Lessons Learned Book Review on Colin Powell Essay

Lessons Learned Book Review on Colin Powell - Essay Example The first challenge he faced was the investigation of the My Lai Massacre. Later, Powell's assessment was alledged to be a whitewash. But this is one of the many instances where Powell's image has been exploited to serve the irresponsible behaviours of the Administation. Powell mentioned in his autobiography that he is haunted by the nightmare of the Vietnam War (Powell, 1995). From 1987 to 1989, Powell was Ronald Reagan's last National Security Advisor while retaining his Army commission. In 1989, he joined Eisenhower and Alexander Haig. During that time he faced 28 political and military crises, like the invasion of Panama in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and earned the nickname, "the reluctant warrior". Militant about defending the "hardwon civil rights legislation of 1960's, General Colin Powell made famous the so-called Powell Doctrine, as part of the attitude to be considered while considering the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The Doctrine asserts that when a nation is engaging in war, all resources should be brought into action to affect an overwhelming force against the enemy. The questions that Powell Doctrine centers on are the issues of national security based on a clear and attainable objective fully analyzing the risks and costs, the full utilization of all non-violent policies, a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement, the consequences of American government action, support received from the American people on any particular action, and the presence of international support. Leadership is the art of accomplishing more that the science of management says it possible. (Harari, 2002) Leadership connotes an interrelationship of power - the power to give vision to others, and not just be a frontrunner. In the Leadership Character ModelSM developed by Robert Turknett and Carolyn Turknett in 2005 in their Decent People, Decent Company: How to Lead with Character in Work and in Life, they prescribe Accountibility, Responsibility and Integrity as some of the characters of a leader. Powell too, practiced people-based leadership that gave him an edge. A leader, as Powell believed and practiced himself, must challenge the status quo of all traditions. (Harari, 2002). Effective Leadership is a true test of character, and Colin Powell's life has been a testimony to this. In the study of his 35 years of military experience, we find a galore of instances where Powell used the basic human emotions of trust and belief in order to get over tricky situations. Powell rarely proposed military intervention as the first solution to any dispute, and instead advocated compromise. In the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election, Powell served as the key foreign policy advisor to the Bush campaign. After September 11, this public icon played a crucial role in taking up a single-handed leadership to enhance America's relationship with international countries. In an interview by O'Rourke of the Atlantic Unbound, Powell says: I'm considered the multilateralist-multilateralism means finding areas of compromise. Our nation also rests on a non-zero-sum concept. It was intended that Congress work by finding compromise, and from compromise you achieve consensus. Without compromise, you never get to

Beer and Food Essay Example for Free

Beer and Food Essay Abstract As a consultant for many restaurants in California, I find myself re-visiting the establishments with a vast food menu and a wide variety of different beers that I can enjoy simultaneously. I prefer to engage myself in restaurants that are optimistic in their location, core values, menu selections, and bar environment. Not only is it important to sell good food and drinks, it is also fundamental to have team members that have integrity in their jobs. I was hired for a restaurant in Claremont, Heroes and Legends (131 Yale Ave. ), in order to evaluate their many beer selections in comparison to their menu offerings. My purpose in evaluating this restaurant is to enlighten other potential guests of suitable beer choices that will cut, complement or contrast their food preference in the establishment. I feel it is my duty to also inform the restaurant of the several food and beer items they offer that may open conversation for server suggestions ultimately lead to a great guest experience. Right in the heart of downtown Claremont there is a trendy restaurant by the name of Heroes and Legends bar and grill. This establishment seems to appeal to a demographic of all ages. With a brick-laid exterior and a name like Heroes and Legends, one would expect advertisements of stouts, porters and fine meats- drinks and foods of a rustic, colonial motif. Walking into the establishment I was immediately told that there was a self-seating method. The feel of the restaurant was warm and upbeat, welcoming a friendly and social attitude. One main focal point upon entering is the bar. Easy to find, it has stool seating and a well-varied selection of beers on tap. Eager to know all the beer selections, I opened the small ringed book sitting on my table. I counted a total of forty-seven beers that were being offered on the list. Some of these beers were of special availability, therefore the waiters and waitresses encouraged us to enjoy them while they last. Each one of these beers had a special quality to them. Of course the taste, alcohol percentage, and size are all special qualities, but each type of beer was served in different glassware. Some of the beers are served in a pint, medium, or large glass. Other beers are served strictly in pint glasses or 11oz glasses only. For example, Premium Belgian imports are served in 11oz flare glasses only, while other beer choices are served in medium schooner glasses or large 34oz mugs. As I scanned the beer menu, I was greeted by a server named Mike whose tasks also involved working behind the bar. To my surprise, this establishment does not designate one server to one section of tables; rather, each server helps one another with every task. Whether it is taking a drink or food order, or running the food out to the table, the restaurant had a total team effort feel. The menu had many food items varying from fish n’ chips to hearty entrees like sirloin steak and carried enough beers for customers to enjoy. As this was my first visit to Heroes and Legends, I asked my server to enlighten me with the establishment’s top 6 items on the menu. The waiter began with the top-selling Chicken Quesadilla, which was chosen to start off my meal. For one order of this appetizer, it is priced at $11. 95. Served hot with grilled chicken, sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions topped with Cheddar and Jack cheeses with a side of guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. I paired this appetizer with a Hoegaarden Witbier for its smooth, refreshing, and crisp finish that won’t overpower the food. The Hoegaarden has a coriander and orange peel flavor, and a dry/sour aftertaste. It isn’t overly sweet, but was flavorful paired with the appetizer. Priced at $7. 25, it was served in a pint glass and has an ABV of 5%. Pairing with a different beer I would recommend the Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier made by Paulaner Brewing Company in Germany (ABV 5. 50%). Paulaner’s Hefeweizen has a banana and clove aroma, but has a better kick regards to taste because of the balanced and prominent taste of banana, clove, wheat, and caramel sweetness. It is a light beer that is high on carbonation, drinks smooth and is creamy- perfect for a poultry appetizer. Next, Mike recommended the New York Steak (14 oz. medium-rare) with a side of steamed vegetables and a baked potato topped with sour cream and chives. I paired the steak with a Belgian-style ale known as St. Bernardus Abt 12 Quadrupel. It had a total ABV of 10% priced at $7 and was served in a flare glass. This beer has a sweet, light-roasted malt, clove, banana, and candy sugar flavor with a subtle bitterness towards the end. It is remarkably flavorful which complements any robust, gamey meal such as the New York Steak. This Quadrupel isn’t quite as bold as other dark beers, but its smooth, full-body and rich taste made this pairing a satisfying meal. Another beer to go with Heroes’ New York steak would be the Dunkel Lager by The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. It is dark yet light-bodied and smooth with an ABV of 4. 90%. Its initial taste of dark toast is mildly sweet and continues with bitter coffee and dark chocolate. It then finishes with a slight spicy presence which is perfect for any dish involving red meat. Among other recommendations, the waiter suggested the L. A. #19 Pastrami. Pricing at $12. 45, Mike described that it is served hot with Russian dressing, zesty coleslaw, Swiss cheese, mounted over rye bread and is served with a choice of sides, one being curly fries. The seasoning on the curly fries and the coleslaw on the sandwich calls for a beer that will cut from the saltiness. It paired wonderfully with an IPA such as Dogfish head 90 minute IPA (ABV of 9%) which was served in a pint glass priced at $7. A perfect suggestion for this pairing would be Russian River’s triple IPA, Pliny the Younger (ABV 11%). This IPA is extremely hoppy. With a strong scent of pine cone and a balanced blend of citrus and herbs it would do well to cut through the salt and fattiness. Other top-selling items were a couple of Heroes’ best-selling burgers. First was the California burger (priced at $18. 95). This burger is definitely a mouthful consisting of caramelized sauteed mushrooms, Applewood smoked bacon, pickle chips, whole leaf lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese, onion, and pesto mayo topped on top of flame-broiled Angus chuck patty on a wheat bun. Containing bold greasy, flavors from the bacon and mushrooms I paired this selection with Stone Smoked Porter. It is an American Porter by Stone Brewing Co. with an ABV of 5. 9 % served in a choice of a pint, medium schooner glass, or large 34oz mug. The smoked malt in the beer complemented the large pieces of bacon. Like the Stone Porter, I suggest Hill Farmstead Brewery’s Everett Porter. It has an ABV of 7. 50% with a taste of roasted malt, dark chocolate and brown sugar on the finish which complements the mushroom taste. No hint of booze or hops on the flavor profile leaving the beer very drinkable and smooth. Either porters will do fine in cutting through the greasy flavors. The next Burger Mike suggested was the famous Heroes Kobe Burger. This 10 ounce Kobe beef burger is topped with lettuce, pickle chips, and Thousand Island dressing on an onion bun and priced at $13. 95. This burger seems simple; therefore, I would pair it with a beer extravagant with flavor such as Rouge Double Chocolate Stout. This is an imperial stout priced at $7. 00 with an ABV of 8. 7%. The choice side, specifically curly fries dipped in ketchup, complimented the stout due to the sweetness of the ketchup. The burger, having an onion bun, gave the beer a great contrast, therefore causing the sweet taste of the beer to counteract the wholesome onion flavor. A similar beer not offered at Heroes would be Alesmith Speedway Stout Vanilla and Coconut (ABV 12%). It has the same flavor profile but the amazing blend of vanilla, coconut, dark chocolate, coffee and toasted malts in the background gives this beer a very creamy, rich taste. It is also incredibly well balanced with no alcohol presence making it a great smoked meat or dessert beer. The last best-selling food item served as a lunch entree is the Beef Brisket Sandwich. It consists of tender, thin-sliced and slow-cooked brisket. Due to the large amount of beef, I would recommend a beer that provides cut or contrast. To contrast and cut the flavor of the protein which is salty and greasy, I recommend a dark, bitter and full-bodied beer. From their in-house selection, a mixture of the Stone Smoked Porter with the Stone IPA would pair well. The IPA will provide a refreshing citrusy and hoppy taste with higher alcohol content while the Smoked Porter will provide the dark, smooth, chocolate-coffee, smoky flavor. Combining both these beers into one drink will provide the contrast and cut needed to pair perfectly with the beef brisket sandwich. A beer not offered in this establishment that could also be considered is the Lost Coast Alley Cat Amber (ABV 5. 50%). This beer is well-balanced, full-flavored amber ale, providing an assertive and balanced blend of malts and hops, and will contrast the high protein flavor of the beef. Table 1 Food Heroes and Legends Beer Outside Beer Chicken Quesadilla Hoegaarden Witbier Paulaner Hefe-weissbier New York Steak St. Bernardus Abt 12 Quad Olde Mecklenburg Dunkel Lager LA Pastrami Dogfish head 90 minute IPA Russian River Pliny the Younger (Triple IPA) CA Burger Stone Smoked Porter Everett Porter Kobe Burger Rogue Double Chocolate Stout Alesmith Speedway Stout Vanilla Coconut Beef Brisket Sandwich Mix: Stone Smoked Porter with the Stone IPA Lost Coast Alley Cat Amber Everyone was satisfied with the in-house selection of beers but some recommendations were made. Many of the brand recommendations were Paulaner Brewing Co. , Russian River, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Alesmith Brewery, and Lost Coast which had produced beers that paired great with our meals. Generally, the 6 new brands were chosen either for similarity in taste and/or better taste, or business-related. For example, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery is a newcomer in the brewing business. They were chosen due to their highly regarded beers and as a method of marketing strategy. OMB’s beers are only sold and distributed in North Carolina, but if Heroes and Legends carried one of their beers such as the Dunkel Lager in the West Coast customers will rush to try this new â€Å"rare† beer. It’s a great way to bring publicity about the OMB name to the West Coast as well as increase Heroes’ daily volume of customers. Some decisions were easier than others such is with Alesmith Brewery: their beer had a similar taste and profile as Rogue’s Double Chocolate Stout. All in all, Heroes and Legends’ beer selections were vast enough for me to have many options. As far as marketing techniques for beers at Heroes and Legends, a new strategy could be applied. Currently, tin and neon signs decorate the cluttered walls from corner to corner. It is overwhelming and lacks any description of each beer’s content. One good technique for introducing new beers is to have a specific beer on special every week or month- a â€Å"beer of the month† approach. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to have the servers make recommendations as a customer’s order is placed. Many of the recommended in house beers were great. Because the selections are already satisfying, our out of house beers resembled them. Therefore, it would not prove difficult to supplement our recommended beers into the current beer list. That is to say, advertising would not have to change much at all. In conclusion, blah blah something concluding this paper. Works Cited BeerAdvocate. (2013). Dunkel Lager The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. BeerAdvocate. Retrieved from http://beeradvocate. com/beer/profile/19247/54854 Benitez, T. (2013). Beer and Food Pairings [Editorial]. Mens Fitness. Retrieved from http://www. mensfitness. com/nutrition/what-to-eat/beer-and-food-pairings Brewers Association. (2013). Celebrating the Best of American Beer. CraftBeer. com. Retrieved from http://www. craftbeer. com/beer-and-food/pairing-tips/pairing-chart Zagat. (n. d. ). Heroes and Legends. Menu. Retrieved from http://www. zagat. com/r/heroes-and- legends-claremont/menu Appendix Key Learnings Briana While doing this project I learned about the different tastes of certain beers in comparison of being on tap or in bottle. In my visit to Hero’s and Legends Bar and Grill, I learned that they do not carry any beers in bottle, only on tap. That night I ordered Rouge chocolate stout. I am a fan of most Rogue beers, specifically Dead Guy Ale. I enjoy Dead Guy Ale equally in bottle or on tap, but for some reason the Chocolate Stout didn’t excite me as much as it does in a bottle. While drinking it on tap, the beer did not have a finishing taste as it does in bottle. The strong chocolate taste was not as evident. Also, the bottom of the glass from the tap stout did not have residue of chocolate as it will when I buy a bottle and pour it into a glass myself. Therefore, I learned that I would most certainly, from now on, favor certain style beers out of the bottle, rather than on tap. Kayla I’ve learned that it’s not just the taste of the beer that sets it apart, but how it smells, looks and the dynamics of pairing it with food. I used to choose a beer based on its alcohol content and name. If it sounded unique, I would order it. Then I’d discern whether I liked the beer or not by how smooth it is and whether I liked the flavor. I never understood what each name meant, for example Pilsner or Dunkel. For the longest time my struggle trying to figure out which beer to order was like trying to find a new computer – I was inadequately informed and there are so many options. Thanks to this class, I don’t have to blindly choose my beers anymore. I can read their labels and, based on what type of beer it is, have a good image of what it looks like and how it will smell/taste. Omar Through this project I learned to start looking at which beer will go well with my food and not just order a random beer. By selecting a pairing of my choice I learned what to look at when pairing beer with food. Michelle The task of pairing food and beers may come off as overwhelming. It is important to remember that if it taste good to you, then that is what truly matters. In the vast market of craft brews (over 2,100 breweries as of 2012) pairing can be simplified to three key roles of beer- cut, contrast, and compliment. When finishing this assignment, it became evident that one beer can pair well with several different food options. For example, a nice whit beer can cut a fatty burger and then compliment a banana split. I feel, that after experimenting, my options have only been expanded for food and beer pairing and now there is an eagerness and excitement to put my knowledge to the test. More beer tasting!

As We Go Marching, Marching :: Equality Women Feminism Essays

As We Go Marching, Marching On April 25, 2004, over a million people of every gender, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, class, and age participated in the March for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. Examining the sea of people, I initially did not understand why such a great number of middle aged and older women were so angry. They were reaching the age where reproductive rights were becoming less of an issue for them personally, but I realized my naà ¯vetà © on two counts: one, they were not just marching for themselves and two, they were fighting to save the laws which they had changed to protect themselves over thirty years ago. They were marching for their daughters and granddaughters and nieces and goddaughters and students whose futures were being threatened just as their futures had been under attack when they were younger. Despite the movement for change of these Second Wave Feminists, legislation has been directed at the cause of gender inequities in the United States but gender equ ality has not been an effect of the legislation. In the late sixties and early seventies, the women of the Second Wave of Feminism created a social campaign for gender equality primarily in terms of economics. As Virginia Woolf points out in Three Guineas, women remain in the power of men so long as they are financially dependent upon them. (Virginia Woolf, Three Guineas, p. 132) Housing and food are required for survival and money is required for the attainment of both. Given their history of working in the home and caring for children, American society divided itself up into breadwinners and homemakers: men won the bread and women made the home. Consequently, women have had far fewer opportunities than men to earn money because girls were not raised with the idea that they would someday receive a paycheck with their name on it. Books such as Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique challenged society to think that women should have a choice about joining the work force outside the home. It is important to note that low income women had been compelled to garnish wages for centuries before suburban housewives dared to aspire to any role model other than June Cleaver. Friedan's work sparked the notion that all women everywhere might not be happy with housework and childrearing—women are women and are not only mothers and wives just as men are not only husbands and fathers.

Industry Analysis of the Coffee Industry Essay

Ex: A child’s toy available at a dollar store may be cheaper, but the quality may not be as great compared to a similar toy at a higher priced toy store. The company must market the value of the toy to the consumer rather than the price. Industry AnalysisThe Coffee Industry has been booming for years, but recently many new players have come onto the scene such as Caribou Coffee, Starbucks Coffee Co., and even Dunkin’ Donuts. Each company offers numerous different blends, flavors, and roasts, but each claims their own to have different qualities that appeal to different markets. The veteran of the bunch is actually Dunkin’ Donuts, which has been serving coffee, and various baked goods since 1950. The company was founded by Bill Rosenberg and has grown from five locations in 1954 to over 6,000 locations in 30 different countries. It is considered the largest coffee and baked goods chain in the world and is tagged by the slogan: † The Dunkin’ Difference†. Dunkin’ Donuts had seemingly monopolized the industry until Starbucks Coffee Company came along in 1971. Their mission:†To inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time. â€Å"Howard Schultz joined on with Starbucks in 1982 as director of retail operations and began direct marketing to fine restaurants and espresso bars. By 1995 Starbucks had developed into a full-blown coffee company with its own line of glassware, coffee mugs, and even in store music sales. Today there are over 5,000 Starbucks locations in numerous different countries and a booming following of customers. Their target audience consists of a broad spectrum of Music, Art, and Coffee lovers which all can convene in a warm, musical atmosphere. Last but not least, the new comer to the scene, Caribou Coffee, which was established in 1992, based on the idea:†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦that if true passion, hard work and excellence go into an endeavor, the outcome will be a quality experience, and therefore rewarding.†Although a much smaller company, only comprised of around 500 locations, Caribou Coffee strives to create a unique experience for coffee drinkers that has that â€Å"aha momentâ₠¬  as they describe it. So if these three companies are obviously all selling coffee, why do they have very passionate followers, who would seemingly rather stop drinking coffee  than go to one of their competitors to get their morning jolt?Dunkin’ Donuts, like many other current companies are showing an enormous interest in the economic situations of their consumers. One of their current promotions is a â€Å"Free Turbo Shot† in any iced coffee purchased. Not only is the word FREE enticing it also offers some sort of financial relief and suddenly becomes a bargain in the eyes of their consumers. They are also very well known for their advertisements throughout the years, whether it is through the media in their numerous television commercials, or even in their print advertising in multiple magazines and coupons in newspapers. This is one of their key selling points over Starbucks because Starbucks as a company believes in word of mouth advertising rather than actual advertisements. Another campaign currently being run by Dunkin’ Donuts is for one lucky customer to create the company’s next donut. Not only are they getting their customers involved in creating the donut, they are allowing anyone with access to their stores and website to vote on the numerous entries in the contest. Although this may somewhat alienate a small portion of their clientele by creating a donut that not everyone likes they are able to take the mass market and narrow it down to what a large portion of their consumers are interested in seeing as a product. Although this is a great concept they are not the only company willing to include their consumers in their product production. Starbucks has a strong hold in many aspects of the coffee industry due to their intense strategic orientation as well as their product management. The company is not only very interested in what their customers have to say about their products, but also are interested in what their own employees have to say. They do frequent coffee and tea sample-tasting to develop not only buzz about the launch of their new products, but to get feed back on what should stay the same and what needs to be changed. Through this communal version of brainstorming Starbucks can better understand their consumers and their employees needs. Another huge selling point of the Starbucks brand is in fact the actual logo that represents the company. The green circle boldly stating STARBUCKS COFFEE around the picture of a singing Siren is known throughout the world. It has become one of the most recognized symbols in the world and is a great advertisement in and of  itself. Each Starbucks store also utilizes point of purchase marketing very efficiently. Throughout every store there are numerous signs and posters advertising upcoming sales on merchandise, new product lines, and even current products coupled with enticing pictures of not only their beverages but their delectable treats as well. Through something Starbucks likes to call the â€Å"Third Place† they are able to create a peaceful environment away from work and home that people can come to relax, enjoy great music, and even better coffee. Caribou Coffee is somewhat of a different breed. Dunkin’ Donuts focuses on the fast paced grab-n-go lifestyle, Starbucks is centered on tranquility and relaxation, but Caribou Coffee is all about adventure and exploration. Their founders actually created the company thanks to a trip through the Alaskan Wilderness, after a strenuous climb to the summit of a mountain. Their belief is that excellence is a product of hard work, and that life is too short for anything else. Caribou Coffee is not necessarily the cheapest coffee company around, but they definitely offer financially affordable drinks for people to enjoy. One of their current promotions is â€Å"Set Your Wild Free†, which is centered on their most recent launch of a line of â€Å"8 Delicious Wild Coolers†. It sticks to their adventurous theme as well as giving a little extra enticement to their new product line. So if these companies are doing so many things right through community involvement, Public Service Announcements, marketing their products, and creating a unique, and individualistic feeling in each store, what modifications can be made to their marketing tactics? First off Dunkin’ Donuts has proven to have longevity in their product due to their willingness to adapt and grow with their surroundings. They could however obtain an account planner in order to help them better understand other demographics that who they are currently marketing to. Maybe the inclusion of music selections in their stores, or even adding a few health conscious choices to their menu would boost their sales and increase their return on investment. Starbucks on the other hand who does feature in store CD selections as well as health conscious drink options needs to focus more on the financial side of their business. They need to begin taking into account  that the economy is in a slump, and even though they have a very marketable product, it will get them nowhere if the common man can’t afford to buy they products let alone consume them. I’m sure if they took a deeper look into their pricing and the actual cost of their product a happy medium could be obtained that would still benefit the company and the consumer as well. They also need to develop stronger marketing concepts that allow them to have more outside advertisements such as billboards, commercials, and maybe even coupons, which seem to be unheard of to the Starbucks brand. Finally, Caribou Coffee is actually in a great position to market their products because they have a great argument for opportunity cost to their consumers. They have a highly comparable product to the more pricey Starbucks line and are able to target a more accessible audience than the Starbucks brand. Marketing to the â€Å"every day Joe† will give them the opportunity to pull in people that may have never tried their coffee before but are willing to do so because of the price difference. Once discovering that their product is ironically similar to Starbucks in quality, but is more financially acceptable they are more likely to return as well as spread the word to others. In turn helping to increase revenue and benefiting the companies’ sales and popularity. In closing all three companies do a wonderful job of representing the coffee industry and have made millions marketing themselves as household names throughout the world. Slight adjustments for each company would allow them to grow and develop into even more productive companies that will prove to have great sustainability as well being dependable sources of that little extra boost that so people have come to rely on in their daily routines. Through in depth SWOT Analysis, Integrated Marketing Communication, and intense advertising these three companies has become a beacon of success. They will continue to illuminate the path to the future of coffee as well as our morning, afternoon, and sometimes late night buzz that we as warm blooded Americans crave. Works Cited 2003. â€Å"The Bean Stock.† www.thebeanstock.com2007. DD IP Holder LLC. www.dunkinfranchising.com2008. Caribou Coffee Company. www.cariboucoffee.com. 2009. DD IP Holder LLC. www.dunkindonuts.com2009. Starbucks Corporation. www.strabucks.com2009. Recall – Firm Press Release. â€Å"Caribous Coffee Participates in Nationwide Peanut Product Recall.† www.fda.gov†Coffee.† National Geographic Online. 1996-2009. www.nationalgeographic.com/coffee. Coffee Geek. 2000-2009. WebMotif Net Services, Inc. www.coffeegeek.comKenneth Davids. Coffee Review. 2009. www.coffeereview.comMonica Guzman. â€Å"Starbucks Ad Campaign is Gutsy†. May 1, 2009. http://blog.seattlepi.com

Leading & Managing People †Expatriate Essay

Multinational firms throughout the world are increasingly concerned about hiring, developing and retaining managers with international experience and global perspectives† quoted by Briscoe and Schuler in 2004. This report will be focusing on variety of issues relating to Human Resource implications which faced by the expatriate working in MNC located in Malaysia as well as Malaysian working in overseas. The extraction will be from the most recent newspaper, journal and articles relating to the following topics in human resource management. 1) Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy 2) Training and development for cross-cultural 3) Performance appraisal for expatriate The expatriation was subjugated by professionals sent by their employers to foreign subsidiaries or headquarters. 3. 0 KEY ISSUES AND ANALYSIS 3. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Expatriate facade many new challenges both in the workplace and the community. For instance, culture shock differences in work-related norms, isolation, homesick, housing, schooling, language, customs, cost of living and coping with his/her spouse’s problems of adapting to new environment. According to Stone(2008), research indicates that a manager’s inability to adapt or their partner’s inability to adapt is the major cause of expatriate failure. Harvey(1983) cited the consequence include premature return from a foreign posting and high resignation rates, with expatriates leaving their company at about twice the rate of domestic managements. Tung (1987) expounded the three main reasons contributing to the failure of expatriates in US MNC is as follows:- * the inability of the manager’s spouse to adjust to a different physical or cultural environment; * the manager’s inability to adapt to a different physical or cultural environment; * other family-related problems. One study by International Orientation Resources, an HRM consulting firm, found that 60 percent of expatriate failures occur due to these three reasons too(Solomon,1994). Besides the above mentioned reasons, include inappropriate selection practices, inadequate preparation and training as well as the stresses associated with expatriation which identified by New Zealand research (Enderwick and Hodgson, 1993). Another critical reason is the cross-cultural communications can be a struggle for the international manager. Gestures, facial expressions, behaviour and words can have different meanings and connotations. China, Korea and Japanese have high-context cultures where considerable importance is given to non-verbal and situational cues. In contrast, Australia, Canada, the US and Britain have low-context cultures where what is said is what it meant(Stone,2008). In contrast, some Malaysians who work aboard feel that the grass is greener on the other side. In Appendix A, this article highlighted the reasons why some Malaysian prefer to remain overseas. Due to higher paid, to widen their horizons, the prestige of working in a foreign company and the quality of life is unbeatable. The expatriate is unable to adapt in the foreign environment due to lack of cultural skills. According to HRM consulting firm, this is because the expatriate selection process at many organisations is essentially flawed (Solomon, 2000). Expatriates failed because these three focal reasons which mentioned by Tung that have not been part of the selection process. The underlying message was that the family is the basic unit of expatriation, not the individual. The MNC needs to look into this matter seriously in order to reduce expatriate failure. 3. 2 Training and development for cross-cultural Many companies including MNC have been ignored on providing training for employees whether local or global organisations. MNC recruits expatriate based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria and assumed the expatriate is able to adapt in the country where he was posted. MNC should not take them for granted. They should be pre-prepared by providing orientation, training on the cultural, language and living skill in the host country. Shown in Appendix D, expatriate reports interviewed an expatriate working in Nanchang, China on how significant was the culture shock he experienced when he moved abroad? He replied that quite significant and hard to adapt to the Chinese food and people spitting on the streets. Certainly, at the initial stage every expatriate will face cultural shock difference which may lead to miscommunication, misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Then directly he will be unproductive, inefficiency and faces expatriate failure. The MNC has to recruit a new manager to replace him which will be time consuming and have to repeat the process of selection and hiring. The MNC requires the expatriate to train the local employees in the host-country by transferring his knowledge and skills to them so that they are able to be independent and step into the positions/responsibilities within the shortest possible time. The article in Appendix B highlighted Malaysia government will review the education system to produce talent needed for an advanced nation and also perks to lure home highly skilled Malaysians (brain drain) and retain global talent to develop a quality workforce. Even our government recognise the essential of education/training to develop our highly skilled employees that are not only vital to the companies but also making the nation into globally competitive and transforming it as the high-income economy for instance Singapore, HK and Shanghai. 3. Performance appraisal for expatriate Stone (2008) cited that performance appraisal is a matter of serious concern for many expatriates. This is because performance appraisal is often handled badly. Companies fail to take into account the added complexities that come with international appraisals. Key issues involving performance expectations, performance measures and who will be responsible for the conduct of the appraisals are left vague or undecided. Worse, some head office managers ignore the international appraisal and do not incorporate it into the career development process. The end result is that expatriates perceive the appraisal process as unfair and as a source of never-ending frustration. Groeschi (2003) quotes that a number of comparative international and cross-cultural management research projects have concluded that HRM is influenced by culture. He also highlighted the same HRM policy is likely to be attributed quite different meanings by different cultural groups for instance performance appraisal. An organisation’s performance appraisal systems are an important element of its control systems, which is a central component of organisation architecture (see Figure 1 as below). In many international companies, the thorny issue is how best to evaluate the performance of expatriate managers (Hill, 2009). During the appraisal evaluation for the expatriate, there are two groups who evaluate the performance of expatriate managers. They are host-nation manager and home-office managers whom are subject to bias. The host-nation managers may be biased by their own cultural frame of reference and expectations. On the other hand, home-country mangers’ appraisals may be biased by distance and by their own lack of experience working abroad. Home-office managers often not aware of what is going on in a foreign operation and they tend to rely on hard data in evaluating an expatriate’s performance, such as the productivity, revenues, profitability or market share which reflect factors outside the expatriate’s control. Due to such biases, many expatriate managers believe that headquarters management evaluates them unfairly and does not fully appreciate the value of their skills and experience. It also one of the reasons many of them believe a foreign posting does not benefit their careers (Hill, 2009). 4. 0 RECOMMENDATION 4. 1 Expatriate Failure and the Selection policy Managing a MNC provides a diversity of challenges which the crucial one will be how the parent-company will recruit potential expatriate to manage their off-shore operations affiliates/subsidiaries. Selection of the expatriate must be right at the first time although time and resources consuming in reviewing and evaluating all the potential candidates follow by filtering them. The expatriate should not be selected based on technical competence and past job performance as the key selection criteria. Expatriate failure in many cases is the result of a lack of personal adjustment rather than a lack of technical skills. Harvey (1997) cited furthermore, research shows that in many companies expatriate selection is often haphazard and irrational. Organisations need to understand that in choosing expatriates, they should take into account differences in the business, social and cultural environment in the specific country and the impact on the potential expatriate, spouse and dependants (Stone, 2008). Stone’s (1991) study found that both local managers and expatriate managers perceive the essential selection criteria as the expatriate’s ability to adapt and the adaptability of the partner and family. 4. Training and management development for cross-cultural According to Hill (2009), superior performance requires not only strategy must also be supported by the right organisation architecture. Strategy is implemented through organisation. In Figure 1, people are the linchpin of a firm’s organisation architecture. For a firm to outperform its rivals in the global marketplace, it must have the right people in the right postings. Those people must be trained appropriately so they have the skill sets required to perform their jobs effectively and so they behave in a manner that is congruent with the desired culture of the firm. The following trainings are recommended for MNCs’ expatriates:- * Cross-Culture Training prior to departure The purpose of this training allows individuals to more rapidly adjust to the new culture before departing to host-country, and therefore, to be more effective in their new roles (Black and Mendenhall, 1990). It has been widely recognised for more than 20 years that the partners and children of expatriates play an important role in contributing to the success of expatriate assignments (Fukuda and Chu, 1994; Rahim, 1983) Cultural, Language and Practical(Living Skill) trainings * These trainings are helping to control and reduce expatriate failures. There is no question that comprehensive cultural training can have many benefits for MNCs. For starters, it can help orient and develop expatriates to better communicate, understand, and work effectively with people from different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. Comprehending and valuing cultural differences can al so help expatriates in the effective management of multi-cultural teams. Understanding global markets, customers, suppliers, and competitors is another indirect benefit. Pragmatically, cultural training can have a positive impact on combating very expensive expatriate failure (Luthans, 2002). Their spouse adaption problem, it is important that the spouse and the whole family to be included in this training * Language training usually conducted in host-country’s language. When the expatriate willing to communicate in the host-country language(even not fluent), can help build rapport with local employees and improve the manager’s effectiveness. * Benefit of practical training in helping the expatriate manager and family ease themselves into daily life in the host country. The expatriate community group can be a great source of support and information sharing in helping the expatriate’s family adapt to a foreign culture. 4. 3 Performance appraisal for expatriate To overcome the expatriate’s frustration and problems, the HR manager needs to ensure that the following key issues are clarified before the expatriate begins an overseas assignment:- * What are the organisation’s performance expectations? * What criteria and standards will be used to measure performance? * Who will conduct the evaluation – a local manager, a head office manager or both? * What will be the frequency of the appraisals? What consideration will be given to local environmental influence? (for example, volatility of foreign exchange rate fluctuations, availability of skilled labour, political instability, corruption and so on) * Is the appraisal positively incorporated into the career development process? * Are head office managers cognisant of the local business environment? * Are there any cultural influences that may distort the measurement of the expatriate’s performance? In order to overcome the biases of the two groups who evaluate the expatriate managers’ performance, it is recommended to implement 360-degree feedback.

Why The Japanese Invaded Manchuria

Why The Japanese Invaded Manchuria  ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Japan was hit badly by the depression as its main industry depended on its trade with the USA and China. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢After the Wall Street crash the USA and China put up trade barriers (tariffs) which meant that no one in those countries could buy Japanese goods. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢This caused the Japanese economy to brake down. Without this trade the Japanese could not feed its people. This left the country in crisis. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢The Japanese army thought that they had found the solution to Japan's problem- they needed to build up their empire, therefore they would have less of a need to trade with other countries. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢In 1931 an incident happened in Manchuria that gave Japan the opportunity it had been waiting for. Japan controlled the south Manchurian railway, they claimed that the Chinese had sabotaged the railway. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢In "retaliation" they invaded Manchuria and threw out all the Chinese forces and set up a puppet government ¢Ã‚€Â ¢China then appealed t o the league.The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange i...Japan claimed they were only settling a local dispute. They said that they had to invade in self-defence to keep peace in the area. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢The league sent out a group of official know as the Lytton commission to go asses the situation for themselves. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢It took them a full year before they presented their report, it was a well balanced report but it clearly stated that Japan had acted in the wrong, and that Manchuria should be returned to the Chinese. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢However instead of withdrawing from Manchuria Japan then announced that they intended to invade more of china (Jehol) they still argued that it was necessary in self-defence. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢On the 24th of February the report from the Lytton commission was approved by 42 votes-1 only Japan voted against it. ¢Ã‚€Â ¢Japan then decided to resign from...

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action Essays (3618 words) - Social Inequality Affirmative Action Thesis: Although many people believe that affirmative Action is a form of racism, it is actually used to help minorities find employment in an otherwise racist world. ?In the United States, equality is a recurring theme. It has flared into a fervent moral issue at crucial stages of American history: The revolutionary and Jacksonian Period, and the New Deal. In each era, the legitimacy of American society is challenged by some set of people unhappy with the degree of equality? (Verba and Orren). Following the Civil War, Congress passed a number of laws designed to put former slaves on an equal level with white people. The Fourteenth Amendment made the freedmen citizen and prohibited states from enforcing any law which took away the privliges of any citizen, depriving men of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law, or denied men equal protection of the laws. In 1875, Republican majority in Congress, aware that reconstruction would soon end, passed a civil right act to secure by law semblance of equality for Black Americans (Urofsky 19). Many white Americans really did not like the idea of equality for the Black Freedmen. ?Gideon Welles, who had been prevailing sentiment when he wrote in 1871: ?Thank God slavery is abolished, but the Negro is not, and never can be the equal of the white man. He is of an inferior race and must always remain so(Urofsky 23). The supreme court agreed and in 1883 passed the Civil Rights act which diluted much of th! e protection of the Fourteenth Amendment. Justice Joseph Bradely interpreted the enforcement provision of the amendment as strictly remedial; ?congress has the power to remedy a discriminatory state law, but could not take affirmative steps to protect blacks from other forms of prejudice? (Urofsky 21). As a result of this decision, the federal government took no action to combat racism in the country until the second world war (Urofsky 22). Because resentment continued to increase within the black communities and because of the threat of a march on Washington, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order on June 25, 1941. This order directed African Americans to be accepted into job-training programs in defense plants. The order also stated that discrimination would not be excepted by employers holding defense contracts. It also set up a fair employment practice commissions to investigate charges of racial discrimination. Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower continued to enforce fair employment legislation after Roosevelt?s policies because Congress was unwilling to do so. In 1954, the supreme court decision Brown v. Board of Education pressured both houses of Congress and the executive office to take some positive steps on behalf of civil rights. In January 1961, John F. Kennedy took office. Almost immediately Roy Wilkins of the NAACP called for action to promote employment opportunities for African Americans. John F. Kennedy responded with executive order 10925, which created a presidential commission on equal employment opportunity; it also mandated federal contractors to take ?Affirmative Action? to ensure that there would be no discrimination by ?race, creed, color or nationality.? This was not the first time that the government ordered it own contractors not only to avoid discrimination, but to take positive steps to redress the effects of discrimination in society. In some cases contractors were asked to pay employees doing similar work, the same amount of pay. Without congressional action an executive order could only last so long, and in 1963 Kennedy secured passage of the Equal Pay Act. The Equal Pay Act prohibited employers from paying women less than men for the same work. ?A short time later due to the assassination of kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson called for the passage of the Civil Rights Bill as a memorial to the late president kennedy. Lyndon B. Johnson skillfully guided and expanded versions of kennedy?s proposal through the house and senate. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law July 2, 1964. Title VII of the act banned employment discrimination based on ?race, color, sex, and nationality,? it also created a permanent equal employment opportunity commission to enforce its provisions. The act also for the first time included obligations not to discriminate to private employees, labor unions, and governmental agencies.(Urofsky