The article significantly highlights the importance of gender diversity and the contribution of female directors in lowering corporate debts. Therefore, it is a relevant piece of literature for the present purpose. The article informs about the fact that the number of women entrepreneurs and their contribution to Japans economy is increasing in the contemporary era in Japan. The article inaugurates its concentration by indicating that the number of both female and male entrepreneurs in Japan is relatively less than other countries. The article informs that a long term support system along with potential connection between business supporters and business owners from family is required for maximizing the involvement of women entrepreneurs and workers in Japan. The article is significant for the considered topic as it infers that Japan is growing with women entrepreneurs and it will benefit the nations economy in near future. References: Abe, Y., Javorcik, B., Kodama, N. (2016). Multinationals and Female Employment: Japanese Evidence. Centre for Economic Policy Research. Arima, M., Araki, Y., Iseki, S., Mitaka, C., Hirai, N., Miyazaki, Y. (2016). Openness to Gender and Work-Term Diversity among Physicians in Japan: A Study of Alumni from a Japanese Medical School. Diversity Equality in Health and Care. Mun, E., Jung, J. (2013). Local Construction of a Global Standard: Foreign Share Ownership and Workplace Gender Diversity in Japan. Nakagawa, Y., Schreiber, G. M. (2014). Women As Drivers Of Japanese Firms' Success: The Effect Of Women Managers And Gender Diversity On Firm Performance. Journal of Diversity Management (Online), 9(1), 19. Nemoto, K. (2013). When culture resists progress: masculine organizational culture and its impacts on the vertical segregation of women in Japanese companies. Work, employment and society, 27(1), 153-169. Olcott, G., Oliver, N. (2014). The impact of foreign ownership on gender and employment relations in large Japanese companies. Work, employment and society, 28(2), 206-224. Tanaka, T. (2014). Gender diversity in the boards and the pricing of publicly traded corporate debt: evidence from Japan. Applied Financial Economics, 24(4), 247-258. Welsh, D. H., Memili, E., Kaciak, E., Ochi, M. (2014). Japanese women entrepreneurs: implications for family firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 52(2), 286-305.

Measuring and Evaluating Sustainability Ethics Indexes

Question: Discuss about the Measuring and Evaluating Sustainability for Ethics Indexes. Answer: Introduction Sustainability ensures that the requirement of the present are met without affecting the future generations ability to meet their requirements. Thus, a balance is required to be maintained between the past and future by considering the social, environmental and economic resources. According to Bell and Morse, 2008, the definition of sustainability and the ways it can be measured is being continuously argued (Bell and Morse, 2008). According to the UNEP, 2011, there is an ongoing discussion on Green Economy by the UN which states that a green economy leads to a better social life by decreasing the risk of environment (UNEP, 2011). According to SAFA, 2012, maintaining the overall sustainability requires proper governing body to address the economic, social and environment factors (SAFA, 2012). Considering this factor, a number of indicators and measurements have been created to achieve the desired results. According to Bell and Morse, 2008, if the business is only looking after the profits by reducing its costs and not considering the environment, social and economic impact then the sustainability is weak (Bell and Morse, 2008). BHP Billiton: Company Profile BHP Billiton is the worlds largest mining company in terms of market values and is into the business of mining, metals and petroleum. The company is headquartered at Melbourne, Australia. It is one of the largest producers of the commodities which includes iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and uranium. The company is also into the production of oil, gas and energy coal. The main operations of extraction are being carried out in Australia and America. The company has a huge network of its supply across the world with Singapore, America and Houston as the major ones. The company is listed as BHP Billiton Ltd and BHP Billiton Plc and run its operations under dual listed company structure as a combined group called BHP Billiton. The company has employed over sixty five thousand employees and contractors. The company ensures the health and safety of its employees to create a healthy environment culture. The company strongly believes in creating meaningful contributions to the society a nd building a long term relationship with them through its sustainability model approach. The company has a long term strategy to run its large operations which are flexible and are diversified by the commodity, markets and geography. Its tactfully designed strategy has helped to build a sustainable model by delivering great margins throughout for many years. The company has been able to maximize its profits and returns through its diversified and low cost process and has a robust financial performance track record for many years which has delivered long term value to the shareholders. The company has a highly skilled workforce which has helped to deliver high performance. The firms employees are committed towards their work and reflect the values of the organization. They work very hard to achieve the desired results and have s strong commitment to the company. Sustainability Dimensions Sustainability is vital for any corporation and supports to integrate the environmental, social and economic factors into the decision making process. It ensures the health and safety of the suppliers, contractors and people residing in the local area. It ensures that the use of natural resources does not have any adverse impact on the environment. It creates long term relationships with the community. Socio-cultural sustainability is must for a business to run its operations successfully. It ensures that the corporation makes products that would build better lives for the people. It understand that it has corporate social responsibility and works towards the welfare of the community. It sources the materials responsibly for its business operations. BHP Billiton produces major commodities such as iron ore, metallurgical coal, uranium and copper and has also business in conventional and unconventional oil and gas and energy coal (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015). It responsibly sources its material from the Olympic Dam in Australia (BHP Billiton, 2016). The corporation fully understands its corporate social responsibility and strongly contributes towards the societal welfare by aliasing with the government, communities and other partners for the social and economic development. Environment sustainability ensures that the firms make use of the available resources very tactfully. The firm has to abide by the laws and regulations of the country. It has to run its business operations safely, efficiently and responsibly. Also the business practices ensure that in case there is any undesirable impact of the product on the external environment then it tries to control or minimize it. BHP Billiton is highly committed towards ensuring environmental management and understands the demonstration of environmental responsibility. It tries to minimize its requirement for environmental management by minimizing the impact within their local region. Economic sustainability provides a firms profitability. The firm has to strategically manage the customer cost as well as consumer cost so that the product is being used by them. The company has to make sure that the products it makes are being demanded by the customer. It has to understand that purchasing local goods and services would add to the economy of the country. It must pay taxes to support the community. BHP Billiton has been able to maximize its profits through strategically managing its operational costs and product costs. BHP Billiton has built an environmental management system which has been certified by the Australian government Standard AS/NZS ISO 14001. BHPs Health, Safety, Environment and Community Management Standards prescribe the roles and responsibilities of the company to abide by the environmental laws of the country. PESTEL Analysis Political Factors Political factors involve terrorism, civil unrest, introduction of government acts and policies, nationalization, lease permits (BHP Sustainability Report, 2015). Economic Factors Inflation could lead to an increase in labor costs, energy costs, operations costs, exploration expenses and cost of material. Fluctuation in currency would again impact the company economically (BHP Sustainability Report, 2015). Social Factors Social factors include developing the infrastructure for schools, houses and roads which adds to the company cost (BHP Sustainability Report, 2015). Technological Factors BHP Billiton depends on technology to run its operations such as exploring and discovering mines which is a further expense for the company. Environmental Factors BHP Billiton is a natural resources company and is adversely affected by the environmental laws, regulations and public policies. The company always faces the fear of losing its operating license and has to mandatorily abide by the environmental laws of the country (BHP Sustainability Report, 2015). Legal Factors The law suits impact the future decisions and operations of the company. Assessment of Monitoring Indicators The report has discussed all the three sustainability dimension which are social, economic and environment. One of these dimensions would be analyzed and assessed to construct the indicators that can be monitored. Environment sustainability is most crucial dimension in this case because the firms core business is to exploit the natural resources on the earth. Thus, the firm has to make sure that it fully stands responsible for controlling the impact of its business operations on the environment. The report would analyze this dimension in detail by discussing firms contributions towards environment. Environment Sustainability BHP Billiton is into the business of producing mines and coals which requires exploring the natural resources. BHP Billiton has a great responsibility towards minimizing its impact on environment to save the land, biodiversity, water and air from the adverse effects. The report shall discuss the key indicators for the sustainability of the environment in Australia. The process of extraction of coals and mines leads to the emission of green house gases in the environment which is a very adverse phenomenon. Extraction of coals and mines is done from the natural resources which make the land infertile by extracting all the minerals and useful ingredients. The land cannot be used for vegetation because of its infertility. The production process of coal and mine liberates harmful and toxic waste materials of mined rocks which requires proper disposal and cannot be just thrown out on the land or disposed in the river because it would threaten the marine life. Thus, the huge waste disposal is a big challenge. Mining process adversely affects the surrounding environment and land by the liberation of chemicals and toxic waste. It pollutes the land and makes the nearby land inhabitant for the people. Coal production liberates heavy amount of carbon in the air which pollutes the air and can have very disastrous effects in the near future. The process of production makes use of water, which is already available in scarce quantity. The production requires water in good quality and quantity for its use. With the rising population in the world water needs to be conserved and usage of water for mining would create a scarcity of water by exploiting its resources. The production of oil and gas pollutes the groundwater resources through its drilling and hydraulic fracturing process. The process makes use of toxic chemical which could have an adverse impact on the quality of the groundwater and the exploitation of groundwater well could affect the other groundwater wells. In order to do so the corporation has taken steps to address the issue by identifying the opportunities that provides service to the environmental resilience. It has taken following steps to proceed further in the activity: Sustainability Measures There are various methods to measure the indicators of sustainability direct, representative and performance measures. The easiest way to measure the sustainability indicator is to measure it directly. The land that has been impacted by the extraction of ores and mineral can directly measured through ground survey or satellite imagery. It can be measured through comparing with the historical trend and evaluate whether its fertility is increasing or decreasing. Representative indicators would help to measure a larger impact on the system and can used to determine the impact on the marine life living in water through a count of water inhabitant and whether it has increased or decreased over the period of time. Performance indicators are used to determine to impact of companys operations on the environment. It would help to determine the level of greenhouse gas emission in the air by a comparison study of the level of greenhouse gas. Biodiversity Management The survival of ecosystem is dependent on the biodiversity for food, air and water. There is an increased competition for the natural resources and land is the most useful one. Thus, it fosters the use of land as a resource more effectively. There is a risk involved in the usage of land as a resource which ensures that the company manages the impact fully so as to maintain its operating license. The corporation also understands it environmental obligations to minimize the environmental impact. It has great role to play in protecting the environment through its commitment towards the obligations. The action for the same is being laid out in the companys environment GLD. The company must abide by to not to extract its resources which lie within the periphery of the global heritage. They cannot extract resources which lie adjoining the global heritage. They cannot explore the resources within the periphery of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In order to do so they must prepare a plan this fulfils the regulatory needs and considers the need of the stakeholders along with giving value addition to the area protected by law. They cannot function over an area where there is a risk of diminishing a wild species which is covered under the list of IUCN Red List. They cannot transfer the waste material into the river or another marine environment. BHP Billiton understands that it has to ensure managed use of water and its resources. Global Reporting Initiative Economic Performance BHP Billiton has generated value through its revenue generation, employee compensation, donating activities and community investment. It has contributed to the socio-economic lives of the people through its community activities. Further, it has maintained its minimum wage for the entry level workers. It thrives for a continuous improvement system in order to improve its operational business and manage the product cost (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015). It obtains its material from the Olympic Dam of Australia (BHP Billiton, 2016). It regularly pays the taxes and supports the community (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015). Environmental Water Management The firm has made a contribution of $35 million to the programs of environment. Its 85% of the water comes from low quality water resources. It has taken following measures to sustain this resource: Tries to minimize the use of water by increasing the efficiency of usage Makes use of those sources which provides low quality water Looks for alternative options for water supply Managing and monitoring the impact on the environment Taking initiatives towards community welfare Biodiversity Management It also makes efforts to minimize greenhouse gas emissions which could have adverse impact on the biodiversity and ecosystems. It addresses the issue with its compensatory actions so as to minimize the impact (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015). The corporation maintains the biodiversity of the regions in which it operates by appreciating the need of conserving them. The firm has developed plans for the management of biodiversity which would include controlling and minimizing the impact before the compensatory actions with the support of Environment GLD. Social Employment BHP has maintained its gender ratio and 15 percent of the employees are female in Australia. The ratio of male and female is dollar 1.1 in Australia. Labor and Management Relations BHP gives a notice period of one to eight weeks as per the role of employee. Further it emphasizes on fostering safe and engaging workplace by maintaining the diversity. It also has a reward system in the company (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015).. Health and Safety Further it has implemented policies concerning the health and safety of the employees. The figure for Occupational illness per million hours worked employees is 5.5 in Australia (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015).. Training and education BHP has created programs to train its employees and give them an opportunity to evolve as a leader. 84 percent of its employees were involved in the process of management (BHP Billiton Annual Report, 2015). Assessing the Dunphy Phase of BHP Billiton Now assessing the Dunphy phase of BHP Billiton would help to evaluate the sustainability level of the company. The company is at the 4th stage of Dunphy which is Efficiency. The stage reflects that the company is growing in terms of its corporate social responsibility and making attempts to develop an integrated HR system and increase its efficiency. BHP Billiton has carefully calculated the cost of utilizing natural resources and making a positive effort towards a sustainable environment though elimination of waste, minimizing the use of resources. But the firm is still avoiding the environmental issues when it comes to avoiding company costs which brings it under the 4th phase of Dunphy. Thus, the firm must build proactive strategies and redesign its product and processes to ensure environment sustainability. BHP Billiton would have to redesign its products so as to minimize the use of water and use low quality of water so as to conserve water for the future generation. BHP Billiton must redesign its processes so as dispose less waste material and the marine life is not harmed and the number of inhabitants are not reduced. BHP Billiton should contribute towards the welfare of the environment so as to compensate its effect which its processes have created on the environment. Monitoring the Plan Once the above steps are taken, then it must monitor them regularly through internal audit process and measuring the indicators whether there has been any improvement. Indicator Measurement Limitations Bio diversity Infertility through loss of minerals Since extraction of minerals and ores is the core business of the firm, therefore it cannot be minimized Water and marine life Disposing toxic waste material in river Since toxic waste material would be generated from the mine rocks, which requires proper disposal. Since the waste cannot be disposed on land because it would affect the inhabitants in the local area, therefore, water is the only mode of disposing the material. Ground well Toxic chemical Production of petroleum and gas would require drilling in the wells which cannot be controlled. Air Emission of greenhouse gas and carbon in the air The process of mining involves emission of greenhouse which cannot be controlled or compensated just by paying taxes for emission. Conclusion Thus, the report has reviewed all the sustainability indicators which are social, economic and environment. Environment is an important indicator for the firm because of its core business operations. The key indicators are bio diversity, water, air and ground well for the environment sustainability. The firm is categorized as Efficient in the Dunphy phase because it still has a scope to transfer towards the phase of strategic sustainability. List of References Bell, S., Morse, S. (2008). Sustainability Indicators:Measuring the Immeasurable?. London: Earthscan. Bell, S., Morse, S. (2012). Sustainability Indicators:Measuring the Immeasurable?. London: Routledge. Bell, S., Morse, S. (2013). Measuring Sustainability:Learning From Doing. London: Routledge. BHP Billiton. (2008). Environmental Management and Commitments. BHP Billiton. Retrieved from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/-/media/bhp/regulatory-information-media/iron-ore/western-australia-iron-ore/0000/main-document/persection12environmentalmanagement.pdf BHP Sustainability Report. (2015). Taking the long view Sustainability Report. BHP Sustainability Report. Retrieved from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/~/media/bhp/documents/investors/annual-reports/2015/bhpbillitonsustainabilityreport2015 BHP. (2016). BHP. Retrieved from: https://www.bhpbilliton.com/our-businesses Bice, S. (2016). Responsible Mining:Key Principles for Industry Integrity. New York: Routledge. Carrington, D. (2014). Fossil fuel divestment campaign targets UCL and BHP Billiton. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/23/fossil-fuel-divestment-campaign-targets-ucl-and-bhp-billiton DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS STATISTICS DIVISION UNITED NATIONS. (2011). Measuring Environmental Sustainability: Draft Report of the Eurostat Task Force 2. United Nations. Retrieved from: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/ceea/meetings/UNCEEA-6-13-1.pdf Dillard, J., Dujon, V., King, M.C. (2008). Understanding the Social Dimension of Sustainability. New York: Routledge. Donovan, J.D., Topple, C., Masli, E.K., Vanichseni, T. (2016). Corporate Sustainability Assessments:Sustainability practices of multinational enterprises in Thailand. New York: Routledge. Epstein, M.J., Buhovac, A.R. (2014). Making Sustainability Work:Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts. California: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Fredericks, S.E. (2013). Measuring and Evaluating Sustainability:Ethics in Sustainability Indexes. New York: Routledge Fund, C. (2015). Measuring Sustainable Development. The Energy Extraction in the European Arctic Ocean. Munich: GRIN Verlag. Georgia-Pacific. (2016). The Three Dimensions Of Sustainability. Georgia-Pacific. Retrieved from: https://www.gp.com/Company/Sustainability/Three-Dimensions Hezri,A.A., Dovers, S.R. (2006). Sustainability indicators, policy and governance: Issues for ecological economics. Ecological Economies, 60(1), 86-99. Hunt, L. (2013). Business Improvement Sustainability Frameworks and Indicators: Literature Review. The New Zealand Sustainability Dashboard. Retrieved from: https://www.nzdashboard.org.nz/uploads/2/3/7/3/23730248/13_05_business_improvement_sustainability_indicators_lr_final_v2.pdf Mehra, M. (2013). BHP Billiton: climate change leader or laggard?. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/bhp-billiton-climate-change-leader-laggard Nordic Council of Ministers. (2006). Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling:A Survey of Methodology and Practice. Denmark: Nordic Council of Ministers. Pratley, N. (2016). BHP Billiton faces legal spat in which all tactics are deemed fair. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2016/may/04/bhp-billiton-compensation-brazil-dam-disaster Skills for Sustainability. (2016). Sustainability indicators. Skills for Sustainability: Manufacturing Skills for Australia. Retrieved from: https://sustainabilityskills.net.au/what-is-sustainability/sustainability-indicators/ Thompson, P., Macklin, R. (2010). The Big Fella:The Rise and Rise of BHP Billiton. Australia: Random House Australia.

Sample Essay From Things Fall Apart

Sample Essay From Things Fall ApartBy far, my favorite sample essay is the one from Things Fall Apart by Sylvia Plath. The idea of the essay is to convey a little bit of something about how one has lived, but has been turned inside out. Let's take a look at why I love this essay.One of the saddest parts of writing the book was that some people, after reading the book, started to tearful pieces on how it is so sad. I saw this going on, and while I thought it was quite strange, it still has me thinking about it. What I mean by this is that the vast majority of people who would have been reading this particular essay never bothered to read it.Anyway, this is why I love the sample essay from Things Fall Apart. I felt, firstly, how you could hardly begin to write a book such as this without knowing how you are going to go about getting your message across.The second reason I love the sample essay from Things Fall Apart is that it makes you question yourself and your own life choices. And while it does tell you that you are torn between two people, there is one fact about the book that says that both people had committed the same mistake. All of us have, somewhere along the way, failed to make the right decisions in our lives. And when you read a story like this, you know that the only person who can really take responsibility for it is you.The last thing I love about the sample essay from Things Fall Apart is that it is an idea that you are always given, but never really know how to utilize it. We all have all kinds of ideas, but we never use them. That is what this particular essay is doing for you. It makes you ask yourself, 'What do I need to think about today? What can Ido that will make a difference?'After all, if you had to sum up Things Fall Apart in one word, it would be a journey. So, find out where that journey takes you, and keep trying to improve upon it. The world is waiting for you to reach the destination, and you are the one who has to hold it open. You are the one who has to keep things fall apart from falling together.That is the only thing you need to know about the sample essay from Things Fall Apart. So, the next time you feel stuck, take a moment to look at the many sample essays from around the web.

Origins of Human Languages

Introduction The origin of human languages can be termed as the surfacing of language among humans (Kenneally 10). This topic has remained highly controversial for a very long time. There is very little empirical evidence that can be used to guide research in this area. Numerous hypotheses have been put in place by different scholars to try and explain why and how language might have emerged and developed in human beings (Lieberman, McCarthy and Strait 1441).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Origins of Human Languages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper seeks to describe three hypotheses concerning the origin of human languages and set a personal point of view in regard to each hypothesis. The mother tongue hypothesis This hypothesis was put forward in the year 2004 to try and get a solution to the problem of language origin. The theory seems to suggest that the Darwinian principle of â€Å"kin selection- convergence of genetic interests between relatives- may be part of the solution† (Harrub, Thompson and Miller pp. 5). Mother tongue hypothesis was put forward by Tecumseh Fitch who suggests that language initially developed as a form of communication between mothers and their own off springs in what is often described as mother tongue. (Kenneally 56) This extended later to other relatives such as siblings and other close relatives. The theory dwells on the idea that the interests of closely associated speakers and listeners were common. According to Fitch, the shared genetic makeup enabled relatives to build a considerable amount of trust and cooperation for the intrinsically unreliable signals which were later accepted as trustworthy words fit for communication (Lieberman, McCarthy and Strait 1441, pp. 4). The mother tongue hypothesis may offer some explanation as to how human language came about but it does not provide any empirical data to support the thinking. In my view, the theory does not offer any reason as to why language developed only in the human species. All other animals, including apes share genes and live in some form of communities. The theory does not explain why language did not develop in such animals. The theory does not offer any substantive reasons as to why early humans restricted communication to relatives. Though the theory might offer some important leads to unraveling the mystery behind human language development but it needs more empirical data to substantiate the argument (Kenneally 57).Advertising Looking for essay on languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The obligatory reciprocal altruism hypothesis It was put forward by Ib Ulbaek and it utilizes some principles from the Darwinian theory-reciprocal altruism, specifically to try and explain the high levels of confidence and honesty required for language development (Lieberman, McCarthy and Strait 1441). Reciproc al altruism can be described as the idea that â€Å"if you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours† (Kenneally 102, pp. 5). Reciprocal altruism as used in this theory can be depicted as the relationship that is natured between people or individuals who interact constantly. However, language development at community level requires universal reciprocity rather than individual. Ulbaek explains this by pointing out that early human society must have had some form of moral regulation. Again, this hypothesis does not provide any evidence to support the thinking. It does not give a clear picture of what mechanisms were in place to ensure that obligatory reciprocal altruism was enforced at the community level (Harrub, Thompson and Miller, pp. 6). Although proponents have offered some explanations, its not enough validate the theory. Some critics have pointed out that verbal communication doesn’t really work in terms reciprocal altruism. I find this to be true as people do n ot always talk to other people or individuals who are willing to listen to them. It’s common to see people offering information or communicating to any person who is willing to listen without expecting anything in return (Kenneally 125). The gossip and grooming hypothesis This hypothesis is based on the principle that â€Å"if you scratch my back I will scratch yours† and was put forward by Robin Dunbar (Kenneally 45, pp. 6). According to him, gossiping achieves the same objective for a group of humans living together as grooming in other primate species. Dunbar explains that, when human social groups began to swell up and become extremely large, the practice of grooming one’s associates became tiresome and problematic. To counter this challenge, the early humans invented verbal communication as an efficient and cheap form of grooming (Harrub, Thompson and Miller, pp. 8). Thus to impress friends and other acquaintances, one only needed to utter some sounds. This would ensure that a large number of friends are kept happy simultaneously. Vocal grooming then gradually evolved into spoken language (Kenneally 120). In my view, vocal grooming, as Dunbar calls it, could not have been a satisfactory alternative to manual grooming. The theory is however much better than the others as it offers a better explanation of what triggered verbal communication. But just like the others, it fails to offer any substantive explanation of how this verbal grooming transformed into a complex language (Kenneally 134).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Origins of Human Languages specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion This paper sought to describe three hypotheses concerning the origin of human languages and set a personal point of view in regard to each hypothesis. The hypotheses identified include: the mother tongue hypothesis; the obligatory reciprocal altruism hypothesis; and the gossip and grooming hypothesis. Proponents of three hypotheses try to offer some explanation of how human language came about but they extensively lack empirical evidence to support their arguments. More research is required to establish a more convincing explanation to this phenomenon. Works Cited Harrub, Brad, Bert Thompson and Dave Miller. â€Å"The Origin of Langauge and Communication:True Origin Archive.† 2003. 22 November 2011 https://www.trueorigin.org/language01.php. Kenneally, Christine. The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language. New York: Viking, 2007. Lieberman, Philip, Robert McCarthy and David Strait. â€Å"The recent origin of human speech.† J Acoust. Soc. Am (2006): 119(5): 3441-3441. This essay on Origins of Human Languages was written and submitted by user Ayanna Herman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Hi

Hi Executive Summary Hi-tech Outlets, which is a hypothetical company currently operating in Europe and USA, wishes to become a global organization in the retail sector. The company has 2700 retail stores situated across Europe.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Hi-tech Outlets Company Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hi-tech Outlets Company has ventured into a new international market in an era when technological environmental factors are essential in fostering competitive advantage of any organization that seeks to build a unique brand in a new market. One of the top priorities in the list of marketing strategies of the company is the use of new media in marketing. Selling online is an option that is considered by the company in its efforts to ensure rapid distribution of its products. Objective and Goals The main objective of this project is to develop a marketing plan for Hi-tech Outlets Company. M arketing planning involves market research, market segmentation, setting of marketing strategies, evaluation of the marketing environment, and even positioning of marketing strategies among others (Kotler and Armstrong 56). This concern of marketing constitutes the goal of this marketing project. The goal is to discuss Hi-tech Outlets Company’s suitable marketing plan to help it gain competitive advantage and growth in the global retail industry. Competitive Strengths and Competitive Weaknesses Competitive analysis assists in identifying and comparing organizational strengths and weaknesses. This strategy ensures development of an effective marketing planning that capitalizes on organizational strengths while curbing any organizational weakness (Westbrook 48). Hi-tech Outlets Company’s strengths include the ability to offer high quality products, pursuit of low-price strategy, and ensuring minimal operation costs. The company has also managed to establish a strong pres ence in the German market. Amid the above strengths, Hi-tech Outlets Company encounters some weaknesses such as a relatively small brand in regions where competitors have managed to establish higher presence. For instance, while Hi-tech Outlets Company has 1200 openings in Germany, Aldi has 8000 outlets. Hi-tech Outlets Company has also not established any presence in global markets. Pursuing the low-cost strategy makes customers perceive Hi-tech Outlets Company as an outlet for cheap and low quality products. Product Description and Product Life Cycle Hi-tech Outlets will be introducing a new brand in the Asian market starting with the Chinese retail market. Hence, the organization has to maintain strong brand inventories. Brand inventory constitutes one of the essential elements of brand audits that permit the examination of the origin of brand equities of an organization (Keller 105).Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Hi-tech Outlets China brand inventories will highlight the brand elements utilized to build brand loyalty together with the manner in which this goal is accomplished and/or how it is reflected on any necessary marketing programs to win the confidence of Chinese retail shoppers. Immediately Hi-tech Outlets Company opens its outlets in China, the reception of its brand is expected to be low. Thus, at the infancy phase of its brand development life cycle, low sales levels are expected. However, following intensive marketing campaigns, consumers will become cognizant of the existence of the Hi-tech Outlets Company’s brand and embrace it, thus making the sales volume increase exponentially (growth phase). At a constant magnitude of marketing effort and without any change of marketing strategy, there will reach a time when such strategies cannot result in increased clientele and/or more sale levels (maturity phase). C ustomers may also be dissatisfied with the quality of services rendered by the company and consider seeking alternative utilities from competitors (Keller 117). This move may reduce the sales levels of the company (the decline phase). To prevent this situation from occurring, a major consideration encompasses re-engineering Hi-tech Outlets’ operational and marketing strategies. Price Price is an important aspect of marketing Hi-tech Outlets’ brand in the new market. The company currently uses the strategy of low price to penetrate new markets. â€Å"The price of products involves examination of customers’ perceptions, rival products, and the costs of manufacture† (Khosla 220). The price of a product is set such that an organization is able to cover its direct and indirect costs while earning a profit margin. The price of the products to be offered by the Hi-tech Outlets Company in Asian markets needs to be set such that the target market population will b uy large enough number of products. This strategy is necessary to make it break even quickly to deliver value to its shareholders. Place, Distribution, and Marketing Channels Hi-tech Outlets Company plans to distribute its products through both physical stores and online channels. The physical stores will be established first in the major cities of China before progressing to other Asian nations such as India. Hence, the place of offering products is at the company-rented stores across China.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Hi-tech Outlets Company Marketing Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Online distribution of the Hi-tech Outlets Company products will be conducted through partnership with Taobao.com. The organization will enhance the process of ordering and payment for products. Hi-tech Outlets Company will receive bulks of orders from Taobao.com. After receiving bulk orders online from Taobao.com, Hi-te ch Outlets will check them before making necessary logistical arrangements of delivering products to consumers. The choice of Taobao.com as a distribution channel is important and a success factor for Hi-tech Outlets in China. Xie states the company is the major player in the online retail selling in China. Hence, even though the organization will be sourcing the products from Hi-tech Outlets Company, consumers will continue perceiving that the products are sold by an organization to which they have a long-term loyalty. In this strategic partnership arrangement, both organizations will gain mutually. Hi-tech Outlets will benefit from the online selling service by a strong brand that is already successful in the in Chinese market. Taobao.com will benefit from Hi-tech Outlets’ help in supplying high quality products and/or enhanced logistical arrangements. Hi-tech Outlets is well experienced in logistics and supply chain management. Promotion and Communication Companies seeking to establish a strong brand within new markets need to invest in the promotion of their brand in the effort to create customer awareness. Incidences of negative profiling of the Hi-tech Outlets’ products in the European markets spread through the social media and the internet. In the effort to build a strong brand in the Asian markets, which will overcome such challenges in the future, social media and the internet form important promotional media platforms. Through new media, it is possible to reach a large number of people globally with minimal expenditure of organizational financial resources (Abhamid and McGrath 47). Social media is a low-cost promotional strategy. Customers share promotional information with minimal efforts from an organization. The organization only initiates the marketing strategy by sending promotions to the first recipient. Where the campaign becomes viral, the company loses control of what is said about its brand (Southgate and Westoby 353). In thi s end, Hi-tech Outlets Company hopes that its social media marketing campaigns will result in positive profiling.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Viral spreading or negative profiling might impede its success efforts in the international markets. Apart from using traditional media such as newspapers, magazine, audio, and audio visuals to alert people about the presence of Hi-tech Outlets in the Asian market, the company will also seek to employ point-of-sale promotion. Uncontrollable Variables Hi-tech Outlets Company encounters uncontrollable variables in all its market segments. These variables are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors. Political environment affects the operations of the company via taxing policies. The organization must pay taxes from its profits. The management must also comply with environmental regulations, tariffs, and employment laws established within various nations where the company has established outlet stores. The main challenges of the company are that these policies are different in different nations. Consequently, Hi-tech Outlets has no control over these policies in the effort to have harmonized financial budgeting approach in all outlets including the ones to be established in the Asian markets. Market Segmentation and Target Marketing Market segmentation for Hi-tech Outlets Company is accomplished through demographic and psychographic segmentation. Demographical aspects refer to the characteristics of people such as age, religion, gender/sex, and social class among others. Psychographic elements encompass people’s opinion and interests. From the paradigms of demographic segmentation, some of the targets of Hi-tech Outlets Company in Asian markets include young people who are highly accessible to social media and internet-based buying and selling systems. The internet is highly embraced by people whose age is between 10-45 years (Maktoba and Sonny 227). Thus, such people are more likely to use social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter among others. The products sold online through partnership with Taobao.com in the Chinese market mainly target this group of people. The interests or attitudes of people towards different products are dependent on various variables such as tastes and preferences (Kotler and Armstrong 85). In the context of Psychographic segmentation, the target populations are the Chinese citizens and other people from different nations residing in China. Buyer Behavior In deriving market-positioning strategies, it is important to evaluate the determinants of buyers’ behaviors in a given market. In the Asian market, psychographics study will be deployed as the strategy for determining these behaviors. This strategy can help reveal why people buy certain products, services, and not others. â€Å"Marketers are able to understand the motivation and conscious aspects of a target audience by creating psychographic profiles† (Xiaoni and Prybutok 9) through studying psychographic characteristics of the target population. The market can be divided into the middle class and working class persons. Middle and working-class citizens are more likely to consume a wide range of products ranging from food staff to electronic products offered by Hi-tech Outlets Company in China. They are also likely to shop in supermarkets as opposed to small retail outlets (Kerr 125). While targeting this group of people, it is important to maintain high quality products in the stores since middle or the working class is also highly responsive to quality standards of products and services offered by an organization for it (Kerr 126). Marketing Research Market research is an important component of marketing planning. â€Å"It provides important information for identifying and analyzing the market needs, market size, and competition† (Drake 77). For Hi-tech Outlets Company, market research is conducted in China to aid the company in maintaining consistent growth in competitiveness in comparison with competitors in the European markets such as Aldi, Netto, Biedronka, and Lidl who may also consider extending their operations into the Asian markets. Once the market size is identified, the company will focus on acquiring 70 percent of the market share. This effort is informed by theoretical assertion that threats of new entrants becomes minimal after an organization has established a sizeable market share and/or developed customer loyalty in the market (Westbrook 51). Perceptual Map Perpetual maps encompass a research technique used in marketing research whereby consumers’ views for a given product are traced on a chart. Hi-tech Outlets has many competitors in the market. It should use price and product range to ensure that it stays competitive. Some of the brands that are in close competition have high prices or offer a limited product range. Companies such as Aldi offer a relatively high price for their products. Hi-tech Outlets should counter competition from them by offering significantly low prices and a wide product range. The perceptual map below shows the most favorable position for Hi-tech Outlets to be the most competitive of all the brands in the market. Figure 1: Perceptual map for Hi-Tech Outlets showing the brand position. International Marketing Close competitors to Hi-tech Outlets such as Aldi and Lidl are seeking to colonize other markets in the attempt to gain economies of scale. Hi-tech Outlets is well aware that in the attempt to gain competitive advantage, it needs to deploy various strategies for success in its expansion to the international markets such as Asian markets that have high-untapped potential for growth. By expanding into international markets, the company can also increase its economies of scale. Ethical Considerations Marketing brings a large number of people to work together in a teamwork environment. The work teams are guided by codes of actions that define what needs to be done during the marketing and what should not be done. Marketers have the roles of placing products and service s with success in a market. However, it is a violation of marketing code of ethics to deceive while attempting to make a sale. All marketing efforts must then ensure that the targeted audience gains the greatest good from the products offered for sale. Ethical aspects in marketing refer to â€Å"principles and standards that define acceptable conduct in the market place† (Kerr 128). This implies that ethics in marketing involves all practices, which have the capacity to result in the greatest happiness among all people. Some of the marketing practices that are considered unethical by Hi-tech Outlets entail attempts, which are openly meant to deceive and/or take advantage of a given situation for individualistic or group gains. Conclusion Marketing research is an essential activity that a company seeking to introduce its brand into new market needs to conduct in the effort to determine the feasibility of a new market. In the project term paper, Hi-tech Outlets, a hypothetical company operating in Europe, seeks to reach global markets by opening new physical retail distribution stores together with engaging in online distribution activities in Asia with a particular initial focus on the Chinese market. This concern makes marketing planning important before investing in the new market. Limitations Asia is a new market that has not yet been fully explored by many European retail outlets. Consequently, no much data is available on the reception of foreign retail companies in Asia. To determine the appropriateness of the strategic initiatives for expanding the operation of Hi-tech Outlets Company in the Asian markets, implementation of a pilot market plan is necessary. Unfortunately, the project fails to consider it. Lack of data for construction of perpetual maps is also another significant limitation of the project. Abhamid, Norman and Martins McGrath. â€Å"The Diffusion of Internet’s Interactivity on E-retail Web Sites: A Customer Relationship Mo del.† Communications of the International Information Management Association 2.1(2005): 45-70. Print. Drake, Philip. Distribution and Marketing in Contemporary Hollywood. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2008. Print. Keller, Raymond. Strategy Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. New Jersey, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1998. Print. Kerr, Simon. â€Å"Rational decision making in business organizations.† American Economic Review 3.4(2007): 123-129. Print. Khosla, Stephen. â€Å"Consumer Psychology: The Essence of Marketing.† International Journal of Educational Administration 2.2(2010): 220–225. Print. Kotler, Philip and Gary Armstrong. Principles of marketing. Australia: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. Maktoba, Ian and Newton Sonny. â€Å"Internet marketing and customer satisfaction in emerging markets: the case of Chinese online shoppers, Competitiveness Review.† An International Business Journal incorporating Journal of Global Compe titiveness 21.2(2011): 224-237. Print. Southgate, Dobele and Page, Westoby. â€Å"Creative determinants of viral viewing.† International Journal of Advertising 29.3(2010): 349–368. Print. Westbrook, Hill. â€Å"SWOT Analysis: It’s Time for a Product Recall.† Long Range Planning 30.1(1997): 46–52. Print. Xiaoni, Sherwood and Drury Prybutok. â€Å"An empirical study of online shopping: a service perspective.† International Journal of Service Technology and Management 5.1(2008): 1-13. Print. Xie, Hu. â€Å"E-retail Market Characteristics of China.† International Journal of Innovative Management, Information and Production 3.2(2013): 88-99. Print.

Apartheid System and its impact on Education in South Africa Essay

Apartheid System and its impact on Education in South Africa - Essay Example The population of the country is talented and hard working. In spite of these factors, the country faces hard core racism. The oppression of the white population over the blacks resulted in forced slavery and exploitation of land and human beings (Abdi, 2002, p. vii). The apartheid period continued for over four decades in South Africa and in that period race discrimination was ruthlessly implemented in schools and they were highly effective. It is a monumental task for the government to undo the effects of apartheid from the education system (Fiske and Ladd, 2005, p.14). This paper focuses on the apartheid system in South Africa and its impact on the education policies. Background History of Apartheid in South Africa In the seventeenth century the Dutch descendants who were knows as Boers or Afrikaners were dominated by the English. This was followed by establishment by the Dutch of new colonies like Orange Free State and Transvaal. In the year1900, diamonds were excavated in these regions. This led to the Boer war when the English invaded these lands. The conflict centering on power sharing between the English and the Boers remained till the 1940s when the Afrikaners National Party became stronger. To control the economic and social system, the National party invented the apartheid system. Initially the goal of apartheid was to maintain the minority rule of the white and curtailing the rights of the black population. Racial discrimination was given a formal shape when the apartheid laws were enacted in 1948. In 1950, the South African people were classified into three racial groups which were white, black (African) or colored (mixed decent). The colored group mainly contained the Indians and the Asians. Apartheid laws led to segregation of every aspect of social life which included education and medical care. Public services provided to the black people were inferior to those provided to the white people. Marriage was prohibited between the whites and the non -white groups. Residential areas were segregated by forceful removal of the black population. These laws were strongly implemented and anyone who did not abide by the laws was given harsh punishments. The Blacks were required to carry identity proof to enter into the non-black areas (The History of Apartheid in South Africa, n.d.). In 1953, Bantu Education Act was passed to segregate the education system of South Africa by which the Blacks were denied education leading to certain positions in the society. The Blacks were prepared to lead the lives of labour class (O’Malley, n.d.). Analysis Impact of Apartheid system on Education One of the most oppressive laws of apartheid was the Bantu Education Act of 1953. Before the Act was implemented most schools in Africa were missionary schools and were partly funded by the State. Under this Act education system was segregated and most schools began to be controlled by the government. Governments began to put forward conditions to sch ools to start racially discriminatory curriculum before agreeing to provide financial aid. As protest many missionary schools did not allow extension of apartheid system in their education system and chose to close down. This system of bringing all schools under the control of the new government was faced opposition from school organisers, parents and students. The major subject of the protests was to ban the separate education system for the Black and promote a common education system for the entire population of South Africa. The government which was controlled by the whites declared that the structure of Bantu education was such that the blacks will be trained to become labours ignoring what other abilities

Early Modern American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Early Modern American History - Essay Example In the 1840s, there was an explosive development in technology and networks infrastructures and communication, the telegrams, post offices and the printing industry. This paper provides an insightful analysis of the key economic and their significance in the early America republic. Economic modernization gained momentum with the increase in cotton crop, which was very profitable in the south region, as well as the textile, and machine making industry to the north region2. The transport infrastructure developed greatly which facilitate the development of other sector especially the economy. There were also many visitors who came from the Europe, which increased the number of the immigrants who settled in the country. The immigrants also played a major role in the economy establishment of the Early America. There was a civil war in the 1850s because of crisis over slavery despite the Whigs warning that annexation of Texas would lead to this. Evidently, the economy was the key factor in the development of the early American republic, in this paper the key trading activities have been highlighted and how they benefited the republic. Economic development is always one of the major factors for the growth of any nation. Even in the early nations, this factor played an important role in one way or another to the development of the nation. This is the major source of revenue for most countries, the revenue is in turn used to develop other sectors especially the infrastructure. The early America republic had really suffered after the war, with so many of its infrastructure destroyed during the war. In 1789, George Washington was elected the first president set a government structure which had various departments like treasury, treasury and war3. The government was very quick to reestablish its financial state and rapidly all the war debts that it had. It did this trough the new tariffs and taxes. Economic activities throughout the American