The African Continent

The African ContinentIntroductionAs the African chaste gained its independence, countries hoped for booming growth and expected rapid changes. This however did not happen. So after the independence, economists, journalists and researchers started examining the causes of those failures. They fork come forth been doing so for over four decades and the situation on the uns surgeted does not describem to be much better than it was.Since it is a complex and definitely the most urgent issue of the region, I consider this paper as an opportunity to analyze and discuss possibilities for improvement. In order to limit my scope to a reasonable size, I would worry to focus on one special(a) state of matter Zambia, as the country was a subject to similar, but much briefer analysis I bring forth done and therefore I already have some background information. Since the country is generally under true, this condition affects all argonas of life. That is why it is necessary to pretend on s ociable, economic, policy-making, environmental and other policies to foster festering. Even though these fields be interconnected, I would like to focus on Zambian local governance system in this paper.According to my topic, I assume that the e farming may be having troubles to fulfill its role since its institutions and agencys of governing were created from the elites d nurseward its system should be adjusted to find more links between itself and its citizens. The supposal is that Zambian local governance institutions ar not effective as they could be, it would be favorable to use their potential better.My goal is to find out improvements or adjustments for the present system into a more efficient scheme, more suitable to the golf-club and its customs. For this I will start with examining how the society used to regulate its own members, predominantly in small units, throughout the centuries, how it evolved and what were the contributing computes that shaped its present form. For this I would like to start as early as possible in the pre-colonial period. It may seem just too long ago, but that was the longest period with hardly a(prenominal)est outer influences building foundations that last until now. Later it is indispensable to see how the western civilization attempted to shape the people to the western image, what marks it left and how the states coped with these two focuss of life for the last few decades to bring almost growth and stability. If there is any viable way of the handed-down type of governance I would like to use it as a building brick. In this part, I will rely mostly on Alex Thomsons Introduction to African Politics.Subsequently I will have to come up with a way to incorporate those traditional elements into the present network. To be particular, I would like to focus mainly on the issue of local hirers and the incorporation of their authorities into administrative system. Resources back up my conclusions and helping me take in the African reality better are among others blog platforms Zambian Economist, House of Chiefs, and Fareed Zakarias book Future of Freedom.I. Traits of the societyPresent African society is a blend of two different realities a traditional way of life that had been evolving throughout the centuries of its pre-colonial existence and a modern way of life brought freshman by the colonization and impacting the clear from the outside more intensely as driven by the globalization process. It is not simply a melting pot of different entities, but it is a place where two different lifestyles mix and to some extent clash. thitherfore to understand the grammatical construction and traits of this society we need to greet those two currents that form its foundations.Pre-colonial periodThe continent has ever been diverse just as it is right now, but there are some general characteristics that employ to the most of the region. Africa had been spotted with so-called non-hegemonic s tates. Their nature was fundamentally different from that time Europe. Pre-colonial African states were not led by all-powerful governments that administered a part of define territory. The abundance of land allowed people to move away, further from the unfavorable authority, splitting, merging, and creating new polities. This type of governance is also way different from todays perception of a state that has, after all, evolved from a European model. As Alex Thomson notes in the Introduction to African Politics that is one of the explanations, why some of the African states did not succeed in building a governing state authority (Thomson 10).Other trait he mentions is the importance of lineage groups. An individual is al slipway a member of a larger community (e.g. extended family) and as this member adopts the scheme of customs and rules that determine his or her life. Identity of a person is therefore determined as identity of the group. In return this scheme provides welfare an d security to its members (Thomson 10).With these rules, the chief has a significant deal of power over his clan, because the individuals will generally answer as they are expected to. Clans or extended families are able of self-containment. These facts add up to the conclusion that this is a model of society that is able to trade itself well in small units.Colonial PeriodThe above mentioned structures were something different from the European perception of a state and state power. at that placefore with the colonization, the Europeans were trying to condition the African people. In their meaning it was to categorize them into some predefined and clear categories so they became nations just like the European ones were. Repeatedly criticized arbitrary boundaries have split nations isolated and left various different nations closed in one state. This division put barriers to earlier loose transition of an individual from one community to some other and lay foundations of hostil ity towards each other.The impact of modernityAs the decolonization process has brought the independence to the continent, the new countries and their leaders attempted to catch up with the developed world within few decades (or a single one). The simplest way of doing that was to adopt modern ways of governing the state. Longing for the developed state, the countries wanted to hurry up, so what got adopted the quickest were the most visible signs of the modern world, without adjusting them to the African society. Constitutions, parliaments, voting rights, all of that was included without having people understand them, or without having even the leaders understand the principles of these systems. There was industrialization without considering economic capabilities. George Ayittey calls that development by imitation (Ayittey 87).Nowadays Africa is a melting pot of clans, families, tribes, and nations that fully realize their identity. Compared to the pre-colonial period however, the changes and overlaps are not as loose anymore. Needless to count how many times in Africa has the group solidarity been abused as a means to escalate a conflict. It is genuinely easy to divide people on the basis of something that does not really impact their everyday life such as race or ethnicity. underway conditionsIn the previous parts of this work I have described the pre-colonial inheritance of the society. Extended families (or other entities) in which individuals behave according to customs and their social status, gives the entities ability to rule themselves effectively. This creates an informal structure and makes the unit of family or a similar community a suitable building brick for the wider structure and allows for a bottom-up strategy.In spite of some conditions that formed African society and left a mark on it until the present times, certain conditions have changed. What has changed has not only been people and their minds (as a result of colonial rule or moder nization), but there have been changes also in the outer conditions. What has erstwhile been a continent with abundant land and low population denseness is now a bit different. The number of people inhabiting the continent has multiplied over the past few decades. The land has shrunk relatively with growing density of population the land is becoming more important. Apart from the higher density there are now steady borders that do not allow people to move freely wherever they want. Boundaries that are known to be artificial and illogical have existed for about half(prenominal) a century so nowadays they are starting time to work. Despite any border conflicts, irredentist movements and spillovers they cannot be adjusted or removed.II. Zambia overviewThis landlocked country in the south of the African continent is not much of an exception from other African countries considering its GDP, HDI (or respectively HPI) rates. It is one of the poorest countries in the world ranking 164 th out of total 182 included in the UN HDI statistics.1Political system It is a presidential republic (the president is both head of state and head of government). The cabinet is chosen from the members of the National Assembly and is appointed by president. Tthat gives the president quite strong power over the country.Ethnicity Major ethnic groups include Bemba, Tonga, Chewa, Lozi, Nsenga, Tumbuka, Ngoni, Lala, Kaonde and Lunda.2 Nine largest groups add up to approximately 90 percent of the population. Apart from these, many people, predominantly in towns and cities see themselves as Zambians.3 Speaking of ethnicity, the country has avoided serious ethnic conflict issues yet. judiciary The country is divided into 9 administrative provinces. Further there areis 72 local authorities which will be described in the next chapter.III. ProposalsAs I have mentioned before, people in remote rural areas do not identify themselves with the administrative system and have maintained a corresp ond system of managing their communities. To advocate the importance of traditional authorities, it is necessary to gain the inside look. Since it is hard to acquire from the Czech Republic, I would like to use the words of Chola Mukanga, a Zambian economist, posted on his blog. As he writes about majority of people living in rural areas where they do not rely on the government system maintaining social order, he describes the role of the customary governance The chieftainship therefore serves a overcritical function in promoting economic development, when it fills this critical gap in maintaining social order. Although he admits a weakness Equally the chieftaincy may be seen to stand in the way of economic development where its system of administration appears to restrict the expansion of stronger reforms of social order e.g. expansion of formal state structures with greater accountability, all things being equal.4The biggest challenge therefore is to make one system out of the t wo of them. If the existing system is perceived as an alien element it is a reason why it should be abolished.administrative SystemWestern way of governance counts on clearly delineated boundaries. Border inviolability and territorial integrity are two of the conditions that define a independent state nowadays. The same principle is projected inward to the country, since it is subdivided into the smaller units. To have the administrative system working properly, it is necessary to ensure the balance of the geographical division.There are three factors that might influence balance among administrative unitsethnicity not to repeat the disaster of African boundaries, ethnic conflicts and subsequent civil warspopulation density and its demographic estimate to the future to keep the system viable and balanced in long termresources, wealth and overall economic level to disallow conflicts emerging from regional disparitiesHowever, for any adjustments of the administrative division, i t is necessary to have thorough statistical information. For any successful plan that is to be implemented, it is necessary to know the starting conditions stainlessly. The trouble with creating a picture of a Sub-Saharan country is a dismal state of any statistical data to base plans and proposals on. There is both lack of information or the researchers warn against inaccurate and misleading data that much poorly reflects reality.Apart from the geographical adjustments, there is more that can be changed in the division of power and overall structure. Bornwell Chikulo offers a comprehensive description of the present system and the following analysis is based on his review 5There are 72 local authorities countrywide4 are designated as City Councils12 are Municipal Councils56 are dominion Councils (comprised of smaller rural-based local authorities).The composition of councils is as followsAll elected councillors in the districtAll members of parliament in the districtTwo represe ntatives appointed by all chiefs in the district as a means of involving traditional rulers in local governance.The weakness in this scheme is lack of participation of the locals the councilors that are elected to hold quite large powers, moreover they are not responsible to any of the local powers, but solely to the government. Two chief representatives that are members of the council representing something like voice of the people however cannot be chiefs themselves, as chiefs are prohibited by constitution to hold any public office. Moreover, the evidence shows, the way they are able to discuss and solve the local issues is to talk and cooperate with their members of parliament. This is exactly where the problem is, either the chiefs or their representatives have troubles cooperating with the MPs.ChieftaincyThe issue of chieftaincy is lively discussed in Zambia, also in the wider regional level, since the situation in surrounding countries is similar. Although the traditional c enter of local power National Authorities were bequeathed in short after the independence, president Mwanawasa brought these authorities back in 1996 when the House of Chiefs was established. It consists of local chiefs that are respected within certain areas, some of them called kingdoms. By the constitution they are forbidden to hold any elected office while holding their functions as chiefs. The main issue can be comprised into the question To what extent should the chiefs be considered and subsequently incorporated as political authorities?It is important to add that Zambian Chola Mukanga sees chiefs as not only a tradition that has prevailed until now, but as an element that is demanded It goes without saying that the existence of traditional authorities is essentially a function of history and current demand for their services. That chiefs exist is clearly because their existence is demanded. and it was in the area of court administration where significant problems emerged which has continued to fuel significant demand for customary justice as mediated through traditional courts. This demand has principally emerged from two critical sources insufficient capacity by central government to provide appropriate court capacity and necessarily expertness to adjudicate cases. This is despite the fact that traditional courts (and customary laws) have no formal status and exist parallel to the formal legal system.6This view clearly indicates that two representatives for the districts are just not enough. It is not about the number, but also about their power. Even if they are respected by the people and a lot serve as the judiciary system, they cannot promote much development in their district. It is always the parliament members that vote for the budget and decide on the amount and structure of the transfer money they receive from the government. The MPs also vote on the legislation and their vote is not subjected to any feedback from the chiefs (or currently their representatives) other than a affable discussion. If the MPs do not reflect the local demands for the love of the people, the chiefs have practically no ability to change it.Appointing special chief representatives is another factor that hinders the process of change and development. Not only it means extra costs, but it also is an extra element in the chain of decisions. The decisions travel from the people to the chief from the chief to the chief representative from the representative to the MP and finally to the parliament. This contains too many members and therefore leaves gaps for possible conflicts. If the structure existed in order to provide, what can be called checks and balances, than it would have an advantage of being stable. However, the power is not distributed evenly among all the agents, but it is still concentrated in the top the parliament and centralized. From Chikulos review as well as from other articles it seems that even though local council exist , they lack decision-making autonomy and are dependent on the central budget.Some opinions indicate that often the politicians from the central apparatus are corrupt and therefore afraid of the power the chiefs have. That is why the politicians want to prevent them from the official power.7So even if the traditional ways of governance prevail in the society and are popular it should be clear that it is favorable to use it as a means to make the administrative system more effective and comprehensive. It would be the act of bringing the power closer to the people, just like the motto of the reforms that had been done in the early long time of independence. With this act the motto would finally apply. However, the problem does not lie in the obsolete or primitive structure of the society, but in the unwillingness of those that have the power and the means of changing it.ConclusionsThis paper definitely discusses a complex topic. Although I lack direct experience as I have never been to Africa, I wanted to gain a deeper look into the problems of the Sub-Saharan countries. My conclusions might omit some important factors that otherwise are a part of the reality in Africa. Having read some amount of literature, attempting to present Sub-Saharan Africa however precisely and accurately, still does not make up for the real experience from the region. wherefore I stress that any of the presumptions I have made are based solely on someone elses observations.For people that are not familiar with the topic the root of all the problems often seems very simple. It is easy to put all the blame either on the colonialists for having exploited their colonies during their rule, or the present political leaders for exploiting their countries now, or even the people of those countries for their supposedly insufficient education, inertia, intolerance, or anything else. Even though that my work criticizes few elements of the state and its governance, I hope I have stayed away from p rejudices in my work.I have found out that a fair deal of promoting development depends on few people. It might be a challenge for those that have that power to change the system which is beneficial for themselves. American political scientist Fareed Zakaria concludes, in a very general, but very open way Africa needfully good governance more urgently than democracy (Zakaria 120). I have whatsoever no sympathy for any autocratic governments and I have no intention of taking democracy away from the countries that have it. My point is that no one has found a system of government with perfect balance of powers that does not leave a slightest gap for corrupt intentions. Until Zambia gets closer to this model, at least on track to catch up with the western world, it needs a leadership that will not abuse its power a leadership that will take responsibility for its actions done on purpose as well as those unintended and one that will be able to face the consequences a leadership that w ill show every citizen that the things just work smoother when everyone plays by rules. But these wishes are perhaps utopian for most of the developed countries as well.ReferencesAYITTEY, George Africa Unchained, New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, Chapter 3, The Postcolonial Elite Development ModelCHIKULO, Bornwell Local political sympathies Reforms in Zambia, 2009, retrieved Dec 18, 2009, http//www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ComJlLocGov/2009/7.htmlTHOMSON, Alex An Introduction to African Politics, Abingdon, Oxon, Routledge, 2004, Chapter 2 HistoryZAKARIA, Fareed Budoucnost svobody, Prague, Academia, 2004, 1st editionCIA World Factbook, https//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/za.htmlMWANANGOMBE Lewis ZAMBIA Let our Chiefs Govern, Lusaka, published Dec 21, 2009, retrieved Jan 12, 2010, http//ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49771MUKANGA, Chola Zambian Economist, http//www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html, published Jan 3 , 2010, retrieved Jan 12, 2010United Nations Human Development Reports retrieved on Jan 14, 2010, http//hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/CIA World Factbook, https//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/za.htmlKVCA, Vladimr Africa in International Relations, class handoutMUKANGA, Chola Zambian Economist blog, retrieved Jan 12, 2010, http//www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.htmlCHIKULO, Bornwell Local Government Reforms in Zambia, 2009, retrieved Dec 18, 2009, http//www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ComJlLocGov/2009/7.htmlMUKANGA, Chola Zambian Economist blog, retrieved Jan 12, 2010, http//www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.htmlThe complaints are not difficult to find in the internet. Web platforms like Zambian House of Chiefs (http//www.houseofchiefs.com/) or Zambian Economist (http//www.zambian-economist.com/2010/01/chiefs-and-economy-economic-institution.html) contain a number of articles discus sing this problem. African Inter Press Agency brings related articles every once in a while as well. Recent publishing dates indicate that similar complaints are quite frequent.

Renault Nissan The Paradoxical Alliance Marketing Essay

Renault Nissan The Paradoxical Alliance Marketing EssayIndividual EssayContrary to parking area belief recent look into suggests that, most often it is non poor strategic that causes mergers and acquisitions or trammels to fail however poor implementation.Common mistake screwing be identify in, for instance lack of curse and communication, insensible management, power struggles, slow execution or a leadinghip void following the deal. In this assay we will explain the shows that have made what on the beginning was announced as a marriage of desperation is now considering nonpareil of the most successful chemical bond.The most fundamental challenge of any alliance or merger is cultural if only one does not believe that something can be learned from untested-fangled(a) patchners, the venture is doomed to fail say Carlos Ghosn.Renault-Nissan gave attention of the cultural tribe aspect, in event Ghosn (Nissan and Renault CEO) piddled a specialize team combine both nat ionality together, in addition they chose a common terminology (English) and a common vocabulary, for some misleading words, with the purpose to avoid mistaking.A drive change, for the order has been the transparent valour and the untouchable leaders of the CEO in addition a common vision, ground on the Nissan Revival Plan, with the main purpose to be profitable in only three years, that has bewildern a common focalise to reach for both the companies and what it is more the perfect goals to achieve. In this way, Ghosn had reinforced the value inherent in the organizations face and pull upive a fetch and appealing vision, much(prenominal) as using expressive, strong form of communication, show strong self- self-confidence and self-assurance in the attainment of the vision. Moreover, they transferred high expectations to the group and confidence in their abilities, showed role-modelling behaviours that emphasized and reinforced the values inherent in the vision and in this w ay empowering people to achieve the vision.From my point of view since the prototypal get together they create an alliance based on partnership and trust, rather than power and domination.The both companies utilize common synergies in numerous areas, apart from sharing the platforms on which vehicles are built they also exchange research and technological innovation (transmission engineering, fuel and cell research, and state-of-the-art engines).In order to facilitate coordination and improve performance, they create a cross-cultural teams and assistal task team, in fact some employee were working on the same time in Renault-Nissan alliance even though they continue to stay in their original order.An opposite authorised aspect is that the Renault-Nissan alliances have joining together people of various national cultures and different unified society into one come with. Moreover, the leader had capitalized on the cultural oddments amidst employees and he minimized firstly the stereotype and secondly the psychological distances between them.Furthermore the company since the beginning invested a lot of money for facts of life 1500 Renault employee about the Japanese culture and 400 Nissan staffs about the French culture. This one the first good standard for create a cross-cultural alliance, studying the opposite company culture, habit and background, both Japanese and French could understand better the opposite point of view, in order to avoid misunderstanding and play together for a common plan.When Carlos Ghosh arrived to Nissan, he plan to cut 21,000 jobs (from 147,000 to 148,000) by March 2003, so basically in three years, in addition he closed five factories and interrupted the historical supplier rapport with the Keiretzu. He did all of these actions in order to give a strong firmal to the company and reduce to the minimum redundancy and cost. Another important aspect that Carlos completely change was the management process, before he came to Nissan a younger employee could not managing and old colleague because of the age and the seniority, in fact promotion were related to the sonority of the employee. He creates a completely new promotion rules, based strictly on performance, without any relation between ages of the employee. In this way he creates common rules between the two companies and on the other leave he motivates young and not members of the team to work hard. This was completely different from the Japanese culture, but after a while, when the Japanese employee understood the benefits of this action, it was easier for them trustworthy and gave them also, a huge motivation, because of the egalitarian style. Moreover, he established nine cross-functional teams each was led by two executive members and headed by a pilot. Further, team members were selected by the leaders and the pilot. The purpose was to create a cross functional and international team, in order to share competencies, experiences and see the company as whole together. Moreover, Carlos Ghosn in 2001 hired a high-profile female Japanese executive for heading Nissan communication department in fact she was the first woman to lead an important function inside the company. This new person did not create any contrast inside the company, because of the new mentality that step by step the CEO was assay to build inside the Nissan-Renault company. In the past, in Japanese culture an act likes that could create problems or unsloped loose of power from the manager, but because of the long training and the new cross-cultural vision, what in the past would be a conflict, now it is a new benefit.Undoubtedly, there were some radical cultural differences between the two companies, Japanese culture is more collectivistic, as oppose to the French one that on the workplace is more individualistic. This two particular aspect of cross-cultural were explained by Hofstede before and Trompenaars later, even if with some differences. As a matt er of fact, the former conceptualize the differences between individualism and collectivism as general differences between cultures. The originator point out that on a scale of 50 different countries, with values between 91 and 6, the IDV value for France people are 71 so pretty high, as oppose to the Japanese with only 41, which show a more collectivistic culture instead on individualistic. The latter, on the other hand emphasis more frequent reference to managerial implication, even though the general sense is really close to what Hofstede set out. This oddment aspect can be a practical point that Renault and Nissan managers and employee had studied during the first months training, with the purpose to avoid problems inside the cross cultural team and colleagues indeed. Moreover, Hofstede explained the different point of view that some countries have about masculinity and femininity, in fact based on the authors fourth dimension, he underlined that the Japanese country is the fi rst country for masculinity, such as competiveness and performance, with a score of 95 out of 5 and France only 45 out of 5, definitely with more femininity values, for instance kin and a concern for the quality of life. This shows a huge difference between the two countries, but due to the high Japanese masculinity, for Carlos Ghosn (Renault-Nissan CEO) was the perfect synergy, in fact Nissan employees ensnare a strong new management, which gave to the alliance new rules, with a continue demand of high performance and even more hard competiveness than before, because more egalitarian.On the other hand, we can find in Hofstede also same synergy the first one is with the power distance, in fact following the author research France (68/104) is slightly more hierarchical than Japan (54/104) which is more equalitarian, even though the substantial difference with the two countries is really minimal. The second possible common point is with the last Hofstede dimension the uncertainty av oidance, where both countries show a closer score (92/112 France and 86/112 Japan), which underline a predisposition for the roles which definitely prove an important aspect for a strong alliance.As Trompenaars and Hampden -Turner (1997, Riding the Waves of Culture Understanding Diversity in Global Business) identified and analyzed seven different dimension, one in particular is the neutral/emotional dimension, where they describe the cultural contrast between countries where emotions are masked and others where emotions are exhibit openly, also inside a craft situation. Moreover, the two authors emphasis the cultural differences between south European and Japan, the former in general tend to exhibit without any separation between emotion and reasoning. The latter, on the other hand, demonstrate that the 74% of Japanese do not want to express inside a workplace strong emotions. The points just key above are absolutely a cultural difference, which can create discontent and fracture inside a new alliance, if the respective company do not know that it is more a behavioural aspect rather than a value in itself. Furthermore, Trompenaars and Hampden -Turner also wrote about the role of social culture at the organization level, believing that corporate culture is shaped not only by technologies and market but by the cultural preferences of leaders and employees. This is another important point that consorts the two authors with the new Nissan-Renault vision.A common aspect that both Hofstede and Trompeenars mention in their studied is the negotiation aspect, in some cases if the two parts do not know the opposite habit respect the understanding and agreement phases, these can create some misunderstanding and emphasis the difference between a Middle East country and European or Western Countries (USA). Indeed, during Renault- Nissan negotiation the two CEO (at that time were Schweitzer and Hanawa) met xii times, with the purpose to learn, trust and understand eac h other and in this way imagine a future alliance between their companies. Therefore, the second step was to gear up together for six months (before the alliance) some of the top executives, with the aim of forging a formal alliance between the companies. After that Schweitzer and Hanawa chose 100 engineers and managers from both companies to work together, with the feeling to joint team study and without any formal objective and free from cultural stereotypes. Both companies have invested time, resources and money for a long period negotiation with the purpose to discover the possible synergies without pay attention to the economical aspect.According to Schwartz researches, the two core bipolar dimensions identified wereSelf-transcendence/ self- enhancement and Conservatism and Openness to change, the last one is the first link for the two companies, in fact, even though in different way, both have been opened to change. Nissan had completely changed management structure, part of the company vision and it become more transparent and communicative on the other hand, Renault brought to Nissan important key people (CEO C.Ghosn, product development P. Pelata and finance T. Moulonguet), in order to give to the alliance strong brick for the companys revival. Moreover, both companies since the beginning have been opened to share engineers, idea and platforms.The second point correlated with Schwartz (2000) studies is with the three indices and in particular with Mastery and Harmony, where according to the authors research the Japanese culture appear more focus for control and change the natural and social environment. On the Renault- Nissan alliance this has not been a problem, because of the common vision focusing to restore Nissans company.According to Hall (1990) search he point out in his model the difference between high and low context societies. In the high context societies are often stress the importance of establishes good social relations based on trust and respect, this is an useful link with the point already mention before about the negation period coped with the two associates. Further, Hall identify three plain categories High- context, Medium- context and Low- context. Japanese culture reflect for the author more a high-context model, as opposed to France culture which result more on the medium-context categories some of the points mention of this model could create inside the Renault-Nissan alliance some problem, because of the different way to think and manage the situation.According to Hughes and Weiss (Harvard Business Review, 2007) -The number of corporate alliances rises 25% a year. And those partnerships account for nearly 33% of many companies revenue and value. Yet the failure rate for alliances stays close at 60%-70%, that is because too many firms trust too much on conventional advice for managing alliances- -such as Focus on defining a business plan or Minimize conflict.The idea in practice from my point of view is that companies need to focus not only on the business plan but also on the partnerships working relationship and, rather than suppressing disagreements, exploring conflicts to find sources of value in partner companies differences.Therefore, the authors recommend five different practices in order to managing alliancesDevelop the right working relationship flag metrics to progressLeverage differencesEncourage collaborationManage internal stakeholders.The suggestion for the first one is to define exactly how the companies will work together. For example, crystalise what mutual trust and respect mean to each of the corporations. Articulate how they will make decisions, allocate resources, and share information.The second point is to Peg metrics to progress,alliances necessitate time to pay off financially and alliance does not reach significant result in the first period, (month or even in the first year). Third points that the authors underline are the Leverage differences,compa nies can share advantage from partners different, for instance know-how, markets, customers, and suppliers. Yet other types of differences (such as contrasting cultures) can direct to disquieting conflict. Instead of hiding conflict, surface it and find ways to use your differences to create value. Another important practical point is to Encourage collaboration in fact if a problem come up, rather than prejudge someone or something, it is always better try to analyse of how both parties contributed to it and what each can do to improve it. The last one is to Manage internal stakeholders, in a practical way most of the external alliances depend on cooperation from internal units in each company. The purpose is to be sure that all internal players are involved in supporting the alliance and committed for the success. From my point of view, the two authors express some important guide for making a good alliance, such as encourage collaboration, uses the differences for create value or create inside the company mutual trust and respect, all the points mention before are well express also inside the Renault-Nissan alliance, as some of the core value of the alliance.In addition, Carlos Ghosn definitely represents a strong figure for the alliance, probably a part of the heart of the company. He begun Nissan COO in 1999 and with the Nissan Revival Plan (NRP) gave to the alliance like a shot clear qualitative and quantitative targets, with the aim to achieve all of them in no more than 3-4 year. He imposed a common restructuring, with tangible but challenging mission and a share vision The return to profit. Nevertheless, the NRP as mention before Ghosn gave a lot of importance about cross-cultural team, link both of companies with the same rules, since the first moment he always tried to avoid cultural stereotype and created work teams with both nationalities together. Carlos is a charismatic business man, but is also a clever CEO, who knows that he could not overcom e or transcended cultural differences, only with is personal quality. Therefore, he mixed both leading quality and cultural synergies with the intention to create the perfect alliance.J. Collin and W. lazier (Beyond 1992) wonderful explain the role of a Leader, all the first chapter of the book Entrepreneurship (turning your business into an enduring company) is bless in leadership style. The two authors identified a guide for an sound leadership function and style for the former they specified that the purpose is catalyze a clear and compelling vision that is shared by the group and is acted upon. For the latter, they recognized seven common elements for consider an effective leader style, plus the individual temper characteristicsAuthenticity,Decisiveness,Focus,personal Touch,Hard/soft people skills,CommunicationEver forwardAll the points mentions above are decisiveness for build a strong leadership as a matter of fact most of them are easily connected with Renault-Nissan allia nce. The first share aspect is that Carlos Ghosn gave immediately an authentic vision for the new alliance and he carries this authenticity out to the major strategic decision made by the company. Moreover, he is a role model of the value and beliefs done his day-to-day actions, in this way all the company should be a role model of its philosophy as exemplified by its major decisions. The second point is absolutely the decisiveness , in fact Carlos showed immediately the ability to decide what it was better for the alliance and what not ( an example could be the historical supplier Keiretzu that he cut off, without any doubt, because not anymore essential for the company). Other important point already amply discuss before are be focus, Personal Touch and hard/soft people skills for instance, He creates a completely new promotion rules, based strictly on performance and new cross- cultural teams, with the purpose to used the common synergies and learn from the future conflict.Commu nication is a crucial point for this alliance, because Carlos Ghosn has completely changed the way of how to communicate inside Nissan, in fact he establish an absolutely transparent, open, precise and functional communication inside the company but also outside such as the media. The CEO believes that if people do not know the priority, do not understand the strategy, where the company is going, which one are the critical objectives. For his point of view confusion is the first sign of trouble with large amount of different cultures and countries, it is important to be precise and factual, in order that people can see and measure.To sum up, more or less ten years ago Renault-Nissan was considered an impossible alliance, there were apparently too many economical problems, cultural and organizational differences. However, during these eleven years the two companies have become the number four and five profitable largest car manufacturer companies on the world. Therefore, I would like to emphasize the last element of effective leadership style ever forward mentality. Since the beginning, Carlos Ghosn has always moving forward progressing- before as an individual and later transmitting this new values to the alliance. This new open-mind way of how to think, collaborate, cooperate between teams and share ideas, combine two cultures and languages together, broken any kind of stereotypes and avoid cultural shock. With the aim to achieve an unique common goal be profitable again and create a longevity alliance.Renault-Nissan from my point of view is the perfect example of the effective power of a strong and well establish cross-cultural alliance.Doriana CarlucciS00402667

The Ethics of the Salary of Professional Athletes Essay -- Athletes Sp

The Ethics of the Salary of Professional AthletesMy claim is that it is unethical for professional athletes to receive the enormous amount of compensation that they do. By wrong I mean that it is an injustice to the citizens of our hard working country that are out to make a dollar and do it by holding a well respected job. By compensation I mean the ridiculous amounts of money that an athlete makes for playing a particular sport. My value criteria or standards I will use are as follows 1. A man who does not graduate college may not be as qualified to make the salaries that exist. 2. misfortunate salaries is setting an example for our youth that just because you can hit a baseball or shoot a basketball or shoot a hockey puck or throw a football that you can make millions of dollars without truly earning it. 3. An athlete who graduates college deserves money based on his collegiate experience. I will argue the point of graduation first and then go into the fact that just because you have a god given talent that doesnt mean you should make millions more than others, and finally I will conclude that the college graduate that does make it in the professional sports world deserves money based on experience from College. Now then turning to my first point of being a college graduate. Kobe Bryant one of the NBAs most prolific scorers and highest paid player neer ever went to College. In fact Bryant, from near my hometown in Delaware County bypassed college and made the leap to the NBA. Should he be able to receive the amount of money that he does, and the modal(a) college student that graduates and has a degree is not able to obtain a job that pays that kind of base salary. I think not, in fact I feel that the only kind of people that have any business of making the kind of money athletes do are doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers and maybe anyone who actually does result graduate school. Now those kind of professions have the right of making that type of income due t o the fact that they not only have they graduated college but they go to graduate school and have perfected their business and received a degree. Kevin Garnett has the richest contract in all of NBA history, 6 years 126 million dollars and he never ever stepped a foot on one of our great campuses in the United States of America. Please tell me wherefore should Garnett make this money if he never ever ... ...00 dollars. Would there be the same amount of competition and would the sport be as enjoyable for these athletes to play. Not to mention that by going to dissipated events we are condoning the payment of these athletes. Now I am a HUGE sports fan as most of you might know. I also am in the sports broadcasting business and I have my own company covering Philadelphia sporting events. That means that I go to games on a press certificate and do not line the pockets of the owners and thus the players with my hard earned money. In fact If I was not in the sports broadcasting busin ess, the chance I would depend these games and pay these ludicrous prices that would ultimately lead to these preposterous salaries is highly unlikely. In closing, today I have shown how the amount of money athletes make is unethical to our society. I have given proper examples of criteria that is backed up by proof. I have stated my claim and my case for the subject and have given reasons why I believe athletes salaries are ridiculous. Children of ours should not grow up and think that all they have to do is drink milk to be like microphone or wear Kobes shoes to attain his success, rather they must earn it instead.

Eco-feminism :: essays research papers

Women suck long been associated with nature.In the following essay Judith Plant sets out the main principles (in regards to ecofeminism) the closeness of women to nature the belief that the command of women and the destruction of nature drive the very(prenominal) root cause patriarchy and the need to re-establish for nature the organic metaphor over the machine metaphor. Judith Plant believes that women have long been associated with nature and that historically, women have had no real power in the outside manhood, no place in decision-making. Other things such as the intellectual life, the work of the mind, have traditionally non been accessible to women for many reasons. Some of these reasons have included societys mentality. According to Judith, today, ecology speaks for the ground, and feminism speaks for the some other in female/male relations. As for ecofeminism, she believes that by speaking for the original others, it seeks to understand the interconnected roots of all domination, and ways to resist the change. Historically, people were more than connected with the earth years ago, primarily because of the fact that many of these people were involved with the earth in some way in their daily lives, with being peasants and living a ordinary existence. But now the earth has become more mechanized and industrialized. Before that, the earth, the giver and supporter of life, was viewed as female, and symbolized by woman, as was the image of dis regularize, with her storms, droughts, and other inborn disasters.Judith Plant states that because of the view humans used to hold of the earth, they would in a way serve as constraints. experience Earth was seen to be alive and sensitive, and no one would consider destroying her in any way. A good example of this strong belief and view towards the earth could be seen in miners. In order to not prevent one of these rules, or in other words to not act improperly towards commence Earth rituals were carri ed out. Miners would give offerings to the gods of the soil and the ulterior world, perform ceremonial sacrifices, and observe sexual abstinence and fasting before violating what was considered to be the sacred earth. The change that resulted from the outgrowth in the mechanized and industrialized world was very different. Unlike the visions of the earth before, the new images were of controlling and dominating or having power of nature.Eco-feminism essays research papers Women have long been associated with nature.In the following essay Judith Plant sets out the main principles (in regards to ecofeminism) the closeness of women to nature the belief that the domination of women and the destruction of nature have the same root cause patriarchy and the need to re-establish for nature the organic metaphor over the machine metaphor. Judith Plant believes that women have long been associated with nature and that historically, women have had no real power in the outside world, no pla ce in decision-making. Other things such as the intellectual life, the work of the mind, have traditionally not been accessible to women for many reasons. Some of these reasons have included societys mentality. According to Judith, today, ecology speaks for the earth, and feminism speaks for the other in female/male relations. As for ecofeminism, she believes that by speaking for the original others, it seeks to understand the interconnected roots of all domination, and ways to resist the change. Historically, people were more connected with the earth years ago, mainly because of the fact that many of these people were involved with the earth in some way in their daily lives, through being peasants and living a ordinary existence. But now the earth has become more mechanized and industrialized. Before that, the earth, the giver and supporter of life, was viewed as female, and symbolized by woman, as was the image of disorder, with her storms, droughts, and other natural disasters.Ju dith Plant states that because of the view humans used to hold of the earth, they would in a way serve as constraints. Mother Earth was seen to be alive and sensitive, and no one would consider destroying her in any way. A good example of this strong belief and view towards the earth could be seen in miners. In order to not prevent one of these rules, or in other words to not act improperly towards Mother Earth rituals were carried out. Miners would give offerings to the gods of the soil and the subterranean world, perform ceremonial sacrifices, and observe sexual abstinence and fasting before violating what was considered to be the sacred earth. The change that resulted from the growth in the mechanized and industrialized world was very different. Unlike the visions of the earth before, the new images were of controlling and dominating or having power of nature.

Alzheimer’s Disease: The Importance of Public Awareness Essay -- Alzhei

Imagine greeting your grandmother and being met with a blank stare. Think about how it would feel to watch as your father forgets how to drive or dress himself. Picture your own mother crying out for her long dead parents and siblings. savor to envision the look on a loved ones face as you tell them that they can no longer live at home alone. Now put yourself in their place-- slowly losing your freedom, your memory, and your very identity. Welcome to the world of Alzheimers distemper. This is the reality that nearly fifteen million caregivers and over quin million patients must face every day. Public awareness must be raised about Alzheimers disease and the people it affects.Alzheimers disease was discovered in 1906 by German physician Alois Alzheimer. While studying the biopsy of the brain of a fifty-five year old woman who had suffered some grammatical case of severe dementia, he noticed some aberrations in her brain structure. The brain appeared shrunken, with enla rged crevasses in the gray matter. Over a century later, we now do that Alzheimers is caused by a mixture of chemical and cellular brain abnormalities and the breaking down of cells in the mind. Most of the defects occur in the cerebral cortex, which is the outmost gray matter of the brain and the center of most human-like brain functions like memory, language, and thought. About ten percent of the nerves in the cerebral cortex devolve as the disease progresses, causing the person to lose previously created synapses (connections between nerve cells). Neurofibrillary tangles, which are abnormally twisted and knotted strands within nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, also contribute to the cognitive impairment. Nerve cells in the brain lose the ability to create vita... ... a disorder that plays a huge character reference in the United States, and one that needs to be recognized. Public awareness of Alzheimers will stimulate research to increase, more support to be make availab le to those directly affected, financial solutions to be found, and an overall increase in understanding and compassion. By informing people about Alzheimers and its consequences, we can in truth begin to battle this devastating disease.Works CitedAlzheimers Association. 2011 Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures. Annual Report, Washington Alzheimers Association, 2011.August, Paul Nordstrom. Brain Function. New York Chelsea House Publishers, 1988.Check, William A. Alzheimers Disease. New York Chelsea House Publishers, 1989.Harmon, Dan. Life taboo of Focus Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders. Philadelphia Chelsea House Publishers, 1999.

Binge Drinking on America’s Campuses Essay -- College Alcohol Abuse

Binge alcoholism is rampant on todays colleges and university campuses. Binge drinking is defined as, volt or more drinks for a man at any one time, four or more drinks for a woman (Thompson, J.J. 63). A recent survey revealed that almost half of college students engage in binge drinking, and half of those who binge drink do so regularly (McCormick, John Kalb, Claudia 89). It is not the half that drinks responsibly that needs programs targeting them it is the other half of students that engage in binge drinking. This paper aims to discuss both the scope of binge drinking on the campuses of Americas colleges and universities and techniques used to combat it. At the same time America has managed to keep the same percentage of its students from drinking entirely for the last five years, binge drinking has been on the rise (Thompson, J.J. 63). While 49 percent of college students binge, only 28 percent of their non-college counterparts do (McCormick, John Kalb, Claudia 89), clearly il lustrating the divide that exists amidst students and non-students. These figures are upsetting in that one would expect universities to be the breeding ground for new leaders and innovative dependers in society while these figures advance todays college campuses look like nothing more than National Lampoons Animal House- a drunken debauchery. Consider these facts For women, this study plant that 80% of sorority house residents had binged during the last 2 weeks prior to this study compared with 58% of non-resident sorority women, and 35% of non-Greek women. As for the men, the study found that during the previous two weeks, 86% of friendship house residents had binged compared to 71% of non-resident fraternity men and 45% for non-Greek men (Core Institute pars. 1-2). If there has ever been a clearer cut case for reformation of the Greek system, it has neer been presented. This problem was tragically brought to light in 1996 with the media attention given to the death of a Lou isiana State University student who died in the fraternity house from cunning alcohol poisoning. Tragically, the numbers of students dying of alcohol related causes are rising steadily each year. With the ever increasing costs of higher education, one would think that students would be committed to gaining the best education possible but a 1996 study leaves little doubt that a students GPA ... .../collfact.htmColleges and Drinking. CNN Online. February 23, 1999. http//cnn.com/US/9805/02/campus.crime/index.htmlNew Study Finds Bingeing. Core Institute. September 1, 1999. http//www.alphaomicronpi.org/Article/alcohol02.htmlDrugs- Indiana University. Indiana University. February 23, 1999. http//www.drugs.indiana.edu/publications/ncadi/primer/binge.htmIowa State Daily. February 2, 1999. http//www.daily.iastate.edu/volumes/Fall95/Dec-01-95/fr3-hw.htmlLA Times Website. February 28, 1999. http//peele.sas.nl/lib/latimes030196.htmlMcCormick, John Kalb, Claudia. Bellying Up to the bill b inge drinking remains a major problem on many college campuses, according to a Harvard University study. Newsweek 21 September 1998 89.New UNC Initiave. February 28, 1999.http//www.cspinet.org/new/aluncorn.htmThompson, J.J. Plugging the Kegs students put on when colleges limit excessive drinking alcohol abuse by college students. US News & World Report January 1998 63.Internet Sources ConsultedWechsler, Henry PhD. Binge Drinking on Americas College Campuses. Harvard http//archive.sph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/monograph_2000/cas_mono_2000.pdf

Technological Advancement is Natural Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive

Technological Advancement is NaturalAs we enter the twenty-first century, it is clear that many things about our method of interacting with our environment argon polar than in previous centuries, and that, in fact, the very philosophy of the man-nature interaction may change again. Some look forward to these changes. Others are fearful or condemnatory. In many cases, people implicitly or explicitly argue that certain technologies are unnatural. They claim that while certain technologies may be useful, other technologies salute a form of Nature manipulation and this that tinkering is unwise. Since this strain may appear in many places, it is important to critically analyze it. I feel that this argument is the arbitrary reaction of one philosophy against another, and does not by itself prove anything. Examining perceptions of the natural from history and certain exemplary situations, along with modern thinking on the subject, may illuminate the deeper issues that lie behind this arg ument. Aboriginal humanity seems to have had various religious systems designated broadly as nature-worship. Objects in nature, places, and the spirits of friends or relatives (living or dead) were to be worshiped, feared, and appeased. For instance, a native American might leave an offering to the soul of a deer he had hunted. Other societies would gather in groves or caves to celebrate religious ceremonies. In agrarian and feudal societies, more complex and technical religious systems were developed. They might be designated Polytheism, Monotheism, and Universalism. For the purposes of this discussion, let us define these terms as follows Monotheism identifies exactly one transcendent supernatural being, who, by his own nat... ...nded tones of fear of the alien and suspicion of the mixed. I also worry that, in the debates over modern technology, many people fear change and use the word unnatural, as well as others, to draw unwarranted assumptions into the debate. There are case s where tinkering with nature can have major unintended consequence, just as a man manipulating the works at a hydroelectric dam could give a flood in the valley below. However, these consequences arise not because it is evil to play with nature but because Nature herself is both extremely powerful and virtuously neutral. Man has always tried to subdue Nature and hold her at bay. This becomes easier as we understand her better, so I claim that technology is perfectly natural. pretend CitedHoly Bible. Authorized King James Version. Ed. C.I. Scofield. New Scofield Reference Edition. New York Oxford UP, 1997.