Rabo Bank Group Entering The Chinese Market Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1937 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? The main purpose of this report is to identify and appraise Rabobank Groups entry modes into the Chinese market. This report first gives a brief introduction of Rabobank Group, and then identifies its entry modes into the Chinese market. Through the analysis and appraisement of both advantages and disadvantages of its entry modes, this report offers several recommendations to further develop Rabobank Groups business in China. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Rabo Bank Group Entering The Chinese Market Finance Essay" essay for you Create order Rabobank Group is one of the foreign banks entering China at an early time. The unique operating characteristic of Rabobank Group is that it sets up the Credit Department of Agricultural Project to promote their international business. At present, it has representative offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, a branch in Shanghai. Meanwhile, it holds 10% share of the Joint bank of Hangzhou. Based the analysis of Rabobank Groups entry modes into China, this report suggests that Rabobank Group develops business in China at a steady pace which is however slower than other international banks. In the years coming, Rabobank Group should expand its market share in China at a faster rate in ways of establishing subsidiaries and expanding business in rural areas. 2.0 Introduction Rabo Group is an international financial services provider, offering retail banking, wholesale banking, asset management, leasing and real estate services, with its focus on all-finance services in the Netherlands and on food agriculture industries. It was set up in 1973, comprised of 152 independent local Rabobanks, Rabobank Nederland and a number of subsidiaries. As the second largest bank and one of the worlds 25 largest financial institutions, Rabobank Group has strong power in terms of capital. At present, Rabobank Group has more than 60,000 employees who service about 9.5 million clients across 46 countries (https://www.rabobank.com/content/about_us/). In addition to banking services, Rabobank Group is also involved in all lines of business. It has several specialized financial subsidiaries which deal with residential mortgages, ship mortgages, agents and rental business as well as a co-insurance (Interpolis). Distinguished from other international financial institutions, Rabobank Group aims to become the leading bank offering financial services in international food agriculture industries and international trade (Kai Huo, 2006). The New York branch of Rabobank Group, as its first overseas branch, has been the third largest financing bank of food and agriculture in America. Currently, based on its international network across Europe, America and the Pacific Rim, Rabobank Group has been implementing its global business strategy. 3.0 The Entry Modes into the Chinese Market 3.1 Setting up Representative Offices Firstly, Rabobank Group set its representative office in Hong Kong in 1988 which only covered financing business with enterprises. In 1994, another representative office was set up in Shanghai, and one year later, it was allowed by Peoples Bank of China to set representative office in Beijing (Encheng Liu, 2005). At this period of time, financial institutions in China are under very strict regulations, so establishing representative offices is an appropriate way to develop new market opportunities. The functions of representative office are very limited. It cannot deal with bank business, and the main function of it is to provide local government institutions and enterprises with credit analysis, economic and political information. 3.2 Establishing Branches In 1998, the first branch of Rabobank Group in China was founded in Shanghai. A professional research team comprised of experts in agriculture and food fields was also founded in order to support the Credit Department of Agricultural Project. Although branches are not independent entities, they are able to handle those businesses allowed by local government. Since China is a promising market with more and more foreign financial institutions rushing into China, Rabobank Group has to establish its branches in China. And Shanghai, as the financial center in China with so many favorable conditions such as large economic scale, abundant human resource of high quality, is the most ideal spot for Rabobank Group to establish its first branch in China. 3.3 Acquisition of shares Differing from other foreign banks tending to establish wholly-owned subsidiaries in China, Rabobank Group spent 100million RMB buying 10% share of the Joint Bank of Hangzhou in 2006, becoming the first foreign shareholder of the rural cooperative financial institutions. The cooperation agreements cover cooperation in nine modules such as risk management, human resources, IT and so on. In addition, Rabobank Group also signed agreements with the rural cooperatives in Liaoning province and Tianjin city, implying that it would probably become their shareholders in the near feature. The process of Rabobank Group entering the Chinese market has a lot of commons with other foreign financial institutions, like setting up representative offices and branches. The unique of Rabobank Groups strategy is its participation in rural cooperatives by holding shares rather than establishing its own subsidiaries (Shuolong Peng, Juntuo Su, 2007).They expected to expand business by union with local partners, in order to compete with its intro-industry competitors. 4.0 Analysis of the Entry Modes 4.1 Advantages of Acquisition of shares Less Cost and Combination of Resources ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Entering foreign market through acquisition of shares of goal companies is quite different from the ways by establish a new wholly-owned subsidiary or a brand new joint venture. Firstly, a new institution requires comprehensive conditions and facilities which are not necessarily required in acquisition of shares. Moreover, compared with establishing a new institution or organization, the examination and approval regulations are much less and simple in acquisition of shares. Secondly, by acquisition of shares, the shareholders can take advantage of existing resources such as network and distribution channels. Overcoming Investment Restrictions ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Since finance in China has not been wholly open to foreign enterprises, acquisition shares of Chinese banks can effectively avoid restrictions during the transitional period (Wenhuan Gao,2008). Through the combination of new product development, innovation of its own a nd distribution network of Chinese banks and RMB business, Rabobank Group can expand its market share in China more effectively, because it easily avoids business restrictions, particularly the restrictions on the RMB business. Sharing Profits ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Due to the unsoundness in finance market of China, the commercial banks are reluctant to be involved in financial services in rural areas, which however is a great opportunity for foreign financial institutions. In the long term, the development of rural area will be greatly favored by the Chinese government, therefore as the financial service provider in rural areas, the rural credit cooperatives are abound to be favored by the Chinese government. Through acquisition of shares of the rural credit cooperatives, Rabobank Group can enjoy expanding market shares and even profits after going public if possible(Bin Sun,2006). 5.2 Disadvantages of Acquisition of shares Less Control of Business ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Rabobank Group only holds 10% share of the Joint Bank of Hangzhou, which is still quite low. Compared with wholly-owned subsidiary, it has much less control of business. For example, it must follow all the rules, policies and decisions made by the Joint Bank of Hangzhou, which sometimes are not in accordance with its own needs and interests. Whats more, since the Joint Bank of Hangzhou is a regional bank, their businesses are greatly limited to the neighborhood of Hangzhou, which is not helpful in expanding markets in northwest areas where may have great business potential. Difficult to Adjust ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡At the beginning of cooperation, various issues and contradictions may merge, in terms of management concept, knowledge background, behavior way institutional environment, legal environment, policy environment and so on. It is difficulty to come to a result of win-win because it is in fact the gap between two distinct kinds of cult ure that causes the contradictions. Knowledge Spillovers ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡There are unconscious knowledge spillovers from foreign companies to local companies, through the channels of competition and demonstration effect, turnover effect and so on. And the knowledge spillover is more significant in joint ventures than in wholly-owned subsidiaries. On one hand, the spillovers of high technology, knowledge management and even some confidential information cannot bring Rabobank Group any economic profits because it cannot charge for that, on the other hand, it would strengthen the competence of its competitors. Low Brand Recognition ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Since Rabobank Group acts as the funds sponsor of the Joint Bank of Hangzhou who is mainly entitled to share profits. The Chinese clients may not very familiar with the existence of Rabobank Group since they are not aware of the relationship between Rabobank Group and the Joint Bank of Hangzhou. This is not favorable to strengthen its brand power and foster the loyalty of clients. 6.0 Recommendations 6.1 Set up Subsidiaries The differences between branches and subsidiaries lie in the fact that a subsidiary is an independent legal entity which is set up in accordance with the laws and requirements of host countries, with the access to equity financing. A subsidiary can handle all business allowed by host countrys laws. Although establishing branches and acquisition of local banks are of great help to develop business in China, it is not enough to implement Rabobank Groups global strategy. After setting up subsidiaries, Rabobank Group can handle many bank businesses which branches are not entitled to engage in, and manage the business and explore new projects in accordance with its own needs and strategies. 6.2 Expanding Market Share Compared with other international banks such as HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and Deutsche Bank, Rabobank Group is left behind in terms of development rate, market share and reputation. With the accelerations of financial liberalization in China, it is essential for Rabobank Group to expand its market share at a faster rate. Considering that Rabobank Group has advantages over other banks in agriculture industry and the Chinese government now pays more attention on the agricultural development in rural areas, Rabobank Group should expand its market share, particularly in agricultural field, in the following ways: Developing Business in Northwest Region ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Northwest region in China is less attractive to both domestic and foreign banks due to its poor position and economic performance, however, the market potential there is large and the competition is much lower than the coastal region because most foreign banks are distributed in coastal region. Besides, Rabobank Gr oup can enjoy the preferential policies from the Chinese government (Anpo Fan, 2009) Focusing on Animal Husbandry ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Animal husbandry services as the leading industry in northwest region of China. Taking the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as an example, the animal husbandry there is very developed, making it a key region to develop in the future for Rabobank Group. Retail Banking ¼Ãƒâ€¦Ã‚ ¡Due to the Chinese contract system in rural areas, there are more individual clients than giant clients in rural areas. Therefore, it is more suitable to run retail banking instead of wholesale banking. Besides, local rural credit cooperatives place so many restrictions on loans that a great number of individual clients have no access to loans, implying there is still a huge market to be explored for Rabobank Group. Conclusion Rabobank Group is one of the foreign banks entering the Chinese market at an early time, mainly engaged in agriculture and food industry. Through setting up representative offices in Shanghai and Beijing, an branch in Shanghai, Rabobank Group started its business in China. Later, it succeeded in acquisition of shares of the Joint Bank of Hangzhou and signing agreements with other rural credit cooperatives. However, the development race of Rabobank Group in China is still slower than other international banks. It is essential for Rabobank Group to expand its market share in China at a faster rate. On one hand, it should set up its own subsidiaries in China, in order to be involved in more businesses and more independent; on the other hand, it should take full use of its advantages over other banks in terms of agricultural financing, expand its market in rural regions like northwest region in China, paying more attention on retail banking.

The American Prison System Is A Vital Portion Of American...

Merriam-Webster defines prison as a building where people are kept as punishment for a crime or while they are waiting to go to court. In the United States, there is a large prison system consisting of federal and state prisons. The American prison system is a vital portion of American culture. Crime runs rampant throughout our country and it is up to our prisons to punish people for these crimes, maybe even assist in loweingr the amount of crimes that occur. There are several different types of prisons, separated by gender, and differing through the amount of security depending on the type of prisoners. Prisons differ from jails as they are long term facilities; criminals may stay locked up in prison anywhere from a few months up to their†¦show more content†¦Numerous prison sentences last several years; even taking decades of a person’s life, for countless people prison is the only life they are familiar with. The U.S. prison system is necessary; however, the curren t question is whether it is effective. The prison system should be reformed so that the prisons are not overcrowded and that prisoners have an improved quality of life in and out of prison. The biggest issue with prisons right now is that they are extremely overcrowded. This problem is attributed to the rising crime rate. Currently the crime rate is fairly high, â€Å"Nationwide, law enforcement made an estimated 11,302,102 arrests in 2013† (FBI). Not all of these arrests were sentenced prison time, nonetheless thousands were. 631,200 people were incarcerated in prisons last year (Carson). Several people argue that the crime rate is lower than it has been, however the best crime rate is 0. Prisons aid in lowering the crime rate because criminals cannot commit crimes while they are locked up and currently there are around 2 million criminals not committing crimes (Prisoners), nevertheless once those prisoners are released they return to a life of crime. Statistics show, â€Å"two-thirds of prisoners will reoffend† (Criminal Justice). One of the main roles of prison is to rehabilitate prisoners so that they will not commit other crimes; however, it obviousl y is not working. To alleviate this problem, prisons should counsel prisoners and educate them on why crime is

How useful are the views of Anzac soldiers at Gallipoli suggested in Source A, B and C Free Essays

All the sources are useful because even though they may not be reliable, they show the people’s opinion of the Gallipoli campaign. Sources that show peoples opinion can be used to explore how the solders felt through out the wars. Source A was published in 1916, just one year after the Gallipoli campaign. We will write a custom essay sample on How useful are the views of Anzac soldiers at Gallipoli suggested in Source A, B and C or any similar topic only for you Order Now This makes it a primary source, which could mean that its more reliable as it was written nearer the time, and details have had less time to be forgotten. It was made on the Gallipoli peninsular, which shows that the artist had an eye witness account this would mean he was relying on his own knowledge not someone else’s. Although it as created by an Australian artist, which might mean it, is biased or exaggerated because he might want to make the Australians look better, it shows both the good and bad side of the war. The cartoons show two ANZAC soldiers as they looked during the Gallipoli campaign. The first cartoon shows a man in a large over coat, shoes that are to big for him, a gun, he’s yawning and has skinny legs. The large coat and shoes that are to big for him suggest that the supplies aren’t getting through and they are very low on resources so he has to use anything he can get. The skinny legs also show that there is a lack of food and that the soldiers are very weak. I know from my own knowledge that supplies weren’t getting through and that food supplies were very low. Also there were thousand of flies, which infected the food so that the little food that was left was not edible. The title â€Å"another hopeless dawn† shows the soldiers feel that they are not getting anywhere and that they are not going to progress anywhere with the knew day. The source is quite reliable and is useful because it shows an actual account of the soldier’s time in Gallipoli and is not over exaggerated to make them look better as it shows the positives and negatives. Therefore it can be use to show how the conditions affected the soldiers, it also shows what the soldiers looked like during the war. Source B is useful because it provides a historical account. However it maybe bias as an Australian writes it and he might want to make his army look better. It is a secondary source so it might be more reliable because there might be more sources available. Also the people who have written the sources he’s based his book on have had time to recover from the shock they may have suffered and write the sources more accurately. I know part of it is truthful and is reliable, as I know that the citizen soldiers were trained from an early age for military. It is also similar to the feeling in Britain – † to be left behind was unthinkable. So we know that this part is truth and reliable. However, part of the source is unreliable as it is just one man’s opinion (John Kegan). â€Å"New Zealanders skills with the rifle and spade would win them a reputation as the best soldiers in the war during the 20th Century. † We know this is not true as the New Zealanders lost their battle at the Gallipoli campaign to the Turks. As the British and French troops won most of their battles during the first and Second World War it could be argued that they were the stronger and better troops of the 20th Century. It also says in the source â€Å"†¦ ormidable offensive power, as the Turks were soon to discover† we know this is not true as they lost to the Turks. I also know the landings at Sulva bay went wrong for the ANZAC troops and also the landings at ANZAC cove and Cape Helles beach failed. This shows they cannot be the â€Å"formidable offensive power† the author makes them out to be and that he is maybe exaggerating what happened to make it his troops sound better. This source can be used as an insight as to what happen when the new Zealanders got called up to war, and what the New Zealand people thought of their troops. Source C is written by a reporter, but it is not clear as to what country he is from, the way he talks about the Australians suggest that he is not from Australia, but is impressed by them. He seems to over exaggerate the part they played in the war and the way they dealt with it. This would suggest the source is unreliable as it is his own opinion not actual facts. This source shows what some people thought of the Australians â€Å"it was great to watch them as they went†. It shows the high moral and ANZAC spirit that was present through the campaign, I know this is probably true because is very similar to what happened in Britain through out the first and second war there was arguably very high British spirit. It also has some inaccurate points i. e. ‘absolutely unaffected by the bullets’ – this cannot be true as many troops were killed by bullets. I know that there were 200,000 allied casualties and some of these were from the ANZAC troops, therefore they weren’t unaffected by bullets. This source is best used as an opinion and insight into what was thought of the Australians rather than as reliable account of what actually happened. In conclusion Sources A, B and C are useful in different ways. Source A is the most reliable and accurate account of what actually happened and could be used to show what actually happened. Source B and C is best used as opinions of what happened, where the truth may have been exaggerated or distorted. It can be used to show an account from the ANZAC point of view and how their people felt towards the campaign. How to cite How useful are the views of Anzac soldiers at Gallipoli suggested in Source A, B and C, Papers

Engston Auto Mirrors Plant free essay sample

Employees were satisfied with their Jobs and motivated to be productive. Over time, changes needed to be made to adjust the Scanlon plan because employees became less satisfied and enthusiastic. Employees no longer trusted the management and committees; they believed the management team may be changing the ratios and numbers that affected their monthly bonuses. Also, employees began to think the plan was unfair. Bent was not surprised by the reactions of his employees, he knew the plan needed to be revised every so often. In 2005, before he could decide how to revise the plan, the industry downturn gradually decreased the companys sales figures and the employee morale. The employees werent receiving monthly bonuses due to low productivity and Bent had to start looking into the idea of a layoff. He warned the employees of a layoff occurring if sales fgures didnt improve, but the employees didnt listen. Finally a layoff did occur and it was like an emotional lightning rod for the plant and a dividing line between the good and bad times. By 2007, there was increasing evidence of dissatisfied employees and suspected pilfering. Employees had lost their motivation to work productively. So what caused such a decrease in employee motivation at the Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant? The Scanlon Plan was adopted to improve motivation which would also improve other workforce factors. Although, the plan only seemed to work during good times; as soon as things began to go wrong and head for the bad, the Scanlon Plan alone could no longer motivate the employees. One reason for why it wasnt able to motivate employees during the bad times because of its variable-pay program. According to Robbins and Judge, authors of Organizational Behavior, a ariable-pay program is a pay plan that bases a portion of an employees pay on some individual and/or organizational measure of performance (p. 229). Engstrom developed a bonus pay, but managers were able to adjust the value for returns and increases or decreases in inventory which would change the size of the employee bonuses. In Organizational Behavior, it is explained that bonuses are part of the the calculation for the bonuses to be altered by management, employees lost trust in their management instead of seeing the industry downturn due to profitability trends as the reason for bonuses being low or non-existing. The lost of trust in management led to less motivated employees. Bent did not adopt the idea of a variable-pay program usefully. Also, employee motivation didnt occur in both good times and bad because the Job design didnt match the Job Characteristics Model OCM). Robbins and Judge describe the JCM as a model that proposes that any Job can be described in terms of five core Job dimensions: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback (p. 215). If a Job has the one of the first three characteristics†skill variety, task identity, and task significance†and both autonomy nd feedback, motivation will occur. Because motivation hasnt occurred constantly for Engstrom, they must be missing part of the JCM. The causes for the motivation problem at Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant needs to be fixed or diminished. Ron Bent needs to find a way to once again get his employees motivated. He could revise the Scanlon Plan to work during the bad times, like during a downturn, or Bent could change organizational factors that might be undermining the plan or he could Just get rid of the Scanlon Plan all together and find a new way of motivating employees whether it being an incentive plan or not. When the plan no longer was enough to motivate the employees, Bent knew the plan needed to be revised. He had said, A Scanlon program wont perpetuate itself. You have to give it a shot in the arm every so often†whenever the work force needs it (Beer and Collins, p. 6). To revise the plan, Bent needed to listen to the employees complaints. Part of the Scanlon plan was to listen to suggestions of the employees, so the complaints should have been just as important to listen to and evaluate. The employee complaints were about the distrust of bonus calculations and questions of fairness. Bent and his management eam should have seen the complaints as a suggestion for improving the bonus plan. Another alternative would be to change the organizational factors of the company. Bent could do this by using the Job Characteristics Model. Due to the Scanlon Plan, the company had already met the fifth characteristic of feedback, but Bent could also look at ways to improve the autonomy, task significance, task identity, and skill variety of his company. By improving those characteristics, it could help the Scanlon Plan to further motivate employees. Lastly, Bent could decide to ultimately get rid of the Scanlon Plan at his Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant. Bent could motivate his employees by solely using the Job Characteristics Model. The Scanlon Plan caused his employees to distrust the management, so the best idea would be to no longer use the plan. Having distrust in management wouldnt help to motivate employees at all. Bent should redesign the Jobs at his plant to better meet the JCM, which in theory would motivate his employees. There are five characteristics of the Job Characteristics Model that Bent would need to try to meet. First off, he would need to look into offering his employees skill variety, task identity, and/or task significance. If Bent could meet at least one of those characteristics, it would be very beneficial to his plant. Skill variety would consist of the employees Jobs including a variety of different tasks, so that they could use different skills and talents they may have. Task identity would require the employees Jobs to consist of completing a whole and have a significant impact on the lives or even work of other people. By at least offering employees Jobs that meet one of those characteristics, Bent would be also offering meaningful work. Also, Bent would need to offer his employees Jobs that consisted of Autonomy. Autonomy would give the employees freedom, independence, and discretion to scheduling and carrying out their work. By giving employees this freedom, Bent would be offering his employees personal responsibility. Lastly, Bent also would need to offer feedback to his employees. Feedback should be done by giving employees information about the effectiveness of their performance. By meeting the criteria of the Job Characteristic Model, Bent would not only see greater employee motivation, but also greater performance and satisfaction, and lower absenteeism and turnover. Once, Bent had figured out ow he was going to meet the criteria of the Job Characteristic Model, he could take it further by redesigning his employees Jobs. Organizational Behavior gives threes ways this can be done. First of all, Bent could use Job rotation. Job rotation is when an employee is periodically shifted from one task to another when an activity is no longer challenging, but the nature of the work would stay the same. According to Robbins and Judge, this would reduce boredom and increase motivation through diversifying employees activities, and helps employees better understand how their work contributes to the organization (p. 18-219). Bent could also use Job enlargement. Job enlargement consists of increasing the number and variety of tasks an employee performs. This is different from Job rotation because the employees Job would be actually changing; the nature of the employees work would be different. The best choice of redesign that Bent should choose for his Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant is Job enrichment. Robbins and Judge explain it as, an enriched Job organizes tasks so as to allow the worker to do a complete activity, increases the employees freedom and independence, increases responsibility, and provides feedback so ndividuals will be able to assess and correct their own performance (p. 220). If Bent were to redesign his plant to have Job enrichment, he would most likely see a great increase in motivation and satisfaction, and also reduced absenteeism and turnover costs. If the Engstrom Auto Mirror Plant, adopted the Job Characteristics Model as their plan to motivate their employees, employees would be motivated at all times. The problem with the Scanlon Plan was that when things went bad in the company, the employees would blame the plan for any problems and lose motivation. By using he Job Characteristics Model, employees would have a hard time placing the blame on it. Also, during the bad times, the working conditions of employees wouldnt be affected very much or at all because the model is based more on individual work than as the whole organization production. Ron Bent should consider ending the Scanlon Plan and then using the Job Characteristics Model to motivate his employees during both the good times and bad.

The Role of Women in Knights Tale free essay sample

An analysis of the role of women and the concept of love in Chaucers `Knights Tale. This paper introduces Geoffrey Chaucers Knights Tale` and the roles of men, women and love in the story. The concepts are explored through an examination of the characters and story with examples from the text. Chaucers portrayal of women in his other works is considered. Knights Tale` is a story about two cousins, Arcite and Palamon and their love for the same woman ` the beautiful Emelye ` that leads them finally to battle for her. Both the story and the climax is most representative of the attitudes of the knights in those times to women and love (love was often seen linked to concepts of manhood, chivalry and honor.) Chaucer shows Arcite and Palamon battling (figuratively and literally) to win the hand of Emelye. The tournament is held `For love and for encrees of chivalrye` (2184). We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Women in Knights Tale or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The fact that Emelye, herself, is portrayed as wishing for maidenhood through her life and to that extent, indifferent to the courtship of both only adds further substantiation to the theory that perhaps Arcite and Palamon were more driven to prove their credentials as virile knights rather than their passion for Emelye.`

John Muir Essays

John Muir Essays John Muir Essay John Muir Essay Brendon Guichet HIST 1020 John Muir paper In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir made himself Americas most expressive spokesman for the mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a visionary forecaster of environmental awareness, he was also a master of natural description who suggested with exceptional power and intimacy the landscapes of the American West. The Boyhood of a Naturalist† is Muirs account of growing up by the sea in Scotland, of coming to America with his family at age eleven, and of his early fascination with the natural world. As a boy, Muir was fond of everything that was wild† and took great pleasure in the outdoors. He explored nature with an intellect of no other and articulated a great concern toward animals and everything that surrounded him. In 1849, Muir and his family immigrated to Wisconsin. The great forests of Northern United States capt ivated him and fueled his desire to learn more. In Wisconsin Mr. Muir commenced in farming along with his brothers and father. The whole family had to work very hard to help clear the land and run the farm. A lot of the responsibility fell to John as the oldest son, since his father was often away doing church work. He had a great interest in and love of nature and all living things. Of the many advantages of farm life for boys, one of the greatest is the gaining a real knowledge of animals as fellow-mortals, learning to respect them and love them, and even to win some of their love†. Another way that Muir relates his writing to the surrounding nature is the way he loved his animals. John was extraordinary when it came to recounting his occurrences with nature and animals. John writes, â€Å"She was the most faithful, intelligent, playful, affectionate, human-like horse I ever knew, and she won all our hearts†. John even appreciated women especially his mother by studying birds. He understood everything his mother did for him especially when he says, â€Å"to feel that it in no way differed from the divine mother-love of a woman†. Even though John related his works through nature, animals, and women he also examined the class structure in a different way. During this time period many gender and race issues were prevalent. We are able to see John’s perceptions on many class, race, and gender matters when he says, â€Å"they have no rights that we are bound to respect, and were made only for man to be petted, spoiled, slaughtered, or enslaved†. When John and his family migrated over to Wisconsin, they had servants who worked on the farm for them. This was not uncommon as to slavery was legal during this time period and no one questioned this. John, his father, and brothers traveled first to make sure they had a house to stay in. Before winter came, the house was ready for occupancy, and in November, Mrs. Muir and the rest of the family arrived from Scotland. Gender differences were very common and John understood this. John was surrounded by the males everyday doing farming activities, while the women stayed inside cooking and cleaning. In a fairly common custom of earlier day morning and evening family worship, the Muir family regularly practiced religion on a weekly basis. John’s father was very harsh on him and made John study the bible everyday. He went to Sunday school, bible lessons, and church all through out the week. John writes, â€Å"father carefully taught us to consider ourselves very poor worms of the dust, conceived in sin†. In conclusion, John Muir used his perceptions and surrounding by connecting them in his work with nature. John showed us that we can accept nature’s distinctiveness as one of our own. He showed us that at a young boy he still understood gender, class, and race differences. John later on became one of the most respected natural writers that ever lived. We can all learn life lessons from John and his experiences he had as a young boy.

Human Resources Management World Wide Fund For Nature ( WWF) Essay

Human Resources Management World Wide Fund For Nature ( WWF) - Essay Example As the essay declares the process of hiring and sourcing the right balance in an organisation is a continuous one that involves regular adjustments in the employee mix. The WWF pools together people of different talent and the grouping of these people is essential in the organisation realising its overall goals and objectives. According to the report findings the human resource through the monetary gains. The positions in these organisations can be filled with people who are able and willing to take the available positions. Most charitable organisations provide accurate and realistic skill specifications for the particular positions advertised. The job expectations for specific opportunities are essentially communicated through job descriptions. Oxfam for instance, attaches the job description in the call for vacancies. The emphasis on the right candidates is because of the risk that charitable organisations undergo in fulfilling their duties. The approach in most charitable organisations is inclined towards selecting candidates that are best suited for the specific job. Performance appraisals are also a preferred way of boosting the performance of employees. Most charitable organisations prefer internal recruitments that are based on the organisation’s recruitment policies. Save the Children for in stance, gives preference to internal appraisals before they consider hiring externally. Many not for profit organisations have realized that recruitment success is achieved through incisive analysis of the potential of prospective employees must be done.

Discussthetraitsapproachtotheentrepreneurialpersonalityandthereasons Essay

Discussthetraitsapproachtotheentrepreneurialpersonalityandthereasons why it fails to properly predict the behaviour of entrepreneurs - Essay Example Traits can be defined as habitual behavioural and thought patterns of people. Traits have been measured to reflect how much of a particular trait does a specific category of people reflect. This also implies that individuals that behave in a similar fashion can be compared and norms for various categories of people can be identified based on trait patterns. The trait approach has set down these patterns for entrepreneurs (Okhomina, 2010). The trait approach has set down certain parameters based on this very measurable feature of behavioural pattern and the paper seeks to study this approach. It moves on to explore the drawbacks of the trait approach and discusses the reason behind the failures of the theory. Entrepreneurship can be narrowly defined as a person who establishes and runs his or her own business. An aspiring entrepreneur is a one that hopes to establish and run his or her own business at some point in time. Entrepreneurship can also be defined as creation of something that adds value with appropriate time and efforts going towards its development. This definition assumes that personal satisfaction and monetary gains are rewards for various risks (social, physical and financial) undertaken. Entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur have changed that path for markets and economies. They have contributed in developing new services and products and have given way to creativity and innovation that made economic development and prosperity possible. It is because of this importance that entrepreneurs hold in shaping the economic future of the country, that studies have been conducted to study entrepreneurial behaviour and define traits that would in turn help in developing entrepreneurial ability in the nations. There are many traits for an entrepreneur but the trait that has been identified as one of the critical ones is the ability to identify opportunity and making profits

How And Why Childrens Play Has Changed Over the Last 50 Essay

How And Why Childrens Play Has Changed Over the Last 50 - Essay Example According to the research findings, the digital revolution in the world has brought along with it its related technologies such as the smartphone, digital cameras, video game consoles, e-book readers among others that have led to the decline of outdoor play and given rise to what has come to be known as digital play. While children of the 1950s and 60s would spend their play time outdoors in the fields and terraces interacting with nature, children in our modern era are more likely to be found holed up in their cozy homes playing their favorite video games or browsing on their smartphones. Thus, it is evident that the amount of play time outdoors and the rise of digital play are two related developments where the rise of the latter has led to the fall of the former. A third related development has been the reduction of the amount of time available for children’s play. This has been attributed to economic circumstances of parents where parents in the modern economies spend most of their time in the workplace and lesser time with their children at home. A related factor has been the fact that schools have decided to cut down on the time allocated to play in favor of more time for instructional teaching. These two factors have conspired to reduce the number of time children has left to play. The integration of digital media technology into homes, schools, workplace and other areas of life is now ubiquitous. Digital technology, in terms of smartphones, digital cameras, game consoles, et cetera has now transcended into almost every facet of the human life to such an extent that it would be hard to evade it.

Selecting Right Partner In Forming International Joint Ventures Management Essay

Selecting Right Partner In Forming International Joint Ventures Management Essay Over the past twenty years, there has been a surge of interest of companies coming together, many of which were reflected in the popular management press and the academic journals of corporate links being formed. Many organisation now uses strategic relationship rather than competition among themselves to grow their business. These are formed for a variety of reasons, which include new technology development, expansion to new domestic market, reducing manufacturing cost, new product development, ability to increase profit margin, financial support and sharing of economics risk, overcome legal and trade barriers and many more. These are some of the reasons why collaboration sometimes called partnering, alliances or joint venture among many terms are formed. Joint venture is one of the most popular forms of strategic relationship and it utilises separate business entities like cooperation, limited liability company or partnership, this entity makes the involved parties to limit the lia bilities involved. In recent years global challenges has fostered many companies from many countries to go into international joint venture more stronger than in the past, manufacturing companies, oil and gas companies, construction companies, banking sectors, automobile companies and many more are forming the international joint ventures. Objectives As partner selection is considered to be very important to have a successful collaboration, this module will be focusing on selecting the right partner in forming an international joint ventures. The answers will be focusing on the literature on how to select a good and successful partner when forming a joint venture. Also the following factors will be considered in forming a successful collaboration: The main characteristics to look for in a good collaborative partner, selection criteria and the strategic, political and tactical implications. The factors thats determines the good partners match in collaboration. And what the two companies going into collaboration can do to create good partnership condition. Literature review introduction As it was started in the objectives in the previous chapter, this report will be discussing various factors that are needed to be highly considered in selecting a partner when forming international joint venture, but before going further below are the definitions of some common terms of collaboration. Some Basic Definitions Collaboration Different companies go into collaboration with different reasons, and the reason why many companies go into collaboration is to try and gain competitive advantage, entering new market and many more. Collaboration accomplish shared vision, achieve positive outcomes for the audience involved and it also build interdependent system to address issues and opportunities. It is a world in which almost anything, in principle, is possible since you are not limited by your own resources and expertise only but by tapping into resources and expertise of others. ( Huxham and Vangen, 2005). Members of the collaborations needs to be ready and willing to share their vision, mission, power, goals and resources to achieve success. Also Collaboration is the act of working together to create or produce something for mutual benefit. (Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, 2001). http://ayanthianandagoda.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/collaboration.jpg Fig 1 collaboration Source : http://ayanthianandagoda.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/collaboration.jpg Joint ventures There are many different definition for joint ventures, as experts opinions differ significantly. A joint venture is a strategic alliance formed by two or more parties usually in businesses, partner together to share markets, assets, intellectual property, knowledge and profit. (Valerie, 2006). Stephen et al.(1993) consider joint venture as a form of collaboration. He later defined it as a distinct business entirely created and jointly owned by two or more parent organisations. Robert L .Wallace ( 2004,) defined joint venture as the coming together of two or more independent businesses in which both of them have sole purpose of achieving a specific outcome that might be difficult for each of them to achieve individually. http://www.internationaltradelaw.org/images/partnership.jpg Fig 2 joint venture . Source : http://www.internationaltradelaw.org/images/partnership.jpg International joint ventures When joint ventures crosses across the border, it becomes international joint ventures. International joint venture is defined as the joint ventures that involve firms coming together from different countries cooperating across national and cultural boundaries. ( Aimin and Yadong, 2001). At times, international joint ventures are formed by two companies in the same country but located in a country other than their parent countries. (Geringer and Hebert 1989). Though majority involve two parent firms, one from foreign and the second one a local company. Also it may involve partners with complex nationality and cultural background. For example, Xerox Shenzhen company formed from Xerox (china) and fuji Xerox (US-Japanese joint venture in Japan.). International Joint Venture Fig 3. International joint venture Source : http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:shC_GkI4UDgeCM:http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/3841640658_367ae3ab0d.jpg Merger and Acquisition There is a big difference between merger and acquisition, they should not be mistaken to be the same. Merger is when two companies come together to form a new company while acquisition is when one company purchase another company. Fig 4 merger and acquisition source : class module Motives of collaboration According to Ian Hewitt (2005), A company should not just go into collaboration just because other companies does, in fact different companies go into collaboration for different reasons. Below are few of the reasons why many companies does Increasing competitive pressure : competitors or rivalries in the market is one of the major reasons that force some companies into joint venture. Sharing cost and risk : one of the main reasons for joint venture is cost saving and risk sharing. It helps to achieve synergy through rationalizing of employment and other fixed cost, and it also research and development project like pharmaceutical, electronics, aero-engine, telecommunication and so on. Joint ventures are frequently used in capital intensive project like power stations or infrastructural projects Entering new markets : partnering with another company already established in a particular market also helps in entering new and emergence market effectively and it also helps in marketing an existing products and service to new customers. Total-quality-management. Do more with less : it brings about a quality management into business and help in achieving the companies objectives in less time. Access to new technology, technology know how and customers : joint venture helps to gain access to and to learn from partners technology , experience and skills as there is a rapid change in technology advancement day by day. Improve access to financial resources : coming together of the two companies improves the financial resources. Expand customer base : international joint venture also help to expand customer base in by making use of partners strength in different geographical area and both develop a wide network. Developing new products : a company can go into joint venture to provide new products or service to their current customers or new customer. Since it is joint venture, the companies can develop a new products to sell to their customers. In this new wave of technology, you cannot do it all yourself, you have to form alliances. Carlos Slim Helu. The Benefits and Risks Having considered few of the reasons why companies go into collaboration, it may sound interesting that collaboration is everything but an extreme care need to be taken when choosing the collaboration partner. Collaboration is good (when the right partner is selected) and it is bad (wrong partner). Before going into details of selection criteria in choosing a partner, below are the types, benefit and Risks associated with collaboration. Benefits Increased financial resources and stability : it allows the partners to contribute financially to the project in an appropriate ways to the joint operation and it increases the financial stability of the business. Improve buying power and economies of scale : it gives cost advantages and better purchasing power to increase the volume of business. Expansion to new market : forming joint ventures can help in capturing a new market. Share R D, engineering, production costs : joint venture helps when a company is trying to enter a new field of business, by forming joint venture with a company already established in the business, it makes it easier to enter into the market. Examples include research institute and national government level. Shorten lead time : collaboration shorten lead times and it makes it possible to achieve more in less time. Risks Loose overall control or desire for control : if it is not well managed, the stronger partner becomes a dominant and this can undermine the interest of the other partner and it may eventually leads to termination. Cultural issue : the partners must understand each others culture very well by doing an intensive research. Competent team that can negotiate in with people of different culture should be assigned to manage. Foreign exchange risk : in joint venture, high volatility in the foreign exchange market, the movements of Dollars, Yen, Pounds, Rupee, Franc and many more cannot be predicted, and even due to this in the oil transaction, it is generally accepted in the western world to trade in US dollars. Communication and translation problems : multinational project can become more complex if there is communication problem, and it is even better to have a translator or even two translators. Loose identity : individual company can lose their identity and they may end up in forming a new name and old customers loyalty may be lost, though if the partnership is well managed it will create new customer loyalty. Partners failure : if the partner failed to deliver, this mat cause a serious consequence or termination to the contract while the objectives have not been meant. Types of collaboration There are many ways in which collaboration can be formed, depending on the common objectives of the companies involved. Collaboration can be grouped into two namely : those defining the structure of the relationship and those defining the technical or commercial purpose of the relationship. Below are few types of collaboration that can be formed. Purpose Research Collaboration : which is most effective in scientific research and high technology new products. Joint Design and Development : involves two or more companies coming together to share the risk of developing a new product and this often leads to joint or parallel production. Joint Production : when two companies agree to produce separate sub-assemblies of the final product and this can leads to joint venture company. Parallel Production : when same and similar product is manufacture in two or more countries and one partner leads the development of manufacturing facilities. Licensing : formal agreement between two companies where primary company allow to use it design or know-how, or to manufacture a product and it involves payment of royalty fees. It may be of two types namely ;licensing in and licensing out, or both . Franchising : this involves third party to market proprietary products or services under the original suppliers brand name e.g. stores and supermarkets, fast food outlets, petrol stations, etc. Structure Informal and Gentlemans Agreements : this can be word of mouth agreement usually between partners of common interest and trust is essential. It can be a starting point for formal arrangement. Strategic Alliances : Michael and Srinivasa 1995) said it can be defined by simultaneously possessing the following three necessary characteristics; Two or more firm that unite to pursue a set of goals already agreed upon Partner firms share the benefits of the alliance and control over the performance of the assigned task Both contributes on a continuous basis in one or more strategic areas, e.g technology and product. It has no legal form, it is a relationship formed between two or more companies that share (proprietary), participate in joint investments, and develop link and processes to improve their performance of their companies. (http://www.apics.org/.). It can lead to creation of joint venture company. Strategic partnership : is a form of strategic alliance in which the partners are linked by a non-controlling level of shareholding, either bilateral or unilateral. (W.J.Bacchus 2005) Joint venture companies : this is an independent business entity, it involves ownership, operational responsibility and financial risk and reward. As it was started in the objectives in the previous chapter, this report will be focusing on joint venture companies. How to select a compatible Partner Companies that are more thorough and comparative in selecting international joint venture partners are more likely to be successful. When there is a need for joint venture, choosing the right partner is another important factor. Only few companies today believe they can achieve their goals and objectives on their own but by seeking partnership with another company to stay ahead in todays global economy, So due to this, there has been an high increase in the numbers of companies coming together around the globe . When a company is going into a joint venture, collaboration strategy need to be established. Furthermore in this report, it should be noted that a company in question will be represented by Company A and other companies that are available to choose from will be represented by Potential partner A,B,Cà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The company A planning and operational stages can be established as : 1st stage 2nd stage 3rd stage Fig 5. Planning stages Company strategic planning For any company going into collaboration, internal check is the first thing to consider. Internal check allows company A to analyse its performance so far in the competitive market, the knowledge and skills, financial stability and status, government policy, benefit and risks associated with joint venture, and most importantly their objectives of going into collaboration. To properly analyse these factors, S.W.O.T analysis can be used as follows : SWOT Analysis S- Strength What makes company A to remain strong in the market, backbone of its performance so far and this is part of what will attract a partner to go into joint venture with company A. W- Weaknesses Where they have been lagging behind, and affecting the company performance, it may be new technology innovation, lacks of skills or experience staff, inadequate training, breaking into new market and many more. O- Opportunities Opportunities can be to how strong company A is where it operates, reliability, wide network of customers, government connection, fast developing market, regional growth, license, market expansion and many more. T- Threats The treats can be government policy, competitors, Intellectual property right, fakes or fraud copies etc Table 1. S.W.O.T analyses of Company A After the S.W.O.T analysis of company A, having clearly analysed the needs and the objectives of the company, then a decision can then be made on types of strategy that will be best suited for them, either growing internally to combat the threats and weaknesses analysed while making best out of their opportunities and strength ,or by sourcing for a potential partner that they both have common objectives, and make sure the SWOT analyses of the two companies complement each other. The company As decision can be to grow internally or to seek a potential partner of product or project relatedness. à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ Fig 6. (Source : Class Module) Growth of Company A At this stage, company A should be clear of the strategy best suited for them, and to assume that collaboration is the best. Then what type of collaboration and with what type of partner. How to maximise the benefit of collaborations and how to mitigate the risks should also be noted. Initial Assessments of the Potential Partners Having decided to go for collaboration (international joint venture), Initial assessment of the potential partners is very essential at this stage before going into details or make any commitment to avoid some of the risks attached to forming a joint venture, which is money and time wasting. In doing this, the following factors need to be considered : Objectives : the objectives of the two companies should be common and complement each other. Backgrounds : knowing about the companies background is important, knowing about their past, present and future intention records. Reputation : integrity of the company going into business with is important as people tend to judge you by the company you keep. Check what people say about them in terms of trust and reputation and also the success of collaboration they have had in the past if there is any. There should be a clear indication that trust can be build inside the relationship. Reliability : the company must be reliable to trade with. Experience : also it should be checked if they have had any collaboration experience in the past, then what was the outcome of it, if it was a success or failure, What type of management team do they work? Capital : they must be financially secured and they do not have credit problems and free from debt . Culture : the culture of the potential partners must be well read and understood. In international joint venture, cultural issues need to be taking care of as different cultural background sees contracts different ways. Structure ; also the structure in which they operate must be understood, also their mission, vision and values must be clearly considered and check if the joint venture can work. Performance : the way they perform in the market is also important, their level of performance in satisfying their customers and suppliers also need to be considered. Their production performance is also important. Product : the brand value should complement each other . These are the characteristics to look for in a potential partner and these factors can be known by checking the websites of the potential partners, company magazines, company reports (quarterly, mid-year, or annual), journals, trade publications, consultants, investment banks, collaboration track records, their suppliers and customers, ex- employee, newspapers and/or from the proposal sent from the potential partner. Tactical planning The next stage is the tactical planning and analysis, it is one of the most important aspect to consider when selecting a partner, having gotten SWOT analyses of your company and all the companies involved. Analyses Company A Potential partner A Potential partner B S- strengths à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ W- weaknesses à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ O- opportunities à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¡ T- threats Table 2. S.W.O.T Analyses Comparison These allows to compare the general features of each of the potential partners with company As S.W.O.T analysis to check which ones complement each other , and to make initial consideration of the company that can be collaborated with. Key issues and objectives at this stage need to be analysed from these S.W.O.T analysis, and the type of options each company can offer in terms of working together. If collaboration is the best, then what type can be the best for each of the potential partners. Which partner share the common strategy with company A. Also what can be the benefits and risk of forming joint venture with each company need to be carefully accessed. Also at this stage, evaluation and initial assessment of most suitable partner attributes is next. Then the objectives must be clearly defined . it must be S.M.A.R.T. S- Specific M- measurable A- achievable R- realistic and T- time bound The following factors are must be carefully considered when selecting a partner : Cultural issues In international joint venture, cooperation between different partners of different cultures can be a major challenge. In America tends to be individualist and not group oriented but unlike the Japanese that practices collectivist and are group oriented. Aimin and Yadong,(2001), Said one partner may impose its cultural values and norms on the other partner without even consider what the latter attribute might be. And later said that Americans are not very good in learning from their partners as Japanese does, so many foreign companies uses joint venture as an easy way of gaining access to America market and technology. And apart from the national culture, company operational culture need to be well access and make sure that there is compatibility in organisational and management practices with potential partner. Other factors that need to be taking into consideration about cultural issues when forming an international joint ventures are : Language : the language of the contract must be well understood. Since it is international joint venture, it is most likely that the companies comes from a very different nationality, so there must be a common language agreed upon to be used in meetings. Moreover if it is difficult to communicate better in that language, then a competent interpreter that can easily understand the two languages can be used and to be more clear and perfect, two interpreters can be used. The language must be well understood with no hidden agenda. Negotiation : negotiation in international joint venture require a very good management team in order to be successful. The strength and success of o joint venture depends on the interactions of its people. The team must have the experience, skills and attribute it takes to manage joint venture or people with moderate experience but motivated and committed to gain more knowledge. The management team consider the following factors ; Possible outcome : it is essential to outline what the possible outcome of company A and even the potential partners can be. Either it will be a win-lose or win-win approach or mixed. Alternative to agreement : also Company A need to have in mind what can be the best alternative to what they have already agreed on, and also what can be the best alternative for the potential partners as well. Then Company A should find a creative ways to strengthen their own and weakens their partners alternatives. Contract termination : there must be a clear agreement on how to terminate the deal and the price at which any of the companies can breach the deal must be set and estimated for each company. Records keeping : proper record is essential in international joint venture and at the end of every meeting, they need to check what they have already agreed on and what is still open to be discussed. Build trust : the team must be very open, ask many questions for clarity, show respect and highlight complementary need and interest. Resources : a company going into collaboration might not have the full resources require available to meet the demand and may need to tap resources from the joint venture partner. Resources can be human (people), skills and training, technology, raw materials, manufacturing facilities and so on. It must be ensured that the there will be availability of full resources. Political issues The partnership should be checked if it is politically accepted in each country and political risks should be considered. It is possible for the international joint venture to be affected by the political events or political instability in a host country. Also when there is a change in political relationship between the two countries, it may also have an implication on the joint venture. The system of government of the host country, political stability, laws and regulations, existence of other governing bodies must be taken into account. In order to plan ahead of any unforeseen political risk, an insurance policy need to be done and there must be an agreement on financial and operating policies. Financial issues This is another critical aspect of joint venture, it is very important in choosing a joint venture partner. There must be negotiation and the involved parties should agreed on the financial requirements. Financial status or position of all parties involved, debt etc. should be checked Partners market credibility : the market credibility of all the potential partners should be considered Partnership records : their financial performance in the previous partnership they had in the past. Capital contribution : the percentage of capital contribution of each partner should be clearly stated Raising capital : in case there will be a need to raise capital, this can be overdraft, short or long loan, government sources etc. likely source must be outlined Working capital : the capital needed while working must be agreed upon Shareholding : the ownership right of each company should be stated and clear Financial management structure Transaction risk : to avoid transaction risk due to unstable foreign exchange market, trade in home currency or open foreign bank account in the country where the partner comes from. E.g if companies from US and Uk form a partnership, there can be a an account in US Dollars and another in Pounds Sterling to run the project. Taxation (import and export) :different countries with different tax policy, it is very important to discuss the percentage of taxation in the country, the import and export rate Board of directors : the board of directors should be decided. Chairman : the chairman of the joint venture must be decided Governance : the rule of the countries to govern the joint venture Role definition : each party role must be stated clearly Profit share : the percentage of sharing profit between the parties must also be agreed upon. Inflation : possible solution in case of inflation in any of the countries must be taken into account. Resources availability : resource availability in terms of assets, equipment, rent, intellectual property right must be well planned. Legal issue In joint venture company, legal agreement is essential and this can be by word of mouth, gentlemens agreement, memorandum of understanding (MOU), detailed specification, evergreen, full contracts and many more (class module). In international joint venture, the following issues must be considered Governing law : the law of the country to govern the contract must be agreed upon. Payment method : there must be an agreement on the type of payment method accepted. IPR : the right of each partner in terms of Intellectual Property Right must be stated. Patent right, copyright, trademarks etc must also be considered. Termination : it should be stated under which condition can any partner terminate the contract. Common events that terminates contracts are When the contract expires Change of goal of one of the partners Breach of contract by any of the parties Financial or legal issue. Responsibilities : what is expected from each party need to be understood Financial right : they must know their financial right. Veto power : there must not be a partner enforcing power on the other Communication : the way in which communication will be transferred from place to place must be addressed. Managerial right : the level in which each company will operate in terms of management must be stated. Capital : what each partner will contribute and what they will get out of it in terms of profit, product etc Transfer of share : there must be a mutual agreement on the share transfer, normally the parties entering into a joint venture is not expected to transfer its share to third party without the consent of its joint venture partner. Agreement : the management team must ensure that there is a proof of agreement between the partners. Language : the language of the contract must be plain and well understood by the joint venture companies. Criteria for selecting a partner Clear definitions and Common Objectives : select a partner that brings no hidden agenda when negotiating with them, the objectives must complements each other and there must be an evidence that the parties need each other, the language of the contract must be well understood. Strategy clarity and compatibility : the strategy of company A and the potential partner must be very clear, well understood and compatible with each other. Financial strength : it is advisable to partner with a company that has a very strong financial base as it was explain in this module. Mutual benefit : win-win attitude and approach is the ideal for the joint venture partner there must be a low risk of either of the partners becoming a competitor. Previous track records : it is not advisable to go into joint venture with a company that has a poor track record in terms of partnership, financial or customers satisfaction. Management : Culture compatibility : as different companies from different countries operates on different culture, there must be a clear understanding of the potential partner culture in compatible the your Compatibility of CEOs and Senior managers Market power : how strong the potential partner are in the market, customers satisfaction, suppliers relationship Overseas experience : the experience they have in doing business outside their parent country, how it was managed and the success stories they have had in the past. Product relatedness : the products of the joint venture companies must supplement each other, there must be product relatedness. Proper match : there must be proper match in terms of objectives, strength, weakness, opportunities, weakness, culture, financial capability, product relatedness, strategy and so on. There must not be gaps left behind or overlook. Common Objectives Strength Strength More opportunities Less threats

global anomie :: essays research papers

Global anomie, dysnomie, and economic crime: Hidden consequences of neoliberalism and globalization in Russia and around the world TRANSNATIONAL CRIME HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED A PROMINENT PLACE IN PUBLIC debates. It is commonly presented as the most significant crime problem at the turn of the millennium (Myers, 1995-1996; Shelley, 1995). Many have even suggested that it represents a serious domestic and international security threat (Paine and Cillufo, 1994; Williams, 1994). The argument is also made that a wave of transnational crime undermines neoliberal policies and the functioning of an increasing number of market economies around the globe (Handelman, 1995; Shelley, 1994). As a consequence, the proposed remedies are often quite drastic and involve undercover operations, privacy-piercing approaches, and the participation of intelligence services in the fight against global crime (Andreas, 1997; Naylor, 1999; Passas and Blum, 1998; Passas and Groskin, 1995). Yet, little attention and virtually no systematic research has been devoted to understanding the causes, structure, extent, and effects of serious cross-border misconduct (Passas, 1998). The risks it poses may be grossly exaggerated (Naylor, 1995; Lee, 1999). The draconian measures being contemplated and implemented in different countries, therefore, are essentially an exercise in shooting in the dark. Chances are good that the target will be missed and substantial "collateral damage" may be caused by ill-conceived policies in this "war" on crime. This risk is particularly high in countries in transition toward a market democracy. It would be much wiser, thus, to carefully study the problem before taking ineffective and possibly damaging actions. This article seeks to make a contribution by concentrating on the causes of transnational economic crime. The main argument is that, contrary to conventional wisdom, neoliberalism and globalization contribute to processes leading to global anomie, dysnomie, and, ultimately, economic misconduct. They do so by activating the criminogenic potential of economic, political, legal, and cultural asymmetries, as well as by creating new such asymmetries (Passas, 1999). These asymmetries cause crime by furnishing opportunities for misconduct, by generating motives for actors to take advantage of such opportunities, and by weakening social controls. More specifically, means-ends disjunctions are systematically created, as neoliberal policies foster new needs and desires that are all too often left unfulfilled. Promises of more freedom, prosperity, and happiness for a larger number of people have turned out to be chimerical. Economic and power inequalities have widened within and across countrie s in the last two decades. The number of poor has reached unprecedented levels, while welfare programs and safety nets are reduced or abolished. global anomie :: essays research papers Global anomie, dysnomie, and economic crime: Hidden consequences of neoliberalism and globalization in Russia and around the world TRANSNATIONAL CRIME HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED A PROMINENT PLACE IN PUBLIC debates. It is commonly presented as the most significant crime problem at the turn of the millennium (Myers, 1995-1996; Shelley, 1995). Many have even suggested that it represents a serious domestic and international security threat (Paine and Cillufo, 1994; Williams, 1994). The argument is also made that a wave of transnational crime undermines neoliberal policies and the functioning of an increasing number of market economies around the globe (Handelman, 1995; Shelley, 1994). As a consequence, the proposed remedies are often quite drastic and involve undercover operations, privacy-piercing approaches, and the participation of intelligence services in the fight against global crime (Andreas, 1997; Naylor, 1999; Passas and Blum, 1998; Passas and Groskin, 1995). Yet, little attention and virtually no systematic research has been devoted to understanding the causes, structure, extent, and effects of serious cross-border misconduct (Passas, 1998). The risks it poses may be grossly exaggerated (Naylor, 1995; Lee, 1999). The draconian measures being contemplated and implemented in different countries, therefore, are essentially an exercise in shooting in the dark. Chances are good that the target will be missed and substantial "collateral damage" may be caused by ill-conceived policies in this "war" on crime. This risk is particularly high in countries in transition toward a market democracy. It would be much wiser, thus, to carefully study the problem before taking ineffective and possibly damaging actions. This article seeks to make a contribution by concentrating on the causes of transnational economic crime. The main argument is that, contrary to conventional wisdom, neoliberalism and globalization contribute to processes leading to global anomie, dysnomie, and, ultimately, economic misconduct. They do so by activating the criminogenic potential of economic, political, legal, and cultural asymmetries, as well as by creating new such asymmetries (Passas, 1999). These asymmetries cause crime by furnishing opportunities for misconduct, by generating motives for actors to take advantage of such opportunities, and by weakening social controls. More specifically, means-ends disjunctions are systematically created, as neoliberal policies foster new needs and desires that are all too often left unfulfilled. Promises of more freedom, prosperity, and happiness for a larger number of people have turned out to be chimerical. Economic and power inequalities have widened within and across countrie s in the last two decades. The number of poor has reached unprecedented levels, while welfare programs and safety nets are reduced or abolished.

Autism Research Paper

1 Autism is a social, mental, and physical condition that affects children and adults every year. Many families have dealt and are dealing with the struggles that accompany this disease. Autism can affect a person in various ways, and there are many different forms that can range from mild to severe. Autism stays with a person throughout their whole life. It is believed that two to six of every thousand people on the Earth suffer from autism. American psychiatrist Leo Kanner came up with the name Autism in the 1940’s from the Greek word for self. Chez, 20) There is no known cause or treatment for this disease as of today, but researchers are learning more every day. One parent described her child, saying, â€Å"There was no joy, no sadness, no curiosity, no connection, nothing. † (Seroussi, 28) There are many symptoms of Autism. These symptoms can be displayed as early as birth, or as late as adulthood, but most cases appear in young children. These symptoms can also ra nge in severity. Some cases are undiagnosed because of the subtleness of the symptoms, while others make it impossible for a person to function on their own.Some of these symptoms can be mental, but most of the recognized signs of Autism are physical. There are also many different kinds of Autism. There is Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD). Each of these come with their own set of symptoms, and affect a person differently. Most people just clump all of these conditions together as Autism, but the â€Å"scientific† term for these syndromes is â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorders† or â€Å"Pervasive Developmental Disorders. † 2The symptoms of Autism can be mental or physical. The mental aspect of Autism can hinder a child from being able to communicate and interact with others. There are many combinations of the symptoms that can change a way a child intera cts in many different forms. There are three main parts of a child’s social life that Autism can affect. Autism can cause abnormal social interactions, abnormal communication, and/or restrictive or repetitive interests and behaviors. (Chez, 32) Abnormal social interaction comes in a variety of forms. There could be a failure to seek comfort in ones parent or a lack of eye contact.Some children won’t respond to their name being called or won’t want to play with other children. Most Autistic children don’t understand social behaviors necessary to interact safely and normally with others. This tends to lead the children into isolation. There is also a sense of abnormal communication linked to Autism. Most Autistic children don’t develop their language as early as normal children would. Some children wont ever develop any type of verbal language. They will learn sign language, or other forms of hand gestures. They use facial expressions to communicate with others.Some children will talk endlessly about one subject, going on for hours and hours about the same thing. Autistic children tend to take words literally and speak very precisely. Some suffer from echolalia, which is repeating what is said but not actually replying or responding to a question or statement. Finally, Autism can present with restrictive or repetitive interests or behaviors. Some children will find an interest in one certain thing or subject. One child might have an obsession with clocks, another with airplanes, and another with calendars.A child could find an interest in 3 anything you could possibly imagine. They usually spend all of their time nurturing this interest, and don’t think much about anything else. They will also isolate themselves in that way. Some children suffer from repetitive movements such as hand flapping, rocking, or head banging. Some suffer from OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. They will do things such as placing all their t oys in a row instead of playing with them, or organizing things to such an extent that some would find it unnecessary.Most Autistic children insist on everything being the same, and don’t know how to react to any type of change. One parent described her child, saying, â€Å"His screams sounded like a foreign language. † (Seroussi, 25) She also said her child suffered from obsessive clapping, patting his head, and touching the table constantly. Another child would sit and watch the family fishes for hours a day and would just walk back and forth on the gravel in the driveway. He sat and screamed for hours also. He also suffered from a lack of communication. He could never say what he wanted.He just pointed and screamed. Another child cried constantly. He would cry when he didn’t get his bottle. But that wasn’t all. He would cry the second he woke up every single morning. He could cry for at least half an hour after every single nap he took, and nothing see med to help ever. Any parent of an Autistic child can relate to these stories. The symptoms of this disease can also be physical. Some children can suffer from various conditions such as reflux, insomnia, or ear infections. Few children will suffer 4 from â€Å"glue ear† which is an inflammation in the middle section of the ear.There is usually fluid build up that may or may not be infected. This can cause an excruciating earache. Some children will suffer from eczema, high fevers, or seizures. Others can have chronic nonspecific diarrhea or a language delay. It is believed that 40-50% of children suffering from autism also suffer from gastrointestinal reflux. Some may also suffer from chronic constipation. Some children may have constantly shaking limbs. It has been seen that some children will get autoimmune diseases. As you can see, there is an array of other symptoms that can accompany Autism.Some children can experience most of these, while others will experience barely any. Each case is different, and each family has their own way of dealing with these symptoms. There are many things that are believed to be causes of Autism, and many different types of Autism. Three main things that are believed to cause Autism are environmental factors, dietary deficiencies, and genetics. There is an abnormality in the development of the brain in Autistic children. All of the symptoms are too complex for one part of the brain to be able to cause them all though.It has been discovered that there are lower numbers of Purkinje cells in the brains of Autistic children. These cells are very important and vital to coordination of movement. This discovery may suggest that these cells may play a role in the planning or function part of ones brain. Scientists are currently trying to find out what part of the reduction of these cells causes all of Autisms many symptoms. Usually children with Autism are born with a smaller head 5 than normal, and experience great growth in their first year. This is believed to be an environmental cause of Autism.Some scientists think that if a pregnant woman is exposed to rubella (German measles) or other drugs it can cause a child to develop Autism. Some people would believe that since most Autistic children have trouble learning, they could receive a simple diagnosis of mental retardation. But this is not so. Children who are mentally retarded usually present with a smaller brain size than normal. But most children with Autism have a larger brain than others. This suggests that even though Autism and mental retardation sometimes present together, the causes of both are completely different from one another.There are many different difficulties with diagnosing Autism. Some parents are believed to have a mental disorder, or their doctors don’t believe them. They think they are overreacting to what is a normal childhood. But these parents know that there is something wrong with their child. Some parents will los e sleep and seem very anxious, leading the doctors to believe there is something wrong with them and not the child. One mother even suffered flashbacks. One parent said â€Å"You cant compare him to Laura- she was so precocious. Boys talk later than girls do. He’s had so many ear infections.Alan didn’t talk until he was three. My next-door neighbors son didn’t talk until he was four. †(source 2 p 23) There are many different factors in the diagnosis process that can hinder a family or doctor from getting the correct diagnosis. 6 Once a child has received the diagnosis of Autism, doctors still have to sort through all of the different types of Autism. Some children will suffer from Aspergers syndrome. They are characterized as being very fluent in language. They tend to have anxiety or seek attention. Some children can suffer from OCD or spelling of phonic issues.There can also be sleep dysfunction or epilepsy in these children. Most children will present with social awkwardness, anger issues or violence, or appear lost. Some will have a sensitivity to touch or noise. Children with Rett syndrome tend to present with breathing problems. These can be very difficult for a parent to watch. Some will present with apraxia, floppy looking arms or legs, or bluish arms or legs caused by poor circulation. Children with PDD-NOS tend to seem eager to make friends, but may not act normally around others. They tend to end up being very close with their parents.Most PDD-NOS children cannot read facial expressions or interpret the feelings of others. They also tend to have delayed speech. CDD is characterized by at least two years of normal development, followed by loss of language, social skills, and motor skills before age ten. It is important to note that every case is different, and some children can present with none of these symptoms, while others will seem to have all of them. There are many different ways to â€Å"treat† Autism. Some families will try to restrict a childs diet or change the types of activities they take part in.Others will try therapy. There is no known cure for Autism as of today, but researchers are working together to attempt at finding a way to get rid of this life changing disease. A child with Autism has several doctors. Most children will have a regular pediatrician, a pyschatrist, 7 a neurologist, a diatrician, and a developmental pediatrician. (Chez, 54) Each of these doctors plays a very important role in the treatment and management of Autism. One form of treatment for some families is diet. Some families will try to exclude certain foods or food groups from a childs diet.One mother said that even though she knew her son loved milk and cheese, she deicided to exclude any and all dairy products from his diet. These effects can be positive or negative. One family noted that when there was no dairy in their childs diet, they saw an improvement in eye contact. Another family saw that when they switched their child to pure cows milk, things took a turn for the worse. Another family noticed that their child craved wheat constantly. They decided to limit his amount of it, and noticed a slight improvement.Removal of gluten (a protein found in barley, rye, oats, and wheat) and casein (a protein found in dairy products), is what is known as a Gluten Free, Casein Free diet, or GFCF. There is no scientific research behind the hypothesis of GFCF, but many families have noted that it has regulated many of the habitual behaviors. Some families believe that diet can be a main cause of Autism, and changing their child’s eating habits can help to change their symptoms. The other option of treatment is to try some kind of therapy. Most families will try therapy at one point or another.Some will try behavioral intervention, where a child is rewarded for â€Å"normal† behaviors. There is also the option of behavioral analysis, where a doctor or therapist will observe a child and try to â€Å"fix† some abnormal behaviors. Some families will turn to drug therapy, which has been reported to reduce 8 some repetitive behaviors. Some children will be put on a regimen of antipsychotics, mood stabilizing meds, and/or stimulants or non-stimulants. Some families will try to cure their child through various immunizations. There have been immunizations of brain fluid and spinal tissue in the past.Sometimes serum samples can be used. There are a variety of treatments, but one thing is very important to realize. One type of treatment could work wonders for one child, but have no affect on another. Each child is different, and each case varies. â€Å"Would I do anything for my child? What would I risk to save a stranger’s child? Will I fight this thing, beat it down until it exists no more to torture innocent families? This goal will become part of my life, my daily purpose, my reason for living. I have no choice. I will be driven in a way that I never dreamed I could, and I will not rest until the beast has been slain. (Seroussi, 61) This quote shows how any family would do anything for their child. Autism is a social disease that affects hundreds of thousands. The affects of Autism aren’t seen in just the child though, as you can see. A family will also suffer. They will deal with the stress and difficulty of raising a child who at times cannot communicate, and will have many health issues. A family can be torn apart by this, or come closer together. In the end, it’s all about the love that said family shares for one another, and their precious child.

Comparison of the lives of American, Chinese and Thai women

Recent decades have witnessed enormous and far-reaching demographic changes in the lives of American, Chinese and Thai women. These changes touch almost every aspect of life -education, marriage, divorce, employment, sexual behavior, childbearing, and living arrangements. In fact, it is difficult to avoid the media's persistent messages regarding the new woman.We know that women are entering higher levels of education in unprecedented numbers, going into professions traditionally reserved for men, delaying marriage and remaining employed after they are married as well as after their first child is born, divorcing at higher rates, and heading a greater number of households. It is not surprising to find these changes the subject of intensive study by social scientists, policymakers, market researchers, as well as the media. From the perspective of the individual woman, the creation of a family through marriage is a major event.It changes her relationship to the family from which she ca me and provides her with a new set of roles, responsibilities, commitments, and expectations. It is a significant transition in the life course, one that has historically marked the entry into adulthood. The marital behavior of American women has significantly changed in recent decades, and this change has signaled a shift in the relationship of individual women to the family as a social institution and in the way women organize their lives.To begin with, changes in marital behavior since the 1950s point to a significant decline in the importance of marriage in the lives of American women. This decline is being met with a rise in the importance of the primary individual. More women are expected to remain single throughout their lives, those who do marry are marrying later, and marriages are more likely to end in divorce. Consequently, women are spending a smaller proportion of their lives married. Delayed marriage is related to the increasing numbers of young women living alone.Howe ver, the majority of Chinese women, rural and urban, it is still within the context of the family and in their performance of familial roles that they are judged. A fine worker who neglects her husband and beats her children is a bad woman. A fine worker who neglects his wife and beats his children is a fine worker. There have been major changes in the family in urban China. It is most certainly not the buffer (or barrier) it once was between women and the state, but it remains the unit of consumption, the primary caring unit for the weak, ill, or elderly, and its proper functioning is still seen as women's responsibility.Here again, the rural family reflects the vast differences in China between city and countryside. Although it is no longer the only unit of production, that function in 1981 being shared with the production team, it still provides much of the family's resources, and much of that production is women's responsibility (Ebrey 1990). More importantly, even though the ru ral family is now a setting from which women of certain ages go out for varying periods of time to interact with the work world of men, it is still the natural habitat of women. Thai Family Law within the Civil Code contains many outright discriminatory items.For example, if a woman engaged to be married has sexual relations with a man other than her fiance, her fiance is entitled to terminate the engagement and seek compensation from the third party. An engaged woman does not have reciprocal rights. Similarly, if a spouse seeks a judicial divorce (as opposed to a divorce based on mutual consent), the husband is able to divorce his wife on the grounds of adultery but the wife cannot use this reason against her husband without proof that the husband has maintained and honored the ‘other woman' as his wife ( NCWA 1995).Currently the marriage registration system affords women no protection from bigamous husbands, and neither do they provide women with protection against sexual ab use, sexual harassment, rape or domestic violence (NCWA 1995). Domestic violence (especially wife beating) is major family problem in Thai society but it remains underreported because of the social stigma attached to the victims and the perpetrators. One study on Status of Women and Fertility in Thailand conducted in 1993 interviewed 2800 women and found that one-fifth (approximately 600 women) reported having been beaten by their husbands.The highest concentration of women who had experienced domestic violence was in Bangkok. About 13 per cent of Bangkok women reported being beaten regularly and 47 per cent of these remained in the relationship within a submissive role, neither retaliating nor leaving (Chayovan et al. 1995). Traditionally Thai customs have discouraged marriage at a young age and the impact of urbanization and socio-economic development have reinforced this tendency leading to an increase in marriage age among Thais (Limanonda 1992).The last four census figures indi cate that the age at first marriage for women has risen from 21. 6 in 1960 to 23. 5 in 1990. Nonetheless marriage is still the overwhelming choice with only a small number of Thais remaining single by the age of 50 (Limanonda 1992). The divorce rate is increasing especially in Bangkok where remarriage among younger divorcees is quite high. This increase in the marriage dissolution rate has resulted in a growing number of female heads-of-households. From the 1994 Household Survey, out of the total 15. 8 million households counted, 3.2 million households (about 20. 1 per cent) were headed by women and these households had an average of 3. 2 family members. The average age of these women heads was 51 years old. The low levels of education and income prevalent among these single female heads of-households signifies a considerable burden for the women involved since they would most likely be the major provider of the economic and emotional needs of their household members. Chinese and Am erican attitudes toward men and women differ even in situations in which sexual attraction theoretically should have no importance.Many American women today share in the public life of the nation. A majority of them have gone to school with men, worked in the same offices with them, shared identical or similar interests with them, and have even fought them on broad social, political, and economic issues. American women can count among their ranks doctors, lawyers, high government officials, professors, industrial and commercial executives as well as laborers, police, clerks, and members of the armed services. One hundred years after the Opium War only a small minority of Chinese women enjoyed comparable distinctions.They also could name among themselves workers in various professions and occupations, no less than crusaders against social evils deeply embedded in Chinese tradition, but these few women towered above the illiterate majority who either did not hear about the privileged ones or looked upon them with idle curiosity. The reason for this lack of confidence is, however, not so obscure. To begin with, it is connected with the fact that many American women who work outside the home feel defensive. This is one arc of a vicious circle, for the more defensive women feel, the less confidence men will have in them.Why do educated American women who have had lengthy experience in a man's world feel more defensive than their educated Chinese sisters who have but recently obtained equality and are only a small minority? The answer again lies in the underlying psychological patterns of the two groups. In the American individual-centered pattern of thought, sex, being diffused, appears whenever men and women meet. The boundaries defining when sex does or does not apply are simply not clear. Sexual attraction occurs without reference to time, role, and place.In the Chinese pattern, sex, being relegated to particular areas of life, does not pervade every aspect of l ife. Therefore, the Chinese male will react very differently to a show girl and to a woman professor. In the same way, the Chinese female will view different males from the standpoint of their diverse stations in life. To put it more plainly, for Americans, sex differences tend to overshadow situation. For Chinese, situation tends to overshadow sex. An American woman is always prepared to use her womanly charms whether her business is with a store clerk, her landlord, or her husband.She is likely to be pleased by any sign that her beauty is appreciated, whether the complimentary word or glance comes from a bus conductor, her pupils, or a business associate. Even a modern Chinese woman is sure to bring humiliation upon herself if she copies her American sisters in this respect. For in her culture, female charms and beauty are sexual matters, and should therefore be reserved for a woman's lover or husband, or at least for a man whom she might marry. On the other hand, the American wom an is, in male eyes, never separated from the qualities of her sex, even if her work has no connection with them.She feels defensive because the male resents her intrusion into what he considers his world, and he is resentful because she brings with her the advantage of her sex in addition to her professional abilities. The Chinese woman's sexual attractions belong to her husband or fiance alone. She can safely invoke them only in the privacy of her marital situation. But for this very reason, once she has achieved a new occupational or professional status, the Chinese woman tends to be judged in male eyes by her ability and not by her sex.With sex confined to the specific areas of marriage or prostitution, working females have no need to be defensive when entering into traditionally male activities, and males have no cause to view them as transgressors. A socially desexed female is just as good as a socially desexed male. The system of resolving sexual transgression may come to a s tandstill in the case of transgression that crosses ethnic boundaries. We have seen that sexual morality is embedded in the communal social order primarily of the woman's community.Matters are settled within the community, or between Karen communities with shared understanding of the processes for amending the breach. What happens, then, when a breach takes place with those for whom such sanctions are meaningless? The cooling ritual and subsequent marriage cannot be enforced. From a comparative perspective women in Thailand have suffered less discrimination than women in China. Indeed, gender relations in three Thai Kingdoms of Sukhothai, Ayudhaya, and Ratanakosin provided a positive template for the inscribing of a better status for women in the twentieth century.Even in this context the improvement in the status of women since the 1970s has been dramatic. Women's activities have expanded in all spheres as a result of the economic growth of the nation and the accompanying social po licy initiatives of successive governments, academic institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Religious practice has supported the participation of women in worship. In Thai Buddhism a child should aim to gain spiritual merit for his/her parents in order to demonstrate gratitude to the parents for giving life to the child.Sons can perform this act of filial gratitude by joining monasteries and becoming monks. This avenue is not open to women but the exclusion of women does not imply that men have superior status to women. Daughters have other mechanisms for repaying debts of gratitude to parents that are equally as valid—they are simply different from those of sons. There is a clear shift in the nature of women's participation in the national economy since the 1970s. Women have joined the wage-labor force in greater numbers than ever before with the expansion in jobs outside of the dominant agricultural sector.Traditionally agriculture was the main focus of eco nomic activity for Thais and women were an integral part of the agricultural labor force. Women produced a considerable proportion of family and national income from their agricultural activities and played significant roles in marketing and selling the family produce and controlling the family finances (Chayovan et al. 1995). The rapid industrialization of the Thai economy over the past two decades coupled with the globalization of the international labor market have combined to generate large numbers of Thai women migrating from their homes to other centers for employment (Mills 1999).Women comprised the majority of those entering the Bangkok metropolitan area as the opportunities in the service and industrial sectors expanded. Women were preferred employees for the new jobs such as clothing and shoe manufacturing, the sorting of transistors, the assembly of pocket calculators and the handling of microchips for computer components. Thai government planners note that in four out of seven geographical regions the net migration of the female population has been consistently higher than that of men since 1980. They predict that this trend will continue until 2010 (NESDB 1992).The majority of these female migrants move into the large urban centers, have no skills or training, many have little or no knowledge of city-life and even fewer have a network for social and moral support at their destinations. The economic downturn since 1997 has also demonstrated that unskilled women workers remain the most disposable workers. They are often the first laid-off and few have access to severance or redundancy payments. Many of these women are single-parents or heads-of-households with a group of parents or children depending on their wage.The social security system in Thailand is currently too weak to provide support for these women and their families. Labor laws that guarantee severance pay or worker's compensation need to be introduced across all sectors of the economy to ensure that these, the most vulnerable of Thailand's industrial workers, are protected. In sum, employment for women in Thailand remains concentrated in the unskilled, or semi-skilled sectors and also in the informal agricultural sectors. Thai women have made considerable progress in the last thirty years.This results from Thailand's comparatively equitable cultural traditions as well as the rapid economic development of the nation since the 1970s. However, certain groups of women remain at a severe disadvantage compared to men and consequently their potential to contribute to national development is often ignored or overlooked. The continued existence of these weak points, given Thailand's favorable economic and cultural context, suggests that many opportunities for improving the status of Thai women have been missed.As greater numbers of women enter the administrative and political realms and with the continued support of international bodies like the UN, fewer opportunities shou ld be missed in the future. At home, prostitution remains a long-term, growing and unsolved problem. Economic hardship remains the predominant reason for women to enter the sex industry. Lack of education combines with diminishing economic opportunities to create considerable incentives for women to become prostitutes (Cook 1998). Others are forced or lured into the profession by unscrupulous middle-men.Leaving their homes on the assumption that they will be working in factories, many girls find themselves tricked into prostitution instead. Some of the women traveling overseas do so illegally but the income they earn is generally sent home to support parents and siblings in desperate need. Needless to say the majority of these sex-workers work in adverse life-threatening circumstances. The illegal nature of the industry makes it very difficult to monitor numbers of women involved and the conditions under which they work.The work describes in detail a number of important changes in t he fife course of American, Chinese and Thai women. The descriptions of behavioral change are arranged in a series of specific demographic topics – educational attainment, marriage rates, fertility, etc. – and then supplemented with an analysis of women's attitudes over the last twenty years. All of these changes point to a rise in the primacy of the individual woman that is paralleled by a decline in marriage and the family.In general, these demographic changes have been driven by economic, technological, and cultural developments that have permitted women greater control over their lives. This new control is reflected in complex life-course changes that can be roughly summarized as a movement away from the orderly progression of the 1950s (student, then jobholder, then wife, then mother) to participation in several roles simultaneously. Works Cited Chayovan, Napaporn, Malinee Wongsith, Vipan Prachuabmoh Ruffolo. â€Å"A study on status of women and fertility in Thai land,† IPS Publication No.229/95 (May), Institute of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 1995. Cook, Nerida. â€Å"Dutiful daughters†, estranged sisters: women in Thailand,† Gender and Power in Affluent Asia, eds K. Sen and M. Stivens, Routledge, London, 1998. Ebrey, Patricia Buckley. â€Å"Women, Marriage, and the Family in Chinese History,† in The Heritage of China, ed. Paul Ropp. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. Limanonda, Bhassorn. â€Å"Nuptiality patterns in Thailand: their implications for further fertility decline,† Fertility Transitions, Family Structure, and Population Policy, ed.Calvin Goldscheider, Westview, Boulder, 1992. Mills, Mary Beth. Thai Women in the Global Labor Force: Consuming desires, contested selves, Rutgers University Press, Piscataway, 1999. National Commission on Women's Affairs (NCWA). Women's Development in Thailand. A report prepared by the National Committee for International Cooperat ion for the World Conference of the United Nations Decade for Women, Nairobi, Kenya (15-26 July), n. p. , Bangkok, 1995. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB). Population Projections for Thailand 1980-2015, NESDB, Bangkok, 1992.