The American Workforce How It Has Changed free essay sample

The American Workforce: How It Has Changed Kathy Reed SOC304: Social Gerontology Professor Marie Mika August 1, 2011 The American Workforce: How It Has Changed The workforce has always been the backbone of America, ever since the beginning of time to the modern world of today. It begin with the men of the family going out and working, while the women stayed at home and took care of the children and the home. The workforce for men and women has changed because of the consequences of age, gender, immigration, politics, education and the economy. Even though the workforce has been affected by these consequences, the question is now, what can be done to make sure it is sustainable for the future. The following will cover the consequences of change, healthcare cost, and housing needs, social security, and programs for the aging. First, the consequences, such as age, gender, immigration, politics, education and the economy has made the percentage of the workforce change drastically. We will write a custom essay sample on The American Workforce: How It Has Changed or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Lee, M. A. , Mather,M. , (2008) states that: â€Å"the historical growth of the U. S. labor force in the four decades is linked to two main factors: growth in population size and increases in women’s labor force participation rates. In the 1960s, the U. S. labor force increased by 1. 7 percent annually as baby boomers those born during the high-fertility period from 1946-1964 started to enter the workforce. Labor force growth accelerated during the 1970s as more baby boomers reached adulthood. At the same time, women started to enter the labor force in greater numbers. As a result of both of these trends, the labor force grew at a fast pace of 26 percent each year. † There are several people of the baby boomer era, including myself, that have changed jobs more once throughout our life growing and preparing for a comfortable life for our family and the future, there are some that have retired, became disabled or suffered the loss of a loved one, but with the workforce changes, some of us have suffered more than one type of loss. According to, Dennis Cauchon: only 45. % of Americans had jobs in 2010, the lowest rate since 1983 and down from a peak of 49. 3% in 2000. Last year, just 66. 8% of men had jobs, the lowest on record. The bad economy, an aging population and a plateau in women working are contributing to changes that pose serious challenges for financing the nation’s social programs. For example, job troubles appear to have slowed a trend of people working later in life, putting more pressure on Social Security says Marc Goldwei n. Another change: the bulk of those not working have shifted from children to adults. The aging of 77 million baby boomers born from 1946 through 1964 from children to workers to retirees is changing the relationship between workers and dependents. † In the trends of men and women working, they are different because, when looking back in history, men has always been the person to build a financial basis for the family and over time women have increase their presence in the workforce, which added to the financial basis of the family structure. Then there are women who are single parents and they have increased the workforce as well, they sometimes have more than one job. Then there is the diversity, racial and ethical differences in the workforce make up a large ratio when it comes to any race or ethnic group according to various surveys. Another trait that affects the baby boomers is age discrimination, because of the economy; some employers are finding ways to get rid of, force retirement or lay off older employees and replace them with younger employees that will accept the pay offered just to have a job or an opportunity to excel throughout the company. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) banned discrimination against workers aged 40 to 65 and forbade employers to fire, demote, or reduce the salaries of older workers without good cause. Yet age discrimination still occurs. Although ads stating that no one over 40 will be hired are no longer legal over 20,000 claims of age discrimination are filed each year. The problem is proving it. Although the ADEA has prevented employers from many older workers, it has had little effect on hiring (Quadagno, 2011, p. 235). When a person gets to the age ransition (40 or older) of working for years, raising their family, there comes the time when you have to start preparing for retirement, not just planning it. The children are getting older or have already left the house and started on their own. People will consider the benefits they will receive when they retire and health benefits are very important because of the possibilities of health concerns that are current or that cou ld happen later in life. Retirement is also the time to think about taking time to enjoy the time off, being with family, friends and the grandchildren. Also trying to stay active and healthy is an important part of retirement. When a person has worked for certain of years for a company to provide for their family and themselves and they want their retirement to reflect the success of planning and preparing and that it will be able to sustain their way of living in their retirement years. Lauer, R. H. , Lauer, J. C. , (2008, P. 290), writes â€Å"that all things change. The American economy, the nature of work, and the nature of the workforce are vastly different today from what they were at various times in the past. Initially, the Unites States was an agrarian society, that is, a society in which agriculture is the dominant form of work and people and animals are the major sources of energy. In the competitive context of the global economy, a number of changes have occurred that are detrimental to the well-being of many American workers. As a results of such changes, many Americans are not only unable to better their lot in comparison to their parents, but are finding them worse off than their parents. † The United States Department of Labor (USDL) states: â€Å"who are the workers of the future? Many of them will be older versions of us. In fact, over half of the population of 2030 is alive today. Over the next fifty years, the population of the United States is expected to grow by nearly 50 percent, from about 257 million in the year 2000 to an estimated 394 million people in 2050. U. S. population growth is influence by immigration and emigration rates, as well as by birth and death rates. Immigration will play the largest role in the growth of the Unites States through mid-century. † Additionally, there is the health care and cost of the aging population, which is those that were born between 1946 and 1969 and most of the baby boomers are preparing to retire. The health care cost for the aging can increase drastically, because of the number of aging adults entering retirement and some have insurance coverage for of their current health conditions and others may not, but is there also the concern for future health concerns, and whether or not they will be able to pay they those services if needed or if their insurance will cover it. A healthier lifestyle can help increase a longer life and decrease the multiple health concerns and conditions a person can acquire from aging. David M. Lawrence (2010,p. 82-85) writes, what liable to happen in the next forty years in medical advancements and healthcare? We propose a scenario. Some things don’t change. We will still get old and gradually lose our facilities, our mobility, even our independence. Eventually we will die, most of us suffering from chronic conditions. Death will not be an option, nor will it’s prelude be a gentle descent. To believe differently is to live with false hope. But by 2050, important changes will occur in the medical care we will receive and the way in which we receive it. Victoria R Ballesteros Athan G Bezaitis, (2011,p. 50-52) writes, in June 2009, The SCAN Foundation commissioned a national survey to understand public opinion toward long- term care and its association with healthcare reform. The poll overwhelmingly demonstrated people’s concern about being able to afford long-term care services in the future, and showed broad-based support for improving coverage for home and community based services. Nine out ten Americans (92%) said it was important insurance coverage for services that help people remain in their homes instead of going to skilled nursing facilities. Furthermore, eight in ten Americans (80%) supported improving insurance coverage for home and community based long-term care services as part of healthcare reform, again with support crossing party lines. According to Science Daily (2010, December 20) increased life expectance in the United States has not been accompanied by more years of perfect health, reveals new research published in the December issue of the Journal of Gerontology. Indeed, a 20 year old today can expect to live one less healthy year over his or her lifespan than a 20 year old a decade ago, even though life expectancy has grown. From 1970-2005, the probability of a 65 year old surviving to age 85 doubled, from about a 20 percent chance to a 40 percent chance. Many researchers presumed that the same forces allowing people to live longer, including better health behaviors and medical advances, would also delay the onset of disease and allow people to spend fewer years of their lives with debilitating illness. Although such factors as heredity and biology partially determine whether an individual develops a chronic disease, research also shows that social factors play an important role. The likelihood of developing a chronic disease that produces disability is partly a function of one’s health lifestyle, defined as a pattern of behavior based on choices and options that are available to people according to their life situations. Health lifestyles include behaviors that directly affect health care, such as having checkups and complying with prescribed treatment, as well as decisions about smoking, food, exercise, personal hygiene alcohol use, and risky behaviors such as unprotected sex. (Quadagno,2011,p. 257).

Evolution of Container Shipping essays

Evolution of Container Shipping essays This report will provide information about containers and the shipment of containers in the past and present. It will tell how the idea of shipping goods in containers came about and how those ideas have progressed into what is now known as the container fleet of today. It will explain what the first containers were like and what the containers of this modern industry are like now. It will also look into the future of shipping with containers. This report shall completely inform and even interest the layman person in the modernization of container shipping. Firstly is to explain exactly what containers are. They are large boxes that actually come in a few sizes, but they all have a similar rectangular shape. The most common sizes of todays containers are 8 feet wide, 8 feet high and either 20 feet or 40 feet long. Others may be 24 feet, 28 feet, 44 feet or 48 feet long and there are, in addition, many other sizes than those. Despite all of their different sizes, one thing they do all have in common is how they are measured. They are all measured in TEUs. TEU stands for Twentyfoot Equivalent Unit. It is a measurement of the containers volume. One very important aspect about these large boxes is that they need to be made strong. This is so they can withstand rough weather at sea aboard a ship while stacked on top of one another. The bottom container in some stacks needs to support up to ten containers while on land as well. They need to be able to last for about 8 to 20 years, so they are generally made out of steel or aluminum. Since th ese containers spend much of their time at sea and are always outdoors, they need to be waterproof. These are a few physical attributes that help explain what containers may look like. There a few different types of containers, but they all meet the dimensions and requirements mentioned in the above paragraph. The first and most common is the metal box container with just a layer of dunn...

Public Policy - Asian American (ethic studies) Essay

Public Policy - Asian American (ethic studies) - Essay Example opulation is characterized by at least three other demographic features; emergent patterns of geographic dispersion, historic patterns of geography concentration and an on-going pattern of striking population diversity. Similar to the assertion of Ali Shariati, (Emerson 67) affirms that through the public policy and Asian Americans, most Asian Americans have attained freedom after comprehending how historical forces operate and have shaped their lives. Issues of sentencing of the coloreds, racial profiling, and abuse of women were rampant in the past. However, after pushing for freedom, it culminated into the Public policy and Asian Americans; thus, historical issues of oppression have been appropriately dealt with. Social class and class structure is prison to human beings. In a demographic survey conducted to identify the geographic distribution of Asian Americans, it became apparent that pacific islanders, a group of Asians were mainly concentrated in urban areas. Mos t of them shared common values and had similar social class structure unlike lower-income Asians. In relation to the final prison, human beings by nature have a diverse range of choices to make in life. In support of this (Emerson 87), notes that we are free as human beings either to act in the right way or wrong way. This depends on the personal choices we make in life either to cause harm or good to others. This is a prison that has been facing most Asian Americans. According to the public policy and Asian Americans, Asian youth gangs work in conjunction with gangs. Groups have thus been established to work with corrective action departments in order to sensitize police officers on issues that are specific to Asian American youth. In order to consolidate power, hegemony is necessary if not a prerequisite condition. However, contrary to the observation made by Ali Shariati, the best hegemony is one attained through consent of individuals involved. Emerson (89), bases her argumen t on

EVALUATING A WEBSITE AS A SOURCE FOR LEARNING HISTORY Essay

EVALUATING A WEBSITE AS A SOURCE FOR LEARNING HISTORY - Essay Example In this regard, the Europeans exploration and colonizers made regular trips to America to deliver merchandise and collect precious metals and treasures. However, as treasures increased, so did the desire to capture more areas to gain control over the Americans. The reason for choosing this website for analysis is because it provides information on America’s history and recommends other resources rich in America’s history. Therefore, this website serves as a good source of learning history due its diverse information, including artifacts and paintings and also other suggested literatures on America’s history. This website is owned by the library of Congress, the world largest library. Through this site, the library provides diverse books, photographs, recordings, maps and many other academic resources for both teachers and students. The information provided in this website gives insights on America’s history, and it is adequately supported by finding of gre at historians such as Jay Kislak, who amassed a comprehensive collection of materials on ancient America. In the process of his exploration, Jay acquired rare collection of manuscripts and books that pertained to early America. In this vein, the objective of library of Congress was to avail diverse learning resources to the American people. Therefore, this site seeks to reveal America’s history, creativity and knowledge through both primary and secondary sources to both teachers and learners. Notably, the site has a selection of more than 3,000 rare maps, paintings, documents, prints and artifacts among others. The audience can access information on the early America, including pre-contact America, exploration and encounters and finally aftermath of the encounter through this website. In addition, the site provides more than 3,000 collections of documents, paintings, prints among others. All information accessible through this site is equally useful for a historian, but for t his particular paper information on pre-contact, America is of paramount importance. In this regard, the website provides insights on America’s indigenous culture, including their music and poetry, powerful expressive objects modeled and the hierarchical political, religious and social systems. I consider the information to be reliable since it emanates from the library of Congress whose main role is to document historical information. In addition, the information provided is fully supported by researches conducted by re-known historians such as Jay Kislak. Despite providing valuable information about America’s history, the website has some ancient drawings and objects not clearly explained. For instance, under theme and exhibition, there are various items and drawings with no clearly explanations on how they relate to ancient American culture. This poses a considerable problem since ancient items, and drawing helps to provide information on a given generation. Further , despite the support of what the website provides with works of great researchers, little is provided to tie such information with artifacts and painting shown in the website. This leaves a gap that can challenge information provided on America’s history. Certainly, I cannot say that the website does not provide the right information, but more research needs to be conducted to

Optimism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Optimism - Essay Example Furthermore, the study concludes that irrespective of its nature, components, and roots, optimism has remarkably positive impact on human life and conditions. Defining Optimism Anthropologist, Lionel Tiger defines optimism as â€Å"a mood or attitude associated with an expectation about the social or material future-one which the evaluator regards as socially desirable, to his [or her] advantage, or for his [or her] pleasure† (18 qtd. in Peterson 44).On the other hand, optimism is attributed to be a sense of personal control, and ability to identify meaning in one’s own life experiences. Optimism is a valuable psychological resource which is long believed to be associated with mental health (Frankle, 1963; Seligman, 1998; Taylor, 1989 qtd. in Taylor et al. 99).Such psychological resources become extremely important when individuals are exposed to challenging or threatening occurrences (Taylor 1164).These resources work as reserves which enables people to cope with diffi cult situations in an efficient manner (Taylor et al. 99).Theorists Scheier and Carver(1985) referred optimism as a generalized anticipation that good as compared to bad will happen an individual confronts problem in crucial domains of life(qtd. in Franken 476). In general, the idea of optimism refers to an individual’s overall positive approach towards life and what it has to offer. Biological Component of Optimism Lionel Tiger (1979) puts forth the biological explanation of optimism. He maintains that in early days, when human left forests, being hunters they had to face death and injuries continuously. Because human mind is inclined towards learning from experiences, he abandoned the tasks associated with negative results. Therefore, it is biological adaption for humans to develop a basic sense of optimism. Furthermore, Tiger argues that when human body is injured, it releases endorphins. Generally, endorphins have two attributes; analgesic attributes which decreases the f eeling of pain, and feelings of euphoria. Humans are biologically adaptive to positive emotions when injured in order to keep the process going (hunting) due to our ancestors’ experiences, therefore, optimism is a trait which is induced biologically (Franken 1994, qtd. in Dunavold 4). Several theorists believe that optimism is a personality trait rather than an emotion. They regard optimism as an inborn temperament which means that people are inherently optimistic or pessimistic ( Dunavold 4). Learned Component of Optimism Many researchers believed that optimism is a way of thinking which can be learned. As Martin Seligman’s idea of learned optimism, in addition to Daniel Goleman confirm that the concept that both hope and optimism can be learned. He identifies that self-efficacy leads to hope and optimistic view in life. Self-efficacy refers to the belief that one has control over life events and his ability to meet the challenges as they appear in life (qtd. in Dunav old 4). However, Dunavold disagrees with the theory and states that, â€Å"... optimism can (not) be learned. Dr. Seligman’s method of teaching optimism relies heavily on active thought processes which I believe is more of a cognitive activity...Optimism can (not) be reinforced or stifled. Additionally†¦

Cross Cultural Awareness And Preparation Of Expatriates Management Essay

Cross Cultural Awareness And Preparation Of Expatriates Management Essay The integration of world markets has resulted in an outstanding growth of multinational businesses and these corporations have emerged as an important form of foreign investment. As the organizations grow by virtue of investing in foreign countries, the need to manage, coordinate, control and integrate the foreign operations of their subsidiaries with those of the parent company increases to a large extent. To achieve the objectives of the company, parent companies in the home country usually send expatriate employees to host countries as corporate representatives and ambassadors. Firstly, the paper will focus on the importance cross-cultural awareness in preparing successful expatriates for overseas activities. Through examining the literature (comparison of Hofstede and Trompenaars cultural dimensions) this paper will examine how cultural awareness is important in developing successful expatriates. Moreover, the differences in Malaysian and American culture that can create hindranc e in a successful expatriate venture will be analyzed. Finally, it will argue the importance of training and orientation in terms of preparing expatriates for foreign assignments. Literature Review There have been number of researches done on the relationship between cultural distance and adjustment of expatriate, with some arguing that sending expatriates to a same culture is almost similar to sending them to different culture. The studies conducted by those scholars found that there is no or positive relationship between cultural distance and expatriate adjustment. The results of a report by Jan Selmer suggests that although there is a significant between-group difference in cultural distance, that the American expatriates perceive Canada as more culturally similar to America than Germany, no significant inter-group differences are detected for general adjustment, interaction adjustment, work adjustment and psychological adjustment (Selmer, 2007). It could be argued that American expatriates sent to Canada do not experience any cultural differences because those differences are not expected. It has been found from studies that respondents from similar cultures such as U.S. when assigned as expatriates are not keen to report adjustment problems as compare to expatriates which are assigned to more dissimilar cultures, such as China (Forster, 1997). The result given by Forster reflected that the degree of cultural strangeness does not seem to have any correlation with the result of the foreign assignment. Similarly, it has been reported that the Japanese multinational corporations have experienced that their expatriates appear to adjust about the same in different countries, regardless of their degree of cultural similarity to Japan (Peterson, 1996). In contrast to the above findings, there are many researches on expatriate adjustment that lead to the conclusion that cultures which are more dissimilar to the expatriate culture present bigger challenges and result in greater adjustment difficulties (Ward Kennedy, 1992). It has been found that found that U. S. expatriates are more likely to experience greater cultural barriers in Southeast Asia (India and Pakistan), the Middle-East, North Africa, East Africa and Liberia in the areas of job satisfaction, stress and anxiety, and quality of life standards such as housing, food, and health care (Torbià ¶rn, 1982). Furthermore, a report by Tung suggests that American expatriates express higher levels of dissatisfaction with their expatriation experiences in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia than in other world regions since the culture in those areas are most dissimilar (Tung, 1982). Black and Stephens measures this correlation between the cultural distance and expatriate adj ustment using self-report from 220 business expatriates, whose results showed negative correlations (Black Stephens, 1989). Hofstede Cultural Dimensions The study conducted on IBM employees in 53 countries by Hofstede is generally referred as Hofstede Cultural Dimensions. By using standard statistical analysis of large data sets, he was able to define patterns of similarities and differences among the respondents. The theory formulated by using the gathered data states that world cultures differ along consistent fundamental dimensions. Power-distance It refers to the degree to which the members of the organizations and institutions which are less powerful accepting and expecting that power is distributed unequally (Hofstede, 1991). It represents inequality (more versus less) which is defined from below not from above. Hofstede suggests that societys level of inequality is fully endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders. Collectivism vs. individualism This dimension refers to the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups (Hofstede, 1991). On one side we see individualist approach in societies where the relationships between individuals are loose, where everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate family. But on the other side which is referred as collectivism, there are societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty (Hofstede, 1991). Femininity vs. Masculinity The third dimension describe by Hofstede is masculinity (MAS) versus its opposite, femininity. This refers to the distribution of roles between the genders in a society and it is also a fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found (Hofstede, 1991). The two main results that were found out by Hofstede on his study on IBM were, first, womens values differ less among societies than mens values; second, mens values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from womens values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to womens values on the other. Uncertainty avoidance The main purpose of uncertainty avoidance index is that it deals with a societys tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; ultimately referring to the mans search for Truth (Hofstede, 1991). It refers to the extent to which the members of the society are programmed to feel uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. The situations which are novel, surprising and unknown, different from usual are referred as uncertain situations (Hofstede, 1991). Long- vs. short-term orientation This is the fifth dimension that was added after the initial four dimensions were developed by Hofstede. It was developed by a study conducted among students in 23 countries around the world, using a questionnaire designed by Chinese scholars (Bond, 2002). The results of this study revealed that the values associated with Long Term Orientation are thrift and perseverance and the values associated with Short Term Orientation are respect for tradition, fulfilling social obligations, and protecting ones face (Hofstede, 1991). Applause and Criticism of Hofstede Theory There are many researchers that are of the opinion that a survey is not an appropriate instrument for accurately determining and measuring cultural disparity. It is mostly apparent when the variable being measured is a value which culturally sensitive and subjective (Schwartz 1999). Perhaps this is the most popular criticism that was made on Hofstedes study and it says that Hofstede assumes that the domestic population is a homogenous whole. It also states that Hofstede tends to ignore the importance of community, and the variations of the community influences (Dorfman and Howell 1988). McSweeney argues that nations are not the proper units of analysis as cultures are not necessarily bounded by bordersm (McSweeney, 2000). It is also proved from recent research that culture is in fact fragmented across groups. There is also a criticism that the study revolves around one company cannot possibly provide information on the entire cultural system of a country (Graves 1986). It is also believed by some researchers have claimed that the study is too old to be of any modern value, particularly with todays rapidly changing global environments, internationalization and convergence. It has been argued that during the time of Hofstedes study there was very little work on culture. There was demand for such kind of work and therefore, Hofstedes work met demand for guidance. Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Fons Trompenaars, a Dutch culturalist who is renowned for his work on international culture and Charles Hampden-Turner, a dilemma enthusiast classified seven dimensions of cultures. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) categorized cultures as a mix of behavioral and value patterns. The research emphasize on the cultural dimensions of business executives. As a result of their research, seven value dimensions were established Universalism vs. Particularism The dimension of universalism is about finding broad and general rules. If any issue arises and there is no rule that fits, it finds the best rule. On the other hand, Particularism is about finding exceptions. The judgment of cases on its own merits rather than forcing an existing rule in case where no rules fit. Analyzing vs. Integrating The decomposition to find the detail is analyzing. It assumes that people who look at the big picture as being out of touch with reality. Integrating refers to bringing the things together to build the big picture. Individualism vs. Collectivism Individualism is about the rights of the individual. It seeks to let each person grow or fail on their own, and sees group-focus as denuding the individual of their inalienable rights. Collectivism is about the rights of the group or society. It seeks to put the family, group, company and country before the individual. It sees individualism as selfish and short-sighted (Trompenaars and Turner, 2000). Inner-directed vs. Outer-directed The approach that what we think in our head is the most powerful tool and that considered ideas and intuitive approaches are the best way. On the other hand, outer-directed is seeking data in the outer world. It assumes that we will live in a world and should form our decisions on information available to us (Trompenaars and Turner, 2000). Time as sequence vs. Time as synchronization The approach towards time as sequence and sees events as separate items in time, sequence one after another. It finds order in a serried array of actions that happen one after the other. Whereas, time as synchronization approaches the events in parallel and synchronized together (Trompenaars and Turner, 2000). Achieved status vs. Ascribed status The gain of status through performance is achieved status. In this it is assumed that individuals and organizations earn and lose their status every day, and that other approaches are recipes for failure. Gaining status through means of seniority is referred as ascribed status (Trompenaars and Turner, 2000). Equality vs. Hierarchy The approach that all people have equal status and have equal rights, irrespective of birth or other gift is referred as equality. Whereas, hierarchy is about people being superior to others when few are in charge and others obey through the scalar chain of command (Trompenaars and Turner, 2000). Applause and Criticism of Trompenaars and Turner Theory The work done by Trompenaars and Turner is regarded as one of the best in its field but at the same time there has been some criticism of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner. One of their critics is Hofstede, who claims that the theory of Trompenaars is not supported by his database. Hofstede (1996) argues that a result of correlation and factor analysis at the country level, there are only two dimensions that could be identified and both of them are correlated with his Individualism dimension. This criticism by Hofstede was accepted by Turner Trompenaars (1997) and two contrasting lists of assumptions attributed to Hofstedes work and their own were presented by them. It is also been debated that Trompenaars and Turner didnt develop the dimensions from statistical data, but created their own collection instrument for the data they considered relevant Data derived from questionnaires is based on a limited number of questions by which underlying values were explained. Another notable criti cism is that the data is only selectively documented i.e. it is not to be considered scientific work. Also, the data (not all) is not freely available, it is owned by his company. The difference in the two works (Hofstedes and Trompenaars tuner) is that Hofstedes approach appears to be about the analysis of the variables of national culture, whereas Trompenaars and Turner are more involved in the process of cultural creation. It is also widely believed that there were very valuable dimensions that were added by Trompenaars and Turner. Hofstede and Trompenaars Turner and Preparation of Expatriate Challenges faced by Expatriates (Malaysian and American Culture) The globalization of world has made many international organizations to expand their business globally. Barto and Martin (1998) refer to globalization process a worldwide integration strategy where the purpose involves at developing relatively standardized products with global appeals, as well as rationalizing operations throughout the world. In order to achieve the objectives, organizations are required to send their designate representatives for overseas assignments in order to maintain the standards of their products or services abroad. A study was conducted in Malaysia to examine the issues faced by American expatriates working in Malaysia (Tahir Ismail, 2007). Attitudes of Malaysians Difficulties faced in understanding the indirect and non-confrontational behavior of Malaysians Malaysians misconception towards Mat Salleh Custom and Religion Problems in understanding the dress code of the locals Being cautious over religious issues Addressing Social Status: Difficulty in addressing names of Malaysians according to social status Gender Issues in Expatriation: Preconceived ideas about western women expatriates Malaysian Working Habit Difficulty in complying with the working pace High level of bureaucracy hinders job implementation Cross-cultural Training: Unavailability of a Structured Cross-Cultural Training program Importance of Training and Orientation The extent to which expatriates fail to achieve the expected outcomes of a foreign assignment is due to different reasons such as language problems, lack of effective knowledge transfer between the home and the host country (Tung, 1987), lack of personality skills for the expatriate to understand the cross-cultural interactions, shortage of technical abilities for the work to be done, lack of motivation or the expatriate may have difficulties to understand and adapt to either the physical or the cultural differences in the environment (Littrell et al., 2006). Companies use a variety of methods to teach expatriates cross-cultural skills, aimed at facilitating interactions with a foreign culture. Didactic Training This type of raining is most often provided in informal briefings, which can be given in a classical lecture form or with less structured methods such as casual conversations with experts. It is the most common and more than two thirds of all multinational corporations offer didactic training in the form of informal briefings to their expatriates before deployment abroad (Brewster, 1995). This kind of training provides factual information regarding working and living conditions as well as cultural aspects of the host country. Experiential Training This training is conveyed using a number of methods including, not only, practical exercises, workshops and simulations, but also more genuine concepts such as look-see visits to the host country (Caligiuri et al., 2001). The arrangement of look-see trips can provide a first real experience of the country for the expatriate and sometimes his or her family giving them opportunity to meet people in the new country and get a view of the new environment and the workplace. The planning of these trips should be properly done in order to be effective they need to be well planned, which can make them costly. Brewster (1995) argues that these are designed to give the expatriate a positive view; they may not show the true picture of the host country (Brewster, 1995). Language Training Teaching expatriates the language and/or the business language of the host country is part of the language training. Tung (1981) suggests that while fluency can take months or even years to attain there are still benefits of using this training method. This technique is often used and is an effective way of preparing an expatriate to speed up the adjustment process. Although fluency in the native language is not achieved, the ability to enter into informal discussions, use common courtesies and show cultural empathy can help to facilitate adaptation to the host culture. Cultural Awareness Training The ultimate objective of cultural awareness training is to give the expatriate insight about the culture and cultural differences, by teaching awareness about the home culture. There are different training activities that are included such as self-awareness building and value ranking charts, but the goals can also be reached with more culture-general approaches, such as simulation games and perceptual exercises (Grove Torbià ¶rn, 1985). Methods such as role-plays and self-assessments can be a good way of building self awareness, which translates into acceptance of oneself and an ability to adapt to the host culture. Conclusions In reviewing various cultural theories presented by different authors, it is obvious that culture plays a vital role in doing business globally. Companies that look to expand their operations globally must understand the host culture in depth and cross-cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars Turner are of great help in this field. Also, organizations wishing to go global by investing in foreign countries, there is always a growing need to manage, coordinate, control and integrate the foreign operations and therefore, the importance of expatriates cannot be ignored. However, it is also found out that preparing expatriates is a great challenge and organizations invest lot of resources to prepare and train them for foreign assignments. Finally, the type of training and orientation provided to the expatriates is plays a significant importance in the successful fulfillment of overseas assignment.

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby       Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby has more relevance in today’s society than it did when it was written. With the recent societal trend that emphasizes lack of morals and material wealth over a meaningful existence, Fitzgerald’s message really hits home. Which is more important - money or love? Social status or being true to oneself? Fitzgerald uses metaphor and symbols to great effect in order to illustrate what can happen when the pursuit of happiness becomes warped (by American ideals) into the pursuit of money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the major symbols in the novel is the color green. Green represents the hopes and dreams of people striving to accomplish the American dream of wealth and glory. Green is the color of money and is often used to purvey the concept of wealth, especially with reference to Gatsby. Whenever Gatsby's mansion is described there is always mention of the color green. His house is surrounded by "a large green lawn" or the "green ivy" which grows on his house. The interior of his car is described as "a sort of green leather conservatory" ... ...arning and take a second look to determine what is truly fulfilling in life. Works Cited Bewley, Marius. "Scott Fitzgerald's Criticism of America." In Modern Critical Interpretations: The Great Gatsby. edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. 1986. 11-27. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Scribner Classic, 1986. McAdams, Tony. "The Great Gatsby: An Examination of Metaphor and Symbolism." In Readings on The Great Gatsby. edited by Katie de Koster. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press. 1998. 111-120.