Lifelong Learning Plan

Mission Nowadays, the ever-developing world puts great responsibilities on personal development of modern people. One of the key success factors in such dynamic environment is flexibility in both thought and action which is attainable through constant renovation and update of one’s educational experience.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Lifelong Learning Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lifelong learning becomes the key to one’s ultimate success in all spheres of life, including inter alia employment and health (Field, 2006). Considering the objective inability of standard education to satisfy the immediate ever-changing need for innovatory knowledge during one’s whole life, it appears most reasonable to work out a lifelong learning plan so that the need for development and adaptation is fulfilled. In addition, individual lifelong learning plan is the more successful that it satisfies the requirements of flexibility: it is much easier to adapt an individual plan to the ever-changing environment rather than revolutionize a whole organization. Environment Since the pace of development in modern world is extreme, any long-term planning should be approached with caution. One never knows how the course of development will proceed in the long run, therefore it appears more reasonable to set up an individual lifelong learning plan that would not exceed the coming decade. This period is both long enough to allow of setting considerable learning objectives, and short enough not to find oneself at a loss as a result of mistaken planning. A decade’s time is enough for a modern individual to attain significant knowledge, as well as develop one’s abilities that lead to a successful career in the chosen sphere. Vision Any learning is impossible without proper learning sources that provide adequate information and guidance on the studied issue. Since the present l ifelong learning plan is devised for the spheres of general management and health care administration, there are two crucial sources that may serve as instructive inspiration during the learning process. For the first sphere concerning general management, it appears necessary to utilize Michael Useem’s (1998) work The leadership moment: Nine true stories of triumph and disaster and their lessons for us all. This collection of real-life occurrences, which put managers and leaders in extreme situations and forced them to employ all their managerial wisdom into solving those issues, teaches many valuable lessons to the reader as well.Advertising Looking for article on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The secrets and strategies of managing are disclosed in a lively and understandable context, with practical implications obvious and therefore more impressive. The recommended second source, dealing with health care issues, would be Cases in health services management by Rakich, Longest and Darr (2004). This case collection is valuable for its broad scope of discussed issues that range from quality improvement to strategic planning, include cases of ethical dilemmas, as well as issues of cost-benefit analyses and resource utilization. The learning impact of both sources mentioned is especially high due to the case method they employ for teaching valuable lessons of management. Additionally, the cases discussed in those works appeal to the learner with their multifacetedness which allows of reconsidering them from various points of view depending on the learning situation. Goals A lifelong learning plan as such may seem an ambitious undertaking, but once it is neatly structured in a set of goals it appears much more comprehensible. In order to establish the range of goals to achieve, it is essential to realize what changes might occur in the given time within health care management and consequen tly to work out the ways one should direct one’s lifelong learning to keep abreast with the developments of the time. The line of development of health care management in the coming decade can be envisaged as evolving in response to the evolution in organization and delivery of health care. The goals of a lifelong learning plan for a health care manager should therefore involve continuous adaptation and upgrading of managerial standards and strategies in response to the ever-changing situation. A constantly developing health care manager should also build his/her activities in compliance with the technical achievements of health care industry that allow of new managerial techniques and approaches. Moreover, the development within the lifelong learning plan should consider the current medical situation in the professional environment: health care management should correspond to the current needs of the patients in the given place and at the given time.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Lifelong Learning Plan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Last but not least, lifelong learning plan should have as its goal not only isolated personal development but also creating a learner-friendly environment that would allow sharing knowledge in a larger community of health care managers. Strategies In order to achieve the aforementioned goals of the lifelong learning plan, the health care manager should work out certain winning strategies that would lead him/her to success. For the purpose of adapting and upgrading managerial standards, it is vital to observe the current trends in health care management and develop a flexible approach that would allow meeting the needs of every individual situation. Technical modernity is promoted via openness to technical innovation and recognition of its importance for creating a contemporary health care institution. With the view of satisfying the individual req uirements of patients at a given time moment, the health care manager is required to possess sufficient up-to-date information on the contemporary health concerns of a given community.Finally, the requirement of constant knowledge sharing among health care managers necessitates creation of opportunities for information exchange and analysis. Tactics In the short-term range, the number of steps to undertake in order to realize the aforementioned strategies for lifelong learning plan is quite high. One thing that appears vital is maintaining one’s learning activities constantly; this can be achieved through variegating them and connecting them with one’s daily working practice. Thus for one thing, observation of current trends in health care management is possible through observing the experience of major health care establishments. The news of technical achievements and current medical picture of the community are available through firstly, own-conducted surveys and res earch and secondly, through regular reviewing up-to-date publications in related editions. The favorable environment for group learning is created through establishing and actively participating in workshops and conferences of healthcare managers. In addition to those tactics, it is worth creating certain topical self-assessment modules that would stipulate the information to learn at a given period of time, as well as the study questions to be answered and practical tasks to be solved on the basis of that information.Advertising Looking for article on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Within those module both theoretical and practical assignments should be completed: theory can be drawn from multiple informative publications on health care, and practical tasks arise from everyday managerial activities. It goes without saying that the most efficient and sensible way to conduct lifelong learning is always to connect practice with theory and make sure that the latter serves the needs of the former. Monitoring Lifelong learning process makes sense as long as it yields certain results. In order to understand whether the expected outcomes are achieved or not, it is essential to carry out monitoring via a set of various procedures. The most available and immediate monitoring is conducted through self-analysis and own reflection on the course of actions. Keeping a neat and detailed record of one’s long-term and short-term plans and ways of their realization would create a clear picture of the ways things go for the health care manager in the process of life learni ng. It would be logical to assume that if the goals are achieved, then the strategies and tactics have been chosen correctly; if not, then the strategies and tactics should be amended correspondingly. In addition to self-assessment, solicitation of colleague opinions is absolutely vital. An objective detached view would point out the advantages and disadvantages of one’s actions, sometimes doing it more clearly due to impartiality and freshness of perception. Therefore colleagues feedback should be gathered constantly, either directly (through immediate conversation) or indirectly (through observing colleagues’ cooperativeness and willingness to collaborate). Risk factors Achieving success in one’s lifelong learning is subject to action of certain risk factors that may either benefit or hinder one’s success. Among the crucial helping factors, information technology plays a role that is hard to overestimate. Learning as gaining, processing, creating, and s haring information is immensely facilitated by the ever-developing information technology and there is hope that this process continues on to the coming decade. Professional factors, such as availability or absence of knowledgeable interlocutors who can share and develop knowledge, can play either a positive or a negative role correspondingly. Last but not least, the success or failure of one’s lifelong learning plan crucially depends on personal factors. For one thing, the personality of the learner influences the learning process: such characteristics as stamina, self-organization, motivation, and openness to new ideas are indispensable to successful learning. For another thing, the personality of the people who may potentially share knowledge also matters: whether they are friendly and willing enough to cooperate is a decisive factor for obtaining the desired information. References Field, J. (2006). Lifelong learning and the new educational order (2nd ed.). Sterling, VA: Trentham Books Limited. Rakich, J. S., Longest, B. B., Darr, K. (Eds.). (2004). Cases in health services management (4th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press. Useem, M. (1998). The leadership moment: Nine true stories of triumph and disaster and their lessons for us all. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. This article on Lifelong Learning Plan was written and submitted by user Senator Bail to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Evolving Concept of Success essayEssay Writing Service

The Evolving Concept of Success essayEssay Writing Service The Evolving Concept of Success essay The Evolving Concept of Success essayThe concept of success and the struggle for success became part of the idea of the American dream. However, the notion of success which is currently adopted by the society implies hardworking, making a lot of money, demonstrating wealth and power. The society assumes by default that such predominantly material values are common for everyone. Although it might be the dream life for some categories of people, there are also lots of people who arrive to other forms of success and choose their own routes. The main thesis of this paper is the following: success and happiness are individual concepts, and achieving personal success is hardly possible without failure.Zinsser (1970) in his essay The Right to Fail argues that the modern stereotypes about success are too strong and deprive the young people of the right to fail, to seek their own destiny through trial and error. Zinnser (n.d.) states: The right to fail is one of the few freedoms that this cou ntry does not grant its citizens (para. 3). This statement is especially actual for young people. Those who decide to leave college and to try other activities, be it volunteering, entrepreneurship or motherhood, are stigmatized as dropouts and losers. However, such strong social stereotypes prevent young people from searching their mission and the area that they can be successful in. For most people, it is not possible to find own calling from the first attempt; therefore, the right to fail is a necessary prerequisite for success.Furthermore, Zinnser reminds that History is strewn with eminent dropouts, loners who followed their own trail, not worrying about its odd twists and turns because they had faith in their own sense of direction (para. 6). There are numerous historical examples of dropouts who found their calling and reached success. Among the most successful dropouts there are Madonna, James Cameron, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. The ir stories demonstrate the importance of recognizing own individuality and searching for own place in life. These examples reinforce the main thesis of this paper: failure is an inevitable component of success. Those who are afraid to fail cannot learn on their mistakes and therefore are not able to gain new experience.It should be also noted that the notion of success is very subjective and individual. In fact, new standards of success are emerging as younger generations protest against rigid lifestyle and choose to act in accordance with their values and talents, even though these actions do not lead to future wealth. Volunteers, missioners, educators there are many occupations which do not lead to riches. However, there is an increasing interest towards such activities among young people. According to Zinnser (1970), more than 3 million students would use the opportunity serve in the domestic Peace Corps. It is also important to note downshifting in this context: there are peopl e who reached success in the traditional understanding and then gave it up for less frantic and more fulfilling life. These examples clearly show that success is different, and each person should define the criteria of success independently.Such appreciation of failure and dropouts might cause certain refutations. One obvious refutation is that, despite many successful examples, there are a lot more examples of dropouts who ended up poorly. In this context, it is important not to mix genuine search of own calling with laziness and loafing. The core idea of the paper is that any person has the right to failure, the right to make errors and to be able to choose own destiny. The right to fail does not eliminate taking responsibility for own life.In general, Zinnsers essay brings up important questions of finding own place in life and defining the individual concept of happiness. The idea of happiness coined by the previous generations is centered around material values, wealth, power a nd stability. Younger people are challenging this concept by trying out new activities, new meanings and new occupations. It is essential to provide the right to fail to them so that they would be able to learn on these failures and to find the path to personal success.

European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

European Union - Essay Example According to Templeton, the economic impetus behind the euro project can be traced from the relatively poor performance of the European economies over the past twenty years or more (8). Templeton states that Europe has, for a long time, suffered from relatively weak economic growth, persistently high unemployment and weak economic growth (8). In fact, a term, Eurosclerosis, has been coined to describe the dismal performance of the European economy which became more pronounced in the 1980s. In order to correct these problems, European policy making in the last fifteen years emphasized in launching two significant projects: (1) the single European market, with the free movement of goods, labor, services and capital , and (2) the euro project, the plan for European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). Chabot pointed out that it is a common misconception that the euro, [or more generally, the European Union] is primarily an economic project (37). In fact, Chabot asserts that the project is intensely a political one that has been entangled in the history of Europe for many years. In short, the project has evolved as an essential step toward the ultimate goal of â€Å"ever closer† political integration first planned in the 1958 Treaty of Rome, and that the language of the subsequent treaties makes it clear that the euro’s introduction is based far more than economic pros and cons (Chabot 37-38). Former Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl viewed that euro’s economic benefits are only secondary.... Chabot pointed out that it is a common misconception that the euro, [or more generally, the European Union] is primarily an economic project (37). In fact, Chabot asserts that the project is intensely a political one that has been entangled in the history of Europe for many years. In short, the project has evolved as an essential step toward the ultimate goal of "ever closer" political integration first planned in the 1958 Treaty of Rome, and that the language of the subsequent treaties makes it clear that the euro's introduction is based far more than economic pros and cons (Chabot 37-38). Former Germany Chancellor Helmut Kohl viewed that euro's economic benefits are only secondary and emphasizing instead that "the unification project is the best insurance against a relapse of national egoism, chauvinism and violent conflict" (qtd. in Chabot 38). Chabot continues on that the legacy of two world wars plays a crucial role in the process of European integration (38). Benefits of a Monetary Union In his book, Economics of Monetary Union, Paul De Grauwe asserted that whereas the costs of a common currency have much to do with the macroeconomic management of a country, the benefits are mostly situated at the microeconomic level (60). Eliminating the costs of exchanging one currency into another is certainly the most visible and easily the most quantifiable) gain from a monetary union (De Grauwe 60). The European Commission estimates that the gains derived from the elimination of transaction costs fall between 13 and 20 billion euros per year, one-quarter to one-half of 1% of the Community GDP (qtd. in De Grauwe 60). De Grauwe argues

Royal Bank of Scotland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Royal Bank of Scotland - Essay Example At the time the controversy was percolating in the banking community there were no existing regulations that will cap bonuses much less the regular compensation of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s most senior officers. Ergo for all intents and purposes senior managers were not violating the law and their obligation to do no fault before the bars of justice. However the ethical standard was not only thrown out the window the sense of propriety of the people involved was put into questions. The board of directors itself populated by either the same people who will receive the bonuses shall of course choose to receive the bonus. It should be noted that there is nothing wrong in getting bonuses however, getting it from a distressed bank or an institution that are not only losing money but will be bailed out by the government. Banks are the very foundation of the economy of the United Kingdom, if its citizens lost its trust and confidence in the banking sector the result would not only be economic dislocation but also total economic chaos. These events would precipitate from the shortage of currency which banks help to balance to ensure that their amount can be sustained by the sum total of the United Kingdom’s assets. Thus it is essential that banks are free from controversy that may cause the subject of the United Kingdom to lose its trust and confidence. The United Kingdom failure to institute immediate sanctions to erring banks and their officers were not enough and cannot be rectified by a mere threat of an increase in taxes on bonuses. Drastic measures such as those implemented by the United States to break down or collapse the banks into several pieces were even lobbied by some legislators from both houses of the United Kingdom. Considering that the government of the United Kingdom owns more than half of the Royal Bank of Scotland, it is therefore in the best interest of the government to protect its interest through the board seats it occupy.   T he bonuses for all intents and purposes may have been given or agreed upon by the board of directors with the senior executives of the bank long before the losses were incurred. Thus, the senior management that was affected was well within their rights to receive the bonuses. However, considering that bonus are supposed to be rewards for a job well done. The bonuses are not only needed but it was never really justified in the first place.

Personal statement, interview in your filed of interest Essay

Personal statement, interview in your filed of interest - Essay Example It reflects both the goals I have in life as well as what drives me in achieving them. I try to plan my life and set both the short-term and long-term goals in a way that will enable me to become each day better than I was yesterday, delimiting always some new horizons to be discovered. Knowing that my actions and my efforts were not in vain, but brought good and well-being to other people and society I live in is what fills the life with sense and brings inner satisfaction. Only by striving for more a person can expect to become versatile personality and knowledgeable professional. Following my credo, I know that any experience, either successful or not, is always good for a person, but it is essential to know how to make use of it and be ready to turn the past mistakes into the future gaining. My aim is not getting an access to material benefits as they are not the values I serve. However, I know that I possess all the skills and traits of character needed to reach heights in civil engineering. Finding and applying my own approach to challenges and seemingly desperate situations, I will be able to make a difference in this profession and prove that I am capable of much. The only indeed valuable award, in this regard, is seeing the outcomes of the completed work and to knowing that they will serve people good for ages. Subsequently, I believe that what I managed to achieve today will lay the ground for what I will gain tomorrow. The following confidence constantly encourages me to try even harder and applying even more efforts on the way to my

Motives, Triggers And Barriers To Internationalization

Motives, Triggers And Barriers To Internationalization In general, internationalization occurs when the company expand its business activities into foreign markets. There might be several reasons for this. Of course, the most frequent reason is to expand profits, but this is not the only one. The motives and triggers for internationalization are a key concept for firms that are planning to enter the global market since both concepts will shape the internationalization strategy or path (Äijà ¶ et al) and main characteristics of this process. Table 2 and Table 3 present the main motives and triggers. If the main reason to start exporting is to increase profits and growth, the potential new markets will be those where the competition is less fierce and margins can be set on a higher level. If the goal is to reduce costs by expanding the economies of scale, the target countries might be anyone, independent of the profit level that the company can achieve there as long as there are positive. If the fierce competition in the local market is the driver to star exporting, then the foreign market will be determined as a defensive strategy mainly by forces external to the firm. Another crucial concept is the barriers hindering the export initiation. If any one of this factors or a combination of them is available in the firms context, it may hold back the internationalization of the firm for a long period or even forever. According to Hollensen (2008), the critical factors hindering internationalization initiation are mainly internal. Table 4 summarizes these barriers. In the Day Chocolate case, and based on the general information analysed and on the company history, it will be assumed that the primary motive to start the internationalization process is to increase profits and to grow in revenue. In addition, some foreign market opportunities could be considered as a motive. On the other hand, Competitive Pressure as a reactive motive could also have been stated, but it does not seem the main one according to the information analysed. The Day Chocolate is a small company and usually the firms that react to competitive pressures are larger than they are. Furthermore, Days revenue and market share are increasing according to companies figures, so the competitive pressure is not really a problem yet. The rest of the motives in Table 2 were discarded after a careful examination. The main trigger found in the The Day Chocolate case can be the Perceptive management. The company management is highly professional, includes people with many different backgrounds and the fact that the headquarters are in London -a well known international financial and trade centre- provides another good reason to support this interpretation. The second trigger might be the Importing as inward internationalization. Although the products and the headquarters are I the United Kingdom, the production facilities are located in Germany and the final product is exported from there to the U.K., according to the BBC[19]. The knowledge accumulated by importing the product from one European country to England can be used to make easy the export process to any other European nation. In order to be able to answer the question regarding to which country they should go (export or invest in) it is assumed that no barriers hindering the export initiation exists or that if they exist, they are preventable at an affordable cost. It can also be assumed that these barriers will not stop the internationalization of the firm but rather slow the velocity at which the company expands abroad. 2.5.2. Strategic approach to internationalization Once it has become clear that the firm can, needs or wants to export or expand their operations abroad, there is a need of knowing how and where to go. In order to answer these questions it is necessary to have a framework to guide the analysis. For The Day Chocolate case the guidebook presented in Internationalization Handbook by Äijà ¶ (Äijà ¶ et al. 2005) was the most appropriated. This structure is presented in Figure 5. According to Äijà ¶ the first part (Part I) in Figure 5 is the selection of the appropriate Internationalization Path. In his book, he presents three typical pathways that the internationalization process of a software firm may take, but his steps and conclusions can also be expand to any firm in the confectionery market like Days chocolate. This area under discussion is also the same as the one that Hollensen refers as Internationalization theories or models in the third chapter of his book Essentials of Global Marketing. For the purpose of this work, the 3 pathways presented by Äijà ¶ can also be increase with the many other presented by Hollensen. Among many models, paths or theories, the most well known are the one presented in Table 5. Based on Days corporate webpage statistics and from private sector publications[20], like Tranchell Doherty, it can be assumed that the company started it internationalization process by choosing an Organic growth path. The timeline on the firms webpage confirms that Devines management decided to begin their operations abroad in markets that are very close in location but also in culture and institutions like the United States and that the internationalization process has been taking place in small but incremental steps. The size of the company and the market where it operates also support this view. In contrast with what happens with large companies, where the internationalization process happens in a relatively continuous and incremental fashion, for SMEs (like The Day Chocolate) in general this process is made in small incremental steps. According to Hollensen, usually for SMEs the internationalization process is relatively discrete and every project is distinct and individual. The fact that the company operates in the confectionery industry and not in the IT sector, among other facts, is also a good reason for not considering this firm chocolate as a born global company. Freeman (2002) also states that for Small and Medium Enterprises managers tend to gather and look for relevant knowledge and information before becoming internationalization ready, which is consistent with Devines history and with the Uppsala model[21]. In 2007, the company took the next step in its internationalization process by setting a foot in the United States market by opening offices there. According to Johanson, and Wiedersheim-Paul (1975) that would have constituted the third stage. 2.5.3. The country choice Once the company has determined the path for internalization, its management needs to start the potential markets selection process (Part II in figure x.1). To address this problem, the screening process detailed in Rugman and Collinson (1995) will be used. 2.5.3.1. First screening: determining what product to offer to the world market This first screening is crucial in determining the potential of the companys goods in markets other than the local. This task can be carried on successfully by using a wide number of market research tools. International trade statistics inspection, competitors financial information analysis and research papers or databases that are offered by international multilateral organizations like FAO, the World Bank and the IMF could be valuable tools as well. In general, chocolate confectionery is offered in all almost the countries of the world. In this sense, initially there are a large number of potential countries where to choose from. However, in this case, the company is selling a very specific product (high quality + socially friendly chocolate) that limits the scope of this first screening. One drawback when dealing with this kind of specific and one-in-a-kind characterized goods is the lack of information or the excessive cost of getting it. A first measure to identify the potential foreign markets for The Day Chocolate would be analysing the world trade evolution of Fair-Trade products. That might help the firms management in recognizing the most active markets for this kind of products. As it is shown in Table 6 and according to the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO) in 2009 they were many countries showing a dynamic market for this kind of products. Among them, it is necessary to highlight Canada, Finland, Australia and New Zealand where the surge in the transactions was higher that 65% in the first case and about 60% in the other tree cases. Other nations with a remarkable performance were Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Sweden. Although the U.K. and the United States presented a performance below the average growth rate of 15%, it is necessary to state that they are still by far the most important markets in volume for organic and fair-traded goods. Regarding the specific case of this companys main product, a NGO -TransFair USA- declare that during 2008 the imports of fair-trade certified cocoa into the U.S. rose at rates of more than 50%.[22] Finally, the genuine potential of every market will be ultimately determined by the interaction with other factors such as socio cultural forces and economic conditions. 2.5.3.2. Second screening: Macroeconomic and financial conditions The last World Economic Outlook report from the International monetary Fund (IMF)[23] clearly shows what to expect for the upcoming years. The developed countries GDP will grow on average 2,5% in 2011, still trying to recover from 2007s financial crisis. The U.S., Germany, and the U.K, together with some developed Asian countries such as South Korea will be presenting above average growth rates. However, some countries like Spain, Italy and France will show a growth rate between 0% and 1%. On the other hand, developing nations are expected to growth on average 6,5%, with Developing Asia and Latin America leading among these regions. From a macroeconomic point of view, the next years are going to be very good ones for most of the developing countries and also for some developed nations. For the purpose of this document, the countries will be segmented in four categories, considering that The Day Chocolate should focus in the short run on those that are not experiencing a recession. Table 7 contains this information. However, the product that they are offering is not a cheap one. It is a premium product and usually the prices are above the average. In this context, the income levels of the consumers are also an important factor to be considered. This is what Rugman Collinson (1995) called the Market intensity. Figure 6 shows the relation between the per capita income level for all developed countries and the expected GDP growth for 2011. As it is shown, there are 1 group that is more desirable for the company. The second quadrant comprises all countries showing both very high income level and high expected level of economic activity. However, the companys management might find also attractive potential markets in countries that do not have a very high level of per capita income, but whichs economies are growing very fast (Quadrant 4). 2.5.3.3. Third screening: Political and Legal forces This step covers the examination of the political and legal forces in every potential market. There might be trade barriers that obstruct the export process or the lack of solid institutions can represent a serious risk in the form of the future losses. One way to detect this serious problems is by addressing to the World Economic Forums (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index (GCI)[24]. This index includes a weighted average of several different components, each one of them measuring a diverse feature of the competitiveness. Those components are grouped into 12 categories or pillars. The first one of these pillars is Institutions. The GCI is calculated for 140 countries and the results are available free of charge. Table 8 presents the most important variables and their weight within the first pillar: Institutions. Table 9 provides some of the results obtained by the WEFs researchers for the 2010/11 index[25]. There it can be seen that the countries with the most stable or trustworthy are in general also those with a higher level of economic development. 2.5.3.4. Forth screening: socio-cultural forces A multinational corporation or a company desiring to become one should examine the main social and cultural disparities between the potential market and the home country. The concepts of cultural distance and psychological distance as presented in Hollensen (2008) have the potential of disturbing the normal flow between the foreign market and the company. Language, religion, work habits, ethnicity, age and many other socio-cultural factors may influence the decision regarding where to locate the operations. Maps 1 and 2 illustrate this theory by presenting the world distribution of the main religions and of the English speaking nations. For The Day Chocolate to avoid problems generated by cultural distance it will be recommended to establish operations or to export to anglo-saxon countries, like former British colonies or commonthwealth nations. Other european nations, specially those from German and Nordic origins, might be suitable in this first stage of internationalization. In a future stage, and after reducing these distances by means of the learning process, the firm might also attempt to gain a foot in more culturally distant markets. Focus groups activities and consumer surveys can help the firm in determining the main differences and similarities between the foreign market and the headquarters values and culture. 2.5.3.5. Fifth screening: Competitive enviroment This last stage of the analysis focuses on the competitive forces. Confronted with comparable and equally desirable potential markets, the firms tend to internationalize to those where the competition is less ferocious. The lack of competition can provide the company with some degree of monopolistic power that might have the power to increase the earnings. In the case analyzed, there were detected many new actors entering into the market in the last years, also some big players in the industry like Nestle and Cadbury are making efforts to tap this fast growing segment[26]. Despite these facts, competition is still not a barrier in most of the national markets analysed. Special attention should be paid to Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where several small and medium local producers have a long lasting tradition manufacturing chocolate products of world recognized quality[27]. 2.5.3.6. Final selection According to The Day Chocolates website, the firm currently operates in 11 markets. In the U.K.[28] and in the United States, the company has direct control over its business. In the rest of the countries, they rely on other companies, which are in charge of the distribution channels (Canada, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Japan). Trough the screening process and its five stages many countries were considered as potential new markets: Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, South Korea, Germany, Switzerland and Romania. Germany and Switzerland were discarded mainly because of the competitive environment and in second place because some possible cultural distance. South Korea was finally not considered fundamentally because the huge cultural distance and also because the physical distance. Due to the market size and growth projections, the chocolate per capita consumption[29], the similarities in the socio-cultural environments, the reliable legal and political framework, the expected friendly competitive context this document concludes that The Day Chocolates management should make an effort to analyse in more detail the potential of the following new markets: Australia, Finland, Belgium and New Zealand.

Tibetan Women Under Chinese Occupation :: Asian History China Research Papers

Tibetan Women Under Chinese Occupation Prior to the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959, Tibetan women were treated with the utmost respect. They served as equals to men, nothing less and in some instances even more. However, since the Chinese have occupied Tibet the status of Tibetan women in the country has changed. Women’s basic human rights are violated every day under the Chinese, rights such as reproduction and education. They face violence and coercion and must live their lives in an entirely new way. Women in Tibet prior to the Chinese takeover had a very high social status. They played very active roles in the family as well as in society as a whole. Women were warriors, princesses, leaders, mothers, traders, and business women. There was no sense of a woman being inferior to men in society nor was there a need for women to be limited in what they were supposed to do. Tibetans practiced an egalitarian way of living. Polyandry was an acceptable practice as was divorce and remarriage (especially by widows). It is made clear, however, that the practice of polyandry was restricted. The woman would marry her husband and all of his younger brothers were included as shared husbands. Women were not subjected to pay a dowry; in fact it was quite the opposite. â€Å"Apart from rich widows or women whom the generosity of their lovers has provided with enviable possessions, no Tibetan woman need fear that she is being asked in marriage for the sake of her money; for, instead of receiving a dowry, the fiancà © has to pay a sum, termed nu rin, as suitable compensation for the trouble and money her parents have expended in bringing up their child, who is now going to be taken from them to profit of another family.† (David-Neel, 178) Marriage seemed to be a place where women gained some ground. They and their families played a large role in the marriage process and had the dominating hand. In most cases the parents have the final say in who their daughter marries, but a woman has the option of divorce though it is not easy.