Multicultural Management in the Virtual Project Setting

MULTICULTURAL MANAGEMENT IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT SETTING Carlos Galamba, University of Liverpool Introduction The Virtual Project Setting In today’s globalisation era, effective cross-cultural management of virtual teams is an emerging subject in international business literature and practice. Virtual teaming has a number of potential benefits; not only in terms of human resources flexibility but it can also reduce the operating costs of one organisation. On the other hand, the challenges of such environment should not be undermined. Many scholars have attempted to analyse the impact of virtual work in a number of factors such as communication, leadership, trust, decision-making and productivity (Symons and Stenzel, 2007), while others were particularly concerned with the management of geographically dispersed units and therefore addressed the challenges of working with time zone differences and culturally diverse groups (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). The findings are very interesting and the business literature appears to agree that the virtual project setting is somehow different from face-to-face working and more important it brings some unique challenges. This project will review the literature under these headings and explore the critical issues regarding cross-cultural management in the virtual project setting. Based on the theoretical framework for virtual teaming I will attempt to outline solutions and establish a set of best practices for effective international management of such environments. Managing the virtual environment Critical issues The emerging number of virtual teams is a reality in the global market place. The virtual project setting allows organisations to assign the most skilled individuals to projects across the globe, with less concern for travel or elocation expenses, which improves productivity (Rorive and Xhauflair,  2004). However the challenges of managing culturally and geographically diverse teams must not be undermined. Some of the problems and critical issues arise in different areas such as: communication, technology, synergy among team members, culture and time zone differences (Grosse, 2002; Kuruppu arachchi, 2009). In the next pages I will discuss these issues and review the current literature and theoretical framework to outline possible solutions. |COMMUNICATION | |ISSUE |In the bigger picture the most critical factor with regards to communication is the language barrier. Effective | | |communication can be affected when team members speak different native languages. For instance, Bakbone Software, a US| | |company faced communication problems when Japanese workers were employed in their virtual team, due to their flawless | | |English (Alexander, 2000). | |Nevertheless, some cultures prefer a more formal communication than others, and managers must pay special attention to| | |individual needs. There are a number of communication platforms available, such as phone, email, chat and | | |video-conferencing. Selecting the most appropriate method for a virtual project setting is critical for the project’s | | |success. Ardichvili et al. (2006) found significant differen ces in the preferred methods of communication of Russian | | |and Chinese team members. The former are comfortable with email communication whilst the second would rather prefer | | |face-to-face or phone calls. These findings seem to support the distinction between high and low-context cultures | | |established by Hall (1981). | |SOLUTION |A valuable strategy to deal with communication challenges can be achieved by understanding and identifying everyone’s | | |strengths and backgrounds. By recognising different levels of expertise, skills and experience among team members, | | |virtual team leaders can distribute the workload accordingly. | |Lipnack and Stamps (1999), posit three basic steps to overcome obstacles to communication: listening skills, respect | | |and patience. | | |TECHNOLOGY | |ISSUE |The available technology is another critical factor for virtual teams. It is essential that an equal access to | | |technology can be guaranteed to all team members, otherwise productivity can be compromised (Kuruppuarachchi, 2009). | |Broadband services are not ava ilable in every location and some regions may experience slower internet speed than | | |others or may have incompatible networks | |SOLUTION |Ardichvili et al. (2006) posit that the start of the project is crucial and moreover team leaders must choose the most| | |appropriate computer-mediated technology that best suits the needs of team members. One that can be readily available | | |to all users and therefore potential problems in the use of technology must be identified before the virtual project | | |takes place. | | |CULTURE | |ISSUE |Individualism-collectivism is one of the biggest dimensions of cultural variability. The findings by Gudykunst (1997) | | |and Hofstede (1980) suggest that team members from collectivist cultures are less ready to trust others than those | | |from individualistic cultures. | | |Chow et al. (2000) established that individualistic and collectivist cultures make a sharp differentiation between | | |in-group and out-group members, with regards to knowledge sharing. For example, Chinese managers are found to be more | | |reluctant in sharing knowledge with an out-group member when compared to Americans. |SOLUTION |With regards to culture, many scholars agree that cultural awareness is the most effective solution to minimize the | | |negative effects of cross-cultural differences (Mead and Andrews, 2009). Ardichvili et al. (2006) emphasise that | | |leadership must facilitate an environment of cultural adaptation in order to create a unique competitive advantage. | | |Therefore it is essential that managers have the ability to channel culturally-determined behaviours and d ifferent | | |expectations into rich outputs. | |SYNERGY | |ISSUE |To communicate across cultures it is essential that managers can foster an environment of trust and understanding. | | |Several factors, such as repeated interactions, shared experiences and shared social norms, have been found to | | |facilitate the development of trust (Mayer et al. 1995). Many scholars also argue that face-to-face encounters are | | |irreplaceable when it comes to building trust (Ardichvili et al. , 2006). |SOLUTION |Following Ardichvili et al. (2006) findings, it appears essential that virtual team leaders make personal meetings | | |possible, because face-to-face encounters are one of the most critical factors for trust building, particularly at the| | |beginning of the team’s existence. This has been found to be essential in many cases of virtual teams, like Ericsson | | |in China (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008) and the virtual project of the New South Wales police in Australia (Peters and | | |Manz, 2007). | |Nevertheless, in the virtual project setting, this synergy may be difficult to maintain and it is therefore important | | |that virtual organisations consider activities that indirectly create trust, such as group and individual feedback | | |(Walker et al. , 2002 cited in Ardichvili et al. 2006). | | |TIME ZONE DIFFERENCES | |ISSUE |The problem of working in distant geographical locations arises for example when certain activities need to be | | |synchronized or when real time communication is critical for the project. Due to time zone differences, users may not | | |be able to exchange information instantly. For example, the US company BakBone software, faced some challenges in the | | |coordination of its Israeli and US teams, because they have a 7 hour time difference between them (Alexander, 2000). | |SOLUTION |Precise coordination processes can help conquer time-related challenges and help increase production outcomes. | | |Planning of schedules and tasks appears to reduce repetition in discussion (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). This | | |planning should also be organic, particularly if disruption of planned activities takes place. Additionally, virtual | | |team leaders must ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences so that they can plan ahead the best| | |time for communication. | | |Microsoft for example, has overcome some of these issues by using a 24 hour service in some of their virtual teams | | |(Alexander, 2000). | Ethical implications Lee (2009) describes e-ethics as the ethical leadership that is required in the virtual project setting. The need to address ethical issues in virtual teams has increased over the years and appears to be more important in the international business environment. The literature over this subject appears to agree that there is a clear distinction between the issues raised within this new virtual design when compared to more traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). Therefore, based on the problems and solutions identified before, for the multicultural management in the virtual project setting, I will now attempt to review the ethical implications of such issues. Based on the work developed by Lee (2009) I agree that ethic leadership is ultimately the responsibility of the project manager (p. 457). It is up to the leader to ensure that an ethical environment can be followed by the users at all times, and moreover that environment must be encouraged in the organisational design of the virtual project setting. Cranford (1996) highlights that the use of computers that are in different geographic locations can affect the communicative behaviour of the users involved. For instance, the absence of face-to-face interactions can encourage a more aggressive and disrespectful behaviour. Therefore it is up to the project leader to control this environment, and monitor any unethical behaviour as it can have a negative effect on trust and synergy among team members. Moreover, Lee (2009) agrees that it is essential that a code of ethics is available to all users, so that they understand what is acceptable or not in the virtual environment. Another issue identified in the literature regards the potential for social isolation in the virtual community (Lee, 2009), which in turn can affect motivation and commitment to the project. It is up to the project leader to ensure that all users are participative enough and avoid potential morale problems due to the lack of interaction. The latter has been found to be more noticeable in the virtual environment than in traditional organisations (Lee, 2009). There are a number of other ethical issues in the virtual environment, but the ones identified above appear to be those that are directly linked with working in cross-cultural virtual teams that lack face-to-face interaction. It is essential that leaders can effectively manage the unique ethical issues that arise in the virtual setting; in turn this will increase job satisfaction, efficiency and ultimately improve the service value. Case study BankCo Inc. as a result of a fusion of many multinational companies, as an attempt to create a global brand, with similar corporate identity and global standards. The virtual team members are based in many different countries and come from well distinct cultures, for example Greece, UK, Germany and Singapore. It has been suggested that any poor performance or project delays were not related to the virtual team itself, but mo reover were a result of cultural differences and communication problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). For example, some groups considered the excessive number of conference calls to be unproductive and time-consuming. The critical issues Communication With regards to communication, the authors point out that the excessive number of emails, over a 100 per person per day, was seen as negative by many of the users, particularly in the Greek and UK teams problems (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). It is suggested that this could be the result of a low-trust culture, where colleagues feel they have to preserve email communication if a dispute takes place, for example. The excessive number of emails also meant that they could not be fully tracked or even read sometimes. The company used video-conference as a replacement for face-to-face interaction, however staff felt that many of these conference calls were very long and unnecessary (over 8 hours in some cases). As suggested in the literature, the business language used can be a challenge for non native speakers, however this was not the case for the team in Singapore, due to their superior command of the English language. In the case of BankCo Inc. this was actually more problematic amongst Germany, Spain and Italy when they had to communicate in English. Also, despite the business language being English, BankCo Inc. as flexible enough to allow certain groups to discuss problems in their native language when interacting with each other, for example, in Singapore, this allowed easier explanation of concepts. Technology With regards to Technology, there were a number of tools available for communication. However, there were cases reported where users were not familiar with them. For example, with th e tool â€Å"Test Director†, created to identify and raise problems, many users were duplicating work, by using emails as a secondary way of raising these problems. The article by Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) emphasises that the challenges of technology could be resolved if managers addressed the training needs of the users involved, in a way to improve communication. Synergy among team members In the early stages of the project, it was reported that there was lack of clarity in responsibilities and roles, and therefore people were passing on the problems to others. Also, the authors pointed out that there was no obvious global project leader, which could have been seen by the users as lack of leadership and direction. The scholars highlight that cultural and temporal issues affected the building of trust. For example the UK and Greek teams showed some frustration by the East tendency to avoid answering a question fully. They also felt they could not rely on their Eastern counterparts to complete tasks, even if they were committed to do so. Senior management acknowledged the problem, and highlighted the need for more interaction and understanding. As a consequence, some positive steps were taken, for example by implementing more face-to-face meetings. Culture The authors pointed out that there was a difference in the work ethics between the West and the East, for example despite those in the West work very hard, the colleagues in the East worked longer and socially unaccepted hours. Another issue pointed out was the way that members in the team in Singapore would accept all change requests from senior management, even though they did not have the time to complete those tasks. They justified it as being part of their culture to not reject or disappoint any requests from someone higher in the hierarchy. However, the Western counterparts perceived this as inefficient and pointed out that â€Å"these guys are lying continuously† (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008, p. 60). Time zone differences With regards to this issue there were two different sides: some of the virtual team groups were working long hours, for example in Singapore to allow flexibility and problems to be picked up, even out of routine hours. On the other hand, the West assumed that they could then communicate with the East whenever they wanted to, and some problems arose when staff in Singapore was dealing with queries way past midnight. Conclusion By examining the critical issues regarding global virtual teams, this project offers significant insight to broaden our academic understanding of culturally and geographically distant virtual teams. An emergent perception that arises from this discussion is that the virtual project working has a set of unique characteristics that in turn create new challenges for international management. The findings in the case of BankCo Inc. also suggest that a variety of issues affect cross-cultural virtual teams, but on closer inspection, only cultural differences impacting on conflict and team elations, and time zones differences affecting coordination and communication, may be directly related with the temporal and geographical distance features of virtual teams. Lee-Kelley and Sankey (2008) highlight that the remaining factors, such as trust, technology, and communication are not unique to virtual teams, and can also be found in more conventional organisations. That being said, the ir presence should not be undermined, as it adds to the challenge found in the virtual project setting. For instance, communication as a traditional team issue can be magnified by cultural diversity and distance. Based on this discussion, I would consider the following as a set of best practices for the effective management of cross-cultural virtual teams: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION ? Leaders must ensure that a functional language is adopted in the virtual project setting, one that fits the level of diversity of the virtual team. ? The organisation must provide guidelines for communication and adequate training with the relevant communication tools. ? Equal access to information must be assured for all members of one team. ? Recognise that technology is an enabler SYNERGY ? Encourage face-to-face encounters where possible, particularly at the beginning of the team existence. ? Good definition of roles. Leaders must clarify what is expected and what are the responsibilities of all team members and also ensure that members in one team are aware of each other’s responsibilities. ? Set clear, measurable and achievable goals ? Provide constructive feedback VIRTUALLY MINIMIZE TIME-ZONE DIFFERENCES ? Encourage the planning of schedules and tasks. ? Consider the possibility of 24h services. Ensure that all team members are aware of time-zone differences amongst fellow colleagues CULTURAL AWARENESS ? Understand the different backgrounds and distinct cultures of all team members. ? Leaders must be able to predict potential areas of conflict due to cultural differences and prevent them from happening. ? Foster one organisational culture that promotes listening skills, respect and patience among culturally diverse workers. ? Value diversity The fut ure This project identified key areas for cross-cultural management and it represents a step towards more research regarding global virtual teams. Also it provides a more profound understanding of the managerial implications in the virtual project setting. One can argue that the use of virtual teams contribute to a borderless world, however a new set of borders appears to emerge from this particular environment. One that is well distinct from other, more conventional multinational corporations. This project demonstrated that the durability and future of the virtual project setting relies heavily on both the organisational capabilities and the individuals, and moreover that organisations cannot depend solely on their members to attain the organisational goals. Future research is encouraged to address the unique challenges of such organisational design, and contrast the effective leadership styles when face-to-face contact is hardly present. References ? Alexander, S. (2000) Virtual Teams Going Global, InfoWorld, 22(46): 55-56. ? Ardichvili, A. , Maurer, M. , Li, W. , Wentling, T. & Stuedemann, R. (2006) ‘Cultural influences on knowledge sharing through online communities of practice’, Journal of Knowledge Management, 10 (1), pp. 94–107 ? Cranford M. (1996) ‘The social trajectory of virtual reality: substantive ethics in a world without constraints’. Technol Soc; 18(1):79–92. ? Jarvenpaa, S, & Leidner, D (1999), ‘Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams', Organization Science, 10, 6, pp. 791-815, ? Kuruppuarachchi, PR (2009), ‘Virtual team concepts in projects: A case study', Project Management Journal, 40, 2, pp. 19-33 ? Lee, M. R. (2009) ‘E-ethical leadership for virtual project teams’, International Journal of Project Management, 27 (5), pp. 456-463 ? Lee-Kelley, L, & Sankey, T (2008), ‘Global virtual teams for value creation and project success: A case study', International Journal Of Project Management, 26, 1, pp. 1-62 ? Mead, R. & Andrews, T. G. (2009) International management. 4th ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. ? Peters, L. M. , & Manz, C. C. (2007). ‘Identifying antecedents of virtual team collaboration’. Team Performance Management, 13(3/4), 117–129. ? Rorive, B. et Xhauflair, V. ,  (2004),  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What binds together virtual teams? Some an swers from three case studies†, in Reddy, S. (Ed. ), Virtual teams: concepts and applications, India, ICFAI University Press, pp. 132-140. ? Symons, J. & Stenzel, C. 2007) ‘Virtually borderless: an examination of culture in virtual teaming’, Journal of General Management, 32 (3), pp. 1-17 ? Hall, E. T. (1981), Beyond Culture, NY: Anchor Press/Doubleday. ? Lipnack, J. and Stamps, J. (1999), `Virtual Teams', Executive Excellence, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 14-15. ? Grosse, C (2002), ‘Managing Communication within Virtual Intercultural Teams', Business Communication Quarterly, 65, 4, pp. 22-38 ? Mayer, R. C, Davis J. H. , Schoorman F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organization trust. Acad. Management Rev. 20 (3), pp. 709- 734 ? Hofstede G. 1980), Culture's Consequence: International Diâ‚ ¬erences in Work-related Values, Beverly Hills: Sage Publications. ? Gudykunst, W. B. 1997. Cultural variability in communication. Comm. Res. 24 (4) 327-348. ——à ¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€œ OPENING CASE: BANKCO INC. BankCo Inc. is a large consumer bank that is truly global, with branches in more than 100 countries (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). By being present in distinct geographic areas (Africa, Europe and Middle East), this is a great example of a virtual organisation that faced unique challenges and more important, it includes all of the critical issues identified above. Team relations and communication were affected by both time zone and more important, cultural differences. Also, I will use this case study as a reference for establishing a set of best practices for â€Å"management in the virtual project setting† for two reasons: 1. It incorporates cross-cultural management of geographically and culturally distant units. 2. The company achieved an outstanding level of success in terms of budget, time and value delivery.

Patience is a Virtue Essay

Patience is a virtue that every man and woman must strive to have. Without it, things can go horribly wrong, people would have faced much fights and arguments and there will be chaos in this world. Those who are impatient waste their lives thinking of the future. Furthermore many times, bad experiences often help build a better character, so if you are always rushing throughout your life without waiting for the results, how can you learn from your mistakes? Impatience will give you a lot of regrets in life, that is why we need to practice our patience so that there will be peace in you and in our society. The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary tells us that patience is to be able to remain calm and not to become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people. In Christianity, patience is one of the most valuable virtues in life. It is also one of fruits of the Holy Spirit. A good example of patience is Jesus Christ who had enough patience for seeing us sin against Him as He patiently forgives us each time we sin. Patience brings peace to our mind, helps us make the right choices, bring about enjoyment, right understanding, success, and fulfillment of goals in life. If everyone were to have patience in this world, there would be no more suffering, madness, misunderstandings, failures, and chaos in this world. If you are an impatient person, don’t feel depressed because you aren’t patient. Everyone commits mistake and everyone can change. We must be patient and understanding, life is too short to be vengeful and malicious. Like what Jean-Jacques Rosseau said â€Å"Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.†

Statement of Career Goals

As an international student from the Taiwan, my primary career objective is to become a financial analyst specializing in accounting information systems for a multinational corporation. My desire to pursue a career for a multinational company does not merely represent a motivation to generate profits on my side. Far more essential, I feel that a com/strategic-management-and-competitive-advantage/">multinational setting can realize the potential of becoming a truly ethnical entity for globalization, mutual understanding and the extension of opportunity. In a manner of speaking, my career goal lays in the belief that I can help transform the international market from its highly profit-centered orientation into a more people-centered endeavor. While I do not hold the legitimate way of making money as contradictory to the ethical norms business, I nevertheless feel that working to ensure that the people’s welfare is met in the conduct of fair business is a duty second to none. Concretely, I seek to use my multi-cultural background to help develop ties among businesses and cause-oriented sectors. This I believe I can do by framing ways to increase interactions between profit making companies and non-profit or charitable sectors. Global corporations in America, for instance, have already donated millions to international charities. From such benevolence, I take inspiration in my desire to promote similar ties. By capitalizing on my multi-cultural background, as well as my meaningful working experiences related to finance and technology, on top of my ten-year commitment to charitable organizations, I believe that I can direct my future goals to clarify my idea of success. I intend to build on these accomplishments specifically by helping businesses thrive in a competitive global market, by exploiting information systems to perform increasingly more sophisticated, powerful and accurate analyses. I have already assisted a charitable organization to minimize its costs by helping them to digitize their data. I too have performed similar functions for profit-driven businesses which I have had the privilege of working with in Taipei. My desire to join the pool of a truly talented multinational workforce comes with a sense of relevance on my part. For one, Asia is fast becoming a hub for global financial communication. In view of such development, I believe that my Asian background and language skills will be invaluable to the current trend of global business. The dependency of many American firms on East Asian economies will surely demand people – Asians specifically – who play key roles in efforts to achieve powerful work ethics. As indeed, many competent Asians shall be asked to assist American businessmen in respect to the mutual cooperation within the vast business industry. Since I myself am an Asian, I am of the firm opinion that that success in the international field depends on a strong knowledge of Asian culture and ways of life. In a global economy, understanding cross-cultural communication is as essential as competent grasp of Math and/or English. Furthermore, information systems are at the center of international business nowadays. And I want to continue to learn about their functioning, evolution and their future, as this will maintain itself at the center of global communication. I want to learn more about the process of financial analysis in general, as well as technologies that can make such analysis more accurate, convenient, efficient and powerful in particular. Since I already have some knowledge and expertise in this area, I believe I will flourish in the classroom and be in a position to contribute to discussions. I envision creating group projects in which my peers and I demonstrate how, say companies can use the information systems available in new world markets. Among others, I am interested in learning new ways to apply accuracy of information systems if only business organizations can become more efficient. I define efficiency as the ability frame strategies so as to get the most results from the smallest amount of work. Far more critical, I want to learn the ways of efficiency since it will permit firms to use labor in a more humane way, especially in the developing world. Reforms in the labor market can only develop when firms are confident that they are getting the most out of their workers. Hence, the efficient use of labor and resources lies at the center of labor market reform. For me, business is ethics; without it, businesses are merely machines for exploitation. One of the great learning unearthed by globalization lays in the need for comprehensive labor reform – i. e. , forming a mindset that treats human persons neither as resources nor means to make money, but as ends. This ethical view can only help business become more humanitarian yet competitive in many respects. In view of such felt need, I believe that my extensive travels, diverse experiences, and sound grasp of the languages can summarily give me a unique ability to serve for a multinational setting. I do have significant experiences both in terms of community philanthropy as well as in international business. Which is why, and on a more personal level, I want to meet new people in the course of my employment. My frequent travels have made me realize that I am a citizen of the world; and I have come to understand different cultures even when economics does in fact greatly color my orientation in respect to future work and life goals. My long-term career goal is to make the world smaller. This might sound strange, but I hold to the view that international business is a benign force, a force that brings people together, provides opportunities where none exists, and even may help to contribute to world peace. Businesses seek peace and common welfare; not warfare or ethnic and religious tension. An interconnected world is a sure route to world peace. And the ease of communications is important in relation to this trend. Hence, I see my future profession as both ethically consistent and relevantly attuned to the demands of the signs of the times. Essay II: Statement of Need I grew up in an environment where hard work was stressed above all. At a young age, I was expected to get a job and assist in fulfilling certain household tasks. In ways more than one, failure was never an option. I was expected to work hard, interact ethically with others, and make myself as unobtrusive as possible. None of these were ever interpreted as being a wallflower. To the contrary, I was raised in an environment where professional duties, no matter how menial, are given higher premium than most. This is because my family fostered the values of dedication and hard work, as well as keeping a sense of history and setting high the bar of excellence in facing challenges. I have reasons to think that nearly all things about my upbringing were goal oriented. Hard-work was always underscored; idleness always shunned. In the same manner, labor for our family was considered a means of building character and goal-oriented personality. As a way to concretely cite the case in point, I took upon myself the tall challenge of working full shift while learning English simultaneously. I took cue from the inspiration lent by my parents, as they were the ones who taught me that â€Å"multi-lingualism† was central to being successful in business. In fact, they encouraged multiculturalism because it does not entail that one’s tradition were to be abandoned or watered down by some vulgar, polyglot, or identity-less morass. To the contrary, multiculturalism was to manifest one’s own culture more actively and more tolerantly, being that it fully appreciates the distinctness and uniqueness of one’s tradition. While the phrase is surely overused, I have reasons to think that I was, in my own concrete way, living the American dream long before I arrived here in the United States of America. This is because I simultaneously held a job while working hard to ensure succeeding in high school back when I was in Taiwan. I have had a fair share of life’s struggles; I would run home after school, quickly change my outfit and, after grabbing a snack, proceed hastily to work at a restaurant within Hilton Hotel. I was like living two different lives in one day – i. . an ordinary high school student in the morning and a professional thereafter. That being said, I take pride in managing the routine so well in that moving between school and work soon became second nature to me. But while I have many good reasons to think that I can face similar challenges here in the United States, my visa unfortunately does not permit me to work and study at the same time. To this end, I am currently unemp loyed, not because I had choice, but because the nature of my visa would not permit to work in this country yet. My situation is therefore precarious. As an international student, I have many obstacles to overcome. While the fact that I am able to study in this country is in itself a blessing to be grateful about, I am always left anxious about keeping an acceptable and decent lifestyle while I am in course of pursuing my studies. If truth be said, the living expenses here in the United States are high; more importantly, tuition costs here in Michigan is higher than for most Americans. Strictly speaking, I am spending about $32,000 annually to defray my tuition expenses. And I must cover all of these expenses by myself, as I am living alone. One can only therefore surmise that the aggregate costs of basic living, daily food, apartment rentals, clothing allowance, provisions for books, necessary computer equipments, among others are just very high. Since the American government forbids that I engage in any professional work while studying, I believe that I can do little to support myself financially. At present, I receive a small sum of money from my family in Taiwan; the amount of support that I am able to receive is quite minimal. My father is 65 years of age and has retired from his profession. In fact, his savings are now almost depleted. In addition, our family has already mortgaged our home in China so as to assist me in my studies. My personal savings from my previous work in Taiwan is also almost completely exhausted. My other option is to go heavily into debt, which I am already doing. Unfortunately, I cannot have this continue. Hence, this scholarship is extremely important to me. And I am willing to work hard if only to prove that I do deserve to be helped on account of my qualifications as well as exigencies. Since coming to the United States, I have maintained a GPA of 3. 6 at the University of Michigan and Mercer University. I need to also mention that I have consistently maintained my position in the Dean’s List for many years. Ever since I have been here in Michigan, I have met people from all over the world; and I value these fruitful encounters precisely because of the learning that these people have left me with. In applying for International Business, I seek to continue learning from as many fronts as possible – i. . , from the peoples of different walks of life in general, and the University in particular. Hence, I wish to categorically state my willingness to learn, and let the committee know that money that shall be spent on me would never go wasted. America has done much for me. But my struggles continue. I do not view these as barriers however. To the contrary, I see them as welcome opportunities. My life has been one of hard work and struggle. As indeed, my lif e here at Michigan is just one more phase of this struggle. The struggles are some of my most precious memories; for only though hardship can we truly learn and grow. Without them, I would not become as sharp or hard working as I am today. Struggles keep one’s heart strong and tenacious. As of this writing however, my financial standing has come to a critical point that I need the help of the University and the scholarships available in order to help me to continue my studies. I am more than certain that, when given this rare privilege, the University community will not regret extending their helping hand to me.

PPP Approach to Language Teaching Literature review

PPP Approach to Language Teaching - Literature review Example This large number of functions is why learning a language is an essential part a human’s development, thus making it one of the most important fields of research for psychologists, doctors, as well as linguists. The process by which a person learns to use a language is language acquisition (Bailey, Madden and Krashen, 235–243, 1974). The learning occurs when the person has grasped how to use the words to express them, and to understand other people when they use these words. In addition, it is not necessarily limited to children. Adults may also undergo language acquisition in case of delayed learning, or in case, they are learning a secondary language (Behrens, 245, 2008). There are several components to this learning, such as understanding how to use syntax, phonetics, and a range of vocabulary (Goodluck, 87, 1991). Furthermore, language is not limited to spoken communication. Sign language is also a common form of language, which consists of using manual signals and gestures to speak. Only human beings have a language that is complex enough to have uniformity in structure, and employs proper vocabulary and syntax (Oxford, 261-275, 1989). Linguists have always been particularly interested in researching the process through which infants learn a language. This process is especially intriguing due to how little input and time these young children require learning a language. Several theorists have presented viewpoints and theories about this phenomenal language acquisition (Macaro, 381, 2010). This paper explores on the usefulness of one of these theories, which is the Presentation, Practice and Production Approach to Language Teaching (PPP approach), and will research the depths of its criticism. It will further try to explore alternative theories by comparing their validity and reliability to PP P, to evaluate this theory further. Language acquisition is an intricate process. It depends especially on the methodology that the teacher employs while teaching the language. These methodologies can be of six different types. One is Collaborative Learning, in which the roles are roughly under division between the student and the teacher, with both of them participating equally in the learning process. It is an interactive method, where the learning occurs by their holding conversations, interviews and having several other experiences (Unsworth, 60-66, 2010). This describes the second and third stages of the PPP approach, which stress on the student putting what they have learnt into practice. The second method is the Cooperative Language Learning, in which the student learns to use a language by socializing and interacting. This again, describes the practice stage of the PPP approach. The third method is Discovery-based learning, which is derived from the theories of the renowned psychologist Piaget. It bases its methodology on constructivist methods, involving the students having to inquire about and discover the several dimensions of the language their learning. This may not synchronize well with the PPP approach due to the vast different in technique and ideology. The fourth method is Engaged Learning (Unsworth, 60-66, 2010). This method makes the learners actively engage in the acquisition of the language, which they do using several tools, such as videos and recordings. Apart from this, there is Problem-based learning, which teaches the student how to use and understand a language by first teaching them a part of it, and then testing them through a question-answer format. In this method, the

Strategic Management report on Prezzo which includes a strategic Essay

Strategic Management report on Prezzo which includes a strategic analysis and strategy formulation - Essay Example In 2011, the company’s chief executive was awarded the restaurateur of the year in the Caterer and Hotel Keeper Awards (Harden 2012). The restaurant has positioned itself as an eatery venue for a contemporary menu with an Italian cuisine touch. Vis a vis, its menu mainly includes pizzas, salads, pasta and grilled dishes. The restaurant expanded its service portfolio in 2013 by introducing Cleaver, additional venues that specifically offered American fare including chicken, ribs and burgers (Restaurant Portal, 2014). Currently, Prezza has a total of 3290 employees with revenue of  £ 179.19 million and an EPS growth rate of 10.07 % (Hardens, 2013). Prezzo is also a member of the sustainable restaurant association (SRA), therefore, highly committed to protecting and conserving the environment. External strategic analysis of Prezzo restaurant was conducted to evaluate the impact of the external environmental factors on the performance and growth of the restaurant in the UK market. Changes and trends of the UK restaurant industry were assessed using the Pestle strategic analysis tool. The government of UK highly regulates the food industry to manage the prevalence of lifestyle and food related chronic disease such as obesity. The government therefore interacts with Prezzo operations through health regulation, such as the policy on GM labelling for products containing genetically modified food, Good and Services tax on food prices and the issuance of licenses (Euro Monitor, 2014). However, Prezzo has managed to forge close relationships with governing authority through a mutual relationship, hence minimum interference with its operations There has been steady growth of the UK’s food industry for the last six years. According to a report by the Guardian (2014), the UK’s restaurant industry was experiencing a resurgence after the 2008 economic recessions. The market has been characterised by a rise in consumer expenditure and a forecast of UK

External Analysis for (Lifestyle lift Co.) Essay

External Analysis for (Lifestyle lift Co.) - Essay Example The lift procedure performed by this company involves incision making, usually on sides of the faces and eventually removing excess skin. The company promotes its services by infomercial advertising, usually on television. Nevertheless, it publishes websites such as Life lift.com that describes various face-lift procedures and that contains information regarding the locations of its affiliated offices around US. Various external factors affect performance and competitiveness of Life Lift Company since entering the Sacramento market. The company enjoying a large market share has faced malpractice claims and criticism from the public and its customers. Evidently, a woman died just an hour after undergoing the cosmetic facial surgery in one of its affiliated branches in Maitland, within the state of Florida (Kathy 01). Besides this, some of its competitors are using information from the patients who at some point show up demanding for another operation. Popovich of Folsom had a face-lift neck at the company’s San Mateo but went for another surgery because one of his faces appeared droopy. Public and its esteemed customers deemed it negative for the company to sue two of its competitor’s website. In essence, entry into the industry has associated legal, ethical and financial costs, which act as barriers for new

Reading with Comprehension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading with Comprehension - Essay Example Learning Difficulties in Reading with comprehension According to Callella (2000), learning difficulties comprise of the inability to make clear connections between the text read and its actual meaning. Readers may be confronted with a number of difficulties in an attempt to understand and comprehend any piece of writing, which they read. Most of the difficulties in learning affect children and hinder their understanding of written texts. It becomes extremely challenging for school going children to understand what they read, when they have difficulties in learning. Some of the learning difficulties in reading with comprehension include challenges in decoding, linguistic comprehension, and poor phonological and semantic skills. Other difficulties may be related to problems with visual word recognition, fluency, and problems with inference making and working memory. These difficulties will now be analyzed on the basis of how they influence reading with comprehension. The lack of proper decoding skills can act as a constraint on reading with comprehension. This may happen when decoding is slow and effortful; in such a case, resources may be dedicated to word level processing. On the other hand, when decoding in the reader is automatic, then the task of comprehension may be possible. Reading comprehension can be compromised when decoding in the reader is poor (Westwood, 2004). Decoding relates to the speed of word reading; children who have poor reading comprehension skills can be slower at reading words than students with excellent reading comprehension skills. The relationship between reading comprehension and efficiency in decoding continues in a person’s lifetime. Poor reading skills and non word reading in early childhood may predict learning difficulties in reading with comprehension in secondary school years and adulthood. Linguistic comprehension can also be a source of poor reading comprehension. The simple model of reading holds that apart from def icits in decoding, poor comprehenders may also have deficits in linguistic comprehension. Readers may have difficulties in understanding the language used in a comprehension (Westwood, 2004). For example, they may not understand the actual meaning of the words used. This learning difficulty presents a challenge to the understanding of written text. In order to make meaning out of written texts, the reader should understand the language used. Thus, difficulties in understanding the actual meaning of words, phrases, and vocabulary used can be regarded as a learning difficulty in reading with comprehension. According to Allington & McGill-Franzen (2000), poor phonological skills also pose significant challenges in reading with comprehension. Phonological skills have a correlation with the development of literacy in children as well as adults. Phonological deficits may usually characterize individuals with poor reading comprehension skills. Comprehension problems on the basis of phonolo gical skills may emanate from the inability to sustain phonological representation of verbal information while reading. Phonological skills play an essential role in determining how the reader represents verbal information when reading. Thus, the inability of children to set up phonological representation leads to difficulties in reading with comprehension. Other difficulties related to phonology entail problems in word recognition.

Globalization ,development and sustainability from education course Annotated Bibliography

Globalization ,development and sustainability from education course - Annotated Bibliography Example The study tends to provide a reason as to why the education system is an important aspect of the society. The study establishes that the education system over time will tend to interconnect the world. As a consequence, globalization will lead to development and sustainability. The world view process will shadow the view of nations and countries as units. The book puts forward that the human population is not living in a way that will ensure sustainability. According to the author, the global inequalities and war are interfering with the development of the globe in the short run and its sustainability in the long run. The study explains that in order to ensure sustainability, the apprehension of the spiritual values is important. In addition, the change in values that are conventional, the change in the prevailing economic structures plus the transformation in the current social arrangements will be crucial in creating a significant impact. The book provides several agents that can be of help in the quest. The creation of an awareness program, the use of the spiritual communities and the Transnational organizations are some of the crucial factors. However, the education institution is the only avenue that makes sure that the entire transitions come to pass. However, the changes that accrue to the globalization process are progressive . The transition begins with a change in the education system, then the change in culture, then the globalization process and later on becomes the sustainability aspect. The author mostly uses secondary data to give a basis to the conclusions therein. The author also creates a sense in the readings through the use of existing challenges that face the earth. The book also tends to create the notion of a therapy through the provision of the solutions form the problems that are ailing the globe. Similarly, the author provides references for his findings in order to support

Croatia the Presentation of the Countrys Main Policies and Domains Essay

Croatia the Presentation of the Countrys Main Policies and Domains - Essay Example These two regions extend over the rough Adriatic coast. Its central regions contain densely wooded mountains in Lika and Gorski Kotar which are part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range (Croatia officially the Republic of Croatia). The Northeast region comprises of fertile agricultural land, and cattle breeding constitutes an important economic activity. Fruits are produced in the central mountain belt; and Istria and Dalmatia produce grapes and olives, in abundance. Croatia’s major industries are food processing, wine, textiles, chemicals, petroleum and natural gas. It is a parliamentary republic with a unicameral legislature. The head of the Croatian state is the President and the Prime Minister is the head of the government (Croatia officially the Republic of Croatia). In the 7th century AD, the southern Slavic people migrated to Croatia, where they formed a dukedom, under Charlemagne’s rule in the 8th century AD. In the 10th century, they converted to Christianity and established their own kingdom. Croatia remained an independent state, under the ruling of native kings. In 1102 AD, Croatia came under Hungarian rule. However, institutions of the Croatians survived even under the rule of the Hungarian dynasty. Gradually, its territory was relocated and moved towards the north and west. In 1420, its Dalmatia region was appropriated by Venice. The conquests of the Ottoman Empire further reduced its territory, in the 16th century (Croatia officially the Republic of Croatia). In the same period, the Austrian Habsburgs occupied the remaining area of Croatia and brought it under their rule. In 1867 Croatia became part of the Austro – Hungarian Empire. Its major regions Dalmatia and Istria were ruled by Vienna and Croatia – Slavonia. In 1918, after Austria – Hungary was defeated in the First World War; Croatia formed the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes by merging with southern Slavic territories.  Ã‚  

Were the liberal thinkers of the interwar period wrong to believe that Essay

Were the liberal thinkers of the interwar period wrong to believe that peace can be secured through international law and institutions - Essay Example With the atrocities of World War I (WWI) still fresh in the memory of most politicians, and with world anarchy a realistic proposition, the only viable interwar option available in the war vs. non-war dichotomy appeared to be the â€Å"Balance of Power† strategy championed by some of the days’ great thinkers (Sylvest, 24). Strained international relations made â€Å"balancing† power in an equitable, mutually agreeable manner a lofty, but urgent, goal. Realistically, an international institution with multiple stakeholders, representing all major world powers seemed to be the way forward – considering the immense toll (human and economic) the war had taken (Sylvest, 28, Ranney, 4). From the outset, however, there was significant philosophical disagreement about the ultimate roles and goals of such an institution, both between and within governments. The British Labour Party maintained an internationalist (not dissimilar to the concept of idealism in many way s) perspective, having fought the war along nationalist lines. Specifically, the party maintained that world progress, the ultimate target, could only be achieved by way of global democracy and world law. In this way, the party, and the internationalists as a group, argued that a) the conditions of international politics were malleable and that b) deliberate reform was necessary to enact democratic conditions (Sylvest, 20). As with many burgeoning ideologies, some of the internationalist philosophies were divisive: a liberal faction of the party held that the state could not impinge on the inalienable rights of individuals, and a socialist internationalist faction, in Marxist style, argued that â€Å"working men have no state (Goldmann, 56).†Although the internationalist perspective became popular and gained momentum, it did not fully represent either of the dominant views of the day: idealism and realism. The realists maintained, (some would argue as a reaction to interwar i dealism), that the conditions of international politics could not be changed, a nation’s main duty was to isolate and protect itself, nation states were primary actors in international politics, that the international system reached a dynamic but peaceful equilibrium via natural struggles for power (as opposed to a central governing body), and that nations must help themselves – as opposed to relying on assistance from others (Schmidt, 435). Conversely, the retroactively labeled †idealists† of the time, bolstered and transformed by Woodrow Wilson’s commitment to American Exceptionalism and belief in the power of democracy (embodied and communicated through his â€Å"Fourteen points† speech), promoted an ideological that aimed to transcend the left-right divide and establish peace through ongoing commitment to moral and ethical concerns – even at the potential cost of negatively impacting the nation state. To many, the idealists’ belief in democratic peace theory - the concept that similarly democratic nations do not fight each other, was especially appealing (Hoogenboom, 190). Though much space and attention has been devoted in textbooks to the dichotomization of the realist and idealist viewpoints of the day, and the idea of a peacekeeping international institution is often synonymous with Woodrow Wilson, in truth, the origins of these ideologies and potential resolution strategies span back much further. Two centuries prior to WWI and Wilson, Kant’s (1972) Perpetual Peace posits that the natural position of governments towards counterparts is war – which creates problems because conflicts between humans are unethical and â€Å"inconsistent with the rights of humanity.† Kant argued that war could essentially be institutionalized and regulated in order to