Acquiring characteristics of communication competence Essay

Communication competence results in keeping the channels of communication open and providing opportunities for others to communicate. The agreement among researchers on the general characteristics of competent communicators, whether the context of communication is interactions between friends or between teachers and students (Anderson & Martin, 1992; Chesebro & McCroskey, 2001; Hazelton & Cupach, 1986); Stemler, Elliott, Grigorenko, & Sternberg, 2006), provides guidelines for improving one’s own competence, the purpose of the proposed project. (It should be noted, however, that competence is not the same as communication success. For example, a teacher can have the characteristics that are necessary for competence, but if he or she isn’t also a master of the field being taught, students are unlikely to gain the meaningful understanding that generates retention and continued interest when the course ends. ) The most important characteristic is having knowledge of the rules that determine how and when to use different communication strategies (â€Å"ontological knowledge† in Hazleton & Cupach, 1986; â€Å"tacit knowledge† in Stemler, Elliott, Grigorenko, & Sternberg, 2006). For example, another characteristic necessary for competence is the ability to use different forms of nonverbal communication (Chesebro & McCroskey, 2001; Neuliep & Grohskopf, 2000), but the forms used depend upon the nature of the interaction. For example, men’s sports provide what’s probably the only stereotypically acceptable occasion for male-to-male friendly physical contact, as when â€Å"macho man† hits a home run and is rewarded by pats in the butt from his teammates. It’s hard to think of any other contexts where this form of nonverbal communication is acceptable, let alone effective. For a teacher, effective forms of nonverbal communication would be smiling, making eye contact, moving in order to provide equal attention to students sitting in different sections of the room, moving towards the student who is speaking, etc. The latter form was brilliantly demonstrated by Bill Clinton’s seemingly spontaneous movements off the podium and towards the audience in his first televised debate with George Bush. The third characteristic is actually a combination of two characteristics people tend to think of as opposites, being both responsive and assertive (Anderson & Martin, 1995; Neuliep & Grohskopf, 2000). However, it’s desirable to show interest, openness, and receptivity to what others are saying (being responsive) and also to be able to articulate one’s own views (being assertive). My goals are to increase my knowledge of the contexts in which different communication strategies are appropriate, my use of effective nonverbal communication, and my responsiveness towards and assertiveness with others. There’s a reliable and valid test measuring communication competence (Rubin & Martin, 1994) to use as an evaluation of my current competence. To minimize the problems in pre-post designs, retests will be conducted every three months for a period of a year. At some point in retesting, my score should improve and subsequent scores should either be higher or remain the same. References Anderson, C. M. , & Martin, M. M. (1995). Communication motives of assertive and and responsive communicators. Communication Research Reports, 12, 186-191. Chesebro, J. L. , & McCroskey, J. C. (2001). The relationship of teacher clarity and immediacy with student state receiver apprehension, affect, and cognitive learning. Communication Education, 50, 59-68. Hazleton, V. , & Cupach, W. R. (1986). An exploration of ontological knowledge: Communication competence as a function of the ability to describe, predict, and explain. The Western Journal of Speech Communication, 50, 119-132. Neuliep, J. W. , & Grohskopf, E. L. (2000). Uncertainty reduction and communication satisfaction during initial interaction: An initial test and replication of a new axiom. Communication Reports, 13, 67-77. Rubin, R. B. , & Martin, M. M. (1994). Development of a measure of interpersonal communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 11, 33-44. Stemler, S. E. , Elliott, J. G. , Grigorenko, E. L. , & Sternberg, R. J. (2006). There’s more to teaching than instruction: Seven strategies for dealing with the practical side of teaching. Educational Studies, 32, 101-118.

Claudine Ly

International OrganizationAfter the inception of the United Nations, the world viewed the United Nations as the impetus of a new global order. Nations states succumbed to peaceful concessions rather than having allowed interstate problems to culminate into a third world war. The United Nations was different from the League of Nations in that it reintegrated WWII victors as well as losers and formed them into a coalition that worked towards global peace and security.However, as decolonization began to manifest in the 1960’s, the increase in the number of sovereign states expanded membership in the United Nations.  Ã‚   As the numbers of member nations grew, the United Nations reflected more diversified interests.   The major shift in interests was notably observed in one of the principal organs of the United Nations, the General Assembly.   It granted all member nations the right to one equal vote and resolutions could be passed with a two-thirds majority.   With this i n mind, the United Nations widened its scope to reflect the interests of smaller nation states such as in the areas of economic development and health.However, small state ambitions have coincided with the interests of the great power states.   For example, countries such as Rwanda or Burkina Faso would have preferred to form U.N. initiatives to aid their countries’ sustainable development rather than having spent the U.N. budget to support the U.S. aim to counter the war on terrorism.   In addition, because of this growing disparity between national interests, the United Nations has not been able to adhere to its proposed principles. In recent years, one has observed one of the greatest human rights violators, Libya, elected to chair the Human Rights Commission.   Another deplorable undertaking was Syria, a global supporter of terrorism, elected to Security Council.Today, the image of UN has suffered greatly due to repeated scandals that left the image of a corrupted a nd dysfunctional organization, incapable of performing its attributions in the new world order.UN is facing a new world order to which it must adapt in order to maintain its position and its role on the international arena. Recent years’ crisis have found UN incapable of having a firm and prompt reaction and somehow stuck in the attitudes adopted in its beginnings. UN seems unable to rise to the expectations and unable to assume a leading role in world politics. Instead of having the means to impose its position in the world, UN is faced recently with on of its worst periods, when its position on different subjects has no importance or influence.The distribution of power in today’s international order is inclining more and more towards the West, especially towards the only world power remaining – the US. The relations between UN and US are more and more deteriorated due to the differences in opinion over the war in Iraq and this inconsistency in the relation wit h US had a great cost on UN. However, UN is still seen by Washington as having an important role in the international arena on both security and humanitarian levels.This is why the US is trying to find out solutions for a reform of UN by trying to involve the organization in the ongoing crisis in the world. The challenge is therefore even greater with UN having to face a new leadership starting in 2007, and having to face the nuclear crisis in Iran and North Korea. Perhaps the only reason why UN is still supported by US is that it is still seen as â€Å"a valuable forum and tool for advancing U.S. interests on the international stage† (Gardiner, 2007). Despite the shown support for UN reform, there is little trust in US that it might succeed.UN, although seen as a strong organization that regulates upon the world order, no longer has the power to enforce its sanctions and dictate in crisis. It is very unlikely that UN will be able to impose its sanctions on Iran or North Kore a in what regards the nuclear crisis, so the role of the organization is becoming more and more insignificant. This is why the gap between the capabilities of UN and its position is getting wider.The most important role of UN has been played in the past decades in humanitarian actions, as the involvement of UN in third world crisis has gained a very valuable reputation. In contemporary humanitarian crisis UN seems unable to perform its role and intervene in such a serious matter as the genocide in Sudan. Due to this incapability, the role of UN is more and more contested at the international level, as the UN proves to be as incapable of dealing with humanitarian crisis as it was with Rwanda and Bosnia. This is why there is a need for reform in the UN Human Rights Council (Gardiner, 2007).  The challenge that lies ahead of UN through the nuclear crisis in Iran and North Korea is going to define the future of the organization and its role in the international arena. This is why it i s so important for UN to regain its position and influence. But in order to do so, UN must go through institutional and managerial reforms that will reinforce the organization’s role in world politics.In the actual shift in power in the international arena, UN’s decisions seem unlikely to have much influence on particular actors. Countries such as Iran or North Korea are very unlikely to be affected too much by the sanctions imposed by UN as the power of the organization is rapidly decreasing.There is an increasing opinion that UN is an illegitimate organization, incapable of facing the current international order and no longer able to impose its position in the international arena. This situation was caused by several scandals and crisis that the organization faced in the past twelve years (Gardiner, 2007). UN’s poor interfere in Rwanda, Bosnia, or Sudan, as well as cases of corruption exposed inside the UN have affected the image of the organization greatly, m aking it unable to stand up for its cause in international crisis. If UN is no longer respected and seen as the moral protector of human rights and of peace, then it cannot perform its role. As UN proved unable or unwilling to stand up for its humanitarian believes in genocides or against dictatorship, its influence and its role decreased considerably.UN’s actions have been intensively critiqued and its credibility suffered greatly after 2005, when UNESCO gave the Josà © Martà ­ International Prize to Venezuelan president Hugo Chà ¡vez, awarding the Latin American leader for his â€Å"struggle for liberty† (Gardiner, 2007). This award was clearly against the position held by the world powers and it stands as a proof of the gap created between the formal rules of UN and the international powers.Perhaps the only way in which the UN can save its credibility and perform the role it was created for is by not expanding the membership in the Security Council. In the new in ternational military context, the role of UN can be significant and by paying its cards right the organization has a chance of regaining its influential role.In order for UN to continue its work and re-impose itself it must adapt to the new world order – it must follow the leadership of US and Western forces. By increasing the number of members in the Security Council, UN would be forced to take stands against the US as the vote will likely be against US on key issues. An enlarged Security Council would be against the US, which would widen the gap between UN and world leadership (Gardiner, 2007).One of the reasons for UN’s inability to respond promptly and efficiently to world crisis such as the war in Iraq is that its operational system is far too slow and ineffective. The members of the Security Council have far too different views in order to reach an efficient agreement in time. This institutional framework of the UN proves to be inefficient in today’s chang ing world order. UN’s ability to respond in crisis will only decrease in a larger Security Council, since it already faces serious difficulty.If UN wants to reinforce its position in the international arena, it must face some very much needed reforms that are intended to shape up the organization and make it reinstate a leading role. But such reforms are very unlikely to be achieved as the influence of opposing members is quite considerable.A significant number of member states, especially those leading the G-77 group of developing countries view the reform of UN as threatening to their influence in the organization and therefore they use all their power to prevent the reform of UN. Particularly this kind of influence that some member states have upon the UN decision making process is the kind of influence that is widening the gap between the actual world powers and UN (Schaefer, 2006).In order for UN to actively participate in international relations, it must reform its inst itutional framework. But in order for UN to reform, it must have the vote of several countries that are against reformation and strengthening the role of the West. This vicious circle is the one that is stopping UN from evolving and adapting.The influence of today’s great powers in the UN decision making process is low and this is one of the reasons why UN is losing its legitimacy. Instead of being an important actor in security matters, the institutional framework of UN makes it impossible for the organization to reach a consensus in an effective time framework, leading the organization not interfering or not taking a strong enough position in important issues.Today’s international actors seem to ignore the UN and seem to take decisions disregarding the position of UN particularly because the influence of UN has decreased severely in the past decade or so. More and more voices see the UN as a future failure that will follow its predecessor, the League of Nations.In re cent years, the role of UN is more and more challenged and its decisions have less and less impact in the international arena. Designed to promote peace and worldwide security, the UN proves to be a failure 62 years later due to its incapability to evolve and develop in time. UN’s incapability to adapt to the new world order and its inability to promote its goals makes the organization seem dysfunctional and illegitimate. The major change that is needed for the future of UN lays in its ability to face the challenges of today and to aggressively take action in the matters concerning today’s threats.Bibliography:1.Gardiner, Nile, The Decline and Fall of the United Nations: Why the U.N. Has Failed and How It Can Be Reformed, February 7, 2007, available at http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/hl991.cfm;

Comparison of Pride and Prejudice with Sense and Sensibility

The poem â€Å"Pied Beauty† was written by Hopkins in 1877 and the â€Å"Ode to Autumn† was penned down by Keats in 1820. These poems appreciate all the aspects and diversity of Nature positively leading to the praise of God. In Pied Beauty, this praise of the Creator is vivid and apparent as the poet magnanimously asserts: â€Å"He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him.† However, in Ode to Autumn the praise is subtly highlighted through the description of exuberant bounties of Autumn. The overarching theme of â€Å"beauty beyond appearance† is witnessed in both the poetic works mentioned above. In â€Å"Pied Beauty† this theme encapsulates the idea that perfection of things lies behind their appearance. The poet accentuates the fact that the spirit and energy beyond the appearance is to be appreciated. Thereby, a metaphysical streak echoes throughout, emphasizing the true essence of the word, â€Å"beauty†. Similarly, this theme is observed in â€Å"Ode to Autumn† connoting that the season Autumn has its own beauty like other seasons. Generally, Autumn is associated with old age or the end of life but Keats has creatively portrayed it as a season of â€Å"mellow fruitfulness†, thus, denoting the beauty of Autumn afar from its appearance. He has artistically projected an implied meaning to the poem by illustrating that autumn is the time of life where everything eventually leads to its completion or to have acquired the ultimate m otive of life. The crux of Ode to Autumn is to symbolize the uncertainties of life the Universe is so prone. However, in Pied Beauty, a synonymous thought is presented in the subtle descriptions of Nature that juxtapose the opposites to underline the notion that life is unpredictable , non-static and full of ambiguities. Hopkins asserts: â€Å"And all the trades,their gear &tackle &trim. Whatever is ficke, freckled,(who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour;adazzle,dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change† Here, the poet stresses on the diverse nature of the life on Universe that everything is in a flux. The only thing constant is change and therefore, in Ode to Autumn we notice that autumn has arrived and we should appreciate the various shades of Nature it offers because they are momentary. Consequently, the beauty and speciality of everything present should be appreciated. It is because every atom and molecule on earth gifts us with some meaning and purpose in life. Another eminent theme is of â€Å"Nature†. In â€Å"Pied Beauty† numerous aspects of Nature are delineated using compound words. Hopkins appreciates that â€Å"Glory be to God for dappled things†, â€Å"skies of couple-colours† the â€Å"rose-moles† on the trout, the â€Å"Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings† and also the â€Å"Landscape plotted and pieced -fold,fallow &plough†. The poet is praisng God for everything that he has created and also for the sublime energies that Nature encapsulates beyond its physical appearance. Furthermore, this theme of Nature is also evident in â€Å"Ode to Autumn†. This ode is pregnant with admiration for different activities that take place in autumn. Keats enumerates that it is a â€Å"season of mists and mellow fruitfulness†, â€Å"load and bless with fruits the vines that round the thatch-eves run†, â€Å"fill all fruits with ripeness to the core†, â€Å"swel l the gourd and plump the hazel shells with sweet kernel†,†barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day†, â€Å"lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn† and the â€Å"Hedge-cricket sing†. All these descriptions stimulate our senses and lend a beautiful cinematographic element to the poem. Analogous to Hopkins, Keats also implies the stylistic device of compound words. However, the contrast lies in the fact that Keats uses compound words to make his poetry sensual whereas, Hopkins employs compound words to give different things a set shape and pattern. This is called instress and inscape technique that Hopkins uses. For example, he says â€Å"For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow†. Here he is characterizing the sky's colour and accentuating the inter relation and harmony of Nature. Like the brinded cow the sky is also spotted and patchy as the blue sky and white clouds are â€Å"coupled† together. The creative amalgamation of sky with creations on earth reflects the poet's love of nature to a commendable degree. On the contrary, Keats utilizes compound words to give a corporeal effect. For instance, he calls autum the â€Å"bosom-friend of the maturing Sun† and also he asserts â€Å"half-reap'd furrow†, â€Å"bloom the soft-dying dayà ¢â‚¬  and â€Å"full-grown lambs†. All these examples stir the senses. Animal and bird imagery have also been incorporated in these poems. Hopkins uses the image of the â€Å"brinded cow† to make the colour and pattern of the sky tangible, and also uses the image of a trout with rose-moles and the finches' wings to signify the variety and diversity of Nature. Nonetheless, Keats uses the images of the â€Å"swallow† singing, â€Å"lambs† bleating , â€Å"hedge-cricket† singing and the red-breast,†garden-crofet† whistling to indicate that autumn has a life and activity of its own which must be appreciated instead waiting for other seasons to come. Alliteration in the â€Å"Pied Beauty† is used to heighten the auditory effect of the poem. It is said about Hopkins that â€Å"his poetry should not be read with eyes but ears† (Bridges). The alliteartion used in the compound word â€Å"couple-clouds† empahsizes on making the sky tangible whereas â€Å"Fresh-firecoal† denotes a paradox to enhance the colour of the chestnut that is falling off the tree and â€Å"fold, fallow† these descriptions of the landscape suggest the multiplicity of lands created by God. On the other hand, in â€Å"Ode to Autumn† the alliterations â€Å"winnowing wind†, â€Å"dying day† and â€Å"lambs loud† all of these are stressing upon the activities that take place in autumn. Thus, signifying that autumn is also lively and is not about the end of life rather it announces a new happy beginning that follows. Nonetheless, apart from a few stylistic contrasts, both poets share a common natural ground of ideas, that is , the love and intense adulation of nature. The imagery that these poets employ is far-fetched and typical of the Romantic school of thought.

The In-Vivo and In-Vitro Effects of Sildenafil (Viagra) on Oocyte and Literature review

The In-Vivo and In-Vitro Effects of Sildenafil (Viagra) on Oocyte and Embryo Development - Literature review Example .. 7 1.2.1 Physiology of Fertilization and Implantation Process †¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 1.2.2 Physiology of Ovarian Function and Reproductive System .†¦ 12 1.3 Ways on How Secretion of Ovary Controls the Reproduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 16 1.4 Historical Development, Chemical Composition, and Mechanism of Action .......................................................................................................... 18 1.4.1 Historical Development of Sildenafil Citrate ............................ 18 1.4.2 Chemical Composition of Sildenafil Citrate ............................. 20 1.4.3 Mechanism of Action ................................................................ 22 1.5 Sildenafil Citrate and Ovarian Response †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......†¦.. 24 1.5.1 Possible Effects of Sildenafil Citrate on Female Reproduction . 24 1.5.1.1 Treating Female Sexual Arousal Disorder †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 24 1.5.1.2 Effects of Sildenafil Citrate on the Endometrium Lining †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 26 1.5.1.3 Effects of Sildenafil Citrate on Oocyte †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 28 1.5.1.4 Effects of Sildenafil Citrate on the Embryonic Development †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 29 1.6 Purpose and Rationale behind the Purpose of this Study †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 31 1.7 Research Hypothesis †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 33 1.8 Overall Objective †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 33 1.8.1 Specific Objectives †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 33 References †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 35 - 43 Chapter I – Introduction 1.1 Infertility Problems in Women... 12). It means that infertility happens when a couple failed to conceive after they had unprotected intercourse for a time span of 12 months. In general, infertility is classified as either primary or secondary infertility. Primary infertility means that the couple had never conceived a child despite their willingness to get the wife pregnant whereas secondary infertility happen when the couple is having difficulty getting pregnant after a pregnancy or having at least one child or more (NHS, 2012; Camacho, Gharib and Sizemore, 2007, p. 138; Inhorn and van Balen, 2002, p. 12). Boivin et al. (2007) revealed that roughly 80 million couples around the world are having difficulty conceiving a child. In UK, the NHS reported that around 3.5 million individuals or one out of six couples are facing problems related to infertility (NHS, 2012). There are quite a lot of factors that can lead to infertility. Based on the study that was conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), these factor s were identified as: female reproductive disorders (38%), biological abnormalities in men and women (27%), male reproductive disorder (20%), subfertility (10-15%), and unknown causes (15%) (Kretser, 1997). The term â€Å"idiopathic† means that there is no specific known cause for a given disorder (Falcone, 2006, p. 58). Therefore, idiopathic amenorrhoea means that there is an unknown cause behind the absence of menstruation. Although problems related to infertility may not cause serious threat on the physical health of a couple, it will always remain a fact that their inability to conceive a child may trigger serious harm on their social and mental well-being. Among

Writing Today, Ch. 30, pp. 570-72; Chapter 3, pp. 27-37 Essay

Writing Today, Ch. 30, pp. 570-72; Chapter 3, pp. 27-37 - Essay Example In this internship period, I used many computer aided devices to come up with routine calculations and therefore creating perfect project research and development timeline. As I worked on all these, I became more and more familiar with the problems that are experienced in these company and suggested and implemented many ideas to solve these problems. In addition to this experience, I am about to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Texas Wesleyan University. My concrete knowledge in Computer Science and software design will enable me to give the best services in your company as a forensic digital data analyst. I am looking forward to being invited for an interview in your company to expound on my knowledge and experience and what I will do for your company and further discuss my suitability for this position. You can ore details on me on my attached

Sustainable Development of the Happy Planet Index Assignment

Sustainable Development of the Happy Planet Index - Assignment Example The firm that is analyzed in the paper is Happy Planet Index (HPI) that was designed in the year 2006 to evaluate the certain condition of the human life and the association of the humans and the environment. The previous indices like the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) have lost their worth, as the most of the people agreed to be happy and healthy instead to being rich. In other words we can say that the Happy Planet Index (HPI) is the measure of how healthy and happy the humans are leading their lives and how is the activities of the humans affects the environment surrounding them. Moreover, the rate of consumption of natural resources also matters a lot in determining the Happy Planet index (HPI). The carbon foot prints produced by the humans largely affects the index and in this way, it encounters the ecological footprints bet unit person residing in a particular locality. The lower the value of ecological foot prints, the larger will be the Hap py Planet Index (HPI). Happy Planet index contributes much in the sustainable development of the planet as the Happy Planet Index tells about the growth of the ecological foot prints per person residing in the certain locality. In major cities of the world and the bigger and progressed countries of the world, it is seen that the ecological foot prints per capita is more as compared to the some of the underdeveloped countries. Moreover, such areas, which have forest and green fields in the vicinity, have the higher Happy Planet index. It can be noticed that most of the people want to have a healthy and happy life instead of a lavish life that is full with money but lacks health and happiness. The major strength of the HPI over other types of indices like GDP etc is that the economic perspective attached with the GDP and others is replaced by the Happy Planet Index and provided a Satisfied and happy life to the people. It associated the humans well being to the ecology. The previous i ndices have pity less information about the health and happiness of the persons. The methods involved in the evaluation of the index are simple enough to be understood by the common public as well as politicians. The factors like the Ecological footprints and the life expectancy can be calculated and utilized in the calculating the Happy Life index that is then compared to other regions of the world but the results might have some minor errors particularly when considering the ecological footprints. The index is the way to encounter many factors, some soft as life satisfaction and hard as Life expectancy and ecological footprints. It covers both state wise factors as resource consumption and individual’s factors like individual’s well being. However, Happy Planet Index (HPI) has some limitations, as the Happy Planet Index has a major factor associated with it is the ‘Happiness’ and it is hard to measure the happiness as the complexity of the term is heavil y discussed among social reformers. In different regions of the world, the ideas related to the term may vary and it depends on the metal status of the person to define the term. In this way, the policy building step becomes more complex that is a limitation in the Happy Planet Index (HPI) (Schepelmann, Makipaa & Goossens, 2007). Moreover, as the index is named as the Happy Planet Index (HPI), many people got the wrong idea of the index and considered it only an index that depicts the happiness of the country while the Happy Planet Index covers the environmental, ecological and Longevity factors. The biological indicators or the biotic indicators are the organisms or organism or community’s aspect, which are the part of the environment and as some alteration in the environment occurs, the organisms correspond to the change and show some special characteristics. Some biotic indicators prove the purity of the water through their presence in the water, while show that the water is not ideal for drinking. Some organisms

Gun control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gun control - Essay Example As the Second Amendment of the US Constitution states, â€Å"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.† (Gardner and Anderson, 232) Therefore, the constitution itself gives the citizens the right to own and carry firearms with them. The size and effectiveness of the weapon must have caused for its spread in the land. The excessive use of gun is a developing tendency among the people in America. The easy availability of gun in America, at present, causes for the increasing homicides, suicides, and other violence and crime in this state. This has led many to think on the gun control policies in America. But still a hot debate on gun rights and gun control is going on in the country. This essay tries to make a study on the disasters that happened in the society by the gun use and further, a research is done on the need for controlling the use of guns by the civilians. The thesi s statement is, ‘The increasing disasters in the American Society caused by gun-use and the need for gun control’. It is very clear that there are a number of problems that are arising day by day by the use of guns. Still it can be seen the government is reluctant to ban the use of guns, and it makes a person puzzled. The history of private ownership of guns in America stresses the need for guns. Both sides of gun control and gun rights are strong in America. The increasing mass killing at various schools and colleges using guns lead government to make new amendments in the constitution in order to control the use of guns by the civilians. Background and Historical Material /Definitions (Literature Review): America is considered to be the strongest nation in the world. It may be the only nation that has not made any control for the private use of guns. Gun was a need for every Americans to defend themselves from the natives of the land. â€Å"Despite their firearms, th e survival of the English colonies often appears highly improbable.† Further the possession of firearms by the settlers enabled â€Å"to arm their enemies with theoretically advanced European weaponry.† (Bellesiles, 112) After the threats were over by the natives in America gun was a mandatory to protect their land. The American government envisaged the need for private ownership of firearms by the civilians. This has led the possession of guns as a constitutional right for the people. It is very easy to purchase a gun in America. The Office of the Attorney General in California gives the procedure to possess a gun in the State as a simple procedure. The person must be 18 years of age to buy a rifle or shotgun. To buy a handgun a person must be 21 years of age and he or she should ‘possess an HSC plus successfully complete a safety demonstration with the handgun being purchased or should qualify for an HSC exemption.’ (Frequently Asked Questions) The spread of guns in America turned from self defense to mass destruction. If an analysis is done, it can be understood that ever since from the widespread of this deadly weapon, many causalities are being occurred day by day in America. The incident that happened in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, on April 16, 2007 showed the ferocious face of it. A student named Seung- Hui Cho murdered 32 people and attempted to murder 29

Gun control policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gun control policy - Essay Example The government should control the usage of guns; license policy for guns should be strictly implemented. Drug addicts, mentally challenged people etc are the fundamental reasons to control the usage of guns. Gun Control policies: The production and licensing of the Guns should be controlled: Usually governments use to increase the budgets for the purpose of buying weapons and for defense purpose. The main motive of that policy is to ensure the defense and security of the country. But they are forgetting the main facts, these weapons could be misused by criminals, terrorists etc. For example, we can take the situation in United States. â€Å"A school going kid brings gun to school, and he showed his friends† (The Messenger-Gazette 2011). Some kids tried to sell the gun inside the school compound. This is the best instance showing us that the guns and fire arms are reaching in the wrong hands. Proper licensing and strict laws should be implemented to prevent this danger situatio n. In countries like Pakistan, there are Gun selling streets and shops; anybody can buy guns and other weapons from those shops with out license. â€Å"The market is made up of a warren of small barren brick factories; where upwards of 1,000 guns are manufactured every day, mostly by hand† (Pasternack 2011). All this would lead to dangerous situation and uncertainty. The government should take maximum effort to control the manufacturing and buying of guns.

TV seriies ( 60 Minutes) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TV seriies ( 60 Minutes) - Essay Example Be it a good or a bad issue that they are showing, it gives enough knowledge about my surroundings and helps me with my judgments and views. The first time I saw 60 minutes on TV, I thought, â€Å"What does this show has to offer? What good can it give me? Is it worth watching?† Then a friend of mine, who happened to love this show, told me that this is not any ordinary show. She loved it for the reason that it allows the viewers to see the ‘real thing’ in celebrities, in ordinary people, in the government and all the other issues that are likewise hidden from the people. I watched the segment wherein President Obama and his wife were interviewed and was satisfied that this show has done something like this for the nation, including me, to know someone so great like Obama. I heard in the news that this segment was the most watched episode of 60 minutes, and it has done a great effect to the show. I think that this show has somewhat improvised a new genre in the field of journalism and mass media, which is great for me, since I’m quite interested in journalism. The effect this show has on me is a good and helpful one that is why I consider it as my all-time favorite among all TV series. The fact that I can answer well when others ask me about certain issues in our country makes me feel knowledgeable. They thought of me as a keen observer, thanks to 60 minutes. It is with this show’s help that I can be aware and maybe even helpful to our country when the time comes. I am even inspired to write for the show, maybe

Industrial Revolution in Europe Essay Example for Free

Industrial Revolution in Europe Essay The industrial revolution had a great impact on Europe, especially when it comes to social and economic aspects, since they underwent a great change during the period. Still, whether the industrial revolution was positive or negative as a whole depends on if you focus on either of these two aspects. Optimists will say that it was good, and theyll focus on the favourable consequences on economy. Pessimists, however, will focus on social aspects, since society suffered a decline as to way of life. When it comes to economy, most of the consequences of the industrial revolution on it were quite positive. Wages rose, and people had enough money to buy goods. Industry developed, making it more efficient to produce products with the help of machines. These made it more profitable for industries, since work was done faster and without a need for a big human work force, thus creating mass production. It was cheap to make goods, and they were produced at a large scale, which in turn led to consumers being able to afford more products. Another thing was the creation of banks, which favoured economy as they lent money to set up even more industries. Mercantilism also helped European countries, since they had a market for their goods. Also, industries were favoured by the construction of better roads and canals, and with the invention of the steam engine, as well as with the construction of turnpike trusts. Goods were transported in faster, safer and cheaper ways, which had a positive effect on industry and economy. The improvement of the transport system also had positive effects on social aspects. Now that people had more money, they could use it to go on day holidays to the coast, since they could use the railroad. Improvement in transportation also eventually led to the creation of national sport leagues, as teams could move around from place to place. Another positive consequence of the improvement of transport reflected on peoples diets. Fresh food could be transported faster and cheaper into urban areas, thus making it available for consumers, who, with the improvements in economy, now had money to buy it, as well as some mass produced clothes. Still, even if people had more money, standards of living didnt rise as  much. To get money, people had to work for long shifts, and housing was also more expensive. This made people pack together in small houses. Over-crowding inevitably led to the quick spread of diseases and illnesses as pollution from industries and wastes filled the cities, affecting people who lived very close together. People working in the city also had bad working conditions. They worked for long shifts under unhealthy conditions, and accidents were common due to the over-tiredness of the workers after so many hours of work. Also, for a family to meet monthly expenses, children had to work. Child labour was common, and children had harsh jobs, working all day instead of being able to go to school and get an education. Another negative consequence of the industrial revolution was the sharp increase of crime in cities. As industries and large farms prospered, small farmers and peasants suffered. Many were left without a job and thus migrated into the cities. Population increase in urban areas, however, didnt always match the increasing need for workers in industries; many people were left without a job and thus had to resort to crime to be able to survive. It is clear that the Industrial Revolution had a great impact on peoples lives throughout Europe. A capitalist economy flourished, while workers suffered unhealthy conditions as they struggled to survive in a changing society.

Analysis of the telecommunications industry in China

Analysis of the telecommunications industry in China Vodafone is a London-based major telecommunication firm employing over 84,000 employees worldwide as of 2010. They are in more than 20 countries and have partnership in another 40 more for total revenue in 2010 of  £44 billion.  [1]  There focus is on RD and license management which make Vodafone a leader in new technology and product development. With this reputation, a lot of local companies can be interested in partnership with Vodafone in order to gain a technological boost which can help them overtake on the local competition. In 2000, Vodafone added CMHK (China Mobile Hong Kong) to his partner list by buying 2.19% of the company shares at a price of $2.5 billion. Two years later a second purchase of $750 million increased their share to 3.2%. By creating this partnership, Vodafone gained access to over 477 million subscribers in Hong Kong and China. From CMHK side, the alliance with the British firm set the table for a technological innovation campaign. The first remarkable output of this collaboration was JIL (Joint Innovation Lab), with the goal of accelerating the innovation process.  [2]   China and the WTO -How has Chinas entry into the WTO affected Vodafones development in China and Hong Kong? -How has it affected foreign telecommunications in general? C:UsersMYDocuments2011-1à ­Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ªÃ‚ ¸Ã‚ °Ãƒ ªÃ‚ µÃ‚ ­Ãƒ ¬Ã‚  Ã…“à ªÃ‚ ²Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¬Ã‹Å" Ãƒ «Ã‚ ¡Ã‚  china telecom statistics.jpg After almost 15 years of negotiation, China joined WTO as of 11 December 2001. Before the adhesion, Chinas policy protected the national emerging telecom industries  [3]  while allowing only foreign equipment vendors to invest in Chinas economy.  [4]  The new contract gave entry to foreign investment for up to 49% of one of the local companys share in the 17 largest cities in China.  [5]   As well as other markets, Chinas telecommunication market is expected to grow very rapidly especially if open to foreign service suppliers. The whole market generated over $130 billion in 2010 and is expected to grow by an average rate of 8.8% in for the next five years. Thus overtaking Japan and becoming the leader in the Asian market.  [6]  For foreign investors, those odds were quite attracting. The Reality -Why has Vodafone still held a minority stake in CMHK? -What factors do you think have inhibited Vodafones investment in the Chinese telecommunications market? Still, even after the entry in the WTO, Chinas telecommunication market stayed under the large influence of the Ministry of Information Industry (MII). The maximum level of stake ownership was set up to 49% under WTO agreement but no foreign telecommunication companies got close to that number. Vodafone, for example, was planning to increase its share up to 20% by 2005; in 2009 the 3.2% was still the reality. The main problem in the Chinese market is a multitude of complex and multi-layered political, economic and cultural factors.  [7]  China is still operated with ancient art of Guanxi (network of contacts)  [8]  and MII is considered to be both regulator and party in Chinese telecommunication market. So even if the contract allows some expansion for foreign companies, the huge bureaucracy makes investing in China a long and laborious process. China Unicom and SK Telecom -What has China Unicom done in its attempt to remain competitive? What are the advantages and challenges of such a strategy, and how effective do you think it will be? In 2006, a few years after the entry of Vodafone in the Chinese market, SK Telecom of South Korea invested $1 billion in China Unicom. In total the South Korean firm received about 7% of the company shares in return of this investment. The great advantage for the Chinese giant was a possibility for a technological advancement. The two firms would now work together on handset development and IP sharing. China Unicom could then have a glance at foreign technology, just like their main competitor did 6 years ago with Vodafone. For SK Telecom, the transaction was also a great advancement. It allowed them to gain entry in the protected Chinese market and escape the South Korean saturated market. On the other hand, as part of the contract, China Telecom had to accept SK Telecom as the sole partner until the end of 2007.  [9]  In technology business, one year and a half tied to only one partner could hold you backward. Another foreign company could release a great new technological advancement and it would be impossible for China Unicom to get their hands on it. The Third Giant: China Telecom -What actions do you think China Telecom should take, given the competitive position of the CMHK-Vodafone and China Unicom-SK Telecom partnership? The telecommunication market in China has been quite homogeneous so far. Looking for foreign partnership could be a way to get a hand on advanced technology or management system that would give the firm a competitive advantage over their competitors, especially since the two other leading companies already stepped forward by accepting foreign investment. With that in mind, China Telecom should get into a serious search for a foreign partner in order to keep up with the competition. But what if those foreign partnerships were not as successful as planned? In fact, in September 2010, Vodafone sold their 3.2% stakes in China Mobile, pocketing $6.5 billion which is nearly twice the original investment4. After the sale, CMHK and Vodafone will continue to cooperate in areas such as roaming, network roadmap development, multinational customers, and green technology and so on  [10]  . Vodafone left with a profit and the alliance stayed but most of the cooperation died in the separation process. What about China Unicom and SK Telecom? Well in November 2009, the Korean firm sold the whole 3.8% stake of China Unicom to unknown buyer(s). SKT also earned more than 50% of their initial investment but abandoned their business plans in China. China Unicom dropped CDMA business, which was SKTs main strength, and absorbed China Netcoms GSM part and decided to focus on GSM. However, SKT is continuing cooperation in technology and conversion service area.  [11]   Accepting foreign investment is not a definite key to success. As said before, China used to be a quite closed and homogeneous market, so as the customers. Outsiders may have a hard time to understand how to conduct business in China and how to understand the needs of its people. In brief, the most important is for the host company to analyze how foreign firm could help them in their actual market and if the fusion can be done efficiently. Surely in a few years there will be a lot of success story in the telecommunication firm in China, but for now China Telecom is better not to jump on the first offering.

missouri compromise :: essays research papers

The forefathers of our country had many ideals on the inherent inalienable rights of man, although this did not hold true for all peoples. Our country practiced slavery of the African. The agricultural economy of the south required the labor of slaves to complete their work. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlawed slavery of the current territory of the United States, but after the purchase of the Louisiana Territory and the settlement to come, the question of slavery was once again forced into the political arena of our country.1 The Missouri Compromise would be an effort to once again silence this issue. The articulate speeches of the 16th congress both north and south showed the strong positions held by each side.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The defense of slavery in the 1790 – 1820 period may be characterized generally as being in a state quiescence, only occasionally roused from a passive condition to become articulate. On the other hand, the idea of slavery in the North was just beginning to become formulated, and many northerners were beginning to see slavery as a threat to their institution of government. Thomas Jefferson, a proponent of the natural rights theory, stated that slavery was a â€Å"cruel war against human nature itself violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty in persons of a distant land.†2 While the attitudes of northerners and southerners was not completely one for slavery, and on against, the events of the Missouri debates would bring our country into a new era of a widening schism between North and South with slavery as the main cause. Never before had the South so vigorously defended slavery against the onslaught of northern offense. When the bill was first proposed in 1819 the number of free and slave states was equal at 11. When the debate got underway, Taylor and Tallmadge stated the argument strongly for the restricitonists, and Scott, Missouri’s territorial delegate, for the right of unqualified admission. Upon such a controversy, Missouri’s favor was already maintaing slavery in its border and the population warranted statehood. By the compromise of 1787 Missouri would have become a free state because of the majority being North of the Ohio River. Slaveholders, however, were determined to bring slavery into Missouri, and a substantial number of slaveholders settled in Missouri.3 The proponents of the Missouri Bill argued that congress had no right to interfere with the construction of a state constitution except that it be Republican in form.

Creating Sympathy for The Great Gatsby Essay examples -- F. Scott Fitzg

Creating Sympathy for The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the text, The Great Gatsby, the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald leads us to sympathize with the central character of the text, Jay Gatsby. Fitzgerald evokes our sympathy using non-linear narrative and extended flashbacks as well as imagery, characterization and theme. Through these mediums, Fitzgerald is able to reveal Gatsby as a character who is in an unrelenting pursuit of an unattainable dream. While narrative and imagery reveal him to be a mysterious character, Gatsby's flaw is his ultimate dream which makes him a tragic figure and one with which we sympathize.    In the opening pages of the text, we are introduced to the main characters through the believable and trustworthy narrative of Nick Carraway. We discover that Nick is a moral character who is disenchanted with society after returning from the East. Throughout the text, Fitzgerald uses Nick's narrative to guide our response to the central character of the text, Gatsby, whom Nick states, "represents everything for which I have unaffected scorn." Nick's narrative also reveals the weak and shallow characters of Tom and Daisy. Nick's ability to recognise this emptiness and compare it with Gatsby through imagery shows the effectiveness of Nick's narrative. The strong image of Gatsby reaching out toward the green light can be juxtaposed to Tom and Daisy whom Nick describes as being "careless people." Nick's references to Daisy's voice and his attraction to her voice as "glowing and singing", emphasises that we can trust him as a narrator as he too is vulnerable to temptation and worldly beauty. This concept of Nick being a character that is "within and without" leads us to trust him as he does... ...athy by depicting Gatsby as isolated and betrayed by a society that is shallow and incapable of morality. Throughout the text, Fitzgerald uses the mentioned mediums to effectively evoke our sympathy toward the central character in the text, Gatsby.    Works Cited and Consulted: Berman, Ronald. "The Great Gatsby" and Fitzgerald's World of Ideas. Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P, 1997. Chambers, John B. The Novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald. London: Macmillan/New York: St Martin's P, 1989.   deKoster, Katie, ed. Readings on "The Great Gatsby." San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998.   Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. Higgins, John A. F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Study of the Stories. New York: St. John's UP, 1971. Whitley, John S.   F. Scott Fitzgerald: "The Great Gatsby." London: Edward Arnold, 1976.   

The Link Between Height and Personal Success :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Link Between Height and Personal Success Your height won't influence what you earn as much as your race or gender, but it may well be significant. In Britain and America, the tallest quarter of the population earns 10% more than the shortest quarter. A white American man averages a 1.8% higher income than his counterpart an inch shorter (1). Economics is not the only area in which taller people win: out of the US's 42 presidents, only eight have been below average height for the time. Most have been significantly taller than the average for white adult males of their eras (2). Tall men are also more likely to be married and have children (3). Outside of normal height differences, people with growth deficiency are much more aware of the role height plays in their lives. A study done through a growth clinic showed that children with growth deficiency are more likely to have social problems. The problems included lower social competance, increased behavior problems, and low self-esteem. Another study found lower rates of employment and marriage when children with growth deficiency grew up (4). One theory of why tall people are more successful is that there is stigma attatched to height, and thus short people are seen as easier to dominate (2). Another theory is that evolutionarily, tall people had an advantage in hunting and such and were thus associated with positive traits (5). Perhaps we still retain this association unconciously. The third theory is that taller people have a better-self image, and this increased confidence makes them more successful (2). A factor that may influence both earnings and height is one's family background. Shorter men tend to come from bigger families with parents who have less education than those of taller men. This shorter height may be a factor of poor childhood nutrition, and parents with less education are more likely to have children who also receive less education and therefore earn less. Family background is not the only influence, though, as shorter men still earn less than taller men from the same background (2). Effects that appear to stem from one's adult height, though, may have a different cause entirely. Participants in one study were asked to report their heights at ages 7,11, 16, and 23. The height that affected one's adult earnings, it turned out, was not the adult height but the 16-year-old height.

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions 3 Countries

Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture: An overview of Venezuela, Belgium and Japan International Business ADM 3155 Table of Contents Introduction to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture3 Individualism3 Masculinity3 Power Distance4 Uncertainty Avoidance4 Conclusion5 VENEZUELA5 Introduction to Venezuela6 Individualism6 Masculinity7 Power Distance7 Uncertainty Avoidance8 Conclusion8 BELGIUM11 Introduction to Belgium11 Individualism12 Masculinity12 Power Distance13 Uncertainty Avoidance14 Conclusion14 JAPAN16 Introduction to Japan16 Individualism16 Masculinity17 Power Distance18Uncertainty Avoidance18 Conclusion19 Conclusion to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture20 References23 Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture Introduction to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture In 1984, Geert Hofstede published a book called Culture’s Consequences. In this book, he divides cultures into four basic categories. These categories are individualism, masculinity, dower distance and u ncertainty avoidance. Hofstede assigns different cultures a number on a scale between 1 and 100 for each category depending on how their culture corresponds to the description.By analyzing how a country fits into each section a person can get a better understanding of how a culture operates in their daily lives and also in their business. Individualism Individualism refers to how people within a culture interact with one another. Knowing how people work with one another will help you to understand how they will work with you in a business setting. High individualism will display characteristics like importance of employees’ personal life, emotional independence from the company, calculative involvement and more importance attached to freedom and challenge in their jobs (Hofstede).People with high individualism prefer individual decisions as opposed to group decisions. Society encourages individuals to show their own initiative which relates to them finding smaller companies m ore attractive. High individualism can be seen as a more selfish and self-serving way of living (Nasierowski). This is very important when conducting business in a different culture. If you are looking for innovators, new ideas, and self-motivated people, who will contribute more than just labour to your company you should look for a country with high individualism.When conducting business in a high individualism society it is important to recognize individual achievements and reward people on an individual basis. Recognising individual differences and ideas is important as well as giving individual praise and recognition. This will keep employees satisfied and motivated. Individual workers want to chance to excel and they tend to look after themselves and their own needs and advancement and are not concerned with â€Å"stepping on others to get ahead†. Masculinity This dimension is not looking at gender roles specifically, but at the characteristics generally associated with masculinity and femininity.Masculinity is referring to aggressiveness, the desire for power, wealth and achievement. A country with a high masculinity will show traits including admiration for the strong, importance placed on earnings, recognition, advancement and challenge, employees attracted to larger organizations and higher job stress. They also find it acceptable for the company to interfere with their private life. This can be an advantage if you are looking for highly motivated individuals (Hofstede). High masculinity is good for doing business because these employees will be competitive, aggressive and driven for success.They are willing to make sacrifices in their personal lives to achieve success in their business. When working in this type of environment people are more willing to work over-time. You can easily get results from your employees by throwing money and power at them. These employees are not as concerned with ethics or the environment as they are with economi c growth (Nasierowski). Power Distance Inequality is the main issue that power distance addresses. Power distance measures how a culture, group or organization views themselves and each other in terms of authority and value.In a county with a high power distance value is placed on obedience to the person who is seen as in charge. Children obey parents, students obey teachers, employees obey employers, etc. , without question. There is a large amount of fear associated with high power distance and those seen as â€Å"lower† or â€Å"less important† show resentment towards those higher than them and also show distrust to one another. In business, employees do not have input into the company and simply follow orders. Employees are viewed as unmotivated and unhappy with their jobs (Hofstede). Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty avoidance is a fear of the unknown. If a culture has high uncertainty avoidance then they are looking to escape any type of difference or change that would occur in their lifestyle, job, culture, government, etc. Characteristics typical of high uncertainty avoidance include a fear of failure, higher job stress, frequent worry about the future and less achievement motivation. Loyalty to ones employer and a tendency to stay with that same employer are also characteristics. This could be viewed as a very positive or negative quality depending on your type of business (Nasierowski).In a business that requires controls and regulations, for example a factory. You would prefer a country with high uncertainty avoidance because you know that they will not try to change any of the products you are producing. They will be more likely to continue following the exact rules, regulations and policy that you have placed in front of them. In business, you will not have to worry about any radical changes or interference. If you want anything new it will have to be introduced slowly and carefully with clear direction. However, you know that once an idea is taken on it will not be tampered with.Conclusion As the world continues to â€Å"shrink†, we begin to experience more globalization and must interact more frequently with other cultures. Through Hofstede’s dimensions we can gain a greater understanding of how to integrate our business with other countries. Being able to understand a country’s culture and how it is different from your own is vital to success in international business. We can decide where would be the best place to do business and how to make it more successful. Before entering a new market the culture and values inside and outside the workplace need to be understood.Almost all businesses are to some degree impacted by globalisation and therefore having knowledge of other countries and other cultures is vital. In this paper we will address three countries from different culture groupings: Japan, from the Independent block, Belgium, from the Latin European block, and Venezuela from the Lat in American block. These blocks are clusters of countries that share common aspects of culture; including geographic location, language, and history. For example, the Latin European block includes not only Belgium but France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Nasierowski). By explaining how these three countries fall into Hofstede’s dimensions we will be able to help you understand some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing business with these cultures (Nasierowski). Advantages include being able to understand what will motivate your employees and business partners and how to communicate properly in different business settings. For example, depending on what country you were in, Hofstede’s dimensions of culture will help you to know the best way to communicate changes to your business partners and employees.VENEZUELA Introduction to Venezuela Venezuela is a Latin country that occupies most of the northern coast of South America on the Caribbean Sea. The rest of Venezue la is surrounded by Brazil, Colombia, and Guyana. Venezuela has a population over 27 million, which could be considered relatively small compared to other countries with thinking in terms of expanding business markets. The capital city is Caracas which has a population of over 3 million. After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, Venezuela continued to go through a period of unstable dictators.In the early 1900’s it became a major exporter of oil. The oil wealth contributed to the large gap between the countries extremely wealthy and extremely poor. Venezuela’s current President is Left wing Socialist Hugo Chavez who promised to even the gap between the rich and the poor. He is dedicated to loosing Venezuela’s dependence on the U. S. for oil exportation and is therefore trying to strengthen his oil shipping business with China. This could be attributed to his close friendship with Dictator Fidel Castro of Cuba. (â€Å"http://www. state. ov†) When revi ewing the country of Venezuela within Hofstede’s dimensions of culture we find that it falls into extremes with both very high scores and one very low score. (Hofstede) Individualism In contrast to the rest of the scores Venezuela has received in Hofstede’s rankings, in this dimension they are only a 12 out of 100. This means a very low individualism in this culture. Low individualism means that they are group oriented people. They are concerned about how decisions will affect everyone in the group. They have in-groups and out-groups and think of people in terms of how they fit into such groups (Hofstede).It is important when doing business to realize that they will be concerned with the training and physical conditions the organization provides. They have a moral involvement with the company and they place a great deal of emphasis on duty, expertness and prestige as life goals. This type of mind set is called collectivism. If you are doing business with a group of peo ple with high collectivism, you must understand that they are looking at the age of a person. Age is an indicator of knowledge and experience. Collectivists want to do business with people who have been around for a while and know them as a group.They do not like outsiders; you must earn your way into their trust and fit into their group the same way they want to fit in to their own group. For doing business with this group of people you must first learn to belong. You as an outsider will not be able to tell them anything or get them to follow you unless you first belong. The same can be considered when marketing or advertising to these countries as they will only want purchase things that will fit into their already preconceived ideas of life and work. Masculinity At 73 out of 100, Venezuela once again has a high ranking.This means that it tends to be a male dominated society and power structure. This can cause the female population to become more competitive and assertive; however , they are still not on the same level as the male population. Masculinity also means that they are looking for earnings, recognition, advancement and challenge (Hofstede). This would be important to keep in mind when doing business with a Venezuelan company or employees because it can help you identify how to appeal to them to get better work or dealings from them.You can recognize that they are looking for larger corporations and organizations and they are attracted to wealth and success. For countries with high masculinity you can easily motivate your employees with money and success. They are looking to own fancy material objects and have the latest technology and accessories. If you want your employees to do something or achieve something all you have to do is entice them with prestige and power. If you are having a business meeting, take them to an expensive restaurant, ear your best designer suit and pick them up in a flashy car. Power Distance This is Venezuela's highest ran king dimension with 81 out of 100. This is an indication of a high level of inequality of power and wealth which is accepted by the culture as a whole. Hofstede states that Venezuela is in the top 5 in the â€Å"employees afraid† category. This means that Venezuelans show a clear distinction between â€Å"boss† and â€Å"employee†. The boss makes all the rules and the employees follow. A Venezuelan employee would not offer their opinion or any ideas to management.They would not ask questions or for clarification of their job either. The large power distance means that people are concerned with getting favour by saying â€Å"yes† to whatever the boss says (Hofstede). This means that when you are doing business with them you must always remember that if they are looking at you as being the one â€Å"in power† they will not contradict you or tell you if they do not understand anything that you are telling them about how your business is going to be co nducted. They will not offer any suggestions.It also means that if they consider themselves to be the ones in power they are not looking for you to disagree with them or ask them any questions. They are also not looking for any suggestions or ideas either. They are only looking for a â€Å"yes sir†. There is also a large wage difference between the top employees and the labourers. Uncertainty Avoidance Venezuela scores 76 out of 100 on the Uncertainty Avoidance Index. This indicates a high level of uncertainty avoidance. As we have discussed earlier, high uncertainty avoidance indicates a resistance to change and new ideas.There are three indicators for uncertainty avoidance, rule orientation, employment stability and stress (Hofstede). Venezuela being a country with a long history of dictatorship and having a large gap between the rich and the poor can easily fit these three indicators and therefore explain the high uncertainty avoidance. People are used to having on leader and being forced to follow their rules. They are very concerned with their employment because there are not a lot of good jobs to be found. Stress can mean many different things and have many different triggers.For a citizen it could be fear of punishment for rebellion and for an employee, a fear of losing one’s job. When thinking about doing business with Venezuela, you would have to take into account that their high uncertainty avoidance would mean that your employees or business partner are looking for rules and regulations to follow. They want stability and are looking for a routine. They do not like change or progression in their jobs. They are not risk takers in business and would need reassurance. ConclusionWhen viewing the country of Venezuela through Hofstede's dimensions of culture, you can get a better understanding of how decisions are made in this culture and how you can create more profitable business dealings within this country or with companies from this coun try. For Venezuelan’s we see that there is a high power distance which means you should appeal to those who are in power if you are looking to create a business deal or if you are looking to make a change. It will also help you to know that you would have to accommodate your employees who would not be willing to contradict you or ask questions.You must also remember that no one appreciates change or is willing to initiate it, which can be very difficult to deal with in today’s ever changing society. Large corporations are more appealing to Venezuelans, as is money, power and appreciation, but Venezuelans live within groups and therefore are concerned about what is best for all those involved in their group. With these things in mind you would be able to create a successful business relationship as long as you are willing to show understanding for the differences in our shrinking world.Other things that need to be taken into account are the political factors. For Venezu ela this is a negative factor as the government has control over everything in this country. The banking process is very complex and so is the purchasing system. You require identification and verification for all purchases. The government is very concerned about citizens investing their money in other countries and would therefore be very involved in any business associations with companies in Venezuela.Your business would have to have some sort of gain for the country as well as your own profits (â€Å"BBC News†). Another indication of the possible difficulties in doing business in Venezuela is that of the ranking given to this country from the World Bank, International Finance Corporation. Each year they show the results from a series of questions they ask of each country for things like getting a permit, property rights, etc. ; all things that would be considered when starting a business in that country. With these results they rank the countries in order.Venezuela is ver y close to the bottom of the list, which means that obtaining permits, business rights, starting a business, paying taxes, and dealing outside of the borders are all more difficult compared to other countries. The official ranking is 177 out of 183 countries (â€Å"Doing Business: Measuring Business Regulations†). This is all an example of Porter’s Diamond which is a theory that helps you look at a country and see certain factors that affect business. Porter discusses how business has several different factors and government is a specific element that can make a difference at any one of the four points in the diamond.The four areas include: firm, strategy and structure; demand conditions; related and supporting industries; factor conditions (Nasierwoski). This country shows an example of how government is heavily involved in the firm, strategy and structure as well as the related and supporting industries. In fact, you could suggest that government is a factor in the e ntire diamond. This is why it is so difficult to do business in Venezuela. Not only is government involved in everything but it is a very strict and controlling government. BELGIUM Introduction to BelgiumBelgium is a small country surrounded by France, Germany, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. Located in one of the world’s most advanced continents and industrialised regions, Belgium is an important international trading partner and a powerful force in the world of international business. Belgium relies heavily on both imports and exports to fuel its growing economy. It was one of the founding countries of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The country also belongs to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.Currently it has the 9th largest GDP in Europe (World Bank) and its per capita GDP ranks among the worlds highest. The country is also home to Europe’s second largest port, importing and exporting goods internationally, in 2010 exports made up 261 billion dollars. The country has a large industrial sector which includes; steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobile, electronics, and machinery fabrication. (â€Å"Belgium Europe†) It is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population of over 10,400,000. â€Å"Belgium Facts†)Belgium has three official languages; Dutch, French and German although English is widely spoken. The country grants more new citizenships than any other country besides Canada. (â€Å"Eupedia's Belgium Guide†)Belgium is one of the most economically and technologically advanced countries in the world and has very high standards of living. They were one of the first countries to legalise gay marriage and the first county to issue electronic passports. The country is number the one chocolate exporter in the world and ninety percent of raw diamonds are negotiated and distributed in Belgium.The country also has the highest proportion of female ministers in the world and the smallest salary gap between males and females in the EU. (â€Å"Eupedia's Belgium Guide†) This small but powerful country continues to grow and expand its international reach. Individualism Belgium’s second highest dimension is individualism with a score of 80 which means that they put a strong emphasis on the individual rather than the group. There is a large focus on individual achievement, initiative and success. When doing business in Belgium it’s important to treat everyone as an individual who has their own ideas and personality.Individualism is something to be celebrated and standing out is important. Therefore, when working with this type of society, it is important to recognise individual achievements and give rewards and recognition to employees on an individual basis. Recognition and rewards are good ways to motivate employees. In this society personal time and personal freedom are highly valued and therefore it is important to give employees their space and freedom to work. It is important not to monitor employee’s work too closely as this can be interpreted negatively, and employees expect to have the freedom to work independently.Work life and personal life are two different and separate things and privacy in both are respected. High individualism is reflected on the emphasis of ‘I’ as opposed to ‘We’. Individuals look out for themselves and their immediate family and therefore look out for ways to better themselves and advance themselves and their immediate family. It is common to pursue individual goals and self advancement at the expense of others. When making decision people think about how the decision will affect them and do not always think of what is better for others.Employees will often change jobs and job loyalty is not very high. When working in this society it is important not to depend on others or on group s and to work on your own. Promotion and ranking often depend on individual performance and not on seniority. (â€Å"Individualism,†) (Hofstede) Masculinity Belgium’s lowest cultural dimension is Masculinity, at 49 putting it in twenty-second place. Belgium is almost right in the middle so therefore they don’t have any extremes towards masculinity or femininity. The country falls in the middle and value both femininity and masculinity equally.It is important to have both these traits. As a leader it is important to display the traits associate with both a masculine and a feminine work ethic in order to fit in and be accepted. A culture that is more masculine tends to focus more on advancement and earning whereas a culture that is more feminine tends to focus more on a friendly atmosphere and position security. Because Belgium is almost in the middle its important when conducting business to maintain both masculine and feminine characteristic and not bend toward extremes.Realise that although advancement, earnings and money are important it is also important in the Belgium business setting to have cooperation, security and a good work environment. High masculine societies prefer large businesses and high feminine societies prefer small busyness therefore the idea business size for Belgium’s is somewhere in the middle. Big enough to be competitive and aggressive, yet small enough to have a nurturing stable environment for the employees. In the Belgium society there is less of a distinction between genders and gender roles.Therefore when conducting business do not assume that someone has certain responsibilities or has a certain roles due to their gender. Support and friendliness are just as important as brilliance and performance in Belgium. To be successfully in business dealings with Belgium remember to display a mix both feminine and masculine qualities and to treat both genders as equally important. (Hofstede) Power Distance Belgi um’s third highest dimension is power distance. Belgium has a power distance of 60 which means that to some degree it is thought that power is not distributed evenly.Although Belgium has a higher power distance they do not have a really high power distance so people respect authority but are not always afraid to ask questions to superiors. Although there is some two way communication, it tends to be more one way communication. A high power distance means that decision making is more centralised and roles and responsibilities are more clearly defined. Organisations have more bureaucracy and larger pay difference exist between jobs and positions. In Belgian businesses there exists a more vertical organisational structure and more vertical communication.In an organisation with a vertical structure there tends to be more rules and policies and it is important to be aware of these rules and policies when conducting business in the country. Information and communication move upward and downward throughout the ranks. It is important when doing business to give clear and precis directions to insure that everyone understands because they might not be comfortable asking for clarification. The relationship between the member of the top of the hierarchy and the bottom of the hierarchy are limited and very professional.Relationships within organisations are more distant. Therefore in business it is important to know the different levels of jobs and who makes the decisions. Depending on what position you hold you will answer to others who hold higher positions of authority and make most of the rules and decisions. It is important to show respect to those in higher positions. If you are on a lower level you may be restricted to certain information. Problems are usually blamed on the people who work in lower positions. (â€Å"Power Distance Index. â€Å")(Hofstede) Uncertainty AvoidanceThe countries highest dimension is uncertainty avoidance, with a 94 which mean tha t Belgium as a society not mot like taking risks. This high level also indicates the country’s low tolerance for uncertainty. Belgium’s very high level of uncertainty avoidance affects how they do business and must be considered and understood before conducting business with a Belgium company or with someone from Belgium. If you think you can change a Belgian businesses way of thinking or doing something in a short period of time you will not be successful.One of the main aspects is that they like to avoid risk and stay away from uncertain and risky situations, including foreigners and foreign ways of doing business. Having things well planned out and prepared in advanced and having things clearly explained is important. Resistance to change is high and therefore changes must be slowly introduced. Laws of the workplace as well as all other laws tend to be carefully followed so it is very important to understand and abide by Belgium laws when doing business in Belgium. They rely heavily on rules, laws and regulation in order to avoid risky situations.When doing business in Belgium it is important to know your facts and be very organised. Belgians will move towards stable low risk investments and avoid unstable high risk investments. Unstructured and uncertain situations are avoided. Because they fear the unknown, foreigners and new ideas are regarded warily and foreigners who want to conduct business with the country must be careful. Because of the fear of the unknown employees are often stressed and anxious, if it is possible to reduce stress and anxiety you will be a lot more successful.Changing jobs is done less frequently and therefore employee turnover is much smaller and employee loyalty is much higher. (Hofstede) Conclusion When doing business in this country foreigners have to take the cultural dimensions of Belgium into careful consideration of they want to be successful. According to The International Finance Corporation 2011 economy ran kings, Belgium is in 28th place out of 183 countries. The countries are raked on various variables, such as permits and taxes, that look at the ease of doing business in the country.Belgium’s reasonably low score indicated that it is possible to enter the market without too many difficulties. Therefore it is a country that should be given much consideration when looking at foreign markets. Before conducting business with any foreign business it is important to look at the cultural differences and how these differences impact business. In order to understand the culture and values of a society it can be usefully to look at the country’s history and past. Belgium has some similar cultural dimensions to Canada and they are used to working with foreigners and different ways of doing business.Because of this Belgium tends to be fairly open and understanding of other cultural differences. However, in order to be successful and gain the trust and acceptance of local workers a nd businesses it is vital to understand the countries cultural dimensions and how to act inside and outside the boardroom. The biggest disadvantage to working with or in Belgium is their extremely high uncertainty avoidance. The Belgium’s avoid risk and unknown situations in order to protect themselves and their country. If there is anything new or risky it has to be introduced very carefully and slowly, the Belgians would never change overnight.This does not mean however that they are narrow minded or unwilling to change. If you are well prepare, respectful and follow the rules of the country and company you can be very successful in the Belgium market. JAPAN Introduction to Japan Japan is an island surrounded by Russia, China, and Korea. Japan has a population of 127. 08 million, this is a fairly large number considering Japan is only an island, as the population gets bigger the island stays the same size, creating a deficiency of land. The capital city of Japan is Tokyo. ( â€Å"U. S.Department of State†) After the second world war ended Japan started to prosper in their business doings, in 1956 they joined the United Nations, 70 percent of Japan's workforce is in services while the remainder 30 percent are in agricultural and industry. The agricultural good that they produce include rice, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, and fish, they also export some of these items. The official language of Japan is Japanese, while their business language is English . The Japanese have a parliamentary government and a constitutional monarch. (â€Å"U. S.Department of State†) Japan has a free market economy, it is currently the third largest in the world, its economy is highly competitive and efficient in international trade. Productivity is low in agriculture, distribution, and services. Since Japan has few natural resources trading helps them to earn foreign exchange needed to purchase raw materials for its economy. (â€Å"U. S. Department of Stateâ⠂¬ ) Individualism When doing business with Japan it is important to remember that they have very low individualism and high collectivism. Japan does not believe in individual freedom or rights, it is all about the group and what is best for the group.When doing business with Japan, you must never address a single individual as the company, you must address the entire group. When working in Japan, your work becomes your life and whenever your work needs you must put everything else on hold. Japanese emphasize teamwork and loyalty, groups/colleagues learn to trust and work together at a young age. When entering the Japan market you must first be accepted by the group, once you have the groups support you will be able to trust them to your company good and they will be willing to work long hours for you if provide them with what they need.When working for a company in Japan, the likely-hood of you being promoted is based on your seniority in the company, someone who has been there lo nger than you is more likely to get the promotion, even if you are more qualified for the job. Masculinity During the IBM study for Hofstede's five dimensions Japan ranked number one out of all the countries for the highest masculinity, not only is the country masculine but the citizens are as well. It is unacceptable for a woman to wear pants in a business setting, the men find it extremely offensive. The women must either wear skirts or dresses when in a business environment.Men are the masculine ones of the society, during business discussions when things are not going as planned it is normal for individuals to become aggressive in order to get things completed. The women are the ones to calm the men down and provide comfort for them. Women who are in more qualifying jobs are very assertive, just so that they can be seen as equal to their male co-workers. The management structure of a business is built on rules and order among individuals, there is a hierarchy of power in Japan s ociety and in business'. An employee at the bottom of the ierarchy has no right to talk to someone higher up or even suggest ideas that they feel will benefit their company. It is the employees’ job to do what is told of them and to never question their employer. In Japan, one must sacrifice everything for their work, that includes family and social life, the term â€Å"karoshi† is Japanese for dying because one is overworked. Since the population in Japan is so large, the men and women learn to become competitive and have placed a high importance on achievements, if children were to do poorly in school it would be a disgrace to their family. Power DistanceJapan's power distance is a little higher than average. When doing business with them one must watch out for a few things. When working in Japan, for a Japanese company, it is unacceptable for an employee to talk to their superior with disrespect or talk to someone higher up in the working chain about their current m anager, doing such a thing is considered disgraceful and could cause you to lose your job. In Canada it is common for an employee to comment and try to make their company better, where in Japan if an employee were to make such a comment their employment with said company would be terminated.The employees are dependent on their managers, to tell them what to do and how to do it, it is not their responsibility to think for themselves, that is the job for their superiors. Finding a job in Japan could be difficult for people who are migrating to the country and do not already have a job lined up for them. Japan has a caste system in place, once you are born into a caste it is not very likely that you will move away from it, this being said, the occupation that your father has would be the occupation that you will take over.There is a large income difference in Japan, it is easy to tell what class you belong to. Business cards are very important for the Japanese, when going on business m eetings you should always have about 100 business cards on hand for a one week business trip. Having a double sided business card is very important, make sure that one side of the card is in Japanese and the other side is in English. When giving your business card to others you must hold it in both hands, with the Japanese side facing upwards, also, make sure to bow while passing on your business card.Never forget to pick up the business card and put them in your case, if you forget one of the business cards it is like a slap in the face for the other individual. You will have to bring a small notebook to write notes in and never write on the business cards, it is another sign of disrespect. (â€Å"Venture Japan†) Uncertainty Avoidance Hofstede gave Japan a score 92/100 for uncertainty avoidance, it is Japans most prominent cultural characteristic. Citizens do not like change so they tend to stay with the same company for the rest of their lives, staying loyal to their employ er.Individuals are willing to work if they are provided with job security in return. It is important to remember that Japan does not take well to foreign companies that they do not know, coming into their country and starting a business there. You must first gain the citizens trust and acceptance if you want to do well with your business venture. With uncertainty avoidance comes anxiety. Japanese individuals put up with a lot of anxiety about their work and colleagues. â€Å"In Japan there is the outlet of getting drunk along with colleagues after working hours.During these parties, men release their pent-up aggression, even towards their superiors; but the next day business continues as usual. Such drinking bouts represent one of the major institutionalized places and times for anxiety release† (Hofstede, 118) An important thing to remember is that if you want to work in Japan it is accepted to drink in the office after working hours, during the day it is unacceptable to rel ieve your aggression towards your superiors but it is accepted during â€Å"such drinking bouts†.In Japan it is common for others to ask straight forward questions like â€Å"how much do you make? † and â€Å"how big is your house? † such questions are asked so that they are able to assess what position of the hierarchy you at. Conclusion When viewing Japan through Hofstede's dimensions, you get a better understanding of how they do business based on cultural differences. Japan has a high masculinity, and low individualism, this is beneficial for companies seeking loyalty, and who wish to get tasks done on a timely basis. There are many advantages with doing business with Japan, when you gain heir trust and confidence then they will always be loyal to you and assist with what they can. They will get work done when asked and on time, as long as they are provided with instructions they will do the work to the best of their ability. Only a few disadvantages exist w ith doing business with Japan, a reason why someone would not want to do business with them would be that they consider work to be very important, you would not be able to be sarcastic with them or even try to discuss ways to better the company if you are positioned slightly lower than them on the hierarchical business poll.In the end, if you are doing business with Japan you will always be able to count on them, making Japan an excellent country to do business with. Another factor of doing business in Japan is based on the study that The World Bank does each year that addresses the ease of doing business within a country. Japan has a score of 18/183, they have a relatively low score which indicated that doing business with them would be easy and have benefits in the long run, such as obtaining permits, business rights, starting a business, paying taxes, and dealing outside of the borders is very easy for foreign companies to do in Japan.Japan ranked second as the most technological ly powerful economy in the world, after the U. S.. Technology innovation is very important for a countries development, having a company in Japan helps that company because of all the technology advancements that they make, helping them become first in a market and having an advantage above everyone else. Conclusion to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture As the saying goes â€Å"our world is shrinking†. This means many different opportunities for businesses to grow and expand.It offers more opportunities to people for competition, access to new goods and services, new technology and knowledge. Everyday our world continues to gain new inventions and ideas. However, with this progress also comes a great responsibility. It is the responsibility of each individual to make sure that they have a respect and understanding for this new accessible world. Another saying is â€Å"knowledge is power†, in the world of business this is very true. In the world of globalization th is is even truer.The more knowledge you have about the customs and beliefs of a certain culture, the more successful your dealings with them will be. Geert Hofstede understood this thought and through his research we are able to gain a better understanding of many different cultures and how when we apply them to the business world we can become more successful. In this paper we reviewed three different cultures from three different areas of the world. Although, we did find many differences in the history, background and specifics of the cultures, we also found some similarities in the behaviours of the people who live in these different cultures.Through these observations we are able to understand that when doing business in Venezuela, if you want to be successful you must look and act as though you already are successful because the country has a high masculinity which means they value money, power and success. We also know that to succeed you must be ready to deal with the difficu lties and interference of the government. Venezuelans are collectivists and so they look out for one another inside their perceived groups however this also means that you must appeal to the group when marketing or dealing with them.They also have a high power distance and so they will not disagree with the boss nor will they let you know if they don’t understand. All of these differences are not necessarily bad things but they can make it more difficult to do business with this country. The important thing to remember is that if you know these things about them then you can work around these obstacles to achieve success. Japan is a very masculine country, making them more aggressive which helps to increase efficiency among employees which benefits the company that they work for.Japan also has high uncertainty avoidance, with high uncertainty avoidance employees do not take change very well, Japan has been doing business the same since World War II ended, some would see this as a bad thing but in reality it is very good, this is helpful because it provides a more secure environment and no one is afraid of what they already know. When doing business in Belgium it is important to keep in mind their high cultural dimensions and how this affects doing business.Their highest dimension is uncertainty avoidance flowed by individualism, therefore, it is important to introduce new ideas slowly and celebrate individuality. Although there are differences that must be considered if you do your research Belgium can be a warm and welcoming environment to do business in and to expand your international reach. We have presented in out paper three very different countries from different sides of the world. But which one is best to do business with? Venezuela, although it is the cheapest market to enter, has a very high rating on the WBI and is extremely difficult to enter and presents many obstacles.Also, as we have discussed earlier in this paper Hofstede’s dime nsions of culture outline the differences and difficulties that one would encounter when dealing with the work force in Venezuela. Japan, although the highest ranking on the WBI, has a very different culture and very different language when comparing it to Canada and therefore would present many different challenges also outlined in the paper according to Hofstede’s dimensions. Belgium is therefore our best choice when considering internationalising into a broader market.Its ranking is close to Japan, well above Venezuela however, it is also a lot similar in culture, demographics and attitudes to Canada. One of Belgium’s official languages is French, which is also a benefit to Canadian business people. However, Belgium would be definitely a smaller market expansion according to population size. References About Belgium. â€Å"Eupedia's Belgium Guide. Eupedia, 2010. Web. 21 Oct 2011. ;lt;http://www. eupedia. com/belgium/trivia. shtml;gt;. â€Å"Ease of Doing Business in Venezeula, RB. † Doing Business: Measuring Business Regulations. The World Bank, 2011. 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