Answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 13

Answer question - Essay Example For the examination to have solid discoveries, the creators gave remittances to different wellsprings of variety in business including contrasts over the chains. To get such variety, the fundamental conditions utilized were as demonstrated underneath. The investigation found that 18 percent expansion in the New Jersey the lowest pay permitted by law was anticipated to lessen work at quick nourishments outlets by 0.4-1.0 representatives per store (David and Alan, 1994). Also, the investigation uncovered that even in neighborhoods, rose quicker at the stores that expanded wages because of the lowest pay permitted by law. Thirdly, the paper found that relative value changes assumed a job inside the inexpensive food industry as the consequence of raising the lowest pay permitted by law. One of the angles that make this examination to have illogical outcome is that when the lowest pay permitted by law is raised, low expertise laborers hold their occupations. Also, it is one of the methods of achieving negligible way of life. David, C and Alan, K. (1994). Least Wages and Employment: A Case Study of the Fat-Food Industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The American Economic Review, Volume 84, Issue 4 (Sept., 1994),

Social Status wk 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Societal position wk 3 - Essay Example status is comprehensive of every single cultural position one holds, an entertainer might be believed to be lower in plane position yet back to the general public she might be holding other powerful positions, for example, being a minister or a business chief, henceforth toward the day's end numerous individuals outside her leader vocation will accord her a higher status than that of a pilot. Being in a specific status whether credited, accomplished or ace might be useful or unfavorable to an individual. An individual conceived on a higher economic wellbeing appreciates a higher level of respect and distinction. Accomplished status can be gained by everybody, while an attributed status may give a favorable position to the race or sexual orientation accepted to be predominant and skillful by the general public. A decent case for instance depicting the significance of economic wellbeing that empowers an individual to have more life chances is being a Caucasian in a nation like Unites States. National insights have uncovered that there is a higher likelihood that African American kids are bound to encounter neediness than white youngsters (Saunders, 1989). Attributed status which incorporates sexual orientation, race or family connections might be utilized by individuals to give them mileage over their rivals (Saunders, 1989). Individuals in male sex for instance may utilize their direction to get occupations requiring a great deal of vitality as the general public accepts that men are solid. In legislative issues at numerous pieces of the world men are wanted to be pioneers than ladies along these lines a man despite the fact that doesn't have strong attributes than a lady contender has a higher likelihood of rising to control in the general public will initially esteem the sexual orientation before different characteristics. Another advantage of being is an unrivaled status is that on the off chance that you originate from a rich family the general public these days we esteem you a ton as you have a high possibility of acquiring that riches (Belkaoui, 2009). An individual conceived by a profoundly positioned lawmaker consistently has an advantage than an individual whose family has never ran over force, this is on the grounds that these individuals from regal family

The History of Presidential Salaries How Much Have U.S. Presidents Earned Through the Years

The History of Presidential Salaries How Much Have U.S. Presidents Earned Through the Years Ever dreamt of being a president of the United States? If yes, how much do you think you would earn being the leader of the world’s most powerful country?What if you had been a president a hundred years back, would you have made the same? Would you have made more or less?There are very few positions in the world, if any, that compare to being the president of the United States.The job comes with very tough decision making, extremely long hours, constant travel, and a lot of public and media scrutiny.With all this, it is not surprising that being the president comes with a hefty paycheck. However, those who run for presidency don’t do it for the salary.If anything, many of those who run for presidency have already made lots of money elsewhere, and therefore, the presidential salary is not very significant to them.Still, the presidential salary is quite a huge sum for the ordinary person.If you are wondering how much a president makes, stick with me. In this article, we’ll look a t how much the current president, Mr. Donald Trump, makes for being president, as well as what all the other presidents before him earned during their days in office.But before we learn how much the president earns, let’s first understand a few things about the presidential salary.WHO DETERMINES THE PRESIDENTIAL SALARY?The salary of the United States president is set by the Congress.The Congress also holds the responsibility of reviewing and increasing the president’s salary.This means that the president himself cannot increase his or her salary. But being the most powerful person in the country, can’t the president just influence the Congress to increase his salary?Well, the authors of the constitution probably envisioned such a scenario, and to prevent this, the United States Constitution, under Article II Section 1, states that a president’s salary cannot be increased or reduced during the president’s current term of office.This means that, even if a president somehow i nfluenced the Congress to raise his salary, he would have to wait till after the next election to start enjoying the higher salary (there is no guarantee he would still be president).Not only does this prevent the president from influencing the raising of his own salary, it also makes it impossible for Congress to influence or coerce a sitting president by altering â€" either increasing or decreasing â€" his salary.WHAT DOES THE CURRENT PRESIDENT EARN?Donald Trump, the current president of the United States earns a salary of $400,000 per year.In addition, the president also receives a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account, and a $19,000 entertainment account.The president’s salary has not always been $400,000. The $400,000 salary only became effective in January 2001.The increase came as part of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, which the 106th Congress passed during its closing days.Among the incentives for raising the preside ntial salary was the fact that with the steadily rising common cost of living, the salaries of several other federal officials were constantly being increased, and some federal officials were set to earn more than the president if nothing was done.Therefore, the 106th Congress decided to double the president’s salary. Since the changes took effect on January 2001, President George W. Bush, who took office the same year, was the first president to earn a $400,000 salary.Since the change became effective, the presidents who have earned the $400,000 salary are George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and the current president Donald Trump.HOW MUCH DID PRESIDENTS EARN BEFORE?The previous section makes it clear that United States presidents have not always earned a $400,000 salary. So, how much did they earn before?Well, before the 2001 change, the president’s salary has been increased on four more occasions. Below are some of the other times the presidential salary was increased. 1789The conce pt of the United States of America ruled by a president was introduced with the adoption of the US constitution in 1789. Under the newly adopted constitution, the salary of the president was set at $25,000.It would be another 8 decades before the Congress would raise the president’s salary. George Washington, one of the founding fathers, and the first president elected under the US constitution, also became the first president to earn the $25,000 salary.1873In 1873, 84 years after the first US president took office, the Congress decided to raise the president’s salary.Starting with Ulysses S Grant’s second term in office, the salary of the president was doubled from $25,000 to $50,000. After this, the presidential salary would remain unchanged for over three more decades.1909After 36 years, Congress once again made amendments to Article II Section 1 of the US constitution and increased the salary of the president to $75,000.These changes took effect in 1909, just as William Ho ward Taft came into office. It would be another four decades before this salary was reviewed again.1949In 1949, the presidential salary was once again increased, this time by 33 percent, taking the new presidential salary to $100,000. The new changes took effect just as Harry Truman was beginning his second term. This made Truman the first ever American president to earn a six figure salary.The $100,000 salary would remain effective for the next 20 years. Aside from Harry S. Truman, the other presidents who took home the $100,000 salary are Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson.1969In 1969, just as President Richard Nixon was taking office, the Congress once again decided to double the presidential salary from $100,000 to $200,000, making Richard Nixon the first president to pocket a $200,000 annual salary.This salary would remain in effect for slightly over 30 years. Aside from Richard Nixon, the other presidents who received the $200,000 salary include Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton.In 2001, the president’s salary was eventually increased from $200,000 to $400,000, which is what US presidents earn to this day.IS THAT ALL THAT PRESIDENTS MAKE?While the $400,000 figure enough to put American presidents in the top 1 percent of the highest income earners, it is just the basic salary US presidents earn for holding the position of president.Aside from this basic salary, there are other financial benefits that come with being the president. These include:A Dedicated Medical TeamThe president of the United States has an official physician, who is also the director of the White House Medical Unit.The role of the White House Medical Unit is to provide the president with comprehensive medical care as well as worldwide emergency action response. This is not only limited to the president, but to his family as well.The White House Medical Unit maintains an on-site clinic at the White House and is manned by 3 to 5 military physicians, as well as a team of nurses, medics, and medical assistants.The Director of the White House Medical Unit and some members of his staff are available to the president around the clock, whether he is at the White House or traveling on official business.Annual Expense AccountStarting in 1949, the US Congress decided that the president should also be entitled to a $50,000 annual expense account that they could use for miscellaneous expenses. The tax status of this account has changed severally.At the moment, the account is non-taxable. In most cases, the funds in the annual expense account have been used to cover the costs of meetings that do not fall within the budgets of governmental departments.Sometimes, the funds in the annual expense account do not get used or are only partially used, in which case they are given back to the treasury.Entertainment AccountWho said that you cannot have some little fun just because you are president of the most powerful countr y in the world? The president of the United States is entitled to a $19,000 entertainment. This entertainment account started during president Richard Nixon’s term in office. Initially, the entertainment account started at $12,000, but was later increased to the current $19,000. It’s good to note that these funds are not used to cater for official functions, since the State Department covers the cost of these. In addition, any performers at the White House usually do it for free.Redecoration AllowanceThe US government wants to make sure that the president and the first family feel at home at the White House, and therefore when a new president is elected, the president and his family are given $100,000 to redecorate the White House to their liking.However, the president is free to reject this money if they so wish. For instance, when former president Obama took office, he did not take the redecoration allowance. Instead, the Obamas opted to use their own funds to redecorate the W hite House.When Donald Trump took office in 2016, he reportedly spent $1.75 million to redecorate the White House and buy new furniture and wall coverings, though it is not clear whether the cost was footed by the tax payers or from his own personal accounts.DO PRESIDENTS EARN ANYTHING AFTER THEY LEAVE OFFICE?The financial perks of being president of the United States do not come to an end once one leaves office.Even after retirement, former presidents continue receiving several benefits. Some of these include:PensionUnder the Former Presidents Act, former presidents are entitled to a lifetime taxable pension. According to the Act, this pension should be equal to the annual basic pay for the heads of executive federal departments, such as Cabinet Secretaries.This amount is usually determined by Congress. At the moment, the presidential pension stands at $210,700 per year. The former president starts earning the pension the minute they officially leave office.In addition, the widows of former presidents are also entitled to an annual lifetime pension of $20,000, though they are free to waive that right if they so choose.Initially, there was some confusion as to whether presidents who resigned were also entitled to the pension.To clear the air, the Justice Department in 1974 ruled that the right to lifetime pension as well as all other benefits that former presidents are entitled to also applies to presidents who resign from office before the official expiry of their terms in office.However, a president is not entitled to these benefits if they are removed from office through impeachment.In May 2015, a bill known as the Presidential Allowance Modernization Act was introduced to Congress by Jason Chaffetz, the representative for Utah.This bill sought to delink the presidential pension from the salaries of Cabinet Secretaries and limit it (the presidential pension) to $200,000 per year.In addition, this bill also sought to reduce the presidential pension by $1 for every dollar over $400,000 that a former president earned every year from all sources.For instance, under this bill, former president Bill Clinton would not be entitled to any government pension in 2014, since he made close to $10 million from book royalties and speaking fees within that year.In January 2016, Senator Chaffetz bill was passed by the house, and later in June 2016, it was also passed by the Senate.However, in July 2016, President Obama vetoed the bill, claiming that it would impose oppressive and unreasonable burdens on former presidents.Transition ExpensesAfter leaving office, former presidents are also given funds to help facilitate and cushion their transition to private life.These funds, which are allocated by Congress, are used to cater for expenses such as office space, communication services, staff compensation, printing and postage, and so on.The transition expenses will vary from president to president. For example, when leaving office, former president Georg e W. Bush and his vice president Dan Quayle were given a transition expenses account totaling to $1.5 million.Aside from the transition expenses, which are applicable for the first six months after leaving office, the former president also continues to receive funds for an office staff. For the first 30 months after leaving office, the funds for this purpose are capped at $150,000 per year.After the first 30 months are over, the funds allocated to former presidents for staff compensation should not exceed $96,000 per year, according to the Former President’s Act. Any staff costs exceeding $96,000 per year must be paid from the former president’s personal accounts.Lifetime Protection and Medical AttentionEven after leaving office, former presidents and their spouses are entitled to receive lifetime protection from the Secret Service.If a former president passes on, their surviving spouses will continue receiving protection from the Secret Service until they remarry.If the former first family had children, the children are also entitled to protection until they reach the age of 16.While former presidents and their dependents are entitled to protection, they are also free to decline the protection if they so wish, according to legislation enacted in 1984.In addition to protection by the Secret Service, former presidents as well as their spouses, minor children and widows will continue receiving lifetime treatment in military hospitals.However, the former presidents and their dependents are still free to enroll in private health plans if they so wish, though the costs of these will not be covered by the state.Travel ExpensesIn 1968, a law was enacted that requires the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide former presidents with funds to cover travel, business and related expenses for the former president and no more than two of his or her staff members.It’s is good to note that this money does not cover travel for leisure. In order for the former president to be compensated for travel expenses, he or she must show that the travel was on official business in their capacity as a former president of the United States.Other Sources of IncomeAside from the money availed to them by the government, former presidents also have other sources of income which are related to their status as a former president of the United States.By far, the greatest source of income for former presidents comes from books deals, tours, and speaking gigs.For instance, after leaving office, former president Bill Clinton made close to $15 million in advance for the book “My Life.” Aside from what he got from the book, he also earned over $75 million from speaking gigs.Right after leaving the White House in 2001, Bill Clinton is said to have been paid $125,000 for a speech gig by the Greater Washington Association of Executives, which is a standard price for a speech from a former president.After leaving office, former president George W. Bush wrote the book “Decision Points” and made $7 million for the first 1.5 million copies.According to estimates by the Center for Public Integrity, George Bush has also brought in about $15 million from giving speeches since he stepped from office. Former president Jimmy Carter also wrote 14 books after leaving office.Before becoming president, Barack Obama wrote a book “Dreams of My Father”. Initially, the book did not bring in a significant income, but the sales kept rising as he rose higher in politics, and when he ran for president, the book started flying off the shelves.According to the New York Times, the former president and his wife Michelle Obama stand to make anywhere between $20 million and $40 million in post-presidency book contracts.PRESIDENTS WHO DID NOT TAKE A SALARYDespite the presidential salary putting presidents among the top 1 percent highest income earners in the country, and despite it being a constitutional requirement to take the presidential salary, some presi dents were not so keen about taking their salaries, opting instead to donate their salaries to charity.So far, there are four presidents who did not take their salaries. They are:Donald J. Trump: Before taking office, current president Donald Trump was already wildly wealthy. By the time he took office, he was worth $3.1 billion, according to Forbes, which was actually a decline from his $4.5 billion net worth in 2015.During his presidential campaign, Trump announced that he would only take a $1 salary since the constitution required him to take a salary. After taking office, he followed his words and has donated his $400,000 annual salary to various governmental departments.John F. Kennedy: Just like Trump, J. F. Kennedy was a very wealthy man when he took office in 1961. He came from a wealthy family worth over $1 billion at the time. Therefore, he did not really need the presidential salary to get by.During his term in office, he donated his $100,000 salary to various charities, though he kept the $50,000 annual expense account. Kennedy had also donated all his salary for all the 14 years he served in Congress.Herbert Hoover: When he took office in 1913, Hoover was worth about $4 million, which was quite a huge amount at the time (about $103 million today). Therefore, when he took office, he donated part of his $75,000 salary to various charities, while the rest he gave to his staff.George Washington: The first US president was also quite wealthy before becoming president. During his days as a military commander, he had declined taking a salary, claiming that service to the nation was enough for him.When he took office, he did not want to take a salary, but since the constitution required him to take it, he took the $25,000 salary and donated it.WRAPPING UPBeing president of the United States is a demanding position, but fortunately, it comes with an equally impressive salary of $400,000 per year.As we have seen, however, the presidential salary has not alw ays been this high.It started at $25,000 in 1789 and has been raised five times before reaching the current $400,000.With the rising cost of living and the constantly increasing salaries of other federal officials, will Congress once again increase the president’s salary?We can only wait and see.

The 1993 Storm of the Century

The blizzard of March 12 to 14, 1993 remains one of the worst U.S. snowstorms since the Great Blizzard of 1888, and its no surprise, considering that the storm stretched from Cuba to Nova Scotia, Canada, affected 100 million people across 26 states, and caused $6.65 billion in damage. By the storms end, 310 fatalities had been reported, more than three times the number of lives lost during Hurricanes Andrew and Hugo combined. Storm Origin and Track On the morning of March 11, a strong ridge of high pressure sat just offshore the U.S. west coast. Its position oriented the jet stream so that it plunged south out of the Arctic, allowing unseasonably cold air to flow into the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. Meanwhile, a low-pressure system was developing near Brownsville, TX. Fed by a number of upper air disturbances, energy from jet stream winds, and moisture from the north-central Gulf of Mexico, the low began to rapidly strengthen. The storms center traveled near Tallahassee, FL, in the pre-dawn hours of March 13. It continued north-northeastward, centering over southern Georgia near mid-day and over New England that evening. Near midnight, the storm deepened to a central pressure of 960 mb while over the Chesapeake Bay area. Thats the equivalent pressure of a Category 3 hurricane! Storm Impacts As a result of heavy snow and high winds, most cities across the Eastern Seaboard shut down or were completely inaccessible for days. Because of such societal impacts, this storm has been assigned the highest rank of extreme on the Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS). Along the Gulf of Mexico: The Florida panhandle received up to 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snowA squall line out ahead of the cold front caused a powerful derecho (straight-line windstorm) with gusts in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) felt down to Havana, CubaA Supercell spawned 11 tornadoes across the Sunshine State, ranging from F0 to F2 in intensityA 12-foot (3.7 m) storm surge caused flooding along the coasts of western Florida and northern Cuba In the South: Accumulations ranged from 3-5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 m)Snow drifts of up to 15 feet (4.6 m) were reported at Mount Mitchell, NCRare convective elements such as lightning, thundersnow, and snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2 cm) per hour were experiencedHundreds of thousands of residents were left without electricity for up to a week In the Northeast Canada: Accumulations ranged from 15 to 45 inches (38.1 cm to 1.1m)Syracuse, NY, broke five of its snowfall records, including 24-hr snowfall, maximum daily snowfalls for March 13 and 14, snowiest March, and snowiest seasonWith the storms passage, New Brunswick, Canada, reported a 45 F (7 C) temperature drop within 18 hours Forecasting Success National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists first noticed signs that a fierce winter storm was brewing during the preceding week. Due to recent advances in computer forecast models (including the use of ensemble forecasts), they were able to accurately forecast and issue storm warnings two days in advance of the storms arrival. This was the first time the NWS forecasted a storm of this magnitude and did so with several days lead time. But despite warnings that a big one was on the way, public response was one of disbelief. The weather preceding the blizzard was unseasonably mild and didnt support the news that a winter storm of historic proportions was imminent. Record Numbers The Blizzard of 1993 broke dozens of records of its time, including over 60 record lows. The top fives for U.S. snowfall, temperature, and wind gusts are listed here: Snow Totals: 56 inches (142.2 cm) on Mount LeConte, TN50 inches (127 cm) on Mount Mitchell, NC44 inches (111.8 cm) at Snowshoe, WV43 inches (109.2 cm) at Syracuse, NY36 inches (91.4 cm) at Latrobe, PA Minimum Temperatures: -12 F (-24.4 Â °C) in Burlington, VT and Caribou, ME-11 F (-23.9 Â °C) in Syracuse, NY-10 F (-23.3 Â °C) on Mount LeConte, TN-5 F (-20.6 Â °C) in Elkins, WV-4 F (-20 Â °C) in Waynesville, NC and Rochester, NY Wind Gusts: 144 mph (231.7 km/h) on Mount Washington, NH109 mph (175.4 km/h) at Dry Tortugas, FL (Key West)101 mph (162.5 km/h) on Flattop Mountain, NC98 mph (157.7 km/h) at South Timbalier, LA92 mph (148.1 km/h) on South Marsh Island, LA

Urban Shield A Preparedness Training For Prevention,...

Urban Shield has grown into a preparedness training for prevention, protection, response and recovery in a high-threat and busy urban area. Many people are becoming more and more against the urban shield program, however I think it’s a necessary training program to implement within local law enforcement agencies. It trains law enforcement and the sheriff’s office to prepare for terrorist threats, and how they can respond to threats or attacks without use of the military force. With the numerous events going on in today’s world with alleged attacks from terrorist groups like ISIS to not only the US but to other countries in the world, Urban Shield highly prepares law enforcement to respond to threats. Nobody expected those sudden attacks in†¦show more content†¦Urban Shield is ready for attacks of all kinds, especially situations such as active shooters or terrorism on our own soil. It’s unfortunate we have to worry about attacks like this, but eve r since 9/11 America has been changed. Our security for air travel and border control is far stricter, but nobody seemed to be against that. It was all in response to prevention of another terrorist attack, so by having Urban Shield I believe this kind of training is perfectly justifiable. Which is why it’s important to prepare for any situation that could happen. This kind of training points out week points and things to improve on. It improves communication and teamwork between other agencies. We can’t have a police officer or member of the National Guard to watch over every single school in the United States, so deploying rapid response law enforcement teams is a great alternative. With labs like the Lawrence Livermore lab and huge technological companies that we have in the Silicon Valley, or tapping into the tap water source for schools or homes, these could be targets for terrorism or active shooter situations that are vital and need to be protected. The next attack could happen at any moment, just as we saw two weeks ago in the San Bernardino shooting in Southern California. These kind of things are never expected, which is why giving law enforcement on a local level is a smart thing to do. I believe it’s always

Pantawid Pamilya Report Free Essays

PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (Conditional Cash Transfer in the Philippines) HISTORY Pantawid Program started in 2008 is one of the responses of the Philippine Government to the challenge of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The program works to attain 5 out of the 8 MDGs namely: Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Goal 5: Improve maternal health This version of the government of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) was patterned after the successful poverty reduction and social development measures of some Latin and Caribbean countries: |Country |Name of Program |Year Started | |Brazil |Bolsa Familia |1995 | |Mexico |Progresa/Oportunidades |1997 | |Colombia |Familias en Accion |2000 | |Honduras |Programa de Asignacion Familiar |2000 | |Nicaragua |Red de Protection Social |2000 | |Jamaica |Program for Advancement through Health and Education |2001 | |Chile |Chile Solidario |2002 | Poverty in the Philippines affects 27. 9 million Filipinos. We will write a custom essay sample on Pantawid Pamilya Report or any similar topic only for you Order Now This translates to 4. 7 million families that are poverty-stricken. 30% of the total population is unable to meet their basic food and non-food requirements and they do not avail of the basic health services. 1. 9 million families are unable to get the food needed for nutritional health and well-being of their members, especially young children. With these data, the Philippine government came up with its own version of the conditional cash transfer program. OBJECTIVES Short Term Objective †¢ Social Assistance gt; Provide assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs. Long Term Objective †¢ Social Development Break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investment in human capital i. e. , education, health and nutrition. BENEFICIARIES/TARGET POPULATION Eligible beneficiaries include the following: 1. Residents of the poorest municipalities based on 2003 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of NSCB; 2. Households whose economic condition is equal to or below the pr ovincial poverty threshold. 3. Households that have children 0-14 years old and/or have a pregnant woman at the time of assessment; 4. Households that agree to meet conditions specified in the program. REGION |NO. OF PROVINCES |NO. OF CITIES/ |NO. OF HOUSEHOLDS | | | |MUNICIPALITIES | | |REGION I |4 |35 |35,330 | |REGION II |4 |23 |25,574 | |REGION III |7 |41 |31,183 |REGION IV-A |5 |70 |105,981 | |REGION IV-B |5 |61 |141,266 | |REGION V |6 |93 |262,291 | |REGION VI |7 |86 |187,813 | |REGION VII |4 |61 |145,349 | |REGION VIII |5 |95 |179,692 | |REGION IX |3 |67 |209,593 | |REGION X |5 |82 |214,060 | |REGION XI |4 |34 |130,521 | |REGION XII |4 |34 |163,149 | |CARAGA |5 |70 |148,520 | |ARMM |5 |99 |258,738 | |CAR |6 |42 |26,274 | |NCR |0 |17 |73,727 | |TOTAL |79 |1,010 |2,339,060 | **as of 3rd quarter of 2011(set 1-4) PROGRAM STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES The program provides conditional cash grants to beneficiaries, through Landbank cash card, to wit: ? Health and Nutrition ? P6,000 per year or P500 per month per household ? Education ? P3,000 per year or P300 per month per child for 10 months a year, to a maximum of 3 children per household Program Conditionalities (Co-responsibility of the Household) HEALTH AND NUTRITION †¢ Pregnant Household Member ? Visit their local health center to avail of pre- and post-natal care. Avail of appropriate delivery services by a skilled health professional. ? Avail at least one post-natal care within 6 weeks after childbirth. †¢ Children 0-5 Years Old ? Visit the health center to avail immunization. ? Have monthly weight monitoring and nutrition counseling for children aged 0-2 years old. ? Have quarterly weight monitoring for 25 to 73 weeks old. ? Have management of childhood diseases for sick children. †¢ Children 6-14 Years Old ? Must receive deworming pills twice a year. EDUCATION †¢ Children 3-5 years old ? enrolled in day care or pre-school program and maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85% p er month. †¢ Children 6-14 years old enrolled in elementary and secondary school and maintain a class attendance rate of at least 85% per month. ISSUES AND CONCERNS Dole-out ? No, it is a social contract between the beneficiary and the government and it is a development program that invests in human capital. It is a conditional payment and the beneficiaries must meet specific conditions before they can get the cash assistance. It encourages them to invest in the future, their own, and those of their children. Inclusion Error ? Ineligible households were asked to voluntarily waive from the program. This includes households who have a regular income like teachers and other professionals. How to cite Pantawid Pamilya Report, Papers

This Thing Called Life by August Alsina free essay sample

August Alsina Show His Life Through Music August Anthony Alsina Jr, known as August Alsina, has became an influential artist for young teenagers and adults in our society. Born and raised in Louisiana, August sought out fame on Youtube, where he sang other famous people’s music. He came from a background that was hard from losing a father to the murder of his brother.Later on, became a member ofDef Jam records. On August 2013, He records his first album with the record label. His first debut album Downtown reaches sixty-eight in the Billboard 200, but in the Top Rb collection it reaches forty-four.In this album includes wonderful hits like â€Å"Survival of the Fittest† and â€Å"Downtown† which talks about life situations in the world. Testimony, another amazing album that flows with his first album. The pain and situations has put August verge of giving up on life, but his family and fans gives him a reason to stay. We will write a custom essay sample on This Thing Called Life by August Alsina or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The two songs that caught my attention were â€Å"Make It Home† and â€Å" Right There†.He says, â€Å"I don’t always do what I should, but I do what I gotta do /When you’ve been at the bottom, you see the hunger inside of you†.He had to do certain things in the past to survive and provide for his family.He also says, â€Å"I know how it be when you trying your best/ But you turn around and you got nothing to show for it†. Fans and others like me adores his original and passionate lyrics. August debuts another album This Thing Called Life after his hit single â€Å"Hip Hop†. The beats in music changes from laid back to sad melody. Many were worried and sad because they could’ve relate to him and how he tells his life story through music such as â€Å"Song Cry† and â€Å"This Thing Called Life†. August says in his â€Å"Song Cry†, â€Å"In my heart Im thinking you were gone too soon/ May you rest in peace, yet I cant sleep.† Everybody has lost someone dearly close, but yet we fathom that they are gone. He also says, â€Å"I need to try to free my mind†. He has burden on shoulder and does not know how to relieve the causes of stress. Regardless, August Alsina communicates through his fans with his music. His fans sticks by his side through his past traumatic life. I’m and will forever be an August Alsina fan.

Winning Argumentative Essay Topics for Students †Pro-Academic-Writers.com

Winning Argumentative Essay Topics for Students An argumentative essay is a special type of essay which requires students to argue with the existing points of view in order to prove the truth of their own position. Usually, there are no 100% right or 100% wrong positions. The chosen topics should be yet contradictive and debatable. To prove his or her own position, a student is encouraged to use various sources that are dated no more than five years. Otherwise, the information may be too old to use. It is especially crucial for various statistics and data for the certain period. The main goal of all argumentative topics is to convince the target audience in the authenticity of the author’s judgments. To look more professional, argumentative topics should be supported by the arguments for and against. This way a student shows his awareness of the discussed field. To decide which argument to include, students have to start with conducting an in-depth research. They should study all sides of the given issue. The final purpose of the paper is to make an educated stance. The evidence should include observations, studies, reports, statistics, articles, and other papers published by scientists or legal entities like the government. These primary sources are no doubt the most reliable sources of information for all argumentative topics. The organization of the argumentative topics essay is rather complicated. You may find it here. But it is still better to have a look at one of the online examples to survive with the highest possible grade. How to Choose Argumentative Essay Topics Wisely? Argumentative paper on any subjects should inspire the audience to: Read the entire text Participate in the discussion or even make it To debate and argue Thus, the ideas should be selected carefully. The first stage is usually the most important when speaking about argumentative essays. If you are not assigned a particular theme, you may go on searching for the inspiring topics on your own. It’s not that hard if you have an internet access or opportunity to visit libraries. Check out the newspapers and magazine archives to grab the best ideas for your argumentative piece. Look at their date! A bad idea is to consider sensitive and biased topics like: nationality race gender social status relationships between two humans religion politics The good idea is to talk about things that encourage people to argue with each other without turning them enemies. Try to avoid hostile topics in favor of less biased ones: music, laws, history, food preferences, books, etc. Involve all your consideration and pick familiar topics for your argumentative essays. Choosing an emotional topic is a nice way out, but you should not do it if you are not an expert in the field. If you want a paper on the topic you are not sure about, contact online writing service to get proper help. List of the Best Argumentative Topics Simple Argumentative Essay Topics (Elementary Middle School) Should young students ask their parents to be allowed to purchase contraceptives? Should people be encouraged to drink less with the help of special laws? Should college education be made obligatory? Middle-level Complexity (Argumentative Essay Topics for College) The Difference between Moral and Non-Moral Issue Can military intervention in Syria be justified? Are parents responsible for the criminal actions of their children? Is GPA enough to successfully pass application process? Advanced-level Ideas for Argumentative Essay Is Career Choice Impacting Applicants Heavily? How Do Cultural Aspects Influence Management Decisions? Was the last presidential election in the United States fair? Do film celebrities make too much money unfairly? Funny Ideas for Argumentative Paper How to make money on joking videos on YouTube? What is the worst motion picture ever? Who is the best comedian actor and why? Topics for Any Life Situation Violent video games are not the main cause of Columbine High School massacre Gender Studies was initiated by the feminist group and should not be studied to teenagers Should people make abortions illegal? Bioethics How can activists ban the usage of wild animals for research purposes? Cloning any living creatures must be forbidden Computer Science/IT Is Google staff right in increasing privacy and security? Copyright violation: is there a way to withstand this problem? Should YouTube comments be strictly monitored and deleted if needed? The Internet today involves more risks than benefits. Law and Political Science Argumentative Topics Is gun control the best method to reduce criminal activity? Should governments support same-sex marriages everywhere? How should smoking and drinking in public places be punished? The problem of too over-regulated community Legalization of marijuana: pros and cons Ecology The essence of cross-cultural marriages Why women participate in criminal activity less than men Remote learning is more efficient than the traditional classes Violence in the media: its hidden dangers Media Studies Media impact on the teen’s development The role of rock and metal music in the life of school students Organization and Format of an Argumentative Paper                                                                                                                Argumentative Essay Structure for Any Topics Beginning paragraph   (introduction)                                        3-5 body paragraphs Conclusion Summary of the target topics, their role in society. End up with a thesis statement (the last one in the first paragraph) List the arguments that support your main idea best of all. Students have to support each of them with up-to-date sources (evidence) The support should be logical. Focus on proved facts, analytics, statistics, official data, etc. The student must synthesize the information recalled in the body paragraphsÃ'Ž. How to Use So-Called Connection Words Correctly When you construct an argumentative essay, it does not really matter which topics you describe. To unite all body paragraphs with the introduction and conclusion, use transition words. Then all paragraphs and sentences will function as one whole. Function Connection Word Addition In addition; and; additionally; as well as; identically; along with; likewise; too; also; together with Contrast Above all; different from; despite; although this may be true; on the contrary; in spite of; on the other hand; however; besides; but; otherwise; whereas Cause or Target Because of; so long as; due to; given that; with this in mind; provided that; when; unless; in case; with this in mind Examples or Evidence Truly; another key point; by all means; chiefly; for instance; especially; specifically; to point out; in other words Outcomes Due to the fact that; accordingly; consequently; hence; as a result; in effect; in that case Conclusion/Summary All things considered; to sum up; as can be seen; so summarize; after all; in the end As you can see, writing an argumentative essay on most of the available topics is a time-consuming process which requires a lot of efforts and skills it is worth trying as you can gain unforgettable experience. Students should mind English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary usage when working on their drafts. Style is also crucial. Avoid plagiarism. Those are the main rules. If you still feel unsure about the particular writing task, you can download the good topics ideas or simply order an argumentative essay written from scratch by the amazing writers from this site.

5 Examples of Proper Style for Proper Nouns

5 Examples of Proper Style for Proper Nouns 5 Examples of Proper Style for Proper Nouns 5 Examples of Proper Style for Proper Nouns By Mark Nichol A proper noun, also known as a proper name, is capitalized to indicate that it denotes a unique entity or phenomenon. Many entities or phenomena are widely known by their names. Sometimes, however, writers misunderstand or misrepresent the label. Here are five examples of proper nouns that illustrate the importance of verifying precise nomenclature and considering the context in which it is used. 1. Big Ben This is the official nickname, specifically, of the bell in the Elizabeth Tower, the iconic structure often used as a visual shortcut to identifying London in photographs, on television, and in films. (The tower, previously called simply the Clock Tower, was renamed in 2012 in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.) However, popularly, the phrase generally refers to the clock in the tower or the tower itself. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention This US government agency’s official name is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it retains the initials, CDC, of its previous designation, the Centers for Disease Control; note that the first word is plural. (A similar example is the name of the National Institutes not Institute of Health.) 3. Halley’s Comet The technical name for this peanut-shaped orbiting body roughly the size of a big-league Himalayan mountain is Comet Halley. (actually, 1P/Halley is its astronomy-catalog designation.) Because of its relative familiarity, however, due to unusually frequent reappearances (roughly every seventy-five years), it is also called Halley’s Comet. The traditional pronunciation among astronomers rhymes with alley, but, perhaps as a result of contamination from the name of the seminal rock-and-roll band Bill Haley and the Comets, most laypeople pronounce it to rhyme with daily. (No one knows how discoverer Edmund Halley pronounced his name, but I’d give the odds to the stargazers’ convention.) 4. New York The largest US city is popularly called New York (the official name is â€Å"the City of New York†), but writers should determine whether, depending on the context, it should be referred to as New York City to distinguish it from New York State. (In this designation, and in â€Å"Washington State† so as not to confuse the state with Washington, DC state is capitalized even though it’s not part of the state’s official name.) 5. Sierra Nevada The name of the mountain range forming the backbone of California a name shared by several other ranges throughout the world from the Spanish phrase meaning â€Å"snowy mountains,† should not be pluralized with the letter s, and â€Å"the Sierra Nevada Mountains† is partially redundant. (The same is true of the truncation â€Å"the Sierras†; call it â€Å"the Sierra.†) Many other geographical designations are redundant: Fujiyama translates as â€Å"Mount Fuji†; the words sahara, gobi, and negev all mean â€Å"desert†; and the first word in â€Å"Rio Grande,† as well as Avon and Don the names for rivers in England and Russia, respectively means â€Å"river.† Although it’s not wrong to use the word mount, desert, or river before or after the name of a geographic feature that means â€Å"mountain,† â€Å"desert,† or â€Å"river,† the common noun can often safely be omitted (for example, â€Å"Fujiyama,† â€Å"the Sahara,† and â€Å"the Rio Grande†). Note, too, that river, when it precedes a river’s name (for example, â€Å"the river Nile†), is always descriptive and not part of the name. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?Glimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

Analysis if financial perfomance of Wholefoods Market Essay

Analysis if financial perfomance of Wholefoods Market - Essay Example A critical analysis of the financial performance of this organisation shows that despite market forces such as competition, this organisation is performing relatively well given that it has managed to record a steady increase in its profits over a five year period from 2006 to 2010. Against this background, it has been recommended that it is safe for investors to invest in this company given that there are positive indications of positive growth which lowers the chances of risk in the event of unprecedented forces impacting negatively on the economy. 1.0 Introduction According to the World Book Encyclopaedia (2008), a stock is a right to ownership in a corporation. The stakeholders buy shares and they can sell them for a profit in market places called stock exchanges. The financial performance of a listed company is influenced by various factors. As such, this report seeks to critically analyse the financial performance of Whole Foods Market which is a listed on the New York Stock Ex change. The report starts by outlining the historical background of the company as well as the factors that can affect its operations. This section is followed by a critical analysis of the organisation’s financial performance during the 2006 to 2010 fiscal years. Recommendations are given at the end of the report in order to establish if it is feasible for the investors to buy shares in this particular Company. 2.0 Historical background of Whole Foods Market According to its official website, Whole Foods Market was founded in Austin, Texas as a natural foods industry. It specifically focused in offering organic foods in a bid to promote health among the consumers. It was established in 1980 and grew through acquisitions to become a force to reckon with in the organic food segment of the market. This company is regarded as the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket in America as well as other parts in the globe. The company completed its initial public o ffering in January 1992 and it trades its common stock on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol WFMI. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and its mission is â€Å"to promote the vitality and well being of all the individuals by supplying the highest quality, most wholesome foods available.† The mission of the company is primarily concerned with developing organic foods, food safety concerns as well as sustainability of the entire ecosystem. There is growing concern to preserve the environment against the backdrop of rising cases of global warming and other issues related to health of the human beings. This company has managed to lead the organic food industry in the US since its inception about 30 years ago as a result of the fact that it has remained uniquely mission driven. 3.0 Market analysis Like any other industry, this company operates in an e competitive market where there are different players as well. The competitors for this company inclu de local, regional as well as international

Human Development Index - Ethiopia, Russia, and Switzerland Assignment

Human Development Index - Ethiopia, Russia, and Switzerland - Assignment Example This index was introduced to account for the effects of disadvantages facing females in labour markets, education and health, increasing inequality on the gender basis and reducing the actual IHDI and HDI. Finally, the human development report also includes the multi-poverty index since 2010, which complements the HDI and IHDI measures by considering how multiple deprivations overlap in income, education, and life expectancy (Vander 64). This paper will discuss human development trends in Ethiopia, Russia, and Switzerland using these indices, as well as examine how international capital and trade flows affect development in the three countries. Ethiopia, Russia, and Switzerland have stark differences with regards to the life expectancy index, despite the fact that they have all been rising consistently. Ethiopia’s life expectancy has risen from 43.9 in 1980 to 59.7 in 2013 with the most significant increasing happening between 2000 and 2013 (Ethiopia: HDR 2013 2). Russia’s life expectancy fluctuated during the 90s, unlike Ethiopia’s, although this improved from 2000 to the present. However, the rates of increase have been minimal with only a rise of 1.6 in the last two decades, compared to Ethiopia’s that has increased by 15.8 years in the same period. Switzerland’s life expectancy has increased moderately compared to the other two countries by 6.8 years (Switzerland: HDR 2013 2). With regards to education, which is calculated by the expected years of schooling, Ethiopia again has the highest increase in trend since 1980 with the expected years of schooling increasing by 6.3 years (Ethiopi a: HDR 2013 2). This is in comparison to Russia that has seen an increase of 2.1 years and Switzerland with a rise of 3.3 years. However, Russia has the highest mean years of schooling rate at 4.6 years, compared to Ethiopia at 0.7 years and Switzerland at 1 year. With regards to the income index, calculated as GNI per capita, Ethiopia’s trend shows the highest increase of 102% in the last 18 years (Ethiopia: HDR 2013 2), followed by Switzerland at 36% and Russia at 15%.  Ã‚  

Studying The Numerous Functions Of Maybank2u Information Technology Essay

Studying The Numerous Functions Of Maybank2u Information Technology Essay Fund transfer simply means send some amount of money from an account to another account via Internet. By having this function, Maybank2u(M2U) allows its registered users to transfer fund online without having queuing at bank counter to carry out transaction. For example, parents can transfer fund to their children who study overseas by using this service. Besides, corporate user can use this function to pay their supplier and so they do not need to use cheque to make payment which is more risky compared to fund transfer because the user or supplier may lost the cheque. On Maybank2u.com, users can transfer funds between own Maybank accounts, e.g. from savings account to current account, to other Maybank accounts, to other local banks or financial institutions and transfer funds overseas. Transfer between own Maybank accounts M2U users can transfer funds between own Maybank accounts. To transfer funds between own Maybank accounts: Users must be a registered M2U user. First, login on Maybank2u.com. They can then choose banking area of Accounts and Banking to transfer funds. An overview of saving and current accounts balance will be shown on screen afterward. By clicking Transfers at the option panel at left hand side, it will bring users to main transfer page and users can choose own account transfer. Then, users can enter transfer details such as amount to be transferred, transfer funds from which account to which account and select an effective date for the transfer to take place. After this is done, users can review transfer details to confirm the transaction. If users have changed their mind, they can correct it by moving back to the previous page. If users confirm the transaction, they can click the Confirm tab and a confirmation screen will be shown to show whether the transfer is successful or fail. Users will be given a unique reference number for the transfer as record. They can then print receipt of the transfer or make another transfer. This transfer takes less than 3 minutes to be done. It is fast and convenient. There is no limit for users to transfer fund between own accounts as long as there is balance in their account. Transfer.jpg Figure 1.1: Own account transfer Transfer to third partys Maybank account To transfer funds from own account to third partys Maybank account, M2U users can choose to transfer funds immediately or at a selected future date, just like how transferring between own accounts does. If users have selected any future transfers, all the outstanding future transfers will be recorded in a table and users are allowed to check on pending funds transfer and cancel them anytime. However, there is a limit for daily transfer which is of maximum RM5000 per day. This service is free of charge. Steps to carry this transfer are almost the same with that of transfer between own Maybank accounts. The differences between these two are users have to select 3rd party account transfer instead of own account transfer. There are also some functions available in this transfer. The first function is 3rd Party Account Maintenance. This function allows users to save account details of someone whom users transfer funds frequently, so that users do not need to key in account number every time when they want to transfer funds. Users are allowed to save up to 20 favourite accounts and update or delete the account details. Another function provided for this transfer is Transaction Limit Maintenance. The maximum limit of amount that users can transfer per day is RM5000. Users may set their own daily transaction limit from 1 cent to maximum of RM5000. Besides, for immediate transfer, users are allowed to send e-mail to recipients in order to inform them that they have transferred money to their accounts. Transfer1.jpg Figure 1.2: Transfer to 3rd partys Maybank account Transfer to accounts of other local banks or financial institutions M2U users can also transfer funds to savings or current accounts of other local banks or financial institutionssuch as Alliance Bank, CIMB Bank, HSBC, Citibank, etc. This transfer is named GIRO Interbank Transfer. There are a few types of payment can be made through GIRO which is funds transfers to savings or current accounts, credit card payment, loan payment and hire purchase payment. During weekdays, recipients will receive fund transferred at the same day if users transfer fund before 12pm and the money will be credited to recipients account before 12 midnight. For funds transferred after 12pm, recipients will receive the amount in the next working day. For funds transferred during weekends and public holidays, recipients will receive the money in the next working day. Steps to carry out this transfer are almost the same with the steps above but senders have to select New Interbank GIRO Transfer and they also needed to select which bank to transfer to before they enter transfer details. Senders will also be questioned about whether they want validation of recipients ID at their bank. m2.jpg Figure 1.3: Transfer to other banks account There is also a daily transfer limit for this transfer which is RM5000 and there is also RM2 charge for service fee. Like the transfer funds to third party, users can also set their favourite IBG Transfers to their favourite list and there is a maximum of 20 favourites. Transfer funds overseas If M2U users want to transfer funds (cash or credit money) overseas online, users can do this by using Foreign Telegraphic Transfer. Users can transfer money to 3rd party account by Credit to Account to 50 countries in 24 currencies conveniently while for cash, users can only send it to 6 countries. Maybank2u has set a daily transfer limit for this fund transfer. To transfer cash, users must transfer at least RM250 or maximum up to RM1000. For credit to account, users must transfer at least RM250 and maximum up to RM10000. This transaction is processed by SWIFT and TAC (security code) authentication, so it is fast and safe. Besides, Maybank2u is able to calculate the value of the funds that you want to transfer by converting currency instantly. The amount will then be debited directly from users Maybank saving or current account to 3rd party account. Maybank will charge a transaction fee of RM10 to sender for each transaction carried out. Recipient will also be charged by their bank and the amount is different in every country. The time taken for recipient to receive money depends on recipients bank. Besides all these transfers functions, on the Transfers page, users are also allowed to check transfer history, future transfers and foreign telegraphic transfer history and manage their favourite transfers. CREDIT CARDS There are total 23 types of credit card available in Maybank. Details about various types of credit cards are available on Maybank2u.com. People who are Malaysian and aged 21st to 65th years old with specified range of amount of income can apply for Maybank credit card. For supplementary cardholders, they must be of at least 21st years old. For those who wish to apply Maybank credit cards, they are provided with a function which can help them to get a card that is best suit themselves. First, they will be questioned about their income and also what type of card are they looking for. After make selection, all results will be shown and users are allowed to make comparison between cards. credit card2.jpg Figure 1.5: Choose income range and types of card After users have made decision on which card to choose, they can download application form from Maybank2u.com, print it and fill in details. For applicants who wish to have a supplementary cardholder, they can download supplementary form online too. After all these are done, they can hand up the application form attach with all required documents to one of the branches to apply for credit card. dl application form.jpg Figure 1.6: Download credit card application form IMPROVEMENT There are total 8 methods available in Maybank to transfer fund which are Maybank Money Express, Foreign Telegraphic Transfer, 3rd party own account transfer, GIRO Interbank Transfer, China Remittance Service, MEPS Interbank Funds Transfer, Foreign Worker Telegraphic Transfer and MoneyGram Money Transfer. However, there are only three methods available on Maybank2u.com. In order to increase customers option in transferring funds, Maybank should include a few more methods on Maybank2u.com. In other words, it should make any of the five methods available to use online. For example, Maybank Money Express is one of the methods that allows overseas recipients to receive money instantly. By providing reference number given by the sender, recipients can receive the money immediately without having to wait. If this function is available online, users (sender) do not have to travel to branch physically to perform this transaction and recipients can still receive money at once. By having this, users can transfer funds in a more efficient manner. This directly increases customers satisfaction and also the banks reputation and it may attract more customers since it provides the most convenient way for customers to transfer funds overseas. Besides, M2U should increase daily transfer limit for transfer fund to 3rd party account. The default daily transfer limit is RM5000. If users want to transfer more than RM5000, they have to wait until next working day or proceed to ATM to conduct the transaction. This causes inconvenience to users who wish to transfer funds in a larger amount without having travel to branch physically. So, M2U should increase its daily transfer limit so that users can transfer more money online. NEW FUNCTIONS In order to response more promptly to customers request, M2U should provide a function which allows customers to have direct conversations with customer service representatives online when they face problem in using functions on M2U. This is also known as chat box. Many online shopping websites adopt this function so that they can react faster to customers question and need. Conventionally, when users face problems, they either give a call to customer service department or send e-mail and wait for their reply. These take time and some customers may feel impatient while waiting for their reply. Businesses should always place their customers as their top priority and they should fulfill customers need as much as possible and as fast as possible. So, if M2U develop this function, it can response more quickly to customers need and this indirectly increase customers satisfaction and they can retain customers loyalty. For users who wish to apply Maybank credit card online, M2U again causes another inconvenience as there is no function that allows customers to apply credit card online. All it has are only detailed information about credit cards and users can download application form if they want to apply credit cards. So, M2U should insert this function and it can further develop another function for applicants to upload supporting documents. By having this, supporting documents such as NRIC, latest BE form with official tax receipt, latest 2 months salary slips, latest 3 months savings account activity/current account statements, etc can be uploaded and submitted online by the applicants together with the application of credit card. This function really bring great convenience for people who are busy and always have no free time to travel to branch physically.

Culture and Its Importance

Journal of Management Development Emerald Article: Do Cultural Differences Make a Business Difference? : Contextual Factors Affecting Cross-cultural Relationship Success Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Richard Ian Corn Article information: To cite this document: Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Richard Ian Corn, (1994),†Do Cultural Differences Make a Business Difference? : Contextual Factors Affecting Cross-cultural Relationship Success†, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 13 Iss: 2 pp. 5 – 23 Permanent link to this document: http://dx. oi. org/10. 1108/02621719410050219 Downloaded on: 26-10-2012 References: This document contains references to 30 other documents Citations: This document has been cited by 26 other documents To copy this document: [email  protected] com This document has been downloaded 3632 times since 2005. * Users who downloaded this Article also downloaded: * Rosabeth Moss Kanter, (2004),†The challenges of leadership: Interview with Rosabeth Moss Kanter †, Strategic Direction, Vol. 0 Iss: 6 pp. 7 – 10 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/02580540410533190 Rosabeth Moss Kanter, 1997†³Strategies for success in the new global economy: An interview with Rosabeth Moss Kanter†, Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 25 Iss: 6 pp. 20 – 26 http://dx. doi. org/10. 1108/eb054603 Martin E. Smith, (2003),†Changing an organisation's culture: correlates of success and failure†, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 24 Iss: 5 pp. 249 – 261 http://dx. doi. org/10. 108/01437730310485752 Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH For Authors: If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service. Information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www. emeraldinsight. com/authors for more information. About Em erald www. emeraldinsight. om With over forty years' experience, Emerald Group Publishing is a leading independent publisher of global research with impact in business, society, public policy and education. In total, Emerald publishes over 275 journals and more than 130 book series, as well as an extensive range of online products and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 3 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. Related content and download information correct at time of download. Do Cultural Differences Make a Busines s Difference? Contextual Factors Affecting Cros s-cultural Relationship Succes s Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Richard Ian Corn Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, U S A I think Turks are Turks, and they are very different from Canadians, or North Americans or Brits or whatever. But when I went to Turkey, I was dealing with some Turks who had been dealing with Canadians for 10-15 years; they understood us and had adapted to our ways.Yes, they were still Turks, but they knew what Canadians expected. And they knew Canadians very well, so they forgave us when we made faux pas, they understood that we like Christmas Day off. They were patient and gave us a year to understand them. Cultural Differences 5 Canadian executive, describing experiences in his company’s joint venture in Turkey Of course, initially there were apprehensions about being bought by foreigners. Foreigners to us is anyone outside the local community.American executive, describing his company’s acquisition by a British company In Search of Cultural Differences As economies globalize and organizations increasingly form cross-border relationships, there is a resurgence of interest in the management problems caused by national cultural differences – in values, ideologies, organizational assumptions, work practices, and behavioural styles – spawning research reminiscent of national character studies following the Second World War.Recent findings about the cultural propensities of major countries appear robust, replicated in surveys of the values of managers[1-3], as well as used to explain institutional patterns within countries[4]. Such findings are often consistent with stereotypes evoked by managers to explain others and themselves. Cultural generalizations roll easily off the tongues of people in our studies. For example: several Europeans predicted problems Volvo and Renault could have in combining Volvo’s Swedish egalitarianism with Renault’s French hierarchy.A German executive working in a French-American alliance commented that Germans and Americans had more values in common than either did with the French, invoking this as an Important contributions to the case studies and interviews for this paper by Kalman Applbaum, Pamela Yatsko, Madelyn Yucht, Paul Myers, Clau dia de Dominicis, Tom Hughes, Liska Ouellette, Saba Hapte-Selassie and Thuy Tranthi are gratefully acknowledged, as is the support of the Division of Research of the Harvard Business School. Copyright 1993 by R. M. Kanter and R. I. Corn. Used by permission. Journal of Management Development, Vol. 13 No. 2, 1994 pp. 5-23. MCB University Press, 0262-1711 Journal of Management Development 13,2 6 explanation for why an American sent to London to lead the integration team was viewed as incompetent by the French partner for failing to make authoritative decisions[5]. Furthermore, people often assume cultural heterogeneity creates tensions for organizations.Managers, even within a single country, often prefer homogeneity to heterogeneity, because shared experiences and culture are a basis for trust[6]. Yet, while national cultural differences clearly exist at some level of generality, it is more difficult to specify how the presence of such differences affects organizational and managerial effectiveness. Evidence and observations in a range of situations raise questions about the usefulness of the â€Å"cultural differences† approach for managers. For example: ?When people of different national cultures interact, they can be remarkably adaptable, as in the Japanese history of borrowing practices from other countries[7]. And even though it is supposedly more difficult for managers to operate outside their home culture, multinational companies have long succeeded even when expatriate managers make mistakes. Many industrial firms have operated successfully in foreign countries while showing insensitivity towards local values or treating host-country personnel less well than home-country personnel[8]. Technical orientation can override national orientation. There is evidence that similar educational experiences – e. g. for managers or technical professionals – erase ideological differences; those within the same profession tend to espouse similar val ues regardless of nationality[9,10]. At Inmarsat, an international satellite consortium owned by companies from over 60 countries and staffed at its London headquarters by 55 nationalities, differences between functions were a greater source of conflict than differences between nationalities.Although stereotypes abounded (â€Å"Spaniards are often late†; â€Å"Indians like to talk†), engineers who shared a technical orientation quickly adjusted to each other’s foibles – easily enough that a training programme on cross-cultural management was poorly attended[11]. ? Tensions between organizations which seem to be caused by cultural differences often turn out, on closer examination, to have more significant structural causes. A Scottish construction company had difficulty in its first international partnership with a French company.The failure was widely explained by employees as caused by differences between a â€Å"beer culture† and a â€Å"wine cu lture†. Its next partnership with a Dutch company was more effective, supposedly because of the greater compatibility with the Dutch. But in the first partnership, the companies set up many â€Å"dealbusters†[12], from letting lawyers negotiate for executives, to ignoring assumptions about future business strategy. In the second case, they learned from their mistakes and changed the way they worked with their partner. National cultures had little to do with failure in the first instance and success in the second. Cultural value issues – and issues of â€Å"difference† in general – are more apparent at early stages of relationships than later, before people came to know each other more holistically. And outsiders of any kind, even from the next neighbourhood, can seem different. But once people get to know each other beyond first impressions, relationship dynamics are often determined by power rather than culture. Resistance to the new American chief executive of a British retailer was resistance to change, not to culture differences.National culture issues were simply one more piece of learning as he moved from outsider to insider; they did not affect his ability to do his work of managing a fast and successful turnaround[13]. ? Central country value tendencies are often reported at a very high level of generality, as on average over large populations themselves far from homogeneous. Thus, they fail to apply to many groups and individuals within those countries. There are strong individual, regional, and ethnic differences within countries that are masked by the attempt to find country patterns.For example, an American who had served in Japan during the Second World War liked the docile women he saw there. He decided to marry a Japanese woman, only to discover after the marriage that she came from the one part of Japan that encouraged assertive, dominant women. And not only are there individual as well as ethnic differences wi thin countries, but individuals themselves derive their behaviour from many influences and can hold multiple identities. The chairman of Matra Hachette in Paris calls himself â€Å"a Gascon, a Frenchman, and a European†. Finally, group cultural tendencies are always more apparent from outside than inside the group. Indeed, people often only become aware of their own value or culture in contrast to someone perceived as an outsider[6]. The British writer George Orwell observed that national identity and cultural similarity is salient only for those returning from abroad or when the country is threatened; otherwise, people hold firmly to their individuality and are more aware of differences among those within the same nation.For these reasons, then, we wondered about the circumstances under which cross-cultural interaction would affect business performance. The Foreign Acquisitions Study To learn more about managerial issues provoked by cultural differences, we looked for situat ions in which cross-cultural interactions might produce organizational tensions. Kanter’s studies of international strategic alliances and joint ventures, reported in a series of Harvard case studies and articles[14], had uncovered a large number of strains between cross-border partners, but most of Cultural Differences 7Journal of Management Development 13,2 8 these involved strategic, organizational, political, or financial issues. But perhaps that was because the relationship between venture or alliance partners is assumed to be one of relative equality and independence; each partner retains its own cultural identity as well as control over its own operations, co-operating with the other for limited purposes while insulating core activities from the relationship. We looked for another test in the realm of foreign acquisitions, in which cultural differences would perhaps play a greater role.Foreign acquisitions of US companies increased over the last decade. In 1990, 446 su ch deals, valued at $46. 2 billion, were completed, compared with only 126 deals valued at $4. 6 billion in 1982. Foreign acquisitions of US companies accounted for 28. 1 per cent of the total value of merger and acquisition activity involving at least one company in 1990, compared with only 7. 6 per cent in 1982[15]. This acquisition situation, we proposed, would heighten American managers’ awareness of their own culture and its contrast to the acquirer’s culture, as they merged operations or shifted control over decisions.Since American companies were more accustomed to acquiring foreign operations than being acquired, the â€Å"reversal of roles† experienced when being acquired would perhaps exaggerate tensions enough to bring cultural issues to the surface. Therefore, we developed a pilot project with eight companies. T he Companies Approximately 75 interviews with senior and middle managers were conducted by Harvard Business School teams in 1992 and 1993 at eight mid-sized New England-based American companies which had been acquired by foreign companies in the period between mid-1987 and 1990 (with one exception acquired in 1984).All companies had enough experience with the foreign parent to provide time for cross-cultural contact to occur and any problems to surface; but the acquisition was also recent enough for managers to have fresh memories. The circumstances surrounding the acquisitions differed in some respects. One was a strictly arms-length financial investment in which a well-known sporting goods manufacturer was acquired by a Venezuelan financial group as its only US holding in a leveraged buyout from investors who had acquired it two years earlier; as long as profits were high, there was minimal contact with the parent.In two other cases, there was a history of relationships between the foreign parent and the acquired company prior to the acquisition: a familyowned retailer had developed a business partnership with a large r but also family-owned British chain four years before the acquisition as part of a succession plan; and a metals manufacturer had formed a number of joint ventures with a Japanese conglomerate beginning seven years before the acquisition, turning to its Japanese partner as a defensive tactic against a hostile takeover threat.Other acquisitions also stemmed from financial distress: an armaments manufacturer was bought by a British conglomerate after the US company faltered under a sequence of four different American owners; an abrasives manufacturer was bought by a French company as a â€Å"white knight† in a takeover battle with a British company; and a US retailer was sold to a Japanese retailer when it no longer fit its US manufacturing company parent’s strategy. In many of the cases, then, foreign acquirers were sought by the US companies to solve a problem.Two of the companies, given the pseudonyms Metalfab and Hydrotech, were observed by the second author in par ticular depth. Both were engineeringoriented manufacturing companies with operations primarily in the US and annual sales between $100 and $200 million. Both were previously owned by financially-troubled US parents whose core business was in a different industry, and both were bought by well-respected, internationally-experienced companies in the same industry.Corn conducted 30 interviews at Metalfab, a manufacturer of fabricated metal products acquired about five years earlier by Fabritek, pseudonym for a Swedish manufacturer in the same business. He also conducted 21 interviews at Hydrotech, a designer and manufacturer of hydraulic systems acquired about three years earlier by Gruetzi, pseudonym for a German-Swiss manufacturer of industrial energy systems.But while Metalfab was acquired by a company of similar size and was operating at a pretax profit, Hydrotech’s new parent was much larger and more diversified geographically and technologically, and Hydrotech was accumulat ing significant losses. Cultural Differences 9 Overview of the Findings The interviews at all eight companies focused on the history of the companies’ relationships, their business situations and business strategies, the amount and kind of cross-cultural contact between managers, difficulties and how they had been resolved, and any organizational changes which had come about as a result of the merger.We expected cultural differences to play a prominent role in the dynamics of the integration, especially because so many questions probed these issues specifically – from asking for characterizations of â€Å"typical† American and parent country managers to comparing managerial styles in concrete situations. (The study was thus â€Å"biased† towards finding cultural differences and tensions because of them. ) We expected many difficulties to arise, necessitating many organizational changes, and we expected American companies to resist learning from their fore ign company parents.We also expected some combinations to be more volatile than others, such as the Japanese-American interactions, either because of prejudice or because of values and style differences. We found, instead, that nationality-based culture was one of the less significant variables affecting the integration of the companies and their organizational effectiveness. We found that relatively few issues or problems arose which could be labelled â€Å"cultural†, even though managers were able to identify style differences easily that fit common cultural patterns.We also found that very few measures were taken to facilitate cultural integration. Only a moderate number of difficulties were encountered or organizational changes Journal of Management Development 13,2 10 necessitated, and US companies learned from their foreign parents. Furthermore, there was no discernable pattern of cultural compatibility; all nationalities worked well with their American acquisitions. In general, mergers and acquisitions create significant stress on organizational members, as separate organizational cultures and strategies are blended, ven within one country[12]. Differences in national cultures are assumed to add another layer of complexity to the merger process. But our findings suggest that contextual factors play the dominant role in determining the smoothness of the integration, the success of the relationship, and whether or not cultural differences become problematic. These findings lead us to conclude that the significance of cultural differences between employees or managers of different nationalities has been overstated.Cultural values or national differences are used as a convenient explanation for other problems, both interpersonal and organizational, such as a failure to respect people, group power and politics, resentment at subordination, poor strategic fit, limited organizational communication, or the absence of problem-solving forums. Such differen ces are invoked as explanations for the uncomfortable behaviour of others when people have limited contact or knowledge of the context behind the behaviour.Culture versus Context as an Explanatory Factor Most interviewees were able to identify a number of ways in which they differed â€Å"culturally† from their foreign colleagues in values, interpersonal style, and organizational approach. Many of these â€Å"fit† the position of countries on dimensions Hofstede[1] identified, especially power distance and individualism/ collectivism. The first difference issue mentioned, however, was an objective one: Language problems. A majority of Americans found the difficulty in overcoming language differences with all but the British acquirers to be the biggest â€Å"negative† surprise of their respective mergers.One American at Metalfab stated that â€Å"during initial meetings, we assumed that when we spoke English to the Swedes and they nodded their heads, they unders tood what we were saying. Now we realize the nods only meant that they heard the words†. Employees at Metalfab and Hydrotech also recalled meetings in which their foreign colleagues would agree to adopt some new procedure, â€Å"only to go right back to doing things the same old way as soon as they left the meeting†. American employees noted cultural differences in decision-making styles.Many argued that their foreign parents’ management team took a longer-term view. Americans at Hydrotech and Metalfab routinely expressed frustration with the unwillingness of German-Swiss and Swedish managers to make decisions without a great deal of analysis. Europeans noted the American reputation for fast, less thoughtful decisions. A British manager involved in the armaments company acquisition said, â€Å"Unlike American companies which manage by quarterly numbers, we at UK headquarters base our strategy and business policies on long-term positioning†.American intervi ewees also identified a number of differences in interpersonal style between themselves and their foreign colleagues which they attributed to national culture. The Swiss were described as â€Å"very orderly and efficient†, the Swedes were universally described as being very serious. British managers were described as less emotional, less community-oriented, more deliberate, and much less likely to â€Å"shoot from the hip† than Americans. Europeans were described by nearly all American employees as being more formal, less open and outgoing, and slower to form friendships than are Americans.Japanese managers were described as very courteous and polite. Several Metalfab employees stated that the Swedes were much more likely to argue with each other publicly than were Americans. One American official recalled that in the early days of the merger, he and an American colleague would stare at each other in board meetings while the Swedes argued among themselves. The American manager claimed that his American colleagues would have been much more likely to discuss such differences privately.The Swedes were also described as having less respect for authority and greater willingness to confront their superiors publicly than are Americans – signs of low power distance in Hofstede’s terms. Other employees stated that Swedish managers are not as â€Å"results-oriented† as Americans when it comes to running meetings, ending meetings without a resolution or an understanding of the next steps. Swedes were described by several American employees as very critical, both of themselves and others.One American manager stated that â€Å"Americans are taught that it is more constructive to give pats on the back than to focus entirely on shortcomings as the Swedes are inclined to do†. In short, most of those interviewed found differences between themselves and their foreign colleagues to be clearly identifiable and immediately noticeable follo wing their respective mergers. Employees attributed a majority of these differences to national culture. But a closer analysis of these responses reveals a tendency for employees to attribute to culture differences which are more situationally-driven.For example, several employees stated the Swedes were unwilling or incapable of adjusting their planning and forecasting assumptions in light of changes in the environment, that the Swedes were more determined than are Americans, to meet old budget targets. This may reflect the fact that as parent, the Swedes and German-Swiss have the ultimate responsibility for financial results. Similarly, slower decision making may reflect the fact that the Swedish parent involves more people in the decision-making process than does its American subsidiary.Of course, the use of greater participation may itself reflect differences in values between Americans and Swedes, but it may also reflect differences in the organizational culture of parent and su bsidiary or in country-specific industry practices. Senior managers generally had more direct contact with the foreign parent and thus more contextual information. They were much more likely to identify differences in business context that explained apparent differences in â€Å"cultural values†. Senior executives at the American retailer acquired by a British company attributed differences in management practices to differences inCultural Differences 11 Journal of Management Development 13,2 12 business environments in the US and UK. For example, the British company appeared to be less interested in people and more interested in facilities. But this was because its operating expenses tended to be weighted more towards rent than to labour, because British supermarkets were typically located in expensive urban areas, whereas in the US supermarkets were generally found outside the commercial core of the city, and US chains had unions which drove up labour costs.There was also a tendency for American employees to attribute interpersonal difficulties with foreign colleagues to cultural differences without recognizing that Americans act in much the same way. There are recent public examples of American board meetings interrupted by public bickering. The popularity of the view that committees rarely accomplish anything similarly attests to the fact that Europeans are not the only ones who have difficulty establishing clear agendas in their meetings.Finally, in the US, American employees frequently complain about superiors who rarely hand out constructive criticism. In sum, Americans were routinely able to identify a number of differences between themselves and their foreign colleagues, but the attribution of these differences to nationality often seemed to be misdirected. Additionally, in many cases, these differences are more suggestive of perception than of reality. Perhaps it was more convenient to attribute differences to culture than to context because o f the popularity of national character stereotypes.The role of national stereotypes was made clear in contrasting what American managers said about their own foreign acquirers (whom they knew well) compared with other nationalities (which they knew less well). An American senior executive at the sporting goods manufacturer had highly positive things to say about his Venezuelan parent, calling Venezuelans â€Å"lovable, amiable, showing a high degree of concern for people†. In contrast, he said, â€Å"The companies you do not want to have take you over are the Germans and the Japanese. They feel they know how to do it better and just come in and take over†.But the companies in our study acquired by Japanese and German-Swiss parents reported just the opposite – that the Japanese, for example, were eager to learn from the American companies they acquired. In short, the greater the experience with managers from another country, the less reliance on negative stereoty pes. Furthermore, while many interviewees were able to identify behavioural style differences between American managers and their foreign parents, they also spoke of cultural compatibilities in values, business strategies, and organizational approach. Such similarities overrode style differences.Both retailers in the pilot study, for example, spoke of the common concerns and philosophies they shared with their foreign parent – one Japanese, one British. Finally, just because people could point to differences, that did not mean that the differences had operational consequences. Interviewees were asked to assess the extent to which cross-cultural differences created difficulties in the relationship between parent and subsidiary. Interestingly, many employees felt that although differences exist between their cultures, such differences did not create significant problems for employees.This finding cuts to the heart of this study’s central question: if cultural differences between a parent and subsidiary do not necessarily lead to significant inter-organizational conflict, what factors moderate the relationship between cultural heterogeneity and organizational conflict? Why do American employees of foreign companies feel that cultural differences between their own firm and their foreign parent have not been particularly problematic? Here, our findings suggest that a number of contextual factors act as mediators in determining whether or not these differences will be problematic.Contextual Factors as Key Determinants of Cros s-cultural Relationship Succes s Six factors emerged in the pilot study that accounted for the ease with which the merger was implemented and the relatively few difficulties attributed to national cultural differences: (1) the desirability of the relationship, especially in contrast to recent experiences of the acquired companies; (2) business compatibility between the two companies, especially in terms of industry and organizatio n; (3) the willingness of the acquirer to invest in the continued performance of the acquiree and to allow operational autonomy while performance improved; (4) mutual respect and communication based on that respect; (5) business success; and (6) the passage of time. Cultural Differences 13 Relationship Desirability The first issue sets the stage for whether the relationship begins with a positive orientation. When people are in distress, poorly-treated in previous relationships, have had positive experiences with their foreign rescuer, and play a role in initiating relationship discussions, they are much more likely to view the relationship as desirable and work hard to accommodate to any differences in cultural style so that the relationship succeeds. First, almost all of the companies in the pilot study were acquired by foreigners after a period of financial distress.A Hydrotech employee said, â€Å"Everyone here was aware of the firm’s financial problems at the time of th e acquisition. News of the purchase was viewed favourably. Gruetzi kept our doors from being padlocked. Everyone recognized that without Gruetzi, Hydrotech might not have made it†. While Metalfab did not have Hydrotech’s financial problems at the time of its acquisition, its employees took comfort from Fabritek’s strong financial condition at the time of the takeover. The abrasives company was rescued by its French acquirer as a â€Å"white knight in a takeover battle†. In all these cases, people were thus more likely to view their Journal of Management Development 13,2 14 acquirers as saviours than villains. Cultural problems were therefore not problematic.When asked to describe their initial reaction to the acquisitions, interviewees in several companies began with a description of how difficult life had been under its former parent. Several foreign parents in our study therefore compared favourably with each subsidiary’s former US parents. Hydrot ech and Metalfab’s former parents had neither understood the business of its subsidiary nor shown any desire to invest in their subsidiary’s long-term growth. The armaments company had four recent owners, several of whom stripped corporate assets and art collections, an experience one manager referred to as being â€Å"raped†. Under new owners who cared about them, employees were therefore more inclined to tolerate and adapt to cultural differences.In other cases, national differences were not a problem because the US and non-US companies had spent several years getting to know each other through joint ventures. The British retailer and the Japanese conglomerate had long worked closely with the American companies they eventually bought. Nearly every respondent at Metalfab and Hydrotech spoke with high regard for their parent’s technical expertise, manufacturing skill, knowledge of the international marketplace, and reputation for quality. As one employee commented, â€Å"Our concerns about the takeover were quickly put to rest. After all, Gruetzi was not an unknown quantity. They were an industry leader and we had worked with them on several projects in the past†.In contrast, respondents who were less familiar with the operations of their acquirer appear to have been the most concerned and apprehensive about the news of the merger when it was first announced. As one employee recalled, â€Å"At first I was sickened by the announcement, but when I saw Fabritek’s product line and the obvious potential for synergy, I became extremely excited†. Several respondents also mentioned that if the acquirer had a reputation for dismantling its acquisitions, they would have been far less sanguine about the takeover and the possibilities for success. Reputation was based not only on past direct experience but also on assumptions about how â€Å"companies like that† behaved. One Metalfab employee claimed that compared wi th other countries, â€Å"the Swedes are just like us†.The conventional wisdom at Metalfab was that Scandinavian firms had a history of keeping their acquisitions intact. Finally, the ability to choose made a difference. In several cases, the companies themselves initiated the search for a foreign partner. The element of surprise that creates anxiety and uncertainty was missing. A Hydrotech employee stated: â€Å"We wanted to be sold; I viewed the announcement as a real positive – someone wanted to buy us! † Business Compatibility Organizational similarities were more important to most companies than national cultural differences. At the time of their respective mergers, employees of Metalfab, Hydrotech, and both retailers in the study took immediate comfort rom the fact that their new acquirers were in the same industry as they, especially the retailer sold by an American manufacturer to a Japanese retailer. As one Hydrotech employee stated: â€Å"Our former p arent showed no commitment to, or interest in, our business. Now, there is a much better fit†. Another employee stated: â€Å"Everyone was initially apprehensive about the takeover but at least we were bought by a company which understands and cares about our business. This turned our initial apprehension into excitement†. Along similar lines, Metalfab employees reacted very favourably to the news that â€Å"a metal company was purchasing a metal company†.Organizational similarity meant that employees could feel that they play important roles in carrying out their parent’s strategy and believe that their parent values their contribution. As one Hydrotech employee stated: â€Å"Despite the fact that Gruetzi is a much larger company than our former parent was, it is easier to see how we fit into their plans†. Thus, at both Hydrotech and Metalfab, the benefits of the merger were transparent to employees. As one manager stated, â€Å"This was an easy a nnouncement to make; the merger spoke for itself†. Employees at Hydrotech and Metalfab felt that sharing a common technical orientation with their parent allowed both rganizations to more easily overcome national differences. Several employees emphasized what a pleasure it was to work with a parent organization that understands the business they are in. As one engineer stated, â€Å"our two firms are like twins that were separated at birth†. Employees at both Hydrotech and Metalfab also feel that their parents’ expertise and credibility in the industry has made it easier to accept them in the role of acquirer. One Metalfab employee’s comment captured the attitude of the firm’s employees towards foreign ownership when he claimed: â€Å"It doesn’t bother me in the least that our parent is a foreign company because we speak the same language, Metal! A majority of those interviewed concluded that they would now prefer being taken over by a forei gn company in the same business than by an American firm in a different industry. Cultural Differences 15 Investment without Interference Of all the actions taken by a foreign partner, none seems to have a more positive impact on morale and on attitudes towards foreigners than a foreign owner’s decision to invest capital in its subsidiaries. Fabritek spent $11 to 12 million upgrading the production facilities of its US subsidiary during each of the first two years following the acquisition and has invested an additional $6 to 8 million annually ever since.Gruetzi has similarly invested in new equipment for Hydrotech’s Ohio production facility. To most American employees, such investment demonstrated that its new parent was committed to the company’s long-term health. When investment was accompanied by operational autonomy, the relationship was viewed very favourably and cross-cultural tensions minimized. In three cases – sporting goods manufacturer acquir ed by a Venezuelan company and both the retailer and the manufacturer acquired by Japanese companies – feeling lack of cultural tensions was a function of the Journal of Management Development 13,2 16 minimal interference of the foreign company in its new US operations. â€Å"They et us do what we are good at†, said an executive at the sporting goods firm, â€Å"which is make money†. Employees at Hydrotech and Metalfab were surprised by the extent to which their parents allowed them to manage their own operations. As one Hydrotech employee stated: â€Å"Things have turned out much better than I originally expected. Gruetzi has not overmanaged us, they kept our management team intact, and we have not been forced to spend a lot of our time defending ourselves†. Metalfab employees were similarly pleased that their parent has allowed the firm to retain day-to-day control: â€Å"While our parent provides us with suggestions, they have allowed us to run the sh ow here†.We argue that American employees are less likely to view cultural heterogeneity as a problem when foreign management allows such autonomy along with adding resources. It should be pointed out that complete autonomy was not welcomed by all employees; a minority of employees (those dissatisfied with their firm’s policies) mentioned that they would be happier if the parent took a more active role in managing its subsidiary. At least one Hydrotech engineer wished that Gruetzi would force the company to standardize its designs and acquire better tools for its engineers to work with. At Metalfab, several employees expressed disappointment that its parent had not prevented the company from moving operations to Mexico.Furthermore, that high degrees of autonomy have possibly slowed down the speed with which the merged organizations develop a common culture. Several Metalfab employees reported that it has been difficult to â€Å"pull our two families together and get th e message out to customers that we are one firm†. Still, for the Americans autonomy generally meant that they did not feel foreigners were imposing â€Å"foreign ways† on them, which made them more tolerant of differences rather than resistant to them. Open Communication and Mutual Respect Nearly all interviewees agreed that open communication and showing mutual respect are critical to developing trust and ensuring a successful partnership.One retailer, for example, felt that its new Japanese parent wanted to learn from American practice, which made them feel valued and made rapport with the Japanese easy to develop. Tensions occurred, in contrast, when foreign colleagues did not show respect for American technology and expertise. At Fabritek, Swedish engineers and marketing personnel initially viewed Metalfab’s traditional, composite products as inferior to their own, all-metal product, which required tighter engineering and manufacturing tolerances in order to ensure a perfect seal. As a result, Americans said that the Swedes saw themselves as â€Å"the real engineers† in the company. But note here that the tensions were caused by technical differences, not cultural ones. ) Similarly, Hydrotech engineers described their German-Swiss colleagues as very arrogant and protective about Gruetzi’s products; there was a feeling that Hydrotech engineers should not â€Å"tamper† with their parent’s designs. Employee sensitivity to possible cultural differences played a significant role in reducing outbreaks of cross-cultural tension. One Hydrotech employee reasoned that cultural clashes had been avoided mainly because employees had been so concerned that such tensions could occur that they put more effort into trying to understand one another.Similar concerns led executives at Fabritek and Metalfab to schedule frequent meetings with each other soon after the merger; these meetings improved understanding and lessened tens ion between the two firms. Ironically, one senior American official recalled that he had rarely met with executives from the firm’s former US parent â€Å"even though they were located right down the road from the company†. Though formal cross-cultural training programmes were rare, open communication helped build relationships. Sensitivity to cultural differences and willingness to deal with problems directly minimized organizational tension. Cultural Differences 17 Business Success Nothing succeeds like success. People are willing to overlook cultural differences in relationships which bring clear benefits.But unsuccessful ventures produce squabbling even among people who are culturally similar. Creating opportunities for joint success between parent and subsidiary promotes acceptance of cross-cultural differences and creates support for the relationship. Several months before Hydrotech’s acquisition by Gruetzi, a company project had â€Å"gone sour† du e to a technical malfunction. After the merger, Hydrotech used Gruetzi’s technology to solve the problem. For the many employees who had suffered through the project’s difficulties, this single act sold the virtue of the partnership. Another Hydrotech employee stated: â€Å"We had not realized how quickly Gruetzi’s technology could be put to use.In only one year, our department was able to bid on two projects and win a $45 million contract†. Nothing could possibly send a more positive message about the benefits of partnership than winning business because of it. Ongoing financial performance affects the quality and nature of communications between parent and subsidiary, and thus plays a role in determining whether or not cultural differences are viewed as problematic. If success reduces tensions, deteriorating performance increases them. Employees noted that travel budgets came under increasing pressure during periods of poor performance, and thus, fewer meetings take place between American and foreign employees.In difficult times, communication between parent and subsidiary may deteriorate as employees in each organization focus on their own problems. Finally, poor performance leads to frustration, fingerpointing, and reduced trust. One Hydrotech manager noticed that as Gruetzi has encountered more financial difficulties, they became increasingly demanding of Hydrotech and focused more on the company’s short-term operating results than in the past. The Pas sage of Time Does time heal all wounds? Time, at least, reduces anxieties and replaces stereotypes with a more varied view of other people. The levels of cross-cultural Journal of Management Development 13,2 18 tension vary as a function of the stage in the relationship-building process.Anxieties at Hydrotech and Metalfab were highest during the days immediately following the announcement of each takeover. This initial anxiety declined as the merger entered a transition ph ase in which management showed reluctance to create conflict. Employees of both subsidiaries also reacted positively to foreign management’s willingness to discuss issues and listen to their concerns at that time. According to one employee, â€Å"these meetings made us feel good about the changes and made us realize how alike our philosophies were†. But during the transition phase, employees also underestimated the degree of cultural heterogeneity and the potential for conflict to erupt.As management began to focus on more substantive issues and the amount of communications between American and foreign employees grew, a new realization set in that the cultural differences between the two firms were greater than initially realized, which required more awareness and sensitivity to avoid conflict. It appears likely then, that employee perceptions of cross-cultural tension are affected by the passage of time and by the merger process itself. One might also expect that empl oyee attitudes towards cultural heterogeneity will change as Americans and foreign employees work together and become more familiar with each others’ customs and values. Mistrust is always more likely at early stages of relationships.People at Hydrotech and Metalfab felt their new foreign parents were particularly guarded in discussing their technology during the first months together. As one employee mentioned: â€Å"It was like playing poker during the first year. You always got an answer to your question but the question was answered as narrowly as possible – even when, by withholding information, the answer was misleading†. But another engineer recognized the significance of sharing technology noting that â€Å"when our parent provides us with technology, they are giving us their life’s work†. T he Negative Side of Cross-cultural Interaction: T hreat and Prejudice Positive views of the relationship between US company and foreign parent predomin ated, but they were not universal in the companies studied.Top management and those with the greatest day-to-day contact were most likely to be favourable. Those at lower ranks anxious about the implications for their careers were more likely to express negative views, including prejudice and resentment, reacting the most nationalistically to the news of a foreign takeover. One American reported how â€Å"sick† he was over the fact that â€Å"this country is gradually being sold off to foreigners†. Some higher level managers commented that they would have been more comfortable if their acquirer had been American, but this preference did not seem to affect the relationship. A manager at the armaments company reported: â€Å"We would rather have been bought by a US company.There is an element of national pride, especially in our industry. We are very patriotic. There is no one in the company that would say we are a British firm. We all wear and buy ‘made in USAâ⠂¬â„¢ products†. Still, nationalist sentiments did not prevent this manager from declaring the relationship a success and identifying very few crosscultural problems. The most significant factor in determining employee reactions to acquisition was self-interest: how the change would affect their own standing in the firm. Virtually all interviewees reacted to news of the acquisition with the same question: â€Å"How will this impact on my career in this organization? †.Those employees who were most likely to suffer a loss of prestige or power, or who had reason to feel threatened by the mergers were most likely to react unfavourably to it. However, the fact that the vast majority of employees in both companies did not react in this way attests to just how apparent the benefits of these mergers were to most employees. Therefore threat could work both ways; if the foreign company improved performance, jobs would be saved. A manager at the armaments company observed,  "The community and employees understand there are differences between us and the British. But for them, having good jobs is more valuable. When corporate survival is at stake, people cannot afford to have culture become an issue†.Attitudes were shaped by symbolic acts taken by the foreign parents as much as by more substantive actions. One Metalfab employee recalled the day that Fabritek’s president arranged to have group photographs taken of all employees in the US so that they could be shown to people back in Sweden. â€Å"Fabritek immediately impressed me as a very people-oriented company†. The Attribution of Organizational Problems to National Culture Our findings suggest, then, that contextual factors act to either fan the flames of intergroup conflict and cross-cultural polarization or encourage organizational members to accept these differences. In the pilot study, organizational and technical compatibilities overwhelm cultural differences.Cultural differe nces thus seem to be a residual category to which people attribute problems in the absence of a supportive context. Cultural differences do not automatically cause tensions. But when tensions do arise – often due to situational factors such as lack of communication or poor performance – people blame many of the organizational difficulties they encounter on cultural heterogeneity – on the presence of others who seem different – rather than to the context within which these problems took place. This view is consistent with Chris Argyris’s perspective on defensive routines in organizations[16]. Why do people blame culture for problems and scribe differences between their own behaviour and that of their foreign colleagues to dispositional factors (the kind of people they are) rather than to situational factors (the organizational context)? First, cultural heterogeneity presents a conspicuous target for employees to point at when looking for an explanat ion for their problems. Such differences are readily apparent in early stages of contact between people who differ in a visible way, such as race, gender, or language, especially when there are only a few â€Å"tokens† such as expatriate managers among many â€Å"locals†[6]. Pre- Cultural Differences 19 Journal of Management Development 13,2 20 onceived notions and prejudices which employees bring into the evaluative process increase the likelihood that people will attribute behaviour to nationality. In-group favouritism is evoked in situations of cross-cultural contact. Research has shown that people want to favour members of their own group (the in-group) over others. Motivational theorists hold that self-esteem is enhanced if people value their own group and devalue other groups[17,18]. Such favouritism leads to a set of cognitive biases which reinforce the distinction between in-group and out-group members. People expect in-group members to display more desirable a nd fewer undesirable behaviours than out-group members[19].As a result, people are more likely to infer negative dispositions from undesirable and out-group behaviours than from undesirable in-group behaviours, and are less likely to infer positive dispositions from desirable outgroup behaviours than from desirable in-group behaviours[20-23]. Furthermore, people tend to remember behaviour which is congruent with their expectations over behaviour which is inconsistent with their views[24,25]. Thus, memories reinforce in-group favouritism as well. In-group biases are especially likely to form when individuals identify strongly with their group and when in-group members view other groups as a threat[17]. During an acquisition process, employees who work for, and identify with their company for many years suddenly find that another firm, with its own culture vision, values, and ways of doing things is responsible for their future.Cross-border mergers offer a particularly favourable envi ronment for such biases to develop because group membership is clearly defined by national as well as organizational boundaries. At both Hydrotech and Metalfab, in-group favouritism and cognitive biases may have been the driving forces behind the tendency among Americans to attribute wrongfully â€Å"bad news† to their foreign parent (i. e. out-group members). In one case, Hydrotech management had frozen salaries and extended the required working week from 40 to 44 hours after the merger in an effort to â€Å"impress Gruetzi by showing a willingness to make a few difficult decisions†. Many Hydrotech junior employees attributed this unpopular policy to Gruetzi’s management.Ironically, according to one middlelevel manager, when Gruetzi found out about these changes, they gave Hydrotech’s president one month to reverse the policy. In another example, soon after Metalfab announced plans to transfer some of its manufacturing operations to Mexico, rumours began circulating on the factory floor that the Swedes were behind the decision. When senior management in the US found out about the rumours, the company’s president called a meeting with all employees and took full responsibility for the decision. But many blue-collar workers continued to blame the Swedes for this unpopular move. They also attributed the decision to downsize the American workforce to the company’s foreign parent.A second explanation for why cultural differences are inappropriately invoked is called the â€Å"fundamental attribution error†[26] – a tendency to attribute one’s own behaviour to the situation but others’ behaviour to their â€Å"character†. People attribute negative behaviour of foreign colleagues to their nationality or culture (dispositional factors) rather than to situational or contextual factors which are operating behind the scenes[27]. For example, Metalfab interviewees initially viewed their Swedish c olleagues as fractious (i. e. â€Å"the Swedes are a stubborn people†) before it occurred to them that language problems had caused many early misunderstandings.They attributed the fact that their Swedish colleagues were more engineering oriented and less marketing oriented to national biases (â€Å"Swedes design bulldozers for the kind of work a garden shovel could do†) rather than to differences in product features and to the requirements of the European market. For example, rigid engineering standards for Fabritek’s all-metal products required engineers in Sweden to play a more central role in the parent’s operations, whereas the competitiveness of the US market demanded that marketing personnel play a more critical role in US decision making. But those who had more direct contact with the foreign parent, such as senior managers, also had more contextual information and were less likely to make the â€Å"fundamental attribution error†.If in-grou p biases and the fundamental attribution error are behind the tendency to view cultural heterogeneity as problematic, what steps might management take to promote inter-organizational co-operation in cross-border mergers? Our findings suggest that actions which make the relationship desirable, reduce uncertainty, show respect for the other group, create communication channels, and ensure business success will encourage employees to identify with their foreign colleagues and view the company as one organization. Creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, promoting open communication, investing in the future, maximizing opportunities to experience joint success, and taking steps to familiarize employees with their counterpart’s products and markets reduce the likelihood that cultural differences will be viewed as a source of organizational tension.Conclusion These pilot study findings are only suggestive, of course. We have a small number of cases from one region. While none of t hem can yet be called a longterm success, they have survived a period of integration during which other companies which perhaps did experience debilitating cultural problems could have called off the marriage. We could be looking only at the â€Å"winners† that managed cultural differences well. Indeed, those companies experiencing problems were more likely to turn down our request to participate in the pilot study. But if tilted towards successes, then this research points to some of the circumstances that contribute to successful cross-cultural relationships.And since we â€Å"biased† the interviews towards identification of cultural differences and cultural tensions, the relative absence of tension gives additional weight to our argument that contextual and situational factors, such as technical fit, business performance, and abundant communication, are more significant determinants of relationship effectiveness. Cultural Differences 21 Journal of Management Develop ment 13,2 22 Employees at each of the companies studied were able to identify a number of cultural differences between their own organization and that of their parent. Nevertheless, few employees viewed cultural heterogeneity as a significant source of tension in their firm. Such findings lend support to the notion that national cultural differences do not necessarily increase the amount of tension between organizations or make partnerships among companies from different countries untenable.This article proposes that there are a number of factors which help to determine how employees react to foreign ownership. It calls into question the assumption that the larger the social distance or cultural gap between the national cultures of two merged organizations, the greater will be the potential for strain in the relationship between employees. The findings from our pilot study suggest contextual factors are extremely important mediators in crosscultural relationships. These factors infl uence how cultural differences are interpreted and whether they are viewed by employees as problematic. Indeed, they may even determine whether â€Å"cultural differences† are identified at all. References 1. Hofstede, G. Cultures and Organization, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1991. 2. Kanter, R. M. , â€Å"Transcending Business Boundaries: 12,000 World Managers View Change†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 69, May-June 1991. 3. Hampden-Turner, C. , â€Å"The Boundaries of Business: Commentaries from the Experts†, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 69, September-October 1991. 4. Lodge, G. C. and Vogel, E. F. (Eds), Ideology and National Competitiveness: An Analysis of Nine Countries, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA, 1987. 5. Kanter, R. M. , Applbaum, K. and Yatsko, P. , FCB and Publicis ( A ): Forming the Alliance, Harvard Business School Case Records, Boston, MA, 1993. 6. Kanter, R. M. Men and Women of the Corporation, Basic Books, New York, NY, 1977. 7. Westn ey, E. , Imitation and Innovation: T he Transfer of Western Organizational Patterns to Meiji, Japan, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1987. 8. Starbuck, W. H. , â€Å"Learning by Knowledge-intensive Firms†, Journal of M anagement Studies, Vol. 29 No. 6, 1992, pp. 713-40. 9. Haire, M. , Ghiselli, E. E. and Porter, L. W. , Managerial T hinking, Wiley, New York, NY, 1966. 10. Wuthnow, R. and Shrum, W. , â€Å"Knowledge Workers as a ‘New Class’: Structural and Ideological Convergence among Professional-Technical Workers and Managers†, Work and Occupations, Vol. 10, 1983, pp. 471-87. 11. Myers, P. and Kanter, R. M. Inmarsat 1991 , Harvard Business School Case Records, Boston, MA, 1992. 12. Kanter, R. M. , When Giants Lea r n to Dance: M aster ing the Challenges of S trategy, Management, and Careers in the 1990s, Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, 1989. 13. Kanter, R. M. and Gabriel, L. , BhS ( A ): Opening Boundaries, Harvard Business School Case Records , Boston, MA, 1992. 14. Kanter, R. M. , â€Å"Competing on Relationships: How Companies Build Collaborative Advantage†, Harvard Business Review, May-June 1994. 15. M& A Almanac, Vol. 26 No. 6, 1992, p. 54. 16. Argyris, C. , Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning, Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA, 1990. 17. Tajfel, H. and Turner, J. C. â€Å"An Integrative Theory of Intergroup Conflict†, in Austin, W. S. and Worchel, S. (Eds), T he S ocial Psychology of Intergroup Relations , Brooks/Cole, Monterey, CA, 1979, pp. 33-47. 18. Turner, J. C. , Rediscovering the Social Group: A S elf-categorization T heory, Blackwell, Oxford, 1987. 19. Howard, J. W. and Rothbart, M. , â€Å"Social Categorization and Memory for In-group and Outgroup Behavior, Jour nal of Personal ity and S ocial Psychology , Vol. 38 No. 2, 1980, pp. 301-10. 20. Taylor, D. M. and Jaggi, V. , â€Å"Ethnocentrism and Causal Attribution in a South Indian Context†, Journal of Cros s Cultural Psychology, Vol. 5 No. 2, 1974, pp. 162-71. 21. Allen, V. L. and Wilder, D. A. â€Å"Categorization, Belief Similarity, and Intergroup Discrimination†, Jour nal of Personal ity and S ocial Psychology , Vol. 32 No. 6, 1975, pp. 971-7. 22. Allen, V. L. and Wilder, D. A. , â€Å"Group Categorization and Attribution of Belief Similarity†, Small Group Behavior, Vol. 10 No. 1, 1979, pp. 73-80. 23. Pettigrew, T. F. , â€Å"The Ultimate Attribution Error: Extending Allport’s Cognitive Analysis of Prejudice†, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 5 No. 4, 1979, pp. 461-76. 24. Hastie, R. and Kumar, P. A. , â€Å"Person Memory: Personality Traits as Organizing Principles in Memory for Behavior†, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 37 No. 1, 1979, pp. 25-38. 25. Srull, T. D. Lichtenstein, M. and Rothbart, M. , â€Å"Associative Storage and Retrieval Processes in Person Memory†, Jour nal of E xper imental Psychology: L ea r ning, M emor y and Cognition, Vol. 11 No. 2, 1985, pp. 316-45. 26. Ross, L. , â€Å"The Intuitive Psychologist and His Shortcomings: Distortions in the Attribution Process†, in Berkowitz, L. (Ed. ), Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 10, Academic Press, New York, NY, 1977, pp. 173-220. 27. Jones, E. E. and Nisbett, R. E. , â€Å"The Actor and the Observer: Divergent Perceptions of the Causes of Behavior†, in Jones, E. E. , Kanouse, D. E. , Kelley, H. H. , Nisbett, R. E. , Valins, S. and Weiner, B. Eds), Perceiving the Causes of Behavior , General Learning Press, Morristown, NJ, 1971, pp. 79-94. Further Reading Locksley, A. , Ortiz, V. and Hepburn, C. , â€Å"Social Categorization and Discriminatory Behavior: Extinguishing the Minimal Intergroup Discrimination Effect†, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 39 No. 5, 1980, pp. 773-83. Maass, A. , Salvi, D. , Arcuri, L. and Semin, G. , â€Å"Language Use in Intergroup Contexts: T he Linguistic Intergroup Bias†, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 57 No. 6, 1989, pp. 981-93. Tajfel, H. , â€Å"Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations†, Annual Review of Psychology, Annual Reviews, Stanford, CA, 1982, pp. 1-39. Cultural Differences 23