Indian Culture And How It Translates to America Essay -- Culture

India is a captivating country full of humble traditions, lively festivals, and honest beliefs. With over 2 billion people, India has a vast array of religions and languages with Hindi being the most popular. The Hindu culture is a culture of love, respect, honoring others and humbling one's own ego so that the inner nature, which is naturally pure and modest, will shine forth (Mailerindia Infotek Limited). Hindi is a kind and peaceful religion. It is only fitting to combine a temperate religion with a humble society of people. Indians were raised to treat their elders with respect and to always be humble to guests. Strangers will great you with the utmost benevolence and friends will invite you into their home and make sure you are treated like royalty. However, once families have decided to immigrate to America, these traditions and customs can become endangered. People of all different religions and races find that America is the best place to immigrate to so they can earn a better education and more money for their hard work. Indians are among the most educated and wealthiest subgroups in America so most don’t have a hard time finding jobs and earning good pay. In a study of the impact of emigration from India, Mihir Desai of Harvard University found that 1 million Indians lived in the United States in 2001 (Gerdes 14). Since 2001, there have been reports that this number has more than doubled though still the majority of all Indians practice Hinduism. Hinduism is the practice of worshipers who continuously strive to be liberated from evil spirits while practicing the worship of deities. Hinduism refers to a vast array of religious movements. Unlike religions â€Å"of the book,† there is no single authoritative text and no re... ... Immigrant Soul.† Writing On The River, Ed. Jessica Portz. Second Edition Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 112. The quote that I chose from this story helped me to prove that all morals and beliefs are endangered when you move into a different environment that you aren’t use to. Rishi. â€Å"The Meaning Of Culture.† Mailerindia.com. Mailerindia Infotek Limited. MAILERINDIA.COM. , n.d., 2 April 2012. . This website gave me a really good quote to use in my essay pertaining to the genuine nature of the Hindi culture. Williams, Amy and DePaul, Amy. â€Å"The Rise Of Arranged Marriage In America.† AlterNet. n.p. 9 August 2008. Web. 3 April 2012. â€Å"The Rise Of Arranged Marriage In America† was an interesting article in which I obtained valid points on how arranged marriages can be beneficial within specific cultures.

Attitude, Legislation and Litigation towards Students with Disabilities Essay

Understanding of children and adults with learning disabilities has come full circle but has a long way to do to fully reach every individual. In the 4th century the great philosopher Aristotle wrote,† As to the exposure and rearing of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) While this seems brutal, for the times it was quite common. Even modern era societal groups like the Nazis in the 1940s had â€Å"cleansing programs,† were thousands of people with various disabilities were deemed useless and simply put to death like dogs and cats. Today we as a society try to better understand the trials of people with disabilites and help them to succeed in schools. Federal groups like Individuals with disabilities Education Act(IDEA) and the Americans with Disablilites Act(ADA) have pushed our thinking and laws to the future. Although there is a lot more that needs to be done we are moving in the right direction. A Sad Beginning As mentioned above there was not just a prejudice and fear but a man hunt for people who suffered any kind of discernible disability. In ancient Rome and Greece children with disabilities were viewed as signs of weakness and shame. These children were put to death or abandoned, considered a burden on society and humanity. There were ancient societies that did not believe in this process but they were not the majority. The 20th century saw an increase in help for students with disabilities but there was a contradiction in the approach to this help. There was blame placed on the parents for breeding a genetically inferior human and putting the financial burden on the government for their mistake. Fear of these deficiencies spreading lead to a restriction on who could marry and even the sterilization of persons with retardations. In an ease of the sterilization idea people were being put into â€Å"hospitals† to isolate them from the general public by placing them â€Å"with their own kind. † In the 1950s more than a million persons in the US had been committed to mental hospitals and institutions. (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) The First Groups to Fight In the movement of Civil Rights in the 1950s parents of children with disabilities began to push for rights also. In 1949 the United Cerebral Palsy Organization (UCP) and in 1950 the National Association for Retarded Children (NARC) groups were formed to help get accurate information to the public. These organizations wanted to get equal rights for medical treatment, social services and education for persons with disabilities. It was not until President Kennedy stepped in and became an advocate for these groups that the government began to take these groups serious. He had person investment in these rights with his sister Rosemary suffering from intellectual disabilities. Kennedy said in a speech in 1961,†This neglect must end†¦We must act†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The subheading above would be used if there are several sections (Hardman, Drew, & Egar, 2011) Legal Cases that Pushed reform I n1972 the Wyatt case in Alabama argued that the facilities people with mental retardation were being put into did nothing to prepare them for a place in society and called these places â€Å"Human Warehouses†. These were a series of lawsuits that followed with the moral encouragement of Brown vs. The Board of Education civil rights law. Halderman vs. Pennhurst State School and Hospital, Youngberg vs. Romeo and Homeward Bound vs. Hissom Memorial Center were all influential court cases that brought civil and moral rights of persons with disabilities to the public forum. It was the parental involvement that pushed the government to form groups as advocates for these groups. In 1971 the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizen (PARC) vs. the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania put into light that these children were being denied the right to free and appropriate public education. It was these groups that allow the education for students with any disability to now get the help they need and deserve. Modern Advocacy Groups The main groups that come to mind when Disability advocates are mentioned within the educational system are Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). IDEA is officially known as Public Law 94-142 which lays out the standards and rules for students from ages 3-21 in public schools. This was originally known as Education for All Handicapped Children’s Act but in 1990 was changed to IDEA. There is restriction for what qualifies as a disability and these are in constant adjustment based on what happens in the education system. Without this ability to add or take away ideas it would become stagnant and useless. The ADA lays out what these disabilities are and what they legally and morally have a right to. Challenges facing Educators The main challenge facing educators is a combination for the push of standardized testing, common core standards and federal assistance being based on those scores. The inclusion of students with disabilities in no different than having a bully or an extreme introvert in your class and the amount of help that is given has risen drastically over the last 40 years. The focus in high school is to prepare students to go into the world and succeed as adults and this applies to students with disabilities also. The main fear I have is that in a push to â€Å"include† these students we are not helping them to succeed just following legal options. We have come full circle from the days of Aristotle and the Greeks but have a long way to go to get to a point where we are doing what is best for every student in our delusional system. There is and will probably always be prejudice in society to one group or another but as teachers we need to step forward and praise differences not separate them. Laws like IDEA and the ADA help parents, schools and teachers have a foundation to build on but it will take more that theory to implement the right actions. The success of these groups and laws are yet to be fully recognized but the potential is there.

The Role and Effect of International Business Strategies - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2116 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? The survival and progression of businesses in the 21st century is highly dependent on the ability of firms to expand beyond their national borders, taking into account the cost effectiveness of expansion and the complexity and risks associated with the companys chosen international business strategy (Peng, Wang, Jiang, 2008). The resources and objectives of a firm, as well as the demand for their product outside their national borders are important in taking the decision to globalise a companys products and/or services (Miller, 1992). Although three strategies are more common in the management literature, namely multi domestic, global and transnational approaches, the fourth strategy available to firms, according to Barlett and Ghoshal (1989) is the international approach to global expansion. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "The Role and Effect of International Business Strategies" essay for you Create order This essay will analyse the two approaches that differ in local responsiveness and cost pressure for the business, with the international approach as the least responsive and expensive for the company and the transnational approach as the most costly and locally focused from the four options available to companies. To start with, local responsiveness of multinational corporations is often a matter of mutual expectations of the company expanding into a region and the local customers demands and needs (Gomez-Mejia Palich, 1997). For instance, food and beverage companies from the Western world (i.e. the US or the UK) expanding into Asian countries need to integrate certain products in their range that suit the demands of local consumers (Watson, 2006). As such, the role of the transnational approach is to enable companies from a culturally distinct country to penetrate a new market successfully (London Hart, 2004). There are both positive and negative effects of the transnational a pproach. Developing a business model and manufacturing strategies is a costly process for any company and changing this for the purpose of integrating new products specific to a region is an additional financial pressure for multinational companies (Zaheer, 1995). Although the negative impact of local adaptation may deter some firms from adopting this strategy, the success of companies like McDonalds which take this approach proves that the additional costs can increase the chances of global success and the return on investment (ROI) for the company (Luo, 2001). The core advantage of the transnational approach is the potential of multinational firms to compete with local counterparts in a more effective manner through offering local products alongside their already established reputation (Dawar Frost, 1999). High levels of local responsiveness also ensures that the reputation in the new region contributes to the ethical image and the overall CSR of a multinational company (Husted Allen, 2006). Large corporations are often accused of unethical conduct due to the cost competitiveness with the local providers, as international firms often perfect their manufacturing techniques in order to reduce all the time and resource waste, therefore allowing them to compete with local firms (Meyer, 2004). An increasing number of countries have launched campaigns which promote local companies over the international competitors claiming that regional businesses understand the needs and desires of their customer base more, unlike the multinational firms (Kapferer, 2002). This underlines the importance of local responsiveness, as the resistance of local customers decreases when a multinational demonstrates a desire to first understand the locals behaviour and adjust their strategy accordingly when entering a new region (Prahalad Doz, 1999). In spite of the important role and effect of the transnational approach, there are multiple companies which have succeeded despite the ir disregard of the local customers specific needs and desires (Samiee Roth, 1992). These companies opted for internationalisation as a strategy for global expansion, relying on the recognisability of their brand name, logo, specific products, packaging, etc. A successful company which took this approach in their international expansion is Starbucks, who launched their very specific coffee shops across the world aiming to take over the market share of local coffee shops through offering a very specific experience, rather than focusing exclusively on the beverages offered (Harrison, 2005). Although the local Starbucks coffee shops across the world offer some specific products, such as a variety of green tea products in Asian countries, the core product sold by Starbucks is the experience that customers enjoy alongside their chosen beverage (Gaudio, 2003). Whilst it was difficult at start for Starbucks to maintain a standardised approach to the design of their customer experience, ta king over local coffee shop chains and their clientele has proven to be a successful tactic (Loeb, 2013). This international approach therefore reduces the initial cost pressure through taking over a large share of the customers of former cafÃÆ' ©s in the local region and the premises which were built and used for an identical purpose (Barkema Vermeulen, 1998). Rebranding the coffee shops in order to maintain a standard image is less expensive than building coffee shops from scratch, in addition to the existing customer base that the American giant is able to take over (Gaviria, 2012). In consequence, the role of the international approach as an expansion tactic is to allow companies to expand quickly, cost effectively and effortlessly (Contractor, Kumar, Kundu, 2007). The effect of the tactic is a positive one from a financial viewpoint and, more often than not, a negative one from a reputation point of view, as citizens perceive this approach to disregard any specific cultura l aspect of the region that multinationals penetrate. It is, therefore, obvious that each of these two approaches have their advantages and disadvantages for the company aiming to explore a new region, the local competition and the customer base in the country. However, companies must take into account the impact of the global mobility of the workforce and the extent to which social media influences the demands of customers and the reputation of a multinational firm (Okazaki Taylor, 2013). The role and effect of both international business strategies are influenced by these elements, as consistency in a multinationals approach is even more important in the light of individuals travelling on a regular basis for business and work purposes and the ability of people all over the world to share information via social media (Jin, Park, Kim, 2008). In other words, a company must set their priorities from the onset of internationalisation in order to maximise their earning potential an d the international reputation through their chosen tactic for global reach (Vrontis, Thrassou, Lamprianou, 2009). As a result of this, both the role and the effect of the international business strategies are enhanced in the long run, as companies are less able to change their view on the approach to conquering new regions. Well established Western companies must ponder over the decision of investing capital in the transnational approach, as their lack of success of competing against local companies could mean that their financial loss may never be recuperated (Prahalad Doz, 1999). On the other hand, without an adaptation to the locals needs and desires an international companys ability to succeed may be compromised, but the financial impact of this failure will not be as great as that supported by companies who invest capital in adaptation (Solberg, 2002). Companies must take into account all of the influencing factors, particularly those that stem from cultural elements of t he destination country, when opting for an international business strategy (Drogendijk Slangen, 2006). The gains of the company must be maximised through international expansion and the best solution is often dependent on the capital that the multinational is willing to invest in the their global strategy, as well as the market positioning of local competitors and the resistance of local consumers to new and international products or services. The emergence of social media also offers multinational companies an advantage, as the contact between individuals from distinct areas makes it possible for demand in one country for a particular brand to grow through online advertising of particular products (Kaplan Haenlein, 2010). The international tactic is therefore made easy by the ability to promote a company through social media and export products, without any concern for local adaptation, through online shopping. On the other hand, the success of companies with brick and mortar sho ps in new region is significantly higher than that of companies that rely exclusively on online retail (Steinfield, Adelaar, Liu, 2005). In addition to this, not all regions have the same level of trust towards online shopping, as the security concerns in some regions are significantly higher, particularly when no efforts of local adaptation are made by the international firm (Bart, Shankar, Sultan, Urban, 2005). In conclusion, the role and effect of international business strategies are crucial in the success of expanding a business beyond its national borders, but the potential of these can only be maximised when taking into account other elements that contribute to the internationalisation, such as local culture, the demands, needs and wants of customer base targeted, etc. The impact of the chosen strategy must be thoroughly analysed by a firm, as international strategies require consistency over time in the approach taken. In consequence, the advantages and disadvantages pr esented in this essay must be weighed against the multinationals company mission and their future plans in order to opt for one of the two extremes, transnational or internationalisation approach, or the two other options in between, global or multinational approach. Bibliography Barkema, H. G., Vermeulen, F. (1998). International Expansion Through Start-Up or Acquisition: A Learning Perspective. Journal of Academy Management, 41(1), 7-26. Barlett, C. A., Ghoshal, S. (1989). Matrix management: not a structure, a frame of mind. Harvard Business Review, 68(4), 138-145. Bart, Y., Shankar, V., Sultan, F., Urban, G. L. (2005). Are the drivers and role of online trust the same for all web sites and consumers? A large-scale exploratory empirical study. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 133-152. Contractor, F. J., Kumar, V., Kundu, S. K. (2007). Nature of the relationship between international expansion and performance: The case of emerging market firms. Journal of World Business, 42(4), 401-417. Dawar, N., Frost, T. (1999). Competing with giants: Survival strategies for local companies in emerging markets. Harvard Business Review, 77(1), 119-132. Drogendijk, R., Slangen, A. (2006). Hofstede, Schwartz, or managerial perceptions? The effects of diffe rent cultural distance measures on establishment mode choices by multinational enterprises. International Business Review, 15(4), 361-380. Gaudio, R. P. (2003). Coffeetalk: Starbucksà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ and the commercialization of casual conversation. Language in Society, 32(5), 659-691. Gaviria, D. (2012, April 5). An American Coffee Company in Paris à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Starbucks Rebrands French Stores. Retrieved June 16, 2015, from Branding Magazine: https://www.brandingmagazine.com/2012/04/05/an-american-coffee-company-in-paris-starbucks-rebrands-french-stores/ Gomez-Mejia, L. R., Palich, L. E. (1997). Cultural Diversity and the Performance of Multinational Firms. Journal of International Business Studies, 28(2), 309-335. Harrison, J. S. (2005). Exporting a North American Concept to Asia Starbucks in China. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 46(2), 275-283. Husted, B. W., Allen, D. B. (2006). Corporate social responsibility in the multinational enterprise: strategic and i nstitutional approaches. Journal of International Business Studies, 37(1), 838-849. Jin, B., Park, J. Y., Kim, J. (2008). Cross-cultural examination of the relationships among firm reputation, e-satisfaction, e-trust, and e-loyalty. International Marketing Review, 25(3), 324-337. Kapferer, J. N. (2002). Is there really no hope for local brands? The Journal of Brand Management, 9(3), 163-170. Kaplan, A., Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59-68. Loeb, W. (2013, January 31). Starbucks: Global Coffee Giant Has New Growth Plans. Retrieved June 16, 2015, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterloeb/2013/01/31/starbucks-global-coffee-giant-has-new-growth-plans/ London, T., Hart, S. L. (2004). Reinventing strategies for emerging markets: beyond the transnational model. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(1), 350-370. Luo, Y. (2001). Determinants of local responsiv eness: perspectives from foreign subsidiaries in an emerging market. Journal of Management, 27(4), 451-477. Meyer, K. E. (2004). Perspectives on multinational enterprises in emerging economies. Journal of International Business Studies, 35(1), 259-276. Miller, K. D. (1992). A Framework for Integrated Risk Management in International Business. Journal of International Business Studies, 23(2), 311-331. Okazaki, S., Taylor, C. R. (2013). Social media and international advertising: theoretical challenges and future directions. International Marketing Review, 30(1), 56-71. Peng, M. W., Wang, D. Y., Jiang, Y. (2008). An institution-based view of international business strategy: A focus on emerging economies. Journal of International Business Studies, 36(5), 920-936. Prahalad, C. K., Doz, Y. L. (1999). The Multinational Mission: Balancing Local Demands and Global Vision. New York: Simon Schuster. Samiee, S., Roth, K. (1992). The Influence of Global Marketing Standard ization on Performance. Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 1-17. Solberg, C. A. (2002). The perennial issue of adaptation or standardization of international marketing communication: organizational contingencies and performance. Journal of International Marketing, 10(3), 1-21. Steinfield, C., Adelaar, T., Liu, F. (2005). Click and mortar strategies viewed from the web: A content analysis of features illustrating integration between retailers online and offline presence. Electronic Markets, 15(3), 199-212. Vrontis, D., Thrassou, A., Lamprianou, I. (2009). International marketing adaptation versus standardisation of multinational companies. International Marketing Review, 26(4/5), 477-500. Watson, J. L. (2006). Golden Arches East: McDonalds in East Asia (2nd ed.). Stanford: Stanford University Press. Zaheer, S. (1995). Overcoming the liability of foreignness. Academy of Management Journal, 38(2), 341-363.