Geert Hofstedes Essays

Geert Hofstedes Essays Geert Hofstedes Paper Geert Hofstedes Paper This whole thing about cultural differences is simply bunk! The real issue is about market access! Discuss this statement using examples you have encountered during the lectures, seminars and your own research Introduction: International business is all commercial transactions, private and governmental between two or more countries. When a company operates internationally it adds foreign conditions to its domestic ones making the external environment more diverse. Is this whole thing only about market access? When entering a new culture, market access is not the only thing a business should look for. Culture plays a vital role and should be acknowledged and never ignored. There is no one definition for culture. Emile Littri at the end of the nineteenth century, defined in his French dictionary culture to be a cultural, farming activity. As early as the eighteenth century, the Germans defined culture or Kultur in reference to civilization. Culture has also been defined as a set of accepted behaviour patterns, values, assumptions and shared common experiences. There are as many as 164 different definitions of culture. Most anthropologists however view culture as the sum total of beliefs rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human populations. In addition, they identify some common elements of culture: 1. Most important point is that culture cannot be present at birth but is learnt through experience. 2. Various aspects of culture are built in 3. Culture is shared 4. Culture defines the boundaries of different groups. Figure . 1. The diagram below shows the different elements of culture Models of culture The iceberg concept of culture Hoft (1995) describes culture as being like an iceberg (Fig. 2). : The tip of it is primarily in awareness (Surface culture), while nine-tenths of it hidden below the surface, (Deep culture), and is primarily out of awareness. Deep culture is the most crucial part and is the one which outsiders find difficult to spot. Every culture is defined by the powerful and invisible dimensions of deep culture which consists of norms and values and the implicit basic assumptions. The iceberg model implies that the visible dimensions of surface culture are simply expressions of the deeper culture dimensions1 which we cannot see, hence, we are unable to understand what the foundations are. For this reason, understanding different cultural backgrounds becomes difficult. Cultural differences however must be understood and acknowledged before they can be managed. Culture is the way in which a group of people solve problems. 2 Figure 2. The Iceberg Model (Hoft 1995) Trompenaars (1993) describes the onion-like model. Trompenaars portrays culture to consist of three layers which can be peeled of layer by layer. The first outer layer consists of artefacts and products, the second layer norms and values and the third inner implicit layer of the onion represents basic assumptions. Figure 3. The onion-like model Trompenaars F. (1993) A set of basic assumptions is developed by each and every different culture which is measured by dimensions. Cultures distinguish themselves from each other in the way they deal with these dimensions. Geert Hofstedes model of cultural dimensions (The Hofstedess Studies) Geert Hofstede carried out a study in forty countries on IBM, a multi-national company. His aim was to identify the basic dimensions of differences between national cultures and he discovered four such dimensions. Power distance: this is the extent to which an unequal distribution of power is accepted by members of a society. It is about hierarchy. Hofstedes findings revealed that the countries with low power distance included Australia, Israel, Denmark and Sweden and those with high power distance were the Philippines, Mexico, Venezuela, India and Brazil. Femininity-masculinity: this dimension refers to the extent to which highly assertive masculine values predominate (acquisition of money at the expense of others) versus showing sensitivity and concern for others welfare and the quality of life. Japan Australia, Venezuela, Italy and Mexico were found to be high on this dimensions compared to countries such as Thailand, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Yugoslavia. Uncertainty avoidance: is the extent to which members of a society feel threatened by ambiguous situations and have created beliefs and institution which try to avoid these. Greece, Portugal, Japan, Peru and France were countries which had high on uncertainty avoidance while Denmark, Sweden, Britain, the USA and India were low on this dimension.

Benihana of Tokyo

Benihana of Tokyo Benihana of Tokyo has been very successful for the last 40 years since 1964. From a small restaurant, it has developed into a chain of themed restaurants. The success of Benihana has been attributed to the superb total quality management (TQM) process especially in maintaining the overall exotic ambience and the high quality food provided. All these strengths contribute to providing an unforgettable dining experience to its consumers and are reflected in their ability to retain consumers which is shown in exhibit 4 such that 65. % of their customers are return customers. Benihana is able to minimize cost effectively without affecting the quality of food and service provided. From Exhibit 1, total costs of sales are kept to 35-45% of total sales. Their attempt to reduce operating costs is also reflected through a reasonable net profit margin of 0. 5-9% of sales. Benihana made use of floor space efficiently to decrease labor costs and rent. The elimination of the conventional kitchen with the hibachi arrangement allows the company to keep labor costs low and at the same time, give huge amount of attentive service. This boosted its dining experience, through constant interaction with consumers. Benihana also focuses on setting up their businesses in areas with high traffic, especially in the business district areas. Rent is usually higher in these areas. By using floor space more efficiently, Benihana is able to serve more consumers during peak period and allow for more sales to cover the higher rental costs. The concept that Benihana adopts is that consumers are served at their tables with freshly prepared food by the chef. By only providing 3 menus to consumers, this reduces food costs and wastage. Benihana’s lower food costs are also reduced through the use of fresh ingredients, where storage is minimized. The main process flow of a Benihana restaurant is different from a typical restaurant. In Benihana, the orders for the soup, salad and beverages taken by the waiter while the order for the main dish is taken directly to the chef. This allows Benihana to quicken the process flow, and make it more efficient, as it eliminated the waiting time in ordering and receiving their orders. As the food is freshly prepared, the production flow is very short as there is limited movement to the food being moved from the storage area to the tables where food is being prepared. As food is being served on the spot after being cooked, this allows Benihana to maintain their quality of the food, and this satisfies consumers as shown in their feedback in Exhibit 4, where food is the main highlight of Benihana restaurants. Benihana is also able to reduce labor costs through the use of a simple management structure in each of their restaurant. In addition, chefs and waiters would clear the dishes and set the table for the next customer, unlike the use of cleaners in typical restaurants. This also reduces labor costs. Benihana success is also attributed to their TQM system where the management also emphasizes the importance of quality control in every employee’s responsibility. They emphasize quality in their inputs like the high quality food provided, and the sources of food are also selected carefully. Benihana also highlight quality in the process of serving their food to their consumers. However, the management of Benihana also faces problems despite their raving success. Their attempts to go into franchising didn’t go as planned as Rocky was unwilling to give up its control, and he felt that these franchisees were not well equipped with the experience and knowledge to run a food business, especially one that relates with Japanese culture. In addition, Bill Susha, the head of Operations for Benihana recognizes that if Benihana wants to continue to expand, it will face higher costs in terms of rental as well as shortage of well trained employees. Although Benihana has been proven that their uniqueness cannot be replicated easily by competitors, critics have been predicting that the uniqueness of Benihana is only a fad and it will not last. As Benihana is providing not only products, but also the service, they should continue to emphasize and improve on their TQM, as in this industry, employees are key input sources and by implementing TQM, there will be positive impacts on the service being delivered.

Leadership Approach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership Approach - Essay Example Different approaches tackle different ways of scrutinizing leaders in different organizations. However, they have a common feature which is the determination of effective leadership. The leadership study approaches have been in existence since the early 90’s. The approaches have evolved to more efficient and appropriate approaches. The leadership study approaches include the trait approach, behavior approach, power influence approach, situational approach and the integrative approach. All the approaches have three key variables; characteristics of the leader, characteristics of the followers and the characteristics of the situation. This paper will focus on behavior approach of studying leadership (Yuki, 2010). It will give an insight in the characteristics of this leadership study approach. Additionally, the paper will include an insight on its strengths and weaknesses and an example of its application in studying leadership. Behavioral approach of studying leadership was est ablished in the early 1950’s after the trait approach failed to provide researchers with the required results to evaluate leaders (Yuki, 2010). The behavior approach pays close attention to managers and leaders in organizations. It evaluates some personal attributes and skills at a closer perspective. The approach is divided into two categories of scrutiny. The first category focuses on the research on the manager’s job description, how they spend their time, their daily pattern of activities, their responsibilities and the functions of their managerial jobs. In this category some researches also focus on how managers deal with constraints and demands and how they resolve conflicts in their line of duty. In this category data collection is mainly done through observation, job description questionnaires, diaries and anecdotes from retrieved from interviews (Griffin, 2011). The mangers effectiveness in this subcategory is their ability to solve role conflicts cope with d emands, deal with constraints and recognize opportunities. The other subcategory in behavior study approach entails the identifying of effective and appropriate leadership behavior. In this subcategory research methodology is mainly done by a survey of the research field and using an appropriate questionnaire. The questionnaire is an inclusion of behavior description questions. Since the establishment of this approach researchers have been able to identify the correlation between a manager’s behavior and effective leadership (Yuki, 2010). This leadership approach has several weaknesses and strengths when it comes to application and results. According to Yuki (2010) the strengths of this approach revolve around the personal knowledge of a leader. This approach enables researchers to know a manager more when not and when in their job description. The personal attributes of a manager are very important in analyzing their effectiveness. By its method of data collection a managerà ¢â‚¬â„¢s skills and effectiveness is able to be scrutinized in a personal basis. The evaluation of a manager’s ability to solve conflicts is also a unique feature in this leadership study approach (Griffin, 2011). Additionally, this approach provides a perspective on the correlation between the personal attributes of a manager and their effectiveness in their job description. This approach mostly questionnaires as a tool of data collection. This

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Stanard v. Bolin, 88 Wash. 2d 614 (1977) - Essay Example Similarly, she suffered socially from embarrassment and ridicule from friends and neighbors (Stanard v. Bolin, 1977). In this case the court found the law of tort as well as the law of contract to be the most applicable since the plaintiff was suing for damages arising from a breach of promise- marriage (Lettmaier, 2010). Many American states, a promise to marry is deliberated to be legally enforceable, if the promise or agreement satisfies all the basic requirements of a valid contract. Therefore, failure to satisfy a promise to marry is treated in a similar manner to breach of contract. Moreover, a breach of promise to marry is treated as tort since the plaintiff suffers injury and loss hence they have a right to sue for damages ( LaMance, 2011). In light of the presented facts and claims by the plaintiff, the court ruled that the defendant owed the plaintiff damages for mental distress, injury to health, and loss to reputation. In addition, the court ruled that a rejected fiancà © would no longer be compensated for damages for loss of anticipated financial and social position (Stanard TD v. Bolin,

Jazz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jazz - Essay Example Wild is a unique woman who exhibits several literary features of a character known as Beloved in a previous novel. The similarity in the features of the two character is a strategy that the author uses to provide solutions to the problems he leaves unresolved in the previous novel as discussed in the essay below. Suspense is an artistic style employed by authors to sustain readership. It refers to a manner of developing a conflict and leaving it unresolved with a promise to resolve it in the next episode. Most authors address numerous conflicts in their storyline. They introduce multiple conflicts in a single chapter and leave them unresolved. The desire to determine the solution to the conflicts motivates the audience to continue reading to the next chapters. Morrison employs the strategy on a different scale as he uses the technique to join two separate novels. He uses hypothetical features of the character in the first novel, Beloved is an equally unique woman with most of her features such as the weird color of her skin resembling the color of Wild in the Jazz. Morrison refers to Wild’s skin color as coal black’ (Morrison 171]), this provides an outright connection with the first novel in which a female character entitled Beloved exists and performs mystical roles. The mystic nature of Beloved is similar to the nature of Wild in Jazz. The name Wild is appropriate since the woman disappears to the wild soon after giving birth to her son. She is therefore a wild woman whom the rest of the characters in the novel do not understand. Beloved was a spirit in the previous novel, she was equally unknown to the rest of the characters in the novel with most of the characters interacting with her only in their dreams. The similarity in their roles and features is a means the author uses to provide some of the soliloquies that audience may hold while reading the first novel. By portraying Wild as an actual character in Jazz, the author provides the audience

Gender Segregation In The Education System Research Paper

Gender Segregation In The Education System - Research Paper Example Single-sex schooling has characterized private education for decades. However, the amendment of Title IX by the Department of Education in 2004 effectively allowed for public schools to pursue gender segregation either in entire schools or classes. In 2006, single sex schools were formally legalized and even incentives provided for public schools to transform into single sex schools instead of just providing single sex classes within coeducation schools. The advent and legalization of single sex schools was mainly as a response to concerns from certain sections of the society that coeducation was promoting gender inequity in education. Some of the main concerns include the observation that coeducation schools were responsible for education stereotypes amongst boys and girls. Some of these stereotypes inc single-section that mathematics and sciences are traditionally for males while females are proficient in hum single-sex languages. Thus, single-sex schools were muted as a way to all ow boys and girls to pursue their interests without having to face stereotypes (National Association for Single Sex Public Education, 2011). Kiselewich (2008) advocates for gender segregation in education on a separate but equal basis just as is accepted in athletics. The evidence put forward to support single-sex schools extrapolated from studies that are not directly related to single-sex education. For instance, advantages given for single-sex schooling were mainly drawn from studies on peer/role model effect. Hoxby’s (2000) class size study findings indicated that classes with majority female students had better performance in certain subjects. This is only indirectly related to single-sex education, and there is no evidence that the impact on boys may be equal to that of girls. Other considerations that backed gender segregation stated that girls were likely to pursue male-dominated careers if they attended single-sex schools. The argument further stated that women in si ngle-sex colleges pursued mathematics and sciences on a much greater level than those in coeducation schools (Billger, 2006). The Counterproductive Nature of Gender Segregation in the Education System One of the explanations as to why the promotion of gender segregation in the education system is counterproductive is that it promotes the same gender stereotypes it is said to be addressing. There are several aspects through which this is seen beginning with the insistence that by proponents of single-sex schools that such a system places girls in a position to handle mathematics and sciences. By doing this and by labeling single-sex schools as facilities where girls can pursue these areas of study, the perception that such subjects are better and that girls cannot excel in them is further strengthened.  

Does Globalization have a future Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Does Globalization have a future - Term Paper Example Globalization has the positive and negative influences and consequences. Its influences and consequences are spread across the globe. There is both optimism and concern in the future of globalization. The negative influences spread to other parts of the world and may continue to influence the society in future. In the light of this, it is important to assess the nature in which globalization processes will take course in the future. This paper highlights the future of globalization. Discussion Positive Impacts of Globalization in the Society in the Future Globalization may have facilitated market and trade integration in the recent past but there are speculations about its future. Globalization has brought implications for future mobility and migration, worldwide social inequality and technological expansion. Globalization is likely to play a huge role in determining competitive advantage in the near future. Given that previous advocates of globalization in the political and the busi ness world of advanced countries are now in deep worry, it is apparent that globalization has brought positive and negative impacts. This worry stems from the fact that globalization has been responsible for the loss of jobs and pay reductions. Moreover, globalization has created a situation in which business executives continue to enjoy high salaries at the expense of other employees (Gangopadhyay & Chatterji, 2005). Given its numerous benefits, globalization will continue to play a vital role in converging market values and creating a free trading system. In the recent past, former socialist states have made transitions to economies that are based on the market. Countries like China have developed a capitalist economy with a hybrid system that possesses socialist characteristics. Such a development has had positive impacts on the economy with China witnessing an increase in productivity in some of its main industrial sectors (Waters, 2001). Globalization has influenced cultural pr eferences and taste in a scale that will be witnessed even in the future. Most countries are making a distinct move to homogenized arts, media and popular culture with the English language becoming the main lingua franca of communication in the global front. Moreover, the use of English as the main language has been promoted by the internet and the e-mail. Globalization has had negative and positive aspects. The positive aspects are many with globalization presenting numerous opportunities. Globalization continues to change the world system in an irrevocable manner and current trends indicate that the pace of globalization is bound to continue and accelerate in the near future. The most significant trends in the recent past and presently are greater inflow and outflow of goods and services, capital, people, money, technology, ideas and information (Rivoli, 2009). Globalization continues to lead to an increase in competition on the global front. This scenario will be witnessed in the future due to numerous beneficial aspects, which increase efficiency and production. Each country is likely to rely on globalization as a means of achieving higher production levels. Recently, increase in market space and competition has led to specialization and improvement in the division of labor. Countries that have thoroughly embraced globalization have achieved economies of scale and scope,