Us And Japan Business A Culture Of Progress - 1575 Words

US and Japan Business: A Culture in Progress While many of the world’s economic powers seem similar, there is no doubt there are some very key differences. Many of these differences can be attributed to cultural differences within each of the countries. While many of these countries work together in global business efforts, cultural differences would certainly have a significant impact on management style, leadership and even work ethic of the employees. The United States and Japan are both strong economic powers that hold to a capitalistic economic system. Their management styles, however, are very different. This can often be explained through the differences in culture and management or leadership styles. Over the years, the two†¦show more content†¦Lower power distance scores reflect more equal or flat environment where management and employees are considered equals. US versus Japan In Hofstede’s model, the United States and Japan rank very similarly in Power Distance. The US ranks just a bit lower than Japan, at 40. This means most decision making and responsibility in the US come directly from the leaders, with some input from the employees. In Japan, the power distance dimension is ranked a bit higher 54. This may be because in Japan, decision making is subject to a number of levels of peer review and scrutiny before it is approved. Given the close ranking, work relationships between a US company and Japan company should fare well with regard to Power Distance. Some clarity and upfront discussion of who is responsible for decision making would allow this relationship to be effective. Individualism – Collectivism This dimension is described by Hofstede (1980, 2001) as the framework where society decides if they are closely related to their group or if they are more individualistic. Does the individual come first? Or does the team? In more individualist countries, focus is on the individuals interest and needs, value is placed on the person specifically, individuals are awarded for their efforts (i.e. leaders take credit for

Comparing Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr....

The Struggle Between Science and Religion in Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Metropolis From Frankenstein to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Metropolis, the mad scientist is one of the modern worlds most instantly recognizable and entertaining cultural icons. Popular cultures fascination with demented doctors, crazed clinicians, and technologically fanatical fiends have dominated the major motifs of popular literature and film for most of the 20th century and this fascination will continue into the 21st century. An archetypal outcast, the mad scientist represents all that modern culture holds mysterious and fascinating, intriguing and sinful, and, to say the least, romantic. Popular culture has completely desensitized the†¦show more content†¦All are examples of scientists who, though labeled as mad, are curious seekers of information who hope to increase knowledge and understanding, or who are working under the guise of the salvation of a few (when really, mad scientists are really working for no one but themselves) but eventually becomes the damnation of all. This Lovecraftian theme is seemingly reminiscent of all mad science: The most merciful thing in the world...is the inability of the human mind to correlate all [of] its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality...that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.(Lovecraft) In the 19th century, the Romantic rebellion against scientific rationalism-reintegrating notions of science with the mystery and

Essay on Civic Engagement through Community Problem Solving Essay Example For Students

Essay on Civic Engagement through Community Problem Solving Essay Civic Engagement through Community Problem Solving Abstract As young people’s civic and political participation continues to decline, a number of organizations are working to reverse the decline by increasing opportunities for youth to participate. Communities around the country are taking steps to engage young people through a variety of methods that allow youth to actually participate in policy development and take action on local issues. The effectiveness of such community programs on long-term civic engagement is not well documented, however. This paper presents preliminary research about the effectiveness of one community participation program, the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Youth Advisory Council. Quantitative and anecdotal evidence, while not conclusive, suggest this community problem solving approach may encourage its participants to engage in other civic and political activities. The paper also discusses the benefits that organizations and communities receive when young people participate in this way, and provides recommendations for developing a similar youth participation program. Civic Engagement through Community Problem Solving Hilarie Hicks Robison, Southern Nevada Water Authority Introduction The recent decline in young people’s participation in political and civic activities has resulted in a revival within the field of civic education. Formal education institutions are not the only ones concerned about youth engagement, however. A number of community agencies and nonprofits are active at the local level throughout the country. They are working to engage young people through a variety of methods, few of which have been researched to determine their effectiveness. One such community e. .cts are unknown. Preliminary data indicates the Youth Advisory Council model, one example of the community problem-solving approach, may be a promising avenue for engaging young people. Additional longitudinal research in coming years will be crucial in developing more definitive conclusions. Anecdotally, many students find great value in the program, indicating it develops leadership skills and provides motivation for further community participation. The participants are not the only beneficiaries, however. Through thorough planning and thoughtful implementation, the sponsoring agency and broader community gain significantly from such a process. Involving young people in addressing community problems at the local level can infuse new life into agencies and communities, while helping to prepare young people to become active, engaged citizens in our democracy.

Reparations And African American Slaves Essays - Slavery

Reparations And African American Slaves If the United States government were to support the reparations to the descendents of African American slaves it would be an admitting of their responsibility. This is an issue that the United States government does not want to bring back to the forefront. To them, slavery is an occurrence in history such as the Vietnam War, which is not easy to tell about without editing. What is done is done, and bringing up possibilities of any type of reparation would stir up a negative outlook on government, even if trying to make amends. Currently, it would be less likely for the U.S. government to take any action on the issue of slavery. Besides funding reasons, there is also the fact that reparations may bring more racially diversifying programs into affect. The citizens and government of the U.S. have continuously worked towards equality and diminished racial discrimination. Affirmative action is a state program that has created benefits for multiple ethnicities. Singling out descendents of African Americans slaves with reparations would create a bigger distinction than just differences of race, but also that they are the sole minority receiving compensation because they are a certain color. Government is suppose to take a stand on this issue, because it is covered under civil rights, but because is not an ongoing issue, it will not be attended to. Making a decision for reparation based on skin color is solely a racial issue that government will not take sides on. Timing may also be a factor of why government should not take any action. If enacted immediately after the abolishment of slavery, there would be fewer problems on distinguishing who is to pay, and who is to receive it. This would also be a complete justice, with those that committed the crime being punished. Where would the justice be if reparations were made today, making those not directly reprehensible of slavery pay those who were not directly victimized by slavery. This is less of a reparation, but more of a reprisal where ?one crime is committed by a member of one group against another group, so the second group gets vengeance on an innocent member of the first group.?(Koukl, pg. 2) This is why trying to solve this problem with monetary compensation to slave descendants is more unreasonable now than before. The U.S. government at that time chose to neglect making any type of reparations, and will disagree with it today. Slavery is an unethical practice, and this wrongdoing should be acknowledged. The U.S. government is not taking blame for this practice nor will take it upon themselves to make up for its citizens that did enslave African Americans. This is not the first time where our nation has acted immorally and was pushed to make amends. Native Americans received compensations from the U.S., as did Japanese Americans who were imprisoned during the Second World War by the Roosevelt government. All of these reparations however did occur after the formation of the U.S. government and the constitution that set the guidelines for governing. The thirteenth amendment officially labeled slavery an unlawful practice. Government is not supporting reparations, which as in the constitution, does not make them responsible for any of the previous wrongdoing of our early government, which was made up of states following independent rules and regulations. It is actually our current instilled government, based o n the constitution written by the founding fathers, which brought about desires for more equality. Reparations for Native Americans and Japanese Americans who were imprisoned are justified because this was done after our citizens, as well as government had already determined it as wrong. Randall Robinson, an advocator for reparations for slavery brought up that, ?governments who had no direct links to the regimes that wronged their citizens have paid large monetary reparations for crimes.? (Karina, pg.1) Today, the German government is still paying Holocaust survivors for the crimes committed under the Nazi regime. Making the U.S. government pay for reparations is not the same. The early colonization of America was based on British society. The laws and practices were not those of the United States, and were what American's wanted to be reformed and improved. The U.S.

The Moviegoer...Walker Percy Essays - Kingdom Hearts Characters

The Moviegoer...Walker Percy 1-28-00 Moviegoer book report In Walker Percy's story The Moviegoer, Binx Bolling, a Stockbroker on the verge of turning thirty is on a quest. Set in 1960 New Orleans during Mardi Gras Binx, an upper class southern gentleman sets out to find out about himself. Answer questions that have tugged at his soul. Questions about despair, everydayness, religion and romance. Binx is stuck in a quagmire. He must break out from this cloak of ennui and find the essence of being. But how? How can people, a person with a soul and a world at their fingertips be so inept at finding what makes them alive. Can it be found in religion or on the arm of a southern beauty? Maybe it can be found in the surrealism of a movie, or the excitement of making money. What if an answer is found? Will it frighten a person back to their everydayness? Some of these question are sound, others may be just thoughts in the authors mind, but they are questions that Binx must find out about. The following will talk about the idea of despair & everydayness and if others think about searching the way Binx Bol ling does. Binx is deathly afraid of being pulled into everydayness. That is to say that he does not want to fall into the trap of a daily, weekly of life long rut. He does not want to settle for just living just an existence. He wants to be noticed, to have the ability of excitement on a daily routine. To work hard and start a family and fight for what he thinks is a grand life. Only to realize years later that such a routine was established you never left from where you started. To Binx that is death. Not physically dead, but soulfully dead. But what is so wrong with everydayness. One could argue that everydayness could be a positive influence. Millions of people for hundreds of years have lived a life of everydayness. Has society stopped? Have people withered into tiny robots fueled by repetition? People need repetition to keep them going. Everydayness gets us up in the morning. It puts us in the game of life. It causes others to rely on one another. If you are to change a habit, chaos can f ollow. The man who changes his routine of being husband and father can cause such damage to his family and others that it's almost unthinkable. Maybe these people are the ones on to something. And the people rooting about trying to avoid everydayness are the ones that are lost. They are the ones stuck in everydayness, stuck in despair. Binx tries with all his might to avoid the pit falls of everydayness and despair. He finds comfort on the arm of various women and in the movies that he frequents. Maybe he is on to something here. If you change the company you are with on a regular basis, you can avoid the everydayness that has taken the life of others around him. Different smiles that are all the same, backsides that melt together: Marcia, Linda and now Sharon. Talk about repetition. That's a living hell and then to justify it all through a movie. To believe that a celluloid hero can mimic real life is just unreal. Happiness can be written into the script. Everydayness is an overlooked flash in the background. The director yells cut if things go amiss. Ideals can be manipulated to fit the screen. Binx puts more effort into avoiding everydayness than it takes to live with it He is avoiding something that so many of us long to have. Is Binx that far into his own despair that he is missing the whole idea of finding ev erydayness? Many people search for that perfect person just to spend a lifetime of everydayness with. Binx lives through the movies he sees. He finds a realness there, a realness that is lacking in real life. He talks about certification. With that he feels that the places where we live and visit are not real unless those locations are depicted in the movies. It's not just movies where he finds this certification. For example when both

Free Essays on Risk Assesment Analysis

INTRODUCTION The Statement of the Problem The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Army’s â€Å"Risk Management† program as it pertains to accident prevention at 2nd Aviation. A risk exposure is the possibility of loss or injury because of some peril or cause of a loss. Management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling human and physical resources in order to achieve the organization’s objectives and goals. Therefore, risk management, by definition, is the management process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling an organization’s resources to minimize the possibility of loss or injury from various sources. Simply stated, risk management is the process of identifying and controlling an organization’s losses. The Sub-problems The first sub-problem was to determine what the current risk management program at 2nd Aviation consists of. The second sub-problem was to validate and verify if all personnel had received risk management training. The third sub-problem was to determine the effectiveness of the training. The Hypothesis The first hypothesis was that all personnel on 2nd Aviation had received adequate Risk Management training. The second hypothesis was that personnel were willing participants of the Risk Management process. The third hypothesis was that the Risk Management process was effecting a reduction in the accident rate at 2nd Aviation. Importance of the Study Every organization, no matter how large or small, inherently possesses exposure to risk. A comprehensive risk management program requires a significant commitment of time and resources by the organization. The â€Å"costs† of this commitment can be fully mitigated however, by the direct results of the risk management program. However, no matter how much commitment an organization may have in implementing a comprehensive risk management program it does little g... Free Essays on Risk Assesment Analysis Free Essays on Risk Assesment Analysis INTRODUCTION The Statement of the Problem The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Army’s â€Å"Risk Management† program as it pertains to accident prevention at 2nd Aviation. A risk exposure is the possibility of loss or injury because of some peril or cause of a loss. Management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling human and physical resources in order to achieve the organization’s objectives and goals. Therefore, risk management, by definition, is the management process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling an organization’s resources to minimize the possibility of loss or injury from various sources. Simply stated, risk management is the process of identifying and controlling an organization’s losses. The Sub-problems The first sub-problem was to determine what the current risk management program at 2nd Aviation consists of. The second sub-problem was to validate and verify if all personnel had received risk management training. The third sub-problem was to determine the effectiveness of the training. The Hypothesis The first hypothesis was that all personnel on 2nd Aviation had received adequate Risk Management training. The second hypothesis was that personnel were willing participants of the Risk Management process. The third hypothesis was that the Risk Management process was effecting a reduction in the accident rate at 2nd Aviation. Importance of the Study Every organization, no matter how large or small, inherently possesses exposure to risk. A comprehensive risk management program requires a significant commitment of time and resources by the organization. The â€Å"costs† of this commitment can be fully mitigated however, by the direct results of the risk management program. However, no matter how much commitment an organization may have in implementing a comprehensive risk management program it does little g...

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and Essay

How have theoretical orientations in cultural criticism evolved and changed since 1900 Outline challenges facing arts criti - Essay Example In addition, the role of artist is explored and their significance and contribution to the cultural space can be critically analyzed, at some point every consumer of art engages in criticism whether formally or informally (James 1994, p.13). Through criticism, artist can learn from their mistakes and get honest if blunt feedback from critics which will inspire them to improve their output thus generally building up the quality of art produced in the long run. Art criticism has been defined in a variety of ways, Arthur Danto, defines it as the process of analyzing the structure significance and problems in a given work of art by making external and internal comparison to come up with an evaluation of the art. The primary intention of the endeavour has been in the past, and remains to provide rational grounds for the appreciation of artistic works. The exact origin of formal artistic criticism as a genre can be traced back to the 18th century and the first individual to acquire a reput ation of a critic of art was La Font de Saint-Yenne, is renowned for his writing about the salon of 1737 and 47. In the late 19th century, of the artistic expressionism and critics occurred in these salons which were societies made up of artists an critics, many of this were centred around Paris in France as the city acted as one of the centres of art and culture (Eagleton 1984, p.97). However, these salons kept multiplying owing to the dissenting views of different artist and in the dawn of the 19th century a group of young painters and sculptor took over the institution and founded the salon of d’Autumne. They were reacting against what they deemed to be the too conservative approaches of the previous salons and from this salon the salon of modern art emerged. Parisian and other galleries all over the world begun to show Avant grade work and new art dealers such as Daniel Henry Kahnweiler emerged presenting contemporary artists such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque as we ll as several other young artists of the time. The early 20th century was an inaugural period where art and culture critics took on retrospective assumptions and generalization of the social cultural evolution; many of the subjective theories of the past were rejected. Throughput the 20th century, critics seem to constantly be in a quest for the relationships between the art created and that which it represents (Lassalle, 1993, p. 1999). One of the preeminent anthropologists of this period was Franz Boaz and some of his students such as Ruth Benedict and Margaret Mead who later became some of the leaders of the anthropological rejection of social and classical evolution. Contemporary critics at the time eschewed the previous discriminative and subjective assumptions many of which were based on a distinction between primitive and civilized. Many of the artist works produced from non-western societies especially in Africa was previously not seen as genuine art since the inhabitants we re primitive and uncivilized people. These critics were cognizant of the fact that cultural and artistic progression terminated at a stage of civilization that was not unlike what was happening in modern Europe. Nevertheless, they also noted that the theory presumed communities are distinct entities and did