Shui Fabrics Question 1 Ans

Economic factors include economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates and theinflation rate. These factors have major impacts on how businesses operate and makedecisions. For example, interest rates affect a firm’s cost of capital and therefore to what extent a business grows and expands. Exchange rates affect the costs of exporting goods and supply and price of imported goods in an economy. There are economic differences that influence the relationship between the partners at Shui Fabrics. Chiu Wai, operated Shanghai Fabrics LTC located in China, before it became a joint venture with Rocky River Industries in the United States. When the companies became a venture, Chiu Wai became the Deputy General Manager for Shui Fabrics in China and venturing company Rocky River Industries located in US. Ray Betzell who is the General Manager for Shui Fabrics came to China from Rocky River Industries. Many companies who do business in others countries and cultures fail miserably. Managers must do their homework and learn the business ethic and culture lifestyles before even considering venturing into markets in different counties. To me it seems like neither of the managers did their homework and are having problems maintaining the economic factors that influence their company. A developing country is a non-industrialized poor country that is seeking to develop its resources by industrialization. A developed country is a country that has a high level of development according to some criteria such as income per capita and industrialization. Political-Legal factors include discrimination, consumer, antitrust, employment, and health and safety law. They also include how and to what degree a government intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors include areas such as tax policy, labor law, environmental law, trade restriction tariffs, and political stability. These factors can affect how a company operates, its costs, and the demand for its products. Political factors may also include goods and serves which the government wants to provide or be provided and those that the government does now want to be provided. Furthermore, governments have great influence on the health, education, and infrastructure of a nation. Political officials are going to be a big part of the team because they have strong influence on economic life in China. Ray must reach out to them and understand their goals. Success will depend on the personal involvement of top executives. The partners differ dramatically in terms of what constitutes an acceptable financial return. Chiu Wai is happy with achieving a 5% to 6% profit and believes he is viewed as a local hero. Upon achieving his goal he feels that he has done a good job for his country morally and for their side of enterprise by creating jobs for close to 3,000 people. He wants to grow the scope of Shui Fabrics and establish a national brand. Ray Betzell wants a 20% ROI and will only consider growth if it improves profitability, has no interest in creating employment unless it improves the bottom line, is considering maybe having to layoff employees to improve bottom line. He wants to improve quality, and sees no benefit to creating a Chinese brand because it views China as a low-cost manufacturing platform rather than a market. Social factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, populations growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and emphasis on safely. Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company’s products and how the company operates. With this being said, Ray needs to move outside his personal comfort zone as a manager. There seems to be a lack of clear, shared strategy between the two partners. When the company started 10 years ago, Rocky River has launched Shui Fabrics, a 50/50 joint venture between the U. S. extile manufacture and the Chinese company, to produce dye, and coat fabric for sale to both Chinese and international sportswear manufacturers. Intent seemed clear in beginning after many obstacles, considerable red tape and several money losing years the joint venture was fulfilling China expectations and those of local government and party officials. It seems there was once a clear strategy that has been forgotten over the course of ten year s. Another social factor that is different between the partners would be that a profit over 20% return on investment may be perceived as Western exploitation. When it comes to doing business in China, respect for people’s feelings is paramount – this sensitivity that needs to be taken in respect to people’s ‘face’. Face – a cliche, is the currency of advancement. It’s like a social bank account. You spend it and you save it and you invest. And when you take away somebody’s face you take way someone’s fundamental sense of security. Because of China’s history of exploitation by foreign countries who colonized China or raided China for business purposes, particularly in the business sphere, Chinese do not want to be seen culturally as having been ‘had’ by Western usinesspeople. (http://www. nytimes. com/2010/12/14/business/global/14iht-busnav14. html)Chiu Wai is pleased with the way the company is operating and feels that Shui is generating just the right level of profit especially because many U. S. -Chinese joint ventures are still operating in red tape. He se es no reason why Ray’s American bosses shouldn’t be more than satisfied with their 5% annual return on investment. This tells me that Chiu is unclear of his company’s strategic goals. Without a clear strategy it is impossible to choose right structure and extent of cooperation with a foreign partner. Unfortunately Chiu Wai attitude at Shui Fabrics jeopardizes the success of joint venture investment. As you can see the partners don’t share the same vision or philosophy at Shui Fabrics, the joint venture within China and the U. S. The disparity in viewpoints can dramatically hamper performance. In order for them to make the company succeed they need to come up with a clear, shared strategy that they both can agree and understand. Power Distance is the extent to which a community accepts and endorses authority, power differences and status privileges. In China, social relationships are formal, hierarchical. People mostcomfortable in the presence of a hierarchy in which they know their position andthe customs/rules for behavior in the situation. The Americans social relationships are informal, egalitarian. People mostcomfortable with their social equals; importance of social rankings minimized. 2. Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which a society, organization, or group relies onsocial norms, rules, and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events. In China, obligation relationships with other people involve reciprocalobligations. In American, obligation people avoid interdependent relationships andsituations that might entail long term obligations. 3. Individualism and collectivism Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose and everyone is expected to look after him/herself and hisor her immediate family only. Collectivism stands for society in which people from birthonwards are integrated into strong cohesive in-groups, which throughout people’slifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty. The Chinese are collectivist because they place higher value on groupcooperation and individual modesty. The Americans are individualism because they place higher value on self-reliance. Self-promotion is more accepted. High value on freedom from externallyimposed constraints. 4. Masculinity/femininity indicates the extent to which dominant values in a society tendto be assertive and look more interested in things than in concerning for people and thequality of life. The Chinese are relationship-oriented maintaining a harmonious relationshiphas priority over accomplishing tasks. Americans have task-oriented relationships that are less important than gettingthe work done. 5. Assertiveness is the degree to which individuals are assertive, confrontational, andaggressive in their relationships with others. The Chinese avoid direct confrontation, open criticism, and controversionaltopics. Concern maintaining harmony and with face. Americans are willing to confront directly, criticize, discuss controversionaltopics, press personal opinions about what they consider the truth. Little concernwith face. 6. Future Orientation is the degree to which a collective encourages and rewards futureoriented behaviors such as planning and delaying gratification. The Chinese pay relatively more attention to the past and the longer termfuture. Americans are less interested in the past they focus on the near-term future7. Gender differentiation is the degree to which a collective minimized gender inequality. In China, traditionally a person’s status in the society was based importantlyon inherited characteristics such as age, gender, and family. This is changing. In America, traditionally a person’s status in the society was based importantlyon inherited characteristics such as age, gender, and family. This is changing. 8. Performance orientation

Filipino Migrant Woman

Migration When the Light of Home is Abroad: Unskilled Female Migration and the Filipino Family * The article focuses on the Filipino female population migrating to Singapore and the difficulties they face while in their host country. Through interviews and extensive research the authors explore the relationships between Filipino migrant women and their families.The authors state, â€Å"Specifically, we explore how migrant women and their family members define and negotiate family ideals, gender identities and family relationships, given the family’s transnational configuration. In other words, with women – regarded as the â€Å"light of the home† (ilaw ng tahanan) – away from the family, how is family constituted and family life crafted by its constituent members both at home and abroad? † (Asis, Huang, Yeoh 199). * The idea of transnational family, having a bond while living in a host country, is interrelated with labour migrants.The authors define s transnational family as, â€Å"one where core members are distributed in two or more nation states but continue to share strong bonds of collective welfare and unity – is a strategic response to the changing social, economic and political conditions of a globalizing world† (Asis, Huang, Yeoh 199). * Female migrants are constantly negotiating their identity and their role in their host countries which leads them to maintain ties through engaging actively or disengaging themselves from their families. Long distance calls from the migrant to the families is an example of active pursuit.The authors describe this constant negotiation of a migrant’s identity as â€Å"relativising† (Asis, Huang, Yeoh 200). The concept of â€Å"relativising† could also be formed through cultural differences from host countries. * Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka are three countries in Southeast Asia which encompass the largest amount of female migration. The authors states, â€Å"The Philippines is one of three countries in Asia where women migrants comprise between 60 and 80 percent of legal migrants deployed to other countries every year† (Asis, Huang, Yeoh 203).Filipino women migrants increased due to a shift in labour needs during the 1980s. * The author’s research provides interviews with female migrants and their families in Singapore and Philippines. The interview raises awareness of female migrant’s loss of connectivity with family members, especially children. Many children felt the absence of their mother shaped their family relationship in a negative context. In one example, two male children dropped out of school and upon their mother’s arrival the children returned back to school.In this case the mother is seen as the enforcer which entails drives the children to attend school. The lack of face to face interaction between the female migrant and her family causes negative consequences to the migrant hers elf as well as her family. * The article also discusses the positive outcomes for female migrants while in their host country. Many of the migrants felt empowered by being able to provide a better life for their family. Many of the women provide remittances which in turn allowed for rebuilding of homes, school expenses, and food.Another positive outcome for female migrants was the respect they embraced from their husbands upon returning to their country of origin. Questions * How does the reconfiguration gender role affect female labour migrants while in their host country? * Filipino female migration alters the â€Å"family relationship† and in doing so constructs a gap between the mothers and children. Is the economical factor worth the risk of losing the bond between the migrant’s children and the migrant hence affecting education for the children? * Can labour migrants maintain a sense of family and does the term â€Å"family† alter when absent from the coun try of origin?

Sicily Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sicily - Research Paper Example While being a highly-developed cultural nation, Sicily represents an agricultural type of economy. It specializes mainly on exporting orange and lemon. Moreover, the beautiful orchards of Sicily attract many tourists mainly to the rural regions. There are also places of great historical interest such as Necropolis of Pantalica and Valley of the Temples. Excavations keep going on the island bringing out new evidence from history. The Sicilian people are honored to be citizens of the islands, though they identify themselves as Italians but not Sicilians. â€Å"Despite the existence of major cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina and Syracuse, popular stereotypes of Sicilians commonly allude to ruralism, for example the coppola is one of the main symbols of Sicilian identity; it is derived from the flat cap of rural Northern England, which arrived in 1800, when Bourbon king Ferdinant I had fled to Sicily and was protected by the British Navy†. (Spadi 2001) The majority of Sicilians have two native languages Italian and Sicilian. Despite the relative balance between these two languages, Italian has the dominant position - it is even taught at Universities and in schools as the language of mass media. Sicilian is mainly used by youth in every-day life. Speaking about religion it is necessary to point out that Roman Catholicism is widely spread on Sicily. The church weddings are even more popular than civil ceremonies and people usually visit church at least once a week. Jewish people, who appeared on Sicily 1,400 years ago, possess the second place in religion. The third place belongs to Islamic faith since many Arabs came to Sicily in the 19th century. And the minorities are represented by Eastern Orthodoxy, Evangelist Church and Sikhism. When it comes to national cuisine it should be mentioned that this island is called ‘God’s kitchen’. The reason for this is the abundant amount of wines, pizzas and other meals that originated on Sicily and have

U.S. Employment Regulations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 18

U.S. Employment Regulations - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) implements the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Act provides policies for minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor. It gives exemptions for minimum wage and overtime pay. The Act obliges employers of covered employees to pay them a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour. Youth employees, who are below 20 years of age, may receive a minimum wage of not lower than $4.25 an hour, during the first 90 successive calendar days of employment. Employers are not allowed to terminate existing employees to hire youth or people whom they can pay the youth minimum wage. Furthermore, employers can adopt a piece-rate basis in paying employees, as long as the latter get at least the required minimum hourly wage rate and overtime for hours worked that are more than 40 hours in a workweek. In addition, the Act allows the employment of particular individuals at wage rates below the statutory minimum wage, as long as they get certificates from the Department of Labor. They are the following: â€Å"Student learners; full‑time students in service establishments, agriculture, or higher education; and individuals whose productive capacities for the work to be performed are impaired by physical or mental disabilities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The Act does not provide limitations for hours or days per week of work, as long as the employee is not less than sixteen years old. Nevertheless, the Act obliges employers to compensate covered employees for overtime pay, which is not less than one and one-half times their standard rate of pay, for all hours that exceed 40 in a workweek, unless employees are considered as exempted.  

The Pro & Cons of Affirmative Action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Pro & Cons of Affirmative Action - Essay Example imizing diversity in the society, it is easier for organizations and firms to serve a wide range of customers and consumers to achieve instantaneous success, just like Startbucks etc. Similarly, it also helps the society to redress the disadvantage of discrimination by having a quota of diversified workforces in firms. This will move the society towards anti-discriminatory policies and will make sure that equal opportunities prevail in the society for all communities, races and gender. The disadvantages of affirmative actions are that it leads to quota system which is against the norms of efficiency and performance oriented selection. This will discourage people to work hard as they will know that quota system will take lead over their performance. Another disadvantage of quota system is that people will have to learn how to manage diversified workforce. This will involve managerial training and it will add up additional expenses for the firms who are struggling really hard to fight the ongoing

All Forms of Tobacco Should Be Made Illegal Essay

All Forms of Tobacco Should Be Made Illegal - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that tobacco items in widespread use and business preparation are derived from three sorts of tobacco preparation; rolls of tobacco smoked (e.g. Cigar, cigarette) pipes (counting water pipes) oral arrangements for biting and holding in the mouth or putting in the nose (e.g. snuff, snus, betel quid). Smoking in broad daylight was, for quite some time, done only by men, and when done by females was sometimes connected with promiscuity; In Japan, throughout the Edo period, prostitutes and their customers regularly approached each other under the appearance of offering a smoke. The same was correct for nineteenth-century Europe. At present, there are an expected 1.3 billion smokers on the planet. The death rate from tobacco utilization is currently 5 million individuals a year; if present usage examples continue, the number of deaths will be about twofold, reaching near 10 million by the year 2020. The higher rate of death and ailment is quickly moving to developing nations. Nearly one-half of cigarette smokers die early from tobacco intake. That is to say that in regards to 650 million individuals alive today will, in the end, die from a tobacco-related illness if they keep on smoking. In spite of what we think about tobacco use today, tobacco utilization keeps on increasing around the world. The plague is still growing, particularly in low- and moderate income nations. The tobacco business has an enormous potential market in these nations, where they regularly confront weaker tobacco control measures and ï ¬ nd an extraordinary number of possible new clients, around females specifically. Different sorts of tobacco items are connected with various sorts of diseases. For instance, despite the fact that smokeless tobacco items may not result in lung disease and different infections connected to smoke inhalation, their numerous other unfavorable effects still make them the real health concern in a few regions. Cigarettes, P ipes, water pipes and Cigars are the most commonly used forms of tobacco. Cigarettes are the most fatal and addictive items ever made by humans. At the point when utilized as intended by their producers, they kill more or less one a large portion of their clients. There are a few parts of the smoke and its advancement that have an extraordinary effect on the degree of the harm it does in health terms.

Corporate governance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 1

Corporate governance - Essay Example A staff of executives used of the American energy company. This prompted the adoption of the Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Act (commonly known as the SOX). Essentially, the Act was to mandate reforms that would fight corporate accounting fraud by enhancing corporate responsibility and financial disclosures. Further, for the sake of overseeing auditors, the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board was also created by the Act. This paper will discuss the Enron case and research academic literature to evaluate the amendments to the code/legislation and determine whether they will resolve the issues of corporate governance as well as assessing the effectiveness of the changes. For the purpose of discussion, an overview of the Enron Scandal and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will be given, followed by the evaluation of amendments to the code/legislation. The most notable causes of Enron’s downfall were associated with corporate governance, revenue recognition, special purpose entities and mark-to-market accounting. When the sale of natural gas was deregulated via legislation passed by Congress, Enron increased its prices and soon became the North America’s largest seller by 1992, earning $122 million before taxes and interest. However, poor financial reporting and accounting loopholes were used by the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer to conceal billions of dollars that had accrued as debt from projects and deals that had failed. Eventually, this led to the bankruptcy as the company executives continuously misled the audit committee and board of directors on matters concerning high-risk practices of accounting. Further, they also pressured their auditors, Arthur Andersen, to ignore such matters. Enron reported the entire value of all trades it conducted as revenue as opposed to reporting the cost of the products as the cost of goods sold and selling price as revenue (Salter 2008, p. 104). This aggressive