Review of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare...

Review of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Shakespeare wrote the Merchant of Venice, it is one of Shakespeares less known plays because the original manuscripts were lost but the play did re-surface in the 1600s. In Shakespeares time there was only one Jew in England, he name was Rodrigo Lopez. He was the Queens Physician and was only half Jew. He was tried and executed. Shakespeare probably never met a Jew so he may have got his attitudes towards Jews from his experiences of them; he may also have†¦show more content†¦The courtroom scene is one of the most important scenes because everyone is on stage and it is the penultimate scene of the play. Act IV Scene I is a stage for Shakespeare to present his ideas to the audience, he shows the Duke using derogatory language towards Shylock to show the attitudes of Venice towards Jews and he also shows us that women were not recognised in court through Nerissa and Portia dressing up as men to save Antonio. This scene also shows a change in attitude over time because in Shakespeares time a Jew having to change to a Christian was a fate worse than death because it is a spiritual death and some people would say if you cant be yourself whats the point of life. But in our time death is much worse because we are not so religious. As the scene opens, the Duke begins the dialogue with references to Shylock. The Duke uses phrases such as `That thou but leadest this fashion of thy malice, `thou art come to answer a stony adversary, an inhuman wretch to describe Shylock and his actions. Shakespeare uses this language to show how alienated Shylock is from the rest of the people in the courtroom and it also sets the scene that the trial is straight away biased because of the prejudice towards Jews. 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Cultural Inclusiveness Contributing Satisfaction

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Inclusiveness Contributing Satisfaction. Answer: Introduction It was identified that each nation has its own culturally distinct clusters. Each of those clusters reflects a shared history, religion, economic expansion, regional closeness and other factors. As mentioned by Moran et al. (2014), within each cluster, nations are parallel on three to four cultural value orientations. Anglo is a cluster that includes countries such as UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, USA and New Zealand. On the other hand, China is included in the cluster named as Confucian Asia where other countries in the same cluster are Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Initial cross cultural differences between Australia and China can be seen by understanding these two clusters. Anglo cluster reflects individualism, insolence and extravagance. Within this cluster, people of different nation including Australia reflect a high personal goal orientation (Van den Bos et al. 2013). Here rewards are based on merit and personal achievement goals take preference over family or communal bonds. China belongs to Confucian Asia where goals are more communal and family oriented. Within in this cluster, cultural value profile describes societies with a pragmatic and entrepreneurial direction (Minkov and Hofstede 2012). Chinese people put more focus on relationships than any other matter in their life. Further cross cultural differences between Australia and China are described below using Geert Hofstede model. Power Distance As mentioned by Biddle and Swee (2012), this dimension oversees the fact that people in a society are not identical. It shows the amount to which the less influential people of associations within a nation expects and accept that power is dispersed asymmetrically. When Australia is compared with China in terms of this dimension, then it can be seen that Australias score is low that is 36 than China. Chinas score in this dimension is 80. Within Australian organization, hierarchy is developed for expediency and superiors are always available if someone is looking for help. Managers strappingly depend on individual employees and teams for their proficiency (Meadows 2013). In Australian organization information is shared recurrently where communication styles are extremely informal, direct and participative. Australian employees are not restricted within their ranks and they are allowed to provide ideas for other departments. Brainstorming is a common method used in Australian organizations where employees are allowed to provide even out of the world ideas. Score of China in this dimension is on the higher side as Chinese society strongly believes that differences and inequalities among people are acceptable. In Chinese organizations relationship trend between employees and employers is polarized. Senior employees or employees can abuse subordinates where those subordinates have no defense against it (Blowers 2014). Formal authorities are here responsible for influencing each employee that also includes sanctions. Another reason that China has a high score in this dimension is because of the people of the nation who are generally idealist. People of China are strongly optimist about others capacity for leadership and initiative. On the other hand, employees of a department are strictly instructed to perform and think about their job only (Warner 2014). They are not expected and allowed to show ambition beyond their rank or position in an organization. Individualism Individualism is a dimension where the issue related to the amount of interdependence that a civilization maintains amid its members is discussed. It deals with a major factor of a society that is whether self image of people is described in terms of We or I. Societies that are individualist, people are expected to look after themselves and their families only. On the other hand, in case of collective society, citizens mostly stick to groups that take care of them in trade for devotion. In this dimension, Australia being a highly individualist culture has a high score which is 90. This clearly indicates that society in Australia is loosely-knit where people are expected to look after themselves and their family only (Brown 2012). Same thing can be seen in case of the business organizations of Australia. In business organizations of Australia each employee is expected to become self reliant. They are also expected to show initiative. On the other hand, within the exchange-based world of work in Australia, any decision related to promotion and recruitment strictly depends on merit and experience. Previous work experience highly matters in Australia as organization want to know about what one has done or is capable to perform. China has a low score of 20 in this dimension as the nation follows a collectivist culture (Li et al. 2016). People in China act work to fulfill goals and objectives of the groups. Personal gaining and achievements are not important in this nation. As a result of this in-group deliberation hiring and promotional activities get affected in the country. It is already discussed that in Australia, recruitment and promotional activities are strictly based on the qualification and capability (Atchley et al. 2014). On the other hand, it is absolutely opposite in China. While recruiting new candidates or promoting existing candidates Chinese employers give preference to family members or employees who are deeply influenced by them. In china it is also seen that commitment of employees towards the organization is comparatively low than the employees of Australia. However, employees show more commitment to the people with whom they are working. On the other hand, it is also true that in some o rganizations of China relationship among the employees is cold and hostile. In China, personal relationship gains more preference over organizational goals and company (Liu et al. 2013). Masculinity Masculinity is also known as manhood, manliness or boyhood. It is a set of behaviors, attributes and roles that are commonly related with men and boys. According to Koopmann-Holm and Tsai (2014), masculinity is a socially constructed characteristics but it is made up with biologically created and socially constructed factors. It has been found that both males and females can show masculine characteristics (Vaiman and Brewster 2015). It includes traits such as assertiveness, independence, and courage. All these traits change in accordance to context and location. Vaiman and Brewster (2015) stated that, these factors are also influenced by cultural and social factors. Liu et al. (2013) argued that over-importance on masculinity is related with disregarded responsibility and consequences. High score in this dimension (Masculine) means the society will be driven by factors such as success, achievement and competition. It is a value system that starts from school and continues throughout the life (Vaiman and Brewster 2015). On the other hand low score in this dimension (Feminine) means dominant factors in the society are such as quality of life, caring for others. It has been found that, Australia and China both score high in this dimension. Australia scores 61 in the dimension, while China scores 66 in this dimension. Hence, both the countries can be considered as masculine. In Australia, it has been found that behaviour in school; play and work are based on their shared value of success (Rallapalli and Montgomery 2015). They always try to be the best that they can be. They believe that the winner takes all. Koopmann-Holm and Tsai (2014) stated that, Australians are always feel proud of their successes and their achievements in life. All the hiring decisions and promotional decisions in Australian companies are taken on the basis of this characteristic. In case of country China, it has been found that Chinese people can sacrifice their personal life, leisure and family to give priority to work (Koopmann-Holm and Tsai 2014). For this reason, the country score 66 in this dimension. For example, service providers like hairdressers can give servi ce until very late night. Migrated farmers can sacrifice their family in order to get better job opportunities (Geert-hofstede 2016). Chinese students care very much about their scores and rank in exam. All these are prior example of masculine society. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance is the dimension that defines how the civilization deals with the information that the future is unknown (Vaiman and Brewster 2015). This dimension brings apprehension with it. Dissimilar cultures have learnt different systems to deal with anxiety. According to Koopmann-Holm and Tsai (2014), the degree to which members of a culture feel endangered by unknown situation and shaped viewpoint to shun these situations is reflected in the score of uncertainty avoidance. It has been found that people with high uncertainty avoidance tend to be more rational. Doris et al. (2015) stated that these types of people always try to avoid unknown and uncertain circumstances. They follow all the rules, laws and regulations step by step. On the other hand, people belong to low uncertainty avoidance are comfortable around unstructured situations and dynamic environments. These people are considered as more pragmatic and they are tolerant change. The country Australia has scored 51 (Intermediate) in this dimension. The government of the country has developed different rules and regulations in order to control international business, organizational behaviour, international negotiation and communication (Spencer et al. 2015). On the other hand, China has score very low (30) in this dimension. Tawagi and Mak (2015) stated that, in the immediate social circle of Chinese people, truth is a relative term. All the rules and laws are becoming flexible so that they become suitable with the actual situation. Pragmatism is considered as a part of Chinese social life. According to Ferraro and Brody (2015), Chinese feel comfortable with uncertainty and they are tolerant change. In fact all the Chinese languages are full of many uncertain meaning, which are tough to follow by Western people. Chinese people are considered as entrepreneurial and adaptable (Veal et al. 2015). It has been found that majority of the Chinese organizations are sm all or medium in size (70%- 80%). For this reason, the feeling of uncertainty is considered low for Chinese organizations. Long Term Orientation Vogel et al. (2015) stated that, the dimension named long term orientation describes how every civilization maintains its association with its past, while dealing with the present and future challenges. This dimensional value can be considered as very important information in organizational management and negotiations as it has strong role to play in motivation. Long term orientation can be found when people become focused on their future. Long term oriented people are willing to setback their short term communal achievement, short term material or even short term expressive fulfillment so that they can become prepared for the future. Banks (2015) stated that, having this cultural perspective means people give value to perseverance, persistence, adaptation and savings. On the contrary, short term orientation is more focused on past and present rather future. They give ample value to social hierarchy, social obligation and traditions. Short term oriented people have more immediate gra tification compare to long term fulfillment. It has been found that different societies have prioritized these two existential aims differently. Torelli et al. (2015) stated that societies which scored low in this dimension is known as normative societies. They always try to maintain time-honored traditions and norms and view the social change as suspicion. On the other hand, cultures that scores high in this dimension, takes more pragmatic approach. They always encourage the effort in modern education and always try to be prepared for the future. It has been found that, Australia has scored low (21) on this specific dimension. Hence, it can be considered as normative culture. People belong to this society has strong concern about developing absolute truth (Geert-hofstede 2016). It has been found that Australians are considered as more normative in their thinking. They have great respect for their cultures and traditions. They have small inclination towards saving their futures. They are also focused on achieving results within small period of time. Chinese culture is found to be the opposite of Australian culture in terms of long term orientation. China has scored high (87) in this dimension. It means the Chinese people believe in pragmatic culture. Chinese society has more pragmatic culture. They believe that, truth highly depends on time, situation and context. Chinese people have the capability to adapt traditions comfortably in changed situation. They have strong inclination towards saving and investing on perseverance in order to achieve the result. Indulgence In accordance to Roman Catholic Church, indulgence is method reducing the amount of punishment that a person has to undergo for sins (Koopmann-Holm and Tsai 2014). It can be considered as a challenge that confronts humanity for the present and past. It is the degree to which children are getting socialized. Rallapalli. and Montgomery (2015) stated that without socialization people will not become human. The dimension of indulgence can be defined as the extent to which people can handle or control their impulses or desires, depending on the way they were raised. According to Matzler et al. (2016), strong control is known as restraint and weak control is known as indulgence. Hence, a culture can be described as restrained or indulgent. Australia has scored high in this dimension (71). Hence, Australia can be considered as an indulgent industry. People, who belong to this industry, show their willingness towards their desires and impulses. They use to enjoy their life and use to have fun in their work. Vaiman and Brewster (2015) stated that Australian people have inclination towards optimism and they are known for their positive attitudes (Marsh et al. 2015). On the contrary, China can be considered as restrained society, as it scores low (24) in this dimension in accordance to Hofstedes cultural model. Chinese society has the tendency or inclination towards pessimism and cynicism. Unlike Australian society, Chinese society does not provide much emphasis on the leisure time. Chinese people never want to manage the indulgence of their requirements. Chinese people have the awareness that their actions are totally controlled by their social norms. Conclusion In the end, it can be concluded that Australia and China have lots of cross cultural differences. The biggest difference was seen among the people of the country including their behavior and mentality. Australian people are focused on personal goals and put their professional life before their families. On the other hand, for Chinese people family comes first. They give minimum preference to organizational goals and objectives. This mentality of China is mostly seen at the times of promotion and recruitment. In Australia merit is preferred where in China relationship matters most. Society in Australia is loosely-knit where people are expected to look after themselves and their family only. On the contrary, People of China act together to fulfill goals and objectives of the groups. Personal gaining and achievements are not important in this nation. People belong to the Australian society has strong concern about developing absolute truth. It has been found that Australians are considered as more normative in their thinking. On the other hand, Chinese people believe in pragmatic culture. Chinese society has more pragmatic culture. They believe that, truth highly depends on time, situation and context. Chinese people have the capability to adapt traditions comfortably in changed situation. They have strong inclination towards saving and investing on perseverance in order to achieve the result. Reference list Atchley, P., Shi, J. and Yamamoto, T., 2014. Cultural foundations of safety culture: A comparison of traffic safety culture in China, Japan and the United States.Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour,26, pp.317-325. Bain, P., Vaes, J., Kashima, Y., Haslam, N. and Guan, Y., 2012. Folk conceptions of humanness beliefs about distinctive and core human characteristics in Australia, Italy, and China.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,43(1), pp.53-58. Banks, J.A., 2015.Cultural diversity and education. Routledge. Biddle, N. and Swee, H., 2012. The relationship between wellbeing and Indigenous land, language and culture in Australia.Australian Geographer,43(3), pp.215-232. 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There Are Two Main Reasons Why The Neo-Assyrian Empire Became So Power

There are two main reasons why the Neo-Assyrian Empire became so powerful between 934 ? 610 B.C. First, through this era, the power of Assyria was largely dependant on the success of its army (Saggs, 1962). Winer (1961) states that the Assyrian military perfected the art of war. During this time period, some 180 punitive expeditions or campaigns were launched against foreign foes, rebellious vassals or other anti-Assyrian groups (Olmstead, 1923). Second, the Assyrians developed an efficient and effective administrative system with which to maintain, supply and expand their empire. In Assyria, warfare was a way of life (Saggs, 1962) and its government was run as a military state (Winer, 1961). Early wars had been like raids; undertaken to obtain booty, settle disputes over land and water rights, or fought for military notoriety. During the second Assyrian Empire, war became a part of the state policy. The raid was replaced by a detailed and carefully planned scheme of conquest (Sayce, 1899). The Assyrian Empire maintained a powerful standing army, not only to satisfy its imperialistic appetite, but also to safeguard the King against potential rebellious provincial governors. Sayce (1899) writes that nothing was spared to make the army as effective as possible. Army discipline was raised to the highest pitch of perfection, and its weapons and uniforms constantly underwent improvements (Sayce, 1899). Part of the army was composed of mercenaries, while another part was recruited by conscription (Sayce, 1899). Almost every male citizen had to bear arms. Only the essential services of bankers, carpenters, merchants and metal workers could, under special favour of the government expect to be occasionally made exempt from military service (Trueman, 1964). The army was directly commanded by the King, or at times, his commander-in-chief, the Tartannu (Sayce, 1899). The main force of the army consisted of light and heavily armoured infantry. Both units were equipped with bows, pikes and swords. The army also contained a mobile contingent of cavalry that featured mounted archers and lancers. Slingers, archers on foot and chariots driven by three-man crews were further components of the main army. Also attached to the army were units of the King's staff officers, intelligence personnel, interpreters and scribes. Engineers accompanied the army to build bridges, boats, rafts, roads, and to construct ramps for use during a siege. Breasted (1944) states Assyrian forces were the first large armies to be extensively equipped with iron weapons. Assyrians were especially skilled in besieging cities, using battering rams to break down enemy walls. Siege towers on wheels were further used to pummel enemy cities. During its military campaigns, the Assyrians had an effective transport and supply system in place to provide for its army. The Assyrian commissariat carefully calculated everything from daily rations for its troops to the hay and straw needed to feed its horses. While captured enemy supplies were often used to feed the troops during military forays, the Assyrians also proved to be adept military planners to ensure that its army was well provisioned if such supplies were not available. A powerful army allowed the Assyrians to control the trade routes that ran from Iran and beyond to the west. Trueman (1964) states that because of Assyria's strategic position on the Fertile Crescent, only constant warfare or an empire prepared for war could maintain these east-west trade highways. Under the reign of Asasnirai II, a system of fortified posts was constructed to protect these trade routes. This practice was continued through the New-Assyrian era. Much of the military and administration efficiency of the Assyrian army rested upon a strong communication and intelligence system. After a revolt was put down, a garrison of Assyrian troops was maintained in the area. These troops were not only expected to maintain the status quo, but also to report on the possibility of any further anti-Assyrian activity. Intelligence reports of any suspected activity were passed back to the capital for evaluation. If these reports indicated an impending attack of more significant numbers than these outposts could handle, then a larger more powerful Assyrian force would be sent to address the problem. Once a revolt was put down, Assyrian justice would be quick, punitive and severe. Under Tiglath III, the Assyrian practice of deporting rebellious people to other parts

Essay Sample on Amy Tan and Her Inside Glimpse

Essay Sample on Amy Tan and Her Inside Glimpse Essay on Amy Tan: Mother Daughter Relationships There are no simple or perfect relationships between mothers and daughters. Relationships are a delicate balance between the love and emotions of two individuals. They are ever changing and evolving, and are each unique as the people in them. Amy Tans novels offer an inside glimpse into several intricate mother daughter relationships. Her characters suffer hardships as well as times of joy. There are many similarities in the mother and daughter relationships in the books by Amy Tan. One of the most difficult parts of maintaining a good relationship between mother and daughter is balancing the individual characteristics of each person. Even though daughters are truly a part of their mothers, this definitely does not mean that their personalities are at all similar. In Tan’s novels, the women that the daughters become are amazing. They face many challenges, such as homes with problems or no fathers, little to no money and problems adjusting to the American society, but they still become wonderful people in the end. Sometimes the daughters just want to be different from their mothers, to be their own independent people. This can sometimes be hard for the mothers to accept that their daughters take nothing from them. However sometimes the mothers personalities and traits aren’t the best to learn and take from. Many of the mothers in Amy Tan’s novels are having difficult times balancing the people they really are and the face they choose to show. Many of them feel that they have to hide their different Chinese heritage and ugly pasts in order to find acceptance. Lindo found it hard to keep her Chinese face that she loved in America, and before she even arrived, she had to hide her true self (Tan, Luck Club 258). When the mothers try to conceal who they truly are and try to fit in, it is sometimes for their daughters’ benefit. Ying- Ying who tried so hard to please, impress, and not embarrass her daughter, that she has been quiet for so long that she blends into the shadows and her daughter no longer hears her (Tan, Luck Club 67). Even though she was just trying to help by not embarrassing her daughter, she is just hurting her daughter in the end by not only hiding who she truly is, but also not sharing her personality and traditions with her daughter. They fear the rejection a nd persecution that they faced in China. They want a fresh start in America, even if this requires hiding who they truly are. Some of the traits that the mothers show are not always the best ones. The mothers aren’t perfect; they have negative sides to their personalities. Ruth’s mother, LuLing, got in fights because she didn’t understand others, and they didn’t understand her (Tan, Bonesetter’s 49). Winnie had a hard time forgiving people because of the horrible way she was treated in her past, and this often hurt her daughter (Tan, God’s Wife 22). Waverly’s mother always put her own feelings before her daughter’s, and decided that her daughter would be a prodigy, but whenever Waverly would fall short, her mother would make her feel horrible about herself (Tan, Luck Club 134). The daughters frequently have one common problem, in that they don’t understand their mothers. Whether it is the way that they act or the things that they say, the daughters don’t understand their mothers’ motives, intentions or true meanings. Ruth doesn’t understand how her mother thrives on argument; she turns everything negative, and it only makes her unhappy (Tan, Bonesetter’s 49). Olivia does not see how her mother bounces from man to man, hurting both the men and herself (Tan, Secret Senses 61). Waverly is constantly put down by her mother, and doesn’t know why her mother cannot accept her for who she truly is (Tan, Luck Club 172). The mothers try to hide their true personality from their daughters, only to find this hurts their relationship in the end. Their daughters end up not knowing who their mothers really are, and this ends up deeply hurting the mothers. The mothers try to not show their past or things that their daughters’ might be ashamed of. In the end though, the mothers really don’t know what would embarrass their daughters once they are grown. The mothers never realize their daughters’ maturity and wait too late to educate them. Then the project of discovering their mother’s hidden personality and past falls heavily upon the daughters’ shoulders. The discovery of their mothers’ past and heritage is a task that the daughters in the novels have to face. The death of Jing-Mei’s mother is what makes her question who her mother was, as well as the meaning of her Chinese heritage that she was trying to pass along to her children (Tan, Luck Club 44). Jing-Mei realizes that she knows nothing about her mother or the heritage she was trying all along to teach her (Tan, Luck Club 44). Ruth decides that she must take it upon herself and find out who her mother really is so she can relate to her mother before her mind is gone forever (Tan, Bonesetter’s 347). Accepting Chinese roots is one problem that most of the daughters face in the novels. As children they wanted to fit in, and therefore act and want to be American. However, this was also the time that their mothers were trying to implant the seeds of the Chinese wisdom and heritage in the girls’ hearts. These conflicting efforts usually made the girls unwilling to learn about their own history. It is not until they are older that they realize the impact and importance of their history upon them. Lena, now an adult, is realizing the importance of knowing who she is, and that Chinese heritage makes her unique (Tan, Luck Club 103). Heritage and uniqueness are something that most of the daughters didn’t want to feel growing up, but as adults have begun to embrace. Before the daughters accept their heritage, their mothers’ traditional outlooks on life embarrass them. The mothers always try to keep American culture at bay, and try to have their families embrace their Chinese culture. An-Mei had grown up ashamed of her mother’s old fashioned Chinese ways, and having them forced upon her made her only want to repel the culture more and resent her Chinese past (Tan, Luck Club 47). The resentment formed by the daughters about the culture was a common theme among the novels. Now in America, the daughters want to form their own identities separate from their mothers and become their own persons. They do not want to follow the traditional rules of their mothers; however their mothers do not understand this. They always had admired and respected their mothers’ back in China, but now their daughters wanted to be nothing like them. Lindo had wanted so much to be like her own mother when she was growing up; now that her own daughter is grown, Lindo doesn’t understand why she is ashamed to be told that she looks and acts like her mother (Tan, Luck Club 257). Ruth has known since she was a child that she wanted to be nothing like her mother; she wants to be happy and independent, not depressed like her mother has always been (Tan, Bonesetter’s 52). The daughters do not have the same values as their mothers did back in China. Another area where the values of the mothers and daughters differ is in the daughters’ taste in men. They feel that they should all have their own choices and that it is their decision, not one that their mothers can make for them. The mothers only have the best intentions; they just do not want to see their daughters unhappy or making the same mistakes as they once did. Waverly’s mother always ruined her view of the guys she thought were perfect, but when she finds a love very pure, she has to force herself to not be influenced by her mother’s demeaning words (Tan, Luck Club 176). Olivia always has to defend her husband’s actions to her mother when her mother says he isn’t good enough for her (Tan, Secret Senses 62). Rose’s mother would always badger Rose about standing up to her husband, and that he wasn’t good enough for her (Tan, Luck Club 196). Many of the mothers feel that none of the men their daughters pick is good enough, and while it aggravates the daughters, it is really just motherly love. Sometimes the mothers aren’t so different from their daughters. As women they end up going through many similar experiences. They can become lonely together, as Pearl and her mother were. Even though they were together, Peal and her mother were missing loved ones gone from their lives together (Tan, God’s Wife 33). They can go through times of grief together, as one. â€Å"And then I realized: her face, her hope, her sadness- they were mine as well† (Tan, Bonesetter’s 271). Even though they might feel separated at times or fight, they still will always have each other. One of the most impressionable times of the mothers’ lives was their life before America, and the struggle towards their new home. The mothers’ in all of the books wait until their daughters are older to tell them the stories of their pasts. They wait until they think their words will have great meaning. Sometimes waiting to tell their daughters about their past can take away some of its importance. It often leads to misunderstandings throughout the entire daughters’ lives and hurt the relationships if secrets aren’t shared. The mothers in the novels all lead very hard lives in China. Many of them suffered through wars, abuse, death, and hopelessness. They become very strong women after suffering through such hardship as young women. All of the mothers left China in search of a better life where they would no longer suffer the prosecutions that women suffered in China. Winnie was married off young, to a heartless cruel man; she was abused all throughout their marriage and even lost four children to him (Tan, God’s Wife 322). She made it to America fueled only upon her strong hate for her husband (Tan, God’s Wife 398). The mothers want only a second chance, to leave behind the painful memories of their past and start anew; they want to forget the horrible things they saw and experienced, and to forget those they loved and lost. When Winnie left China she left many things behind, she always lived in fear that her old life and husband would catch up with her (Tan, God’s Wife 81). The mothers all want to share their pasts with their daughters so that they will understand why they are the women they have become. This is usually a very difficult thing for the mothers to do, as many painful experiences are brought up. They are hopeful that their daughters will receive their stories with love and compassion, and not just dismiss what they say as they have done before. Lindo wants her daughter Waverly to recognize her past and take a piece of her with her; she desires her daughter to accept and learn her secrets (Tan, Luck Club 256). The mothers all took a different approach to telling their daughters about their past. Ruth’s mother LuLing wrote in Chinese the account of her childhood and coming to America, which she later rewrote and gave the thick stack of papers to Ruth as what she thought would be a special gift for Ruth to translate (Tan, Bonesetter’s 13). Through the secrets of their mothers’ pasts, the daughters were able to better under stand who their mothers were and to love them for who they are. There are many responsibilities in relationships, the most important being the duty of loving and caring for the other person. However where this responsibility lies in the relationship is an ever-changing question. At the early stages in the relationship more emphasis is placed upon the traditional mother – daughter roles, where the mother is basically responsible for all aspects of the daughter’s life. But as the relationships as well as the people in it mature, the responsibility shifts less from the mother and more to the daughter. She owes to her mother respect as well as her childhood. However, this is sometimes hard for the daughters to see if they remember having more responsibility placed upon them in their childhood. Wherever responsibility may lie there is no question that it exists and is present in all relationships. At times more responsibility can be placed upon the daughters at a younger age in the novels because of their mothers’ lack of American knowledge. Even though the mothers lived longer in the America, they still are not as immersed in the culture as their daughters. Ruth is linguistically superior to her mother, and ever since Ruth was ten; she had held all responsibilities in the home (Tan, Bonesetter’s 50). Having all these duties forced upon Ruth made her very resentful towards her mother (Tan, Bonesetter’s 65). In some cases motherly responsibilities are pushed onto older siblings, such as Kwan who took upon the duty of raising her young sister Olivia (Tan, Secret Senses 10-11). Olivia loves Kwan, but at the same time resents her for taking her mother’s place (Tan, Secret Senses 11). The responsibility of the daughter grows and changes, as both she and her mother get older. Ruth’s mother LuLing is senile, and it hurts Ruth to see her motherâ€⠄¢s mind faded, and she needs to protect her mother, but wants to be held and protected at the same time (Tan, Bonesetter’s 64). She has developed resentment over time holding all the responsibility for her mother. Now that both Ruth and LuLing are older, Ruth is her mother’s child and is also mother to the child that LuLing has become (Tan, Bonesetter’s 346). Love is basis for the mother daughter relationships in Amy Tan’s novels. It is what supports, holds together, and mends the relationships. It keeps the women together, through whatever might come. The love in a relationship grows and changes, but it is always still there. A mother’s love for her daughter is something that doesn’t run out, and the mothers in the novels prove this true. One belief that the mothers all share is that they always know what is right for their daughters. The mothers tend to believe that they have the natural birthright to decide what is worthy and right for their daughters. Olivia’s mother assumes that since she is her mother, she knows exactly how she is feeling (Tan, Secret Senses 62). Similarly, Kwan’s mother always thought that a mother always knows what’s best for her daughter, no matter what the age (Tan, Secret Senses 249). However, the mothers don’t always know everything going on in their daughter lives, and therefore don’t always know the best solution. But no one will ever convince them of that. When the daughters start to out grow their mothers help, it can cause great feelings of uselessness for the mothers and loneliness for the daughters. But many times the daughters don’t even realize that they are hurting their mothers. It is this way for many of the actions children can take; it can be infinitely hurting the mother, while the daughter has no idea of her mother’s pain. â€Å"I think a child has the capacity to hurt her mother in ways she cannot even imagine† (Tan, God’s Wife 33). Love can be extremely painful for the mothers as their daughters grow. The mothers and daughters all have regrets: regrets about the past and what they should have done, things they wished they could have done over, and the wish to take back what was once hurtfully said. A life full of regrets is a painful one, and one that no one should have to live with. Waiting to try again or to forgive can come too late. Last chances can be around that corner no one knows is coming. The characters in the novels all try to forgive those who have hurt them, as well as let go of their regrets. Waiting too late to tell someone of their sorrow is the mistake that several characters make in the novels. Kwan’s mother never told her daughter of her sorrow that she sent her daughter away at a young age (Tan, Secret Senses 209). She only wanted a good life for Kwan, but she never forgave herself for her choice (Tan, Secret Senses 209). Then Kwan, in turn didn’t know until the death of her mother what she had truly lost (Tan, Secret Senses 227). June also waited too late to ask her mother the questions she had. She had always depended upon her mother, but now that she was gone, she realized how much her mother had really meant to her (Tan, Luck Club 40). Ruth almost waited too late to realize the importance of knowing her mother and helping her the best she could while her mother was in need (Tan, Bonesetter’s 64). Sometimes saying sorry can be the hardest thing to muster up the strength to do. It is hard to admit wrongfulness, and that they know the hurtfulness and power of their words. Although Ruth and her mother fought frequently, and at times she really detested the way she acted, she still loved her mother (Tan, Bonesetter’s 166). Winnie was one who found it almost impossible to forgive after living a life full of suffering and pain; she found herself unable to forgive her husband (Tan, God’s Wife 398). It is never too late to try to forgive, as long the love is still there. Many of the daughters feel that their mothers neglected them throughout their childhood. Neglect is one of the emotions that burns long painful scars into hearts, as well as causes a loss of hope. When a mother leaves while a child is still young, the void is not easily filled. A feeling of abandonment is a hurtful one, but is one that Winnie felt. She’s had a pain in her heart for many years, starting back when her mother left her when she was a child (Tan, God’s Wife 102). It isn’t fair that some mothers can hurt their daughters so much and not even see the pain of their actions. â€Å"I felt unlucky that she was my mother and unlucky that she had left us† (Tan, Luck Club 44). Daughters don’t get to choose their mothers, or the ways their mothers make them feel. Olivia certainly wouldn’t have chosen her negligent mother, whom she knew even as a child should have loved her more (Tan, Secret Senses 7). Olivia always felt neglected by her mother, and that still hurts her today. Sometimes the mothers are negligent with their words, like Jing-Mei’s mother, who always brought her down and made her feel as though she didn’t have a mother’s support. An-Mei always felt as though her mother purposely abandoned her, and without a mother she felt broken (Tan, Luck Club 47). No matter what the mothers do to their daughters, they still have a place in their daughter’s hearts. An-Mei felt this way; she knew through everything she still loved her mother (Tan, Luck Club 218). â€Å"Why do we love our mothers of our lives even if they are lousy caretakers? Are we born with blank hearts waiting to be imprinted with any imitation of love?† (Tan, Secret Senses 210). Love is not a simple thing. It has many complexities that are not easily understood. The love shared in every relationship is different, including the mother and daughter relationships in the novels. The love they share is special, and it is not easy to come by. Love is work. â€Å"I once thought love was supposed to be nothing but bliss. I now know it is also worry, grief, hope and trust† (Tan, Secret Senses 399). No matter what struggle the women in Amy Tan’s novels face, they are able to overcome the worst and become better women. The mothers pass their stories of hardship and struggle down to their daughters in hope that they might understand and love the women that they have become. Their love may come in many forms or be shown in diverse ways, but through it all the motherly love still prevails. The one thing that all the mothers had in common was hope and love. It might have been hard to see these aspects in some of the relationships, however it was still there. Hope was the one driving strength the mothers have had embedded in their souls since childhood. The mothers try with all their hearts to pass hope down to their daughters, because without hope there is no chance to love.

Business of Sorzal Distributors is not a common one

In spite these facts, Sorzal Distributors is a reputable dealer. Its main products include â€Å"authentic southwestern jewelry and pottery, and pre-Columbian artifacts from Peru and Venezuel† (Case Study, n.d.). Gross Sales of the company is about $12 millions and increased at a rate of 20% per year. â€Å"Is that the direction that the market is going?† It is known fact that effective marketing depends upon effective marketing system employed by a company and its strategy. Such factors as globalization of markets, economic integration and increased competition forced Sorzal Distributors to find new ways to compete. It is one of the most important infrastructure requirements, which is essential for the expansion of opportunities and plays an important role in making the competitive positioning. Sorzal Distributors has a chance to â€Å"add $1 million in additional sales† (Case Study, n.d.) contracting with a mass-merchandise department store chain. In spite of great benefits proposed by this contract, the company will be faced with a threat to become a â€Å"replicas retailer† and, probably, will have a negative impact on company’s brand image as a dealer of unique authentic artifacts. It is not an easy decision to make, but before signing the contract the company should answer the question â€Å"Is that the direction that the market is going?† (Case Study, n.d.) Changing Environment Sorzal Distributors operates in a simple and static environment. Firms operating in a relatively simple and static environment can generally rely on management strategies that are based on historical data. The strength of Sorzal Distributors is that it’s goods obtained a very competitive position on the market. The brand has a hard core of loyal supporters. It sells lines of products to satisfy the needs of wide audience through â€Å"specialty shops, firm-sponsored showings, and a few exclusive department stores† (Case Study, n.d.). Another strength is that Sorzal Distributors is an exclusive suppler of South American and African artifacts. Obtaining strong market position, Sorzal Distributors has maintained high-speed growth through product mix and new product lines. The opportunity of the company is the nature of business and loyalty of customers. As it is mentioned: â€Å"consumer tastes are changing from the modern and abstract to the more concrete† like Sorzal’s producrs (Case Study, n.d.). The opportunities of Sorzal include: high potential to growth and profitability of the company; promotion to other divisions; increased revenue from success in national market. In spite opportunities, recent changes threaten the business. Political-legal forces allocate power and provide constraining and protect ­ing laws and regulations. Primarily, political changes in Africa resulted in stricter legislation which prohibits â€Å"exportation of certain artifacts† (Case Study, n.d.). Another threat is increased competition which include the threat of entry by new competitors, the intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, and pressure from substitute products, primarily replicates. Recent years, the number of competitors increased from 5 to 11, and, according to David Olsen, â€Å"bargaining position of Sorzal has eroded† (Case Study, n.d.). The company â€Å"has watched our gross margin slip in recent years due to aggressive competitive bidding by others† (Case Study, n.d.). The weakness of the company is changing economic situation which requires new forms of strategy in order to compete on the limited and narrow market of artifacts. Limited destitution is also a weakness of the company. New Strategy In order to solve these problems and sustain competitive position, Sorzal should accept a competition strategy, instead of a competitive advantage. It is possible to admit that market of artifact is really needed low quality replicates such as produced and sold by Sorzal competitors. Nevertheless, this marketing strategy is not acceptable for Sorzal, which obtains a strong market position as a reputable dealer of   authentic southwestern jewelry and pottery Competition strategy will take place on a price and a non-price basis, and will help Sorzal to compete on the national market. Price competition involves businesses trying to undercut each other’s prices; this will, in turn, be dependent upon their ability to reduce their costs of production. Brand image and loyalty of customers should be the main criteria for Sorzal. This strategy will help to stay on top nationally and sustain competitive position as an exclusive distributor of South American and African artifacts. Marketing strategy based on the non-price competition should take form of branding, advertising, promotion, and additional services to customers (Johnson, Scholes, 1998). An alternative policy for Sorzal is to accept replicates distribution strategy. On the one hand, this strategy will help to add additional sales, but on the other hand, it will have a very negative impact on the company’s reputation. This strategy does not help to compete on the market for a long time, and increase the threat of substitution. The best solution for Sorzal is mass advertising campaign and opening new exclusive stores in order to attracted potential customers.   In relation to minor competitors, Sorzal should provide comparable buyer value but perform the activities more efficiently so as to attain a cost advantage, or perform the activities in a unique way which raises the value to the con ­sumer and thus allows them to command a premium price. If Sorzal follows its present say strategy (as an exclusive distributor of authntic artifacts), it will sustain its dominant position as a top brand, while expanding its operations and becomes a main player in the market. Nevertheless, flexibility is the most important infrastructure requirement, which is essential for the expansion of opportunities, and plays an important role in making and breaking the competitive positioning. References Case Study: Sorzal Distributors. N.d. Available Johnson, G., Scholes, K. Exploring Corporate Strategy. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall. 1998. Business of Sorzal Distributors is not a common one In spite these facts, Sorzal Distributors is a reputable dealer. Its main products include â€Å"authentic southwestern jewelry and pottery, and pre-Columbian artifacts from Peru and Venezuel† (Case Study, n.d.). Gross Sales of the company is about $12 millions and increased at a rate of 20% per year. â€Å"Is that the direction that the market is going?† It is known fact that effective marketing depends upon effective marketing system employed by a company and its strategy. Such factors as globalization of markets, economic integration and increased competition forced Sorzal Distributors to find new ways to compete. It is one of the most important infrastructure requirements, which is essential for the expansion of opportunities and plays an important role in making the competitive positioning. Sorzal Distributors has a chance to â€Å"add $1 million in additional sales† (Case Study, n.d.) contracting with a mass-merchandise department store chain. In spite of great benefits proposed by this contract, the company will be faced with a threat to become a â€Å"replicas retailer† and, probably, will have a negative impact on company’s brand image as a dealer of unique authentic artifacts. It is not an easy decision to make, but before signing the contract the company should answer the question â€Å"Is that the direction that the market is going?† (Case Study, n.d.) Changing Environment Sorzal Distributors operates in a simple and static environment. Firms operating in a relatively simple and static environment can generally rely on management strategies that are based on historical data. The strength of Sorzal Distributors is that it’s goods obtained a very competitive position on the market. The brand has a hard core of loyal supporters. It sells lines of products to satisfy the needs of wide audience through â€Å"specialty shops, firm-sponsored showings, and a few exclusive department stores† (Case Study, n.d.). Another strength is that Sorzal Distributors is an exclusive suppler of South American and African artifacts. Obtaining strong market position, Sorzal Distributors has maintained high-speed growth through product mix and new product lines. The opportunity of the company is the nature of business and loyalty of customers. As it is mentioned: â€Å"consumer tastes are changing from the modern and abstract to the more concrete† like Sorzal’s producrs (Case Study, n.d.). The opportunities of Sorzal include: high potential to growth and profitability of the company; promotion to other divisions; increased revenue from success in national market. In spite opportunities, recent changes threaten the business. Political-legal forces allocate power and provide constraining and protect ­ing laws and regulations. Primarily, political changes in Africa resulted in stricter legislation which prohibits â€Å"exportation of certain artifacts† (Case Study, n.d.). Another threat is increased competition which include the threat of entry by new competitors, the intensity of rivalry among existing competitors, and pressure from substitute products, primarily replicates. Recent years, the number of competitors increased from 5 to 11, and, according to David Olsen, â€Å"bargaining position of Sorzal has eroded† (Case Study, n.d.). The company â€Å"has watched our gross margin slip in recent years due to aggressive competitive bidding by others† (Case Study, n.d.). The weakness of the company is changing economic situation which requires new forms of strategy in order to compete on the limited and narrow market of artifacts. Limited destitution is also a weakness of the company. New Strategy In order to solve these problems and sustain competitive position, Sorzal should accept a competition strategy, instead of a competitive advantage. It is possible to admit that market of artifact is really needed low quality replicates such as produced and sold by Sorzal competitors. Nevertheless, this marketing strategy is not acceptable for Sorzal, which obtains a strong market position as a reputable dealer of   authentic southwestern jewelry and pottery Competition strategy will take place on a price and a non-price basis, and will help Sorzal to compete on the national market. Price competition involves businesses trying to undercut each other’s prices; this will, in turn, be dependent upon their ability to reduce their costs of production. Brand image and loyalty of customers should be the main criteria for Sorzal. This strategy will help to stay on top nationally and sustain competitive position as an exclusive distributor of South American and African artifacts. Marketing strategy based on the non-price competition should take form of branding, advertising, promotion, and additional services to customers (Johnson, Scholes, 1998). An alternative policy for Sorzal is to accept replicates distribution strategy. On the one hand, this strategy will help to add additional sales, but on the other hand, it will have a very negative impact on the company’s reputation. This strategy does not help to compete on the market for a long time, and increase the threat of substitution. The best solution for Sorzal is mass advertising campaign and opening new exclusive stores in order to attracted potential customers.   In relation to minor competitors, Sorzal should provide comparable buyer value but perform the activities more efficiently so as to attain a cost advantage, or perform the activities in a unique way which raises the value to the con ­sumer and thus allows them to command a premium price. If Sorzal follows its present say strategy (as an exclusive distributor of authntic artifacts), it will sustain its dominant position as a top brand, while expanding its operations and becomes a main player in the market. Nevertheless, flexibility is the most important infrastructure requirement, which is essential for the expansion of opportunities, and plays an important role in making and breaking the competitive positioning. References Case Study: Sorzal Distributors. N.d. Available Johnson, G., Scholes, K. Exploring Corporate Strategy. Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall. 1998.

Achieving Success on International Assignments Essay

Achieving Success on International Assignments - Essay Example As more companies grow and become globalised many employees are also being charged with international assignments and therefore it is important to be prepared. This involves assessing your own personality, team skills, as well as leadership in order to make sure they match international. With these important personal and corporate skills gained through experience with many people from across the world serving in different I believe I am ready to take up an international assignment anytime it is presented my way.  If sent for an international assignment I believe I will easily achieve success owing to great interpersonal skills gained over time. I have a strong confidence in myself, self reliant and proven ability of working independently with little or no supervision at all. As an individual I also am well versed with major international languages and am open to learning new languages used in whatever host country. When faced with obstacles I have observed myself to be very resilie nt and have persevered extremely difficult circumstances. I also view myself as a very flexible individual with impeccable ability to strongly face and come out of uncertainties unshaken. Another great personal trait that I know in myself is the ability to interact with all kinds of people, tolerate everyone and uphold respect for other people as well as their cultures even if they are not familiar. This has helped me to get along well with persons from all spheres of life and I therefore believe will also influence my fast adapting.

Economic Impacts of the National Transportation Safety Board on the Term Paper

Economic Impacts of the National Transportation Safety Board on the Airline Industry - Term Paper Example There were 21 recommendations in between 2006 and 2008 to this center to addresses the management to conduct more accident investigations and studies related to the safety of air-travels (Dillingham, 1). The NTSB training center follows cutting-edge management practices, conducts investigations after accidents and studies for safety measures. NTSB also studies the usages of the Information Technology can help the aircrafts avoid these fatalities and losses. The organization (NTSB) has staff strength of over 400. The budget of the organization is approximately $100 million (at present). It is in charge of each and every civil aircrafts accident in the United States. It has a training center, which was opened in 2003. The training center provides training for the investigators of the organization, as well as other professionals attached to safety of transportation (Dillingham, 1). This study will reflect upon the impact of NTSB on the Airplane Industry Findings of NTSB on an Airplane C rash: US Air flight 427 operated by USAir crashed near Aliquippa (Pennsylvania) on the 8th of September 1994. It was an aircraft of the type Boeing 737-300. NTSB collected data for the air-crash. The total team of NTSB examined the spot and took a couple of years to arrive at the conclusion. It was found that no evidence of any explosion or collision with bird occurred (Walters and Robert, 5-9). Moreover, no trace of in-flight fire was found. Due to bad weather a lot of information went missing. However, the parts of the aircraft and the engine were working with efficiency till before the hazard (as per the research conducted by the NTSB investigators). The investigators conducted computer generated simulations due to lack of apt evidences. NTSB and NASA aerodynamics experts created a wake turbulence model and concluded that under atmospheric conditions that evening caused the havoc. The wake vortices probably had descended to approximately 300 and 500 feet every minute Additionally , NTSB also found that this turbulence had led to the crash of three other air carriers over the years ranging from 1964 to 1972 (Walters and Robert, 5-9). Role of NTSB in Shaping Aviation Industry and Economy (last 20 years): NTSB has already introduced a bill which will reauthorize the Aviation Administration in the United States. It has implemented fully the three management recommendations given in the earlier meetings by the congress (as of April 2008) (Dillingham, 5). The recommendations in the bill are listed below: (1) To facilitate proper channel of communication between staff and management, (2) To align the structure of the organization and to implement the strategic plans, and (3) To rectify the Anti-deficiency Act Violation pertaining to the purchase of accidental death and the dismemberment insurance towards the employees who meet with such accidents while on official duties. In addition, NTSB has progressed on the seven proposed recommendations (management) since the year 2008. NTSB has initiated sending report to the Congress the status of the recommendations and the actions taken thereafter. Moreover, NTSB has started taking steps to implement all three IT-related recommendations of the Congress (Dillingham, 5). NTSB has learned by researching over many years that the various organizations input unique perspective as well as knowledge during the investigative process. The pilots who fly the airplanes know the