Nobel Prize Assignment Essay Example

Nobel Prize Assignment Essay Nobel Prize Founded by Alfred Nobel, the Nobel Prize is awarded to candidates in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, literature, economic sciences, and peace every year since 1901 – except for economic sciences, which was introduced as a Nobel Prize in 1968 by the Sveriges Riksbank. On account of World War I and II, the Nobel Prize was not awarded only on nine occasions since the established year from 1901. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish engineer, chemist, and philanthropist, created a will that would bequeath 94% of his assets into a series of prizes for those who contribute the highest benefit to mankind in the respective fields. Recipients of the Nobel Prize – which can be shared by no more than three people and can also be awarded posthumously in certain cases – receive a medal, sum of money, and diploma for their achievements and are elected by the Nobel Foundation. The Nobel Foundation was created by the executors of Nobel’s will, Rudolf Liljequist and Ragnar Sohlman. The private organization that is the Nobel Foundation is also responsible for administrative details and finances of the prizes. The prizes are presented according to their respective field. The Royal Swedish Academy of the Sciences awards the prizes for chemistry, physics, and economic sciences. The Swedish Academy presents the Nobel Prize in literature. The prize for physiology or medicine is awarded by the National Assembly at Karolinska Institutet. We will write a custom essay sample on Nobel Prize Assignment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nobel Prize Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nobel Prize Assignment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally, the award for peace is presented by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and is the only award to be presented in Norway rather than in Sweden. All prizes are awarded based upon several factors but mainly through Nobel’s maxim of delivering the greatest benefit to mankind and is ultimately decided by the Nobel Committees. One hundred and three Nobel Prizes in medicine or physiology have been awarded since 1901 and two-hundred one individuals are known as laureates in the field since the prize may be shared by three or more people. Around forty-three awards for the Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology have been presented relating to the field of neuroscience, such as Roger Guillemin in 1977 for his research in the production of peptides in the brain and Roger Wolcott Sperry in 1981 for research into the functions of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Other rewarded scientists for the Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology include Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, nd Karl von Frisch for their research into ethology, a scientific enquiry into animal behavior. Scientists whose research affected the understanding of Parkinson’s disease include Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard. The two were awarded in the year 2000 mainly for their neurological research into signal transduction in the nervous system. Carlsson and Greengard’s colleague, Kandel, who also shared the prize with them that year, was rewarded for his studies in synaptic function; more precisely, a closer look into short term and long term memory. Specifically, Arvid Carlsson and Paul Greengard’s research affected the progression of understanding of Parkinson’s disease by showing how important neurotransmitters such as dopamine work and affect the function of the brain and thus the human body. Carlsson more specifically identified dopamine and Greengard portrayed how neurotransmitters like dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin are able to exert their effects. His research includes a type of signal transmission called the slow synaptic transmission. Carleton Gajdusek’s research in 1976 on the first human prion disease named kuru later on would also help Stanley Prusiner’s studies in 1997 for his work on prions which would shed more light into dementia-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Although prions are reflective in diseases such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease or kuru, Prusiner’s work opens a new understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases like Alzheimer’s via the suggestions of non-prion proteins mutating to facilitate dangerous deposits in the brain. Swedish scientist and Nobel laureate Arvid Carlsson was able to show the importance of dopamine as a neurotransmitter in the brain. By developing an assay that allowed him to measure dopamine at an extremely sensitive level in the brain tissues, Carlsson found that dopamine is concentrated in other parts of the brain – specifically the basal ganglia, the part of the brain located in the forebrain and connected with the cerebral cortex. Contrary to belief at his time that dopamine is merely a precursor to a neurotransmitter named norepinephrine; Carlsson concluded that dopamine in and of itself is able to act as a neurotransmitter and is greatly vital for the ability to control fine motor movements. Carlsson then led to a series of experiments where he utilized a plant substance named reserpine to discover the importance of dopamine for movement. Carlsson administered reserpine to nimals thus decreasing their levels of dopamine which ultimately caused a loss of movement control. The effect of reserpine on the animals showed symptoms akin to Parkinson’s disease in humans. Carlsson then proceeded to treat the animals with levodopa (L-dopa), a precursor to dopamine, a substance that the brain converts into dopamine and is used in lieu of mere dopamine in order to prevent side effects of dopamine in the blood and since dopamine cannot cross the blood-brain barrier in the first place. Eventually, Carlsson found that the animal’s symptoms disappeared and returned to their previous, normal state since the levels of dopamine in the brain were normalized. Thus, Carlsson’s findings led to more findings that Parkinson’s disease patients have unusually low levels of dopamine represented in the basal ganglia, an area that is very important in the control of muscle movements. There has also been evidence provided by Carlsson of forms of mental illness associated with unsteady levels of dopamine. Carlsson’s findings essentially explain the tremor, rigidity, and decreased motor function associated with Parkinson’s disease since patients with Parkinson’s share the malfunction of certain nerve cells within the basal ganglia that creates dopamine. Conclusively, the animals treated with reserpine and patients with Parkinson’s are low on dopamine levels. Nowadays, the same treatment of levodopa that Carlsson used for treating the symptoms of the reserpine in the animals has been tweaked for human use as a primary pharmaceutical option for patients with Parkinson’s disease in order to alleviate the symptoms. By allowing dopamine levels to be controlled through levodopa therapy, patients are able to experience more stable amounts of dopamine in their system, as opposed to having an irregularly low amount, so that one the ongoing loss of fine motor control associated with the onset of Parkinson’s disease may be alleviated for some time. Besides Parkinson’s disease, Carlsson’s Nobel worthy research has also increased the understanding of several other drugs. Carlsson is also notable for his contribution into the discovery and a new generation of drugs, the selective serotonin uptake inhibitors, to treat depression or personality disorders. This new class of drugs is now known as SSRI’s and is considered for many patients dealing with depression. For antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia, Carlsson showed that the drugs affect the signal transmission of dopamine by blocking the dopamine receptors. Nonetheless, by proving the popular belief of dopamine at his time that dopamine is simply a precursor to another neurotransmitter wrong and showing dopamine’s unknown importance at the time, Arvid Carlsson’s findings essentially lead the development of levodopa and consequently has helped an innumerable amount of patients dealing with the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. Although not a cure, Carlsson’s work has been a stepping stone for understanding Parkinson’s disease and has eased the discomforts of such a deadly disease that affects many people in the world.

Wisdom Derived from a Rotator Cuff Injury

Wisdom Derived from a Rotator Cuff Injury Today I did an arm balance in yoga. Six months ago, this feat would not have been anything remarkable. I grew up doing gymnastics, and maintained my strength and balance so that I could still, at age 46, support myself on my arms in various poses and postures. I prided myself on my ability to do things the 20-somethings next to me were too weak or unpracticed to do. I posted pictures of myself on Facebook doing yoga. I even made it into the video my yoga studio produced. Then, something happened. My rotator cuffs, which had been hurting on and off for years but not really cramping my style, started screaming loudly enough that I had to listen. I experienced days where I was unable to lift a glass, much less support my entire body weight on my arms. I knew something needed to change. The first step in my process was somewhere between giving up and acceptance. The challenge was to accept the possibility that I might never do arm balances again, while at the same time not completely giving up on the possibility. This balance was much harder to achieve than a side crow pose. I realized that a big part of my identity was wrapped up in what I could do physically. And now I couldn’t do those things. Who was I now? As human beings, we have a tendency to wrap up our identities in a lot of things: our jobs, our children, our relationships, our bodies, and more. The fact is, we are still ourselves when any of these other things change. But this truth is a difficult one to remember. â€Å"I am not my arm balances.† â€Å"I am not my arm balances.† â€Å"I am not my arm balances.† I repeated this mantra daily as I went to yoga classes and skipped my favorite poses. I repeated it as I kept my hands on my hips instead of stretching them out in Warrior Two. I repeated it as I went to â€Å"Therapeutic Yoga† class instead of my beloved Vinyasa Flow. I shared with my yoga teachers, both old and new, that I was not able to do the things I used to do. I felt scared and sad telling them. I felt like I was admitting failure (does this sound familiar?). But soon I became a model of caring for myself and modifying poses to what my body needed. I cried through classes sometimes, but I kept going, and even got compliments from new teachers on my practice. Ha. All this time I thought they were complimenting me because I could do those fancy poses. But, as it turned out, I really was more than my arm balances. Taking Action Over these many months, while accepting my limitations, I also was doing everything I could figure out to do to heal my shoulders. I went to physical therapy and did my exercises regularly. If something hurt I didn’t do it. I asked strong-looking guys to lift my bag when I traveled on airplanes. I stopped swimming, which was my other love, and started working out on the elliptical machine. I spent time lifting light weights to strengthen my upper body in new ways. I discovered cold laser therapy and started going for weekly treatments. I put Arnica and Helichrysum oil on my shoulders. I got MRIs and visited with a surgeon who told me (thankfully) that he did not see a need for surgery. He gave me new exercises that my physical therapist had not provided. I started to heal. Sharing As I have shared with more and more people about my pain and my process, I’ve heard that many others are going through similar shoulder challenges. Several of my yoga teachers have rotator cuff pain, as do some of the students in my classes. My mom and a few of my cousins have these issues too. I am excited to share with them what I’ve learned and what they can do to prevent further injury to themselves. So many people have this pain, and so few know what to do to strengthen themselves. Even physical therapists don’t know this stuff. I now want to share with anyone who will listen. Don’t keep doing what you’ve been doing, hoping things will change. I tried that, and I ended up unable to lift a glass of water. To some of you, doing an arm balance might sound like something impossibly difficult that you might never achieve in your lifetime. Thankfully, you are not your arm balances, or your lack of arm balances, or whatever physical feats you can or can’t do. You are not your job or your relationship. You are your inner strength and being. And you can build outer strength that might make new things possible. Today, I went to yoga class and did an arm balance. I am still not my arm balances, but it sure feels good to have gotten myself here.

Unlike No Other

Unlike No Other Unlike No Other Unlike No Other By Maeve Maddox I heard a radio announcer say that something was â€Å"unlike no other.† I could tell from the context that he meant the thing he was talking about was unique. As I usually do when I read or hear nonstandard usage in a professional context, I jumped on my search engine to see if anyone else was using it. What I found suggests that many speakers use â€Å"unlike no other† as if it did mean â€Å"one of a kind.† Relationship problem unlike no other? (about a boy who feels his romantic situation is unique) Urban Novel Unlike no Other (reviewer recommending a novel) Trees unlike no other (description of unusual trees) A community unlike no other! (a group of gamers) A show unlike no other (ad for an entertainment program) The expression â€Å"unlike no other† doesn’t mean â€Å"one of a kind.† On the contrary, it means â€Å"like all others.† The prefix un: â€Å"I am not unhappy.† is equivalent to â€Å"I am happy.† Note: A discussion of the two negatives equal a positive rule in English calls for a post of its own. This one focuses on why the expression unlike no other should be avoided. Like means â€Å"having the same characteristics as something else.† Adding the prefix un- to like creates an adjective that means â€Å"dissimilar.† Technically, to say that something is â€Å"unlike no other,† is to say that it is like everything else. To express the thought that something is â€Å"unique† or â€Å"one of a kind,† drop the un- and say that the thing is â€Å"like no other.† For example, Grab a cup of cider and head to Red Arrow Park in beautiful Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a fun, low-key New Years Eve like no other. A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York (book title) Another way to express the thought is to use the phrase â€Å"not like any other.† They proof their dough for 24 hours which allows it to rise and ferment to a flavor not like any other bread available in Brooklyn This is truly a movie not like any other. Apparently the wording â€Å"unlike no other† sounds pleasing to the ears of many speakers, but it is not standard English. 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 Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureBest Websites to Learn EnglishEach vs. Both

Application Case 3-1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Application Case 3-1 - Assignment Example sexual harassment cases have been formally indicated, investigated and confirmed, an employee should be terminated; then, the same action should be applied to the president, as well. The handling of sexual harassment cases is considered complicated due to the following reasons: (1) due to its sensitive nature, there are almost always no witnesses; (2) the cases should be handled on a case-to-case basis; (3) reporting the incident was considered fact-specific, subjective, and takes into account the credibility of both the accuser and the accused; and (4) evolving behavioral changes with regards to accepting some patterns of behavior differ through time (Pfeiffer & Henneman, p. 90). Consistency in handling sexual harassment claims is important because there could be legal sanctions and cases filed for discrimination if employers would treat their employees differently in situations where sexual harassment complaints are made. As such, based on company policies or codes of discipline and ethical behavior, organizations should clearly and explicitly stipulate instances that render the behavior as veering towards sexual harassment (irrespective of race, gender, age, length of service, position in the company, and other factors noted in the Equal Employment Opportunities

Occupational Therapy Practice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Occupational Therapy Practice - Assignment Example Another example is a kindergarten child shows evidence of bibliophobia. An occupational therapist help rehabilitate the condition by presenting books that appeal to his/her personal senses, for instance, tapping the emotional likings. If the child loves cars or flowers, the occupational therapist can give the child books with attractive picture illustrations and short descriptions. The goal is to enable the child to appreciate writings and develop a liking for reading. There are different ways therapists can encourage the use of the just right challenge for example in helping clients who have the behaviour of smoking. They can be introduced into other leisure activities that they enjoy most as a means of rehabilitation hence occupational therapists are to encourage them to adapt to the new environment as they swithch from their smoking behaviour. Therapist can use just right challenge in children to help them learn through play activities these help children develop their physical co ordination, social skills enabling them socialize with other children. It also helps them develop emotionally and improve their self-confidence. For this reason therapists recommend leisure and play activities that give the just right challenge for children when learning and having fun. They also provide activities that help children learn how to solve problems. Besides behaviour change and improvement of children skills, therapist also helps clients with mental problems by recommending leisure activities.

Culture And International Marketing Management Marketing Essay

Culture And International Marketing Management Marketing Essay Barter (2008:37) in his paper says that the management of activities over international boundaries is of particular complexity and is an overwhelming task. In expanding business operations to international countries poses numerous challenges and problems never faced or seen in domestic markets. This complexity enables international organizations with knowledge and expertise to exploit the numerous opportunities provided by such markets. The general understanding of international marketing is an organization operating in more than one country, whose marketing strategy usually formulated on the countries differences. A different perspective of the same would be a specific activity to plan, price, promote and direct the flow of ones goods and services to various locations for a profit. Global marketing is very much different from international marketing in the fact being they perceive the world markets as a single entity and their marketing strategy is stagnated with the adoption of their standardized approach in selling their products in the same way but in a different local. The international marketing environment (Cateora Graham, 2007) is a mixture of controllable and uncontrollable factors. The uniqueness of this combination dwells over the unfamiliar circumstances posed by foreign markets. Success achieved by an organization in these environments would require a variety of strategies that would enable them to understand and cope with the fluctuating levels of uncertainty in a foreign market in order to influence their outcome to a positive one. The controllable and uncontrollable factors can be defined by into key elements by understanding the functioning of an organization in a foreign market. The controllable factors that an organization has direct control over and can be easily manipulated are elements such as price, product, marketing communication and distribution. On of the major uncontrollable factors for an organization in a foreign environment is cultural forces. When organization intends to trade in a foreign market they need to explore the countries underlying culture. Culture is the core element in the study of international marketing across diverse populations. A countries culture may embody a set of values and norms (building blocks) that are put into place for the mutual understanding of a common cause, designed for their living. A stereotypical description of a countries culture would be a collective programming of the mind that separates various human groups from each other. Each culture as we see have different boundaries which serve as a control mechanism, what may be acceptable in one country may be denounced in the other. Thus in order to achieve success in an international marketing venture an organization has to first understand a countries cultural boundaries. Even though different researchers have contributed theories and developed models with Ries and Trouts definition as a base, those existing models and theories do not include the way a company should consider cultural differences when positioning itself in different international markets. Considering the fact that most researchers define positioning as something relative to the competitors position, entering a new market should involve changes in the positioning strategy as well. Overall, little study has been made regarding the way a positioning strategy changes depending on which country the company is about to enter. International marketing literature (e.g. Kotler, 2002; Doole Lowe, 2004; Griffin, 1994), however, emphasize on the cultural differences in different nations and how these differences in culture affect the way a company should enter the new market. These cultural differences are especially important in consumer markets, due to the great impact culture has on the buying behavior for the single individual (Usunier, 2000). One way for a company to gain market shares in different markets, could be to find different advantages with the same product based on the different culture in the actual market. This could hypothetically mean that a company uses a different position with a different strategy in the new market, even though the exact same product is offered and the competitors are the same. The Economic Environment The economic environment is explained by Gilligan (1986:35) he says that the economic environment influences demand in a number of ways and its potential effect upon an international marketing program needs to be examined from two separate but interrelated viewpoints .at the macro level the marketers needs to consider people want and needs the country economic policy its state of development and the economic outlook. At the micro level he needs to focus upon the firms ability to satisfy. The economic environment that to large extent defines the marketing opportunity for international operation and it is only means of a detailed analysis of this aspect of the aspect of the environment that the marketer is able to answer two fundamental questions firstly how big is the market is able the market and secondly what is the market like it is the answer to these questions which then help to determine the firms market potential and priorities and subsequently the nature of marketing task that is to be performed by we therefore by considering a number of the elements and that make up the macro and micro economic environment and then move on to discuss how they influence marketing strategy. There are a number of steps that need to be taken before you decide to enter international markets. Analyze the international marketing environment. A PEST/STEP analysis needs to be conducted on the market you enter, to assess whether it is worthwhile or not. Lets briefly look at some factors that may influence an international decision. Political factors The political stability of the nation. Is it a democracy, communist, or dictatorial regime Economical Factors Consumer wealth and expenditure within the country. National interests and inflation rate. Are quotas imposed on your product. Are there import tariffs imposed. Social Factors Language. Will language be a barrier to communication for you? Does your host nation speak your national language? What is the meaning of your brand name in your host countrys language? Customs: what customs do you have to be aware of within the country? This is important. You need to make sure you do not offend while communicating your message. Technological The technological infrastructure of the market. Do all homes have access to energy (electricity) Standardization versus cultural adaptation Heerden and Barter state that the debate around whether marketing efforts should be standardized or adapted to country specifics has not been totally resolved. Advocates of standardization claim that global market segments are emerging and that marketing efforts not only can, but also should be standardized across markets (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863). They believe that the differences across markets and cultures appear to be lessening, and this is reiterated by Herbig (1998:31) who states that there is a converging of all cultures towards one common global culture, and that marketers should endeavor to address global (international) needs, finding areas of commonality and agreement rather than focusing on trivial differences between cultures. They advocate that organizations must learn to operate as if the world was one large market ignoring superficial country differences (Toyne Walters, 1993:422). Their pursuit is also encouraged by the major benefits or advantages from standa rdization. Although product standardization is generally increasing, there are still substantial differences in company practices depending on the products marketed and where they are marketed (Czinkota Ronkainen, 2007:328). They further add, The argument that the world is becoming homogenized may actually be true only for a limited number of products that have universal brand recognition and minimal product knowledge requirements for use. By using the same marketing strategy the world over, different markets will develop a consistent image of a particular product or brand. A global brand image will avoid the confusion that customers may otherwise face when travelling to different countries and seeing foreign media, if an organization has local campaigns in each country. Standardization will result in advantages such as the creation of synergies across markets (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863) as well as economies of scale, economies of scope and creation of a global brand image (Hill, 2001:544). . Advocates of adaptation, on the other hand, claim that the differences between cultures are so vast that standardization is not possible and that standardization results in lost competitive advantage and lower sales (Melewar Vemmervik, 2004: 863). This strategy entails that organizations introduce a unique product in each country, with the belief that tastes differ so much between countries that it is necessary to start anew in creating a marketing strategy for each market. Each country should be approached separately as a different market and the S.Afr.J.Bus.Manage.2008,39(2) 39 marketing strategy customized for that particular market (Herbig, 1998:34). Organizations have the ability to tailor the marketing strategy to suit local markets: and proponents of this philosophy are determined that cultural differences between nations are such that a strategy that works in one nation can fail miserably in another. They believe it is exceptionally difficult to develop a single marketing strategy that would have the desired affects worldwide. Thus, adaptation allows a marketer to take such differences into account and provides the local market with a marketing strategy that appeals to them and will be effective in its function, so creating greater sales and enhancing profits. By providing a particular international market, such as India, with what they want (e.g. a non-alcoholic beverage), an organization (such as SA Breweries) can create a distinct competitive advantage for itself because it is receptive to the needs and wants of that market. The absence of the advantages that emerge from standardization is in essence the disadvantages of a daptation, and visa versa where the absence of the advantages of adaptation constitutes the very disadvantages of standardization. Given the reality of significant cultural differences between customer needs and market conditions in international markets and, at the same time, the advantages of more uniform marketing strategies, a debate that focuses on polar extremes does not contribute to a solution (Toyne Walters, 1993:423). Viewing the standardization versus adaptation debate as a black and white issue is not necessarily correct, as there is an important middle ground (Diamantopoulos et al, 1995:38). A grey area exists between the two extremes and it is called Glocalisation. This follows a philosophy of think global, act local (Herbig, 1998:43). It can be generalized and argued that absolute standardization is rendered unfeasible as an international marketing strategy and its product -, promotion-, price-, and distribution-related decisions (Baalbaki Malhotra, 1993:20) cannot and should not ignore the influence of culture. Cross Cultural Analysis One of the most common used cross-culture theories is Geert Hofstedes culture dimensions. It consists or rather identifies five different dimensions of culture; individualism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and Confucian dynamism. These dimensions are helpful in identifying and explaining cross-cultural differences in consumer behavior. It takes into consideration the differences peoples belief system and behavior in various nations and cultures. Hostedes model is measured against a range from 0 to 100 and is found to be based on quantitative research of different dimensions of 75 of the worlds countries and regions. Other models include cultural variables such as need for achievement and industriousness. Kruger and Nandan state that the cultural classifications begin with individualism versus collectivism. Individualistic cultures focus on self and the immediate family. The collectivist cultures include a social framework that includes the extended family, groups, and the organization where the members of a collectivist culture look after each other. For example, China and India have a strong collectivist culture with tremendous respect for customs, traditions, rules and regulations that developed over centuries (Melewar, Meadows, Zheng and Rickards 2004). For the Chinese and Indian cultures, group membership revolves around the extended family that includes grand parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins as well as informal friendship groups and formal organizational groupings. Both cultures take pride in belonging to this in-group collectivism, which emphasizes the feminine aspect of the culture that is concerned with others and focuses on relationships rather than assertive, direct and competitive behavior. Over the centuries this in-group collectivism developed strong customs, traditions, informal rules and procedures to avoid risk or behavioral embarrassment. These customs and traditions explain Hofstedes concept of uncertainty avoidance. According to Hofstede uncertainty avoidance advocates predictable structured situations versus unstructured unpredictable situations. For example, Indian and Chinese families traditionally arranged marriages between families. These structured situations spill over into each countrys respect for authority, titles and status. This respect is consistent with the concept of Hofstedes Power Distance, which is exemplified by the Indian and Chinese respect toward the elderly members of their society. Despite the respect for the elders in both countries, neither culture embraces the gender differentiation dimension (Javidan and House 2001). This dimension measures the status and decision making responsibilities that women have within each culture. In the Ind ian and Chinese cultures the status of women and their decision-making responsibilities are historically limited. Although the Chinese equalitarian ideology focuses on society equality and individual and group relationships in China, gender status provides little decision-making autonomy for Chinese and Indian women compared to women in the United States. The human orientation dimension by Javidan and House encourages fairness and kindness, but is difficult to evaluate. The historic Chinese ideology promotes a caring and generous approach toward society as a whole, but this socialistic ideology focuses on society equality to promote fairness and generosity. Within the Chinese and Indian cultural systems specific individual or specific group rewards are not well developed or prevalent (Dessler 2007). Since China and India appear to be rapidly moving toward a semi-capitalistic approach to their economies, a more humanistic orientation might be developing within each country that is more in line with the more individualistic human resource approach present in western countries. Similar to the human orientation dimension the performance-oriented dimension in China and India, where a society rewards individuals and group members for improvement, remains questionable. However, Hong Kong ranks high on the performance-orientation dimension, a ccording to Javidan and House, because of the western influence from British rule. To enable the Indian and the Mainland Chinese to develop a more complete performance oriented system requires each country to move toward a free market economy. Since the Indian Government and the Chinese Government encourage their companies to compete on the world market, a more performance-oriented culture should develop and adapt to the international globalization trends in both countries. But the weak performance orientation present within China and India cultures has not permitted businesses within each country to more fully develop their human resource functions and marketing strategies (Dessler 2007). This lack of cultural assertiveness hinders Indian and Chinese companies, and their ability to develop a global aggressiveness strategy particularly in the marketing area, where building brand identification and image linkage can determine the success or failure of a product or service. Individualism Individualism is described as the relationship between an individual and his community in the society. When there is a high degree of individualism and self-interests in a society, an individual is expect to look after himself and his immediate family, becoming independent from different groups and organizations. In some societies where people from an early age are classified into groups and these groups are their major source of their identity, we see a low degree of individualism and are referred to as collectivism. Power distance People has unequal physical and intellectual capacities which some societies allows to inequality in power and wealth . All the societies of the world has such inequalities but some are more than the other Power distance occurs when resources of the society is not distributed equally. It reflects human inequality. A high power distance is an indicator that people believe that everyone has their rightful place and they understand that not everyone is treated equally. Usually income is a relatively big factor in these societies which cause these demarcations. In Philippines , India, France score high in power distance on the other hand countries such as Austria ,Denmark and Sweden slightly low in power distance while the United States lies below the mid-point A low power distance occurs in societies that believe that everyone has equal rights and also equal opportunity to change their social status. Uncertain avoidance Debate: Marketing of new products takeoff faster in countries that are low in uncertainty avoidance as compared to those countries high in uncertainty avoidance. Uncertain avoidance refers to the level of anxiety about the future. Societies which display a high in uncertainty avoidance try to beat any change in future prospect hence the creation of rules and regulations. Whereas societies where in there is a low uncertainty avoidance consist of people open to risk, as they accept and handle each day as it comes. Countries that are high in uncertainty avoidance show a lag in takeoff as compared to those that are low in uncertainty avoidance mainly for two reasons. Firstly, societies that are low in uncertainty avoidance are more open and willing to take greater risks, hence, they will more readily accept new products introduced to them on the market. Secondly, societies high in uncertainty avoidance consider change as dangerous and are more intolerant towards accepting change than societies in low uncertainty avoidance. Thus, we see that countries low in uncertainty avoidance will embrace a new product more easily than countries that are higher in uncertainty avoidance. Masculinity Debate: Products new to the market takeoff faster in countries having higher masculinity than those countries have a lower masculine society. Men, in most cultures tend to be more assertive as compare to the women who are more nurturing. The male behavior is associated with autonomy, aggression, exhibition, and dominance, while female behavior is associated with nurturance, affiliation, and humility. Masculinity and feminity refer to the sex role patter in society at large, to the extent it is characterized by male or female characteristics. Masculinity is usually expected to take of mainly for two reasons according to Hofstede, firstly, masculine societies attach more value to recognition and wealth, while feminine societies attach more value to human contact and living environment. The adoption of new products allows consumer to exhibit their wealth and success, which may more compatible with masculine societies. Consumer in a masculine society may show higher innovativeness, as compared to consumers in more feminine societies. Secondly, in a masculine society people tend to make decisions independently and admire the strong and the independent. When a new product first emerges, adoptions are few and require independent decisions by innovators. When we observe both societies we see that the masculine society is more accepting to a new product as their decisions are independent whereas in the feminine society the decision on a new product is made in a group decision, which may cause a low acceptance level of the new pro duct. Hence masculine countries show a faster takeoff than feminine countries. Confucian dynamism Confucian dynamism reflects culture to the degree they are universalistic and particularistic. Universalistic means that what is true can be applied everywhere and particularistic means that unique relationships and circumstances are more important considering in determining what is right and good rather than abstract rules. Religion The nature and complexity of the different religions an international marketer could encounter is pretty diverse. The organization needs to make sure that their products and services are not offensive, unlawful or distasteful to the local nation. This includes marketing promotion and branding. There was a controversy in China in 2007 (which was the year of the pig) all advertising which included pictures of pigs was banned. This was to maintain harmony with the countrys Muslim population of around 2%. The ban included pictures of sausages that contained pork, and even advertising that included an animated (cartoon) pig. In the year 2005 Frances Catholic Church won a court injunction to ban a clothing advertisement (by clothing designers Marithe and Francois Girbaud) based upon Leonardo da Vincis Christs Last Supper. Need for Achievement Debate: Countries which have a high need for achievement display a faster takeoff than countries low in the need for achievement. The need for achievement, Murray (1938) describes the tendency or desire to do things as rapidly and/or as well as possible. Need for achievement includes successfully and independently overcoming obstacles, competing with and surpassing others, and high self-regard. Veroff et al. (1962) associate a high need for achievement particularly with working harder, being less satisfied with current success, and being more oriented to the future fruits of work. All these traits may lend themselves to greater eagerness for adopting new products and greater willingness to experiment with new products as soon as they are available. Industriousness Debate: New products take off faster in countries with high industriousness than those with low industriousness. Industrious people are inclined to work and tend to value the fruits of work more than less industrious people. The industriousness of a population can affect the speed of takeoff for supply and demand reasons. Such people realize that innovations can make work more productive as well as make their rest from work more productive, so industrious people tend to be more receptive to innovations as well as to work harder to develop innovations. Thus, when a new product is available, industrious entrepreneurs, retailers, and distributors are likely to work harder to make this product available to the general population. At the same time, the people themselves are more likely to search for, try out, and adopt the new product. Thus, the new product is likely to take off faster in an industrious culture than in one that is not industrious. These different dimensions are useful for companies, who are in the process of expanding and developing its business, as they give an insight about how to act in foreign cultures. All the dimensions can be helpful in winning potential customers by adapting the marketing activities to the specific culture. Especially, the masculinity dimension is an important dimension for companies to consider when it comes to marketing in different cultures and entering new markets. Information Access Prior research suggests that peoples access to information strongly affects the speed at which they adopt a new product (Rogers 1995). Therefore, we may expect that a new product takes off faster in countries in which inhabitants have easy access to information than in other countries. We identify three factors that capture different dimensions of information access: media intensity, mobility, and education. Values and Attitudes The importance of values and attitudes vary between nations, and even vary within nations. So if you are planning to take a product or service overseas make sure that you have a good grasp the locality before you enter the market. This could mean altering promotional material or subtle branding messages. There may also be an issue when managing local employees. For example, in France workers tend to take vacations for the whole of August, whilst in the United States employees may only take a couple of weeks vacation in an entire year. The Chinese government banned China banned a Nike television commercial showing U.S. basketball star LeBron James in a battle with animated cartoon kung fu masters and two dragons, because it was argued that the ad insults Chinese national dignity in the year 2004. Technology and Material Culture Debate: The sale of new product depends on the level of technology and material culture Technology includes facilities such as there energy to power the products . Transport infrastructure to distribute our goods to consumers . The local port have large enough cranes to offload containers from ships How quickly does innovation diffuse is also of key importance, do consumers actually buy material goods i.e. are they materialistic. A clockwork radio was launched byTrevor Baylis in the African market. Since batteries were expensive in Africa and power supplies in rural areas are non-existent. The clockwork radio innovation was a huge success that was due to introduction of new technology. The car market grew 25% in 2006in China and it has overtaken Japan to be the second-largest car market in the world with sales of 8 million vehicles. With just six car owners per 100 people (6%), compared with 90% car ownership in the US and 80% in the UK, the potential for growth in the Chinese market is immense. Media Intensity Debate: Countries high in media intensity display a faster takeoff than those with low media intensity coverage. Mass media such as newspapers, radio, and television play an important role in creating awareness of a new product among potential adopters (Beal and Rogers 1960) and influencing acceptance of a new product (Katz and Lazarsfeld 1955). Mass media may also lead to greater ability of consumers to detect superior new products, and thus increase the rate at which, and the likelihood that, consumers will adopt them. Mass media also contribute to the cosmopolitanism of consumers of a country, especially if it concerns cosmopolite channels (Rogers 1995). Through cosmopolite channels, consumers in a target country can access information about innovations that have been introduced in other countries, even before the innovation is introduced in the target country (Gatignon et al. 1989). Such information can hasten the takeoff of the innovation in the target country. Mobility Debate: New products take off faster in countries high in mobility Various studies indicate that the higher the mobility of a countrys citizens, the more rapidly new products penetrates the social system. Interpersonal interaction affects the way and the rate consumers learn about various new products. Education Debate: Products takeoff faster in countries with citizen who have enjoyed higher education than those who havent had any. Education as we know it exposes people to a constant and steady stream of embracing new ideas. Introduction of technology in education also sensitizes the importance of human progress; this in turn makes them more receptive to innovations. It is a well known fact from research today that educated people are more responsive and quicker to adapt and accept a new product as compared to non-educated people. Finland follows old German model of education the education after primary school is divided to the vocational and academic systems. School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 16, the first nine years of education (primary and secondary school) are compulsory, and the pupils go to their local school. In Uganda schooling includes 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary and 2 years of upper secondary school), and 3 to 5 years of post-secondary education. Nine years of education is compulsory for all Chinese students. case of the Peoples Republic of China a nationwide system of public education is in place, which includes primary schools, middle schools (lower and upper), and universities. Conclusion Exploring the world international markets in a way in which culture and marketing affects and are affected by ones other culture is an eye opener to any organization contemplating to venture forth into international markets. The finding indicates that culture plays a very important role in the formulation of an international marketing strategy. Marketers cannot assume homogeneity of cultures across the globe and it is surmised that there are not similarities and congruencies among the cultures within and between countries. Heerden and Barter state that the international marketer needs to study the target market to learn what elements of the strategy might be standardized to allow for economies of scale to be achieved, but at the same time, know which elements to customize so as not to render the entire strategy unsuccessful. It is to be noted that the marketer needs to account for local culture by building it into the marketing strategy, and not expect that the culture will adapt and accept the strategy provided. Generally, the responses suggest that a marketers strategy should suit the local culture in order to reach them and have the desired effect on the target market, and not the other way around because such evolutions could take an extensive amount of time in order to achieve marketing goals. If a marketer can create a relatively standardized and cross-cultural strategy that translates across most cultures, then the goals of marketing across countries would be achieved at a minimal spend. Krueger and Nandan state that As economic and political integration transpires through globalization, local and national customs, traditions, standards, and boundaries begin to dissolve, which leads to an extremely complex diverse global environment, and provides businesses with the need and the opportunity to read, identify, and develop new cultural competence. To exemplify the risk and dilemmas associated with different cultural implications. For example, different cultures develop less visible formal and informal rituals. In Japan formal gift giving is a widely accepted ritualistic standard of courtesy. In the United States gift giving is perceived as a bribe in business. The Japanese have a low tolerance for ambiguity and are very formal, indirect and patient in their business dealings. In contrast, the United States culture has a high tolerance for ambiguity and is informal, direct, punctual, and time oriented. These cultural

Economic environment of business assignment

Will biddeford's tram make a return?Question 1The central focus of this case is how Biddiford Tram Company, under the management of Mary Jo and Marty, can increase revenue and become profitable given the business constraints it must operate under, namely; (a) Loss of $0.15 subsidy per passenger from the State of Maine (b) Not increase the price of tram fare above $2.00 for two years and subsequently not above the rate of inflation. The railway tram would have to find a way to increase revenue to cover the loss of the $0.15 subsidy, provide a return on their investment while keeping the average fare at $2.00 during the season for two.Other notable business challenges to be addressed were; (a) The agreement the authorities had with the local trade union to keep manning levels high at Biddiford tram company. (b) Mary Jo and Marty had been instructed to charge all passengers including children, a flat fee such that children were not to be offered a discount on the fare. (c) A potential m arket in the local visitors who were very price-sensitive.QUESTION 2Option A – Shorten the season and concentrate on reducing cost (See Excelsheet OPTION A)If it was practicable, Option A would be a profitable route for Biddiford Tram Company to pursue. However, this option is not a viable one for the following reasons.1. There are businesses in Old Orchard Bay which depend on visitors at all times and not only at peak season because they are not seasonal businesses. Operating the Tram only at peak season would be detrimental to their business because they do depend as well on customers that come in the off-peak season.2. Shortening the season would displease the local trade union of the tram drivers because manning levels and therefore wages would be greatly affected by this. It would almost certainly lead to a dispute in the first two years and may hurt business moving forward.3. For the first two years at least, Biddiford Tram Company is still owned by the State of Maine a nd therefore a public service. It would be difficult to get approval from the authorities to shorten the season. The Trams and Old Orchard Bay are the community's top selling points. It won't work.QUESTION 3Option B – Use market power to increase passenger revenue across the seasonWhat Mary Jo means by having market power is that she understands that Biddiford Tram Company is a monopoly. A monopoly can either increase price or vary supply at a time but not both. Therefore, in this case, Biddiford Tram can increase its fare within the constraints it was given. The nature of a monopoly is such that the company is the only provider of that service and thus, it can segment its market. Hence, the off-peak fares for when mostly locals will use the tram service and peak fares for when mostly out-of-town visitors use it. This option allows Mary Jo to remain price-competitive and at the same time, gain as much of the market as possible.Year One and Year Two respectively (Option B)Tota l Cost (TC) = TVC + TFC Profit = Revenue – TCTFC = $330,528 Subsidy of $0.15 per passenger = (0.15 x 483336)TVC = VC + (0.15 x 483336) = 466353 + 72500 = $538,853Profit = $1,057,725 – ($330,528 + $538,853) = $188,344Year Three Total Cost (TC) = TVC + TFC Profit = Revenue – TCTFC = $330,528 Subsidy of $0.15 per passenger = (0.15 x 483336) TVC = VC + (0.15 x 483336) = 466353 + 72500 = $538,853Profit = $1,077,557 – ($330,528 + $538,853) = $208,176Year Four Total Cost (TC) = TVC + TFC Profit = Revenue – TCTFC = $330,528 Subsidy of $0.15 per passenger = (0.15 x 483336)TVC = VC + (0.15 x 483336) = 466353 + 72500 = $538,853Profit = $1,099,167 – ($330,528 + $538,853) = $229,786Option B will yield good returns for Biddiford Tram and make most of the season and market.